***Rose POV***
We were silent as we walked down the three flights of stairs and into an expansive kitchen. A plump middle-aged woman sat on a high stool by the island, the back of a pencil in her mouth as she concentrated on the crossword puzzle before her.
‘Pat, what are you still doing up?’
I noticed a warmth in Black’s voice I had not heard before. This woman must be dear to him, I realized.
‘Ah, Alpha, it is good to see you,’ came her reply as she slightly inclined her head. ‘I figured you would come in here in the middle of the night looking for something to eat, and I didn’t want you to mess up my kitchen.’
Clearly, her earlier display of respect for Black was just to soften him up for her hint at chastisement.
‘And who might this be?’ The woman hopped off the stool, a lot
