THE TOWER WAS EMPTY when I emerged from my bathroom with my skin still raw from scrubbing off Rune’s aroma. I flared my nostrils and sniffed, but there was no persimmon left anywhere. Someone had opened the windows and let the last vestiges out.
My bed was similarly stripped, making something inside me feel even more barren. Ignoring the hole in my gut, I stalked down the stairs and headed for the mess hall. The space was busier than usual, but I was also later than usual. At the far end, within the semi-seclusion of the breakfast nook, Ash glanced up from our two-person table and smiled.
Before I could do more than nod at him, Willa appeared at my elbow. “You wanted me, Alpha?”
I’d pinged her on the way down, providing no information. But she didn’t complain when I told her to: “Walk w
