Aurelia POV
I pulled back from Helena's hands so quickly I nearly knocked over the chair.
"Alpha," I said, scrambling to my feet. "This isn't…"
"Sit down, Aurelia," Helena said firmly, her voice carrying a tremor she couldn't quite hide.
Ragnar stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with a deliberate quietness that somehow felt more threatening than if he slammed it. His eyes were fixed on me, cold and assessing.
"I asked what's going on," he said again. His voice was low.
"I asked her to come," Helena said. "Ragnar, this was my doing, not hers."
"At this hour?" Ragnar's eyes flicked toward the window, then back to me. "In private? With no one else present?"
"Yes," Helena said.
Ragnar's jaw worked. He looked at me again, and I watched something settle behind his eyes.
