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Her breath caught. She looked down for a moment, then back at me, hesitation written across her face in careful lines. But there was something else too, a spark of understanding, of recognition. She wasn’t used to Alphas being defied, let alone their own instructions ignored.
“This room,” I said, gesturing around with a sweep of my hand, “was built for someone who never got to use it. I don’t want that. I want it… mine. Personal.”
Estel nodded slowly, as if weighing my words, then drew a quiet breath. “Then… let me help prepare the bath first,” she said gently, already taking a step toward the adjoining chamber. “And then...”
“No,” I interrupted, not sharply, but firmly enough that she stopped at once.
She turned back to me, uncertainty flickering across her face.
“Get the brea
