Ember spent the day touring the mansion with Kaya, Raphael, and Dorothea. Kaya expressed an interest in cooking, and Ember asked Dorothea to tutor her as an assistant cook in the mansion. Raphael stuck to gardening, just as he had at the camps.
After the eventful day, she lay in bed, reading a book after Dorothea had commandeered her evening bathe and dressing. She felt more relaxed and rested than she had in over four years.
She had just propped her book on the nightstand as she prepared to sleep, tired from the day, when the door flew open. Thorne stood in the doorway, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, looking every bit the Alpha that he was.
His dark hair was ruffled, though it suited him, and his face was set in his usual scowl.
“Can’t you knock?” Ember asked, irritated, bl
