Ravid was the first to stir. He made his way to the coffee maker to prepare the first pot of the day. Not for the first time, he was grateful that real coffee had been provided and not some cheap substitute. It was a small thing, but noticeable. He hated that he noticed.
It had been gnawing on him all night. He didn’t want to admit the king knew how to run his pack. King Alexander had a firm handle on how he liked to do things and ran his pack like a well-oiled machine. The packhouse was stately but not decadent. Packmembers were respectful, minded their place and fulfilled their duty admirably.
He noticed it first with the guards. The way they checked invitations and marked down visitors. They didn’t rush procedure to hurry everything along. No, they stuck to the program and the syste
