What immediately strikes me is her resilience. After my brutal rejection at the guest quarters earlier, she has bounced back with renewed determination. Her smile is brighter, her posture more confident, and there’s a calculating gleam in her eyes that wasn’t there before. The persistent optimism reminds me painfully of Lady Zari and her insufferable belief that enough charm and persistence will eventually wear down any resistance.
The similarity makes me clench my jaw shut.
Throughout the meal, Harper keeps up a steady stream of chatter about pack life and her healing abilities, plus thinly veiled compliments about my reputation.
“I’ve heard such amazing stories about your military campaigns,” she says, leaning closer than before, clearly emboldened by some misguided confidence. “The w
