The sound of shower droplets echoed through the dark room as Celeste stirred from sleep, her body aching with each movement. She opened her eyes to the dim light.
She sprang up fast when she recognized the maroon sheets and velvet covers, her heart lurching as she realized where she was: the Alpha’s chambers. A tentative glance confirmed he wasn’t in the bed. Relief spread through her as she slid off the mattress, hissing at the pain in her feet—though it was now bearable enough to walk on.
A silver glint caught her attention on the desk. She limped over and saw an open book. Her hand glided across the crisp pages; the open spread showed a jumble of copied dates. One look at the handwriting told her it belonged to her father.
She was so immersed that she didn’t hear the shower stop. Sud
