The estate felt empty after Kael left.
The laughter of the visiting Alphas was gone. The courtyard that had been filled with horses and warriors now echoed with silence. Servants hurried to return everything to its usual place, as if the last few days had never happened.
But for me…
Everything had changed.
As I walked home that evening, my fingers brushed against the small silver bookmark tucked safely into the pocket of my dress.
I smiled without realizing it.
No one had ever given me something simply because they wanted to.
It wasn’t the bookmark I treasured.
It was the kindness behind it.
“You’re late.”
Mother’s sharp voice greeted me the moment I stepped through the front door.
“I stayed behind to help clean the estate.”
“You should have worked faster.”
She shoved a basket
