A fourth place waited for me at the middle of the table’s length, not at the head, not at the far end. Just… there. No higher than theirs, no closer to the Alpha’s usual seat.
“Sit,” Victor said, without looking up.
I did.
The china was fine, the silver polished. A plate of eggs and meat and bread sat untouched in front of my spot, cooling.
The servant at my elbow poured coffee into my cup in a smooth, practiced motion and moved toward my father.
Victor lifted his hand without glancing. The servant halted, then stepped back.
“No,” my father said. “She’ll do it.”
I blinked.
“Pour,” he said, looking up at me now. “It’s the least you can do, considering how much this house has done for you.”
The servant’s eyes flicked between us and then down, face carefully blank.
I picked up the c
