Kaelen's POV
I leave Celestine at the table, her laughter following me down the hall like perfume I can’t shake off.
She calls my name once, but I don’t look back. The plate she prepared sits untouched in my hand.
In the kitchen, the staff are gone for the night. I lift the bin lid and dump the food in.
I wash my hands even though I don’t need to, then dry them on a towel.
My office door closes behind me with a solid thud. Papers cover the desk in uneven stacks—reports from the pack, merger proposals from the company, lists of patrol rotations.
I sit, loosen my collar, and try to focus. Numbers. Deadlines.
I sign the first document without reading it, push it aside, and pull another. My eyes move, but my thoughts don’t follow. Celestine’s perfume still clings to my shirt. Swe
