ana

s hall. I sat on my lumpy cot in the dim light of the evening, counting the few crumpled bil

nnel, stepped inside. The murky, unwashed scent of her Beta aura filled the s

o keep your cushy spot in the East Wing, near Lord Ja

perate to stay close to the Alpha I foolishly thought I could w

thority. "And I don't want the position anymore. Please, Berniece. Transfer me. I'l

aced her frown. "Giving up so easily? Fine. There are plenty of fools willing to pay

hysical blow. I still had to survive

and moved into the inner chambers, I was assigned to the outer suite for the night sh

adbare laborer's tunic I could find. Finally, I took a handful of wood ash and cheap, lye-heavy soap, scrubbing it fiercely over my neck and collarbone. Th

ak doors of the Alpha Suite, I bumped into Elsie, the Omega ma

. "Lord Jaren is in a foul mood. Whatever Jessenia i

hard and sli

nd cedar. My knees buckled slightly under the sheer weight of his Alpha aura. I shrank into t

't even glance in my direction. Suddenly, a low, guttural growl vibrat

eniable, crushing power of an Alpha's Comma

t an Alpha's direct order. My legs moved on their own, dragging me out

lled out, hitting my face like a physical wall. My heart hammered wildly against my

. The steam clung to my clothes, dampening the wood ash and lye soap on my neck. If the water washed away m