THE ALPHA WHO COULDN'T RECOGNIZE ME

to

tray balanced carefully in both hands as the glas

aid s

standing at the entrance, her expression cold en

ediately l

s, L

did you

tray, confused by the que

s expressi

n't what

dge of the tray, trying to understand wha

ace that was in my

surrounding servants, and

dn't t

a's eyes

en wait for me

d, but no answer ca

nou

t through the room,

things worse. Apologizing was safer. Staying quiet was safer.

tand," she

ent before turning toward the g

arch

s face

kets of her apron and checked beneath the folds of her simple dress. When they found nothi

the guard return

hing,

ment, uncertainty cr

t disap

e hidden it s

en for something she had not done. Normally, she would have lowered her head and accepted the humil

dn't t

ng hall f

a's eyes

did y

unding, but she forced

I didn't

nd of the dining hall opened; every conversation died instan

n Blackwood walk

never this close. He carried the quiet authority of someone who had never need

pping. Something inside Adrian went rigid; hi

ck through him so violently that f

Ma

through his mind. Ad

er noticed before, her head lowered and her

ooked up; th

; for several seconds,

but there was something strange in his eyes, something that made her chest tighten despite

movement; his wolf was no l

at

rough him again, leav

ed the bond would feel like this, immediate and undeniable, as though some part

his mate was a serva

lph

voice pull

s behind him, watching him

ou all

to Elena. She was still standing beside the table, holdi

iced where he

ly, "this girl has been ac

es shifted t

did she

ver nec

u find i

a hesita

is she bein

ut something in his tone

ned. "We have reason t

oked at El

ne. There was no calculated innocence in her expression, only emba

ushed again

at

not know her, not even her name, yet every ins

yes met for the second time. This time, Adr

ogni

mind. Not from

hing d

ade his wolf fall

her trembling hands. The glass

one fl

t the broken pi

y," she w

orward before he

oke again in

at

t standing before him was

woman his wol