y's

almost nothing to show for it. A few boxes of clothes, some books, and the photo

hand, when I saw Grace,Theodore's mother,

g slowly from my face to the suitcase and back ag

y accident. She w

the cup aside. "I half expected

forehand. "I've told you before, that hospital job was never suitable. A married woman,

g in to rest," she took a sip of her tea and looked at me,

a moment that I'd misheard. "

e useful," Grace

suitcase back up.

e that's kept you barren all these years. No wonder Theod

, watching for t

ld. She's doing what you never could. Do you have any idea how ma

went very stil

, quiet and level. "He said so the week we married. And

arpened. "If you'd known how to keep your husband

nant." She tilted her head, feigning pity. "And meanwhile, you cou

andle until they hurt. For one second, I wanted to hurl it straight at

osen and walked

ever. "Before you go, run to the market. Alex

of jealousy. Now you're handing me an errand where I'd hav

into a sneer. "You wouldn't dare. Lay one finger on he

all means

shed past it. "Stop being cleve

this pack has been waiting for." Her chin lifted. "Harm h

caught my attention immedia

"My son's first child will not be a girl. Starfalls has never had

oice landed harder tha

me, and for once I was almost gra

, seemed ready to lecture me further when

ove the crib, we have two options, and I can't decide whic

ated breath. "Honestly, must

oward the door, smoothin

to fix me with a final look. "You'd do well to li

ttled cold and certain in my chest-even if I told this family the truth about Oph

to prepare a nursery for the woman who'd walked in

uch effort they were putt

use it meant I no longer had to wonder

up my suitcase, and

't loo

hor'

hrough the front door, his tie was loosened and his patience

at hadn't been there yesterday. The couch had a matching throw draped over it,

red this?

se flinched slightly at being addr

una Ivy, and given that-given seven years without a child-she thought it best no

that seven years without a child wasn't so

him a longer lecture, so he pressed two fin

e first floor," he said. "Lea

and something felt off

's, always so thin it barely registered as an Omega's at all-and toni

r door. It w

ill scattered across the vanity, same as always. But something

the nightstand had b

stood there expressionless through the entire shoot, how t

ed staged, fake, two people perfor

nce considered t

he wood, like someone had

yes stayed on the frame for a be

t about walking in and

us-it was a photograph, nothing more,

ached him through the mind-link

er patrol's flagged somet

ook back a

r cleaning, he told himself,

se, some small act of spite

could wait unti

o. Whether she was on shift or pulling an ove

lways

he might need to keep track of her

servants to move furniture from one room to another, every soun

let the noise fade into the background, one mo

of the second-floor hallway, the last