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always two sug
s in the rain, which light switch needs two tries before it catches. Small, useless knowledge that my body coll
emorized him
n moving. He doesn't look up. He never looks up when I come in, not right away. There's always this pause, this deliberate beat wh
hink it was
ething else. I don't
say, because it'
mug before I've even set the tray down fully and I step back, out of reach, cr
erature or the taste, which means it's righ
ondence into a neat stack. "He'll be thirty minutes late. And the Voss delegation confirmed - t
mug down. "Who c
Apparently he prefers to
e. Prepare th
ready by Thu
toward the door wh
t. Just
in that specific low register he only uses when the ro
ng. I don't
sure the heating is looked at before V
hrough my nose. "
say anything else that s
t of linens and absolutely no attem
my stride without missing a beat.
ng Alpha. That
corridor is empty. "Reina in the kitchens said he's been aski
deways. "What kind
than she's saying and wants me to ask. I don't take the bait. I've learned not
e," I say. "In the meantime, I
arm, gentle but
way you know when someone is about
I say, bef
ful, unhurried attention that has always been her way. "I just want you to e
my chest loos
eat,"
rm. "I'll believe
takes most o
ssue in the blue guest room so I can have maintenance in by morning. There is comfort in the work. In the phys
oud. Too full of things I kept turning over like broken glass, cutting myself on the same edg
do that
tree line, the mountains sitting heavy and grey at its back. I grew up looking at those mountains. They have
to be like
oices from the floor below. Male, more than one, carrying the unmistakable
nd take t
nd at the door. A line of unfamiliar vehicles sits in the courtyard
en I s
ver had to make themselves smaller for anyone. Dark coat. Sharp jaw. Eyes that sweep the r
gaze for one
rking the room. Something smaller. More deliberate. Like he came
something I don'
ve. I don'
e top of the staircase, I hear Luc
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