Everything looked ordinary.
But Marcus knew better.
Because nothing about this morning was ordinary.
Not after what he had heard through that door.
Not after what he had seen in the Alpha's face when he stepped out.
There had been something there, however brief. Not merely satisfaction. Possession. The kind that made even a Beta tread very, very carefully.
They reached the lower corridor before Kade finally spoke.
"Report."
One word. Enough.
Marcus activated the tablet at once, visibly relieved to return to matters far less dangerous than anything that had transpired behind the Alpha's bedroom door. He fell naturally into step beside Kade, voice settling into the measured cadence of routine as they moved toward the stairs, the estate's morning rhythm unfolding around them in hushed efficiency.
"Master, you had two meetings this morning," Marcus said, scrolling quickly. "The first was set for eight. It is now nine-thirty. Another meeting should already be on the way."
