Page 26 of Claimed By the King's Gamma

“You want to come?”she asks, surprised.

“Yeah, I have errands in town, anyway,” I lie, heading to the closet.Once changed into my black uniform, I step out to find her opening the blinds and windows.The bed is made, and the room feels unusually bright.I squint at the light.

“What are you doing?”I ask as she sprinkles dried lavender into what looks like a bowl of potpourri.

“If you don’t like the smell, I can remove it,” she says, stepping forward to take the bowl.

“No, it’s fine,” I tell her, placing the bowl back on the windowsill.

“We used to do it at the orphanage.It helped the kids sleep,” she explains.

“You looked after all the kids?”I ask.Her eyes light up briefly before dimming so I know she must care deeply for them.

“Yes, there was one—” She stops, shaking her head.“I should go,” she says quickly, her expression falling; she looks on the verge of tears making me feel guilty for asking.

“Come on.I’ll drive you,” I say, leading her out.

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