ROMAN
I stood outside Alpha Alexander’s office longer than I should have.
At some point, it stopped being about waiting and started being about deciding whether I should even be there at all.
I had already checked the usual places.
The training ground.
The hall.
Even the outer grounds.
He wasn’t there.
Which meant he was either in a meeting—
Or in his quarters.
My jaw tightened slightly at the thought.
I hadn’t gone there.
Wouldn’t.
Not without a reason strong enough to justify crossing that line.
And this—
I exhaled slowly through my nose, shifting my weight just slightly before stilling again.
This felt like a reason.
But not one I was entirely comfortable acting on like that.
So I stayed here instead.
Waiting.
Because if he wasn’t in his quarters, he would come here
