“You liked the designs?” Blake asks.
“Really? After that? You want to talk about work?” I huff out a laugh as Blake curls tighter against my side. My breathing is still a little rough, my lids already sliding closed but I did like the designs. “The library.” My eyes begin to close as I picture the window seat again. “Grayson made the nest part of the room instead of hiding it.”
“He argued with three versions of that wall before he showed me.”
Maceo’s mouth brushes my shoulder. “The curved hallway will need stronger privacy language in the contractor agreement. Better sightlines cannot become an excuse to expand camera coverage.”
“We can add it to the list with Nicholas and Blossom,” I say. “Nothing gets approved until the resident board has seen the terms.”
Blake traces his thumb over one of my knuckles. “Sounds good to me.”
I turn my head enough to see Maceo. “Are we done with work talk?” Maceo nods and then I look over at Blake, who’s already half asleep and five seconds away from snoring. “I guess that answers that.”
10
Luther
The common room of Ember House is crowded enough that I have to shift twice before I can see Luca clearly.
Families gather around the resident garden display near the windows while staff members move between tables of food and information packets. Children weave around the adults with paper cups of lemonade, and every few minutes Blossom intercepts someone attempting to rearrange the buffet. She catches a caterer moving the savory trays toward the desserts and redirects him with one look before returning to Maya, who is already laughing at the expression on her face.
Luca stands near the expansion display with a member of the city planning committee and two longtime donors. He answers a question, gestures toward the unfinished wing beyond the windows, then pauses when Maya approaches and says something near his ear. Luca laughs with her before returningto the conversation. A staff member crosses the room to ask about a resident request, and Luca answers without breaking the rhythm of the discussion. No one turns toward me, Blake, or any other Alpha for confirmation.
Blake joins me near the fireplace with his cane resting against one leg. His attention stays on Luca as Blossom complains loudly enough for Maya to cover her mouth with both hands.
“She moved the quiches again,” Blake says.
“She was right the first time.”
“She’ll be pleased you agree.”
Blossom looks across the room as though she heard him despite the distance. Blake lifts his glass in acknowledgment, and she points at the caterer before resuming her complaint.
The front doors open while the planning committee is still speaking with Luca. Josie enters beside an older man with silver hair and the kind of composed posture that comes from years spent in public rooms. His suit is understated, his smile easy, and several people recognize him before Josie has finished removing her coat.
She waits until the committee moves away before bringing him toward Luca.
“Luca, this is my Alpha, Alastair Mercer. He directs the Mercer Foundation.”
The name is familiar. Mercer served on the city council for nearly twenty years before moving into philanthropic work, and his foundation appears on programs connected to housing, education, and Omega welfare. Nothing about his presence at Ember House should feel unusual.
Alastair offers Luca his hand. “I have heard a great deal about Ember House. Thank you for allowing families to see the work for themselves.”
Luca shakes it firmly. “We wanted people to meet the staff and residents without turning the evening into a presentation.”
“A sensible choice.” Alastair glances toward the common room, where Maya has begun helping one of the younger children with a paper flower. “A place like this should be understood through the people who use it.”
He doesn't remain with Luca. He asks Blossom how residents contribute to decisions about the shared spaces and listens while she explains the resident board. Near the garden display, he speaks with one of the residents about which herbs survive the winter and whether the kitchen uses what they grow. His questions are informed without pressing into anything the staff should not share.
People approach him throughout the room. He receives their attention easily but never pulls focus away from the event. When a donor asks about his foundation’s current work, he answers briefly and redirects the conversation toward Ember House. He praises the expansion plans without asking who controls the property or how much funding remains outstanding.
By the time he returns to Luca, I have watched him move through most of the room without giving anyone a clear reason to distrust him.
“The expansion is ambitious,” Alastair says, glancing toward the display. “Managing it alongside the existing house must keep you occupied.”
“It does,” Luca replies. “The staff and resident board carry much of the work.”
Alastair’s smile remains warm. “And three young children at home as well. You must have an unusual reserve of energy.”
