The VIP's Perilous Demand

I had exactly one day off each week. Just one precious day where I could forget about work and breathe. Alpha Orion Valerius had been strict about this when I first joined Storm Crest Pack—everyone needed at least one day to decompress.

The morning air felt crisp as I opened my apartment windows, letting sunlight flood the modest space I'd made my own. Four years ago, when I first arrived here broken and alone, this place had been a sterile box. Now, colorful throw pillows brightened my couch, sketches adorned my walls, and fabric samples were organized neatly on my work desk.

I tied my hair into a messy bun and grabbed my cleaning supplies, something that would have shocked my old self. Elara Vance had been many things—studious, quiet, invisible—but never particularly neat. The new me, though? Miss Croft liked order.

"Look at you," I muttered to myself as I scrubbed the kitchen counter. "Cleaning on your day off. What happened to sleeping until noon?"