Cecilia’s pov
Harper and I had just finished exploring the balcony when we returned to our rooms. She flopped onto the bed with a frustrated sigh, her brow furrowed.
"Do we actually feel safe here?" she asked, tugging at her earlobe. "I an, Alpha Sebastian’s mansion had a security system that looked like sothing out of a Bond movie. This place? It’s barely got a doorbell."
I shrugged. "We have to trust Cassian. The guy’s dodged more assassination attempts from Maggie than I can count on both hands."
Harper sat up, clearly uneasy. "That’s exactly what freaks out. I’ve been paying attention since we got here. There are maybe two caras at the front. No motion detectors, no drones, no infrared scans, nothing. It’s like he thinks he’s invincible."
She lowered her voice, even though no one else was around. "And rember this morning? Cassian said Maggie’s people were still tracking him. If she’s monitoring his flight paths, we’re not exactly off the radar. She could’ve followed us right here."
She looked around the room and raised an eyebrow.
"So... are we just counting on good vibes to keep us safe?"
"Overthinking won’t help. Cassian doesn’t strike as careless. Sotis the safest traps are the ones you don’t even see."
Harper tilted her head, giving a look. "You’ve got a whole lot of faith in this guy."
I gave a noncommittal shrug. "When in Ro, right? Besides, if this place weren’t safe, Sebastian would’ve never let co. We stay alert, but we don’t panic."
Harper leaned back with a knowing smirk. "So it’s not Cassian you trust. It’s Sebastian. Got it. Girl, you are fully enchanted."
"Excuse ?" I turned to glare at her. "Who says I’m not the one casting the spell? That man’s completely obsessed with ."
"Totally. If you asked, he’d probably burn down a city for you."Harper shot back, grinning.
We both laughed, the tension easing a bit.
After that, we let the conversation drop and just chilled in the room for a while. Harper scrolled through her phone, and I lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, letting my thoughts drift.
About thirty minutes later, Yulia knocked on our door, calling us down to grab so lunch.
The sll of garlic and roasted vegetables had already started drifting up the stairs by the ti we opened the door.
She headed off next to wake up Tang, who was still catching up on sleep in his room.
We made our way to the dining area and found the round wooden table completely covered in food.
There was grilled trout, bison stew with green chilies, cornbread still warm in the basket, roasted root vegetables, and a big bowl of salad tossed with pine nuts.
It wasn’t fancy. Just hearty, mountain-town comfort food.
The sll hit first.
Rosemary, citrus, garlic. It was rich, earthy, and familiar.
Before I even sat down, my stomach let out a low growl. The morning nausea had finally passed, and for the first ti all day, I realized I was genuinely hungry.
Harper had already eaten earlier, but she looked ready for round two.
Tang, however, was clearly on a different frequency. The mont we sat down, he dove into the braised ribs like soone fresh off a survival show. Honestly, if soone wheeled in a whole cow, he’d probably ask for a fork.
"This one’s got an appetite," Yulia said with a warm laugh, clearly amused by his enthusiasm.
"No kidding," Levi added, giving Tang’s bicep a friendly pat. "Arms like that don’t build themselves. You must be doing sothing right, Tang ."
Tang couldn’t respond because his mouth was too full. But he gave a sheepish grin, then went straight back to eating like it was his job.
Harper and I exchanged a look and grinned.
Guys like Tang had that kind of charm. Young, fit, and sohow always the center of attention without even trying.
I was hungry, but my body still wasn’t ready for anything heavy.
Just the sll of greasy at made my stomach clench like it was getting ready for a fight.
I stuck with grilled eggplant and scooped myself a bowl of zucchini and tomato soup.
The soup was exactly what I needed. It was light and clean, like sothing your grandma might make when you’re sick.
There was no oil, just a little dried herb flavor. The tangy tomato base worked perfectly with the sweetness of the vegetables. I poured it over a bit of rice and finished the whole bowl before I even realized it.
"Cece, you can’t live on vegetables," Yulia said, giving a look that could only be described as mom energy.
Before I could say anything, she deposited a massive rib on my plate like it was non-negotiable. "You need protein."
I stared at the rib like it had betrayed . My stomach gave a warning lurch, and I knew one bite would land back in the bathroom. I didn’t have it in to explain.
Just then, the sound of bells jingling outside cut through the room.
"Soone’s here. I’ll go check," Yulia said, standing up and heading toward the door.
Levi leaned to get a glimpse, curiosity written all over his face.
I seized the mont like a lifeline and slid the rib onto Harper’s plate, giving her a look that scread: Save .
If I ate that thing, I’d be out of commission for the rest of the day.
Harper didn’t miss a beat. She smoothly forked the rib and continued eating like it had always been hers.
Her eyes sparkled with amusent.
"Well, well," she whispered, "never thought I’d see the day you surrendered at voluntarily."
I breathed out a laugh, grateful for her quick thinking.
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