The air in the room is stifling; heavy maroon curtains cover the lone window, blocking out all light. A single fat candle burns on a pedestal in the corner, illuminating the sparsely-appointed chamber. I keep my breathing steady, ignoring the beads of sweat that gather on my brow and between my breasts.

"S-slow down, p-please," the man between my legs pleads, clawing at my thighs. "I c-can't—"

I remain silent, eyes fixed on the wall. A low, strangled moan leaves his lips and he shudders to completion, hands dropping from my thighs to fall limp upon the mattress. Warmth floods my core, but his release draws no pleasure in return.

Sighing, I roll off his languishing form and reach for a warm, wet cloth on the sideboard.

"Did I pass?" he asks breathlessly as I clean my inner thighs of his seed.

I glance at the man—a beta with long, dark hair, battle scars, strong features, a pleasing body, and enough wit to keep up a semi-intelligent conversation. No different than the others who captured the queen's attention. Do I tell him the alpha will ride him with far more vigor than I can manage? Of course not.

It's my duty to test lovers for the queen and report my observations back to her.

"That is for the queen to decide," I say, reaching for a small bell on the sideboard.

The beta's brown eyes widen and he sits up, reaching out in panic. "Wait—are we done?"

I glance at him side-long and ring the bell. There's a dull ache between my legs that would like to be sated by his tongue, but rules are rules.

"Wait—wait!" he exclaims, leaping from the bed to snatch the bell from my hand. "I haven't shown you what else I can do to please the queen—" He drops to his knees, free hand reaching for the hem of my shift.

A low growl rumbles in my throat and I swat his questing fingers away. His chin jerks up and he drops all pretenses of prostration, irises glowing with an amber light. "Watch yourself, gamma—"

The door to the chamber swings open and Kaia, my maid, enters with one of the castle guardsmen. "I think we're done here," I tell the beta as the guard glares at him, one hand on the pistol hanging from his belt.

The guard nods and gestures to the beta. "It's time to go, Lord Kane."

Kaia comes up and helps me into an embroidered robe as Lord Kane hurriedly dresses under the guard's watchful eye. As he's escorted out, he shoots me a glare over his shoulder. I shrug and tie the tasseled ends of my belt together. The beta isn't the first male to react this way, nor do I suspect he'll be the last.

I pull a watch from the robe's pocket and study the hour. Just enough time to wash and get dressed before supper with the queen. Kaia bustles around the room, throwing open the heavy curtains and letting light spill into the small chamber. She blows out the candle and picks up the discarded cloths, stuffing them into the wide pocket of her crisp white apron.

"Lord Kane didn't last long," Kaia remarks as we walk through the halls of Daroonga Palace, a second guard trailing discretely behind us. As I had no wish to bring strange men to my suite, the room designated for my assignments is a repurposed laundress's chamber in the servant's wing.

"No," I reply, letting my cool façade drop and a smile to cross my lips.

Kaia cocks her head eagerly, but that is all I will say on the matter. The men the queen has me test are members of the aristocracy and thus not fodder for gossip. I know Kaia will not divulge our conversations among the staff, but the divide between our ranks—gamma to omega—remains. Outside the palace walls, I would have gladly confided in her, but as a trusted member of the queen's household, I must observe protocol.

Even without my input, I'm certain she'll have measure of the encounter by the end of the day. The guard who escorted Lord Kane has been courting Kaia for a year.

Two junior maids are waiting for us when we enter my suite. I nod to them as I enter the bathing room, peel off the robe, and pull the shift over my head. Kaia dutifully collects these as the junior maids pour hot water into a claw-footed copper tub. Once it's filled and gently steaming, the three disappear, closing the door behind them. I sigh with relief and carefully step into the tub, tugging pins from my heavy dark brown locks and tossing them to the floor.

Red fingerprints mar the skin of my thighs where Lord Kane gripped them. I've suffered worse in service to the queen, all from men eager to gain the alpha's favor. Depending on how far each man has progressed, my body has sported all kinds of bite marks and bruises from eager fingers. **

I stretch out my legs and lean back against the tub's curved wall. The tops of my knees and breasts crest the water's surface, and steam curls towards the ceiling. Sinking low, my dark hair streaming like black smoke around my head, I reach between my legs to relieve the ache left by Lord Kane. Pleasure floods my body, a fleeting sensation that drifts into the ether; I'm left in a steaming tub with a hollowness in my belly.

It's always so after a tryst. I have no connection to these men, although they are all pleasing of body. One day I hope to find a mate who will give me the closeness these liaisons lack. But not now—not with Morgana so new to the throne. My duty and loyalty is to her alone.

Reflectively, I tip my head toward the bathing room door where no doubt Kaia and the others are preparing my gown for tonight's meal. I blow a stray lock of hair away from my face and reach for the washcloth draped over the side of the tub. A bar of fragrant soap that smells of vanilla and roses sits in a shallow steel cup attached to the tub. I sit up and work the soap into a lather on the washcloth, rubbing it all over my body, scrubbing the scent of Lord Kane from my skin.

Setting the washcloth and soap aside, I slide down and submerge my head beneath the water. Rising swiftly, I blow droplets from my lips and toss my heavy hair back. I reach once more for the soap and work it into my hair, wringing the last vestiges of sweat and sex from my body. One more quick dunk and I call for Kaia.

My maid and the two nameless junior omegas glide into the bathing room, armed with soft, warm towels. I step out of the tub and stand on the cold tile while the three expertly dry me off. Kaia holds a towel around my hair as the other two guide me to my dressing chair. I contemplate my reflection as Kaia dries my long, heavy hair, then uses a bone and silver comb to loosen any tangles.

"Any word on the queen's mood?" I ask the mirror. I used to know Morgana's moods intimately when we were children, but since she wrested control of the Noctis Throne, I fear I've lost that talent. These days, it's best to be prepared rather than walk into an ambush.

"She was meeting with her counselors this afternoon," Kaia reports. "I don't know what they were discussing."

I snort and pick at the edge of the towel wrapped around my breasts. It looks like I'll be going in blind. Morgana loathes those counselors; they could be discussing anything from orc raids on the western border to disputes with the dragons up north.

Once my wild locks are tamed and pinned, I stand up and drop the towel. One of the junior maids hands me my undergarments and I put them on. It took time to get used to being dressed by strangers, but if there's one thing I will always do, it's put on my own stays and underwear. No servant needs to get that close.

I lift my arms as the younger maids slip my evening dress over my head. It's a familiar one: cream-colored with long, full sleeves and a low neckline. Kaia moves forward to lace up the corset and overskirt patterned with small red and violet flowers and butterflies. Lastly, she loosely ties a pale orchid ribbon around my neck with a polished oval of onyx in its center.

Thus armored for supper with the alpha queen, I thank the junior maids and leave my room with Kaia.