"Busy."
That was it. One word.
Delilah nodded politely.
Benedict came out then with Alice and Sera, each carrying trays of breakfast.
Benedict served Eric his meal first. Eric muttered a quiet "thank you,".
Benedict bowed, his posture rigid but his eye.
"Benedict?" Eric called.
"Alpha…"
Eric held his gaze. "Last night…"
A flicker passed through Benedict's expression—fear, loyalty, relief—before he dipped his head again. "Forgotten, Alpha. totally and absolutely forgotten."
Eric's lips lifted into the barest curve, the ghost of a smile that could just as easily have been imagined by anyone not watching him carefully. It was the closest thing to an apology an Alpha ever gave. And Benedict, wise enough to understand, accepted it for what it was.
Sera finished serving Mrs. Blackwood while Alice tended to Delilah.
Eric's gaze followed Sera. Her movements were soft. When she finished and began heading back toward the kitchen, Eric's jaw ticked.
