Cecilia Friday passed with unexpected tranquility. I even found time to treat myself to a small cake and afternoon tea—luxuries that had become rare in my busy schedule. Alpha Sebastian didn't come to the office in the morning, only appearing with Beta Sawyer around one o'clock. He stayed in his office the entire afternoon, never once calling for me. It was arguably the most peaceful day I'd had all week. Of course, I thought cynically, he was probably saving his energy for his date tomorrow. After work, I drove past a pharmacy and remembered I still needed to replace Tang's medicine. I picked up a few items, then headed home for dinner. Later, I called to make sure Liam was home before heading up to Sebastian's apartment. "Liam, these are for you," I said,

