Kayla stood in the doorway, her presence sending a shiver down my spine and I was certain that Lia felt the same way.
Her frown deepened as she took in the sight of me and Lia clinging to each other like we were drowning. I watched her fold her arms across her chest, her nails tapping rhythmically against her elbows.
Lia and I pulled apart, the shock on our faces mirrored by the other maids who had been quietly watching. I could feel their unease, their silent recognition of what Kayla’s arrival meant. We all knew the rules, and Lia had just broken one of the most unyielding—maids weren’t supposed to speak to breeders. But she didn't just speak to me, she was comforting me.
Kayla’s eyes were sharp, her lips curling into a smirk that made my stomach churn. She looked down, shaking her
