Lord Merrick's POV
The water was perfect.
That was the thing about taking the time to do something properly - the results justified the investment. The right temperature, the expensive scented oils, the wine, the book - propped at the precise angle that allowed reading without straining my neck.
Perfect.
I turned a page.
Took a sip.
The day had been long in the specific way that days at Black Wolf were long - too many people, too many problems, the constant low hum of a territory that never fully went quiet. I had done my part - based on the reason I was here. I had attended the morning councils, reviewed the border reports, and I had done all of this cheerfully and without complaint.
My reward was this bath.
I turned another page.
I felt my brother before I heard him.
I looked up from my book.
He was in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and his expression doing the thing it did when he was containing something.
He was looking at me.
