33

Liam Pov

Lately, Maxine had changed, and it was bothering me more than I wanted to admit. She was no longer the broken, submissive girl who flinched at my every command. Instead, she moved with a purpose I couldn't quite place. She was either at training or in her room, and even when I summoned her to warm my bed, she complied without complaint. This new attitude of hers chewed at me, and I found myself increasingly obsessed with figuring out what was going on.

I sat in my office, staring at the reports in front of me without really seeing them. My mind kept drifting back to Maxine. What was she up to? Why had she changed so suddenly? I needed to know.

I called Kris, my Beta, into my office. "Kris, I need you to keep an eye on Maxine," I said, trying to keep my voice casual. "She's been acting strange, and I want to know what she's up to."

Kris raised an eyebrow but didn't question me. "I'll take care of it, Alpha," he said, nodding. "Do you suspect something specific? Or anyone?"

"I