“Very well.” I rose.

I made it ten steps to the door before she said, “Fine. Clean it.”

“Thank you.” I turned to Hibla. “Please bring trash bins, cleaning supplies, and hampers.”

Desandra growled. “Are you always such a doormat?”

“Yes.”

“So you always ask permission for everything?”

“She’s the alpha of the Atlanta Pack,” Derek said without turning. “She killed twenty-two shapeshifters in eleven days to be one, and she has the same power as the Beast Lord. She doesn’t have to ask anyone’s permission to do anything.”

That wasn’t exactly helpful. “I’m here for one purpose only: to keep you safe. I act in your best interests. I don’t care who is born first and I won’t be taking any bribes. I will do my best to accommodate you, but when your safety is on the line, I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep you safe. If it means I have to hog-tie you and stuff you into a bathtub, I’ll do it and not worry about your feelings.”

Desandra sighed.

Hibla reappeared with bags and a cart filled with cleaning supplies, including gardening gloves. I put them on and began picking up the trash. Andrea joined me. Desandra watched us for about five minutes, trying to ignore the fact that we were there, then got off the bed and started stomping around and picking up her clothes.

That was how Doolittle found us, on our hands and knees, scooping up trash.

“What’s going on?”

I straightened. “This is Dr. Doolittle. He is the Pack’s medmage.”

“Doolittle?” Desandra peered at him. “For real?”

“It’s what I choose to call myself.” Doolittle peered at her, then looked around the room. “Oh my. Now then, young lady, why are you dirty?”

Desandra sat on the floor and looked at him with a helpless expression on her face. “Because I like it.”

“I do realize that this is a castle,” Doolittle said in that patient soothing voice that made it impossible to say no. “However, I have used the restroom and it appears that modern plumbing was successfully installed.”

“You can’t make me clean myself,” Desandra declared.

“My lady, you are not two years old. In fact, you appear to have reached maturity, and I’m reasonably certain that nobody can make you do anything you don’t want to do. Come on up to the bed, please.”

I held my breath. Desandra sighed again, got up off the floor, and sat on the bed. I exhaled quietly. Doolittle put his fingers on her wrist, counting her pulse.

“Incoming,” Derek said.

“Who is it?”

“Jarek Kral.”

I joined him at the doorway. Andrea moved to the middle of the room, between us and Desandra, and checked her crossbow.