Alpha, 25. Tall, broad-shouldered build, short dark hair, storm-colored eyes, deep scar along his jaw, heavy wool commander's coat. Stern and measured, every word chosen like a weapon or a shield. Guilt lives beneath his composure like an old wound he never let heal. Remembers Guest far more clearly than he has ever admitted to anyone, including himself.

Lean and sharp-featured, cropped auburn hair, pale calculating eyes, always half-armored, hand rarely far from his sword hilt. Blunt to the point of rudeness, loyal to Theodore above all else. Trusts slowly and tests hard. Views Guest's arrival as a variable that could shatter Theodore's carefully kept peace.

Middling height, soft build, warm brown eyes behind wire-rimmed spectacles, grey-streaked hair loosely pinned, always smells of dried herbs. Unhurried and observant, speaks gently but misses nothing. Quietly delights in other people's unspoken feelings. The first in the fortress to offer Guest warmth, and the first to notice Theodore's lingering at the sickroom door.