Sunlight peeked over the horizon, spilling warmth over the vast land. A cool morning breeze whispered through the trees, carrying the last traces of night, but it did little to distract Elion from the task at hand. Standing before the grand entrance of his mansion, he took in the sight before him—rows of n, all lined up in perfect formation, their gazes fixed on him with unwavering attention. Each one had been personally selected, handpicked to serve a single purpose—ensuring the security of the estate, and more importantly, the safety of one particular person inside.
Kade stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes sweeping over the gathered n. There was no mistaking his authority, but the way they looked at him spoke of sothing more—trust, respect, and understanding. He had trained many of them himself, and he knew just how ruthless they could be when given the right command.
"These are the best n we have," Kade stated, confidence lacing his words. "Loyal. Efficient. Unyielding. If anyone so much as breathes the wrong way near this estate, they won't live long enough to regret it."
Elion gave a slow nod, his gaze flickering over the gathered n. So of them had been with him for years; others were new, brought in after the recent disturbances. Either way, they would soon co to understand the gravity of their assignnt.
Stepping forward, Elion clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed them in silence. The wind rustled through the trees, the only sound in an otherwise quiet morning. Then, in a voice that was both commanding and deadly calm, he spoke.
"Your duty is simple." His words cut through the silence like a blade. "Nothing, and I an nothing, is to enter these grounds without my knowledge. If you see sothing, you act. If you hesitate, you die. If you fail, you suffer. Is that understood?"
The n didn't flinch, but a ripple of unease passed through the crowd, a silent acknowledgnt of the severity of his words.
"Understood, sir," they responded in unison, their voices firm.
Elion let the silence stretch, ensuring the weight of his words sank in. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he glanced at Kade.
Kade took a step forward, his smirk replaced by sothing far more serious. "You're not just protecting a house," he said. "You're guarding the lady of this estate. That ans no mistakes. No slip-ups. If sothing happens to her, you better pray for a quick death because trust , it'll be far better than what's waiting for you otherwise."
Another chorus of acknowledgnt followed, but Elion wasn't finished.
"Go to your posts," he ordered. "Let's see if you're worth the price I paid for you."
With a quick salute, the n dispersed, moving with efficiency to take their positions around the estate. So stationed themselves near the gates, others along the periter, and a few took up hidden vantage points, blending into the shadows like ghosts.
Elion watched them go, silently observing as they disappeared into position. "Let's hope they don't disappoint ," he murmured.
Kade chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's hope they don't disappoint her."
At that, Elion's gaze darkened slightly, his fingers twitching at his side. He turned to Kade, his voice quieter but no less firm. "What do you an by that?"
Kade arched a brow, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Co on, Elion. You know exactly what I an. We all do." He smirked, nodding towards the mansion. "You've been acting different. More careful. More… possessive. Like you're guarding sothing precious. Or soone."
Elion didn't respond imdiately, instead letting his gaze lift towards the balcony above. He could see her, standing just past the glass doors, watching them with quiet curiosity.
Raelynn.
She wasn't fully outside, just leaning against the fra, the soft morning light catching the strands of her hair and making them glow like spun gold. Even from this distance, he could see the careful way she held herself, still mindful of her injury.
Noticing where he was looking, Kade let out a low whistle. "You can try to deny it all you want, but everyone knows who she is to you."
He barely reacted, just staring at Kade without acknowledging his comnt. "And what did you an earlier," he asked, voice asured, "when you called her the 'lady of the house'?"
Kade's smirk only deepened, mischief dancing in his gaze. "Is she not?" he asked casually, tilting his head. "She's here, she's under your protection, and you've made it very clear that no one is to cross her. Sounds like a lady of the house to ."
Elion didn't respond right away. Instead, he turned his head again slightly, glancing upward toward the balcony. His gaze landed on a familiar figure standing just outside her door.
Kade followed his gaze, chuckling under his breath. "See?" he murmured. "Even now, she's—"
"Not yet," Elion interrupted, his voice steady but carrying sothing else beneath it—sothing quiet, certain. His lips curved into the faintest of smiles, one only ant for the woman above.
Kade turned to him, brows raised. "Not yet?"
Elion looked up again, but Raelynn didn't move, and Elion swore he saw the smallest flicker of sothing in her eyes before she turned her head away.
Elion finally looked away from the balcony, the amusent fading as sothing deeper settled in his gaze. "Not yet."
And with that, he turned, heading back inside the mansion, leaving Kade standing there, watching him go with an expression that was sowhere between exasperation and amusent.
As Kade glanced back up at the balcony, he saw Raelynn still watching. Her head tilted slightly, as if she had caught so part of their conversation, but she didn't press further. Instead, she simply smiled, a soft, small one, before stepping back inside.
Kade chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Not yet, huh?" he muttered. "We'll see about that."
Kade let out a low chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he watched Elion going further inside.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "I was only joking, but I guess he didn't take it that way."
Reviews
All reviews (0)