Breaking those orders wasn't just disobedience. It could endanger Ethan's life. And that — that was the one thing she couldn't allow. The one outcome she feared more than anything else.
Her throat tightened.
And now, it was her burden — no, her duty — to ensure that no hidden blade, no silent threat, no lurking assassin ever got close to him. Assassins aren't the only threats, she's to protect him from this threats
But deep inside, beneath the weight of duty and the iron discipline drilled into her by Gareth himself…There was something else.
Something raw, unspoken, buried for years beneath assassin training and Drakethorne pride.
A part of her that wanted more than just to guard him from the shadows. A part of her that wanted to stand before him, to look him in the eyes, and be the shield he saw — not some ghost haunting his steps.
But that part… she shoved it down, swallowed it whole, and forced her breathing to steady.
For now, she would watch.
For now, she would protect.
