The Princess's Guard ✔️

28

Word Count: 2023

~Kiva

I stare down at my feet, leaning against the frozen tree trunk.

I don't even know if my mate is going to show tonight. There's no way for me to contact him without revealing what I know, so for the last few nights I've stood wistfully out at our usual meeting spot, hoping he may venture out.

And sure enough, after five nights, he appears through the trees, advancing on me.

I straighten.

This is Ark. It has to be.

"You're here..." I say, heart thundering in my chest. I see Ark everyday, but seeing him with a hood and mask concealing his face, aligned with a group who want me dead is terrifying.

He nods, folding his arms over his chest.

"You need to take your hood off. I need to see your face," I command.

He shakes his head once, like I suspected I would.

If he's bothered to dress up in all this shadowy attire, when we both know what is behind the hood, he's not going to take it off now.

But why? I look around and cannot see anyone nearby who may be watching on, but perhaps I'm just being naïve. Maybe Ark knows there is a chance someone will be close enough to witness, which is why he is not stepping away from this charade.

"Why don't you at least speak to me? What are you afraid of?" I hiss, wanting him to admit it, to tell me that there is more he fears than just me knowing who he is.

My hands roll up into fists. "I think I know who you are. And I think you are aware of that."

He shakes his head again, taking a step toward me.

"I'm not going to come out to speak to you again. I'm done," I tell him firmly. If he wants to speak to me, he's going to have to do it without the outfit, when he's willing to be honest.

He takes yet another step at me, and this time, a streak of fear passes through me.

All of a sudden, I'm aware that I'm alone out here, with a man who claims to protect me, but is clearly a danger to me.

In one swift movement, he lunges at me.

My scream rattles through the trees as he gets a hold of my arm, yanking me toward him. As my body collides with his, his arm wraps tightly around me while his other arm reaches behind him to grab something from his pocket.

He's not going to kill me...he's going to kidnap me and take me back to his leader.

Forcing my body weight back, I rip one of my arms from his hold, pulling at his arms, at his clothes...anything to get away.

He's strong, so strong. Rope brushes against my arm, terror shocking my body into panic as I realise he's going to wrap that around my wrists.

Using my adrenaline, I lift my knee into his stomach as hard as I can.

He lets out a strained grunt, his grip loosening enough for me to fight my way out. I don't wait around, turning to run straight at the manor.

My legs burn as I fight through the soft snow, cold wind whipping at my face. I don't stop until I'm at the back entrance, even though he hasn't followed me.

Shouldering through the door, I brace my hands on knees, forcing as much air into my lungs as I can.

A chilling thought hits me. That wasn't Ark.

They were too weak. In fact, they were sloppy, and considering I've fought Ark myself many times, I know what his style is like.

Was it him trying to kidnap me, he would have been successful.