Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

39 Hawk

I was startled by the sudden appearance of someone behind me and let out a brief yelp of surprise.

"You scared her," Prince Louis said, somewhat displeased.

"Sorry," the person replied insincerely, "I didn't know she was this timid."

That sounded infuriating. I turned my head back in annoyance, only to be surprised to find that the speaker was actually a teenager. He looked about fifteen, tall and thin, draped in a gray linen cloak. His presence was so unobtrusive that it was almost non-existent.

"Are you hurt?" I forgot what I had wanted to say earlier and asked him with concern.

Because he was wrapped all over with bandages, only two brown eyes peered curiously at me. Although those eyes were vacant and dim, I could still sense his curiosity.

It occurred to me that the young man before me was actually blind. But aside from his slightly eccentric appearance, he was no different from a normal boy.

Hearing my voice, he tilted his head slightly and "looked" at me, his direction astonishingly precise. He seemed to have no need for guidance or a cane; he could determine the speaker's position solely by their voice.

"No," he made a dismissive expression. I swore I saw it beneath those bandages, "I just enjoy doing this. You're Louis' mate, right?"

I nodded, but quickly remembered he couldn't see, so I added, "Yes, you can call me Claire. And you?"

"Hawk," he replied succinctly.

As he spoke, I noticed that his cloak had a slightly worn hem, yet it was impeccably clean, as if it had been worn for many years. But both he and Prince Louis treated it as a norm, so I refrained from asking.

"Claire," Hawk suddenly leaned closer to me, taking a deep sniff at my neck, "You have a fascinating scent. It's delightful."

I was taken aback by his gesture and quickly glanced at Prince Louis beside me. As expected, he furrowed his brows, his expression far from pleased.

He lowered his voice, "Hawk."

Prince Louis' tone held a hint of danger. But compared to his morning anger, he now appeared more genuinely displeased, saying, "Did you forget what I told you before?"

"Fine," Hawk shrugged nonchalantly, stepping back a step and emphasized, "But she does smell really nice."

I lowered my head to smell myself, "But I didn't wear any perfume today."

"My senses are much keener than those of an ordinary werewolf, including my sense of smell," Hawk candidly informed me, "I can even discern changes in a person's emotions through scent and I know you're feeling a bit awkward right now."

Pausing, he asked curiously, "Why?"

I looked at Prince Louis in silence, using my gaze to ask him: Has he always been like this?

Prince Louis nodded firmly at me.

...Well then.

I let out a deep sigh, feeling that I had to start getting used to this. Ever since being with Prince Louis, a series of peculiar people have entered my life one after another and they are people I would never have crossed paths with.

But clearly, I now had to deal with them.

"So, Hawk," I tried to shift the conversation, "Why did you become Prince Louis' bodyguard?"

"For revenge," Hawk replied.

"Revenge? Against whom?"

"I don't know," his voice turned huskier as he brought up the topic, "When I was seven, a group of people in black cloaks killed my family. I managed to escape by hiding in the attic, but they set the house on fire before they left. The king saved me."

Though recounting a tragic past, his tone remained subdued, "Later, I was taken to the royal forest castle, where I received treatment and training, and joined Prince Louis' guard."

I forced a dry smile, wishing I could go back a minute and tell my past self to shut up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up."

"It's okay, and it's my own business, not yours."

I was taken aback by his blunt response. While that was true, had no one ever taught him about normal communication and interaction between people?

I couldn't help but shoot a reproachful look at Prince Louis, "I think this kid should be in school now, not working as a bodyguard. Is this child labor?"

"I don't need school," before Prince Louis could answer, Hawk interjected, "You want me to sit in a classroom with a bunch of brats and learn math? No way, I'd rather have my legs broken."

Prince Louis spread his hands toward me, "You heard him. I actually wanted him to experience a few years of school life first, then decide whether he wants to pursue this path of revenge when he comes of age. But his condition isn't suitable for school, so I had to bring in private tutors."

I looked at Hawk. Wrapped in bandages all over, his body must be a mass of burn scars. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling a pang of compassion.

Prince Louis was right. Hawk's overly keen senses makes him susceptible to injuries in a communal setting. Just the sight of his heavily burned appearance would likely attract bullying from some of the nasty kids at school.

I knew those types of people very well.

"Even if you don't go to school, your condition doesn't seem suitable for being a bodyguard either, right?" I furrowed my brows slightly, delicately asking, "Is your body really fully healed?"

He looked considerably more frail than normal kids his age. Forget stepping in to protect Prince Louis in critical situations, I felt like I could take him down myself.

Prince Louis suddenly chuckled softly.

I looked at him somewhat puzzled, not understanding why he was laughing.

Hawk stared at me with those eyes that seemed terrifying to regular people. After a moment, he snorted coldly and asked, "Do you know under what circumstances a bodyguard can guarantee the safety of the person they're protecting?"

I hesitated for a moment, pondering my answer, "When they've made thorough preparations and have various emergency plans in place?"

"No," he said icily, "It's when all those malicious individuals are dead."

As his words resonated, several flashes of cold light suddenly streaked before my eyes.

In an instant, three daggers sliced through the air, simultaneously embedding themselves into a tree trunk a hundred meters away.