Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

40 Can I Touch Her Face?

When did he raise his hand?

I hadn't even seen Hawk's movement clearly. I stared wide-eyed over there, noticing that the dagger's blade had almost entirely disappeared into the tree trunk, leaving only the slightly trembling hilt exposed in the air.

If that tree were replaced with a human body...

The image came to my mind, and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought.

Given the force Hawk used to throw the dagger, the enemy's neck would probably be pierced the moment he raised his hand. It might even snap in half. It wasn't an impossibility.

Just as he had said, a single killing strike on an opponent would ensure the protected person's safety a hundred percent.

I turned my head, looking at Hawk who still wore a calm expression.

At this moment, I finally understood why he had become Prince Louis' personal bodyguard.

If it were firearms, he'd undoubtedly be a marksman who never missed a shot!

"You're incredible, Hawk," I genuinely praised.

Hawk slightly shifted his foot.

He didn't speak, and his face, covered by bandages, revealed no expressions. But I noticed that his earlobes beneath the cloak had turned a bit red. It made me want to laugh, but I managed to hold it in.

"Alright, enough with the introductions," Prince Louis clapped his hands, gaining the attention of both of us. "Claire, now you've met Hawk. What do you think about having him as your personal bodyguard?"

"What?"

I widened my eyes, "But he shouldn't be your—"

"I have my own personal guard and don't lack protection," Prince Louis said, "And this was Hawk's own request."

I looked at Hawk in confusion, "But we just met today, right?"

"Yes," Hawk replied, "But this isn't my first time seeing you, Claire. That day at your school, I caught a familiar scent from you. It was the same scent I smelled on the killers who murdered my family when I was a child. So I approached Louis and asked to protect you."

"At the same time, I also hope to use this opportunity to find those people," his tone turned instantly icy when speaking of revenge, "I'll personally send them to hell."

Feeling unsure, I looked at Prince Louis, but he seemed to misunderstand my reaction.

He comfortingly patted the back of my hand and said, "Hawk was my childhood playmate. I treat him like a younger brother. He's actually seventeen this year, just a year away from adulthood. I believe he has the right to decide his own path, and I respect his choice."

Hawk was already seventeen?

I swallowed the exclamation that had reached my lips. Perhaps due to illness and injuries, Hawk appeared to be around fifteen to me.

"Since you've made your decision," I thought for a moment before answering, "then I don't have any objections. What do you need me to do?"

Hawk chuckled at my question, "You don't need to worry about what I do or do anything for me. Remember? I'm your bodyguard."

His raspy voice carried a hint of youthful playfulness. Seeing him like this, I let out a sigh of relief and a faint smile graced my face.

"Well then, thank you for coming to protect me," I extended my hand to him in a friendly gesture, "But if there's danger, instead of confronting it head-on, I'd prefer you take me and run first."

Hawk muttered something under his breath, which I didn't catch entirely, but it seemed to be along the lines of "I won't run away." He didn't take my hand; instead, he turned to Prince Louis, somewhat eager as he asked, "Can I touch her face? I want to know what she looks like."

Prince Louis answered expressionlessly, "No."

"Just a quick touch..."

"No."

"Fine," seeing Prince Louis' firm opposition, Hawk could only express disappointment, "You're so stingy, Louis. I'm just a blind guy."

"She is my mate!"

I chuckled awkwardly and withdrew my hand. Hawk fell silent for a couple of seconds, then sniffed the air and said, "It's going to rain. I suggest you head back early."

I looked up at the sky and saw the sun shining brightly above. However, Prince Louis seemed to trust Hawk's judgment. He immediately took my hand and urged, "Let's go, or we'll get drenched."

I followed him with a mix of trust and doubt. After about three minutes of getting into the car, the sky suddenly became overcast. The entire city was shrouded in dark clouds, and before long, a heavy downpour began.

"This is amazing too," I exclaimed, "He's like a magician!"

"I used to think the same," Prince Louis sat in the car, glancing at me with a smile, "Hawk is indeed a remarkable kid. If you're in danger, remember to call his name first. Of course, I mean when I'm not around."

I laughed and playfully, "Then why didn't you let him touch my face? You know he was just curious about how I looked."

Prince Louis pinched my cheek and asked with a hint of annoyance, "You really don't know?"

I giggled and leaned into his embrace.

On the way back, neither of us spoke much. I was held by Prince Louis, my head resting on his shoulder, quietly watching raindrops trace patterns on the car window.

The city's neon lights were reflected on the transparent glass, forming blurred patches of colors in the rain-soaked backdrop.

"Will someone lay their hands on me again?" After a stretch of silence, I suddenly asked, "Like what Lucy did last time? I heard from Garfield Evans that she and her boyfriend are both dead."

Prince Louis, who had been holding my arm, suddenly tensed.

But after a while, he slowly relaxed.

"You already know," he sighed, "it was my mistake... I shouldn't have let Garfield be the one to approach them first. He can be too extreme at times."

"Do you think it was him who killed them?" I looked up and asked him.

Prince Louis fell silent for a moment and shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but for now, what worries me is another group of werewolves lurking in the shadows."

"When my father was alive, they were relatively peaceful. His subordinates had found some clues about their lair in the southern forest. But so many years have passed, and coupled with my brother's death, those leads have long gone cold."

He spoke to me with a calm tone, "Claire, I'm sorry for pulling you into this whirlwind as well. In the coming days, I might do some dangerous things.I need to make sure my brother, Liam's death, isn't related to them. This is also the main reason I returned to the country at this time."

He spoke softly.

"If I do find out that there are hidden motives behind this matter..."

I looked at his tense jawline and murmured the words to him, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Is that it?"

"No," Prince Louis stared straight ahead at the road, nearly submerged by the rain, his mouth curving into a half-smile, yet his eyes held no humor, "that wouldn't be enough to quench my anger."

He pulled me closer, each word enunciated with deliberation, "For this blood feud, I'll make them pay back a hundredfold."