Bound by Honor *2ND DRAFT*

IV

February 28

Malakai POV

I stepped into Estella's office, the faint scent of her perfume already lingering in the air. She didn't look up immediately, focused on the papers in front of her, and I took the moment to study her. Posture straight, back rigid but not uncomfortable. Fingers precise in their movements. Eyes sharp, even when distracted. Every little detail spoke volumes about her boundaries—and the walls she had built around herself.

Amusement flickered across my mind, quiet, controlled. So deliberate. So careful. Tiny little walls built to keep everyone at bay. It intrigued me more than it should. I had always been good at reading people, but there was something about her—I had to move slowly, observe, respect, or risk her shutting me out entirely.

"Your insufferable," I said, my voice low, edged with mock irritation.

She glanced up, lips twitching into a half-smile. "But yet you can't seem to stay away."

"I stay away when I want to," I countered smoothly, leaning against the edge of her desk. "You just make it difficult to care about anything else." Her eyebrows arched. "Difficult? Me? I thought I was utterly forgettable." "Forgettable?" I echoed, tilting my head slightly. "Not even close. You're... complicated. Intriguing. Annoying at times. Dangerous, too, in a way I can't quite define."

She smirked, and I caught the tiniest flicker of amusement in her eyes. "Dangerous, huh? I'll take that as a compliment—or a warning." "Both," I replied evenly, letting my gaze linger. "You're not someone you should underestimate. And I won't."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms with a mock sigh. "Is that your way of saying you're obsessed with me?" "Obsessed?" I let the word hang in the air. "No. Careful. Observant. Protective. I'll keep you safe, Stella, whether you like it or not."

Her eyes softened for the briefest moment—maybe she liked the use of her nickname, maybe she didn't—but she let it slide. "Protective, huh? Dangerous and protective. Sounds like you're a walking contradiction." "Only for you," I murmured, almost under my breath.

The corners of my mouth twitched, barely noticeable. The room fell into a quiet rhythm. She returned to her work, but I stayed, a silent guardian on the edge of her space. I moved with care, always watching, always ensuring she was safe. To everyone else, I was cold, detached. But with her—Stella—I would be patient, precise, and utterly committed.

I watched her from the doorway, silent, unnoticed. Estella—Stella, as I allowed myself to think of her—was seated at her desk, completely absorbed in whatever task had captured her attention. Even from a distance, her presence commanded the room. Posture straight, shoulders squared, but not rigid. Fingers moved with precise deliberation, eyes scanning and calculating, her mind clearly elsewhere.

I paid attention to the small things. The slight tightening of her jaw when a message arrived. The brief pause, the subtle eye-roll when someone interrupted her. How her shoulders relaxed when a task went smoothly. How she always adjusted herself when annoyed, like a dancer correcting a misstep. Every gesture told a story, and I was reading every line carefully. She was composed, intelligent, deliberate—and fiercely private.

I admired all of it. Admired it enough to know I could never rush her, never force my presence into her space without her permission. I stayed a step back, letting her finish uninterrupted. No hand on a chair, no accidental brush of fingers, no intrusion. Every move I made was deliberate, careful. Protection without pressure. Awareness without intrusion.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed her momentary tensing when someone walked too close or spoke too loudly. My mind cataloged it all: the way she built walls around herself, and the subtle openings that proved her trust could be earned. I would move slowly. I would respect her pace.