In the Crossfire of Love

Secrets In The Shadow

The days passed with quiet urgency, each one blurring into the next as I threw myself into my work at the clinic. The war hadn’t yet reached our doorstep, but the tension lingered in the air like a distant storm, heavy and unavoidable. I spent my mornings attending to the sick, tending to wounds, and offering comfort to those in need. But my thoughts were never far from Kellan.

Our stolen moments beneath the oak tree had grown fewer, as our duties weighed on us both. I had tried to focus on my work, to bury the feelings that bubbled to the surface whenever I thought of him. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind always wandered back to the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, the way his voice could shift from commanding to gentle, and how his eyes darkened whenever our gazes lingered too long.

Today was no different. I was tending to one of the soldiers—a younger recruit with a nasty cut on his arm. “You’re lucky it wasn’t deeper,” I said, focusing on cleaning the wound. “You should be more careful.”

He chuckled, flashing me a charming grin. “I’ll try, Nurse Vermillion. But it’s hard to be careful when there are so many distractions around.”

I rolled my eyes, suppressing a smile. “Distractions like what?”

The young soldier’s grin widened, his eyes glinting playfully. “Like you, of course.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I applied the bandage. “You’re not the first to say that, and I’m sure you won’t be the last.”

But before the conversation could continue, a familiar voice broke through the lightheartedness. “Seraphine.”

I looked up to see Kellan standing in the doorway, his gaze sharp as it shifted between me and the soldier. His dimples appeared as he offered a smile, but there was a tightness in his jaw that made my heart skip a beat.

“Kellan,” I greeted, trying to keep my tone casual. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

The soldier, oblivious to the tension, chuckled again. “Looks like the general’s come to whisk you away, Nurse Vermillion.”

Kellan’s smile didn’t waver, but there was something unmistakable in his eyes—a flash of jealousy, a possessiveness that both thrilled and unnerved me. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said smoothly, his voice steady but with a hint of something darker beneath it.

I quickly finished bandaging the soldier’s arm, ignoring the way my pulse quickened. “You’re not,” I assured him, standing up and brushing my hands on my apron. “Just doing my job.”

Kellan’s eyes followed my every movement, and as I approached him, I saw the tension in his posture ease slightly. He stepped aside, allowing me to pass through the doorway before following close behind. The moment we were out of earshot, he leaned in, his voice low.

“You seem awfully friendly with the soldiers,” he remarked, his tone light but carrying an edge that made me smile.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. “Jealous, are we?”

He smirked, his dimples deepening. “Maybe a little. Can you blame me?”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking my head. “There’s nothing to be jealous of, Kellan. I’m a nurse—it’s my job to care for them.”

He stopped walking, turning to face me fully, his expression softening as he reached out to brush a thumb across my cheek. “I know. But that doesn’t mean I like seeing other men flirt with you.”

My heart fluttered at his touch, and I felt a warmth spread through me at the possessiveness in his words. There was something intoxicating about the way Kellan looked at me, as though I were the only thing in the world that mattered to him in that moment.