Broken heart of a warrior

Chapter 7

Waiting for the princess outside by the car was nerve-racking.

And that word barely scratched the surface. It wasn't just nerves—it was restraint. Every muscle in me screamed to move, to pace, to vanish before this entire assignment went up in flames. My instincts clawed at me, demanding action while my body remained frozen, locked in place.

The sun beat down with ruthless persistence, baking the stone beneath my boots and turning the thick black leather that encased me into a personal furnace. Heat clung to my skin, seeped into my bones, and stirred the wolf lurking beneath, restless and impatient. Every flicker of her awareness made my chest tighten, my jaw ache, my pulse pound like a war drum.

It was taking more effort than I'd ever imagined—holding back, waiting, knowing I'd have to protect her.

Protect her. Of all people.

The thought alone twisted something deep inside me, and the wolf beneath the surface growled, an unspoken warning. She didn't like being tethered, restrained, forced to wait... and neither did I.

My jaw tightened slightly as I shifted my weight, senses stretching outward automatically, catching every nuance of the air around me. The heat pressed down like a physical weight, mingling with the sharp, faint traces of oil from the car, leather, metal... and irritation. Definitely irritation.

This was more than a test of patience. This was an act of personal sacrifice. A test of control. Not just over my actions—but over the violent, very real urge to let something "accidentally" happen, to cross lines that shouldn't exist. My wolf stirred at the edges of my restraint, restless and impatient, and I could feel her clawing, eager for freedom, craving chaos.

But Master had assured me that all would be well. His voice echoed in my mind, steady, unshakable—a tether keeping me grounded. That alone was the only reason I was still here, standing, and not halfway across the country already.

He had entrusted me with strength, with discipline, with honor. To maintain my word as a Warrior, to defend her as I would any assignment. To resist instinct and desire, to hold myself to a higher standard.

Honor. Duty. Discipline.

The holy trinity of a warrior. Tested to its absolute limit.

I am seriously going to need a run after I'm done with her today.

A long one. Possibly through a forest. Possibly until I collapse—lungs burning, muscles screaming, the ground the only thing keeping me from tearing something apart.

I will not intentionally let harm come to her and let Master or my unit down.

Keyword: intentionally.

The thought lingered, dark and dangerous, curling at the edges of my control like a quiet threat waiting to be acknowledged.

I have a job to do—even if I really don't want to.

Understatement of the century.

We had been standing here, baking under the relentless sun, waiting for her for the past half hour.

Half. An. Hour.

The heat pressed down like a punishment, soaking into my clothes, clinging to my skin, making every second stretch longer than the last. Even my patience had limits—and that was saying something.

The car had already been secured. Everything was in place. All that was missing was her highness and her annoyingly perfect timing to grace us with her presence so we could finally move.

My fingers twitched slightly at my sides, restless, itching for movement—for anything other than standing here like a statue slowly melting into the pavement. My wolf stirred beneath the surface, equally irritated, pacing, pushing, craving release.