Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

46 Cherish Your Own Body

A silence fell inside the car. Olivia and I stared at him dumbfounded, both wearing expressions of bafflement. Finally, it was Kyle who broke the silence, coughing twice and speaking up, "Dude, your entrance was quite something. I'm Kyle, and you're Hawk, right?" But Hawk paid him no attention, maintaining his gaze fixed on me. Kyle rubbed his nose awkwardly and looked at me through the rearview mirror, "Looks like you've got yourself a devoted knight. Claire, say something." It was only then that I snapped out of my daze and asked incredulously, "Hawk, why were you on the roof of the car?" "Because Louis ordered me to ensure your safety," Hawk replied. "No, I don't think those two things are necessarily connected," I said, a bit flustered. "It's too risky! What if Kyle hits the brakes suddenly? You could be thrown onto the road and get your leg crushed by the wheels!" Hawk let out a disdainful scoff, "You underestimate me." "Shouldn't the focus be on why he isn't sitting in the passenger seat?" Olivia couldn't help but interject. "And why is he ignoring us, only talking to you?" I was also puzzled by Hawk's behavior. In his world, it seemed that he only followed orders from Louis and me, as well as seeking revenge. It was as if he were an emotionless assassin. But before, back at school, he used to playfully scare people and joke around with me. That indicated that he wasn't completely devoid of emotions. He just suppressed them too much. After thinking for a moment, I suggested, "Hawk, how about you relax a bit and introduce yourself to my friends? They're all good people. Trust me, I'm safe around them." Hawk remained silent for a moment but finally spoke, granting us his mercy. Though he uttered just one word, his name. "Hawk." "I'm Olivia Lucchese, you can call me Olivia," Olivia quickly cast aside her initial unease, extending her hand towards him with enthusiasm. She was the kind of carefree and cheerful girl like that, "The one driving is my silly brother Kyle." Kyle snorted in mild annoyance. However, he didn't say much, seemingly focusing solely on driving. But through the rearview mirror, I noticed his peripheral vision was on us. While Hawk remained vigilant towards the others in the car, Kyle was also observant of his actions. "Hawk?" I asked tentatively as Hawk continued to remain unresponsive. Hawk finally reacted. Although I still had no idea how he managed to accurately grasp Olivia's hand without sight, he indeed did. He swiftly touched her fingertips, then instantaneously pulled back his hand as if shocked. Olivia and I both chuckled at his remark. However, this seemed to irk Hawk slightly. The bandages covering his face shifted a bit, as if he made a subtle pursing of lips, "What's so funny?" "Nothing," I stifled my laughter and earnestly asked him a question instead, "Hawk, you mentioned earlier—I mean, besides Louis, do you have any other friends?" "I don't need friends," Hawk said coldly, "That would make me weak." Kyle whistled, "Cool." Olivia furrowed her brows, looking at him inquisitively, "What's cool about that?" "No, don't you guys find this cool?" Kyle explained with exaggerated gestures, "Just like those lines assassins and ninjas say in movies, 'I don't need friends, because that makes me weak'—it's just so cool, seriously!" He lowered his voice, imitating Hawk's words in a Batman-like tone, then immediately returned to his grinning expression. "I wasn't joking," Hawk said. Suddenly, a gleaming dagger appeared in his hand, its blade glinting with a cold light. It rested near Kyle's neck. "Hawk!" I couldn't help but cry out from the back seat. However, Hawk misunderstood my concern. He seemed to think my fear and anger were directed at Kyle's driving. He even took the time to reassure me, "Don't worry, I have a steady hand. I'll take care of him once he reaches our destination." "Our destination is Kyle's home!" I couldn't contain my frustration. "Put the knife down, Hawk!" "I know, what's the big deal?" Hawk asked me, genuinely puzzled. Fortunately, he was quite obedient to my instructions. Upon hearing my command, he promptly withdrew the dagger and settled back in the passenger seat. Although he looked as innocent as an underage child just released from intensive care, no one in the car underestimated him anymore. Not even Kyle, who usually liked to make all sorts of random jokes, spoke up. "I don't want something like this to happen again," despite knowing Hawk didn't mean any harm, his thought process was simply different from that of normal people. I was still angry, "They are my friends— I won't allow you to point any weapons at them, understand?" Hawk fell silent for a moment before softly asking, "Are you mad, Claire?" I replied coldly, "Yes, I'm very angry." Then, Hawk did something unexpected for all of us. Upon hearing my words, he didn't hesitate. He pulled out the same dagger he had just aimed at Kyle, and then, without any hesitation, he cut his own arm. Blood quickly soaked through the white bandages. Yet, Hawk seemed impervious to pain. He said to me, "I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't mean to make you angry." Seeing his usual calm expression, I couldn't maintain my icy demeanor any longer. I grabbed his shoulder and demanded loudly, "What is wrong with you?" Hawk probably didn't expect this reaction from me. For the first time, his face showed a look of confusion, "Did I do something wrong again?" I bit my lip, at a loss for words. What could I do? Should I reprimand him? He indeed did something wrong, but what right did I have to scold him? Kyle, however, acted swiftly. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the car immediately accelerated. Speaking rapidly, he said, "Hang on, we're just a few minutes away! I remember we have an emergency medical box at home, with bandages and antiseptic alcohol for wounds." "No need," Hawk said, extending his hand and tightening the bandage tied around it. "This will do." The rate at which blood flowed out visibly slowed, yet I found it increasingly difficult to endure. I looked at Hawk, who seemed accustomed to injuries and pain, and finally understood the huge chasm that separated us—no wonder he had said that sentence before! If making friends made him feel weak, what kind of life had he led before? "Hawk," after contemplating for a while, I stared at him and spoke up again, "Will you listen to whatever I say?" Hawk's expression indicated that he didn't quite understand why I was asking this question, but he nodded without hesitation. "Of course," he said, "As long as it's your command, I will follow unconditionally." "Good," I took a deep breath, gripping his shoulder. I earnestly addressed him, "Then my request for you from now on is: Cherish your own body." "No matter when, I want you to protect yourself with as much care as you would protect me. Can you do that?"