The Princess's Guard ✔️

31

Narrowing my eyes, I peer closer.

It's Charlie, hardly recognisable considering his face is covered in blood. The only reason I know it's him is based on what he was wearing at dinner only a few hours ago.

Ark stoops down, grabbing the man by his collar. Charlie doesn't put up a fight, his body mostly limp as my mate inspects him.

Ark is going to kill him...

"Ark!" I exclaim loudly enough for him to hear, but quiet enough to not alert the whole manor. "Ark, stop!"

He drops Charlie, tilting his head to look up at me.

"He deserves it."

I grip the window sill tightly. "Get up here. Now!"

Ark nudges Charlie, who is completely unconcious, with his foot. Finally, he pulls away, disappearing through the back door again.

With a dry throat, I slam the window closed and turn toward the door, anticipating Ark's arrival.

He doesn't knock, striding straight into the room.

"He deserved it," he tells me firmly, shouldering the door closed.

My breath catches in my throat at his appearance.

He's wearing his usual guard uniform. It's hard to see any blood on the black fabric, but there is no missing what I can see staining his skin. It's all over his gloveless hands, some even splattered on his neck and chest.

"Is that his blood on you," I whisper, horrified.

"He's not dead," Ark says casually, inspecting his hands distastefully. "I don't think he is anyway."

I can hardly breathe, the reality of what has happened settling into the pit of my stomach, causing it to churn to the point of nausea.

I know Ark is a mercenary. I know he's killed and he has killed.

But seeing it...I can't handle it.

"Why...why would you do that?"

Ark frowns, pointing over his shoulder. "Were we at the same dinner party? The way he spoke about you-"

I go to step toward him, but decide against it. "That is my issue to deal with, okay? You're meant to guard me against imminent threats, not stupid words said over dinner."

Ark sighs, stepping toward the connecting bathroom.

"Caspian is going to fire you," I add. Charlie will awake and if he isn't too shameful about being beaten, will go straight to his friend.

"Not if you don't let him," Ark mutters, washing his hands.

I watch the blood wash off his hands, staining the white basin with red.

This is wrong. So wrong...he can't be my mate, not when he's hiding so much. Now, I realise I can't keep this foolish secret anymore because I don't want to give up the dream of having a mate.

"I know who you really are," I breathe.

He doesn't flinch, drying his hands. "Do you?"

"You work for them."

He steps back into the room, ruffling a now clean hand through his dark hair. He isn't trying to kill me for revealing his secret, so I suppose that's good.

"Who?" He frowns.

"That group...the ones who tried to kill me." My voice is shaking so hard and I can't reign in any control.

"No, Kiva, I don't," he responds sternly. He seems confused, but it wouldn't be the first time he's had to put on an act.

The night he got beaten within and inch of a life by them...he must have sacrificed a lot just to make his story more legitimate.