Property of a Gordon

Chapter Sixteen (Snowflake)

"Are you prepared?" Kendall asked all too quickly as he turned around to face me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, my heart not stitched into the words. With each passing second, I found myself becoming more terrified. I couldn't even bring myself to directly meet Kendall's eyes.

I felt a hand gently lay itself on my cheek, light and warm. For a slight moment, I could forget about the people, but only for a moment. The hand guided my head, and I found my eyes meeting Kendall's, open and vulnerable. He would be able to see everything in them, including the fear.

"All will be fine. If you feel uncomfortable at any moment, I personally will escort you out," he said, his tone serious. The usual amusement was nowhere to be found in his expression.

I was both surprised and touched by this. I was one who fended for herself, which was one of the reasons I didn't have many friends or share my secrets very easily. But I had never been offered a hand for help or to be taken care of. It seemed like the sort of gesture that required more than simple words.

The deeper I looked into his words, the more I found myself closing off. Kendall had never been judged or alone; he'd been adored and given anything his mind could conjure a desire for. While the words were sweet, there was no understanding hidden behind them. He would only regret the decision later when others started talking about the Protector who couldn't last one night.

I gave him my best attempt at my usual wicked grin before saying, "I'll be fine. The quicker we go in there, the quicker I can leave."

I held out my hand, showing him the conversation hadn't changed anything. A smile made its way across his face as he put it on his upper arm and nodded in the general direction of the guards.

They reacted immediately, seeming to march in sync towards the doors before a few fell out and opened the two doors. I could feel my muscles coiling at the loud groaning of the doors, most likely silencing the whole ballroom.

A guard stepped inside and spoke, his voice echoing through the entire room. "Prince Kendall Valentino Gordon and his newfound Protector have now arrived."

I snickered despite my unease. Hearing Kendall's full name amused me endlessly. His middle name was definitely unexpected. The man himself remained still, not even turning to give me a disapproving frown.

Kendall suddenly began walking forward, dragging the reluctant werewolf by his side with him. He showed no surprise, but I found myself almost coming to a stop as my eyes made contact with the crowd.

They were colorless. Not a single person in the crowd wore some sort of bright, vivid clothing. They all wore the colors of black and white as if it were a sick prank directed towards me. Kendall and I were the only ones stained with color, and I just so happened to be the brightest one in the room. I would be the center of attention whether I was pleased or not.

I moved once again, and that was when the whispers began. They might think they were being discrete, but my ears caught every single word.

"Where's his Protector? It couldn't possibly be that skinny thing."

"I didn't realize Kendall was into the slutty type. I suppose he is a Gordon boy after all."

"Kendall's only wishing himself to an early deathbed if he expects a mere female to protect him."

The evening had only begun, yet I found myself coiled tighter than a frightened snake preparing to strike. I couldn't help myself as my nails dug into Kendall's arm, surely tighter than I realized.

"Relax, Snowflake. A female Protector is new territory. Show them you are worthy of awe, not judgment," Kendall whispered, his breath warm on my ear. His hand delicately brushed a loose strand of hair back to its place, the movement calming me down some.

"Shall we start off with a dance?" He asked lightly, a full smile on his face.

I nodded, but in reality I wanted to do anything but dance. I wanted to storm out, to growl defensively at the staring crowd. I wanted to happily shift and treat them as the prey they were to me.

Kendall led me further into the room, but I could barely focus on him. The stares I received were almost tangible while the whispering remained a continuous stream.

I only noticed we had stopped because suddenly Kendall was in front of me and the crowd behind. I decided that was probably for the best as I wouldn't dance if it were vice versa.

I looked straight at Kendall, noticing the smile he gave me. While I couldn't bring myself to respond back with a similar one, I did relax just a little as I eased my shoulders back.

Kendall slipped an arm around my waist before I noticed and pulled me closer to him. I was close enough to feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. Then we started dancing.

My father used to dance with me around the house, both of us laughing at our equal clumsiness. But those moments were what helped me tonight as Kendall and I glided across the dance floor. It was clear by the grace he possessed that he'd danced many times before.

I soon found myself forgetting about everything but Kendall. We were the only two in the world for that single moment, surrounded by blank walls. But the clapping began as the dance ended, shattering the moment into a million pieces.

I found my body freezing up once again. I pressed myself against Kendall's side, hoping for some comfort. And it was comfort I received when he unexpectedly slipped his hand into mine and squeezed lightly.

Kendall began talking, his thumb rubbing my hand in a reassuring way. By the look on his face, he was completely focused on the speech he was giving. I would pay money to bet he had no idea that he still held my hand.

I found myself confused by the gesture. Princes weren't supposed to treat Protectors with kindness. They were supposed to be strict and accept no excuses. It was their life on the line if the Protector made any mistakes. Was Kendall treating me this way because he was after something else?

People began cheering, and I quickly removed my hand from Kendall's, which seemed to go unnoticed by him. I glanced around, spotting a lone table that held an assortment of drinks.

"I'm thirsty," I lied, swiftly walking away from Kendall and towards the secluded table.

I grabbed one of the many glasses, allowing the pressure of it in my hand to calm me down. I could hear his footsteps long before he was close, but I waited before meeting his eyes, checking for any emotion, and looked at the colorless liquid in the glass.

"You should tell your friends staring isn't polite," I said, taking a drink and feeling it burn its way down my throat.

Kendall glanced at the crowd before turning his attention back to me, watching as I took another drink. A grin appeared on his face, his eyes holding a very familiar amusement.

"They are as harmless as you," he teased, but I could find nothing to say in return as he had made it clear he didn't find me very threatening.

So I took the alternative road, letting out an audible huff before I stuck my tongue out. I was rewarded with a rich laugh that seemed to envelop me. He then took the conversation down a different path.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He asked, moving to join me by the table. I wrinkled my nose at the compliment, but he didn't notice.

"You don't look half bad yourself," I replied, trying to give him a compliment back. I looked at him, thinking the compliment may have been an understatement, but he grinned.

A girl was making her way towards us just as Kendall opened his mouth. I waited for the words to form, but they never came because the girl put a hand on his shoulder, stealing away his attention. He turned towards her, neither of them seeming to remember me.

It was then when I felt the full impact of how alone I truly was here. The feeling intensified, almost suffocating me until the only cure in my mind was the cold outside air. So I walked out, and before I knew it, my paws were hitting the soft dirt.