"I told you not to call me that around other people." Varden's eyes darted around as he pulled me to my feet. The entire room was silent, every eye on us.
"You guys have seen Catherine before, she's my cousin, remember?" The cover story held, and everyone just shook their heads as they got back to what they'd been doing.
"Oh, you worry too much," I smiled up at him when I reached my feet. "It's not like anyone here except us could understand Ancient Greek, anyway." Okay, our relationship is, complicated.
"Just give me about an hour and we can talk," he leaned down, and I felt his breath tickle behind my ear. "In the meantime, try not to distract anymore of the students?"
I betted my eyes at him, turned and walked back to my seat, making sure I swayed in every way I could. By the time I reached the chair every male in the room had to pick his tongue off the floor. Everyone, except Varden.
I've wondered how he did that since I've known him. I can get the attention of every male I want, whenever I need to, but him, sometimes it's like I can't even turn his head. So, I sat there and enjoyed the show. What can I say, can't a girl drool once in a while over a great set of abs and pecs that look like they could be used by a marble sculpture to ply his trade? Sure, I couldn't see them, he had his uniform on, but I've seen what's underneath.
Varden is the most unique person I've very met. He beat me in that alley when we met, and he didn't even break a sweat. Yet he's never held it against me, nor has he ever said anything about how he's treated when he's at the Sanctuary, which for him is excruciating.
So, this is how it's been going for the last two years. High mother Damaris demands he stay at the Sanctuary, Varden says no and leaves, and I get sent to bring him back when Damaris loses her temper because he won't come back when she wants him to.
In all the interaction with him away from the Sanctuary I began to see the real Varden. The one he kept away from the other sisters and especially the high mother. He was strong, driven, an awesome fighter, yet he was warm, kind, understanding, and had a wicked sense of humor. So, I fell and fell hard, he was the first male I ever considered being a man, a real man. I couldn't seduce him, I couldn't rattle him, and I have never been able to make him even raise his voice at me and believe me I tried. I tried my hardest to make him snap at me, to make him come onto me, I needed to prove to myself that a man this good couldn't exist. But in the end, I failed, and in failing found something I never thought I would find, love, companionship, someone I could spend the rest of my very long life with.
I was in the middle of my musings when I felt a tiny tap on my shoulder.
"Hey, did you hear me? We're done for the night." I looked up and saw that the room was empty except for Varden and I.
"Sorry, I didn't notice," I felt my cheeks flush red and stood to take his attention away from that fact.
"Why are you here?" His question was not unexpected, annoying yes, unexpected no.
"Oh sure, that's the greeting I get Agapi̱méni̱, after all I had to do to find you." I balled my fist and stuck them on my hips.
"You know what I mean. What does high mother Damaris want with me this time?" He took two steps forward and gathered me into his arms. How could I simultaneously love someone while wanted to wring their neck at the same time?
If he'd just do what he was told, we both could live in the Sanctuary together and I wouldn't have to do this all the time. But then he wouldn't be the man I fell in love with. So, I just buried my face in his chest and breathed in his scent. That one smell that was always guaranteed to get my breath going and increase my heart rate.
"This has nothing to do with Damaris," I almost sobbed into his shirt, knowing what my next words were going to do to him.
"Then why are you here, not that I mind and all." His fingers combing through my hair made it hard to think, but with a force of will I stayed on task.
"Mother Agnus is dead, she was murdered inside the Sanctuary."
I felt him go stiff, so still I couldn't even feel him breath. Agnus was the only one of the sisters that Varden knew and respected. She was the one to give him his first lessons in our fighting arts. I have to say that I took unprofessional vindictive pleasure in watching her wipe the floor with him. She was our combat master, the most feared woman in any of the four Sanctuaries.
"How did it happen, where was she? How did anyone get the drop on her of all people?" His words came out clipped and rushed, and I could tell how much control he was exerting to keep from screaming.
"We don't know, when the Ypi̱réti̱s came in to clean her room he found her body on the floor beside her bed. Sister Agatha went in and confirmed she was dead a small time later, and she's been the only one in the room since."
"So, no one else's been in the room?"
"No one, I knew you'd want the room as clean as possible." I try to catch his gaze, but he wouldn't look at me. I could tell his mind was elsewhere, thinking of Agnus.
"How fast can we make it back to the Sanctuary from here?" He asked.
"It took me about an hour and a half to get down here in the helicopter. It's going to take us longer on the way back."
"Why?"
"I sent it back after it landed. They needed it to take a representative out to the mountain pack. It seems one of their packs was seen in Canadian territory."
"So, we get the car?"
"Yeah, sorry but I didn't have a choice. Sanctuary business takes precedence."
"I know," he sighed the deep sigh of the disappointed, and I brought my hand up to his cheek. "It's not your fault, you know that right?" I pulled his head down so I could look into his light blue eyes.
I could see behind his eyes that he didn't believe me. He was thinking that if he'd been there, he could have stopped it.
"You couldn't have stopped it, no one could have. We didn't even know it had happened until that morning."
"Humpfff." He just grunted and turned towards the door.
"We need to get going," he stopped and opened the door, holding it open for me.
He knew I hated that; I don't need a man to open anything for me. So, I just stood there waiting for him to walk out so I could follow. But one of the other things I can't stand about him, that makes him so unlike any other man I'd ever met is his patience. When he set his mind to something he could wait all day and not move a muscle. So, we both stood there looking at each other, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Fine!" I hissed and flew through the door into the alley beyond.
"Your grace." He intoned with great gravity as he bent low at the waist, free handheld to his chest.
"You know I hate that." I growled when we were both on the sidewalk.
"I know, that's why I do it." He answered, kicking a stone with his shoe.
"Do you want me to hate you, because you're doing a pretty good job." I elbowed him in the ribs.
"No, you don't, or you wouldn't be here," He smiled down at me, and my anger melted. Why did he have to be so God awful cute?
"Besides, is it such a big deal I want to hold the door for the women I love? Come on, admit it, it's not that bad that I want to take care of you, is it?"
"It's not that," I grabbed his arm and rest my head on it. "But I've been trained my whole life that men can't and shouldn't be trusted. That they're weak and unreliable. You can't expect me to outgrow over two centuries of learning in only two years, can you?"
"Good point my dear but cut me some slack sometimes okay. I was raised that it was a man's privilege and honor to protect and serve the woman he loves."
"You are so weird." I smacked his shoulder than latched onto his arm with both of mine.
"Where did you say you were told your driver would park?" Varden asked me when we turned the last corner.
"Right here," I looked up and where I was told the car would be and there was nothing but empty sidewalk. Could this day get any worse?
Ypi̱réti̱s: server, valet, lackey, footman, or servitor.
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