Chapter 4
Vander pushed open the door that58Please respect copyright.PENANAfntqrOJpDi
led into a large, spacious office. The walls were blocked by large bookshelves58Please respect copyright.PENANAcjk6zyIKaj
filled to the brim with various books from Eluvia’s history, there were even58Please respect copyright.PENANArIg89ics5S
some books from their neighboring countries. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAiCM07V1B6E
When he was younger he had wanted to read them all, but it was a58Please respect copyright.PENANAoJ8b3vVLbW
daunting task that would take him many lifetimes. Each shelf was painstakingly58Please respect copyright.PENANANNAVHM0qC0
ordered alphabetically and by subject so you could find anything you wanted58Please respect copyright.PENANAvC8Um9e243
quite easily.
There was a desk in front of the58Please respect copyright.PENANAYMhaiTW4lZ
left wall that was kept clean, only a letter or two adorned in. Inside the desk58Please respect copyright.PENANAtouSpr3fUa
were reports from all the Blades scattered throughout the kingdom and a wax58Please respect copyright.PENANAf4lofvBW17
seal the Commander used on the letters before sending them out on delivery. On58Please respect copyright.PENANAKycO7ZnlbV
the right side was a massive fireplace with two large chairs set up in front.58Please respect copyright.PENANAFcGOa9qhFN
There was a table between them where his grandfather sat drinking after a long day’s58Please respect copyright.PENANAJGW3xJysl1
work before he retired for the night.
“Are you just going to stand there58Please respect copyright.PENANAZPa6DuHSUY
looking around or are you coming inside?” Vander looked towards the window58Please respect copyright.PENANAMo9qSpRajL
where his grandfather was standing.
Charles Pendrake was staring at58Please respect copyright.PENANAVXxlCgGd90
him over his shoulder with a hard look in his eyes. Despite being an adult,58Please respect copyright.PENANA3bFlliQjDX
Vander found his grandfather to be quite intimidating. Despite being almost58Please respect copyright.PENANADvYdbIgPrv
sixty years old, at 6’6 he was still able to run over the younger Blades quite58Please respect copyright.PENANAwgmrjzrEuO
easily. His mind was still sharp, and he commanded an air of respect that few58Please respect copyright.PENANA1frAjir5B7
could ignore. Despite being family, the two of them look nothing alike. He had58Please respect copyright.PENANA6mWogIDBcv
brown hair with graying edges and brown eyes. While Vander was wiry, Charles58Please respect copyright.PENANAxVePKL0Fsw
was pure muscle. Charles was respected while Vander was feared.
“Apologies58Please respect copyright.PENANAqe7TJe8yti
Commander.” Vander stepped inside then closed the door. “It’s just been a long58Please respect copyright.PENANALdRJitc31r
time since I’ve been in here.” Shea followed him in and went to sit by his58Please respect copyright.PENANA64BkDryjhv
grandfather’s desk chair.
“I’ve told you58Please respect copyright.PENANAJjlb9shPCs
when it’s the two of us you can call me grandpa.” Charles sighed.
“Sorry58Please respect copyright.PENANAa3rBsCVU7h
Commander.” Vander bowed his head.
“Still just a58Please respect copyright.PENANAimpPsaU267
pain in the ass as always.” Charles stepped away from the window then sat down58Please respect copyright.PENANA4CPlegiWxR
behind his desk. “I thought spending the past six months up in the woods would58Please respect copyright.PENANAizPnRprMiD
have tempered the attitude of yours.” He rubbed the top of Shea’s head as she58Please respect copyright.PENANAnn0G1Zvcry
placed her mouth on his leg.
“Don’t pretend58Please respect copyright.PENANAp6uae17lXp
that’s why you sent me up there to train.” Vander took the seat opposite him.58Please respect copyright.PENANAZ43kJc2E76
“Though it was nice to get away from the city for a change.”
“I did it for58Please respect copyright.PENANAWCwcfeFpI7
your own good, you know it.” Charles sighed. “I don’t know how I wound up with58Please respect copyright.PENANAEecObkh9wY
such a head strong grandson.”
“And people say58Please respect copyright.PENANAmTJbUb9QGs
we’re nothing alike.” He snorted. “Anyway, I received your letter and came as58Please respect copyright.PENANACHGwaHPZbV
soon as I could. What’s going?” Charles leaned back in his chair.
“Since you were58Please respect copyright.PENANAFMuhFJDBtT
sent to the woods and Cuvera went to pick up his bride from Bricen, things have58Please respect copyright.PENANAZBAlKwBq85
only gotten worse here.” He rubbed the back of his head. “What I am about to58Please respect copyright.PENANAnEuMZtW8hn
tell you, you can tell no one else about. Not even Alex, am I understood?”
“Is that58Please respect copyright.PENANA1ZYF3TzeJK
serious I can’t tell another Captain?” Charles nodded grimly. Vander sighed58Please respect copyright.PENANASsDErXzLlh
before agreeing. “A couple weeks ago, Malcolm had fallen mysteriously ill. We58Please respect copyright.PENANAllMs0Iejkk
aren’t sure the cause of it, Topal is by his side every day and night, but none58Please respect copyright.PENANAtUalVlH4ro
of his remedies are working.”
“Really?”58Please respect copyright.PENANAohO9LNA85H
Vander frowned. “When I passed through the city earlier, nothing seemed amiss.58Please respect copyright.PENANAkZnKbAuZbQ
There was no one sick and everyone seemed quite happy.”
“That’s because no one outside of58Please respect copyright.PENANA90g9uBeWzL
the council knows.” Charles explained. “We wanted to keep it quiet to avoid a58Please respect copyright.PENANAXZOY7ry0Ne
panic.”
“So why tell me?”
“Because I want you to take over58Please respect copyright.PENANArdVpXFmxdw
the investigation for me.” Charles explained. “I don’t think the cause of his58Please respect copyright.PENANAbP2m2jWJag
sickness is natural causes, I think it was poison. Topal agrees with me, but58Please respect copyright.PENANAcXwI8Ltq2J
the council doesn’t agree. While the King is fighting for his life, the council58Please respect copyright.PENANAFHD6yjAe3f
is trying to undermine him by passing laws that bolster their own power while58Please respect copyright.PENANAGSbYRfVAXa
restricting ours. So now I must fight them off and can’t concentrate on finding58Please respect copyright.PENANA4GzW1uRUJM
out who did this. So, will you do it?”
Vander folded his arms and thought58Please respect copyright.PENANAWRD6IKBgUL
for a moment. It was a lot of information to absorb at once, but he knew his58Please respect copyright.PENANAi8AK09SQH8
grandfather was pressed for time. Despite his anger towards the old man, he58Please respect copyright.PENANA03dIS4S9IR
didn’t really want to see him suffer anymore.
“I will help you.” Vander sighed.58Please respect copyright.PENANAHtnMwvRe28
Charles broke out into a large grin.
“Thank you.” He reached into his58Please respect copyright.PENANA3iKNxTkYFo
desk and pulled something out. He placed the small item on the desk in front of58Please respect copyright.PENANA5D7l5PuNuO
Vander. It was a small blue medallion with the royal family’s crest on one side58Please respect copyright.PENANAbvTmVDJcQg
and the Blade symbol on the other. “This will open all doors for you inside the58Please respect copyright.PENANA2iSQhz7PiA
city. Get whatever you need, but you can tell no one about your mission.”
Vander took the medal then slipped58Please respect copyright.PENANAIhuh9yQ7ZT
it into his pocket. “Is it alright if I see the King now?” He got up from the58Please respect copyright.PENANAxmv7Sj7PbB
chair and headed towards the door.
“Yes, but there is something I58Please respect copyright.PENANALUDz2XAmVV
should tell you-“ Vander opened the door while looking at his grandfather.58Please respect copyright.PENANA3WFKBQRmGn
Shea’s hackles raised as she started snarling. He turned to see who was58Please respect copyright.PENANANSkXQbObDA
standing there and upon recognizing him, his blood started to boil.
“What the hell are you doing58Please respect copyright.PENANA073JbkDo0A
here?” he snapped. He grabbed the man by his collar and pushed him up against58Please respect copyright.PENANAxgygwFxukm
the hallway wall. “Give me a reason why I should gut you where you stand.”
“Because I’m still a Blade and a58Please respect copyright.PENANAb8XEvkhVR0
captain now.” Leon smirked. “You can’t do a damn thing to me.”
“What?” He spun around to see his58Please respect copyright.PENANARZDFk5mEJ5
grandfather standing in the doorway looking at him with a dejected look on his58Please respect copyright.PENANA5tMayF5ckM
face.
“I had no choice in the matter.”58Please respect copyright.PENANAMkBvw3lVbW
Charles looked pained. “That’s part of the reason I wanted to see you; will you58Please respect copyright.PENANAaEr4oC7rTq
sit down? Please?” Vander took one more look at Leon’s smug face before shoving58Please respect copyright.PENANA0Nt5ZGIKye
him back against the wall and walking back to his seat. Shea, still growling,58Please respect copyright.PENANAOtu1CYLi1l
kept her eyes locked on Leon perhaps daring him to make a move against her58Please respect copyright.PENANAkMMW4WUDO1
master. Vander sat down.
“The council is making moves to58Please respect copyright.PENANAKVD72PYF3u
limit the power of the Blades, or to remove us completely.” Charles explained.58Please respect copyright.PENANAOlkhFzLpvC
“Since the wars ended, they decided there isn’t a need for us to carry on how58Please respect copyright.PENANAeASW1VnHdA
we are. With the poisoning of the King, it further reinforced their views. They58Please respect copyright.PENANAQvkuxiOiwF
appointed Leon as Captain to oversee us and to report back.”
“And what qualifications does he58Please respect copyright.PENANA41z7GRGHiM
have to report on anything?” Vander glared at the other man who was leaning up58Please respect copyright.PENANAsYksGAuR9m
against the wall with a broad grin on his face.
“None whatsoever.” Charles58Please respect copyright.PENANA2wQn6GHdqe
snorted. “His father just promoted him into our ranks to be a pain in the ass.”
“That’s not going to win you any58Please respect copyright.PENANAWDWGdORfV7
points, Commander.” Leon sneered. “I have absolute authority to decide the fate58Please respect copyright.PENANAxsrRiIOM3n
of the Blades. It wouldn’t go well for you to get on my bad side.”
“Shea kindly escort him from the58Please respect copyright.PENANA0zRNP0N7Q8
room.” Vander commanded. “I don’t need him overhearing actual Blade business.”
“With pleasure.” She58Please respect copyright.PENANAwpH0rJj6Jt
snarled. She got up from off the ground and with teeth bared, she stalked58Please respect copyright.PENANAjufRfz31Ss
towards Leon. Leon’s smug smirk disappeared instantly as he slowly started58Please respect copyright.PENANA92SNElbUKp
backing up towards the door.
“Call off your mutt, Vander.” His58Please respect copyright.PENANAlcNvPLWcYd
face became pale as neither of them moved to help. “Vander.” He quickly ducked58Please respect copyright.PENANAUyUQCQC3Gt
through the door and slammed it shut as Shea lunged at him. She landed nimbly58Please respect copyright.PENANAId4AXKXoMU
in front of the door.
“Don’t come back.” Vander58Please respect copyright.PENANA5xwSBSPWju
heard Leon’s panicked footsteps echoing down the hall. The thought of the man58Please respect copyright.PENANA3JyFPsXFIT
pissing himself brought a small smile to his face.
“That was unwise, yet very58Please respect copyright.PENANA8Vidbsl4Jl
satisfying.” Charles chuckled. “Viggo won’t be happy.”
“I don’t give a shit what makes58Please respect copyright.PENANAWatwXgYy8V
him happy.” Vander sighed. “He just wants to control us for his own personal58Please respect copyright.PENANAYJxPbSXooo
gain. Man’s a snake and should be removed.”
“We are just protectors Vander,58Please respect copyright.PENANAqllY5t1cWy
not politicians. Leave the removal to those with the mind to do it.”
“Yes sir.” Vander sighed. “When do58Please respect copyright.PENANAhrgxDjcd0q
you want me to go and see the King?”“The investigation can wait until you are58Please respect copyright.PENANAgCJp9ZH4GR
fresh faced and rested.” Charles said. “Everything is how it was; the King has58Please respect copyright.PENANAmOWn0OIdeN
just been moved to a secret location while he recovers. This is our last chance58Please respect copyright.PENANASMV6VaZRR7
to prove our worth to the council.”
“We shouldn’t have to prove a damn58Please respect copyright.PENANAcQbFaAk57Z
thing, but I’m with you.” Vander got up to stretch, stifling a yawn. “I will do58Please respect copyright.PENANANon0gaAbC4
what I can to find out who hurt the King and bring them to justice.”
“Thank you.” Charles smiled. “How58Please respect copyright.PENANAnrVJK6rHM8
are the recruits coming along? I wanted to give a demonstration to the council,58Please respect copyright.PENANAj9M1r9WuZn
but only if you think they are ready.”
“Their teamwork could use some58Please respect copyright.PENANANPub9181K6
help and if they stopped letting their hormones get the better of them they58Please respect copyright.PENANAbqW7tLGu43
would be solid fighters.” Vander explained. “We are meeting at my place for58Please respect copyright.PENANAMqrLp952M6
celebratory drinks and food. They deserve it.”
“I don’t know why you still stay58Please respect copyright.PENANAL8BjocdWIx
in that shit hole.” Charles said. “We have plenty of rooms for you in the58Please respect copyright.PENANArMymv8Wl1d
compound, you should stay there.”
“You know my feelings on its58Please respect copyright.PENANAFtulGMrPRj
gramps.” He said. “I don’t like how the others look at me. At least in the city58Please respect copyright.PENANATEHSw5mDsA
I can be a little anonymous and keep to myself.”
“I know, I know.” He sighed. “I58Please respect copyright.PENANAzYFNrRzUTq
will see you tomorrow. The price will be arriving in the next couple of days58Please respect copyright.PENANAiR2Hoa6l5h
with his new bride, I would like the investigation to be wrapped up by then,58Please respect copyright.PENANAkv1D7rsrRl
then we will have the recruits tested. Will that be alright with you?”
“Yes.” He stared down at his58Please respect copyright.PENANA5YIl6WiqPG
grandfather. “And just because I’m being civil with you, doesn’t mean I’m not58Please respect copyright.PENANATfcm5sK088
angry with you. We will have our talk once this is all over.”
“I understand.” Charles looked58Please respect copyright.PENANAWBw7YO3JeN
down at his desk and began rifling through his papers. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”58Please respect copyright.PENANAyBZE3XBm3K
Realizing that was his cue, Vander opened the door for Shea and the two of them58Please respect copyright.PENANAMdekiV8bow
slipped out quietly closing it behind them.
The walk back through the castle58Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9TSPP9L35
was uneventful. Most of the servants were too busy to talk to him, as they were58Please respect copyright.PENANAOtIVA6PiLe
preparing for the prince’s return along with his new bride. Vander was hopeful58Please respect copyright.PENANAMji5utAd5x
with their union because finally the long war that killed thousands of people58Please respect copyright.PENANAAu0COeszey
was finally at its end. Peyton’s words at the front door didn’t surprise Vander58Please respect copyright.PENANAiOtwLPyXD3
in the least. The two countries would finally be allowed to heal but some58Please respect copyright.PENANAj61echtMpb
people didn’t care about that. They just wanted the war to continue because it58Please respect copyright.PENANAquG9fb9Tom
just made them richer. It was a disgrace, but greed ruled overall. Part of him58Please respect copyright.PENANAv8HBZac0dS
had hoped that the would be told who was against the treaty and toss them in58Please respect copyright.PENANAUY8VPyX4Lg
jail, but if the King, Charles, and Peyton wanted them to stick around, they58Please respect copyright.PENANAwRKWMo9cmj
must have a good reason for doing so. It was above his paygrade at any rate.
He headed back towards the gate58Please respect copyright.PENANAj1D4u4o0IH
where Jeffery Jilena’s soldiers were guarding the passage through, and to his58Please respect copyright.PENANAR5KTgwyrGf
surprise, it seemed as though his advice worked. They were alert and not58Please respect copyright.PENANAG5MijwRMRN
leaning up against the walls. Their weapons were at attention and even though58Please respect copyright.PENANAoDqnsrvprS
they gave him a dirty look as he passed, one snarl from Shea kept them from58Please respect copyright.PENANAtpUrvQ18Os
saying anything they would regret, and they allowed him to pass without any58Please respect copyright.PENANAAGqDnjfONg
issues.
By the time he made it out of the58Please respect copyright.PENANAfv3UqpUaDA
middle ring, the sun was beginning to set illuminating the sky with colors of58Please respect copyright.PENANA80IzI4w5eJ
bring pink and yellow. Most of the people he walked past were scurrying to get58Please respect copyright.PENANAnO1n2tK8Et
home before nightfall or closing shops so they could calculate their profits58Please respect copyright.PENANAj9q1LaNXfF
before heading in for the night. Nighttime was always Vander’s favorite time of58Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8KjSg8eUR
day. The hustle and bustle of city life would disappear into almost nothing58Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5bzruIMzC
giving him the peace and quiet he and Shea desperately enjoyed. Being back in58Please respect copyright.PENANAzHGkRbkGwA
the city would be a challenge and he knew it would only be a matter of time58Please respect copyright.PENANAuTWB6BxRG4
before they two of them wanted to go back to the woods where they both felt at58Please respect copyright.PENANAMaFt3FNVPt
home. For now, they would just have to enjoy the place they lived in and make58Please respect copyright.PENANAKNxZF1yIvU
do with that.
One of the only places that would58Please respect copyright.PENANAt2R6wgexbj
have Vander and Shea was a little inn within the eastern district called the58Please respect copyright.PENANAfp4HzxFHcD
Warm Hearth. They got hunters coming from the forest to try and sell skin,58Please respect copyright.PENANAyTLmj2gDEC
meat, bones, and fur to anyone who wanted them. Often the hunters would bring58Please respect copyright.PENANAZepBU0PIWp
their dogs with them as an insurance policy against thieves. They were unruly58Please respect copyright.PENANAK6MIYmv8ZQ
to the inn owners and would often feel up many of the servers. One time Vander58Please respect copyright.PENANAzjxFpKzbtd
got into it with a couple of them who felt they were entitled to the servers58Please respect copyright.PENANAmraPnlWtrE
after hours. The sicced their dogs on him, but once Shea jumped in killing two58Please respect copyright.PENANAySOtEAEJYH
of them, the hunters knew better than to fuck with them and, by extension, the58Please respect copyright.PENANA9VDaA6U4aQ
serving girls. From the day forward, he had a discounted room and a place to58Please respect copyright.PENANAzSHEhV5Hmw
relax after work.
Upon arrival, he could hear dozens58Please respect copyright.PENANAQC0iGc9LRA
of patrons talking and demanding foo and drinks. It wasn’t a bad place, a58Please respect copyright.PENANAvmbFgjDFzV
little run down, but kempt. The front door was missing a hinge causing it to58Please respect copyright.PENANACDtH7nsWGq
lean slightly. Once you opened it, you had to lift it a little bit to make sure58Please respect copyright.PENANAyhqLWLX45y
it didn’t catch on the stairs. Unknown to all but Vander, the servers and the58Please respect copyright.PENANAZHLEFAugzH
owner, the stools were slightly off center. It was a way to make sure people58Please respect copyright.PENANAMiXGcH4Ndt
weren’t drinking too much. If they fall to the floor, they get cut off and58Please respect copyright.PENANAaRSmuezbPU
taken somewhere to sleep it off before going home to their families.
Vander pulled open the door,58Please respect copyright.PENANApsvmuKUm6q
making sure to lift it, and was greeted with even more noise than he was58Please respect copyright.PENANAwicwClP0IO
expecting. There were thirty people jammed inside all shouting to be heard over58Please respect copyright.PENANA7ctSr64Zsg
the music playing in the corner. A couple of people, men, and women were58Please respect copyright.PENANABYi2LuWe7Z
dancing on the floor in front of the band twirling their dresses and spinning58Please respect copyright.PENANAYRF5WQXH04
on their feet to the beat. Shea, hating all the noise slunk off behind the58Please respect copyright.PENANAja8o7r3cAA
counter and quickly made her way over to the rear corner to scamper her way up58Please respect copyright.PENANAobfXDkmfhk
the stairs and out of sight. She knew where she was going, they had installed a58Please respect copyright.PENANAM5OqjF5CV2
little door for her to come and go as she pleased so she would have no issues58Please respect copyright.PENANAEnQatpaMTk
getting into his room. He just hoped no one was squatting there or they would58Please respect copyright.PENANA3xPPKYWzK1
be in for a real rude awakening.
“Vander!” Someone shouted at him.58Please respect copyright.PENANA95U9sXhnUq
The voice came from the Inn Keeper, a young woman named Julianne, who had58Please respect copyright.PENANAURs8lyyoj7
received the bar from her father after his untimely death. She had long black58Please respect copyright.PENANAAL8Z0wr89G
hair, brown eyes, and a figure that drew the eye of every man in the room. She58Please respect copyright.PENANA58dwTJ06wA
flirted harmlessly with the guests, made sure to top of their drinks whenever58Please respect copyright.PENANAh61hDMeq9i
she could, but was still responsible in making sure people didn’t drink more58Please respect copyright.PENANAvBpTOEfjhl
than they could handle.
“Julianna,” he waved to her. She58Please respect copyright.PENANA4C2W14RSct
sashayed her way through the crowd to embrace him in a quick hug followed by a58Please respect copyright.PENANADK1AxKSNci
quick peck on the cheek. Today she was wearing a low-cut navy-blue dress and58Please respect copyright.PENANAVBV7b5MbV1
blue boots. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail to keep any loose58Please respect copyright.PENANAgsXM59Drvc
strands from falling into anyone’s food or drinks.
“I had a feeling you might be here58Please respect copyright.PENANAYViULQjvYX
today.” She beamed causing dimples to form in her cheeks. “I had your room58Please respect copyright.PENANA0h06nEibAT
dusted then the linen and your clothing cleaned. My maid, Kyra, just finished58Please respect copyright.PENANAuHfRWYDgeE
an hour or so ago.”
“You have a knack for knowing when58Please respect copyright.PENANAGYsgVW0XdS
I get here.” He laughed, hugging her back. “Are you sure you aren’t a seer?”
“Nonsense,” She slapped him58Please respect copyright.PENANAgoKJeIfdK2
lightly on the arm. “Get upstairs and get changed, you smell like stale sweat58Please respect copyright.PENANAlMKvncWk8l
and feet.” Vander lifted his arms then grimaced. She was being polite about it.
“Alexander and the recruits are58Please respect copyright.PENANA5kXI2OJzE3
coming tonight.” Vander said. “If they arrived before I come back down, will58Please respect copyright.PENANAYtjJt72vAt
you get them a table?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “After58Please respect copyright.PENANA2iiTZzpE09
they leave, I’d love to hear how your time away from this place was. We can58Please respect copyright.PENANA1eKYQxsZb5
drink and relax, how does that sound?”
“Sounds great.” He waved goodbye58Please respect copyright.PENANA86uwhk5Vd4
to her as he tried to make his way though. The servers smiled and waved at him58Please respect copyright.PENANAwJRgilCLCq
while the patrons backed up several steps. He wasn’t sure if it was because58Please respect copyright.PENANAvKrKOCbC5C
they recognized him or because of the way he smelled, but he guessed it didn’t58Please respect copyright.PENANAJUs2CnFnBF
really matter. He was glad to not have to talk to any of them.
His room was on the third floor58Please respect copyright.PENANANkgc97cdSp
all the way at the back. Julianne had offered a closer room on the lower floor,58Please respect copyright.PENANAQD4l3yzCQG
but he liked his privacy as most of the people who stayed here were either58Please respect copyright.PENANAVChdviYR5v
travelers who wanted a cheaper room or patrons who were too drunk to walk and58Please respect copyright.PENANAsgp2JJM3vQ
couldn’t walk. She had her own room in the basement where it was warm and where58Please respect copyright.PENANAwCZ5l0hRMG
she didn’t have to worry about anyone trying to get into her room. The basement58Please respect copyright.PENANAmTrbGowGvp
was only open during business hours and was locked during the day. He had never58Please respect copyright.PENANAAasaxZb6ot
been down there, but he expected there was a second door that was always locked58Please respect copyright.PENANApxu7ftj3HJ
to keep anyone from sneaking down there when she was busy.
His room wasn’t much to look at.58Please respect copyright.PENANAEvUcYHDgXF
It was big enough for a small bed, a desk, and a dresser. There was a closet58Please respect copyright.PENANA2jnQvXsbeE
along the left wall and a door that led into a bathroom complete with both a58Please respect copyright.PENANAfPK8thjWOA
shower and a sink. True to her word, the room smelled freshly cleaned the smell58Please respect copyright.PENANAXUeQXOmW9L
of lemon still fragrant in the air. As they were getting closer to fall, his58Please respect copyright.PENANAsea01SG99r
lighter blankets had been swapped for a warmer one. Shea was in the process of58Please respect copyright.PENANA23fBCXdS8e
rubbing her scent on everything when he walked in.
“I hate it when she cleans in58Please respect copyright.PENANAZgcGfnZSCd
here.” She complained.
“Not everyone likes the smell of58Please respect copyright.PENANAxQtsyygwb0
wolf day in and day out.” Vander said. “Maybe we should give you a bath as58Please respect copyright.PENANARDXvpXL4mR
well?”
“Try it and you’ll be minus a58Please respect copyright.PENANA5zfWZ6SY9U
hand.” She growled. The two of them looked at each other, but eventually58Please respect copyright.PENANAjxhitLUTz7
Vander shrugged his shoulders. “Suit yourself sinky.” She lunged at him, but he58Please respect copyright.PENANAkf1HBs8cWp
jumped nimbly away. He quickly removed his sword, placing it carefully on the58Please respect copyright.PENANArEFxPa768k
ground. Then he grabbed her, picked her up, then threw her on the bed. Before58Please respect copyright.PENANA4QkafHCYtA
she could right herself, her body slammed her then started rubbing her belly.58Please respect copyright.PENANAoAJsZiBgwO
She squirmed under him, but eventually she told him she gave up. Laughing, he58Please respect copyright.PENANAkxLlU3fJw7
shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on top of her.
“I’m going to bathe and change58Please respect copyright.PENANAwm974JKcCR
before I meet the others. I assume you want to stay here?” she nodded her head.58Please respect copyright.PENANAQUgXmvxxNO
“Want anything from the kitchen?”
“Beef.” Was the response. She wiggled her way under58Please respect copyright.PENANAcCVHc22iP4
the blanket and moments later, he could hear her snoring gently from58Please respect copyright.PENANA0taqU55fs0
underneath.
Vander shrugged off his clothing58Please respect copyright.PENANA3ub29xdRcy
and dumped it in a pile by the door. Walking into the bathroom, he turned the58Please respect copyright.PENANAVRVLHsobGj
water faucet on. It took awhile for the water to become hot enough where he58Please respect copyright.PENANAEP7hc0hcbn
didn’t freeze. He stepped inside and felt his aches melt away with the hot58Please respect copyright.PENANA4fRc8otCEK
water pounding into his body.
He always enjoyed this part of the58Please respect copyright.PENANAwCesJiWBnq
day. Even if it was day of just sitting in meetings, just washing away your58Please respect copyright.PENANAXIgrqMVj9r
worries for even a little bit was enough to make him happy. He didn’t get to58Please respect copyright.PENANA0LkBemx9S9
shower at all while he was in the woods. The closest he got was taking a dip in58Please respect copyright.PENANAdgi0ESfahW
the lake every other day, but that wasn’t the same. He got clean, but it was58Please respect copyright.PENANAcOEXxUH6KO
never truly relaxing for him.
He lost track of how long he was58Please respect copyright.PENANAgtFlUfJSWS
under the water, but he turned it off once it became cold. He grabbed the towel58Please respect copyright.PENANAFvHq6gO76v
hanging up next to the sink to dry off then wrapped it around his waist. When58Please respect copyright.PENANANl48kQLWqU
we walked into the room, he noticed that Shea was on alert. Her ears were lying58Please respect copyright.PENANAkJ7CJngnzz
flat against her head and her teeth were bared. Only one person would make her58Please respect copyright.PENANAnjK1f5WCVe
that upset in the inn, someone he had hoped would take a little bit longer to58Please respect copyright.PENANAo29S7O4ypW
see him, but it wasn’t an unexpected visit. He could hear her voice coming up58Please respect copyright.PENANAkZgHBspiXI
from downstairs, so he figured he still had some time.
Whistling to himself, he walked58Please respect copyright.PENANAlwcrSQHUmi
over to his closet and removed a brown shirt with strings which would allow him58Please respect copyright.PENANApruu7l6ZMl
to pull it tight over his chest or leave it loose. He picked out a pair of58Please respect copyright.PENANAbUcX0tyHfk
casual black pants along with a pair of black boots. He removed two black58Please respect copyright.PENANAhWeoaPTsF2
leather cuffs and carefully tied them to his wrists. He didn’t like wearing58Please respect copyright.PENANAzdKU6Rh0Sb
jewelry while on duty, however he wore a silver ring with an emerald embedded in58Please respect copyright.PENANArgGAz0R4jf
it when he was off duty. It was the last thing he received from his mother58Please respect copyright.PENANAISBF3fKTw0
before her death.
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He heard the footsteps coming up58Please respect copyright.PENANAs9NyecKt8L
the stairs then stopped right in front of his door. “Behave Shea.” He said. She58Please respect copyright.PENANAiNKBjp6rIX
didn’t relax, but she did hide her teeth so as not scare his guest. His heart58Please respect copyright.PENANAO88o8Mzw52
pounded in his chest as he waited for the knock. As soon as he heard it, he got58Please respect copyright.PENANAQWaBiI5lO4
up from his bed and opened the door. “Hello Bree.”