Chapter Twenty One
I didn't know what I was expecting to see when we arrived at the Gordon's house, but it certainly wasn't what I saw. There was no grand castle larger than Kendall's nor any doting people waiting outside to catch a glimpse of their King and Queen. They actually only lived in a grand house.
The stone house was larger than most but couldn't quite compare itself to a palace.
However, it seemed to hold the same comfort a summer cottage would.
There were exotic flowers blooming in the front, standing proudly by the house.
It was then I realized why there was no one loyally sitting outside.
The house was centered in the middle of a forest away from the view of others.
Even Kendall had a hard time finding it, although he claims to have never seen it.
His parents had once lived in a castle, but they had passed it down to Cayne before settling in a nice, secluded area.
By the time they had decided to leave, Kendall had been long gone.
He'd also said his parents were still rulers, but that they had passed most of the responsibility to his brothers.
Kendall didn't seem to care that he hadn't gotten any of it, but he was always busy regardless.
I imagine he'd never have time for pleasure trips like this if more work was handed to him.
"Quit fidgeting," Kendall snapped, closing the carriage door. I gave him a death glare, but it was one he wasn't able to see because he was telling the driver of the carriage when he was expected to be back.
"Quit telling me to quit fidgeting," I said just as sharply, but I did stop the action. I'd been moving around the whole ride only to receive annoyed comments from Kendall each time.
"We are late and I am already nervous. Your constant dancing around did not help any," he grumbled, and I only rolled my eyes. Kendall was acting childish. None of that was my fault, and he had told the carriage driver to drive slowly.
"Perhaps we should drug you," Lex said, his eyes sparkling. I cracked up at the glare he received from Kendall.
Lex had been invited to join us by Kendall's parents. Lex was practically a Gordon himself, although he told me he would only stop by for an hour or so. After, he would leave to visit his actual parents and sister.
"I expect good behavior from the two of you," Kendall said, already looking irritated and we had yet to step into the house. I couldn't imagine how Kendall would react once we were inside.
"Aye aye, Captain!" Lex said, mock saluting him. I snickered while Kendall gave him a look that would undoubtedly kill if it could.
The front door swung open, revealing a blonde boy.
His eyes reflected surprise once they met an abruptly tense Kendall's.
He looked so much like Cayne that I thought it was safe to assume he was the third Gordon boy.
Unlike the first impressions his brothers had given me, his ease with deception was much more obvious.
His smirk revealed just how confident he felt.
"Well, well, if it isn't my long lost brother. Had any adventures lately, Kendall?" He asked, closing the door behind him as he walked towards his brother.
"Calyx," Kendall greeted formally, seeming to coil away when his brother pulled him in for a hug. That's when he saw me and the over-confident smirk on his face visibly grew into a cocky smile.
"Don't even think about it, pretty boy," I growled when he pulled away from Kendall and opened his mouth. Lex looked amused while confusion crossed Kendall's face.
Calyx raised his hands, feigning innocence. But I would trust him as far as my patience with Kendall could go, which was extremely short. I may not know him, but he reminded me too much of a cat with wide, "cuddly" eyes, preparing to pounce on you with claws extended any second.
"Can't I compliment beauty when I see it?" He asked, inching closer to me. I narrowed my eyes, wondering how this would all play out.
"Sure you can. You just might lose a few fingers in the process," I said with an innocent smile, wiggling my own fingers at him. This caused him to hesitate, his Cheshire grin gone for a second.
"You're a little vixen," Calyx said, his smirk returning. It was like nothing could deter him from his purpose. Fortunately, he didn't advance any closer.
"I would prefer you stopped making advances at my date," Kendall said simply, causing me to blink with surprise and Lex to look at me with familiar amusement. Calyx only looked impressed.
"I bet Cayne you wouldn't end up showing, but here you are with a pretty, little date to top it all off," Calyx said with a raised eyebrow. Kendall didn't reply, only stared at his brother.
"This pretty, little date is going to snap your-"
"Okay!" Lex said, clapping his hand together and interrupting my threat. "Why don't we all go inside now, shall we?" He added, trying to diffuse my building annoyance.
Calyx shot me a wink before walking towards the house, and it took all my will not to strangle the arrogant bastard. I growled lowly before yanking my bag off the ground. Before I could make it in, Kendall stopped me just as Lex entered the house.
"I will take your bag," he said softly, once again transforming in a matter of seconds. It still continued to amaze me, although I'd seen it multiple times.
"Is this one of your weird acts of apology?" I asked but handed him my bag. Kendall wouldn't be nice for very long, so I would take full advantage of it while I could.
"I need you to go along with my lie, Snowflake, for the sake of my sanity.
I do not need to hear my parent's continuous complaining about the way I rule my kingdom.
That is precisely what would happen if I tell them that I have a white-coated, female Protector," he explained, running an irritated hand through his hair.
I smirked at him. I currently held all the power between the two of us. Kendall noticed my realization and his eyes turned into slits. I only grinned wider, knowing I would have a lot of fun with this.
"What do I get, Your Highness?" I asked, nearly laughing when Kendall winced physically at the address. Ironic that I had grown tolerant of him calling me Snowflake, yet he couldn't stand to be called anything other than his name.
"What do you want? Are you going to extort me like my brother?" He snapped, not liking this at all. It was too bad I could only wish I cared.
"Absolutely. I want a dinner, just you and I in that garden of yours," I compromised, his eyes flickering before he frowned.
Recently in my free time, I had discovered a garden abundant with blossoming flowers that beckoned you with their exotic beauty.
They seemed to have more life than anyone in the entire palace.
If you stood in Kendall's office, they were the view you caught outside his window.
I had a feeling that wasn't accidental, but I had yet to ask him about it.
"What is the catch?" He asked, his arms now crossed while he held our bags. I just loved how trusting he was of me.
"Why must-"
"There is always a catch with you, Snowflake. Now tell me your price so we can get through this," Kendall interrupted, his patience for me drawn short today.
"Nothing. I just want a damn dinner!" I snapped, growing irritated myself. Kendall never failed to press my buttons.
"I change my mind," I said, snatching my bag out of his hands before marching forward.
"Snowflake, wait," he tried, sighing as if he was trying to calm a tyrant child. This only angered me more. It was as if Kendall had sparked a fuse.
I whirled around, seeing his surprise at the amount of fire that had spread throughout my eyes.
"I don't want to do the damn dinner, alright?
Just forget I mentioned it. I'll pretend to be your date, and I won't tell your uptight parents I'm actually stuck being the Protector of your arrogant ass.
I don't want anything in return except for you to leave me alone during this trip.
Is that understood?" I asked, seeing his blank expression.
I took his silence for a yes and stormed inside the house, not bothering to see if he had followed.
While the outside of the house held a touch of comfort, the interior of the house seemed to be distant, much like the Gordon boys, Calyx being the exception. The house was decorated to reflect the Victorian era with stiff furnishings that I doubted were used often.
"Kendall, I see you made it just fine by yourself. Who might this be?" Cayne asked, causing me to stop observing my surroundings and look at him.
He regarded me formally, his eyes revealing nothing. I was almost caught by surprise at the lack of recognition until I remembered he'd only seen me while I was a white wolf.
"Hello, Cayne. You couldn't have forgotten about me that easily, could you?" I asked with a smile. I saw a flicker of confusion before his laughter filled the room.
"You look just as stunning in skin, my dear Snowflake," Cayne complimented, walking over and bringing my hand to his lips.
Kendall swiftly transferred my hand from Cayne's and into his own. "Tonight, she is my companion, not my Protector. There is no need to make this night more unbearable than it is going to be," he explained, Cayne nodding in agreement.
I slipped my hand from Kendall's, smiling at his brother. "Would you show me where I'm staying?" I asked, and Cayne replied with a smile before leading the way.
Cayne flicked the light on, illuminating a bare room. It only held the necessities, nothing more. It seemed too impersonal to belong in a house, even one as formal as this one.
"When my parents moved, they provided themselves with a house large enough to house them and their three sons. We were each given a room to stay in when we visited. This one belongs to Kendall," Cayne explained just as the man himself came in behind us.
It was kind of a sad story. I had seen Kendall's temporary room before he had. It was also clear someone had been treating the room with care as there was not a single dust particle to be found. It made me wonder how much of Kendall's story was accurate.
"You two will be sharing this room."
"What?" We yelled in unison, turning to glare at one another.
Cayne only laughed quietly, finding us amusing. "You two are more alike than not," he murmured, shaking his head while walking away, leaving Kendall and me to sort this mess out ourselves.
"I am not sharing a bed with you," I snapped, walking into the room. Kendall didn't even react at the remark.
"You are correct in that assumption as you will be sleeping on the floor as a wolf," he said as he placed his bag on the bed. He'd said so calmly as if it was a definite statement that couldn't be refuted.
"We'll see which one of us ends up on the floor," I replied just as calmly and shrugged. I knew I could easily overpower Kendall, and he knew it just as well as I did.
I placed my bag on the other side of the bed, catching a glimpse of a photo on the nightstand. It portrayed a beautiful woman smiling as she held an infant in her arms. The boy had light, black hair identical to the woman's and a pair of the deepest blue eyes I'd ever seen.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed the photograph, flipping it down so the picture was no longer visible. "Do not let it fool you. It is their attempt at making me feel guilty," Kendall said quietly from right behind me.
"You were such an adorable baby. What happened in between then and now?" I remarked, turning around and smirking when I saw Kendall's frown.
Suddenly, his frown disappeared, replaced with a grin that conveyed his relationship with Calyx. "I beg to differ. You did almost kiss me in the forest, did you not?" He asked, causing me to blush and glare at him.
"It was a simple moment of weakness and confusion; that's all," I replied, grateful my voice didn't break like I thought it would.
"Oh, that is it?" Kendall asked, moving entirely too close to me for comfort. In fact, he didn't stop moving until I pressed a hand against his rather firm chest, acting as a barrier between him and I.
"Yes, that's it," I said lightly, not liking how Kendall affected me. It made it worse because he also affected the wolf in me more than I liked.
"Then why is your heart racing faster than it was not a moment ago?" He asked, removing my hand from his chest and placing it on his waist so he could lean closer.
"Perhaps we should try this again without the interruption of others," Kendall suggested, placing a hand on the side of my face that I found myself leaning into.
Kendall leaned in, but his lips never touched mine. Just as they were about to, we were interrupted yet again.
"My, I didn't realize my son was into such torrid women."