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His eyes trembled with uncertainty, a puzzle in his appearance briefly hinting before it turned blank.

Kaleb’s keen sneer twitched. “All guardians under this household know to never be within these walls when guests visit. There are repercussions to those who eavesdrop, and you, dear, are no exemption.” He cupped my cheeks, his nails digging into my skin.

I bit my tongue, my cheek, and any piece of skin that would numb the fire that burned in my chest. It blazed stronger the deeper he pressed,hervoice itching in the depths of my mind. I couldn’t risk another incident.

I focused on my breathing and my steady heart. I had to. Needed to.

“Kaleb,” Anabella interrupted. “If she’s a guardian, why does she have no sensible presence?”

His hold loosened, but his fingers loomed over my skin. A gleam ignited in his gaze, one that was drowned in fascination. “A wonder I’ve been pondering myself,” his words were almost a whisper, his breath cool along the air.

“She has no scent either,” Davina said, her nostrils flaring. “Is this the newest model of those foul creatures?”

“We aren’t creatures,” I murmured, tearing away from Kaleb’s hold and standing. “We’re humans who are reformed to protect, especially your kind.”

“Protect?” Catalina huffed a chuckle. “Don’t make me laugh with such an absurd statement. No vampire in this time of age needs a mutt to guard them.”

I exhaled a hollow breath and met their gazes, all of them waiting for my response. They were expecting a guardian who’d remember their place. Beg for forgiveness. Lace had always told me to do so. Because while we were strongly opposed, we still had a clear vow: to protect.

But fuck that.

They didn’t want my protection. They wanted to step all over me. And I was all for a fight.

Because if I didn’t protect myself, who would?

My teeth tugged at my bottom lip as a smile hinted. I stepped toward Kaleb, his eyes widening while a shadow clouded his expression. “You didn't think that a few minutes ago. You find humans tedious, but they’re not dumb. They’re the ones pushing for war while your kind is trying to avoid it. With the Mubaraks’ disappearance, it’ll happen. Who’s going to protect you then?”

Kaleb’s hand sliced through the air and landed on my neck, a force pushing against my airways. He dug his fingers into my skin, replicating the same motions I had done to him.

But he wasn’t as strong as me. No one was.

I pushed his body away, gasps erupting in the room as Kaleb stumbled back. A blaze ignited in his gaze, his body suddenly stilling while his eyes surpassed me. My hair quickly leapt, adrenaline coursing through my veins as an object hurtled through the air.

I threw Kaleb onto the ground, a sneer peeking through his lips, before twirling. Whatever was thrown landed right on my palm, an intense ache flaming as I gripped it. Thankfully, it wasn’t a sharp weapon.

Guardians were trained in a large range of hand-to-hand combat. A select few, though, integrated fighting weapons depending on their focus field. Lace had trained me with one weapon since I wanted to expand my skill set.

I chose the baton because they were just as swift as my fists. Not as lethal, but close enough.

My fingers tightened against it and I swung it beside my waist, the weapon expanding as I took in my surroundings.

There were no new scents. No sudden movements. Everything was still.

Until an outline blurred through the entrance and outside into the front yard. My instincts kicked in, and I sprinted outside.

This is what I lived for as a guardian. Not to be a babysitter stuck inside all day. I needed action. And I had it as I fell behind the figure.

They swiftly spun, their hand flinging a knife. My body jerked as the tip grazed my T-shirt. Fuck this.

I ripped it apart until it was just my guardian suit. Before I could take in the chilly wind against the fabric, another knife swooshed through the air. Gravel pierced me as I ducked onto the ground. Sweat grazed my neck, and my breathing intensified.

It was embarrassing breaking a sweat in a fight that only started.

Footsteps echoed beyond the trees. I rose onto bent knees, analyzing the grounds. While the figure was dressed in all-black with a mask, it was easy to tell them apart in the yard. All the identical trees created a hazy maze, forcing them back toward me.

It was perfect.

I sprung to the right as a light, fresh scent met my nose, rounding through the maze until I met the figure. My hand fastened on the baton and swung hard, their body doubling over and rolling backward on the dirt before they could feel my hit. When they steadied, I struck again— this time with both arms.