Chapter Twenty Two

"When did you become privy to such"-there was a pause here along with the dramatic pursing of lips-"diluted women, Kendall?"

By this time, I had one hand clenched under the tiny table that had everyone much too close together, and my teeth were grinding against one another so tightly that I expected them to crack any second now.

"Mother, she is a wonderful woman. She is doing more good for Kendall than harm," Cayne said quickly while sighing, obviously used to his mother's antics. However, I wasn't, and I was sure jumping across the table and strangling her would make for a bad first impression.

Mrs. Gordon only huffed in response, never making eye contact with me. I could only wish she was as quiet as her husband who sat there, discretely spectating.

Kendall was sitting across from me, just as quiet as his father. He had yet to touch his food but moved it around on the plate. On occasion, he would look up and meet my eyes, providing me with a brief smile that would flee quickly before he looked down at his food, lost in thought.

Unfortunately, I sat next to Calyx who would give me a suggestive look every time I glanced in his general direction. I'd attempted to hit him under the table only for him to smirk and tell me that I didn't have to be so subtle.

Cayne sat next to Kendall and across from Calyx. He was currently the only reason we were all still sitting here. Cayne had successfully curved several arguments and prevented us all from snapping at one another's throats. We were all thankful for him even if we didn't realize it at that moment.

Mrs. Gordon sat at one end, her husband at the other. After catching Kendall and me, she had said nothing that wasn't indirectly criticizing at least one of us. However, she never looked at me, only Kendall when she had something to say.

If she wasn't looking at Kendall with condescending eyes, she was looking at her husband. It was as if she expected him to join in the criticizing of their youngest son at any moment. But he never acknowledged her looks, only continued his spectating.

"Hey, I heard you found a Protector. Why isn't he here?" Calyx asked, a mush of food swirling around in his mouth. Instead of grimacing, I looked up at Kendall who didn't seem put out of place.

"Because it is a family dinner, not a matter that involves a Protector," Kendall said with ease as if his Protector wasn't sitting across from him.

"But you brought this little jewel," Calyx said, flashing me a devious grin. I growled lowly, the animalistic sound causing him to hesitate. Just as he opened his mouth to question me, his mother decided it was her turn to speak.

"Yes, why did you bring the tramp?"

"Enough!"

It was then that I learned where Kendall and Cayne had gotten their commanding, booming voices. Their father had finally met his wife's eyes, a deadly threat lingering in their depths.

"Our son has finally come home, and this woman had done nothing to deserve our scorn. You will not ruin this Marlene; is that understood?" He said calmly, reminding me of Kendall with each word. It was clear Kendall resembled one parent more than the other.

"Daniel-" Mrs. Gordon tried, but her words stopped flowing as her husband's hand met the table, creating a chilling sound.

"Enough, woman! My question only needs to be met with a yes or a no," he yelled, showing just how short of a temper he actually had. It made me wonder just how often he found himself this angry.

"Yes, I understand," she said, sounding both defeated and weak. Her head was bowed down, her eyes unable to meet her husband's after her sulking attitude.

Two of the Gordon boys mimicked their mother's submissive pose, but the other's eyes were filled with old anger and annoyance. I started to wonder which parent it was directed at until the blue eyes looked at their mother. It was clear he held no pity or sympathy towards her even after her scolding.

Kendall's chair scraped against the floor harshly before he threw his napkin on his plate, gathering all attention. Even I was curious what he had to say but was quickly reminded of his calm façade.

"I think that has been enough for today. My companion and I will excuse ourselves for the evening. If you feel the need to continue your wasteless criticizing, please, do not find yourself at the door to our room," Kendall said easily, straightening his creaseless suit.

His eyes met mine, softening just a fraction, and I took that as my signal to join him. So I stood up and we both walked out of the tension-snapping room, entering our shared one.

Kendall immediately sat on the edge of the bed, his head lowered in thought as his hands ran themselves through his hair. It was as if they were stuck because they stopped their journey halfway, holding his head in place. For once in the time I had spent with him, Kendall appeared distraught.

I thought about making a joke out of the whole situation but could already see the heated glare I would receive and hear him tell me nothing about this was funny. So from there, I decided the best way to tackle a distraught Kendall was to provide him with comfort.

I walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed alongside him, close enough that our legs touched. His body tensed at the contact before he tilted his head far enough that I could see an iris of ice studying me.

Instead of acknowledging it, I slowly grabbed one of his hands, untangling it from his hair. I encased it in my own hands, pressing my lips to them and watching Kendall the entire time. The action caused him to close his eyes, his whole body sighing as it slowly started to relax.

"See? It'll all be okay. We're just here for a little longer," I said softly, tangling one of my hands with his before stroking it in a soothing matter.

Kendall weakly smiled, his eyes still closed. "This is why I brought you, love. You make me see rationally when I cannot," he said just as quietly, squeezing my hand.

It was at times like this that I found myself forgetting who Kendall was. I could forget he was a Prince, known for his snake-like qualities. I could forget he was the man who had captured me and taken me away from everyone who was dear to me. It made it harder to keep myself from falling for him.

"We all have moments where we can't see clearly. Sometimes we just need someone who can help us clear the fog; that's all," I replied, finally getting him to meet my eyes. He looked less angry, but the usual amusement wasn't where it was supposed to be.

"I suppose you are right. It just reminds me of how life used to be, before I took charge of it. The criticizing was similar to today, however, it occurred every time I engaged in a conversation with them. When I did not, I was simply ignored by everyone but Raelynn and Lex," Kendall said, lost in thought.

I heard the growl slip from my mouth before I noticed it had scratched itself from my throat without permission. Kendall's eyes flashed back to the present at the sound.

"Raelynn?" I asked calmly, but the simple question gave me away. Kendall reacted, pouncing on me immediately.

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Kendall asked, his amusement up and running once again. I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to press the subject. Fortunately, he only smiled.

"If you must know, Raelynn is a childhood friend of mine. You may have seen her at the ball as she was the one attempting to talk to me before you made your grand escape," he explained, the amusement still glittering in his eyes.

"Were you two together?" I asked, my voice still holding more jealousy than curiosity. All I seemed to be doing was providing further entertainment for Kendall.

"Jealousy is an unfitting trait; however, it suits you well. Yes, we were, but only once. She has been with Lex ever since," Kendall finally answered, laughing when I bared my teeth at his comment.

I opened my mouth to reply with some witty comment, but there was a sudden knock at the door. Kendall frowned at the sound, his body starting to recoil itself.

I went over to the door, hoping to dismiss whoever it was quickly. I had just gotten Kendall to relax, and they were going to ruin all of that work. But when I opened it, I found myself tensing.

"Hello," Mr. Gordon started, looking slightly startled to see me instead of his son. He frowned in disapproval when I didn't reply but only stared. However, he cleared his throat and continued.

"I would like to apologize on behalf of my wife. She has a tendency to say more than she should," he said, but I wasn't going to accept it. The only apology I would be accepting was the one that came from her mouth, and that would be after serious consideration.

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Frustration flashed through his eyes before he said, "You should consider adjusting your attitude when around a King ."

Kendall was by me in an instant, gently pushing me behind him. "You should consider your words before making threats towards what is mine. You may be King, but I have a world of influence," he said, his own threat poorly veiled.

Instead of defending himself, Mr. Gordon did something else. "I mean no harm; I did not intentionally threaten the girl. I only came in hopes that we could talk," he said, his eyes holding sincerity. He had changed from an imposing man to a humble one within seconds.

"Leave her be and I will talk to you," Kendall said firmly, surprising me. I didn't expect him to argue because I knew it was one of the last things he wanted to do.

His father nodded before saying, "Agreed. Now come, we have much to discuss." With that, Kendall was gone, giving me one last look before following his father to wherever they were going.

I decided now was the time to take a shower and distract myself from thoughts of Kendall and the day's events. But as I went through my bag, I slowly realized I'd forgotten to pack a shirt for the night. There was absolutely no way in hell I would be sharing a room with Kendall while being shirtless.

"Damn it," I growled, scanning the room. If I didn't find a shirt, Kendall would have his way and I would end up on the floor as a wolf.

I scanned the room in desperation, my eyes landing on the wooden dresser. Kendall's parents had probably kept some of his old clothes tucked in there, right? I opened the drawers and was greeted with the sight of neatly folded and organized shirts. I swiped one from the top, closed the drawer, and headed for the bathroom.

The shower relaxed and distracted me as I had wanted it to do. It cleared my mind to the point I almost forgot where I was. For a second, I could imagine being home, eating at the dinner table with my parents. All that succeeded in doing was sending a wave of longing thrumming through my body.

I would have given anything to be able to go back to my home, the one that consisted of a mother who wouldn't try to kill me and a dad who was still alive. The fact that it had all changed with my absence was something I would never forgive myself for.

It was odd because I could feel hatred for myself but none for Kendall, who had taken me from my family. Ultimately, was it my fault that it had all changed or my "captor's"? I chose not to dwell on it because Kendall had come back from his talk and was now in the other room.

Deciding it was time to step out since the water was getting cold, I turned the shower off and went out. Kendall decided this was the perfect time to make conversation.

"Why do you not take a shower when morning hits?" Kendall asked, his voice slightly muffled because of the door dividing us.

"Because it was the way I grew up taking one. It doesn't matter one way or the other. You're clean either way," I replied, putting on my clothes. I grabbed the toothbrush I had unpacked before dinner, spread toothpaste on it, and began brushing my teeth.

"But a shower taken as you wake rejuvenates you," Kendall said, and I could almost see the frown on his face as he tried to figure out why my hygienic schedule didn't match his own.

I sighed once I finished brushing my teeth and called out, "Kendall, it doesn't matter unless you plan to share a shower when you can't even share a-"

My sentence was cut short as I opened the bathroom door. There stood Kendall, his back towards me and he was very, very shirtless. I couldn't help but stare until he turned slightly, his eyes catching mine.

Kendall grinned at me instead of getting embarrassed and said, "See something you like, Snowflake?"

I blushed, but luckily, he didn't catch it because he had grabbed his shirt and turned back around. Ever since Kendall had vaguely set the borders for a relationship if it ever came to that, he'd become much bolder. I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not. I found myself unable to stop staring, but more so at the tattoo that took over his back.

It was a breed of large cat that seemed to flex as the muscles in Kendall's back did. It was poised patiently on a branch, its tail swinging so lowly that it curled itself around Kendall's waist. It was beautiful and not the type of tattoo I expected to see on him. I actually didn't expect any tattoo on Kendall.

"Why a cat?" I asked as Kendall put his shirt on and the cat disappeared. He went to the bed and I sat on it beside him, awaiting his story.

Kendall placed his head on the headboard, staring up at the ceiling. "There is a silly tale about the Gordon family. The rumor is that we are descendants of felines. Somewhere in the lineage, we grew into humans to survive in this modern world. It is where our wit and silent attacks come from if you are the sort to believe."

I smiled, bumping my shoulder into his. "You're looking at a girl who's half wolf," I said, getting the roll of eyes from him.

"It looks as if we will be sharing the bed as long as you remain on your side," Kendall said, proceeding to lay down.

I lay beside him, turned towards him. We stared at one another before a brief smile flashed on Kendall's face, and he turned away from me. I frowned but said nothing.

"Goodnight, Kendall," I said so softly that I didn't expect him to reply. But a little later, just as I was drifting to sleep, he replied.

"Sweet dreams, my Snowflake."