The time it took to get cleaned up, changed, and then walk to my dad's office took me as long as I could drag it out... but the inevitable was unavoidable.

A new protector... I took my sweet time but now I'm finally here, outside of his office, I know he's going to be mad, knowing exactly I did it to annoy him, but I told him I didn't need one, yet he still shoves it in my face.

The doors open before I could knock, and two guards open the doors wide, and upfront I see my dad sitting behind his large desk, wearing his glasses and a grim look on his face.

Without saying a word, I enter the room and that's when I notice a large man dressed in black, with a hood over his head, standing facing my dad, unmoved by my entering the office.

So that's him...

"Nice of you to join us, lovely daughter." He said, making me want to roll my eyes until I don't have to see him anymore.

Smiling tightly, I go to stand near the tall man, whom I haven't seen his face yet, and sit down in one of the chairs in front of my dad's desk.

"I lost track of time." I said, shrugging. "I'm here now, so...."

I look up at the man who hasn't moved a muscle, apart from the dark shadow of his face I can now see, and the outline of his jaw, so sharp and surprisingly well kept, I had no idea what he looked like from that stupid hood over his head.

"Yes, well..." My dad sighed. "If you please.." He instructed the hooded man, who lifted his hands to remove the hood.

I watched in slow motion as he gripped the edge of his hood and lowered it back over his head, displaying beautiful light blue eyes, with short warrior black hair, thick well-kept eyebrows, and a scar, over the left side of his eye.

Fuck, he was just my type...

The man was beautiful, tall, and fit, but there was no scent coming from him, not one that I would recognize, which instantly interested me, wondering if he was human or something else...

My dad nods to the man and then he turns and faces me, his cold blue eyes look down at me, uninterested and stoic, he moves his right hand behind his back and then bows to bend in front of me.

"My name is Nohr." He says. "It's a pleasure meeting you, my princess."

I got goosebumps when he said 'my princess', as he raised his head, and those bright blue intimidating eyes stared back at me, before he stood at attention, just like before, like we just didn't share some sort of connection.

His voice was nice, I wonder what it'd sound like when... no stop, don't go there, he's the enemy!

I clear my throat and adjust myself in my seat. "This is my protector?" I look at my dad, keeping my emotions hidden.

I look towards 'Nohr' and frown. "You can go now, I'm sorry to waste your time, Nohr." 

Nohr looks at my father, and surprisingly, smiles as I look at my dad's face and see him smiling, with a glint of mischief in his eye, confusing me completely.

"If you'll wait outside Nohr, I need to have a word with my daughter."

"Yes, Your majesty." He says, bowing his head before turning, walking past me, not missing the way he looked at me like I was funny...

The doors shut behind him once he leaves and I feel my face flush.

"No, absolutely not!" I roar out. "I told you already-"

"Enough Hayden." My dad's voice snarls out. 

"I've been soft on you these past few years, but you're almost 115, you need to start acting more responsibly, and until then, Nohr will be your shadow, whether you like it or not!"

I scoff out and cross my arms. "I'm mature, it's you that's the child, you can't just command me like I'm one of your servants!"

"ENOUGH!" He yells out, in his Aphla tone, his eyes red and voice commanding, making me freeze.

Growling out, he rubs his temple roughly with his eyes closed before he looks at me. "Nohr isn't going away, he's it, Hayden, either accept the circumstances or keep behaving like the child you are!"

Just like that, the Alpha aura disappeared and it felt like I could move my body again, my legs only shaking slightly as silence now filled the air, my dad's last words echoing in the back of my head.

A child... immature... just a mutt.

"I fucking hate you." I whisper out under my breath, my heart beating fast as a dull tightening ache in my chest begins.

I get up from my seat and make my way to the door.

"Hayden-"

I put my hands on the door handle, turn around and glare at him, wanting to be anywhere other than in this room, with him any longer.

"Is that all, my King?" I ask, my voice emotionless.

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it as he closes his eyes and his nostrils flare, resting his forehead on his hand as she shakes his head.

"No... that's all."

I turn and don't look back and open the doors, not bothering to close them behind me as I walk past Nohr, shoving him as I walk past him, wanting to be far away from everyone as possible, as fast as my worthless legs can take me.

I hate it..... I hate him, I hate this place, I hate everything.

Ignoring the faces of the palace workers, maids, butlers, and guards, I head straight to the back of the palace until I reach the royal garden, where I can get lost inside and forget the world around me.

Heading into the maze, with my chest beating rapidly from the talk with my dad, anger bubbling inside of me with all the emotions I wanted to scream out into his face, for the whole realm to hear, to tell him everything I feel then and there.

Once I know I'm alone, I stop walking and close my eyes, and take a moment of peace to myself before opening my eyes, and screaming out my frustration, loudly, ferociously as I rip the parts of the hedge from the maze and throw them to the ground until I'm left breathing heavily with dirty hands and a flushed face.

From the corner of my eye, I see him before he sees me, making me groan out and glare at him, once his eyes meet mine to look down to the floor at the mess I've made.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, loudly.

Coming closer, his eyes go back to mine, only then did I realize he was carrying a sword on his hip, with a symbol I'd never seen before.

"I'm your protector, my princess, it's my job to protect you."

I laugh out then groan, sick of hearing people call me that.

"Right... can you just, I don't know, go away?" I say, defeated and tired. "As you can see, I don't need any protection." I tell him.

The corner of his lips twitch as his eyes bore into mine.

"I can see that." He said amusingly, his blue eyes going over the mess I made. 

"The shrub, on the other hand, could use some protection from you."

Scoffing out, a smile threatens to escape my lips, ignoring the tingly feeling in my stomach again as the sound of his voice tickles my skin.

Ignoring his handsome presence, I compose myself and straighten myself, dusting the mud and leaves from my clothes, whilst Nohr's watchful eye never leaves me, making me feel intimidated and slightly hot in his presence.

Why did dad have to get someone like him?

Couldn't he have gotten an older wolf from the guard to protect me? 

Or even someone remotely ugly? 

At this rate, I won't be able to hold myself back.

I've only known him a short time yet I've already embarrassed myself in front of him, seeing me in this situation... I want to dig a hole and bury my head in it every time I see the humorous look in his eye when he saw me.

"Whatever." I say, shrugging and walking past him, ignoring the way his arm grazed mine, my neck starting to feel warm.

This is going to be a very long week...