"Dad, I've told you a hundred times—I don’t need a bodyguard." I sighed heavily, collapsing onto my bed. My father remained silent for a moment, yet his presence lingered like a palpable force in the room.
"You know he's only trying to keep you safe," my wolf, Kira, interjected, sounding reproachful.
"Aurelia." My father’s voice, firm and commanding, drew me from my thoughts. I reluctantly sat up and met his gaze. His silver eyes, bearing the weight of the Alpha King, seemed to fill the room with their intensity. I fought the instinct to shiver under his scrutiny.
Kira muttered, "Well, you've done it now."
Despite being his daughter and having a degree of immunity to his Alpha power, I couldn’t completely escape the gravity of his presence. I steadied myself, determined not to let his gaze unnerve me.
Sighing, I prepared myself for an unproductive conversation. "Yes, Dad?"
"You will follow the rules and allow your bodyguard to do his job," he stated, his voice leaving no room for argument. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
All the training I’d endured seemed irrelevant in the face of his unyielding stance. He was adamant that I was unprepared for his enemies without the protection of a bodyguard, especially since I wasn’t yet Queen. He clung to his title as if it were the last thread binding him to control, fueling his resolve to impose this unwanted protector on me.
"Fine," I snapped, "but you know I won’t behave." I crossed my arms defiantly, letting my gaze drift out the window to the vast garden outside.
My father’s expression softened, and he sat down beside me on the bed. "Aurelia, this is the last thing I want. We face threats from all sides. I must ensure your safety."
I kept my eyes on the garden, unwilling to show how his words affected me. My desire to retain my dwindling freedom clashed with his insistence on my security.
"I can’t lose you too, Aura." His voice was laced with an emptiness that tugged at my heart.
When I looked at him, I saw the genuine sorrow etched in his face. Since losing my mother a year ago, he had maintained a stoic façade for the world—an unyielding Alpha King committed to his people’s safety. Yet, to me and my late mother, he was more than that. He had feelings, vulnerabilities that were reserved solely for us.
Unable to hold onto my anger any longer, I frowned. "When will he arrive?"
My father’s face brightened with a relieved grin, and I couldn’t help but smile slightly in return. "Tomorrow morning," he said, glancing briefly at his phone. His days were packed with the demands of war and the constant threat of assassinations, leaving him little time for anything else.
"Very well. Will he be staying in my room too?" I asked, smirking.
My father’s cheeks flushed a deep red. "Absolutely not," he stammered. "You’ll move to an adjoining room, and he’ll take the other."
"Good. I’d prefer to see him as little as possible," I said, leaning into his comforting embrace.
"Just do me one favor, Aura. Stay on the grounds today. You can go out tomorrow, but only with your bodyguard. I’ll have the maids come later to move your things." I sighed and nodded, cherishing these fleeting moments alone with him.
As always, these moments were too brief.