Protecting Her 소설 & 이야기

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. I held her gaze, silently vowing to keep her protected no matter what it took. Maya had made her move. Now it was my turn.

Because she wasn’t just protecting herself. She was protecting the one secret Lucian could never find out.

she continues, her tone rising slightly despite herself, “of all the time it could have happened, it’s now? With something that doesn’t even smell right?” My jaw tightens. “Yes.” “That doesn’t make sense.” “It doesn’t have to.” Her eyes flash. “It does when it puts everyone here at risk.” There it is again. The fear. The real concern. Not just for me. For all of them. Which means— I don’t soften. I don’t explain further. I stand my ground. “She is under my protection,” I say, my voice steady, carrying across the clearing with the kind of authority that doesn’t need to raise itself to be obeyed. “No one touches her. No one questions her presence outside of me. No one makes a move without comi

Because now, it wasn’t just about protecting the pack. It was about protecting her. Natalie. The woman I let down before… but I’d never let anyone hurt again.

Her lips trembled, and fresh blood trickled down from her mouth as she shook her head slowly. “No,” she rasped. “Don’t come in. You can't save me.” I swallowed hard. “But I—” She clutched her knees with trembling fingers, and her next words broke me. “Protect him for me,” she whispered, pleading with her eyes. “Please… protect him. Don’t let it happen again.” My breath hitched. “Protect who?” I asked, but she just kept shaking her head. Behind her, the man raised his hand again.

“Until I can make sure he can’t touch you again.” She looked away, fingers twisting the hem of his shirt. “I hate that I need saving.” Adrian moved closer, stopping only when he was in front of her again. “You don’t.” His thumb brushed her jaw. “Needing protection isn’t weakness. It’s survival.” Her breath caught, and for a moment, she let herself believe it, but the images wouldn’t leave her, the headlights in the mirror, the hiss of the tire, the way her body had braced for impact. Every sound since then, the whir of the elevator, the echo of footsteps in the hall, they all made her flinch before she could stop herself.

Her breathing was slow, peaceful but I knew that peace was temporary. I softly caressed her forehead, mumbling out. “Whatever it takes, I will protect you. From Bruno. From the world. Even from yourself if I have to”

I wanted to punch him already, but I had to hold myself back as I know that my father won't be siding with me. “If you're not going to obey me, then quit. Perhaps, you should work for my Dad, not me.” “The man almost killed you, Adira. Do you expect me to just stand there when my job is to protect you?” I know that he's right, but I hate to admit it. In my entire life, I never once experienced being protected. I always have to defend myself and everything became heavier when I had to step up and protect my entire clan. I am the one who's always protecting my people, not me, being protected by them.

I stopped at the crest of the garden’s edge, watching her, marveling at her. I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked at her. I allowed her to do whatever it was that she was doing, not disturbing her, and feared that I would end up harming her. In fear that distracting her could exert more energy from her than necessary. She turned her head slowly, her eyes locking onto mine. “I’m protecting them,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “No matter what comes. This is our pack, and it is time for me to keep it safe for longer. Your side.”

Theo’s POV “What do you mean?” I asked softly, keeping my voice calm even though my mind was far from it, because I needed her to talk, to say more, to help me understand what I had just seen out there. She did not look away from me as the water moved gently around her, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the tub while her other hand stayed close to her stomach like she was holding on to something only she could feel. “No one touches what belongs to me,” she said slowly, her voice steady. “My loved ones, the pack, the children, the people I value. I’m here to protect them, and I will do that for the rest of my life.”