Page 26 of Of Masks and Fury

We walked through the castle halls side by side, maintaining the proper distance between princess and guard. Pherin flew ahead, scouting, circling back to flutter above us.

I pointed out locations while Trew listened, but I knew he was mapping everything. Exits, vulnerabilities, and guard numbers and positions.

The space between us felt like a chasm. Three feet of marble floor that might as well have been an ocean. I was hyperaware of his everymovement, from the controlled pace of his steps to the way his hand rested casually on his sword hilt, to the subtle way he scanned every doorway and corridor we passed.

Professional. Distant. Perfect.

It was killing me.

When I gestured toward the armory, my hand came close enough to feel the heat radiating through his tunic. He stilled, his breath catching so quietly I almost missed it.

“The weapons are stored ahead, on the left,” I said, my voice steady despite the way my pulse throbbed in my throat.

“Useful to know.” His response was equally controlled, but I caught the rasp in his voice.

I dropped my hand and stepped back, restoring the professional distance. The loss of his nearness stabbed through me.

A silent communication sprang up between us.

“The armory is well-stocked,” he said as we passed the open doors.

I heard the real meaning.I’m well-prepared to fight for you.

“This passage appears rarely used,” he added, gesturing to a corridor branching off to our right that was long and empty.

We could steal moments alone here.

We turned a corner and nearly collided with a pair of guards. They saluted and passed, but in those seconds of maneuvering around them, Trew’s hand brushed my lower back. The contact lasted maybe two thuds of my racing heart, but the heat of it burned through the layers of fabric keeping us apart.

When they disappeared around the corner, the touch ended.

I wanted to lean back into that warmth, to feel his palm spread wide against my spine like he had every right to touch me. Instead, I smoothed my skirts with hands that trembled.

“This way,” I said, not daring to look at him.

But I felt his gaze on me like a caress, tracking the curve of my neck, the line of my shoulders beneath green silk. When I finally risked a glance, his jaw was clenched tight enough to crack stone.

We passed servants who curtsied, lords who nodded politely, and guards who eyed Trew. Every single one of them saw exactly what we wanted them to, a princess and her new bodyguard.

None of them suspected the truth.

A courtier approached, his smile too familiar as he bowed before me. “Princess Amarissa, you grow more radiant by the day.”

Trew stepped forward, a movement so subtle most would’ve missed it, placing his body half a breath closer to mine than protocol dictated. The lord glanced up, meeting Trew’s cold stare, and straightened right away.

“Thank you for your kindness,” I said, my voice honey-sweet while the predator at my side made the man’s smile falter. The man retreated with another hasty bow.

Power radiated from Trew in these moments, something primal. A wolf wearing clothing, making a declaration: Mine.

The thought sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with fear.

“We…need to be careful,” I hissed, and he gave me a curt nod, a hint of apology in his eyes.

I showed him the library, the great hall, and the practice yards visible through tall windows. All while speaking in polite tones about mundane details.

We continued the tour, the air between us crackling with everything we couldn’t say, couldn’t do, and couldn’t have.

When we passed through a narrow corridor lined with tapestries, his breath ghosted across my neck. I nearly stumbled, my arm brushing his chest.