AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I need you to personally look after Ms. Foster.” The headmaster smiled. “I need you to be her guardian.”
“No.”
Master Grey’s eyes widened slightly. If the circumstances had been different, Kent might have congratulated himself on taking the unflappable man aback. As it was, he couldn’t bring it in him to claim his victory. Not after listening to what the old man wanted from him.
“You cannot possibly ask me to take her on as my ward,” he said, standing up. “That is…that’s too much.”
The Headmaster raised a brow but it didn’t deter the small smile that seemed permanently etched onto his face.
“I-I take patrol duties on myself rather than assign them to my lieutenant or other pack members.” Kent didn’t think he needed to explain himself, and yet, the words came pouring out of him. “I have paperwork to correct, I have trainees to, well, train. I have a life outside of this, and if I must take on a ward…” He shook his head. “It is too much.”
“You doubt your abilities,” the Headmaster said smoothly, without missing a beat. Kent almost loathed him for it. “I wouldn’t choose you if I didn’t have the utmost faith in you.”
“She-she is a child.” Kent lifted his hand as though that was going to emphasize his point. “I have no idea what it means to be responsible for a child.”
The Headmaster pressed his hands on the surface of the desk and rose out of his chair. He moved like water, all fluidity and grace. Never once did he break eye contact with Kent.
“Ms. Foster is young, yes, but she is hardly a child,” he pointed out. “ I am not asking you to be her father; merely, I want you to mentor her. She’s scared, she is in a world she’s never known before. Her mother is –was– an important legacy, brokering relations between shifters and humans. And she is alone. Her family was taken from her.”
“And why can’t it be you?” Kent asked. “You already care for her. Why must you thrust her on me?”
“Captain Byron, I never thought you to be a turncoat,” he said. “ I understand why you might want to be cautious with this mission, but I will assure you, this is not up for negotiation. Ask all your questions if you must, but they will do nothing for you. This is an assignment, and it is yours.”
Kent clench his teeth together. If that wasn’t a warning to stop arguing with him, he didn’t know what was.
“What do you expect me to do?” he asked, fingering the hilt of his spathi. “You mentioned mentoring her, but I have no idea how to do that. She wasn’t a cub in my pack. I don’t know her.”
“Then,getto know her.” He said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. It took most of his control to contain the bristle that wanted to errupt across his body. “Check in with her. Show her you care.”
“I don’t.”
He flared his nostrils, huffing out a sigh. “You are being much more difficult than you need to be,” he pointed out. “You know this, don’t you? You’re also complicating this. Extend a courtesy to her every now and then. Help her when she requires assistance. Offer her a kind word at least once a day. Make her feel like this is her home and we are her family.”
“But we’re not,” Kent said. He knew he was being petulant. He knew he was being difficult. But it was hard for him as it was. And now Grey was forcing him to take this girl under his wing, one he already had a mild annoyance towards. Suddenly, she was Kent’s responsibility?His? He didn’t ask for this.
“I’m going to leave now,” the Headmaster said, moving his hands behind his back. “I’m glad we had this discussion. I’ll expect a weekly report on your new ward, Captain Byron. Enjoy the full moon.”
He brushed past Kent, head held high.
There was so much more Kent wanted to say. He wanted to argue. He wanted to lash out. But he knew Grey wouldn’t tolerate such a strong display of affection. Especially from him. He wasn’t the type to throw a tantrum just because life was too hard.
But this?
This was more than he bargained for.
Master Grey left Kent in his office, never once looking back.
The bastard.
Embyrlyn
The strong scent of tea filtered through my nose as I stepped into Master Grey’s office, nearly bumping into Captain Byron. He looked furious, though I didn’t know why; I doubted he even noticed me at all.
Stepping inside, I immediately began to look around. I had only been in the headmaster’s office a handful of times, and each time, it was the same. There were lines of bookshelves surrounding the walls, a cluttered desk with papers scattered on the surface, spilled pens, and sticky notes that didn’t seem to be assigned to any place, and a silver cart placed next to the desk with a pristine tea set placed atop it — the only thing that was relatively neat and proper among the entire place. How someone as intelligent as Grey could think in an office overrun with all of this, I had no idea.
“Embyrlyn.” Master Grey stood up, a warm smile on his face as his blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’m so glad you could come. Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?”
I managed to keep my nose from wrinkling in disgust at the thought of having tea; I wasn’t a big fan of the drink unless it was doused in cream and sugar, and even then, I didn’t prefer it. The last thing I wanted to do was offend him in his own office, but I felt it was rude if I rejected the offer too.
