Selena’s POV
Kai didn’t flinch. His dark eyes remained fixed on hers, a heavy, unreadable weight settling between them. He didn’t reach out. He didn’t cross the professional boundary, even though the air crackled with a sudden, tense energy that felt infinitely more dangerous than the impending battle outside.
“Because my King ordered me to secure the guest wing,” Kai murmured, his voice a low, steady rumble that seemed to vibrate straight into the floorboards. “And because it’s my duty to ensure you don’t become collateral damage in your mother’s war.”
Selena swallowed hard, the sharp tang of fear mixing with a sudden, confusing rush of disappointment. She wanted him to say something else. She wanted him to offer her a lifeline that had nothing to do with orders or duty. She looked at
