On the cue, the door to the General's office flew open and Thorndyke came rushing to grab the arm of the stranger. He gripped the man's arm with a force that made the guy wince in pain, his knuckles turning white with the intensity of the grip.
Slowly, the force that kept Gwen's body from moving slowly dissipated and she could clench her fists.
"You even think about laying a single finger on her, I'll personally rip your guts out," Thorndyke warned, his voice a low, dangerous growl. His eyes burned with a cold, feral flame.
The man looked up at Thorndyke, his expression hardening defiantly, "You think you can stop me, pretty boy?"
He tried to jerk his arm away, but Thorndyke's grip tightened even further, making him wince again.
Thorndyke leaned in closer, his voice dripping with menace, "Yes, I do think I can stop you. Wanna find out?"
The man's face twisted into a sneer, but he couldn't deny the fear in his eyes. "Get your hands off me, you arrogant jerk," he spat.
Thorndyke just smirked, his grip holding the stranger firmly, "What's the matter, big guy? Did you seriously think you could threaten her and not face any consequences?" The stranger was clearly struggling to free himself, his face contorted in pain, but Thorndyke was unfazed, "Let this be a lesson to you. Nobody threatens her while I'm around." Gwen couldn't stop the tiny shiver that ran through her at the icy, dangerous tone of his voice.
Though she would never admit it, her heart skipped a beat as he came to her defence. Despite his irritatingly arrogant and often infuriating demeanour, part of her couldn't help but admire him in that moment.
"That will be enough, Captain Thorndyke," General Sylveryon, who was watching the whole intercourse with narrowed eyes, finally intervened.
Thorndyke hesitated for a moment before releasing the man with a low growl, "There won't be a next time, Steinforth." He warned, making Steinforth snarl in his face.
It took a moment for the cogs in her brain to turn as recognition hit her and her face paled. Steinforth? The same Steinforth who used to be the leader of the unbonded club and murdered so many cadets just to bond with their firebreathers instead of them. That Steinforth?
"I warned you not to be so stubborn," Zyre said silently, his mental voice sharp with frustration. "But no, you had to go ahead and provoke the brute."
As Thorndyke grabbed her arm and led her away from the site, Gwen frowned, a mixture of annoyance and mild awe on her face. Annoyance at her for not listening to Zyre when he warned her, and awe at Thorndyke for intimidating even the deadliest of the cadet ruffians.
"I don't understand how you always manage to get yourself into trouble," he sighed, probably to keep his temper in check.
"You know. I could've handled him without your help," she said, trying to border her tone on irritation even though she was grateful for him deep down. She could practically feel Zyre rolling his eyes at her words.
Thorndyke shot her a sidelong glance, his eyes dark and brooding, "Yeah, right. It looked like you were handling it so well with all that quaking and whimpering," he retorted sardonically.
Gwen's cheeks flushed, embarrassed that he had noticed her brief moment of fear, "I wasn't quaking or whimpering," she protested, her voice a mixture of defensiveness and irritation. "I was just... biding my time."
He chuckled, clearly not convinced, "Sure, you were just waiting for the right moment, right?" he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Face the facts, little venom. You needed rescuing this time."
She hated admitting weakness or needing help, even when the situation clearly warranted it, "I didn't need rescuing. I could've managed on my own," she stated confidently, though there was a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"Oh, really?" He said, his voice a tad too amused. "It looked to me like you were two seconds away from being pummelled into the ground."
Gwendolyn huffed, her irritation flaring. "Don't exaggerate," she said, trying to downplay the situation. "I could've taken him."
Thorndyke let out an exaggerated scoff, "Oh, sure, you were about to go full warrior princess on him, right?" he taunted, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Gwen's annoyance was escalating, evident in the way her hands balled into fists, "And what's that supposed to mean? You think I couldn't hold my own against some two-bit tough guy?"
He was suddenly close to her, so close that she could feel his breath fanning her lips as he spoke, "Let me ask you something, little venom," he murmured in a low, velvety tone that sent a shiver down her spine.
Damn.
She swallowed, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to ignore the way her heartbeat faster at his proximity. "What...?" she managed to whisper.
"Do you always have to be so stubborn?" His fingers grazed her jaw, his touch sending electric currents through her skin.
He leaned even closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, "What if I had been a second slower? What would've happened then, huh?" His voice was still a velvety murmur, but it was softer now.
She swallowed again, her heart racing. "I... I would've figured something out," she said weakly, her voice betraying more than she intended.
Thorndyke chuckled, a low, husky sound that sent a flutter through her belly. His fingers traced a slow path from her jaw to her chin, tilting her face up towards him.
"Oh, you always do, don't you?" he drawled, his eyes locking with hers. "Always figuring something out, always making things difficult." His touch sent something fluttering inside her. She gulped when he said, "But it's alright. Because if anyone dares to touch you, they will meet hell before everything else."
They were still for a moment before suddenly released her, gritting his teeth as a vein bobbed on his neck. Clenching his fists, he turned, leaving her alone in the corridor.
What was that all about?
She raised her chin in defiance, trying to ignore the sweet feeling bubbling in her stomach. So, what if he rescued her more than once? She hated him and that would never change.
Right?