One of Hunter's female guards is leaning against the wall and smoking.
I'm going to lure her to a secluded spot, knock her out, and steal her uniform.
The plan isn't foolproof, but I have to try. It makes me regret not taking my combat training seriously over the past six years. I put out a shitty behavior back then. If only I knew I wouldn't have a golden spoon in my mouth forever.
Zipping up my jacket, I search for a heavy piece of rock and tuck it underneath, leaving my hands with it.
"Hey," I call as I approach the guard who looks at me without a reply. Standing beside her, I add, "The Whites prepared a treat for all the guards. I was asked to bring you."
The lie is sloppy, I know—judging from how the lady eyes me skeptically with her gaze sweeping from my head to my feet.
She puffs out smoke and glances around to find the other guards in their stations then returns a questioning stare to me.
I wave dismissively. "Oh, it's done in batches. All the guards can't leave their posts at once." Hopefully, this is convincing—or so I think.
The guard nods reluctantly and crushes her cigarette into the snow, pushing herself off the wall and gesturing for me to lead the way.
"After you," she mutters.
I take her around the back of the house, where the snow-covered fields give way to frosty woods. Snow crunches under our feet, leaving a trail of blackened footprints in our wake.
Dad Griffin gave strict orders to light this part of the valley, especially for Hunter's birthday, yet the once lush woods barely caught the light, which is what I'm looking forward to.
But when I glance back at the guard, I find she has stopped, looking back at the long trail we left after a few minutes of walking.
"Are you leading me to the mountains, girl?" she asks harshly as I stop walking.
The woods are just ahead. And I need to get her inside them. Yet, watching the woman's paranoid expression, I see the next few minutes flash before me—minutes that only luck can change.
Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew. This isn't even the best choice I could have made.
Whereas I stand about a hundred and sixty centimeters tall (I think I measured as much last time I checked), this woman towers over six feet (I don't know how this height thingy works, but Hunter says he's 6 '4, so he could serve as my meter). Plus, she's well-trained. You get the gist?
I zip my head in all directions before stealing to the woman's side. "I was asked to get you around here," I mumble, sliding the rock from under my clothes. She's looking ahead of her, absorbed in keeping a stoic expression.
If she'd paid more attention to what's around her, she'd see that I'm not only standing beside her but also about swinging a rock at the back of her head.
And as I make the hit, I sigh, "This is what I do for love."
Poor guard crumples to the ground before a smirk plays on my lips—I'm not evil, please; it's just the satisfaction of things going my way for a damn second.
"That was easy," I mutter while watching the woman's unconscious form.
I can't figure out how the rest of my plan will go. All I know is that I am supposed to wear the guard's uniform. But can I do that in such open vastness around me?
After ensuring no one's watching, I grab the guard by the forearms and drag her toward a large boulder. Grunting and breathless, I move her across the snow and prop her heavy body against the stone, holding her in place.
As I reach for the fasteners on her bulletproof vest, I feel strong hands suddenly grip my nape and my wrists, causing my eyes to widen in shock; petrified when I realize the guard has regained consciousness—or didn't lose it in the first place.
I'm trying to free my hands, but the woman's own that holds my two wrists together is too powerful. And now our faces are just in front of each other, and I can see a side of her lips tilting up (not to show amusement).
Her eyes are grasping heat, too much of it. It seemed cold before, but now I feel like it could spew lava any moment from now.
"Guards' treats, huh?" she sneers. And it hits me! This woman's not letting me go free; not when she totally has me on her web.
Words form in my mouth. "Oh, fuc―" Then a force presses on my nape, followed by my ears ringing, throbbing pain spreading from my forehead to my temples. I see black.
~
I don't know how long the darkness enveloped me, but I sense it's time to wake up when I feel fingers ghosting along my jawline.
My blurry vision makes it difficult to recognize the face lingering in my front. Yet, his scent gives him away. I can never forget that earthy fragrance and the feeling it stirs within me.
"Hun…ter," I mumble drowsily, only now realizing that my upper body rests on the man's leg when he moves the hand cradling my head.
A smile spreads across my face as the blur clears, and my eyes lock with that of the man my heart's yearning for.
His squared jawline complements his chiseled cheekbones, the green color of his orb piercing mine, and I can't help but be lost in its depth.
Even though Hunter stares down at me with the same expressionless face, it doesn't bother me. As long as he's holding me, nothing else matters. But then, the events of the past few hours crash into my mind. And I find I'm comparing the Hunter I know to the one before me.
The former would have his eyes crinkling at the corners with every grin, and his lips would stretch to a thin line. Now, he's a hard shell; devoid of emotions, with his warmth locked away.
Snapping out of my reverie, flickering my eyes to the ceiling, I try to tilt my head to see what's around me as I start to mumble, "Hunter, where—"
"Shh." The man places a finger on his lips before the hand behind my head gently guides my face back to him. Then his thumb and index fingers hold my chin to prevent me from turning away.
Without warning, he leans down and captures my lips in a kiss that takes me by surprise.