Chapter 116: I Don’t Want to Be Alone
"The Alpha said he’s coming." His voice was low, steady despite the turmoil beneath it. "He will know what to do. So you should wait for him."
Ruri searched his face for a moment, and then her eyes slowly dropped to the space between them. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then she gave a small nod.
"Okay." Her voice was barely above a whisper. After a moment, she lowered her gaze.
"I’m tired," she said, looking back at him, her voice soft. "Will you take me to my chambers?"
Ethan glanced at her for a second, then he nodded. "After you, my lady." He pointed toward the doors.
Ruri’s eyes lingered on the distance between them again, and then she swallowed the ache in her throat before turning toward the corridor. Ethan followed a respectful distance behind. Neither of them spoke. The halls were unusually quiet, broken only by the soft rustle of her dress and the measured sound of their footsteps against the polished marble floor.
Eventually they reached her chamber at the end of the first-floor hallway. Ruri pushed open the carved oak door to her chambers. She stepped inside before glancing back over her shoulder.
"Come in."
Ethan stopped at the entrance. For a brief moment, he hesitated. Then he stepped in.
The room carried the faint fragrance of jasmine and fresh linen. Morning sunlight streamed through gauzy curtains, bathing the space in a warm glow. A small vanity sat beneath a tall mirror. Soft cream rugs covered the wooden floor, while dried lavender hung from the bedposts, giving the room a comforting warmth that felt unmistakably hers.
Ethan remained near the door. His hands clasped behind his back as he watched her walk toward the vanity table. One by one, she slipped the rings from her fingers, placing them into a small porcelain dish. Next came the bracelet around her wrist. The soft clink of metal echoed through the quiet room.
She caught his reflection in the mirror. Turning slightly, she looked at him.
"Can you come here?"
Ethan looked up. Ruri offered him a tired smile. "Please come in. I need your help with my zipper."
Ethan’s breath caught. His eyes dropped for the briefest moment to the back of her dress before immediately lifting again. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
"Lady Ruri..." He started, but he stopped immediately as he looked away from her. "That is..."
"The servants aren’t here," Ruri cut in. She slowly turned around, lifting her hair over one shoulder to reveal the long row of tiny buttons and the concealed zipper running down the back of her dress. "And I am too tired to call for them. Can you help me?" she asked, her eyes staring at him pleadingly.
Ethan stood rooted to the floor. Every instinct told him to refuse, but the words couldn’t leave his mouth. He closed his eyes for the briefest moment before releasing a controlled breath.
"...Yes, my lady."
He crossed the room with measured steps until he was in front of her. Ruri smiled and turned around slowly, raising her hand to hold up her hair. Ethan stood a considerable distance away from her, so much that he could barely feel the warmth radiating from her back.
His fingers hovered for a heartbeat. Then, with hands steadier than he felt, he reached toward the buttons and began undoing them. The old clock above the vanity ticked slowly, and the air in the room grew still as the seconds passed. Ethan gritted his teeth as he continued with the buttons, and then the zipper came into view. He stared at it for a second before he reached for it.
The soft rasp of the zipper sliding downward filled the silence between them. It seemed impossibly loud in the stillness of the room. Ethan kept his eyes fixed on the back of her hair, where the loose strands brushed against the nape of her neck. He focused on nothing else, refusing to let his gaze wander.
Slowly, carefully, he drew the zipper lower.
Suddenly, by accident, the tips of his fingers brushed against the warm skin of her back. His breath caught. The contact lasted no more than a heartbeat, yet it felt as though fire had raced up his arm.
Instinct betrayed him. His eyes flickered downward. The dress had loosened enough to reveal the smooth curve of her bare back, her fair skin illuminated by the afternoon light spilling through the windows. A faint shiver ran through her at the cool air, and Ethan’s pulse lurched painfully.
He froze. His hand remained suspended in midair. His jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.
Look away. The command echoed through his mind. Instead, he found himself staring for one fatal second too long.
Instantly, he stepped back as though he’d been burned.
"I’m... sorry." The apology came out hoarse as he looked away from her. "The zipper is down," he said flatly. "If that is all, I’ll wait outside."
Ethan turned instantly to leave, but her voice sounded in the room, stopping him in his tracks.
"Don’t," she said softly, her voice breaking at the edges.
Ethan’s shoulders tensed.
"I didn’t ask you to leave."
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Ethan kept his back to her, every muscle in his body drawn taut with restraint. Behind him, he heard the soft rustle of fabric, then the quiet sound of bare feet against the wooden floor.
Ruri took a hesitant step toward him, then another, until only a foot of distance separated them.
"Ethan..." she called softly.
Ethan’s eyes fluttered closed. Her voice always sounded different when she said his name. Not Guard. Not My bodyguard. Just... Ethan.
"Can you stay?" she asked.
Ethan turned slowly to look at her. The sight before him stole the air from his lungs. She had wrapped one arm around herself, holding the loosened dress against her chest. Her eyes were swollen from crying, strands of auburn hair clinging to her damp cheeks. She looked heartbreakingly small and fragile.
His throat tightened as he looked at her.
"Please... I don’t want to be alone."