Authors Note: This is my first published fanfic, please be kind. Chloe Neill owns the characters I'm just taking them for a ride.
Ethan made his way down the hallway, hand paused on the sparring room doors, Lindsay's words still ringing in his ears, "Merit is training liege, she requested today off." he had never known Merit to take a day off let alone spend time in the training room with out a sparring partner, his curiosity peaked he now found himself standing here.
He opened his senses, listening for the sounds of her working, running, something to give him a sign that he hadn't missed her. At the sounds of silence his face dropped a bit, he had been finding it harder and harder to keep his distance from her but he couldn't find the strength to completely walk away. Stolen glances, small excuses to touch her, talk to her, anything to just be with her despite his own ideas of her being a distraction from his duties of Master of Cadogan House; she had become more of an obsession than he was comfortable with admitting.
Slowly he pushed open the door expecting to see nothing but he stopped arrival clenching as his eyes fell upon Merit's body moving gracefully around the floor, earbuds in and music playing he snuck in and slipped behind one of the many pillars that surrounded the room. A rush of guilt slide over his body as he watched his Sentinel, he wasn't sure when along the way she had become his Sentinel but she was now and would forever would be his.
Ethan quietly watched as Merit moved around the room, a mixture between ballet and karate made her equal parts sensual woman and lethal vampire, he felt his eyes turn to quick silver. Merit froze as she sensed the flush of vampire magic permeate the room, pulling out the earbuds she searched the room for him.
"Ethan", her voice a mix of question and concern.
Straightening himself and stealing his face to his business face, he would not let her see what she did to him. His vampire magic might betray him but he'd be damned if his face would. He stepped from around the beam, "Sentinel, I was just looking for you." Liar, liar he chided himself. "Lindsay said you'd might be in here."
"How long where you standing there?" He wondered if she knew he'd been watching her, his odd stance from behind the column couldn't be explained even if he tried.
He faltered, he didn't know how to answer her question so he chose to ignore it. "I", damn it Sullivan, get it together man, "I have something that needs to be delivered to the Ombudsman's office and I figured you wouldn't mind the excuse to visit your grandfather." He hoped it didn't sound as pathetic as it felt, he watched the smile form on her face as she took in his offer to see her grandfather.
"Of course liege." He growled at her acquiescence.
"Meet me in my office in 30 minutes and I'll have it ready for you." Ethan turned on his heal and headed out the door.
Thirty minutes later he had a manila envelope ready, a response to some reports of a rogue vampire breaking into homes of off site vampires. He knew the response should have been followed up via email but after his pour excuse of an out to her question this was all he could come up with. Sealed with the Cadogan crest, Ethan sat back envelope on desk and waitied for Merit to join him.
Moments later Merit walked in, fresh faced and sporting her Cadogan black uniform, he didn't wait for her to sit. Ethan stood up, walked around his desk and perched against the front, his arms folded against his chest.
"When you get done please come find me I would like to discuss something with you."
"Yes my liege." she bowed her head at him.
"Damn it Merit, cut that out!" Ethan barked out, he'd had enough of her obedience, he missed her fight, her challenge, he missed the way she made him feel more than just Master of his house, she made him feel...more.
"Please just let me do my job." Sadness filled her eyes and he had to hold himself together because he knew he had been the one to put it there.
He turned grabbed the envelope of his desk, gave it to her.
"Dismissed.", and with that one word she was gone.