Elyra walked briskly down the school hallway, clutching her books tightly to her chest. The muted buzz of conversations and the clatter of lockers barely registered as she replayed the scene from earlier. Dain had all but shoved Daniel Turner-one of the few boys who had shown her any kindness-against a row of lockers, his glare sharp enough to pierce steel. "Stay away from her," Dain had growled, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
Now, Elyra's cheeks burned as she remembered the onlookers' whispers and snickers. She found Dain leaning against the fence behind the school, his orange eyes scanning the field with his usual sharp vigilance.
"Why did you do that?" Elyra demanded, dropping her bag on the ground.
Dain didn't look at her. "He was bothering you."
"He was talking to me," she countered, her voice rising. "Do you even realize how embarrassing that was? You're always hovering, always stepping in when I don't need you to!"noveldrama
Dain finally turned to face her, his jaw tight. "You don't know guys like him. They're all the same. They don't care about you."
"And you do?" Elyra shot back, the words escaping before she could stop them.
Dain flinched, his expression softening for a split second before the hardness returned. "You're my responsibility."
Elyra stared at him, her frustration battling with the strange flutter in her chest. "I'm not some helpless kid anymore, Dain. You don't have to protect me from everything."
She turned and stormed off before he could respond, her emotions a tangled mess of anger, confusion, and something else she couldn't name.
That night, as Elyra sat on the porch, her thoughts swirled. Dain's words echoed in her mind, but it was his expression that stuck with her the flicker of something unspoken in his eyes.
Inside the cabin, Dain sat by the fire, his hands curled into fists. He didn't understand his own reaction earlier. The thought of Daniel Turner anywhere near Elyra made his blood boil, but he couldn't explain why. She wasn't just his sister-wasn't even really his sister-but that thought only complicated things further.
As the firelight danced across his face, he whispered to himself, "What's wrong with me?"