Chapter 75: Tell Me, I’ll Listen

The young noble hesitated, glancing between the intimidating General and the woman standing beside the holotable. He gathered his courage, holding his ground despite the pressure filling the space.

"With respect, General, I believe Lady Rhaevia can answer for herself regarding social invitations," the young noble stated politely.

"She can," Raevor replied without missing a beat.

Raevor slowly turned his dark eyes toward Rhaevia, his gaze intense and heavy.

"Can you?" he asked softly.

Rhaevia almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the moment. There was something subtly, deliciously different about his usually strict, unwavering tone.

She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the edge of the tactical table with a smirk.

"I haven’t decided yet," she replied lightly, watching Raevor’s reaction.

The young Sentinel’s face brightened instantly, taking her words as an open door.

"Then perhaps I can convince you over dinner this evening," he suggested eagerly.

Raevor’s eyes narrowed slightly at the noble’s persistence. It was an imperceptible shift, a tiny contraction of his pupils that most people would have missed.

But Rhaevia saw it clearly. She had spent an entire previous lifetime reading battlefields and tracking enemy movements down to the millimeter. She could recognize a lethal threat long before normal people even realized danger existed.

And right now, Raevor’s dominant Sentinel instincts were radiating through the air like a physical force. They were protective, hyper-alert, and possessive.

Rhaevia’s lips slowly curved upward into a dangerous, playful smile. She decided right then and there to have a little fun at the General’s expense.

"I suppose I could consider your invitation," Rhaevia said smoothly, tilting her head toward the young noble.

Raevor’s head snapped toward her, his gaze burning into hers.

"Could you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

"Yes," she confirmed, maintaining eye contact with him. "It sounds like a pleasant distraction."

The young noble brightened even further, delighted by her response.

"Then perhaps I should schedule our flight--" he began.

"I’ll think about it and let you know, Captain," Rhaevia interrupted gently, giving the noble a polite nod.

The young noble bowed respectfully, satisfied with the progress he had made.

"I’ll take that as progress," he said with a warm smile. "I look forward to your answer, My Lady."

He offered one final salute to Raevor before turning and disappearing into the bustling crowd of cadets.

The moment the young noble’s figure was out of sight, Rhaevia turned her attention toward the Major General standing beside her.

"You scared him," Rhaevia observed, her voice dripping with playful amusement.

"I did nothing," Raevor replied instantly, his face returning to its stoic, unreadable baseline.

"You didn’t have to," she pointed out, taking a small step closer to him. "Your aura was practically melting the floorboards."

Raevor’s expression remained composed, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

"I merely answered an administrative question regarding your security detail," he stated smoothly.

"You answered a question nobody actually asked you," Rhaevia corrected, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

"He was distracting you from your duties," Raevor argued, his dark eyes fixing on hers.

Rhaevia stepped even closer, closing the distance between them until she was standing directly in front of his chest.

"Was he?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Why?" she prompted, her smile growing wider.

Raevor looked directly into her azure eyes, his gaze steady and intense.

"He was interested in you," he said plainly.

Rhaevia’s smile widened into a full, radiant smirk.

"And?" she asked teasingly.

Silence stretched between them as Raevor remained motionless.

"And?" she repeated, pushing him further.

His jaw tightened slightly, a tiny muscle twitching near his cheekbone.

Rhaevia leaned closer, her voice dropping into an entertaining whisper.

"Are you jealous, General?" she asked.

"No," Raevor replied instantly.

The answer came far too quickly to be believable, breaking his usual measured composure.

Rhaevia let out a soft laugh, the melodic sound echoing between them.

"You are," she declared confidently.

"I am not," Raevor insisted, his voice firm.

"You absolutely are," she teased, enjoying every single second of his unravelling stoicism.

Raevor’s gaze darkened significantly, the golden light in his eyes dimming into a heavy, dangerous intensity.

Rhaevia took another deliberate step forward, her boots nearly touching his.

"You know, he’s actually quite handsome," she noted casually.

Nothing came from him, though his chest rose and fell in a deep, slow breath.

"He’s a strong Sentinel, comes from a good noble family background," she continued, listing off the noble’s traits.

Still nothing, though the air around them grew noticeably warmer.

"And he invited me to a very exclusive exhibition," she added, tilting her head back to look up into his face.

Raevor’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

Rhaevia was enjoying this far too much, her heart racing with the thrilling game they were playing.

"You could always tell me not to go," she whispered, offering him a clear way out.

His deep voice lowered into a rough, quiet rumble that vibrated against her chest.

"I wouldn’t command you, Rhaevia," he said softly.

She smiled warmly up at him.

"I know you wouldn’t," she admitted.

She reached up with one hand, her delicate fingers lightly catching the edge of his stiff military collar and adjusting the fabric.

"But you could ask," she added softly.

Raevor went still beneath her touch, his breath catching in his throat.

The physical distance between them suddenly felt non-existent, the space charged with an overwhelming magnetic tension. His Sentinel aura stirred violently beneath the surface, brushing against her skin like warm silk.

Rhaevia could feel the raw, instinctual power pulsing through him, calling out to her. Her Sovereign Guide core answered instinctively, sending a soft, radiant wave of azure light through her veins.

A faint pulse of pure energy passed between them, linking their minds for a second. Neither of them moved an inch, trapped in the storm of their mutual attraction.

Raevor lowered his head slightly, his dark eyes locking onto her lips before rising back to meet her gaze.

"You’re deliberately provoking me," Raevor whispered, his voice laced with a dark, velvet warning.

Rhaevia smiled innocently, her thumb lightly resting against the gold button of his collar.

"Maybe I am," she confessed quietly.

His gaze grew infinitely darker, a thrilling, dangerous shadow passing over his handsome face. ℴ

His deep voice dropped into a low, rumbling threat that sent a shiver straight down her spine.

"Don’t provoke a Sentinel, Rhaevia," Raevor warned softly, leaning in until his breath brushed against her cheek. "You might not like what happens when he stops holding back."