“I promise you’ll be safe with me.”
Sergei lifted his head, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his fist. He kept his face turned away from Elith’s line of sight. Well. This was embarrassing. And certainly not good for his tough guy image. Here he was, caught off guard and knocked flat on his ass by a rival he didn’t see coming. Before he could muster up a reaction, his centaur acquaintance had come racing up to chase the offender away.
He knew centaurs were the proud type, and he would have to handle this situation delicately. A simple “I didn’t need your help,” would not suffice. He pushed himself up to his feet.
“Thanks, Elith.”
Any more than that would have been too much of a risk. She was nice enough, and it was worth it to stay in her good graces. Afterall, he did truly believe her. Her strength had a softness to it that even Sergei could not deny made her inviting to befriend.
