Prologue

"Sit here and don't move," the officer said and I just looked up at her impassively, shamelessly showing my disinterest at the same procedures of every time.

Apparently she didn't like my disinterest as she stood by the door, shook her head disapprovingly "I really don't get why Kendle is so patient with you. Such a shame, you are really good looking too, son," she then closed the door.

I sighed and rested against the chair, fighting the wince that almost took over my tongue as my sore back touched the cold seat.

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to get some rest, they have been questioning me ever since I left the hospital.

My wounds were still fresh, and still healing, yet I wasn't stupid enough to believe any of the authorities words. I might get punished, I won't care. I just want this over and done with.

I want to be free even if a few bruises and a life threatening bleeding were the price.

I snorted bitterly, my eyes still closed.

I really didn't know any more if I didn't care about getting in jail or if I was actually trying to get there.

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at the desk in front of me peacefully. I was met by an old picture, one I have seen before, not only on the countless times I had come here, but one I have seen when I was all but a kid.

It was a picture of the Kendels, of Ewen and a very beautiful blond woman by his side, with a brown haired girl in her arms.

She was- no, had been his wife.

I felt strange peacefulness as I looked at the picture, I knew Ewen still kept the memory of his dead wife and haven't looked for another even after all this time. It was ironic, how a widow like him lived for his daughter without another female in his life, while others still had their wives and still played around even though they were way older then a man in his late mid thirties like Ewen.

Then my eyes swept over the small kid, that girl I have already seen before, it was just a glimpse actually, and I was just nine. I hadn't really remembered her much, but when my eyes fell on her in the picture I couldn't help but remember the tousled brown hair and the missing teeth of the little child.

My eyes swept on their own to another picture, on the further side of the desk, it was one I haven't seen before.

My eyes widened briefly as the first impression that came to me when I saw it was that it was of Celena, the woman Ewen had been married to. But then I blinked as I realized she looked a lot younger, a lot prettier, and amazingly the picture was a lot newer.

Her green eyes were the first thing to hold your eyes, the same shade of Celena's, it might be why I thought it was her. She was smiling with a cat in her lap, her face was innocent yet held a lot of mischief, her skin light but not pale.

Beautiful…it wasn't a way I usually described a girl, but that just seemed the only way to call her.

Too bad I wasn't into ' beautiful' girls.

And worse, she didn't have blonde hair, she was brunette.

I didn't just 'dislike' brunettes, I hated them.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, it wasn't really strange for me to sit around waiting for anyone to talk to me while my mind began drifting towards whether a woman was my type or not.

"I'm afraid this place has gotten more used to you than to me," I looked at the door as Ewen's annoyingly amused voice sank in my ear.

"I fear you would forget me," I said dryly as he sat behind the desk, opposite from me.

"You? Psssh, never," he replied with a smirk.

I raised a very impassive eyebrow at him "nice to know that officer Kendle, or shall I just say Ewen?"

"As if it would change anything if I told you to be formal and call me officer Kendle, or at least Mr. Kendle"

I couldn't help the lazy smirk that took over my lips "you're quite right about that, Ewens"

"So?" he started leaning back "What did you do this time?"

I looked in front of me impassively "as I had told your cute friends, nothing"

"Come on, Alex," he started still cool, " just spit out where were your gang and what did they do, I'm no fool, Alex. I have been once like you, and I know very well your cute friends beat you up before the police arrived"

"They aren't my friends," I said immediately.

"Then tell us what did they do?"

"I know nothing of what you're talking about," I finished coolly, still keeping my stubborn resolve.

Ewen sighed "I figured as much, I had known it was useless. Yet I just can't understand why are you protecting them so, why are you so willing to hurt yourself."

Oh, believe me, I don't know either.

"Well, Alex," he started when I didn't reply but just looked at him and bent my head, I hated my so called 'friends', I hated the police, I hated my house, but I couldn't deny I really liked and respected Ewen "This is no play matter, you were found with drugs, Alex, alone, I had to take great measures this time, but you must stop."

I stayed silent, after beating me, I don't really have anything to do with them anymore.

"As always, we are trying reaching you father," he said as he sipped from his coffee.

"And as always, I will tell you it's useless, he won't answer, and if he did he would be drunk to the point of slurring on the phone, or he would simply cut the line, again disclaiming me," I said coolly and lazily, as I looked impassively in front of me.

Ewen sighed again "well, I saved your neck from getting imprisoned, but you will be in my care," I looked up at him and he looked seriously at me "you will move from here to my own house at the town, and you will be in my care till I see to it that you're well behaved"

I narrowed my eyes and he shrugged " for as long as I and the court say, you will live under my roof, with my own rules, with the life style I put, else you go to prison, and let me tell you," he rushed the last part when I was about to tell him that I didn't care "you're not hurting your father by getting prisoned, you're destroying yourself, you have no choice, sir"

I looked blankly at him, and a smirk started braking itself on his eyes "you might be a troubling child, a 'bad boy' and the idiotic girls' next target because of the piercing on your brow, or the 'devilish' looks, but you're still Alex, the stupid little cake eating Alex"

I raised an eyebrow, then slowly swept my eyes towards the picture of the young girl, then looked back at him with a slow smirk.

I was stunned to find him smirking back "don't try to play your games with me, Alex," he said "you hate brunettes with passion"

I blinked, then couldn't help the grin that took over my split lip.

It was really such an annoyance sometime that nobody understood me as much as Ewen did.

I shook my head slightly as he laughed, I refused to acknowledge the feeling that took over my heart as I started thinking of life as him as my guardian.

As the father I wished I-

"Okay, sir," I said lazily, instantly banishing the thought, and we both stood up, "then prepare your stuff, Lex, and be there in two days," he finished as he shook my hand, and just as I was about to let go and leave, he gripped it tighter, and pulled me half over the desk.

"Brunette or not, son, don't you dare try to play your little games around my daughter ," he said with a smirk evident in his voice.

With a little surprise and just a bit satisfaction I nodded as I pulled back smirking.

"Don't worry," I said, still smirking, " she's not my type."

And she wasn't, I just won't be able to forget the scrawny child she had been, plus, despite everything, I would never bother Ewen like that.

With a nod he sat down, and I started walking outside.

Just as I got out of the office I realized the mistake I have done.

His town was very small, and I was going to live with his family, with Ewen and his daughter for God knew how long

Guardian or not, that was the most stupid decision I've ever made.

"Damn it, that was stupid," I muttered as I left the corridor.