Chapter 21 Five Shadows

• Aleksander pulled Rania close without a moment's hesitation, his body reflexively becoming a shield between Rania and the bedroom door, the weapon in his hand raised at the ready even as his eyes stayed alert, scanning every corner of the room.
• "Stay behind me," he ordered firmly, his voice shifting into something far harder, sharper than any tone Rania had heard from him before, a side of himself rarely seen yet so convincing amid this panic.
• Rania nodded, her heart pounding wildly, but strangely, amid such real fear, there was something calming about the closeness of Aleksander's body in front of her, about the way his broad back seemed to become an unshakable protective wall. She could faintly catch the scent of soap mixed with sweat on the man's skin, a small detail so human amid such a terrifying situation, as though reminding her that beneath all the strength and authority Aleksander displayed, he remained an ordinary human who could be hurt.