Chapter 36 : Stripped

*Gabe*

The adrenaline of the encounter with the rogue was wearing off by the time I reached home. I was exhausted, but there was too much to be done for me to sleep. Estelle apparently felt the same sense of immediacy, because she was waiting for me just inside the door. She looked relieved to see me.

"What happened?" she asked anxiously.

"It was the same rogue that attacked you," I confirmed.

She looked upset, but not surprised. I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head. We were alone, and I wanted the comfort of holding her just as much as she wanted to be held. She wrapped her arms around me and sighed heavily.

"I'm glad he was caught, but it's terrifying to think that he's been trying to get to me this entire time."

I had to wonder how much this had been weighing on her mind. So much had happened in the past few months, it was hard to even keep track.

"We can't lower our guard," I said. "We don't know if he's the only one." I didn't want to add t