Kellen knew that the person who was going to be the most upset about what happened to him wouldn't be him. It probably wouldn't even be Rhys. He did not expect, however, that the person would be his Mom.
Not because he didn't love his Mom, not at all, he just thought that Brent or his Dad might make a bigger deal of it. He forgot for a second that he was his Mom's precious Guide Son, and that the person who had harmed him was an older woman with similar powers to her.
So all of that was to say that he didn't see the right hook coming for the woman in enough time to stop her, nor was Rhys going to step in and freeze time so that she didn't land the hit.
Sergei didn't even flinch, and Elder Ellis just closed his eyes and sighed.
