Beholden (7 page)

She should be ashamed of herself, letting another vampire feed on her when she’s claimed.

I heard she’s also seduced Lord Erou—

By the time she reached the other building, Zari was ready to cover her ears. All entrance gates of buildings in LSL were guarded by enforcers. She slowed down, nervously waiting for them to bar her way, but the pair only glanced at her cursorily before letting her pass.

When she reached the door to Alexandru’s room on the third floor, Zari paused, her hand raised. She took several deep breaths, trying to figure out what a good excuse would be—

From inside the door, she heard Alexandru speaking. “Yes? Is this the enforcers? I would like to report a security issue. Someone is breathing loudly outside my door—”

Gasping, Zari hastily opened the door. “Master!”

She found Alexandru inside, his chair facing the door, a sly smile on his face, and his phone lying unused on the desk. He had fooled her – again!

“Master!”

His smile widened at the way his pet growled at him like an angry kitty. Legacy pets would never have done that for they would have grown up hearing about him and thus be too in awe of Alexandru. Other human pets wouldn’t have dared, either. They would only think of the billions in his bank account, something he had easily accumulated over the hundreds of years he had lived, and they would never say or do anything he didn’t care about.

But this stubborn, disobedient, cute pet of his?

He patted his lap.

She knew what that meant, knew it would be futile to resist because his powers were no doubt at work now, but even so, she tried anyway. Glaring at her Master, she shook her head.

Come close and let your Master pet you.

No.

What’s the name of that girl in your class? The one who hates you? Maybe I could call her and let her know how you’ve just refused your Master—

She hurriedly shut the door at the threat and went to him.
 

Alexandru’s fingers closed around her wrist, pulling her to him until she tumbled against his chest. He caught her in his lap and he immediately took her lips for a kiss. His pet yielded to him at the first touch of his lips on hers, her body softening as her arms went around his neck. Unlike before, he didn’t have to coach her to open her mouth. She welcomed his possession, and possess her he did, thoroughly and passionately, his tongue claiming every inch of her mouth.

When he lifted his head, she was dazed. Normally, that was a good thing, but since she was still recovering from blood loss, it worried him instead and he regretted taking advantage of her immediately.

“Are you all right, pet?” His voice was rough with concern.

The way her Master was looking and talking to her made Zari look down as she muttered awkwardly, “I’m fine.” She remembered what the other girls said and at that moment, she found herself wondering the same thing. She remembered this morning’s reporting, which felt so long ago. What kind of bond did she share with her Master? Was it the kind that could never be broken?

It had her asking in a small voice, “Are you angry with me, Master?”

Alexandru answered readily, “Very much.”

Her head lifted sharply, and she looked like she was about to cry.

It almost tempted him to smile, but he forced himself to maintain a stoic façade. He wanted his pet to pay. For daring to let another vampire feed on her, for actually even
listening
to another man offer to claim her, and most of all, for making him say ridiculous things because he had, for one very, very short moment, felt that his ownership of her was threatened.

He did not want to feel like that again. She must be made to understand that, and so Alexandru said in his iciest voice, “Do you know the last time I learned about a woman who had not been faithful to me?”

Eyes wide with trepidation, she whispered, “No.”

“I gave her to my men to eat.”

“No!”

“And they ate her, all at the same time—”

Zari gasped. “You’re kidding…right?”

“I swear on my blood, I am not lying.”

“I see.” She had turned white at the words, knowing that Alexandru did not say such things lightly. If he said that he wasn’t lying, then that was it.
 

Alexandru watched his pet turn away and start for the door. “Where are you going?”

“To the nearest window.”

His lips twitched. “Why?”

“Oh, I’m just going to kill myself—”

A laugh escaped him, and a second later, he had blocked her way to the door with the use of his race’s preternatural speed.
 

As he swept her up in his arms, she demanded worriedly, “Did you really mean what you said?”

Slowly, he nodded, and he laughed again when she struggled anew, trying to get out of his arms. “Zari, relax. I did mean it – but not in the way you think.”

She wailed, “Eating is eating even if they don’t chew before they swallow—”

He laughed harder. Making his way to his bedroom, Alexandru gently laid her down on his bed. Then he flicked her forehead. “Idiot. Do you really think I would let any harm befall you?”

She didn’t answer, her gray eyes filled with apprehension.

He flicked her forehead again. “They were eating her body…for mutual pleasure.”
 

It took her a few seconds to understand what he meant. “Oh.” She shook her head, the images his words invoked making her swallow convulsively, and she blurted out, “Like…a buffet?”

He choked, managing to say, “I suppose you could say that.”
 

Gnawing on her lip, she asked haltingly, “And…you…Master? Did you…try the buffet, too?”

His smile turned sly. “If I said yes?”

She thought hard about it. “I’m going to cry.”

His jaw dropped at the unexpected response, but when she only continued to look at him with a mulish expression, his smile slowly returned, but this time it was one of approval. “You are getting as good as me at blackmail.” He pinched her cheek, hard enough to make her squeal. “I’m not sure it’s a good thing, though.”

She reminded him, “But you still haven’t answered my question, Master.”

He said solemnly, “I did not, as you put it, try the buffet.”

“Why didn’t you?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer.

He said simply, “I hate sharing.” He was about to say something else when they heard his phone ring from the outer room.

When a frustrated look flittered over his face, she asked, “What is it?”

“A call from one of my men. They are the only ones who know my number.” Reluctantly, Alexandru pulled away from his pet, leaving one knee on the bed as he straightened.

The sudden distance between her Master and her was painful. She wanted to call him back to him but bit her lip to keep the words inside her. A thought occurred to Zari, and sitting up, she asked, “So…when you wrote the note about something needing your attention, you really weren’t lying?”

He flicked her forehead. “What do you think?”

“I think you like avoiding giving me straight answers, Master.”

He rolled his eyes. “Between you and me, which of us do you think utters more lies?” He shook his head in exasperation. “Of course it was true.” His voice gentled. “We had been parted for a long time. I wouldn’t have given up the time I have with you if it was not something important.” He paused, as if realizing what he had just said.
 

Dammit! What
had
he just said?

She gasped. “Master, you’re blush—”

“Don’t. Say. Another. Word.” He glared at her. “I think you’re also a bully yourself, pet. You like making me say the most ridiculous things.” Turning away and walking to the door, he said over his shoulder, “I must leave the room for a while and let the headmaster know that I’ve received the call we’ve been waiting for.”
 

“I don’t want to,” she said automatically.

But he only laughed and closed the door behind him.

Alone in his bed, she tossed and turned but couldn’t make herself fall asleep. She opened his bedside drawer, hoping to find something to read, but instead she found a piece of parchment with her name written below.

It took her a while to understand the words since it was written in Chalysian. It was a contract of claiming, with her name and Alexandru’s – but unsigned. Did it mean she was not his pet, after all?

Chapter Six

“Can I read the next item, Master?”

Alexandru groaned. He was lying on his back on one of the sun lounges, the two of them enjoying a rare vacation at Alexandru’s secret island retreat. Taking off his dark sunglasses, he looked at his pet in exasperation. She was floating lazily on his private pool, lying on the inflatable bed. Her bikini-clad body made him think of more other interesting things to do than talking about her proposal.

“Did we not agree this would be a work-free vacation, pet?”

“I know, but it’s just one item. Please, Master?”

Alexandru scowled. “You won’t be always to get your way just because you say ‘please’.”

“Please.”

Dammit, his pet knew he was lying.

With a sigh, he dove into the pool, creating a huge splash that had Zari shrieking. “Master, unfair!”

When he surfaced from the water, the paper she held was completely wet, the ink smearing and making the words illegible.

“Sorry.” He swam to her side, floating in the water.

She beamed. “Good thing I’ve already memorized that one item.”

He grimaced and wondered if he should drown his pet next.

Zari was saying, “A pet must have the freedom to perform duties other than her obligations to her Master.”

He frowned. “Duties? Do you mean work?”

She nodded. “Like what I do as a soul seer—”

“Which I still disapprove of.”

“And I still consider under negotiation.”

They glared at each other.

She broke down first. “There must be a way to compromise about this, Master. I can’t just ignore my visions—”

“You can.”

“I’m one of the few soul seers left—”

“Exactly,” he said flatly. “There are still other soul seers, but there is only one Zari Baltimore, only one girl who could be my pet.”

Her cheeks burst with color.

Ah, too cute.

He reached for his pet.

“Master, no, we haven’t stopped…” Zari moaned as Alexandru untied her bikini top.

“It’s your fault for blushing.”

“But YOU were the one who made me blu—” This time, she could no longer speak, not with his mouth on her nipple.

When he lifted his head, he asked, “Your choice. Should we talk now or do we continue with this?”

“Continue,” she whispered.

“I can’t hear you, pet.”

“Continue please.” She was blushing hard now.
 

“Mm…still not hearing you. Maybe you should just offer your breast to me if you want us to continue.”

She cupped her breasts.

His smile turned sly.

“Bully.”

He kissed her hard. “Good pet.” And he kissed the rest of her, starting with her breasts.

“Master Alexandru is gone?” Zari echoed dumbly the next day after her classes. She felt like wilting on the spot. She knew that a Master did not owe his pet any explanations, but he had always told her before when he was about to leave her.