Unclaimed: The Master and His Soul Seer Pet: A New Adult College Vampire Romance (3 page)

BOOK: Unclaimed: The Master and His Soul Seer Pet: A New Adult College Vampire Romance
9.45Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

On his other side, Katarina was still and silent, a figure from the most buried part of his past. Even though a month had already passed since she had come to work in LSL, Alexandru was still unable to unbend in her presence.

Once, he had thought he would be the happiest person alive if he were ever to be with her again. But now that she was here?

Even just thinking about it didn’t feel right, and Alexandru forcibly shoved all such thoughts to the back of his mind. There would be time enough for it later.

His gaze returned to the images on the wall. Every death was a game to these demons, a way to taunt those who wanted to banish them back to the underworld. And always, even without meaning to, they would leave behind a clue because that was how demons were. Arrogant and believing they were as perfect as God.

“Based on the data we’ve gathered, we’ve come to the conclusion that this demon is relatively young and needs to feed every week.”

Young, which meant it had only seen its first century on Earth. Young, which meant it might even be under the command of one knowledgeable in the black arts. Young, which meant it had something to prove and thus was willing to go where the older demons wouldn’t dare.

Alexandru looked at the images again, rearranging them in his mind like puzzle pieces until it all came together. Finally, the demon’s message became clear, and he murmured, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” The passage was supposed to be a moral lesson, but trust the demon to have twisted it into something evil.

Everyone turned towards Alexandru.

“The wounds symbolize it,” Alexandru elaborated. He walked forward and tapped the victim’s missing eyes, ears, and tongue.

Lord Erou’s eyes widened in realization. “
Guilt.
” He glanced at the vampire hunter with grudging admiration. Such an angle would never have occurred to him. The only thing he had gleaned from the photos was that the demon was another sadistic creature, but so was the rest of its race.

Alexandru nodded. “It’s targeting humans burdened by guilt.”

“And I suppose the heavier the burden, the stronger the demon becomes,” Katarina murmured. “The question is – why would it come here? Key West isn’t exactly in the running to be the next Sin City.”

A frown settled on Sir Richard’s round face. “You are saying the demon has deliberately chosen this place then?”

“I think it’s the only plausible explanation. It wants something, and it doesn’t care about the consequences of its actions to have what it wants.” She gestured to the photos. “The more corpses humans have to analyze, the closer they will be to figuring out the truth. It’s only a matter of time before they exhaust all human angles and start thinking about the non-human ones. About the possibility that
we
exist.”

“Then what do you propose?” one of the enforcers asked. “We figure out what it wants and if it’s worth giving up, then we strike a compromise and let the demon have it?”

Katarina paled. “No, of course not.” She glanced at Alexandru, and the cold light in his emerald green eyes made her swallow.

“Then what
are
you suggesting?” another enforcer demanded.

Before she could answer, Alexandru said, “I would like to know the same thing as well.” Alexandru faced her fully. “And I hope you speak plainly this time,
hunter
.”

He saw Katarina flinch, but his frigid gaze on her didn’t ease. This woman might have once owned his heart – might even own it still – but that did not mean he would let her speak ill of his pet.
Ever.

“Alexandru, I—” She started to reach for him, but her hand slowly fell back to her side when she felt it.

Everyone felt it.

The air in the headmaster’s room, dropping to sub-zero temperatures—

“If you believe my pet is to blame…” Alexandru’s voice was velvety soft, almost musical. “Then say so.”

Katarina paled.

She had heard that tone innumerable times before, but he had never used it with her, and she had never thought he would because when Alexandru had used it in the past, it was always just before he killed.

“I’m sorry.” Fear had her speaking between stiff lips.

“Calm down, my friend.” The headmaster’s voice was quiet. “I’m sure Katarina did not mean any such thing.” As he spoke, puffs of cold air came out of his mouth.

Alexandru started to speak, and Katarina held her breath while tension gripped the rest of the room’s occupants, all of them vigilant as they waited to see if Alexandru would snap.

No words came from Alexandru.

Her heart beating madly, she mustered the courage to look at him.

Oh.

Alexandru’s eyes were closed, his lips tightly compressed. She knew immediately that he was no longer with them, with a part of his mind locked with his pet through the blood bond they shared.

When his eyes opened again, fury swirled in its green depths. “I must go. My pet needs me.”^^

And then he was gone, his powers fully unleashed, its impact like a torrent of wind that left the humans falling to their knees with dazed expressions on their faces.

Katarina only had a moment’s hesitation before a rare sense of impulsiveness seized her.

She followed him, tracking Alexandru by his scent. It was the only way since Alexandru was moving too fast, making it impossible for Katarina to keep him in sight.

When he slowed down, she slowed down, too, and Katarina realized that they were at Key Moarte. She remembered then that today was the scheduled trip—

A scream spilled past her lips as fingers came out of nowhere, encircling her wrist and whipping her back. She stumbled to a stop and she screamed again in shock, this time upon finding Alexandru looming before her, with nothing to shield her from his powerful aura.

Leave now if all you have come for is to cause trouble.

Alexandru’s menacingly soft tone in her mind made Katarina shudder. It was like hearing a stranger speak, a terrifyingly volatile stranger and not like a man who had once loved her more than anything else in the world.

I come in peace, Alexandru.
She dropped to her knees. It wasn’t just a sign of respect, it was also to acknowledge that he was the brother of the marquis and thus he, too, ruled over their kind.

She said in her mind,
I am a healer, Alexandru, and your pet may need my help.

Silence, vicious and taunting, as if Alexandru was weighing how much he wanted her alive—

Her name is Zari, hunter, and I will not forgive you again if you ever speak ill of her.

Katarina bowed her head.
Yes, milord.

She knew then he was no longer the Alexandru she loved, no longer the Alexandru who had loved her. But even so, she would not give up.

Chapter Three

ZARI

It had only been minutes since I came back to the hotel room when I felt the door open behind me, followed by a cool blast of wind coming from the outside. Since I knew air-conditioning units couldn’t walk, I had a pretty good idea what caused it.

“Master.” I turned around, and it really was Alexandru.

He came to me wordlessly, cupping my face and looking into my eyes. His touch made me tremble, and I stayed still as he ran his hands over my body, searching for any sign of injuries.

“I’m fine.” I didn’t want him to worry.

His gaze returned to my face, and I realized that my reassurance hadn’t done any good. I could feel his hands shaking. “You were burning,” he bit out. “I could feel it, even though I didn’t see your vision—”

Good,
I thought numbly.
Because he was the last person I wanted to know about my vision.

Shaking my head at his words, I cut him off, saying, “I was just…
hot
.” It was supposed to be a quip, but it fell awkward between us and when his gaze narrowed, I immediately looked away.

“What did you see, pet?”

I didn’t answer.

He cupped my face again, forcing me to look at him. “
Zari
…”


I can’t
.” The words were torn out from me, and suddenly I could see it again.

The school was burning...

Katarina was dying…

Guilt flamed into life, a fire that didn’t just burn me but crushed me under its weight, nearly bringing me down to my knees.

Oh God, had it all happened because unrequited love had turned me into a selfish and vindictive bitch?

“Just tell me this, and don’t fucking lie,” Alexandru said in a hard voice. “Were you in danger in your vision?”

Biting my lip to stop it from trembling, I shook my head slowly and watched my Master’s powerful body relax at my answer.

A sob rose to my throat, but I forced it back down.

If only.

If only it could be me—

Someone knocked on the door, and Alexandru stiffened, making me look at him in surprise. “What is—”

“May I come in?”

I paled.

Katarina was here?

“She came with you?” The words came out of my mouth in a hiss. “You’ve been with her all the time?” In the back of my mind, I knew that I was acting out like a kid, knew that the anger was my defense against the guilt.

Alexandru’s handsome face had turned rigid. “You know I’ve been in a meeting.
Read my mind if you will.
I’m not lying—”


Why is she here
?” I was shouting now. Outside, Katarina had fallen silent but we both knew that she was still standing there, hearing everything that was going on. The whole school may be outside for all I knew, but I couldn’t seem to make myself care.

I just wanted to be mad.

I wanted him to be mad.

So damn mad that he would punish me the way I deserved.

It was better than having him find out the shameful truth.

“What’s gotten into you?” Alexandru demanded. “You are not being your usual self—”

“And that’s what? Someone who just stands aside every time
she
calls for you?”

“You know it’s not like that.” Alexandru gripped my shoulders almost as if he was prepared to shake some sense into me. “All this time, you know I’ve been avoiding—”


Really?
” I let out a hollow laugh. “You’ve been avoiding her? Oh, that’s rich,” I spat. “You may be
trying
to avoid her, but we both know you weren’t really trying too hard—”

“Stop this.” A muscle started ticking in his jaw.

“No!” I shook my head wildly. “I want to hear you say it—”

The door opened behind us, and Katarina appeared in the doorway, a troubled look on her oh-so-lovely face.

Emotions warred inside of me.

Jealousy, bitterness, even hatred, but most of all there was guilt, and it made me want to scratch her eyes out, just so she wouldn’t accidentally see the truth in mine.

The thought left me paralyzed with shock.

Oh God, when had I become this evil?

“I’m sorry for intruding.” Katarina closed the door behind her. “But I thought you two should calm down—”

She thought we should calm down? Who cared about what she thought? She wasn’t part of this—

I shut that line of thought down, but the effort left me shaking.

Why was I so vindictive? Evil? Bitchy? Why?


I’m going
.” I wrenched myself out of Alexandru’s hold. I had to leave before either of them realized how low I’d sunk.

I only managed a few steps before he spun me back around. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere, anywhere I won’t have to see you.”

He froze. “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”

“Why do you even have to ask?” I was screaming again. I was losing it, and the more he kept me with him, the more I’d lose it until I was nothing but an empty shell, a being made soulless by my guilt.

BOOK: Unclaimed: The Master and His Soul Seer Pet: A New Adult College Vampire Romance
9.45Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Young Wives by Goldsmith, Olivia
Suitcase City by Watson, Sterling
The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Connor, Leslie
FITNESS CONFIDENTIAL by Tortorich, Vinnie, Lorey, Dean
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl