But it was too late—-
She had already blushed.
And with it, she had shown her cutest face to another vampire.
Alexandru immediately pinched both her cheeks, hard, hoping it would distract the other vampire. Disobedient pet.
I’m sorry! I couldn’t help it!
You will pay for this, he told her ominously. Go wait for me in your room.
She started. B-but—-
No buts. That is an order. And hold your cheeks as you go. That is an order, too.
Zari’s mouth opened and closed. Are you serious?
If you do not leave as I say and in the manner I have asked in five seconds, I will go to your class tomorrow and have you come right in front of—-
Zari didn’t hear the rest of her Master’s threat. She took a quick step back, covered her cheeks, and turned to face Lord Erou.
Alexandru’s eyes narrowed. Zari—-
I can’t just leave so rudely, she protested just before she gave Lord Erou a handless curtsy. “It was nice meeting you, Lord Erou,” she mumbled just before racing away.
Alexandru glared at his pet’s fast retreating back. Stubborn and disobedient as ever. He really should punish her soon.
“Why do you not want her to know you care for her?”
Alexandru was grudgingly impressed that the younger lord still had not backed down even after seeing him lose his control. Erou was a strong vampire, and he would get stronger as the years passed. That was a fact, but also equally true was that Erou would never gain enough power to defeat him.
Alexandru said mildly, “You won’t be able to steal her from me.”
Erou inclined his head in acknowledgment. “I know that. But I also know I don’t have to. I have a feeling it’s all a matter of time before you push her away. Before you lose her and only have yourself to blame.”
ZARI FINGERED THE HANDWRITTEN note from her Master. She had been hoping they could enjoy a meal together on his first night back, but apparently that wasn’t to be. She glanced back down at his note.
Something has unfortunately come up that requires my attention.
Rest well and I will see you tomorrow.
Your Master,
A
The note didn’t sound like Alexandru at all. It was too formal, too impersonal. She read it again and again, trying to read between the lines, but there just wasn’t anything she could glean from it except for the fact that her Master appeared too busy for her.
Forcing herself to temporarily set it aside, she moved on to the packet of papers that came with it. Every week, Alexandru would send her new information that his men were able to compile from the ongoing search for her parents.
Going through the papers, she saw with a heavy heart that nothing new had come up – not a single clue about whether they were even alive or dead. Closing her eyes, she prayed for the strength to keep hoping. They’ll come back, she told herself. One day, they’ll come back and everything that happened would just be a bad dream.
A knock sounded on the door, a servant bringing dinner to her room as ordered by her Master. Zari forced herself to finish the meal quickly. She hated feeling weak, and more food in the stomach meant being stronger.
When the vintage alarm clock on her bedside drawer told Zari it was already nine in the evening, Zari decided to take matters in her own hands. Leaving her room, she asked for directions to Alexandru’s room and was directed to the tower housing the teaching staff’s quarters.
On her way, Zari noticed all eyes following her, none of them friendly. She caught bits and pieces of their words, and what she managed to understand made her hurry even more.
I really don’t understand what Alexandru sees in her.
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.