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“Ahem.” Zari cleared her throat, trying to catch her Master’s attention as she came to stand behind him.

But it was as if he had lost all his powers and was now a mere mortal, with the way he was unable to sense her presence or even hear her. He continued to survey his men in practice, calling out occasional pointers to rookie soldiers.

“Master, I know you’re just pretending.” No answer. “Master, you’re being so childish. You’re five hundred years old, not five.”

A cold voice in her mind snapped, And you should keep in mind you are contracted as MY pet, not his.

Zari’s eyes lit up. “Exactly what I want to talk about. Because it’s what I want to change—-”

He spun around, his face hard. “You no longer want to be mine?”

This time, she had to bite back a smile. “No, Master. It’s about the contracts.” Looking down, she mumbled, “I still want to be yours. I’ll always want that.”

He didn’t answer, but a moment later, her cheeks burned under his pinching fingers. “You are just too damn cute.”

ONE MOMENT, ALEXANDRUappeared a hair’s breadth away from committing murder. Another second passed, and he was suddenly back to normal, the dangerous light in his eyes fading and the cruel slant of his lips disappearing.Everythingwas back to normal, too. There was no longer that creepy, electrifying feel in the air, like a nuclear dynamite was about to explode any minute.

Her Master stepped forward, placing Zari behind him like a target to be shielded. Slowly, she looked up at him, but his face was as bland as always. Her gaze moved to the other vampire. He was slightly easier to read, with the way he held himself so stiffly, his stance vigilant for any possible recurrence of danger.

She asked finally, “Master? Is something wrong?”

Zari jumped when she felt Alexandru reach for her hair, curling a lock around his fingers. The gesture felt odd and possessive at the same time, as if her Master wanted to see if she knew whom she belonged to.

Alexandru waited for his pet to move away. Despite all his efforts to teach her, he knew that Zari was far from being used to any display of ownership. He expected her to dodge his touch, but he was stunned instead to find herself striving to keep still, as if she instinctively understood his need to show possession of her.

His gaze locked with hers. “Nothing is wrong, pet. Or at least not on my part.”

The sly smile that followed Alexandru’s words made her feel nervous. When he smiled like that, bad things always tended to happen—-

Still playing with her hair, he said slowly, “But as for the other vampire staring intently at us...” He turned his head to face Erou, and Zari found herself doing the same. “He definitely has a problem.” Not waiting for an answer, he continued, “He told me he wants to claim you as pet. Because I think he has a crush on you.”

Alexandru expected the younger man to deny the words. “Isn’t that right, Lord Erou?”

But he didn’t.

Erou knew what the other vampire was planning. Alexandru wanted to shame him into rejecting the words and thus kill off all chances with the girl. Well, two could play this game. And so he said coolly, “It just may be so.”

At the words, Alexandru’s head immediately snapped towards his pet, just so she could see how fucking serious he was as he growled,Don’t you dare blush. Don’t you dare.

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—-