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Alexandru looked sick at her words. “You will truly choose honor over me?”

“Don’t look at it like that,” she pleaded.

“Sometimes, I wonder if you truly love me.” Alexandru’s voice was bitter. “I’ve turned my back on my inheritance for you. I’ve chosen to give up ever having a soul for you. But still you choose not to be with me.” He shook his head. “What more, Kat? What more do I have to do to make you choose me?”

Somewhere deep inside her, Katarina knew he was right. She loved him, but she loved her honor equally. Perhaps, like he said, she loved it even more. The right thing would be to finish everything between them now, once and for all, but she couldn’t do it. She wanted it all. She wanted her honor and she wanted Alexandru to keep loving her.

“I will always love you, Alexandru. Even if you find your heartkeeper, even if you allow your heart to be snatched by another woman, I will always love you.” She said the words, knowing that Alexandru’s own honor would make him believe she said them to free him. But that had always been his flaw. He had always thought she was someone good, but she was not.

She looked at his eyes and knew that he believed every word, knew that Alexandru didn’t suspect the truth. She said the words to bind him to her forever. To prove to those who were against them that no matter what happened, this hunter would be hers. Forever.

WHEN THE ENFORCERSofficially declared the murder case solved, Zari was startled to feel someone squeezing her hand.

It was Rhapsody.

She asked immediately, “Are you okay?” It was not like her new friend to display any kind of emotion.

Rhapsody slowly released her hand. “Thank you for clearing my name.” She added solemnly, “My Master and I have also thought of a way to return your kindness.” Her voice lowered. “If you ever wish to leave and be alone, he can have it arranged, evenjust for a while, and there is nothing – not evenyourMaster or the headmaster – can do about it.”

As they joined the queue of people filing out to leave the courtroom, Rhapsody stressed, “Anytime, Lady Zari. You just have to say the word.” They stepped out of the room. “I must go now. I still have to write to my Master about what happened today.”

And then Rhapsody was gone before Zari could even say goodbye.

Suddenly, the hairs on her nape started to prickle.

She whirled around.

There, standing out in the crowd of students, was Alexandru. Her Master. Even though it had only been days since she had last seen him, last night’s events had made it feel like an eternity.Had he always this been gorgeous, she wondered painfully. It was weird, but somehow it felt like he became more and more irresistibly beautiful in her eyes each day.

She started to call out for him, but then she heard another voice callinghisname. Her head whipped around. It was Katarina, hurrying towards Alexandru.

When Alexandru saw the light in his pet’s eyes fade, he started for her immediately. Dimly, he heard Katarina –hisKatarina – calling his name at the same time. Everything in him wanted to answer her. It had been so long since he had heard her voice, so long since he had last seen her. Touched her.

But right now, he knew that it would be the gravest sin to do so.

Right now, he had to focus on his pet.

Zari was already walking away, but he caught up to her easily, spinning her around to face him. The pain in her gray eyes made Alexandru flinch. There were just so many times he had hurt her. He had promised to cherish her, to protect her. And he had meant it. So why did he keep hurting her in the end?

“Zari...” He found himself strangely lost for words. His feelings no longer made sense. All he knew was that he just wanted his pet to stop hurting.

She wanted to answer, but again she sawher.She said tonelessly, “Someone wants to talk to you, Master.”

Alexandru refused to turn around. “I’m here to talk toyou.”

Behind him, Katarina said his name again, making him freeze. The Katarina he knew was not like this, drawing attention to herself – to themselves. She had been the opposite in the past, doing her utmost best to hide the fact that they were together.

So what made her change now?

“Alexandru—-”

“Not now, Katarina.” His gaze never wavered from his pet as he said the words.

“I understand.” Her voice shook, making Alexandru’s conscience sting with guilt. He hadn’t meant to sound so dismissive, hadn’t meant to hurt Katarina.

“I will wait for you to speak with me. I want you to know I understand your responsibilities to your pet. And I would never want you to abandon her.”

Alexandru heard Katarina inhale, as if trying to manage the pain without giving up. “But I also want you to know that I’m here to stay. That I came back to fight for you.”