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It was his first time to brand her so prominently, but his pet seemed to enjoy the process, with her movements suddenly going out of control, her hips wildly slapping against his thrusts.More. Please. Yes. More.She had never been so fucking vocal, and it had him squeezing her ass hard as he drove into her one last time.

"Master!"

Together, they had fallen over the edge, bodies buckling, and Rhapsody's sweet cry of release merging with the marquis' guttural growl. He had never thought of sex as beautiful, but with her...it was just that. Hot and torrid, too, yes, but more than anything else beautiful, and even now the memory of it had him fighting against the urge to say to hell with his responsibilities for the day and just get her out of whatever classroom she was in so he could—-

Fuck.

Mihail swore in several different languages as he stalked back into the woods, where a couple of enforcers and theirbloodhounds had been trying to pick up the trail of a missing tourist. It was not like him to be this obsessive towards a woman, and he knew much of it had to do with the fact that he had yet to hear from Sir Isaac.

It was one of the few downsides of living in a kingdom like Chalys, with no modern mode of communication such as emails or text messages to rely on. The last he knew, Sir Isaac had been traveling from one territory to another, determined to fulfill what he believed was his duty to his ward. That had been three weeks ago, and all this waiting had Mihail growing increasingly tense and wondering if perhaps he should simply take the risk and tell his pet the truth.

She was a very sensible person, after all, and prone to neither drama nor holding grudges. There was every possibility she would understand his reason for doing what he did. And it was not as if what he had done was tantamount to cheating on her. It wasn't like that in any way.

Tonight,the marquis decided finally. He would tell her tonight, make her understand, and after that, he would finally permit himself to bind them by blood.

Tonight,he thought again, and it was as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders...until a memory drifted insidiously in his mind, and the marquis was grimly reminded of the soul seer's words.

You meant well...but you'll still end up hurting her.

Mihail's jaw clenched.

Visions did not always come true, he told himself doggedly.

He would not hurt his heartkeeper.

He would not.

But the marquis was wrong.

IF THE MARQUIS' STRUGGLEthat morning was internal in nature, for his heartkeeper it was the opposite. Wednesday classes typically began with a peaceful two hours in the library. Today, however...

Why were they wasting time glaring at her, Rhapsody wondered absently as she accepted a copy of the morning papers from the librarian before heading to the table she shared with Peyton and Emily.

Rhapsody frowned when she saw the day's headline. A tourist had apparently gone missing two days ago, with the woman last seen in Amstel Woods.

That was not good, she thought darkly. What if there was a connection between this new case and Mr. Walker's murder? What if her involvement were to come to light? She did not give a whit if her own reputation ended up besmirched, but it was another thing entirely if such a scandalous connection were to reflect ill on her Master.

She had half a mind to write to Lady Zari and ask her about it, but then she remembered her promise to the marquis...

Best not to take that road for now,Rhapsody thought. She would ask her Master about the case, and that should be the extent—-

"Devil take it,"Peyton gasped as she dropped on the chair next to Rhapsody. "What isthat?"

"That?"

But Peyton was already snapping her pocket mirror case open and hurriedly positioning it in front of her friend. "There!"

It was then Rhapsody saw the dark red bruise on the side of her neck. "Oh."

Peyton gaped."Oh? That's all you have to say? Oh?"No wonder she had noticed an alarming number of girls glaring at Rhapsody upon entering the library. "You are wearing a man's mark, Rhapsody!"

Rhapsody's brows furrowed. "And?"

Peyton had an urge to start shaking some badly needed sense into her friend. "Andeveryone knows you are alreadyClaimed!"

"Oh."

"Stop saying oh," Peyton nearly growled in her exasperation. "The other girls already hate you for being the marquis''Chosen One'in yesterday's class, and now this? Before this day is out, they will see to it that the whole Town knows of your wrongdoing—-"