by Marian Tee
Zari, wait for me!
Knowing that he would only waste precious time if he traced his pet’s steps from scratch, Alexandru simply followed the source of the sounds, crashing into walls and furiously digging his way down until he smashed his way into the dungeons.
He saw a female vampire on top of a frightened-looking Zari.
With a roar, he charged towards the vampire.
There was no fear in her expression when she saw him. Just hunger and rage as she launched herself towards him—
She was as strong as the other vampire, but she was no match against Alexandru.
Everything in him was focused on keeping his pet safe, and what threatened her must be eliminated.
His fingers closed around her neck.
Zari gasped as she watched Alexandru lift the female vampire up in the air—
His fingers closed around the neck, squeezing until the vampire was flailing, her legs kicking in the air. He squeezed until bones cracked—
The female vampire went still.
****
Even before Erou reached the dungeons, he already knew that Alexandru was gone – together with Zari. He found a dead female vampire on the ground, the flesh of her neck torn and the bones inside it smashed into pieces.
So she had made her choice, Erou thought. And unfortunately, the Lady Zari had not chosen him.
****
An hour had passed since her Master had brought her back into the safety of his room, and still he had not talked. He had waited outside her door when she asked if she could take a bath, and when she was done, he had carefully carried her to bed and tucked her under the covers.
She had thought he would talk to her then, but he had simply kissed her on the forehead.
And then he had left, just like that.
Zari told herself to be patient, to wait for her Master to come back to her, but in the end she couldn’t do it. Her Master just had to accept that she was not the most patient person in the world. Swinging her legs over the bed, she padded barefoot to the door and when she opened it, she found her Master seated on the couch, the room cast in darkness except for the table lamp glowing brightly next to him. He had a glass of whisky in one hand, and his gaze was brooding when it met hers.
Slowly, she walked to him, her heart beating loudly. She had so many things to say, to ask, but the way he was looking at her told Zari that whatever her problems were right now, it was nothing compared to the burden weighing him down.
Zari whispered, “What’s wrong, Master?”
His answering laugh was hollow. “Are you certain you want me to be your Master still?”
She took a few more steps, stopping only when she was standing right in front of him and her shadow fell over her Master, making him look like a dark angel. She repeated quietly, “What’s wrong, Master?”
This time, he didn’t speak, a blank mask settling on his face.
Somehow, that scared her and she found herself falling to her knees, adopting the ceremonial position of pets when they were claimed by Masters. She hadn’t actually done this before, but she had read about it. The position was supposed to symbolize a pet’s complete allegiance to her Master, and she was hoping her Master knew that.
When she heard Alexandru suck in his breath, she knew she had made the impression she wanted. Seconds later, he was tipping her chin up, and he asked tightly, “Why are you doing this? Didn’t you want to be released from my claim?”
“Only if it was what you wished, Master.”
He gritted out, “I am not the best Master for you. When I thought…” He expelled his breath in a furious hiss. “When I thought you were about to die, I blamed myself for ever bringing you to this kind of world. I should have sent you to Sangre and let you lead a normal life there—”
She shook her head vigorously when she realized what he was saying. “No, Master.” She thought about what he was proposing, about what life would be like without him, and her voice broke. “Don’t send me away…please.”
“You’re not safe here.”
“I don’t care.”
“And I can’t…I can’t be the Master you deserve.”
“You are—”
“No. I’m not. I can’t ever be. I’m sorry if this is not something you wish to hear or believe, but I am only being honest for your sake. I care for you, pet, but there are things I can’t ever do for you—”
“Let me be the judge of that, Master,” she said fiercely. “Just don’t send me away.” Blinking back tears, she choked out, “Please.”
When she looked up, she saw that his face was a mixture of despair and hope.
“Ah, pet.” His hand shook as he reached for her hair and stroked it. “You’re too damn cute.”
She waited for him to kiss her, to seduce her like he always did, but instead he remained unmoving except for his hand, which continued to stroke her hair. Somehow, the fact that he was not making a move on her this very moment made her heart pound hard like it never had before.
Slowly, Zari laid her head on his knee as he combed her hair with his fingers. When she rested her hand on his other knee, she was surprised to see him reach for it, twining his fingers with hers.
Tears struck her eyes, but again she blinked them back quickly. “This time,” she heard him murmur above her. “I mean it, pet. I will never let you go.”
She closed her eyes. I never wanted you to, Master.
****
When she woke up, she found herself alone in her Master’s bed. Sunlight had filtered into the room from the windows, and she rubbed her eyes groggily. When she sat up, her gaze fell on the parchment on the table.
Her breath caught at the sight of it, and her hand trembled as she slowly reached for it. She started to cry when she saw his signature at the bottom. She touched it, wanting to trace every curve—
She began to see.
****
Zari found herself in a palatial room, decorated in rich colors and fabrics. An array of battle weapons cast in gold hung on the wall, and in every corner was a priceless piece of art, ranging from a waist- high vase made of pure jade to an ivory sculpture.
At the center of the room was a long table made of heavy wood. Seated at the head was a man who bore a strong resemblance to her Master, only his face was more stoic, and his build more akin to a Viking warrior than a knight’s.
To his right sat her Master, whose usual sly smile was nowhere to be found.
“I heard you have found your heartkeeper,” the man at the head of the table said.
Alexandru did not speak.
The man leaned forward. “Listen to me, brother. You know my words are for your sake—”
“I didn’t say it was not, Mihail.”
“Just listen then.” Mihail waited until his brother had turned to face him. “Do not make yourself suffer just to prove me wrong. I already know how strong you are. You are, in fact, one of the strongest persons I know – more so than me because you had the courage to love. You fought for that love even if it meant leaving us—”
Alexandru said tightly, “I didn’t want to do it, but you leave me no choice.”
Mihail shook his head. “The past is over and done with. There is no need to argue over it. What matters is today – the present – and you and I both know that you have found her.”
“It doesn’t make a difference—”
“Of course it makes a difference,” Mihail exploded. “She is your heartkeeper, Alexandru! You know what that means—” He broke off when his brother stood up.
“I apologize, milord. I recall a previous obligation that requires me to leave—”
Mihail watched his brother turn his back and head for the door. “Alexandru—”
Alexandru paused. Without looking back, he said, “I respect you, Mihail. Not only as an older brother but as the Marquis of Sangre. You know I will do almost anything for you, but not this. Do not expect me to change my mind about this.” He exhaled sharply. “Even if Zari i
s indeed my heartkeeper, I will not claim her as such. My heart belongs to Katarina, no one else.”
****
“Zari?”
“Zari?”
The first thing she saw was a blurry image of her Master as he came to sit at the side of the bed.
“What’s wrong, pet?” His voice was rough with worry, and when he reached for her face to wipe her tears away, that was the only time she realized she was crying.
“Did you have a vision again?”
She shook her head, still crying.
“Then what’s wrong?” Alexandru demanded, the sound of his pet’s tears hurting him.
She could only look at him, the vampire she used to think she was being manipulated to care for.
“Tell me what’s wrong, pet.” His gaze fell to the contract. “Is it because of that? You do not want…you have changed your mind then?”
Her heart broke at the question. Oh, if only she could change her mind. But even after what she had learned, she knew it was too late.
She loved him.
She was hopelessly in love with her Master, and he was just as hopelessly in love with another girl.
Managing a smile, Zari said, “I’m all right, Master. I’m just happy…” She reached for the pen he had left on the bedside table. Head bent, she signed the contract. By placing her name next to his, she knew she had made a choice.
Over her head, her Master said quietly, “It is done then.”
Not looking at him, she whispered, “Yes, it is. Master.” Zari’s tears started to fall again as she watched his hand cover hers, their fingers entwining with each other. Their gazes met as he raised her hand to his lips.
Alexandru asked softly, “Why do you keep crying?”
She shook her head.
His voice turned harsh. “No more lies, pet.”
She wanted to say she was afraid. So, so afraid. She was afraid of her Master leaving her, of realizing he couldn’t ever love her, of a woman named Katarina taking him away from her.
But of course she couldn’t say that. She owed it to her Master, to her parents – to herself to be strong. So many people had risked their lives to keep her from harm. The least she could do was to enjoy the life they had gifted her, even if it meant living with half of her heart in pieces.
Slowly, Zari looked up, her chest squeezing painfully when she saw the worry in her Master’s gaze. She knew then she wouldn’t be able to lie to him, not when he was looking at her like that. And so she reached for his face instead, knowing this was the only way she could avoid saying the truth.
Her Master drew his breath sharply at her touch, and Zari knew it was because she had never been the first one to touch him and certainly not like this in the past.
She whispered, “Master…kiss me.”
For a long time, Alexandru only gazed at her.
And then he smiled, a beautiful smile that was both warm and sad, and she knew then that he was aware she wasn’t quite being truthful with him – that he thought she was regretting her decision to be his pet but unable to say it.
The realization had her lips parting in painful dismay. Oh, God, no, she didn’t ever want him to think like that, didn’t ever want her Master to feel hurt like that. But before she could speak, he had beaten her to it.
“My pleasure, pet.”
He drew her in his arms, his lips touching hers, and unlike in times past, her Master no longer allowed her to resist or struggle. He kissed her with a hungry, all-consuming need, his mouth devouring hers, and his passion inflaming her every sense until all she could do was feel.
The End
Watch out for Book 2: Reviled - soon to be available on preorder!
Thank you for reading Beholden. As some of you may have noticed, this is set in the same world as The Demon Duke and I (Brimstone series), which is why Mihail got to make a small cameo in this book. :D
I hope you enjoyed the continuing story of Zari and Alexandru, and if you did, I’d love it if you could leave a review for Beholden. Please let me know if you did by emailing me or dropping me a line on my website, Facebook page, or Twitter. I’d love to thank you personally!
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I’d also like to take this time to invite you to download HEART RACER for FREE if you haven’t read it yet. It’s the first Heart Racer book and it’s a two-part story.
It’s the story of Leandro Christopoulos, a Greek-American ex-bike racer who’s in need of a fake girlfriend. When he sees curvy, snarky and Young Philanthropist of the Year awardee Roberta Bobby Granger naked, he knows he’s found his perfect match – and he doesn’t care if he has to lie and tell Bobby he’s in love with her as long as he gets what he wants.
ENJOY AN EXCERPT FROM HEART RACER
“Excuse me.” The guy on her table taking her seat was tall – enough for him to be almost the same height as she was even while seated. Maybe the fact would have been intimidating to others, but not her.
When he still didn’t turn around, she cleared her throat and said more loudly, “Excuse me!”
He turned slowly, his move screaming of reluctance, and it made Bobby grit her teeth. The glass of soya milk on her tray slid a little to the left. Drat. “That’s my seat, mister,” Bobby said as she adjusted her hold on the tray. “So if you could please—” Bobby looked up and forgot the rest of what she had to say.
Bobby blinked.
Twice.
Thrice.
Beautiful was her first thought.
Was it truly possible for anyone to be this beautiful? It didn’t seem fair. Midnight black hair and olive skin that spoke of a Mediterranean heritage as well as stormy blue eyes fringed with long dark lashes that she would personally kill for. He wore a simple white shirt and a rugged-looking pair of jeans, and he had what looked like a griffin tattoo wrapped around his arm.
When she didn’t say anything, he turned his back on her.
Beautiful…and rude!
Bobby’s temper snapped. “Excuse me,” she said again, this time between clenched teeth. Her arms were beginning to ache at the weight of the tray as well, making her even more annoyed.
What the hell was her problem? The sound of the pissed-off voice had Leandro Christopoulos closing his eyes. This girl seemed to be more insistent than most. Or maybe it was because he was in America and people weren’t yet familiar with his moods. Back home, girls had known by his reputation that Leandro didn’t care to have his privacy interrupted unless he had given the signal for them to approach him. Otherwise, he was left alone – like he should be now.
“EXCUSE ME.”
The words and how the girl was practically hissing at him had Leandro incredulous. He turned around again and demanded curtly, “What do you want?” He just wanted this over with.
He looked at her more closely this time. Auburn hair that had him almost snorting. Typical. Flashing green eyes and an oval face that was flushed with anger. His gaze traveled down. Oversized buttoned-up blouse – boyfriend shirt was how his younger sister described it, if he remembered correctly – paired with regular jeans and flats.
She told him frostily, “You’re in my seat.”
He made a show of looking around and even checking the back of his chair. “I don’t see anything here that has your name on it.”
Bobby gasped, unable to believe someone so beautiful could be such an ass! But she should have expected it, she thought, teeth gnashing. Beautiful people were always like this. She really should have known better.
Juggling her tray because her arms were killing her already, “I left my book on the table so that people would know I reserved it.”
Following her gaze, Leandro saw that she had indeed left a book on the table – something he had failed to notice because he had been too distracted with his thoughts. Leandro rarely found himself in the wrong, and the fact that he was now didn’t sit well with him at all.
He said
brusquely, “You may sit down on the other chair then.” He waved towards the vacant chair opposite him like a king bestowing a favor on a slave.
May? She may sit down? Who the hell did he think he was? Fed up completely now, Bobby slammed the tray down on the table. “Are you dense? I was here first so I have the right to kick you out of the chair.”
Leandro answered by slowly looking at the girl up and down. She was – what? Two inches over five feet? He was more than a foot taller than she was and probably double her weight. He said dismissively, “You can try.”
Why, the—
Without hesitation, Bobby kicked him in the shin. Hard.
The sudden pain on his shin almost had Leandro cursing. His gaze snapped back to the girl, incredulity and rage lining his voice as he growled, “What was that for?”
“You have to ask?” she snapped back. He suddenly shot to his feet and Bobby almost took a step back. He really was tall. And lethal. There was an air of danger about him that she was only beginning to realize and the words I take it back hovered on her lips.
If this guy went berserk and Hulk-smashed everything in his sight, she was pretty sure she would be his first victim.
So say sorry, her conscience urged. You know you were rude first.
Bobby stubbornly pushed the thought away. Rude or not, she just couldn’t make herself say sorry. She was too proud to do it.
When the girl didn’t even say sorry and simply glared up at him mutinously, Leandro found himself experiencing a strong urge to pull her across his lap and put a stinging slap to her backside. Girls in his homeland were not like this. They knew their place, and it was to respect and serve the men in their life.
His gaze swiftly scanned their surroundings and saw that everyone inside the cafeteria was looking at them. He knew he had to leave the table. It galled him to admit that she had indeed “claimed” the table first, but Leandro knew it was true.
However, he did not intend to let her have the last word.
He gestured to the table. “It’s all yours.”
“It really is—”