Alexandru, realizing what his pet was looking for, pulled her close. Although all he intended to do was retrieve the iPhone from one of her trench coat's inner pockets, he knew his actions could easily be mistaken for something else, and just as expected...
That scent again, Alexandru observed contemplatively. He had detected it earlier, and now that he was catching it for the second time...
He took her iPhone from its hiding place and dropped it in her hands. "Here you go, pet."
"Oh, um, thanks." Zari was startled but also secretly tickled pink that Alexandru had known right away what she was looking for.
He watched her click on a name that was obviously on speed dial. "Who are you calling?"
"My boss." Zari couldn't say anything else. His phone had only barely started ringing when Micah answered the call, his furious words right away traveling down the line in a snarling voice that had her wincing.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Z?"
The moment Alexandru heard what Zari's boss called his pet, he knew right away. The scent of jealousy he had caught earlier...came from this man whom Zari was working for.
Ten minutes later, and having persuaded her boss to temporarily rescind his shoot-to-kill order, Zari walked back inside headquarters, this time with Alexandru following a step behind her. She had expected the other trappers to be still there, but to her surprise, it was just Micah, along with an expressionless Middlemarch, who remained behind his desk.
She turned to face her boss and was unsurprised at the hardened expression on his face. Micah had never made a secret of his distrust of demons, and knowing this, she said simply, "Alexandru is on our side."
"A demon?" Micah's voice was scathing. "On our side?"
"He's only half demon—-"
"If it thinks like a demon, talks like a demon—-"
"Alexandru's different," she interrupted him, "because he has a soul." And seeing that her boss intended to argue about this, she said quietly, "I'm not just his pet, Micah. I'm also his heartkeeper."
A few seconds passed, and then the half angel only muttered one word.
"Fuck."
Zari lifted her chin. "So if there's nothing else...could you please excuse us? I'd like to enjoy reunion sex with my Master as soon as possible."
The Master and His Pet
Are...Reunited
Chapter Eleven
ONE COULD HEAR A PIN dropping in the explosive silence that followed Zari's incredible statement, and it was all Alexandru could do not to laugh at the way his pet's cheeks immediately blossomed with color.
"Indeed, pet," he managed to drawl with a straight face. "Reunion sex is on top of my agenda as well. So let's, er, get on with it, shall we?"
Oh, shut up, Master, Zari grumbled in her mind even as she let Alexandru place a hand on the small of her back to turn her around. I just hated the way Micah made it seem like I should be ashamed of you or something, she muttered through their blood bond as they started walking away.
Well, you were quite convincing, her Master purred. You almost had me fooled even, and I would've thought you radically changed except for this...
Zari, caught off guard when Alexandru ran his knuckles down her cheek, felt her knees actually tremble...before giving way completely. What the hell?
Alexandru was chuckling even as he was readily able to catch hold of his pet before she could fall flat on her face.
Master... She made a face at him as they went through the revolving doors. Will you please behave?
Once outside, she glanced up and, just as expected, most of the trappers had their faces plastered against the second-story windows.
Alexandru followed Zari's line of sight. I get why they are looking at me as if I'm the scum of the earth—-
Ignore them, Master, Zari said curtly as she deliberately lifted her chin and dismissed their audience with the bitchiest hair flip she could manage.
But why do I have a feeling they do not exactly like you either?
They don't.
Mm. Seeing that Zari already seemed to have their next destination in mind, Alexandru deliberately slowed down to let her lead and was surprised at the direction they were taking...which was definitely not the way to any of his properties.
Zari couldn't help stealing looks at her Master. Now that the shock of his return had somewhat faded, the truth of her earlier words was finally sinking in...
When Zari tripped on her own feet for the second time, Alexandru was no longer smiling as he cupped her elbow. Since his pet hadn't bothered shielding her thoughts, he had known the exact second she started thinking about sex, and dammit, the moment she had done that...
Zari could only suck in her breath as she fell against him...and felt the rigid hardness of his erection.
"Do you have a place close by?" Alexandru grated out under his breath.
"Yes," she barely managed to whisper.
Her Master simply stared at her, and the look in his eyes was enough.
She broke into a run, thrilled, happy, and just a little scared, knowing full well that Alexandru's silent threat was no joke. If they didn't get to her apartment fast enough, he was absolutely taking her in the streets, and while the idea was intriguing...
Hurry, dammit, her Master growled.
Zara's heart skipped a beat even as she pushed herself to run even faster. In another moment, they were finally racing up the steps leading to her fifth-floor apartment. Alexandru, seeing how Zari's hands were shaking so badly, took the keys from his pet and unlocked the door with the first try.
She stumbled inside and heard Alexandru kick the door shut behind them.
Oh God.
A pair of large, strong hands clasped her waist to turn her around, and Zari already had her legs locking around her Master's waist by the time burning green eyes met hers.
One second, just to look into each other's eyes—-
I love you.
Her voice shook...and so did his, the three words spilling out of their hearts at the same time.
It was all they had to say.
And it was the last thing they did say, for a very, very, very long time.
A whimper escaped Zari as her Master's fingers drove into her hair, pulling her head back just as his lowered. His mouth possessed hers, and her lips automatically parted under the exquisitely brutal force of his kiss.
Her mind reeled as his tongue thrust deep.
So long. God, it's been so, so long.
Her fingers curved over the muscular slope of his massive shoulders, nails clawing his back as the possessive strokes of his tongue reclaimed every inch of her mouth, and her grip on reality further loosened. She could feel him start to walk, and soon, he had Zari on her back on her small, narrow bed.
Alexandru tore his mouth off and heard his pet immediately release a small, keening cry of protest.
Sssh.
He soothed her through their blood bond even as he made short work of their clothes, his first, then hers-—
She had the most tantalizing glimpse of her Master's naked body - his skin was a darker shade of bronze now, and the sculpted lines of his muscles were more prominent - but then he was joining her back in bed, Alexandru lowering his massive, hard body over hers, and a gasp broke out of her the moment their skin came into contact.