by Tee, Marian
Oh God, finally...
A part of her was terrified to find out that this was all a dream, and that she had driven herself mad from missing him.
Please.
Her fingers hovered over one darkly tanned cheek.
Please be real.
And then she felt it, the hot, smooth skin under the pads of her fingers—-
Real.
Alexandru could no longer hold himself back, and the moment he hauled his pet close, Zari started sobbing hard, and his arms closed around her shaking form in a fiercely possessive embrace.
You c-came back.
His arms tightened around her.
Yes, pet.
And I'll never leave you again.
The Scent of a Rival
Chapter Ten
ALEXANDRU HEARD THE sound of guns cocking inside his pet's workplace and bit back an expletive. A part of him was tempted to simply steal her away, and it was only force of habit that kept him from doing so. He had always been a man of logic and efficiency, and it was far better to deal with the troublesome matter of her strange choice for a job now than later.
With his mind made up, he gently eased his hold on her—-
No!
The fearful catch in his pet's voice was a stab to the heart. She was traumatized, that much was clear, so frightened that he would once again disappear on her that she was doing the one thing she had always sworn not to do.
And that was to cling to him.
His proud, brave Zari was clinging to him, and Alexandru's jaw tightened. No matter what happened in the future, he would never leave her again, never give her any cause to feel weak and helpless.
Zari's eyes squeezed shut when she felt her Master press his lips to her forehead.
I already gave you my word, pet.
He had to wait for a few moments, but eventually he felt her own fingers ease their grip and her trembling gradually fade until she was able to slowly step back from him.
But when her gaze lifted to his, he saw that a trace of fear still lingered, and in order to dispel it, he deliberately sought to distract and amuse her. Ready to face the music, my love?
Zari's forehead creased. Huh?
Your demon-hunting colleagues currently have their guns trained on me.
Her eyes widened.
OH.
RIGHT.
She had been so shocked, and afterwards so delirious in her joy at finding herself back in her Master's arms she had forgotten...that.
Zari replayed the past couple of moments in her mind purely for Alexandru's benefit, knowing that her Master could see them through their shared bond.
Highest level of alarm going up, Alexandru identified as a threat, and Zari running out of her meeting with the warden to fly into his arms like some silly heroine in some sappy romantic flick.
The last bit had her Master smirking in her mind, and normally, that would have her say something snarky...but not now. Right now, she was just too happy to be with him again, and besides...
There was still a "situation" she needed to defuse, and with that in mind, she began patting herself down.
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.
<
br /> "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.
The sound of his pet's gasp, combined with the feel of her sweet, naked softness melding against his body, had Alexandru striving for control even as a growl made it past his own lips.
He had intended to take things slow, to take his time reacquainting himself with his pet's beautiful little body, but all those plans were good as gone now.
Reaching down to clasp the plump cheeks of her ass, he waited until her passion-clouded eyes lifted to his—-
And that was when he thrust hard inside of her.
One swift, forceful drive.
And his cock was once again back in heaven.
She was so fucking wet, so fucking hot, that even though she was a lot tighter than he remembered, his cock was still able to easily pull out before plunging back inside of her.
Zari.
He couldn't help saying her name as he began thrusting in and out of her, and when he heard her moan his name out in return—-
Alexandru.
Any attempt to act like a man in control was forgotten, and the only thing that was left was a beast desperately starving to rut with its mate.
Zari could only cling at her Master's shoulders as his thrusts, already fast and hard, became even wilder. It almost felt as if he could tear her apart with the savageness of his thrusts, but even though this frightened her a little, the prospect also lent a shameful thrill running down her spine.
Even after all these years, even after everything they had gone through, a part of Zari still couldn't believe that a man like Alexandru Gheorgiu loved her, and she had a feeling that part of her would never go away.
Looking up, she saw Alexandru's gorgeous face loom over hers, his features tight with need, and when their gazes met, the animalistic glitter of lust in his green eyes had Zari whimpering—-
Master.
Their positions changed in an instant, Alexandru clasping her as he moved up, his back against the headboard while Zari found herself straddling him. The new position had his cock buried deeper inside of her, and when she felt his hands move to her hips, Zari could only obey his silent command.
She began to ride him, awkwardly at first because it had been a long time, but with his hands on her hips to guide her, she eventually found her rhythm, and soon they were rocking hard against each other—-
Aaaaaah!
Alexandru had suddenly cupped one pert breast, and his mouth hungrily latched on to a nipple just as his cock surged up inside of her.
She could feel herself spiraling, her body no longer under her control as she bounced up and down her cock while he continued sucking on her nipple.
Maaaaaaster...
He switched to her other breast, biting her nipple this time, and even as the sharp sting had her crying out, it also made her even wetter and more desperate—-
M-M-Master...
The dazed look on his pet's face was too much, and as Alexandru felt his own desire swiftly rushing up to its peak, he shoved a hand between their bodies, wanting and needing her to come at the same time—-
Oh God!
Alexandru's thumb pressed down on her clit, and it was all Zari needed, her eyes rolling back—-
They came at the same time, with Zari only able to shudder and hold on to Alexandru for dear life as he prolonged their orgasm with a series of quick, hard thrusts while his thumb continued grinding down on her clit.
The pleasure seemed to be endless, but even as Zari was unable to keep herself from slumping against Alexandru's broad chest, already she could feel his still-engorged cock starting to twitch again.
M-Master?
A lazy chuckle was her only answer, and the next thing she knew he already had her on all fours on the bed, and a whimper escaped Zari as she felt him caress her ass from behind.
You don't have to do a thing, don't worry, Alexandru purred in her mind. I can happily do all the work, pet.
That wasn't what she was worried about at all, she wanted to tell him, but with her Master already shoving his cock in and out of her pussy...
Oh God.
And for the rest of the day...and night...and day...Zari found herself doing exactly as her Master ordered: not a single thing while Alexandru had his way with her body in every position known and unknown to man.
There were a few breaks here and there, of course. Zari's body, albeit no longer aging because of heartkeeping, was still mortal in certain senses. She still needed to eat, to pee, and sleep. But other than the bare necessities of living, every waking moment was spent making love, and not a single time had his pet refused his advances.
She submitted herself to him freely, and with every instance he heard her gasp and felt her tighten around him as she cummed, he could feel the vicious chaos inside of him gradually calming down...
And it almost had him believing he could be his old self again.
THE SUN WAS CLOSE TO setting when Zari woke up, and it was the first time she had also woken without Alexandru's cock still fully embedded inside of her. Eyes blinking open, she found her Master seated next to her in bed. Like her, he was still naked, one leg propped up while the covers were twisted up below his waist.
The look on his gorgeous face was familiar. He had been watching her sleep again, Zari thought, and more often than not, he tended to do that when he was on edge.
"Master?"
"Mm?"
"Is everything alright?" she asked simply.
"I heard you, you know," Alexandru said quietly. "Crying every night..." He was also bracing himself for her anger, but he was stunned to see his pe
t look stricken.
"I'm sorry—-
"I'm the one who should be apologizing," he cut in harshly. "I heard you crying for me to come back, dammit—-"
"I know." Zari's voice caught. "A part of me always k-knew you could h-hear me, and when you didn't come back the first night I started crying..." Her voice broke. "You'd have come back for me if you could, Master. But even knowing that, I just couldn't stop myself, I...I..." Her voice failed her for the second time just as Alexandru yanked her to his lap, and she found herself sobbing as his arms closed around her.
I just missed you so much, Master.
Alexandru's arms tightened around her.
That's why, even though I knew... She squeezed her eyes shut. Even though I k-knew it was hurting you...
He started rocking her in his arms, the pain in her voice breaking his heart. Zari—-
She forced herself to lift her head and meet his gaze. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "But I just couldn't help it."
"It's fine—-"
She shook her head wildly. "It's not. It's not. But I couldn't help it. I just couldn't stop crying—-" She felt his hands cup her face, and more tears streaked down her cheeks. "I'm s-sorry, Master. I just missed you so much—-"
Her Master's mouth covered hers, and the rest of her words melted under the heat of his kiss.
I missed you too, pet.
His tongue stroked tenderly against hers.
More than you'll ever imagine.
One last kiss, and then he was gently easing his lips back.
And in all those days that I was missing you...
He raised his head and waited for her to look up, waited until she was looking at him, really seeing him, and only then did he cut his heart open.
Your tears were the only thing that kept me alive, which is why...
Her entire body jerked at the words.
Keep crying for me.
Keep missing me.
