Chapter Eight

He had chased her to the ends of the earth, and finally they met again.

“Alexandru.”

It made him furious that she sounded so surprised. “You really think my love can be killed just like that, Kat?” He gripped her arm, hauling her close to him. “If you disappear, I’ll just hunt you down. If you marry another man, I’ll just kill him. That’s how much I love you.”

“But I’m not your heartkeeper,” Katarina said brokenly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he hissed. “Do you understand me? It will never matter. I don’t give a fuck if you’re not my heartkeeper. It’s MY heart. MY heart. Do you understand? It’s MY heart, and I decide who keeps it for me.”

“I cannot be with you. My honor will not allow me.”

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 ENFORCERS officially 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, even just for a while, and there is nothing – not even your Master 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 calling his name. 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 – his Katarina – 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 saw her. She said tonelessly, “Someone wants to talk to you, Master.”

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

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.”

HER MASTER HAD BEEN talking all this time. Nothing in his demeanor showed that he minded how she hadn’t said a single word since they had left the courtroom together. He told her how worried he was, let her know that he had flown as fast as he could from the mainland to get to her. He talked and she listened, and if he asked a question, all she could do was nod or shake her head.

It was not revenge.

It really was all she could do so as not to break down.

Inside his rooms, Zari remained silent as she watched her Master draw a bath for her and didn’t murmur a single protest when he took her hand and slowly undressed her.

His arms were strong and gentle as he carried her to the tub, and then he sat on the edge before slowly soaping her body.

Realization dawned, and she found herself looking at him. He was pampering her. Why? Was it because she was his pet? Or was it because he felt guilty?

Suddenly, she remembered the words he had told her.

I won’t let you go unless you ask.

Zari looked at him.

Alexandru froze when he saw his pet’s eyes. One look, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. One look, and his heart felt so damn raw and exposed. When she started to speak, he knew he couldn’t let her.

He just...couldn’t.

“Master—-”

Alexandru shook his head.

Don’t ask it.

Her body jerked at the words.

Her Master’s face was pale, but his voice inside her mind was fierce and tight.

Don’t ask it.

I beg of you, pet.

Don’t ask it.

One, two, three teardrops started to fall. And soon it was countless, tears raining down her cheeks. You’re so unfair, Master.

His heart bled at the sight, but still he couldn’t find it in him to take the words back. When he reached for her, she closed her eyes, laying her cheek against his palm. A sign of trust, one that had his heart bleeding even more.

Alexandru knew there were so many things they had to talk about. But in the end, all he could say hoarsely was, “I’m sorry, pet.”

“I’m sorry, too, Master.” A tear-clogged whisper, one that revealed just how vulnerable she was feeling, and it was all his fault.

He said fiercely, “My loyalty is to you, pet.”

“I know, Master.” And she did. But that had never been the problem , Zari thought. What she wanted was her Master’s heart, but what she wanted, he had already given to another woman.

~ END OF PART II ~