Page 81 of My Fated Alpha: The Royals

When Zari struggled, he let her go immediately, which she found strangely disappointing. The thought had her shaking her head mentally. God, what was wrong with her? Maybe this was all because he was the only living person she knew now and that was why she was feeling so attached to him.

“Zari?”

She scowled at him, her way of keeping her defenses up. “What?”

Did she know how cute her scowl was? He hoped not. It would be a pity if all this was a ploy to ingratiate herself to him.

“Do you have anyone I may contact? Anyone who could take you in while I search for your parents?”

She shook her head.

He had figured as much. The information provided to him had mentioned about Zari and her parents living isolated lives, trekking jungles all around the world. “In that case, I will take you to a place where you can be safe. I trust the people there completely – they will never allow any harm to befall you.”

Zari bit her lip hard.

He frowned. It was obvious she wanted to say something. “What is it?”

Looking down on her shoeless feet, she muttered, “What about you? Where are you going?”

Her emotionless tone told him that she was feeling strongly about the question, and in an instant, he realized that his little soul seer was scared. “The people I’m entrusting you with are people you can trust. I promise you that.”

Her fists clenched against her side. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I have no home, Zari. You know what I am, right?”

“A vampire.”

“Yes, and my job is to protect my race. I’m asked to go to different places and make sure that vampires who violate our laws are...eliminated.”

She shivered at the last word. It made her realize that the vampire before her had likely killed some of the creatures inside the mining shaft. The fact should have frightened her, but she strangely found it reassuring. Somehow, she knew instinctively that he would only kill not to harm...but to protect.

“There’s nothing for you to be afraid of—-”

Looking up, she burst out, “Why can’t I stay with you instead?”

The words left both of them arrested. She hadn’t planned to say them, and he had never expected to hear them.

Her silver eyes were round with worry, her body taut with anxiety. It was clear how she was doing her best not to break down, and her strength both impressed and frustrated him. It was great that she was so brave, but dammit, it only made her even more attractive to him, and that was what he wasn’t comfortable with.

He sought to make a joke of her words, giving both of them an out as he said in a deliberately teasing tone, “Will you be willing to be my human pet then? Because that’s the only way I can have you with me. As a human pet and nothing else.”

Alexandru expected her to say something sharp, but instead she asked seriously, “What does a human pet do?”

The words left him stumped. She was supposed to be furious and insulted, not curious! “It means being a life source to creatures like me. It also means following my every command and calling me Master—-”

Zari repeated incredulously, “Master?”

Aha! An inborn feminist. He should have known. “Yes. It’s an unbreakable rule. I will of course give you permission to address me by my name in private—-”

She said sarcastically, “Gee, thanks.”

“—-but in public, it would be very offensive for otherworlders to hear you address me without respect.”

“You’re really serious?”

Alexandru said honestly, “It is the law.”

“You do know your law is antiquated, don’t you?”

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