Total pages in book: 207
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
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.
And I'll always find my way back to you.
Always.
The Angel and the Demon
Have a Talk
Chapter Twelve
ZARI HAD GONE BACK to sleep when Alexandru slipped out of her apartment and made his way up to the rooftop. His pet's boss was already there waiting, and Alexandru once again caught the scent of the other man's jealousy.
Micah's jaw was tight as he fought for control. It was one thing to hear Zari say she was going to have sex with another man, but it was another fucking thing entirely to watch that same man walk towards him and see the truth for himself.
The languid pace in which the centuries-old vampire approached him, the taunting glint in his eyes, and when Alexandru finally came to a stop in front of him—-
"Micah, is it not?"
The lazy arrogance in the half-demon's voice pretty much made it loud and clear: Alexandru Gheorgiu had just spent the last forty-plus hours having his way with Zari, and the fact had the angel seeing red.
Alexandru studied his rival with unconcealed interest. He had encountered his fair share of angels in his admittedly long existence, and they were generally a cold-blooded bunch.
Zari's boss, however...
"If you are wondering whether my pet will join us—-" Alexandru's tone took on a note of apology. "I'm afraid my attentions have her rather exhausted." Again, the scent of jealousy, but this time, combined with a touch of barely restrained violence.
Micah's teeth gnashed at the mocking gleam in the vampire's gaze. "Fuck you."
But this only had the vampire baring his fangs with a laugh. "Civility not your strong suit, I take it? Could that be why you were kicked out of Ciel?"
The words nearly had Micah cursing again. Ciel, one of the ducal territories of the kingdom of Chalys, was his birthplace, and the only ones permitted to cross its (literally) pearly-white gates were angels...of pure blood.
A muscle started ticking in Micah's jaw. When he had described himself as a half-angel, otherworlders and humans alike had found no reason to question him, much less guess the truth...until Alexandru Gheorgiu.
As much as he was loathe to admit this, the few doubts he had of the vampire's prowess as a hunter were completely eliminated now. This, he thought grimly, was the reason why otherworlders liked to tell stories of Alexandru to scare their kids into behaving, and why - as much as it had chafed his pride to do so - he had agreed with Zari's request to send his men away.
The human trappers under his watch, not having grown up in Chalys and listening to the countless legendary exploits of Alexandru hunting down rogues and demons alike, had simply seen Alexandru as a vampire infected with demon blood.
None of them had the wits to see past Alexandru's ill-fitting clothes or, more importantly, the way the vampire had deliberately muted the tremendous amount of power contained within him. Even worse, one of his regrettably millennial trappers had even dared to describe Alexandru's reputation as 'overhyped', and despite his own dislike of the half-demon, the term had Micah wanting to smack some sense into the trapper's head.
Micah might not be as old as the vampire, but he was no callow youth either. He had courted death enough times to know when he was facing a killer, and Alexandru Gheorgiu?
The man was capable of assassinating an entire army without blinking an eye, and it fucking grated on Micah, now that he knew Zari wasn't just the vampire's pet...but his heartkeeper as well.
Just thinking about Zari and Alexandru together had him seeing red again, but Micah forced himself to get past this, saying finally, "I haven't asked for this meeting to discuss my lineage."
Alexandru's gaze glinted at the admission. "If you are going to say that is because of Zari," he advised silkily, "it's best that you forget any romantic notions you have of my pet. If you weren't able to make her turn your way while I was gone, you absolutely do not have a chance of doing so now that I'm back."