Emmy leaned to the side and kissed his cheek. “Then I hope all your wishes come true, and you find yourself with the bestest, cruelest master who adores you all the way to your soul.”
“Speaking of adoring masters,” Rhea said, “We’ve barely seen you. Spill, girlfriend.”
Emmy shrugged and popped another roast beef mini sandwich in her mouth.
“I’ve been spending ten and twelve hours a day on my thesis. Sequencing, mapping breakdowns, building models. Not much gossip in that.”
Felix leaned in and sniffed, then looked at Rhea.
“I am horrified to scent truth in her words. How sad is that? Living with a submissive wolf and a Master Vampire, and she’s all work and no play? That may be the most depressing thing I’ve heard inmonths.”
Laughter rippled around the table, fond rather than mocking, and Emmy felt the warmth of it settle in her chest. These people had become her chosen family, and she missed their warmth and their chaos.
“Zander has been busy, and Spence puts food in front of me when I forget to eat. I have a lot of work to do before we return to Anchorage, so I can hit the ground running with live trials. It works out, since the two of them are busykeeping all the vampires entertained. I figure that will change once we return to Anchorage.”
Conversation drifted to the evening’s frenzy and the excitement of playing the part of Alice, for the women, and the March Hare, for the men. The costumes were detailed and exquisite. The vampires would be either The Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts, depending on gender, and it promised to be a wild evening.
“Can’t wait to see Spence with hare ears,” Felix teased, waggling imaginary ones. “He’ll look adorably deranged.”
Rhea snorted. “And Zander as the Hatter? All that cool control cracking into madness? Deadly.”
Emmy laughed with them, the easy camaraderie wrapping around her like a blanket — good friends, fun gossip, and the promise of dark theatrical sex.
And while she was in a good mood, she called her mother when she returned to her suite, before she started getting ready for the frenzy. She was growing to enjoy these video chats, hearing about her siblings, telling her mom about her thesis progress. It was grounding, and it felt good.
Later that night, while she removed her Alice makeup, Zander stepped to the doorway and leaned against the frame, watching her like the predator he is.
Was he upset with the smell of another vampire on her? She wasn’t sure, but she’d signed a contract to be flock, and it was important she follow through with it.
“The Harvest Gala is next week,” she told him.
He lifted a brow. “I’m aware.”
“I mean. I’m being paid to be flock. It’s important I do what I signed up to be. That means I’ll smell like a whole lot of vampires, after. Not just one.”
His voice was careful. Soft. “Is that what you want to do?”
“I want to do what I’m being paid to do.” She heard the defensive edge in her voice, but couldn’t help it. “I don’t want people thinking I’m getting special treatment.”
Zander studied her for a long moment. “You have the option of belonging to me or being part of the flock, and that’s a decision only you can make.”
His words hit like a sledgehammer. It was hard to breathe for a second, and her chest hurt.
“I don’t want tobelongto anyone else,” she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I want to be your partner. But I also don’t want to skimp out on my obligations. How can I do both?”
“What do you think your obligations are, Emerald?”
“I’m contracted to be available for feeding and sex during the events. To perform in the feeding frenzies. To—”
“Your contract,” Zander interrupted quietly, “says you’re part of the flock, and subject to any assignment that does not contradict the pain level you agreed to. And not only that, you were clear you prefer to give pain rather than receive it. The question isn’t about your obligations, Emmy. The question is whether you’ll accept an assignment as my lover — and sadist to Spencer.”
Her heart skipped faster, but she looked down at her bare feet because his eyes were just too intense. “But I’mbeing paid to be flock. I can’t let you pay me to be your girlfriend.”
“You’re still doing the work,” Zander said. “The feeding frenzies. Your presence at the events. But more than that…” He finally reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek. “You’re mine, Emmy. You and Spencer both, and I take care of what’s mine. That’s not charity. That’s not me paying you to be my arm candy. That’s me making sure you’re secure while we all build something that matters.”
“That sounds like—”
“Like a partnership,” he finished. “Which is what you said you wanted.”
