Jealousy

Jaden could feel and perceive Zuri running after him.

Why was she following him to the place where killings happened? Yes, she was his assistant but he didn't want her exposed to such a scene. It could scare her and somehow, Jaden found himself not wanting Zuri to feel that way.

He waited for her in a corner just for the sake of it.

When Zuri was about to pass where he stood, he pulled her into the corner quickly but gently.

"Where are you going?" Jaden asked as he held her in place to face him directly.

"I was following you..." she replied, her eyes wide with surprise. She didn't know he'd been waiting for her.

"But I am here," Jaden said.

He stared into her eyes and felt the innate need to protect her. It had been mere hours since Zuri arrived at his side, but Jaden already wanted to shield her from the power game and danger going on in the palace and in Transmere as a whole.

It was one of the reasons he had his eye on Kane where Zuri was concerned.

Zuri averted her gaze. She was shocked at how close they stood together.

She didn't know how to act or where to look at.

"Why do you want to come with me? I only need your help within the palace. Vampires were killed, Zuri. It is no place for you to be..." Jaden said.

Zuri shrugged out of his hold.

"I can handle it," she said curtly.

Jaden smiled while staring at her still -- and he rarely smiled. He had long since noticed that she was stubborn and would do what was on her mind, regardless. Even though she followed his orders, somehow, Zuri still looked for a way to do what she wanted to do.

"Alright then... but stay close to me," Jaden said.

At that statement that Jaden just made, Zuri's face reddened. The thought of being close to Jaden crossed her mind. The way he had held her so close to his chest, the way her heart had pounded in her chest — all those thoughts swam across her mind in one go.

"I don't like what is happening in this town..." Jaden said to her as he took her hand and began to walk towards where they had said the killing had taken place.

* * *

On getting to the place, Jaden was stopped on the way by one of the maids that attended to Stephan.

"My prince," the maid greeted as she bowed her head a little.

"What is it again?" Jaden asked, wondering if something else had happened. He hoped that they knew that he could not share himself. Still, he waited for what the maid had to say to him.

"Prince Stephan called for assistance and he doesn't want it from any of us..." she said.

"Assistance for what?"

"He said there's a tea that Ms. Zuri makes... he says that he would like to have some."

Jaden glared at the maid as he tried to understand what she was saying -- as he tried to make sense of it all.

Zuri, on the other hand, furrowed her brows at the maid and watched her shrug discreetly.

Jaden turned around and looked at Zuri. "Has he ever tasted the tea that you make for me?" he asked with a frown on his face.

Her hand was still in his all this while and he had no intention of letting her go. The whole place was swimming with vampires that had things coming out of their mouths — vampires that weren't thinking any longer. He could not allow Zuri to roam about without him being near her.

Zuri nodded.

"Hmm... you will tell me about that later..." he said. Jaden then turned to the maid and said, "Tell Stephan that we will return as soon as possible and she would make the... the um... tea for him. He should be patient."

With that, Jaden walked away from where they had been standing.

"Honestly, no one should stop me again..." he said. In his thoughts, Jaden was trying to ascertain when and where Zuri could've brewed tea for Kaleb.

If he didn't like Stephan, it would have been a different matter. Still, Jaden couldn't deny the fact that he felt somewhat uncomfortable at that thought.

"So you are taking care of Kaleb too?" Jaden asked in a low tone. It was as if he had just thrown a casual question but he was impatiently expectant for a response.

"He needs care more than any other person. That is what I think."

Jaden's chest tightened. He stopped.

"You are my assistant. Mine. No one else's. Do you not know that?"

"I know that," Zuri replied. Her cheeks were hot from the piercing gaze from the prince.

'What did Prince Stephan want from her?' Zuri thought. There were lots of feelings that she felt just from communicating or being close to her master.

Jaden caught himself staring at her lips. He was about to say something but stopped himself.

"Let's go," he said.

It didn't go unnoticed to Zuri that the Prince's countenance had changed. His facial expression, too, had changed.

She glanced at him and saw that the muscles in his jaw rippled, making her think that he was upset.

However, Zuri could not understand what could've upset Jaden. Was it the fact that she had served Stephan tea? But that had happened just once and there was nothing to it — at least from where she was standing.

"I will not serve him again..." Zuri muttered.

"It is not about that," Jaden said.

'Or was it?' he thought. All he knew was that envy was rippling through his heart. It clawed at his heart and threatened to cause him to burst into fury. It took him a while to realize it but he was jealous — so jealous that he still awaited for his chest to feel normal again.

He cleared his throat feeling petty with his behavior.

"You can make tea for him but..."

"But what?"

"Would it be too much if I say I have to be there when you serve him?"

"What do you think would happen? Will he attack me?" Zuri asked.

"No... Stephan is not like that. If it was Kane, then that's a different matter," he replied.

"Then what could it be, if I may ask?"

Jaden did not respond to that question. He didn't know what to say. No, he knew what to say but how could he tell Zuri, his assistant, that he was jealous and thought that if she began to spend time with Stephan, things might escalate from there?

"We are almost there, Zuri," Jaden finally said, intentionally changing the subject of their conversation.

Zuri's eyes looked forward and she could see bodies on the floor. She could also spot Kane's white hair as he squatted near one of the carcasses.

'How had he gotten there before us?' she wondered.

Jaden could feel her discomfort and he knew the exact reason why.

"Don't worry. Wait in that corridor for me. Let me see to this. I will come back for you," Jaden said.

Zuri nodded.

"When I return, you will tell me when you made tea for Stephan."

Zuri could not believe her ears. Was the prince really serious right now?