Chapter 18: To Learn

Ezra continued to walk through the forested woods a bit longer until he stopped, listening with his ears to make sure no one was around to bother them.

"Alright, this is a good spot." He turned around to see Katerina standing there silently.

"The first thing to learn is that you will be treated differently than other pets. I'm sure you noticed that today already." He watched her response.

She nodded. "I did."

"Good." He combed his slender fingers through his hair before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a cigar and a match, scraping the match alongside a tree to light it.

With a puff, he exhaled the smoke. "I have very little patience. So do keep up." He leaned against the tree.

"My previous experiences with pets have been.." he chuckled softly while breathing in another puff. "Complicated." He finished with the smoke releasing his lips.

Her eyes lifted upwards, "You've had pets before?" She questioned.

He nodded, "Of coarse they've all ended up dead otherwise I wouldn't have bought you." He smirked, almost as if he was warning her.

Her heart picked up in pace and he sensed it. "Calm down, my flower. I have no intentions of killing you." He watched her, "I have a different plan this time."

She looked at him confused and he rolled his eyes. "You're an exotic human. Like an exotic bird? Endangered species?" He searches her expression for answers but he sighed.

"To be so beautiful, you are not very intelligent." He chuckled.

Her body stiffened and she frowned at him. "I am intelligent. I know what an endangered species is." She continued to stare at him. "I just don't understand how I am an endangered species."

He puffed once more on his cigar then flicked it to the ground. "That makes more sense. You were never taught about vampires, were you?"

She shook her head in response.

Still leaning against the tree, "There are different types of vampires. The Royalty, Me." He smiled devilishly. "The pure bloods that are not royalty and then there are the half breeds." He felt a sense of disgust as he said those words.

"Half breeds are humans that have been turned into vampires. They were not born immortal."

She seemed to follow pretty well because it made sense, but she can't help shake the feeling that her cousin had been turned into a half breed. Either that or she was dead.

Ezra continued with his lecture, "Mobley is crawling with half-breed vampires because the Duke Alessandro has no idea how to run a region." He sighed. "That's probably why you were taken. Half-breeds are vicious and ruthless."

"But you are as well?" She commented.

"Yes I suppose so." He laughed. "I'm allowed to act as I please, pet. To be an almost five hundred year old vampire, I believe I have a say so."

Her eyes widened, "Five hundred years?" He nodded.

"There are some older than me. I look in my twenties do I not?" He questioned while raising his brow.

She looked away, "I suppose so." She whispered.

"Are you afraid of vampires?" This time he had stepped away from the tree and appeared in front of her without making a sound.

Her eyes turned to look at him again but she jumped when she realized he was in front of her. Was she afraid? The things he does and say seem to frighten her. Her parents were slaughtered by the half-breeds and she was then kidnapped. She should be afraid of them, right? Deep down inside of her, she wanted to revolt. She wanted to seek out every vampire involved that night and give them what they deserved. That feeling made her sick to her stomach because she was never that cruel. She has never disliked someone so much that she had wished death upon them or even torture.

When her hazel eyes met his, she spoke. "No." she breathed.

A pleasant smile appeared on his face, "I'm impressed." He took a ginger lock in between his fingers and twirled it slowly. She shivered from the satisfying feeling.

For a moment, they stood there in silence as he admired her lucious, curly hair and facial features as if he was in a trance. Katerina wanted to know, so she finally summoned the courage to ask him.

"Why are you treating me differently?" She questioned him which made his crimson eyes return to meet her.

"I am in the process of figuring that out just as you are." He let go of her hair. "Quite frankly, it angers me that I treat you so differently. Maybe it is because of your species or maybe it is because you are so defiant." He flashed her a fang-filled smile but she didn't shudder.

Ezra honestly could not describe or understand the emotions swirling in his mind about this girl. From the moment he met her, she had grasped a tight hold on him that terribly irritated him. He was always in charge and contained more power than most others, but he felt himself slipping into a submissive state when around her.

Katerina then asked another question, "What species am I?"

He looked at her for a moment then stepped back. "That will come later. First, you need to be able to obey especially when we are in front of others." He placed one hand in his pocket.

"Other vampires do not take so kindly to pets being so close to their owners and if they were to notice how lenient I am with you.." His words trailed off.

"What do you mean?"

"Older vampires like me are traditional. Our situation could be reported to the justice system." He looked at her once more. "And you would most likely be murdered in front of me as punishment."