Chapter 13

She just kept looking at me, almost as if she hadn't witnessed me kill someone. I couldn't help but find her behavior rather amusing, despite the gravity of the situation. As she continued staring at the last man alive, I took the shot and ended his life with a single bullet to the head.

She flinched ever so slightly before looking up at me. "Master?" she began, her voice trembling. I raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to speak. "My dress has been stained," she said, a hint of concern in her voice.

I couldn't help but smile at her comment. "You don't feel sympathy for these humans, do you?" I asked, curious to understand her perspective.

"I believe they hurt you," she mumbled, her words filled with a mix of empathy and resignation. "Even if I did feel sympathy, you would still kill them. It would be a waste of emotions, wouldn't it? So it's not necessary."

Her calm response surprised me. "You didn't freak out at the sight of dead bodies," I remarked, genuinely intrigued by her lack of reaction.

"I've seen dead bodies before. I feed them to wolves," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I'm just used to seeing them by now. So, can I get the money now?"

I let out a chuckle, shaking my head. "No," I replied, a playful smile forming on my lips. "Enough gambling for today. We have to go." Setting down my gun, I pulled out a piece of cloth from my pocket and started wiping my hands, though the bloodstains remained visible. "Give me a minute, Ava."

Heading to the bathroom, I carefully washed my hands, turning on the tap as my phone began to ring.

"Damon," I answered the call, recognizing Grant's voice on the other end. "My dear brother."

"Go straight to the point, Grant," I urged, eager to get to the heart of the matter.

"I want to see Lara, talk to her one-on-one," Grant said on the phone.

"No," I replied firmly.

"Why not?" Grant questioned, clearly not satisfied with my response.

"I don't need to give you reasons to stay away from my woman, Grant," I growled, my eyes fixed on my reflection in the mirror. "Besides, your idea of a date was horrible."

"She didn't like it?" Grant inquired, his voice filled with concern. Ignoring his question, I let out a sigh.

"Fine, I called because of the casino. The Dubric brothers seem to be there. Do I need to send men to eliminate them?" Grant continued.

"I have already taken care of it myself," I muttered, nodding to myself before exiting the bathroom. Ava stood nearby, watching the lifeless bodies with an inexplicable curiosity. "They were weak, a waste of my time," I added quietly, catching Ava's attention. I gestured for her to follow me.

"Did they tell you the reason for the outbreak of vampires in our territory?" Grant's curiosity seeped through his voice. However, I had no intention of sharing the details of my territory with someone like him. Annoyed, I decided to end the call, tired of his incessant questioning.

As we settled into the limo, Ava began to mumble, her shy side making a return. I found it irritating. "Where are we going?" she asked, her gaze averted. I chose not to respond to her question.

"Master?" she called out softly, seeking answers.

"You talk a lot," I mumbled, closing my eyes. "Relax, I told you earlier, I don't bite. And if I did, you would enjoy it."

" I won't," she said more to herself, thinking I won't be able to hear her voice" seem like you love it when I spank you Ava " I turn in her direction, open my eyes and stare at her "Believe me, if you give me another reason to spank you, I won't stop till hundred " her eyes widen from that " and you will be counting, am talking about your bare arse, no cloth covering them" retreating to my former position I close my eyes " to escape that, keep shut "

The ride was long and a little bit boring for me but then I already told her not to talk, opening my eyes I watched her texting someone on her phone, and she smiled and that's when I realized she had never smiled at me before.

"Who are you talking to?" I asked, noticing Ava hastily shoving her phone into her bag. Fear seemed to emanate from her as she struggled to compose herself.

"It's no one, just my mom," she replied, her voice shaky.

"Let me see it, Ava. Now," I demanded, my voice unintentionally coming across as rough. She reluctantly handed me the phone, and as I read the message, my suspicion grew. The number wasn't saved, indicating it was from someone unfamiliar. It had to be a guy, asking for her whereabouts.

UNKNOWN: WHERE ARE YOU, MY LOVE? I MISS YOU ALREADY... I WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU.

AVA: DO NOT STAY IN MY ROOM, THAT'S AN INVASION OF PRIVACY.

UNKNOWN: YOUR ROOM SMELLS NICE, LIKE STRAWBERRIES, JUST LIKE YOU.

AVA: (DROPPED A BLUSHING EMOJI) HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?

UNKNOWN: I STOLE IT, JUST LIKE I PLAN ON STEALING YOUR HEART.

Concern washed over me as I contemplated the situation. Who was this person and how did they have Ava's number? It was clear that Ava was unaware of this person's intentions. I knew I needed to handle the situation carefully for Ava's safety and well-being.

This was what brought a smile to her face. I shifted my gaze back towards her, and she met my eyes, awaiting my reaction. My fist clenched involuntarily as I inhaled deeply. "You like him?" I questioned, my voice filled with a mix of frustration and concern.

"I don't know," she mumbled, but it was far from a satisfactory answer.

A bitter smile formed on my face. "I don't care if you do. Whoever tries to take you away from me will face severe consequences. And I mean it when I say you belong to me," I asserted, my hand gently holding her chin to make her look at me. "Whether it's by force or willingly, you are mine, Ava. Mine and mine alone."

"We are here, sir," the driver's voice interrupted, alerting us to our location. I tightly grasped her hand and pulled her out of the car and towards a nearby forest. Once we reached a river, I gestured for her to sit down, without any objections from her.

Settling down, I turned around and rested my head on her thigh, closing my eyes as the cool air enveloped us. It was already late, and I hadn't realized how much time we had spent at the casino. The surrounding trees and flowers facilitated a comforting breeze.

I could sense the tension in her body as I rested against her, but gradually, she began to relax. "Speak your mind," I murmured, giving her the invitation to share her thoughts.

"The phone was expensive. I had just bought it, and you threw it away just because you were jealous," she finally spoke, voicing her dissatisfaction.

"Jealous?" I opened my eyes and locked my gaze with hers. She looked down at me, and I offered a smile. "What's so wrong with being jealous?" I furrowed my brows, genuinely seeking to understand her perspective.

"I belong to no one," she grumbled, her voice filled with defiance. "I have my own life to live, you know, so you can't just claim me like an object."

I let out a tired sigh, sitting up and gazing at the stars before turning towards her. My brows furrowed, and I admitted, "I am jealous." It was a new emotion for me, one I hadn't experienced before. Today had been full of surprises, including moments of laughter.

What other emotions lay dormant within me?

"How interesting," I muttered, leaning closer to her and placing a gentle kiss on her neck. I inhaled the sweet scent of her, sensing her surprise as she tensed up. A faint moan escaped her lips as I licked that spot. Pulling away, I looked into her eyes, noticing the glistening in those brown orbs. "You make my world feel exquisite, Ava," I confessed, and she looked genuinely surprised.

"For making me laugh, I will do just about anything you wish. But it has to be one thing," I declared, holding her chin with my hand.

"Put me on a full salary without me coming to work," she requested, and I could sense her fondness for money.

"No," I replied firmly, my voice revealing my inner conflict. It appeared that granting her that request was the only way I could continue seeing her.

"You said anything!" she protested, her voice loud as I stood up and shoved my hand into my pocket. "Okay, how about..." she trailed off, hopping to her feet and positioning herself in front of me, her eyes shimmering. "Tomorrow, you and I will go to an amusement park, and all expenses will be on you."

The thought of going to an amusement park, a place for children to play, didn't appeal to me. I had never been to one, and my instinct told me I didn't want to go. So, my answer was simple: "No."

"How about I spank you?" she grinned mischievously, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

Spank me? Had she lost her mind? "No."

"Hey, that's not fair!" she continued complaining, but I couldn't help but smile as I looked down at her. She resembled a child throwing a tantrum, and as soon as she noticed me staring, her voice softened, and she fell silent.

Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her closer to me, our bodies pressed against each other. Crouching down, I kissed her, lingering longer than usual. At first, she didn't respond, but then she caught up, matching my intensity.

I refrained from invading her mouth with my tongue this time, wanting to keep the kiss brief but impactful, a reminder that she was mine and no one else's. As I pulled away, she covered her mouth with her hand. "Okay," she mumbled.

"Okay to the spanking or amusement park?" I asked, my brow furrowing. She nodded, a smile forming on her face. "Amusement park it is," I declared, and her smile widened. It wasn't difficult to make her smile, I realized.

"Am I allowed to scream 'master'?" she playfully asked before squealing, "I'm finally going to Wonderland!" It was amusing how she managed to bring out a child-like excitement in me, even though she was taking me there for her enjoyment. Quite cunning, indeed. Watching her smile and giggle softly, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Trickery, are you now?" I mumbled, but she just flashed me a smile that melted my heart. If only she knew that she held me firmly in the palm of her hand.

If only.