Chapter 4

Eduardo opened his eyes with a smug smile plastered on his lips.

After a short but effective conversation with Christine the previous night, he was certain she would be waiting for him obediently in her room.

Despite her resistance, she had finally realized that he was stronger, both in his will and his desires.

After all, he was her Master now; she owed him total obedience, not to mention that she belonged to him completely. If he had decided to claim her, Christine had only one choice: to accept him.

Eduardo had subtly warned her that she should sleep during the day instead of wandering off to explore the city as she usually did.

From that moment on, she would be back in his bed as often as he desired. She would serve him with her delicious body, untouched by any other man. Smiling at that thought, he felt proud and satisfied.

Things were moving forward as he had planned; it had taken some time to bring his plan to fruition, but the day to assume leadership of the Camarilla clan had finally arrived.

His plans were not yet fully in motion, but soon everything would be well underway.

Christine did not know she was destined to be a vampire. He intended to turn her that very night; a half-breed was of no use to him, and they were harder to control due to their ability to walk in the daylight. He did not want loose ends in his plans, and Christine could become one of his greatest weaknesses if he did not keep her under his watchful eye at all times.

After a relaxing shower, Eduardo dried his golden hair, combing it carefully back after applying a moisturizing lotion. While appreciating his reflection in the mirror, he sketched a wide smile, proud of what he saw.

Tossing the towel onto an armchair, he donned a blood-red shirt accompanied by a dark grey Ralph Lauren suit, finishing with his black, shiny shoes—still unworn.

He liked to stand out with his good taste; after all, he had to show his superiority, grooming himself like a king to meet his beautiful half-breed so that she would appear submissive.

Wearing a smug smile, he approached Christine’s room, his eyes narrowing immediately. Strange; she should have been there, waiting for him patiently.

Without any subtlety, the door was swung open with brutality. Eduardo looked around, scanning every corner; the room was empty, but her perfume still lingered in the air.

He went downstairs and headed to the kitchen, which was also strangely empty. It was a place he rarely visited in that mansion, though it was a natural habit for Christine, as she had to feed a few times a day. He never thought a Dhampir would disturb his senses so much.

In the beginning, Eduardo barely noticed the female—an almost insignificant adolescent growing up among powerful vampires—but her beauty became apparent when his libido reacted to her presence.

Her scent aroused him, even more so when she defied him with innocent looks and smiles, until she became a goal. Taking her before anyone else did excited him more than he had anticipated; it was a delicious challenge that enthused him.

Olson protected her like the daughter he had always wanted and never had, which prevented Eduardo from advancing directly.

But as he crafted his plan to take over the clan, the desire to have Christine joined the mix.

Why not take both at the same time?

Exactly as it happened, on the night that innocent and naive female fell into his bed, he became the Master. It wasn't easy to catch Olson off guard, but he had achieved his goal, and that was all that mattered.

Collateral damage was difficult to avoid; Christine had been a partial witness to his betrayal, as well as a delicious alibi. That was one more reason to keep her very close. And where would be closer than by his side, in his bed?

In the distance, Andreia was on her way with Matias. Feeling that something unprecedented surrounded them, Eduardo furrowed his brow.

The male accompanying her was very anti-social—a good acquisition for his clan, seeing as he was a strong soldier, but not one very fond of making intimate friendships.

Threatening Christine the previous night had been one of the options to convince her to stay on his side, although a threat directed at her personally would not have worked.

She had a defiant personality, determined to oppose everything she did not agree with, even at the risk of suffering physical consequences. But as a keen observer, he knew her friend Andreia was an ideal target to threaten to achieve his goal, which proved to be correct; she had agreed immediately to his conditions.

During the week of mourning, Eduardo had distanced himself from the other inhabitants of the house to take care of the bureaucracy of passing from co-regent to Master, which took some time, but a new couple in the clan was news, even to him.

"Matias!" Eduardo sounded a bit annoyed when he waved to them both. "I didn't know you had claimed Andreia. Why wasn't I notified?"

"With the death of our Master, it was difficult to reach you."

Holding his companion’s hand gently, reassuring her when she started at the encounter, he added, "Occupied with the succession proceedings, I left the information for later."

Matias stared at him firmly, as always; his expression did not change. "After all, my bonding doesn't affect you at all, does it?"

"Certainly, everything is fine. I'm happy for you both." Eduardo congratulated him, patting him on the back. He had to admit it was a surprise, but nothing that affected him directly. Well, Andreia would be better protected from him, actually. Furrowing his brow for a second, he became thoughtful. "By any chance, have you seen Christine?"

"I haven't seen her since I was claimed." Andreia smiled, embarrassed; it was rare for them to leave their room. "I would have liked to see her to share the news."

Andreia was telling the truth regarding Christine, but the claiming had been the day before.

He knew something was up when Matias came to her room and confessed his feelings. He had explained that Christine had sought him out to claim her that very night; she did not want to be a target of Eduardo's revenge for something she might do.

Being bonded, no one could touch her, not even the Master of her clan. Eduardo let out an exhale, moving forward with long strides, ignoring them completely as he headed toward his office.

"Do you know if Christine left early this morning?"

Suspicious and starting to get into a bad mood, he threw himself into his armchair.

"Grab some men and search for Christine." Eduardo was still irritated, pacing from one side to the other. "I don't want her hurt, but do whatever you have to do to bring her back."

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"The only option she has is to find protection..." Pacing frustratedly with that idea, he stopped abruptly, eyeing them menacingly. "Scout around... search the area around the houses that provide asylum." Screaming, he approached, irritated. "Split up if necessary, and as soon as you find her, notify me." Eduardo felt increasingly out of control as he thought about it. His anger grew to the point where he wanted to kill someone. He was the only one who should be protecting her, taking care of her, giving her pleasure. "HURRY UP!!!! Night has only just fallen; she hasn't had much time yet to find help."

"We depart immediately!" Tattoo left the room without delay, giving no opening to be the target of his wrath.

"Christine! Christine..." Eduardo growled through clenched teeth; the rage was evident. His lackey knew how cruel he could be when he lost his temper. "With this, my sympathy is at an end." Breathing deeply, his gaze fixed on the door that slammed shut without hesitation.

His cold and menacing voice rang out in the macabre silence that settled over the room. "Since you wouldn't come willingly... then... you will come by force."