Page 94 of Collared by the Vampire Prince

I will not think of Nathaniel. I will not imagine his voice giving the same instruction. Yet the thought comes anyway. Is this what nearly happened in the cottage, when he had me pinned to the bed, my wrists trapped above my head and my body completely at his mercy?

If vampires are truly as ruled by appetite as everyone claims, why didn’t he take what he wanted from me?

Zott allows the chart to roll back into the ceiling. “Let us quickly recap the foundations of submission for Kira’s benefit.”

The sound of my name jolts me back to the present.

“What?” I splutter.

For one awful moment, I think he means to call me forward.

“Becky,” he says instead. “Come here.”

Becky rises eagerly and goes to the front of the room. She kneels beside Zott, her face flushed but bright with pride.

“Hands behind your back,” Zott instructs.

She obeys, clasping them at the base of her spine.

“Knees wider.”

Her blush deepens.

She adjusts them until the short red skirt lifts between her parted thighs. Felix tilts his head in interest.

“Excellent posture,” Zott praises. “Straight back, chest out. Mouth…” Her lips part, and he brushes her lower lip with his thick thumb, his own mouth curling into a satisfied smile. “Eager.”

Becky closes her lips around his thumb and sucks.

I stare, unable to believe my eyes.

“Ooh!” Zott jerks his hand back, though he is chuckling as he pats her on the head. “Careful, my dear. You’ll get me excited, and that lesson is for another time.”

A ripple of startled laughter moves through the room. Several vampires exchange raised brows, while the wolves nearest the front glance quickly at one another. Judging by their reactions, that was not part of the exercise.

“Sorry, sir.”

“Never apologise for eagerness, my dear,” Zott says warmly. “As I will continue reminding you all, Pet Obedience does not train pets alone. It trains their handlers too. Being a Master carries responsibility. Yes, we expect complete obedience, but remember—trust cannot flourish without some allowance for initiative. A truly good pet learns to anticipate his or her Master’s needs and may even surprise or delight. If a pet misjudges, we correct, but gently. We do not punish the very instinct we wish to encourage.”

His attention returns to Becky. “Now. Eyes on me.”

He places one broad palm between her shoulder blades, correcting her posture, then slides two fingers beneath her chin and tips her head back.

“Higher. There. Hold.”

She holds.

Her throat stretches smooth and vulnerable, the vein visible beneath her olive skin. With her similar complexion and dark brown hair, for one disorienting moment it is almost like seeing myself kneeling there before the enormous, brightly suited professor, my throat offered beneath his hand. Revulsion twists through me. What a vile thought.

“Very good, Becky,” Zott purrs, smiling down at her fondly. “I sense a straight-A student.”

She looks pleased. That might be the worst part.

“Now lie back.”

She hesitates.

“A pet needn’t be asked twice,” Zott says, not unkindly.