~~

I walked back down the stairs of the ballroom straightening my white suit jacket I had retrieved from the poolside.

My pretty little pet was fast asleep curled in my bed, sexually satisfied.

getting her naked and into the indoor pool was probably something i would regret the moment I woke up sobered up, so was the fact that I ate her out, and that I left several hickies dotting her body.

Ah I'd probably regret not gagging her as well, that very well could have been my only chance to do such...and someone may have heard.

"Kaden baby there you are! I have been looking everywhere for you!"

I frowned looking to Angelica, my mood instantly deflated, I had forgotten coming back here would mean being near her again, "have you now?"

She nodded, "No one has seen you in over an hour where were you?"

"Having a taste of my pet and putting her to bed."

Pouting she straightened her back, "Kaden I understand she has rare blood for a little beastie but she is a woman somehow someway, she can put herself to bed."

I'm quite aware that she's a woman Angelica but she was simply exhausted and as her master it would have been rude to leave her to fend for herself after the ordeal I put her through."

"put her through? Kaden she's been keeping you from the ball because she got tiered! Thats selfish. And you bought her she should realize that she's fortunate and do whatever she can to please you."

I felt a smirk tug at the corner of my lips, "She's plenty good at pleasing me I assure you."

She gave a soft snort, "then why is she not by your side, loyally serving you as a good pet should?"

"Because I pushed her a bit too far and she passed out."

"You took that much blood from her? Kaden despite my distaste for her don't you think you should exercise a little more control? Nearly draining your new pet is so lower class, some of them even do it to train their pets you know I heard this one time that..."

I tuned her out, grabbing a glass of champagne from a tray as a servant walked by, nodding to my guests as they wished me a good evening and said their hellos. After a few moments I cut off whatever Angelica had been saying, "Angelica do you remember when we were children and there was that scandal in the town nearby?"

She gave a small laugh, "Kaden, Talking about our childhood makes me feel old."

"We are old Angelica, we were reaching the cusp of old age during the industrial revolution and now there are touch screens and holograms. I do believe there is no better word than old."

"I see you have been drinking, thats dangerous Kaden, you know how you get when you drink too much, pushy and rude."

I snorted, I am no different than myself when I'm drunk."

"Exactly. No one knows you as you, they know you as Lord Dawson."

"I am Lord Dawson"

"But you have this horrible habit of doing things you shouldn't, this rebellious faze of yours is getting a bit too much don't you think?" She gestured to my hair, "remember how people reacted when you did that to your beautiful hair, its a blemish many still frown upon."

I replaced my champagne glass with a new one, "Its modern Angelica, nothing wrong with modern. Now I believe I had asked a question."

Messing with her inky hair, she nodded, "I remember the Scandal, mother gossiped about it with all her friends. The whole thing was a disaster, his wife shamed forever by her own husband. Losttheir friends over it as well." She was quiet for a moment, shall nose wrinkling, "I never did understand why he chose that woman, he could have had an affair with anyone, but the family pet? Disgusting. His own daughter picked her out you know? And that little whore of a human repaid her by ruining her father forever."

"Pets were not a common thing back then Angelica, you know that, they were used more as slaves them. Keeping a human as a pet only became popular after humans became aware of our existence and started living under our law."

She waved me off, "He was an eccentric man who thought humans would make good pets and common then or not its still disgusting to lower yourself to lie with a human. Can you imagine Kaden, if someone had the audacity to do that these days?"

My lips formed a fine line, "Not at all."

"Ugh it disturbs me just thinking about it, with such a large community now and so many gorgeous vampires there is no reason to sleep with a human much less the lowest of the bunch, pets are nothing but animals even in the eyes of other humans after all."

I hummed, "technically the lowest in the humans eyes would be blood slaves."

"Blood slaves are at least necessary and useful...why were we talking about this again?"

I gave a halfhearted shrug, "No reason, just remembering old times."

"And you remember that awful thing? sometimes I wonder about you Kaden."

I watched the alcohol bubble in my glass, "my mysterious nature is one of the things that makes me popular amongst the ladies of the upperclass, I'm very...ah how so you and your friends put it?"

"We have many wonderful things to say about you, many too embarrassing to repeat but I believe the word you are looking for is prepossessing, all of the high class ladies find you prepossessing despite your little hiccups." She gestured to my hair again, "And that standoffish personality of yours just seems to make you all the more so. Many wonder why you're still a bachelor."

"perhaps I have yet to meet a woman of my criteria."

"Oh really and what might that be? I'm sure all the ladies would love to hear it next time we have tea."

"I want a woman with a brain, a good amount of fire. Someone to debate with if you will. Preferably with large innocent eyes and a pistol for a mouth. A woman who wouldn't mind receiving and providing a challenge and is...open in certain areas of our relationship."

Angelica shook her head a small laugh gracing her lips, "oh dear Kaden its no wonder you're still a bachelor. Perhaps I have a change yet, you will get bored trying to find that eventually Kaden, us vampires are not known for having pistols for mouths or an openness to new things especially improper."

I took a swig of my drink muttering to myself, "Perhaps that is why I am still a bachelor, the lot of you are nothing but boring prudish women."

She blinked at me, "I'm sorry Kaden darling, did you say something?"

I offered up a small smile, "nothing at all Angelica, nothing at all."

She started chatting about yet another thing I possibly couldn't care less about.