"Strip!"
The woman spoke, the sharpness in her voice cutting into the still air. Aira's eyes widened instantly, unable to help the reaction—especially when the woman hadn't even paused before the command came rumbling out of her mouth. It was so blunt, so unapologetically delivered, that it stole the breath from her for a second. The older vampire even seemed to relish the shock on Aira's face, a smug little expression curling at her lips as if she enjoyed watching the younger woman squirm.
But that smugness vanished the moment Zyren opened his mouth.
"Savira!" he snapped, his tone sharp and deep, laced with a displeasure that was impossible to mistake.
Savira reacted immediately, her posture lowering into an even deeper bow than before. The weight of his authority seemed to press into the air between them as she began to apologize without hesitation.
