My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

"That… is a perfectly natural reaction." Yuri said dryly.

Ezra said nothing, watching her.

"Don\'t worry." Yuri said seriously, her eyes reflecting her sincerity. "I may have lost my humanity but not my values. I\'m not the kind of Countess to sacrifice her Subjects even if it meant ending the war early, Ezra Matten. You\'re as safe here as you would be in your own home."

She sighed, looking up at Ezra. "Southside will be built on loyalty and trust. And I want you to be at the forefront, Ezra Matten."

Ezra studied her intently, knowing his safety depended upon his ability to discern if Yuri was being truthful or lying.

She had a way to end the war by using Ezra and she wasn\'t taking it. Ezra went through the reasoning he had given Yuri in his head. He knew she wasn\'t as greedy as Solomon, as ambitious as Helena or as egocentric as Griffin.

She might very well be the only count in the city who was level headed enough to make the right decision in cases like this.

After long tense seconds that felt more like years, Ezra dropped his stance. Yuri sighed in relief even as she noted that he still remained guarded. That was unavoidable with the cat out of the bag. The only thing to do was to regain his trust.

She sighed. Harder said than done but it was worth it. A little bloodshed now was a lot better than being deposed and alone in the future.

She always kept the long game in mind when making decisions. She knew what her greatest enemy was. Not Solomon. Not betrayals. Instant gratification.

It was the killer of a lot of counts.

Her attention snapped back to Ezra as he slowly walked back to his seat. She watched him, trying to appear as non threatening as a countess could possibly be.

"You know, while I do believe your words, I have to say this." Ezra said. "I have three vampires who trust and rely on me. If I have to be sacrificed for whatever greater good, I\'ll take everyone I can down with me." He finished, holding her gaze, his eyes filled with the same intensity that indicated imminent violence.

"I understand." Yuri nodded regally. "I\'m not in the habit of pandering to the greater good, Ezra Matten. That, you can be sure of."

Yuri nodded at his words. "I have no doubt about that. I only hope that one day, Southside will become just as important to you."

Yuri stood, nodded at Ezra and turned to leave.

Ezra watched the woman go, his mind turning over what just happened. He knew that his respect for this vampire had just gone up. Taking the right way instead of the easy way.

She didn\'t deserve whatever it was Ivo and Armand were planning against her.

"Yuri?" He called out before he could stop himself. This had to be the first time he\'d called her by her name only.

Yuri stopped, turning to look at him.

"Be careful." He said, voice low but filled with meaning.

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked, both eyebrows raised.

Ezra hesitated for half a second. He\'d already opened his mouth but he still had to be careful. He wasn\'t here to inherit someone else\'s vendetta. He had places to be and a world to save. Eventually.

"Keep your eyes peeled." He said. "Those closest to you might be the ones holding a dagger behind their back. Not everyone who smiles at us has our best interests in heart."

Yuri stood there, pondering Ezra\'s words, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Ezra could see the suspicion slowly appear on her face. Her red iris went haywire for a second, spinning crazily on her eyes before settling down. She seemed to have gotten something from his message, even as her expression didn\'t change.

"Thank you, Ezra." She nodded in thanks. "I appreciate your concern."

With that, she left the library as silently as she had entered.

Ezra watched her go, urging her to be vigilant in the privacy of his mind. He\'d rather have a countess like Yuri than counts like Ivo and Armand. Besides, he didn\'t want the situation in the city to go from bad to worse. It was better for him to be bored than to be fighting tooth and nail.

He sat back down carefully, unable to go back to what he had been reading. His mind was running a mile a minute, knowing he\'d have to pay more attention to the war.

He\'d been blindsided by this. If the offer had been made to Griffin, Ezra knew the man would take it if the offer benefited him. He was lucky it was Yuri instead.

This was also one of the advantages of the plan to seduce Helena. Having her on his side would mean being more informed on the state of affairs in the city. Having to fuck her would also be a plus. Peeling that uniform off her body and showing her the errors of her ways.

Even in this situation, a small grin made it to his face.

He sighed. He had to wait for Gen or he\'d have left there immediately. He leaned back on his chair. Today has been a lot more eventful than the past week.

**********

Yuri rode the elevator up to her throne room. Her mind was on Ezra\'s words.

Those closest to her hiding a dagger? It had to be Ivo and Armand he had been talking about. They were the closest to her.

Her mind went back to the days when she had stumbled upon them by accident. They had been weak and their covens had been destroyed. She\'d taken them under her wings and built them back up. They\'d had a mutually beneficial agreement and she knew she\'d been more than fair to both men.

Through her Aura, she watched Ezra Matten as he sat in the library, trying to read his book. What had he seen to give such a warning?

The elevator dinged and she walked out, going to sit on her throne.

She knew her attitude and guard were relaxed when it came to Ivo and Armand but they were her husbands, were they not? If she couldn\'t be relaxed with them, who would she be able to relax with?

She sighed as she sat on her throne. Ezra wouldn\'t say anything if he had no cause to.

Her attention shifted to Ivo and Armand. They were wandering the domain, comparing each other\'s muscles in good cheer as they were wont to do. Nothing seemed suspicious about them.

Then, her mind went back to the time she\'d asked Ivo and Armand about sacrificing Ezra. The two men were the kind of people who would be willing to make the sacrifice but they had actively advised her against it.

At the time, it had been a bit odd but paired with the warning she\'d received, it was looking a lot more suspicious. Did they have a reason to want Ezra alive? Was Ezra also in league with them?

No. If Ezra was in on whatever was going on, he wouldn\'t have warned her.

Her finger traced the armrest of her throne as she searched for other suspicious moments. She didn\'t find anything.

She sat back, wondering if she\'d been too trusting with her husbands or too blind to their true intentions, whatever it was. She wondered if she was being overly suspicious.

She wanted to trust them but there was no smoke without a fire.

At this point, it didn\'t matter. The seed has been planted by Ezra. It was up to her to see if it was genuine or not.

This was a time of war. Betrayal could come from anywhere and is even a lot more common than in peacetime. Chaos was a ladder and the opportunists wouldn\'t miss a chance this big. Who knew when another war would come. Twenty years? Fifty?

Hundred?

She\'d have to be vigilant, even with those she considered closest to her.

As if on cue, Ivo and Armand entered the library, heading to Ezra. Her attention stayed on them. This was as good a time as any to observe.

**********

Ezra had been trying and failing to read the book in his hands since Yuri had left. His eyes had been sliding off the words on the page, his mind faraway from his body.

He was almost caught unawares by the appearance of Ivo and Armand.

Even if his mind was occupied, his senses were on high alert, so he had been able to sense them from the moment they entered the corridor leading into the library.

He steeled himself for the encounter.

With his warning, he knew Yuri would be watching.

Let her see what her husbands were up to.