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had an eternity to change a few decades of bad learning. Hopefully, taken away from his arrogant, spiteful father, Luka would start to understand the world. He’d help his mate stand on two feet and be less of a brat.
    Luka moved from his body. Instantly, the warmth was gone. Vampires were always cold, but having his mate so close warmed his skin. The warmth had filled him, chasing the cold away. He closely watched as the small elf looked around the living room.
    Zed had owned the building for over a hundred years. He converted the top floors into apartments for his adopted sons, Jacob and Sage, and his most trusted associates. A good thing now that his mate was moving in.
    Luka would piss off a lot of vampires as Zed helped him become a better person. The hostility between vampires and elves didn’t help. Other vampires might feel justified hurting Luka for being an elf, but he trusted the people living in this building. He didn’t trust them to treat the elf with respect, but he trusted them not to kill the young prince. Of course, if Luka acted too much like a spoiled brat, all bets were off.
    Luka looked around the living room. The smaller man couldn’t hide his distaste for the furniture and the basic features of the room. As his eyes darted around, his expression soured.
    “I’m sorry if the room isn’t up to the normal standards that the elf prince is accustomed to. I hope it’s not too shabby,” Zed said sarcastically.
    “No, it’s fine,” Luka said. “It’s just I thought there would be more colors. Everything is black, white or a dull gray. Imagine yellows, greens and blues. The place would shine.” Luka smiled at the mention of adding brightness to the room.
    Zed wanted to smile. Luka’s face had lightened up thinking about making this room more of a home. Without the guarded expression, Luka looked younger and more innocent. His mate’s smile was breathtaking, but Zed needed to be firm. He wouldn’t spoil the elf prince by ignoring the rude behavior. His mate needed to learn proper etiquette.
    “When you enter someone’s home, you should be honest, but if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything. You might also try to thank them for having you as a guest. That’s common courtesy. Your response was inappropriate,” Zed informed Luka. The vampire prince almost backed off when the relaxed expression changed back into the guarded one Zed now hated. He wouldn’t waver. It was his job to teach his mate. He, too, was a prince, the ruler of a territory. He wanted an equal and loving relationship and no matter how much he wanted to strip Luka of his clothes and see every inch of the beautiful skin, his elf mate needed to learn the basics of diplomacy.
    “I don’t need you to lecture me. I’m not visiting a stranger’s home. I am in my mate’s home. Do you want me to treat you formally and never speak the truth? We can have that type of relationship.” The anger blazed in Luka’s violet-blue eyes.
    “In the beginning, that’s the way it must be. At least until I know you won’t disgrace the territory with your selfishness.” Zed almost backed down after seeing the life leave Luka’s eyes. The anger disappeared into a blank stare. Zed needed to be strong for the both of them. The elf prince wouldn’t be warmly welcomed in his territory, but a selfish elf prince wouldn’t be welcomed at all.
    “Fine. What do you expect?” Luka asked. His violet-blue eyes held little emotion as though the small elf just shut off his feelings.
    “I’ll prepare a list of chores for around the building. You can show the rest of the vampires your willingness to help. It’s important they don’t see the selfishness that’s rotting your soul. Try to show them that you care about something other than yourself.”
    “Chores?” Luka asked.
    “Yes, it will help build character.” Zed sighed. The idea of chores seemed completely alien to the beautiful elf.
    Luka clenched his fist. “Tell me,