Page 50 of Beneath the Watching

I heard Josiah laugh, a light chuckle under his breath as he gazed at me. The asshole knew I was struggling. “What’s that saying? Don’t show them your sweat.”

Shooting him a glare, I replied, “It's no concern of yours.” With my current level of irritation, I knew I was leaking like a broken pipe, and I had to wonder why the man who’d shoved a boot into my spine was bothering to say anything.

Sem clapped his hands together suddenly, drawing the attention back to him. “There’s no use in hiding it. We know about your friend Ramone’s machinations along with Ilya. It is getting out of hand and threatening our authority over the Third Realm. The arrival of these half breed women is entirely too coincidental, and this issue must be dealt with quickly lest the chain of command falter.”

Stunned, I interjected, “What do you mean to do?”

“While we admittedly admire the dark prince’s brilliance and ingenuity, he will not be allowed to reign unchecked—if he’sallowed to reign in any capacity. The half breed human, Kiara, is sadly lost to us, however, this Mabel woman is still available.”

More of my aura poured out as I struggled to contain it. “What of Julian?”

The High Lord lifted his glass and even from here, I could see bits of flesh floating suspended in the liquid. “We have seen it; he will be rendered ineffective. He means to drain her himself but that will not happen.” He took a sip, swallowing loudly before chewing and gulping again. “Your insult to this court has been noted.”

As one of Lucian’s councilmen, I should’ve been conscientious of the rules and intricacies of court. Immediate obedience had been expected of me and not delivered. “None was intended, my Lord, please accept my apology.”

Giving no indication my repentance was received, Sem went on, “All of you frequenting the Third Realm with careless abandon will ultimately be restrained. There was no discussion and there was no advisement before the industry was formed.”

Sem was referring to the marketing business Ilya and Ramone had started, one utilizing images humans found alluring, irresistible, and seductive. It instigated an emotional reaction and released the ensuing energy into the air to be dined on by demons and other dark beings. It unleashed untold wealth and opportunities that should’ve defaulted to the High Court. The two entrepreneurs planned to branch out into other lucrative avenues, according to Ilya, but there was no way to know if the Court was aware.

I was not friends with Ramone, despite Sem’s referring to him as such, and had no knowledge as to how he’d ever come up with the ingenious idea to harness natural power and create an industry.

All I knew was I benefited from it. Ilya had once explained to me it worked in conjunction with the magic contained in the Fourth Realm, but I hadn’t been paying close enough attention.

“My Lord, I am uninvolved with any of that.”

Sem made a tsking sound. “But you navigate the same circles and benefit from their liberty.”

Any response to that statement would be unwise so I remained quiet. “Bring in the entertainment,” Sem bellowed, lifting a hand in the air.

The doors at the end of the dining room opened and a group of men and women strolled in, in various stages of undress. Their appearance was designed to appeal to baser instincts, with the men shirtless and the women’s hips swaying dramatically. My physical response and the temptation were instant, though I wouldn’t indulge in it.

Instead, I imagined my love in a silky dress, my hand wandering up her thigh to elicit the sweet sounds I’d become immediately addicted to upon listening. Fondly, I remembered fingering her at the table in the casino. But more than anything, I wanted to get back to her and make sure she was okay. The more time I spent away from her, the more I knew I needed to get home.

She faced danger from multiple sources. While I was being kept here, I couldn’t even begin to fight for her, and I had to trust Benjamin and Jack had everything under control. A sense of foreboding began to creep up my spine, as if an alarm bell had tripped, but I couldn’t examine it or answer the call and stay alive.

The women and men Sem had called in made their way to the table, choosing their targets. A lithe blonde planted herself on Josiah’s lap, and I listened to the crunch of bone and snap of cartilage as he instantly sank his canines into her neck.

A woman approached me, and I turned my head away just in time to see Josiah’s mouth with streams of blood streaking down to mar his suit and a look of bliss contorting the woman’s face. He must’ve spelled her not to feel any pain.

The phenomenon interested me as a demon because it was the hurt and agony that tended to provide our deepest pleasure. We devoured it with relish, and I’d witnessed him enjoy the dark emotions from the receptionist. With the man being both equal parts vampire and demon, it was a curiosity to be present and see his reaction to the physical stimuli.

As if he’d sensed my perusal, he pulled his teeth from her neck and fixed his eyes on me, the depths of his irises swirling with dark, liquid fog.

Glancing away, I concentrated on the woman massaging my very hard cock. I hissed, closing my eyes. I felt Sem’s eyes on me and his careful observation. He was waiting to see what I’d do, waiting to catch me showing weakness and favor for my human ward.

But I wouldn’t sink my aching shaft into the warm, supple flesh gracing my lap. One doesn’t settle for scraps after they’ve tasted heaven.

However, I would feed. Twisting the female around, I let her press her bare breasts against my chest and I gripped her by the back of the neck. Shoving her hair out of my way, I flipped it back over her shoulder and trailed my lips and nose along her neck.

She’d been spelled to make her more malleable, and I could only guess at the circumstances that brought the full-blooded human here to the Second Realm. Likely, it was a tragic story wrought with violence, heartache, or some other type of trauma. It wasn’t my problem, but it delivered a sweeter tasting soul.

Inhaling, I let her aura and the ethereal wisp of her being flow into me. My mouth filled with saliva while I imbibed on her pain and tasted a succulent burst of flavors. Her nectar swamthrough me, lighting up my cells and replenishing my depleted stores while adrenaline raced through me.

Reveling in the aftermath, I let her body drop to the floor. She landed stuck between my and Josiah’s chairs and he shoved her with his boot until a servant dragged her away. If I wasn’t so worried about Mabel, I’d be having a fantastic time.

Silence descended over the room.

“Stefan, have you found my courtesy lacking? Are my sacrifices not good enough for you?” I heard his chair scrape against the floor, and I watched him saunter toward me. “Don’t insult this court by pretending. Nothing you do will stop what’s coming,” he hissed.

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