Page 56 of The Umbra King

“Taken care of by theAatxe.”

Caius’ frown deepened. How close was Rory to thisAatxefriend? “The reasons she killed don’t matter,” he said after a beat.

Sam stood, unfolding his long legs. “Yes, it does.”

He left, and his cryptic comment hung over Caius like a guillotine.

This woman would be the end of him.

Later,Caius fisted his cock as the warm water of his shower trickled down his chest. Visions of Rory on her knees were at the forefront of his mind, and he imagined kneeling behind her in that silk dress while she convulsed with pleasure. The slits of her barely-there dress would give him easy access, made even easier by her lack of panties.

He hated himself for wanting her, and he hated Sam for giving him hope she wasn’t as heartless as her crimes would suggest.

Up and down his hand went, imagining her riding him with slow, sensual movements. His name on her lips as her head fell back, and her long, dark hair brushed her breasts.

His fist moved faster as her lust filled eyes met his, and he groaned, slapping his hand against the cool tile as his balls tightened, and waves of pleasure spread through his body.

Hot strings of cum splattered against the wall and floor, and he stood beneath the stream of water, panting. He wished he’d never seen her face.

As he wrapped a towel around his waist, the venom she spewed at him came rushing back. She hated him, blaming him for her sister’s death, but she wanted him, too. He understood the sentiment.

A knock sounded at his door, and with a single thought, the shadows opened it. Everyone called themhisshadows, but they didn’t belong to him. They were the shadows in the surrounding spaces that bent to his will. The very shadows used by theSeraphimto create the realms.

Nina waltzed in with a smile. “I enjoyed our date tonight, Your Grace.” He stared at her with a blank expression, feeling nothing for the woman in front of him.

Earlier, the thought of touching Nina disgusted him, but maybe he could force himself to forget the grey-eyed woman occupying his every thought. His feelings for Rory were hot and cold. He moved between wanting to fuck her and make her jealous and wanting to rid himself of her.

Nina sashayed toward him as she unbuttoned her dress, and he met her halfway, sliding his hand across the back of her neck to thread his fingers through her thick locks. “I’m always ready to fuck that dirty cunt of yours.” The words were a bitter lie.

She dropped her dress to the floor and removed her bra and panties as he watched and dropped his towel. The faster they started, the better. He grabbed her by the throat and walked her to his bed. “On all fours.”

She bit her bottom lip with an excited smile and turned her back to him before falling to her hands and knees. He rarely took her from the front because the faces she made annoyed him.

His palm met her skin with a resounding slap, and she giggled. Her arousal was visible from this angle, but he couldn’t bring himself to run his fingers through it.

Rory’s face flashed in front of him, and his body tightened. Once again, she robbed him of the pleasure he needed to clear his mind. “Fuck,” he muttered as he stepped back. “Get dressed and leave.”

Nina’s head turned slowly, and anger filled her voice. “What did you say?”

“Watch the way you speak to me,” he warned as he grabbed a pair of sleep pants from his dresser. “Leave.”

Her expression was unhinged as she stood. “It’s Aurora, isn’t it? You want to sleep with that vile woman? I saw you watching her tonight.”

The words she spat at him made his insides boil, and he fought to stay calm.

“I do not answer to you.” He took a menacing step forward and lowered himself, so they were eye to eye. “Speak to me that way again, and I will reassign you. You’re lucky I allowed you to live in the palace. Your transgressions were hardly serious enough to warrant extra supervision, yet you requested to stay here, anyway. I will not bat an eye at moving you. Are we clear?”

Her lower lip trembled. “Yes, Your Grace.”

She donned her dress and was out the door before she finished buttoning it. He hung his head, and realized he needed to fuck Rory out of his system, but he knew if he had a taste, she would be his until death.

Rory lookedaround before bolting up the small staircase leading to her secret room. She was eager to see the sunshine, even though it was night. Her alarm clock and a clean uniform were tucked under her arm as she turned the lock and snuck inside.

Tonight, she would sleep in a soft bed under the sun. When the door was closed, the light left the room, and Rory looked for a light switch to turn on the screens. After finding none, she looked up and covered her mouth in awe.

A beautiful starry sky with a crescent moon replaced the sunshine, and she walked to the bed for a better look. “It must be on a timer,” she surmised, remembering the setting sun from the night before.

Her eyes slid to the bookcase nestled on the opposite wall. Toeing off her shoes, she slipped into bed and relished in the feel of the soft sheets against her freshly shaved legs. Her eyes drifted closed with a contented sigh.

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