Page 21 of Magic Claimed
“‘Stop’you don’t want her brought here or ‘stop’she’s an assault to my senses?” Esoti stood from behind his desk and looked me over, his lip curling in disgust. I didn’t think I wasthatbad, especially since I’d cleaned myself.
I knew why Alerick had spoken. My wolf had obeyed his Alpha power without question. It was what he’d needed to do to stop me from Changing in front of Esoti. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or not. On one hand, I hated Alerick had that power over me. On the other hand, if he hadn’t stopped me, Esoti would know I could Change into a wolf.
Esoti’s curious gaze went from me to the leader of the wolves. He expected an answer. Alerick had no eyes for Esoti. No, they locked onto me. Or to be more accurate, on Ben’s grip on my bicep.
“Get your hands off her,” Alerick’s words were laced with a growl that liquefied my insides, sinking into the space between my legs.
My arm slackened as Ben let me go and stepped away from me. He quaked in his boots and I didn’t blame him one bit. I was this far from pissing in my pants as well. Alpha power was nothing to ignore. He was scary and it was another nail in his coffin when it came to his hold over me. I’d been owned by Esoti all my life. I wouldn’t trade that for three wolf shifters. Especially not the Alpha.
I didn’t know much about the bonded dynamics between wolf mates, but whenever I saw Quads out of wolf territory, the females were always in the centre of their males, caged between their bodies. Subdued. If I ever got free, I would be my own master. I wouldn’t trade Esoti for three shifters, not if they did have bodies of the gods and I’d seen those bodies. I could testify to that.
“I’m sorry,” Ben snivelled.
I scoffed at him, rubbing where he’d grabbed me. That was going to bruise. “Grow some balls,” I uttered under my breath, surprised when Eike smirked. Gods, he’d heard me with his super wolf hearing.
Jarom flashed Eike a glare and Alerick said smoothly, “He’s got horse shit on his boots. I’m sure you don’t want him bringing that onto your carpet.”
I glanced at Ben’s boots, which were sure enough caked in manure. He must have stepped in a pile and not known, the idiot. Ben shook, stammering an apology to Esoti.
Esoti waved us away. “Get out of my sight.”
I was down with that. I made to scamper from the room after Ben, glad to be dismissed, when Esoti said, “Not you, vermin.”
My gut sank into my toes as I faced four of the most powerful men in the world. Esoti’s gaze was cold and calculating as it flicked between me and the shifters. Something was up. I knew I hadn’t been brought here for nothing, but I couldn’t understand exactly what it might be, and now why suddenly Esoti had brought me face to face with the shifters.
The only person who knew my connection to the shifters was…but no! Gilda would not tell Esoti! Not unless she was forced to tell him. My stomach sunk to my toes, imagining Gilda curled up in some corner of the castle somewhere hurt and bleeding…or worse.
Esoti took the wand I’d delivered from the top drawer of his desk and my attention was ripped back to the object of my misery. The wand the shifters had given me. Jarom shifted his balance from one foot to the other, which was his only appearance of unease, while Alerick’s gaze dragged from me to Esoti.
Esoti pretended to think while he tapped the wand on the heel of his hand. The asshat liked to make a show. Especially if he thought he had something on someone. Unfortunately, I was that someone today. Me and the shifters. He wouldn’t have had Ben bring me here otherwise.
I didn’t think I could take another session so quickly after the last. Physically, I could, but it would only be a matter of time before the cracks showed mentally. They probably already had if I were honest. Didn’t mean I liked experiencing pain every day of my life though.
Esoti perched on the edge of his desk, crossed one foot over the other, slid the wand under his nose and took a long sniff. “Something has been on my mind for the past three days. Like an itch that can’t be scratched. Do you know what that might be, vermin?”
I shook my head, teeth clenched tight.
“It became clear when Samuel sent a messenger this morning asking if I still wanted the wand I ordered from him.”
My jaw ached with how tight I clenched my teeth. A bead of sweat trickled down my spine.
“Obviously, I wondered why he would have asked me a question like that when I’d sent my slave to retrieve it for me. Random question - did you know wands sustain a particular scent?” Esoti said, pretending to consider the wand. “Imagine my surprise when the Alpha and his seconds march into my castle this morning carrying the same scent as this wand and then ask me about an insignificant slave they shouldn’t know exists. Can you tell me what I should think about all of this?”
Esoti’s conversation tone made my blood turn to sleet. Things usually went bad fast when he spoke like that, but these wolves had no idea what he was really like.
Shit shit shit. This was bad. One advantage of being Esoti’s kicking bag and spending so much time around him, I got to know his twisted mind. And how to mitigate a potential disaster.
“You should think of them as idiots.” I took some delight at Jarom’s flinch.
Esoti stilled, his gaze on me. I made sure to convey disgust on my face as I kept my eyes trained on the shifters.
“Is that so?” he said.
“I told them to stay away. That they would get themselves into trouble with the most powerful warlock on the planet, but they didn’t, so they’re idiots,” I said. I hoped the ‘powerful warlock’ description would pander to Esoti’s ego, and I was right when his brows flicked in agreement. Ass.
“And pray tell how you come to know these shifters?” Esoti said.
“Because I was running away from the rape squad, that’s why. The only way I could get away from them was through wolf Territory. I don’t know what type of guards you’re training, but those three are pussies. Wouldn’t follow me when I jumped the fence,” I said.
