Beneath the Watching

9. Stefan

9

STEFAN

It was all I could do to stop myself from taking her right then and there. She was willing, much more willing than I’d expected. The scent of her arousal permeated the atmosphere and filled my mouth with its heady, sweet flavor. I wanted to tear her to pieces and inhale her screams, forcing orgasm after orgasm from the nest between her soft thighs. Instead, I swallowed my obsessive musings and held her.

I could’ve brought her to ecstasy without a single touch and relieved her of her burden. But if I had to suffer, so would she. Her eyes kept flickering to my stiff cock, watching it. Her little pink tongue flickered out to wet her lips before she caught me staring at her. Her eyes shuttered and she leaned back, defeated.

If I took her, I’d never let her go. It was unfair of me, but I’d keep her anyway and in the space of fifteen seconds, I’d decided her fate.

Julian had taken far more notice of her than I’d initially realized, sending out feelers. Without a shadow of a doubt, Mabel must possess some type of valuable and elusive magic within her, or he wouldn’t have bothered to seek her out.

There was also the matter of Lucien as it turned out Kiara was undeniably his long lost daughter—the stolen baby the abyss informed Mabel of. I’d been updated on the situation and wasn’t sure what to do with the confirmed news. I scratched my chin, considering the implications. It seemed too great a coincidence for the two women to be friends. This would bring attention we didn’t want and Lucian expected me to do my part in keeping things running smoothly.

I hadn’t heard any sounds while we traversed the tunnels, but I had to believe Mabel did. There was no other reason she would’ve articulated that phrase. According to Ilya, Kiara was a powerful witch. What did this mean for my woman?

Feeding Mabel my blood hadn’t had any discernible effect on her. If it had, she’d have been on my lap this very moment, impaling herself on my cock and pleasuring me with her wet heat. She was able to resist me, including when she didn’t want to.

The tiny taste of her essence I’d just indulged in was the sweetest thing I’d ever tasted and there was no way I’d give up something so very much meant for me.

Her quiet presence soothed me as it always did, and I found myself relaxing beside her. Selfishly, I didn’t want to give that up and unselfishly, I wanted to protect her from those who would kill her and steal her soul along with her magic. I’d destroy anyone who tried to take her away and relish the bloodshed.

The only solution I could think of was to keep her here in the castle. If I couldn’t be with her for some reason, I’d have Benjamin and Jack tasked with the responsibility of keeping her safe. They’d pay a steep price if anything happened to her. The very thought had me clenching my teeth and digging my nails into my palms.

“What’s wrong?” Mabel’s soft voice brought me back from my turbulent thoughts.

I stood up and grabbed my pants and slid them back on. “Nothing. I’ll take care of everything.” Mabel stared at me. “You’re coming with me to a ball tonight. I’ll have a member of staff bring you a dress,” I told her, my tone leaving no room for argument.

She sat up. “A ball?” She gazed up at me, her expression not dissimilar to a stunned kitten. It was adorable, and all mine.

My shirt was wrinkled from being tossed carelessly to the floor in my prior eagerness. I didn’t put it back on. I watched with satisfaction as her eyes slowly worked their way from my shoulders down to my waist. I’d been concerned she’d find me lacking but her rising scent told me otherwise as she perused my bare upper half.

“See something you like?” I smirked at her and waited.

The lightest tinge of pink scattered across her cheeks, and she quickly looked away. She began to wiggle around, trying to edge her legs under a blanket to remove her bare skin from my thirsty gaze. Visions of grabbing her by the neck and throwing her down on my bed to rip her clothing back off filled my head. It would happen at some point, some point soon, and when it did—I’d mark and claim her fully.

As much as I’d tried to tell myself I would protect her by staying away, I’d known my efforts would be futile. She was the sun to my moon, and I wanted to bathe in her light. Already, I spent too much time thinking about her and now with her here in my home? There was no turning back.

A thrill shot down my spine.

There was no way I’d give her up. Ever.

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting my introspection. “Get dressed,” I directed Mabel.

“How am I supposed to do that?” She snapped at me.

I’d momentarily forgotten I’d tied her up. I made sure to caress her breast and pinch her pink nipple when I reached over and loosened the knots. She sat up and rubbed her wrists before she chanced a quick glance at me and covered herself with her clothing. I was hovering, and I knew it. Most people would’ve been deeply unnerved by the intensity of my gaze and the force of my aura. She seemed not to notice.

I gave her some space and went and opened the door. Ilya pushed past me, briefly eyeing Mabel before he flicked his hand at the door, shutting it without contact. “Did you tell her?”

Shaking my head, I answered. “No.” I knew he was referring to whether I’d informed her I wasn’t human.

Or rather, tell her about my demonic lineage.

Ilya pursed his lips and glanced at her before returning his gaze to me. “Stay in the back tonight. He’s bringing her with him and I’m going to take her.”

What a mess. From what I knew of the situation, Kiara had a strong preference for the other man, Ramone. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

Ilya’s eyes flashed red. “We’re taking him down. He’ll be banished and then we’re heading north to Lucian’s fortress.”

“What does Kiara think of all this? According to you, she’s a huge pain in the ass.” I didn’t want to have to deal with any of this, not while I was working on how to take the best care of Mabel. Not that I’d let her go, but I needed to acclimate her to her new life and figure out the smartest way to do so.

I’d pledged my loyalty to Lucian, despite residing in Ilya’s father’s castle. Really, it was based on the preference for warmer weather, as well as my friendship with the man standing in front of me.

I’d managed to avoid contact for the most part with Victor, his father, even though we lived in the same building. The compound was enormous, so it wasn’t all that difficult. The man was a recluse, as was I. Now, I’d have to uproot myself and hope I’d be afforded the same privacy I’d been enjoying.

Ilya stepped further into the room, pushing his long hair back from his face. He spun on his heel and turned to face me. “She’ll choose me. I hope. She was supposed to be mine.”

I didn’t have much information on the particulars of the situation, but I knew the woman and Ilya had been close, and he was in love with her. Then she got the wonderful idea to curse herself and left my friend endlessly obsessing over her.

The curse was performed with Ilya’s help, I might add. The two of them were idiots.

“You did this to yourself,” I stated, crossing the room to pour the two of us a drink. I grabbed a crystal decanter of whiskey from the sideboard and grabbed two matching tumblers.

“What are you guys doing to Kiara?” Mabel’s soft voice popped up.

Handing a filled glass to Ilya, I replied, “Its none of your concern.”

She scooted forward on the couch. “She’s my friend.”

After I took a sip of my drink, I said, “For your own safety and hers, you’ll have no contact with her.”

Mabel tilted her head, staring at the floor. Her arms were stiff, and her hands braced the edge of the sofa, as if she was about to get up. “I care about her; will she be okay?”

“She’ll be fine if she makes the right choice,” Ilya remarked, taking a swallow from his glass. Turning to me, he said, “We’re going to give her a few days to process and then we’re heading out.”

Kiara was about to find out Lucian was her father. She’d been adopted by humans shortly after birth, after Ramone had killed her mother and abducted her. It was a lot to take in and for Mabel’s wellbeing, she would not be allowed near the woman. The lengths everyone around Kiara had gone to were remarkable and ongoing, from what Ilya had indulged.

Mabel and I couldn’t travel with them, and I had serious reservations about taking her through the tunnels again considering what happened last time. Her clairaudience abilities would need to be explored further, as well as any other talents she may have. My suspicions about her being connected to a long line of witches were growing by the day. It was likely pointless to expect anything else.

I kept my thoughts about what I was uncovering through my studies to myself, not wanting to share what may be extraordinary findings and have others get in my way. My visitor may be my best friend, but some things would be better kept hidden.

“Any estimate how long that may take?” I asked, my eyes flicking to the leather-bound books on a shelf. I’d need to record all these happenings, make note of them.

Ilya seated himself in a leather recliner and lit a cigarette. “I’m going to give her as much time as she needs.” He placed an ankle on his knee and took another sip of his drink, finishing it. “Branko took her dress shopping today.”

Branko was a double agent of sorts, working both with Lucian and Ramone, although the waters often muddied. At times I suspected his loyalties lay deeper with Ramone than where they should when it came to Kiara’s best chances.

“So?”

My friend scowled. “I should be buying her things, not him.”

“For fuck’s sake, just take her,” I snapped at him.

Ilya gave me a pointed look, darting his eyes at Mabel. “Lucky for you, you don’t have a beast after her.”

“He’s your friend, just take her from him.” Perhaps “friend” wasn’t the best term to describe the relationship between the two men. I’d never asked Ilya for the details behind the animosity between the two of them but guessed the majority of the issue was due to the woman in question. It was shocking their joint business ventures hadn’t gone up in flames yet.

Throughout our conversation, Mabel listened intently. I could sense how the words flowing between us captured her interest, even without her looking directly at our faces. While I couldn’t read her as I’d like, I could still feel the atmospheric shifts.

Admiration for her cunning rose within me. She didn’t miss a thing. Granted, the subject of our talk was unusual by human standards, but she was skilled in appearing her attention was placed elsewhere.

My friend grunted. “One day, I swear, I’m going to buy him out. If it's the last thing I do. He pays little attention as long as the money and food keep pouring in. It would serve him right.”

“You’ve been the one running it this whole time and our lives are much better for it.” If Ilya was smart, he would seize the company from his friend immediately and let the chips fall where they may.

Mabel continued to sit quietly, thumbing through an issue of National Geographic magazine. I shook my head lightly, thinking of Benjamin and James’s reading habits. Perhaps National Geographic was better than some of the rags they read but they’d be better off reading real books.

“We’ll get you a dark blue dress for tonight,” I said, keeping my gaze on her and thinking of her eyes. My train of thought had already left business and other trivial concerns behind and moved onto more important matters such as getting my woman used to being with me. And that meant I’d provide for her.

Mabel glanced up, a question briefly in her gaze before she nodded. “Okay.”

Good girl.

I must’ve smiled because when I looked at Ilya, he was pissed. I wasn’t my fault he’d chosen the most difficult woman he could find and naturally, I wanted him to know my ward was obedient. He would do well to secure similar for himself.

“Lucian has been muttering about a possible substitute for Kiara, if things don’t pan out according to his wishes,” Ilya remarked after a moment. “But you can’t replace a Source so I can’t fail.”

Surprised, I whirled around. “What do you mean?” Would he let his own daughter go that easily? Kiara was an immense source of rare and very potent magic.

“I mean, he’s desperate.” My friend cast a glance at Mabel. She remained quiet, her eyes tracking over a page I couldn’t see. The issue was about giraffes according to the cover, but I doubted she’d absorbed a word describing the creatures.

As one of Lucian’s councilmen there was no question over my attendance at the event tonight, which was becoming more and more interesting. I was expected to be there. “We’ll keep to the back,” I answered his earlier statement.

Ilya stood up, tugging his suit jacket. “It won’t be smooth, but we’ll be victorious. Leave if you have to.”

“Do we have enough men?” I thought for a minute. “What of his own?”

Ilya chuckled. “I heard he invited the vampires, but they won’t interfere, they never do. They’ll just watch.”

Mabel’s face blanched and I smiled inwardly. She had a lot to learn. “Figures he’d invite the scum,” I replied.

My friend clasped my shoulder. “It’ll be messy but it's all going according to plan. Just keep her under control.” He nodded toward my woman, and I bristled. He damn well knew I’d keep her safe.

She waited until he walked out. “Vampires?”

They wouldn’t touch her, but she didn’t know that. “You have nothing to fear if you listen and obey me. You’ll stay by my side and do exactly what I tell you. Including keeping quiet.”

Her voice turned soft. “You haven’t told me why I’m here, why you brought me here.”

Between her and Ilya, I couldn’t get a moment to think. When it came to her, I didn’t even know where to start.

I’d start with her gown for the evening. Wrenching the door open, I stepped into the hallway. Benjamin stood sentry on one side of the entrance and Jack on the other, holding a tabloid open. The headline blared “killer snails attack ICU.” I rolled my eyes and snared the paper, tossing it to the floor. “Go into town and get Mabel a dress. Navy blue.”

Jack peered at the floor. “Just use your magic.”

Nobody was cooperative today, it seemed. “That would use too much energy right now. Why am I explaining myself to you?” I snarled. “Do what I tell you.” I needed all my reserves for the evening in case anything went wrong. As it were, I didn’t feed nearly often enough.

Back in my quarters, Mabel was eyeing me timidly. “I don’t have to go to this thing you have going on,” she said, carefully.

“For the life of me, I don’t know why everyone is questioning me today.” I found myself pacing, trying to envision the sequence of events for the evening and cover every contingency. If the lack of compliance of everyone around me was any indication, the night would be fraught with inconveniences.

I was thrown back to memories of my mother stealing energy from myself, Zyra, and our father. She’d use it to torture us, gaslight us, and maneuver her chess pieces at court, get us all to do whatever she wanted.

She had been married to my father, but still fancied herself a courtesan. Her skills with carefully placed words and immaculately crafted narratives put my own psychological skills to shame. She used her natural gifts to destroy everyone she claimed to love and used them to grow in power.

I knew I manipulated those around me, but I didn’t want to hurt those I loved few as they may be. I’d only cause hurt if it benefited them. Refraining from my kind’s basic sustenance ensured I’d stick as close to my principles as possible.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, suddenly aware of her basic human needs.

Her stomach growled. “No.”

“It's okay to ask for what you need.” I knew she didn’t want to. “That doesn’t mean you’ll get it, but I will provide what I can.”

Mabel placed her reading material down on the table. “What I need is to know what’s going on.”

Her hand was trembling. I walked over to her and stood in front of her, waiting. When she glanced up, I said, “You’re here, now. This is where you’ll stay. When Ilya gets things worked out, we’re heading north to the mountains.”

Her shoulders slouched. “I don’t want to go to some mountains, I want to stay here. You can’t just keep me; you don’t even want me.”

“Oh, Mabel. Whatever gave you that idea?”

Her cheeks bloomed red. “Stop fucking with me. You know you said you want to be rid of me.”

“I never said that. You’re stressed out over your friend.” With a huff, I crossed the room and pulled a map of the castle out of my desk drawer. Memorizing escape routes if things went poorly with Ramone and Lucian tonight would be prudent. I knew the layout, but a refresher would be wise on the off chance I’d missed or forgotten something.

“Don’t gaslight me. You told me to leave you alone and said you wanted to be rid of me. I don’t know who you think I am but I’m not stupid. And I pay more attention than you’d think.”

It was all I could do not to smile. “It's not you I’d like to be rid of.”

She crossed the room and peeked over my shoulder at the map. I should’ve covered it up or spelled her to make her unable to translate the diagram, but I didn’t. Before I could decide what to do, another knock sounded on the door. Ilya should’ve had plenty to do to ensure his plans unfolded optimally rather than take the time to darken my doorway again.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened and Lucian strolled in, casting a casual glance at my companion. If I'd been paying attention to the important things rather than brooding over my ward, I’d have known it was him rather than assuming it was Ilya again.

I stood up in greeting and did my best not to maneuver Mabel out of the way and show my hand. He couldn’t know how important she was to me; I couldn’t give him that advantage. If he saw me trying to protect her, he’d identify a weakness he could exploit to control me.

“Stefan,” Lucian began. “I see you have company.” He tilted his head slightly toward Mabel, a small smile on his lips.

“Indeed. How can I help you, Lucian?”

The man that sired the object of Ilya’s affection and obsession was largely unassuming in appearance. He had a soft and paternal look to him that hid the ugly underneath. He was relentlessly ambitious, coupled with a bitterness over his lack of natural magic. He reminded me of my mother, at times.

He was human through and through, with an aptitude for teleportation and sadly for him, minor magical or psychic capabilities. He could work a spell just as well as anyone else, and therein lay the problem. He wanted more.

Lucian wanted what the demon gods, other demons, and the witches had—an inherent affinity and talent that lent power. Such things could not be acquired; one must be born with them or gifted such by others willing to part with some of their own prowess. With his caring demeanor and friendliness, people adored him, and few suspected the true nature I knew lay just below his curated veneer.

The man kept sneaking glances at my woman, irritating me. I hadn’t had the opportunity to fully explore the depths of Mabel’s magic nor discuss her circumstances with her. So far, her knowledge was limited to the few snippets of on-topic conversation we’d managed and what she’d picked up from those around her.

Lucian helped himself to one of my leather armchairs, lowering his hefty frame down with a flourish. “One of your men was seen purchasing a dress. He has exquisite taste, I might add. I could only assume the pretty frock was not to be worn by you.”

“You assume correctly.” I watched and listened as he chuckled at his own joke.

He leaned forward slightly, tugging at his suit coat. “That’s not why I’m here, though I’m happy you’ll be attending tonight.” He cleared his throat. “I received a message from the Higher Court. Josiah is requesting an audience with you.”

My blood ran cold. I hadn’t been summoned for hundreds of years and the last time I’d been, it wasn’t under the best of circumstances. I’d been held and questioned in regard to my mother’s murder and then banished from the High Court’s grounds and properties and sent to the battlefields where it’d been assumed I’d meet my demise.

And I would have, if it hadn’t been for Ilya.