Beneath the Watching

11. Stefan

11

STEFAN

“Get dressed,” I instructed her. I gestured toward the bathroom as she stood transfixed, her face pale. She’d gone somewhere in her head and was oblivious to my having relieved her of the gown. “Mabel.”

Slowly, she swiveled her head. She looked like a startled deer. “Get dressed. We're leaving shortly,” I repeated.

She nodded. “You’ll find everything you need in there,” I said, pointing toward the bathroom.

It occurred to me I hadn’t had either of my men secure any make-up or other artifices, but she didn’t need them. She’d still stand out amongst all the painted women; a natural beauty. I had the feeling she’d feel insecure when there was no cause for such a response. She’d never say a word, but I’d feel it. I tried to tell myself I didn’t care about every little thing when it came to her, but the lie was futile.

The more time I spent around her, the deeper I fell into her trap.

After what happened last time, I didn’t dare use the tunnels to reach the other side of the castle. I cast a spell over Mabel to disguise her appearance. I’d informed her what I was going to do—and why, and she’d waited, a look of fascination in her eyes until she’d asked, “That’s it?”

I laughed. “Yes. What were you expecting? A fairy godmother?” All it’d taken was a flick of my wrist and anyone I’d want to hide her from would both not recognize her and never have seen her if they somehow did.

Rather than use the tunnels, I guided her through the extensive halls of the fortress, the train of her dress trailing behind her, her arm in mine while she peered curiously at everything we passed.

“Are those the vampires you mentioned?” Her steps faltered as we came into the entrance hall.

I followed her gaze to the front entrance doors and a small group of immaculately black-clad men and a couple women lurked around the edges. “Yes.”

“Will they try to eat me?” She whispered, her fingers tightening around my forearm.

“Perhaps the one.” I watched as she examined the bunch, trying to determine which man posed the threat. My eyes lit on one posturing and puffing out his chest. I recognized him but couldn’t remember his name until someone called him Kyle. “Relax. You should know by now I won’t let anyone get near you.” Her nails were digging into my skin and marring my sleeve.

Her hand slid away, and I snatched it, taking her palm in mine and smoothing my fingers across her soft knuckles. I meant to comfort her but found myself receiving that same gift. If she had this effect on me, I could only wonder what it was like for her. Did she feel the same for me? A frisson of anger bloomed in my chest. Why could I still not read her as I should?

“They look stereotypical.” She swayed against me. “Their hair and their clothes. They look like a movie cast or fancy rock band. They’re beautiful.”

I couldn’t help it, I found myself letting out a short growl. “Avert your eyes.”

She gasped softly. “Does that instigate them?”

Inwardly, I found her question hysterical. It was all I could do not to use her fear against her; the temptation to fuck with her and assure her attention and affection remain solely on me was powerful. Sighing, I answered, “No. They have more self-control than us demons.”

Her gaze flicked up to meet mine. “I keep forgetting you’re supposed to be evil.”

My hand traveled to the dip of her waist as I leaned down to her ear. “I’ll remind you later.”

Eagerly I awaited her reaction. She shivered and flushed, her eyelashes fluttering for a moment before she glanced down. Pleased, I guided her up the staircase and through a hall with a ceiling lined with glittering quartz crystals. The gems contained a natural and artificial means of rendering magic useless or transforming it into a weakened state. It was a security measure meant to prevent attacks, as this was intended to be a neutral zone for all besides Lucian and Victor. They both had the liberty to use magic when and as needed.

While the crowd gathered, I kept Mabel firmly tucked by my side, just inside the doors of the Great Hall.

“Ilya,” I nodded to him as he approached. He lifted his chin and then looked at Mabel, who gave him a little smile. “Are you all set?” I asked him.

He fidgeted with his tie. “She thinks we want her blood.”

“What?”

“And she’s got that fucking necklace back on,” he sneered. “She’s dressed for a funeral.”

I let go of Mabel’s hand and shoved my own through my hair. “For your funeral, I’m sure.”

Something tugged at my sleeve. “Can I go see her?” Mabel asked.

“No.” Both Ilya and I said at the same time. I leveled a warning gaze at him, irritated by his overfamiliarity.

“We aren’t going near them. You’ll see why, later,” I said, peering down at her.

Ilya placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to go remind her who she belongs to, I’ll catch up with you later.”

“He seems like a good friend,” Mabel remarked.

My eyes skimmed the room while I answered her, “He is.” People kept arriving and I pulled us farther back from the doors, while still allowing plenty of space for a quick exit.

Ilya’s competition for Kiara was across the room, easily spotted by his superior height and commanding presence. He was with a vampire named Alastair and a few others. Mabel followed my gaze and shivered.

“That’s who Kiara’s with?” She turned to me. “He’s scary. Kinda hot, but scary.” I bristled at her words.

“Hot?” I snarled at her. I was completely unjustified in my reaction, I knew she wanted me at least physically, and I wouldn’t let her go, but she wouldn’t be the first or the last to be enthralled by the man. She had the grace to look guilty and shrugged.

“He’s next in line for the Satanic throne.” Mabel’s brows furrowed as she listened. “He’d as soon kill you as he’d fuck or eat you.”

She paled. “Can we help Kiara?”

“That’s what Ilya’s trying to do.”

After a while the crowds quieted down and Ilya had come back for a moment, refusing to speak of whatever had transpired while he’d been off attempting to secure his woman. I sent him to grab Mabel a bite to eat to give him something to do. Now, she stood next to me munching on strawberries, tempting me to lick the juice from her plump pink lips as the event began.

I listened while Kiara was questioned up on the stage by Lucian and Victor, Mabel’s attention transfixed on the conversation. A crawling sensation coursed up my spine, ghostly fingers tapping along my bones. My throat constricted slightly in response to the assault.

I knew I was expected to turn around but first I glanced at Mabel, just in time to see her head dip slightly. She didn’t look back though I knew she had been affected even if she had no idea what was taking place.

Carefully, so as not to alert her, I moved to confront what I knew was behind me.

“Stefan,” a smooth voice washed over me.

My guard was instantly up, and I pulled my energy in, attempting to cloak my physical response. A deep chuckle resounded in the atmosphere. “Cavorting with half-breeds, I see,” Josiah murmured, the soft cadence of his voice belying the strength that lay below the surface. “You may speak freely.”

He meant Mabel wouldn’t hear a word, having taken the precaution of spelling our voices for the occasion.

“In that case, I don’t believe you were invited,” I replied.

Josiah was a so-called half breed himself, a diabolical cross between vampires and demons. The two races harbored a deep-seated although likely unwarranted animosity between each other. I never knew what had caused the divide and I couldn’t be bothered to investigate.

The man tsked me. “I believe you were summoned to the High Court.”

So that’s why he’s here, I realized. Checking up on me. A not-so-subtle reminder and a show of force. I looked the man up and down, noting his sleek black hair and impeccable dress. He put my friend Ilya to shame, with the unearthly quality of his tailored suit and elegant dress boots. With his perfect facial structure and warm brown eyes, I was thankful Mabel couldn’t see him. My own insecurity suddenly grated at me, and I took a deep breath.

“I will be there shortly,” I informed Josiah. The man straightened his back and placed his hands in his pockets.

My eyes traveled to his companion, a man I recognized as Micha who was also a half breed. The two men, and any of their kind, were very rarely seen in the Fourth Realm. Instantly, I worried for Ilya and wondered what had compelled them to make this interestingly timed clandestine visit. We were powerful, but no match for these beings and it couldn’t solely be to remind me of my appointment.

Josiah pulled his hands out and crossed his arms, quietly observing as Ramone was stripped of some magic and banished from the Realm. Mabel gasped, her hand flying to her mouth when Kiara collapsed on the stage and Ilya went to grab her.

Voices all around us rose even higher as the palace’s royal armed forces, known as the Black Guard, began to trickle in. As a member of Lucian’s council, I should’ve been up there assisting but under no circumstances would I allow my woman to be unchaperoned.

Further chaos ensued as the Guard seized Ramone and he began, understandably, fighting back. I pulled Mabel against me and glanced at Josiah and his companion.

“Change,” Mabel muttered. “Change is coming.” She turned to me, a question in her eyes and I knew she’d picked up a voice from the ether. Caught off-guard, I groaned aloud.

“She’s an oracle,” Josiah stated, pinning me with his gaze. “Change is coming.”

He and Micha stared at her, causing my hackles to rise. I’d keep her from them if it was the last thing I did. The urgency to remove my woman from the surrounding madness continued to rise but I couldn’t leave without instigating a battle of my own, not until the two men took their own leave.

In the order of hierarchy amongst my kind, they were near the top of the food chain.

Micha spoke up just as Ramone pinned a guard to the wall with a sword. “Tell no one you saw us,” he ordered, tossing a casual glance Mabel’s way, needing to say nothing further of the consequences of disobedience. “Tomorrow, Stefan.”

A metallic screeching reverberated through the hall as Mabel trembled in my arms. Ramone had become so enraged that he’d begun to succumb to the lesser, base form of the demon he was. He lay on the floor, wrapped in iron chains, with his mouth stretched open full of razor-sharp teeth.

The two men vanished without so much as a flicker of the atmosphere. Immediately, I grabbed Mabel and hurried us back to my living quarters and settled her on the couch in my receiving room.

Benjamin and Jack lingered in the room, bringing her water and a dish of pasta, fussing over her with the blankets and amusing me. They were behaving uncharacteristically affectionately, with a paternal air. I wasn’t sure what came over them, but I didn’t feel threatened, and I wasn’t going to complain. The more people looking out for her, the better.

“What...what happened? What was that noise? Did that man make it?” Mabel stammered, placing the bowl of food down on the table and swapping it for the glass of water.

I sank onto the cushions beside her and grabbed her cup after she sipped some of the liquid, setting it down on a coaster. “He did. He was banished and Ilya took possession of Kiara.”

Her big eyes peeked up at me. “But why can’t I speak with her? It might help.”

I rubbed my chin and leaned back. “It would draw attention, and I’m not willing to risk that. To risk you. And Ilya doesn’t want interference, the situation is too delicate. Free will, and Kiara has to make up her own mind.”

She pondered my words for a moment. “Free will doesn’t exist here.”

Mabel was sharper than I gave her credit for. “Guided free will.”

She tilted her head. “Then it's not free will.”

I stood up and held out my hand. “The laws here will take some getting used to.” She took my hand and followed me to the bedroom. “You’ll learn more as we go.”

I pushed the doors shut and locked them behind me, waving my hand over the mechanism and spelling it for extra security.

“Are you sure it's okay I sleep in here? Where will you sleep?” Mabel glanced between me and the bed, smoothing her hand down the front of her dress.

Stepping closer to her, I clasped her hands and threaded my fingers through hers. I pulled her arms up and took another step before releasing her hands, forcing them to splay against my chest. “How much do you like this dress?” I asked her, my voice low.

She tried to look down, but I’d closed the space between us, grabbing her hips. “It's beautiful, I love it, thank you for getting it for me,” she said, keeping her gaze lowered.

“Mm. I’m about to break your heart.” I rolled my hands up her sides and traced the bodice of her gown with a finger, pleased at the sound of her intake of breath. I hooked the top edge of her dress, and curled my other hand around the lace, slowly tearing it down the front. The noise of the fabric ripping echoed through the room, and she gasped. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard, and I determined then and there I’d never hear the end of her delicious cries.

Her mouth hung open as the material pooled around her feet. “What kind of priest are you?”

I let out a short laugh. With everything that had transpired, I was surprised she still remembered I was an unholy man. I waved my hand over the lump of material, directing it to repair itself while Mabel watched, wide-eyed.

After removing my tie, I began unbuttoning my shirt as she stood motionless in front of me, clad only in a G-string. Her breasts hung freely, having been supported by the corset of the gown, with rosy nipples just begging for my teeth to sink into. Saliva gathered on the back of my tongue. My senses were heightened by the delicate fragrance of her desire hanging suspended in the air. I could only imagine the crimson aura streaming around the lower half of her body.

It killed me I couldn’t see it.

Slowly, I removed my belt all the while keeping my eyes on her. The drag of leather against fabric resounded through the space as she backed away. I let her. Where was she going to go? I wound the band around my fist and removed the rest of my clothing before stalking forward.

She scooted onto the bed and began crawling, her ass swaying back and forth as she tried to make her escape. Snatching her by the ankle, she let out a yelp and I dragged her back to me. “You told me once that you don’t sin.” I grinned at her. “I’ll deliver absolution for your disobedience anyway.”

I wanted to punish her for taking control of me, for making me vulnerable and weak. At the same time, I wanted to give her the experience of pain assuaged by pleasure and free her from the confines of her mind in a way that healed us both, gave the two of us what we needed. She needed to feel free. I needed to feel in control.

She began panting, her eyes wide. “Are you crazy? What are you going to do?”

Her chest was heaving, but her pussy gave her away. Her undergarment was soaked, and I had to swallow before I could speak again.

“Even if you repent, it's too late. I’ve got you precisely where I want you.” The only thing she had done wrong was to unwittingly draw my attention one fateful evening at the casino, but I loved how nervous she became whenever I referenced my priesthood.

I lowered myself to the edge of the mattress and yanked her the rest of the way over, her ebony tresses splayed across the bed, begging me to knot them between my fingers. Lifting her easily onto my lap, I arranged her onto her belly as she continued to wiggle.

“Mabel, Mabel. Accept your fate.” I wouldn’t truly hurt her; I wouldn’t dream of it. However, I would inflict pain in retribution for the agony she put me through in my daily life and then make her feel better than she ever dreamed she could.

“What the hell, Stefan,” she cried out.

I chuckled and flattened my palm before I brought it down with a satisfying thwack. A bloom of red spread across her cheek, the flesh trembling across her buttocks as I rained down four more slaps. She screamed and begged me to stop but all it did was encourage me. I bent down and blew along the flesh of her backside, watching goose bumps rise across the angry stain I’d left. Digging under the elastic band of her underwear, I returned with a soaked finger. Her fragrance and taste set every cell of my body on fire as I curled my tongue around her body’s natural juices. Her punishment was starting to feel more like my own.

“You love this, my little carnal creature. Your body is begging for me.” To emphasize my statement, I lifted my hips slightly so she could feel my erection against her lower belly. She gave a sharp intake of breath and whimpered, letting me know I’d have to appease her lust—and soon. It wouldn’t be polite to keep her waiting.

I was dying to hear her begging and pleading with me, but that part of what I wanted to do for her would have to wait. It was too important to consummate our relationship now, before I went to the High Court. She needed my mark on her, needed to be claimed by me. There would be no help for anyone who attempted to take her away and no mistaking who she belonged to.

Moving her forward, I leaned over and kissed her enflamed skin before sinking my teeth into her flesh. She yelped again and I chuckled, turning her over and laying her on the blanket. Water had begun to stream from her eyes, and I bent and licked it away, not willing to waste a single solitary piece of her.

“Stefan,” she whispered between pants, “what are you doing?’

She reached for my shoulder and pressed a hand against my chest. I’m not positive she was aware, but her thumb began to rub back and forth against the muscle covering my heart. Could she feel how hard it pounded for her?

I had to wonder if she would accept an obsession so deep it threatened to tear me in two and leave me bleeding for eternity. Would she also accept I wasn’t all I’d led her to believe?

Rather than answer her, I claimed her lips, molding my mouth to hers. She answered my summons eagerly, her tongue sweeping through my mouth, and making my cock impossibly hard. I ground against her, receiving the adorable little sounds from her throat that I swallowed like a starving man.

Every lick of my tongue against hers, every brush of my skin along her flesh, enhanced my fixation with the woman writhing beneath me. The thought of being without her made me want to fly into the burning sun and turn my flesh to ash in the hope of ending the suffering.

I trailed my nose along her neck, hovering my lips a hairbreadth from her skin and inhaled, alternating between kissing her ivory skin and partaking of her essence. I was famished for her, and it seemed I’d spent my whole life waiting and wanting for her. Using my knee, I forced her legs open wider before settling between them. With my free hand I guided my cock toward her entrance, soaking up her heat as the tip nudged into her sweet wetness.

She was tight, almost too tight, when I began pushing forward. She enveloped me like the tightest glove, and it was all I could to hold back the surge of ecstasy that threatened to end everything too soon.

Mabel’s hands moved to my back with a gasp, and she tentatively dug her nails into my muscles. In response, I pulled my hips away slowly, feeling her inner walls flutter and pulse around my length before I slammed back into her. Her back arched and her fingers dug in, likely drawing blood.

That’s my girl.

The woman had no idea what she was doing to me as her eyelashes dipped to her cheeks, no idea how she affected me, breaking me into tiny pieces and claiming my soul for her own. I should’ve been stealing hers, draining the life force out of her and savoring the sweetness of her spirit.

That wasn’t what happened.

Instead, here I was alternating between violating her mouth with my own and gently supping on the tiniest wafts of her essence, lighting a spark in the darkness that dwelled within me. Thrusting my thick shaft inside her velvet core over and over again, I found myself telling her what a good girl she was, how perfect she was, watching her head tilt backward in bliss. Within seconds, she convulsed below me in the throes of orgasm.

I’d been uncertain how I could bear the pain of opening myself up to her. I’d never been in the habit of ejaculating inside a victim, unwilling to allow the ensuing spiritual exchange on the off chance I didn’t kill them.

No one could have any power, no matter how negligible, over me—but me.

But if I died in her arms tonight, I’d leave this damned life knowing I’d finally reached the rapture I sought by claiming her as undeniably my own.

The knot of heat built in my spine, and I took a long lick of Mabel’s neck, inhaling deeply and savoring the threads of her essence winding their way through my mouth to slide down my throat. We both shuddered at the same time. My balls drew close to my body as she peeked at me through lowered lids and I let go, the burst of cum leaving my cock in a rush and stealing my breath. I grabbed her nape and bit her juicy lower lip, tasting copper while stream after stream of hot liquid left me and filled her womb.

If I thought I was obsessed before, I’d had no idea the meaning of the word.

“Jesus Christ,” Mabel whispered.

Fuck .