Chapter 30
Oryx
My stomach was content, not with blood, but with something else. I could feel their pleasure coursing through me, and it was enough to satisfy me. Their arousal alone invigorated me, a strange sensation that was more energizing compared to the blood that usually left me drowsy once I was full.
With this, I could go on for hours. I could rut my pet into the bed, I could take Veylor next. I could use their bodies in tandem.
My back arched and my cock swelled at the thought, but the thoughts were interrupted by the lingering words spoken from my pet.
Look inside my mind.
I hovered over her body and nuzzled her cheek. My sweet pet was sound asleep from exhaustion.
With a strength I never knew I had before I cut through her mind like butter, clearing the fog and immediately going to the scene I wanted to unfold. Vampires hovered around her, hovering and clicking their monotonous sounds to control her.
They thought she was a gift.
Veylor’s promise of food.
I snarled and jerked my skull in his direction. He was tying his trousers, and his gray face turned pale.
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
Veylor stumbled and stepped away from me. “What, what do you mean?” His brows upturned in confusion.
"You promised the vampires sustenance, fully aware that Vesper would eventually find her way there. You knew those empty shells would consume her." I crawled off the bed on all fours and moved toward Veylor, who retreated to the door, his hand fumbling for the doorknob.
“Listen to me, please, I did say I would feed them bu—”
I bellowed loudly, causing the room to tremble. Veylor gasped, grabbed the handle, and dashed out of the room. I took one final look at Vesper, but she remained in place.
I leaped out of the door and saw that Veylor and his shadows were trailing behind him. My tongue seeped out of my mouth to sniff the air, and the padding of my feet gripped the marbled floor.
He would not hide from me, not with his magik or his trickery. He deliberately hurt my female, my pet that loved me for who I am first.
I raced down the corridor, following his scent. I couldn’t see him, but I smelled him and chased him down the stairs and to the main entryway. The curtains swayed from my arrival and I took another tentative lick of my maw.
His fear was a thick, cloying scent that hung heavy in the air, a trail of terror that was easy to follow.
My claws clicked against the cold stone floor as I bounded after him, my heart pounding with a primal rhythm that echoed in my ears.
He was fast, but I was faster, a predator born of nightmares and honed by the chase.
He created me like this… he made me. He knew what was coming.
The main entryway was a blur of shadows as the morning light came through.
I tore through it, my eyes locked onto the fleeting glimpses of Veylor's white dress shirt disappearing around corners and through doors.
His shadows were mere flickers, attempts to throw me off his trail, but my focus was unyielding.
He could not escape me.
As I rounded a corner, I saw him stumble, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He was tiring, his body unable to keep up with the frantic pace of his fear.
I snarled, the sound reverberating through the halls, a promise of the retribution to come.
He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes wide with terror, and tried to put on a final burst of speed.
But it was too late. I pounced, my body slamming into his, taking him down to the ground. He cried out as we skidded across the floor, his struggles futile against my strength. I snarled again, my teeth bared mere inches from his face.
"Please," he begged, his voice barely a whisper. "Please, don't—"
But his words were cut off as my jaw snapped closed, not around his flesh, but close enough for him to feel the heat of my breath, the drip of my saliva on his skin. He froze, his body completely still beneath me.
"You will never touch her again," I roared. "You will never even look at her again. Do you understand me? Because I am going to rip off your hands, and pluck out your eyes!" My body shifted, my erection bobbed between us.
It was horrible timing, but pinning him beneath me, taking control of him, protecting what was mine from someone else who was also supposed to mine—the animals in me enjoyed it.
I leaned in beside his ear. “Then I will bite out your tongue so I do not hear the lies you wield. I will keep your ears so you may hear the pleasure she receives from me and make you listen.” The growl in my voice turned into a purr.
“But you would like that, wouldn’t you? I feel your cock hardening against my leg. ”
Veylor panted.
“It’s because you know you deserve it.”
His salty tears met my skull that rested on his cheek.
Veylor shifted beneath me and grabbed my shoulders. “I swear, I didn’t even know that Vesper was in the mansion when I hired them.”
My purr grew into a growl.
“I swear, Oryx. I did not. I only found out after the fact that you brought her to the estate. I have been creating a respawning blood bowl to feed them, to feed you. I told them they wouldn’t have to hunt. They misunderstood!”
I backed away slowly, my tongue sniffing the air.
I found myself torn between the desire to trust him and the overwhelming evidence against him. All those years he had brushed me aside, concealed the truth from me—how could I simply overlook that? Yet, a part of me longed to believe his words. What was I to believe?
I longed to peer into his thoughts, as I could with Vesper, to uncover the truth behind his words.
Leaning in, I studied his face from his forehead to his lips.
He attempted to move back, but I halted him with my hand on his chest. He coughed, but I ignored it, exerting all my strength to penetrate his mind.
Vesper was so easy, her mind was open and free. She was human, but Veylor, being a fae and with magik I imagine, could make it difficult. I pushed and growled when I felt myself slip through a crack in a wall I could see inside.
“You are blocking me out,” I snarled.
Veylor turned his head, his eyebrow raised. “What?”
“Let me inside your mind.” I stomped the ground with my hoof. “Let me see.”
Veylor opened and closed his mouth. “T-thats what you did with Vesper, isn’t it. You saw inside her mind, that’s how you knew?”
If I had eyes in my holes, I would have rolled them. “Of course, what else? Are you blind?” I chuckled internally.
“Pardon me, I was pulling up my breeches!” He snapped.
I snarled again and leaned away.
“I couldn’t see, I thought she spoke to you.”
I shook my skull. “No, I entered her mind, saw those vampires speak to themselves, and said you put her there for food.”
Veylor closed his eyes and sighed. “No, that isn’t what happened—”
My claws lengthened, and I clawed down the marbled floor, leaving scratches in their wake. “Let me see for myself, you have blocked your mind!”
Veylor’s mouth stayed open, his breathing ragged. “That’s… fascinating.”
I roared, his hair flared, and spit slung from my mouth. He gasped and crossed his arms over his face. “Lower your magik and let me see!”
I concentrated harder and Veylor covered his ears and screamed as I broke through the wall that protected his mind. It broke into millions of pieces, and I ran through the rubble.
Memories, like ghosts, hung in the air. I could reach out and grab one and watch as each memory played before my eyes. The two memories I had seen before, went past me.
My hearts leapt in my chest. It was confirmation that it wasn’t just a dream of my mind, not magik he had bestowed in my head, but actual memories that he had of him and I in a lifetime before.
I clutched my chest as I continued to stumble through memories of the past. I took my time rather than rush through them. To be inside Veylor’s mind, I wasn’t sure if I would ever get this chance again.
I stumbled upon a vivid memory, my former self entwined in the sheets with Veylor.
Our bodies were tangled together, breaths coming in quick gasps, hearts beating in a synchronized rhythm.
The warmth of skin against skin, the tender whispers shared in the dim light, all painted a picture of intimacy.
Yet, as I gazed upon this scene, I had to avert my eyes, for it no longer reflected who I had become.
The grand hall echoed with the sound of laughter and the clinking of coins as scenes unfolded before us. Nobles from various courts engaged in animated conversations, their voices mingling with the rustle of fancy fabrics and the soft murmurs.
We observed as fortunes exchanged hands, the glitter of gold reflecting off the polished surfaces around us.
Marriage contracts were signed with a speed, sealing alliances as brides and grooms were paraded like prized possessions.
Amidst this, our fingers intertwined beneath the table, a silent gesture of shared apprehension as we watched the unfolding drama with a sense of dread.
In one vivid memory, my family was approached in the dimly lit corner of a grand room, the atmosphere thick.
I stood beside them, a silent witness, my heart pounding in horror at the unfolding scene.
Veylor's eyes, sharp and envious, bore into us from his secluded spot in the opposite corner. My parents engaged in a hushed, earnest conversation with a young woman and Veylor’s parents.
His sister, a money-hungry, snobbish, potential bride they had deemed suitable for me.
I could see the gravity of the discussion weighed heavily on my shoulders, the encroaching reality of my future pressing in from all sides.
I swallowed and pushed all of that away. How I could remember these scenes and the emotions I felt come to life within me was too much. I wasn’t here for any of that. I was here to take care of Vesper. To see if Veylor was lying.
As I continued through the memories, more doubt that Veylor was lying lifted from my shoulders, and as I saw the memory I was looking for come before me, it confirmed it so. He had brought those vampires before he even knew my pet was here.
Overwhelmed by shame, I collapsed to my knees. My ears drooped, and I was abruptly yanked out of Veylor's mind.
My knees were on either side of his torso. Veylor didn’t try to kill Vesper, but from her perspective, I could see how it could be perceived that way.
I was tired of being played like a fool. I didn’t know anything. All I knew was Vesper; I was learning Veylor all over again, yet he knew me. Why did I not have memories of him? Why could I not know who he was?
My hearts thundered in my chest, and I let out a strangled whine.
Veylor sat up, dark blood stained his hands where they leaked from his ears. He reached out and cupped my jaw. “Oryx, what’s wrong? Did you see?”
I grunted. “You did not purposely hurt her.”
I stood and stepped away from him. “Don’t be so thoughtless anymore. We have a human who is fragile. If something like this happens again, I won’t look for answers.”
Veylor sat up and came toward me.
Veylor's voice was soft, almost tender, as he spoke. "Oryx, I never intended for any of this to happen. You must believe me. I have been reckless, yes, but I would never harm what is precious to you, and I believe to me too. I can’t understand nor process it. I have a pull toward her as well."
I turned away, my body tense with a mix of anger and newfound confusion. "I do not know what to believe anymore," I admitted, my voice a low rumble. "All I know is that Vesper is mine to protect, and I will do so at any cost."
Veylor sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "I understand. And I will help you protect her. We will keep her safe, together. I want this too."
I glanced back at him, studying his face for any sign of deceit. But all I saw was sincerity and a touch of sadness. "Why do you care so much?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I still couldn’t believe he wanted her too, after the indifference he had shown for so long.
Veylor averted his eyes, staring into the distance. "Oryx, I used to believe I should have just one person in my life, but it's clear there's a bond that extends beyond just one individual."
I tilted my head in confusion.
Before I could respond, a soft moan echoed down the hall. Vesper. I stiffened, my ears perking up as I listened intently. Another moan, louder this time. She was waking up, and she was in pain.
I hurried back to the room, Veylor close behind me. Vesper was curled up on the bed, her face pale and her forehead glistening with sweat. She whimpered, her eyes fluttering open as we approached.
"Oryx," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "What... what happened?"
I nuzzled her gently, my voice soft. "Shh, my pet. You are safe now. Rest."
Veylor stepped forward, his hands wrapped with shadows. "Let me help her," he said, looking at me for permission.
I nodded, stepping back to allow him access. He kneeled by the bed, his hands hovering over Vesper's body as he chanted softly under his breath. Slowly, her breathing evened out as she fell into a peaceful sleep.
“Foolish,” I whispered to myself. I was going to need help keeping my fragile human healthy. Especially if I was feeding off her blood and now her pleasure.
“Come,” Veylor said. “Let’s try to see if a blood bowl can keep you full so we can let her heal. You can sleep with her peacefully until she awakens again.”