Chapter 35
Veylor
She agreed to dinner. I took that as a step in the right direction.
It took several days for me to see her again. The last time she saw me in my state of duress was not something I wanted repeated. I wanted her to think I was capable, even if Benedict said I needed to show emotion.
It was hard to show emotion other than with Oryx. It took us years to develop our relationship and I was expected to drop this exterior in a matter of days?
Yet I did. She saw me terrified of what I had done to her.
I can only hope she sees it as I do truly care for her well-being and not because I am a weak fae.
I had been regarded as weak during my time in the Shadow Court, and I didn’t want her to think of me as weak as well.
A cough escaped my lips as I stood sentinel by the expansive window, gazing out over the estate grounds. On the table behind me, dinner grew cold. My fingers found the chain of my pocket watch. I took out my watch and checked the time once more.
She’s five minutes late.
Oryx said he would be sure to bring her down and dine with us to keep things light.
No pressure, just dinner.
Humans liked to eat.
I liked to eat.
I pushed back my long hair and let out a shuddering breath.
Benedict’s shoes clicked across the dark marbled floor and came toward me. The hurried footsteps of others echoed through the room as they carried in more deep red roses, freshly gathered from the now-abundant garden.
“My lord, there is another suit in your bedroom if you sweat through that one.” Benedict looked me up and down and smirked.
My lip curled into a snarl, and I pulled down my vest. “I am not sweating. I don’t sweat, you undead thing.”
Benedict frowned and laid a hand on his chest. “That wasn’t even a good comeback, my lord, you are nervous.”
The two women moved the vases around on the dining room table and then looked toward us, eventually scattering out of the room and back to the kitchen.
“How are Josephine and Phyrrah doing?” I adjusted my sleeves once more and stared out the window.
While Vesper has been resting due to her monthly and nightmares, I took it upon myself to bring back two of the estate’s maids, relieving Benedict of some of his chores. The women were delighted to be back and even more so happy to have bodies that were so well put together.
Something I needed to thank Vesper for.
"They've returned to their stations with genuine enthusiasm. The shipment of cloth has arrived just in time for Vesper's new wardrobe, and they're even crafting pieces for Oryx. I noticed their eyes widening at first sight of him, but after that initial shock, they've managed admirably."
I nodded as I heard the sound of Oryx’s large hooves entering through the doorway. Vesper followed him, dressed in the deep crimson velvet gown I had seen her wear what seemed like ages ago.
And it was as if I was seeing her for the very first time, all over again, a visceral shock to my system. My shaft was like granite. My entire being craved her with a fierce, incomprehensible longing.
In that moment, I was forced to acknowledge that Benedict had been right all along. There was indeed something profound and undeniable about this whole fated mate, this bond.
Watching them stride toward me, side by side, it was an overwhelming sense of destiny, an undeniable truth crashing over me.
As Oryx drew nearer, my feelings for her intensified. My body yearned to learn more about her, to touch her, and to hold her close, driven by a desire to understand everything about her.
Why did I have to be so stubborn earlier?
Oryx grabbed Vesper’s wrist and pulled her forward. She didn’t show fear, but apprehension as she stepped forward. Her chin was held high, she was no longer the weak, frail human that laid on a bed of furs and soft blankets in Oryx’s bed.
This was Vesper, the human female who didn’t let anyone take advantage of her.
The fire that I want to ignite into an inferno.
Benedict backed away, while I stepped forward. I took her hand and slowly brought the back of it to my lips, not breaking eye contact. Red flushed her cheeks and I smiled inwardly.
While her heart did not want me, at least I knew her body did.
“Thank you for joining me for dinner, it is much appreciated.”
Vesper swallowed and pulled her hand away. “Yes, well, I’m doing it for Oryx. He said he wanted us to at least get along.” Vesper folded her arms and looked away from me.
Oryx tilted his skull in question.
I licked my lips and bit down on the bottom one. “Why don’t we have a seat? I’m sure you are hungry. I heard you have wandered today.”
Vesper has spent time getting to know the souls of the women who once ran this household, now inhabiting new vessels. They resumed their duties as if they'd never left, but this time, Vesper shadowed them through unfamiliar corridors of the estate.
As they moved through the five sprawling floors and elongated wings, they encountered rooms so thick with dust and neglect that their original purposes had become obscured memories.
My familial wing will remain closed indefinitely and perhaps be removed at some point in time.
As she trailed behind Josephine and Phyrrah, she attempted to assist with the cleaning, but I ensured she wasn't permitted to do so. Vesper was the Lady of this house, and she was only allowed to exert herself within the boundaries of my lab.
She would be the weaver of the new vessels that come back from the Under Shadows.
Vesper stepped in front of Oryx and took the seat furthest away from me, which still wouldn’t be far enough. I made sure that our three seats were close instead of our previous dinner fiasco and having me at the head of one table and Oryx at the other.
No, this would be more intimate. Oryx sat at the head, while Vesper sat next to him and I sat on the other side of her. Vesper’s eyes widened and she gazed down the table. “Isn’t that where you sit?” She pointed to the far end.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I would rather be close to both of you, is that wrong?”
With a deep breath to steady my trembling hand, I carefully grasped the gleaming silver lid of the platter before us and gently lifted it away.
Instantly, a cloud of fragrant steam billowed upward, carrying with it the savory aroma of a perfectly roasted bird nestled among stone fruits and a medley of colorful vegetables.
As I moved on to unveil the other dishes, I found an array of sides.
Fluffy mashed potatoes, buttery rolls, and rich pasta salads, all thoughtfully prepared by the maids.
They had assured me these comforting carbs would be ideal for a woman enduring the challenges of her monthly cycle, offering comfort and satisfying those inevitable cravings.
Anything to help with Vesper to make her comfortable.
First, I cut into the fowl and took the first piece, offering her either white or dark meat. Her lips parted as she lifted her plate and asked for dark meat, and I placed it gently on her plate.
Did I come across as that much of a tyrant to her?
“Yes,” Oryx growled in my head.
Right, never mind then.
“Vesper, did you find anything interesting in your travels today?” I sat down and put some food on my plate, knowing good and well I wouldn’t eat. Not when I was this nervous.
Oryx wrapped his tail around my leg reassuringly, and by the Shadows, it felt good that I had him on my side.
Vesper mused quietly while bringing the forked piece of meat to her lips.
I observed the way her lips pressed together and the manner in which she chewed.
It wasn't meant to be seductive, yet the soft sound she made was enough to cause a reaction, making my shaft uncomfortably press against the fabric of my trousers.
Curse me.
“Now you know how I feel constantly. Between the two of you, I could stay in my den all day.” Oryx shifted himself in his extra-large chair, shifting himself to get more comfortable.
I couldn’t imagine how he felt, if he felt for me the same as he did for Vesper.
Oryx turned his skull toward me and stared. “It’s unbearable.”
A cold shower was in order after dinner.
Vesper cleaned her mouth. “I found a ballroom. At least, I think it was a ballroom. It was empty, with lots of mirrors, and a chandelier. It reminded me of movies I’ve once watched of people dressing up in gowns and fancy outfits and dancing.”
Oryx leaned over his empty plate. “Movie? What is a movie?”
Vesper smiled and placed her fork down. “It’s like a moving picture. You know the painting in the hallway with the estate on it? Imagine that, with people moving inside it. They are speaking, talking, and there is music. In these movies, it’s like a novel or story plays before you.”
Oryx’s shoulders rose and his ears perked up. “That sounds amazing. We do not have anything like that.”
I shook my head. "No, we do have plays. In the past, they were held more often on grand stages and reserved for the upper class courts.
Nowadays, they're more common, though smaller in scale, but still enjoyable to watch.
We can go to one in the nearest village.
I can ask Benedict to find out when one is scheduled. "
Oryx’s tail swished behind him. “Our pet too, yes?”
Vesper took another bite of her meal, her cheeks growing even redder.
“Of course, when I say we, I always mean Vesper. She will always accompany us, she is part of this household.”
Vesper shook her head. “You don’t mean that. You and Oryx should have a date night, or something…”
I cleared my throat. "That's not what I'm saying, Vesper." My voice came out rougher than intended. "I want you to be there—for all of it. The times that make you double over laughing. The nights you can't stop crying. Especially the moments that remind you why you're alive in the first place."
Vesper’s lips parted. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I want to know what makes you tick. I want to know why you have chosen to stay here. You could have come and asked me to take you back to the portal, to your realm, and not deal with this madness.”
Oryx snarled, and his tail whipped away from me.
Vesper pushed her chair back; it screeched across the floor. “Because I care for Oryx, that’s the only reason I need. And who are you to question me?”
I got up, sliding my chair away from the table and placing my hands on its smooth surface.
"I think there's more to it than just Oryx keeping you here.
Look at this world, Vesper. It's so unlike your own.
You never venture outside anymore; you just remain in this house.
Are you staying just for Oryx? Love can't be that harsh, can it?
Would you truly sacrifice what makes you flourish just for Oryx? "
She gasped but stayed silent. I've observed that her once vibrant tan is slowly diminishing. Even though she's been feeling frail, she could have asked to go outside and soak up some of the light, but she chooses to stay inside.
I knew it was because of me. Those fucking vampires that took blood from her.
But that wouldn’t happen again. She knew of the ward that was placed around this estate. No one else could come in without my specific permission.
Vesper sat back down in her seat.
“Oryx and I will take you outside.” I pulled on my vest. “You will come with us, to play, to smell the flowers, to see the sunlight. We will give you purpose again, to live.”
Vesper bit that delectable lip and refused to meet my gaze.
“I’m fine, I’m allowed to stay inside if I want.” She crossed her arms and pressed her bountiful breasts upward.
By the Shadows, this woman.
"As I've already mentioned, we will escort you outside," I declared, striding purposefully around the table to stand directly in front of her.
Her bright amethyst eyes locked onto mine, filled with a mix of defiance.
"We will lavish you with gifts, envelop you in comfort.
.." I leaned in, my index finger lifting her chin with a deliberate touch.
Her eyes widened, pupils dilating with sudden intensity.
“She is aroused.” Oryx hummed delightedly in my mind.
“…and pleasure you if you so desire.”
Oryx’s tail squeezed around my ankle. “Our pet is confused but intrigued with what to do with this information.”
My gaze didn’t leave Vesper’s.
“What should I do now? Kiss her?”
Oryx gasped. “No, according to her romance books, you leave her now. Stalk out of the room, like brooding. Make her want you. Yearn for you. It’s delayed gratification.”
How does he know these things?
“I do everything to make sure our pet is happy. Now leave so I can have my meal.”
My lip quirked up slightly, and I backed away from Vesper. “Enjoy your dessert. I will see you on the morrow.”
Vesper's lips slowly parted, as if she was about to say something, but I couldn't bear to see her expression any longer.
I turned on my heel, electricity sparked in my fingers, and walked briskly out of the dining room.
As I went into the hallway, the sound of ceramic plates shattering and food splattering across the floor reached my ears, echoing the chaos I felt inside.
Vesper screeched at Oryx, and I heard chairs pushed back. “It is my turn,” Oryx snarled. “You liked that didn’t you? I could smell your pussy dripping the way he spoke to you.”
"I did not!" Vesper's voice was a strained whisper, her cheeks flushed as I cautiously peered around the corner.
Oryx was kneeling in front of her, his hands roughly lifted the hem of her dress, the fabric cascading over his arms. His head was nestled between her thighs, his breath warm and steady against her skin.
“You lie. You want him, you want both of us to touch you, taste you, consume you. I can read your mind, remember?”
And with that, I strode off into the darkened hallway, my shadows thrumming through my body like it would break free. My next move would shatter every boundary between us, because I'd seen it…that flash of raw hunger in her eyes that burned through me like wildfire.
There wasn’t a if things would happen between us…
It was inevitable.