Page 177 of Wicked Magik

Benedict approached, a smug look on all of our faces as the two gazed into each other’s eyes.

“You did good,” Vesper wrapped her arms around me. “Bringing him back.”

I chuckled. “I did.”

“And modest too.”

Oryx let out a low growl. “I will bite off his head again if he ever betrays us. Next time I will eat his soul so he cannot return.”

Vesper giggled. “That won’t happen. I don’t believe it.”

It wouldn’t happen again, not if I had anything to do with it. Because I would be watching Benedict closely. His mind was connected to mine this time, but closed off to Vesper and Oryx. I would keep my triad safe, no one would betray my family again.

Oryx

I don’t know if I liked parties in my previous life but I hate them now.

This party was lasting forever.

I counted twelve pairs of fated mates that had found each other.

Good for them. Now leave so I can fuck my mates in peace.

A gnawing emptiness clawed at my insides. Three hours without them felt like an eternity of deprivation. No amount of blood could fill this void—only the heat of their bodies against mine, only their gasps and moans could feed the ravenous thing inside me.

Yet, they were talking to the guests giving rapport or some shit.

The beast beneath my scales and skin crawled mercilessly.

I was happy that there were two of them, because I could not sate this myself. I could not pleasure myself like I could before, I needed the heat of their bodies on me. I could use them both at once or one at a time.

“Vesper, I need you.”

Vesper gazed toward me as she talked to Pyrrah, Josephine, and Sylvaine. They were talking about finding their mates through Sylvaine’s magik or something.

Who fucking cares. My cock was leaking through my trousers.

“Please,”I begged.

Vesper smiled and patted her father's arm. With his nod of approval, she made her way across the dance floor, only to have Veylor intercept her halfway—sweeping her into his arms and disappearing among the swirling couples.

I snarled while I stood by the blood-flowing fountain set up for vampires and other blood-drinking monsters like myself.

Vesper's laughter echoed through the hall as Veylor spun her around, their dance a mesmerizing blend of grace and intimacy. I growled low in my throat, my hunger growing more insistent. The scent of their combined desire was a tantalizing aroma that only I could detect, and it was driving me to the brink of madness.

Sylvaine approached me, his eyes filled with understanding. "Oryx, why don't you steal them away for a bit? The party can spare them for a moment." He gave me a knowing smile.

I didn't need to be told twice. With a determined stride, I cut through the dancing couples, my eyes locked onto my mates. Veylor saw me first, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He leaned down to whisper something in Vesper's ear, making her giggle and nod in agreement.

As they broke away from the dance, I took Vesper's hand and led them both towards a darkened hall. The cool air from an open window did little to quell the fire raging within me. Veylor's shadows wrapped around us, creating a cocoon of darkness that shielded us from prying eyes.

"Oryx, you should have told us you were hungry," Vesper teased, her fingers tracing the muscles on my chest. Veylormoved behind her, his hands resting on her hips as he nuzzled her neck.

"I didn't want to disrupt your fun," I grumbled, my voice rough with need.

Veylor chuckled, his shadows beginning to caress my skin, stoking the fire within me. "You are our fun, Oryx. Never hesitate to take what you need from us."

With a groan, my tongue fell from my skull and captured Vesper's lips in a fierce kiss, my tongue delving into her mouth to taste her sweetness. Veylor's hands roamed my body, his touch igniting sparks of pleasure that coursed through my veins. I could feel his shadows assisting Vesper out of her gown, the cool air making her nipples harden into tight peaks.