Page 66 of Wicked Magik

And his breath was warm on my cheek.

How is that possible?

I rolled my eyes anyway and elbowed him in his rib. “I thought I saw a spider. Just wanted to see if they were the same species as earth you twat. Let go of me.”

He huffed in annoyance. “You aren’t allowed back here anymore. I can’t trust you.” Veylor’s body pressed into me more, my breasts felt heavy, and my heart raced.

Veylor’s grip tightened, and I could feel the cold emanating from his body, a stark contrast to the warmth of his breath. It was an eerie reminder of what he truly was. I could sense his anger, but there was something else lurking beneath it—maybe lust?

Then I felt him. His hips pressing against my backside, his growing erection unmistakable. His nose traced slowly up my neck and into my hair, and it took everything in me not to let a whine slip out.

I should not like this. I should not want him to pin me to this wall and...

Oryx needs to fuck it out of my system. That’s all.

"You think you can play games with me?" he growled, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine. "You think you can defy me and there will be no consequences?"

I scoffed, trying to hide the way my body was reacting to his proximity. "And what is it that you will do? You can’t do much without ruining your relationship with Oryx or breaking our contract."

He spun me around, his dark eyes bore into mine. There was a storm raging within them, a battle between hatred and something much more complex. "Do not test me, human," he warned, his voice like thunder.

I met his gaze steadily, refusing to back down. "Or what? You'll throw another tantrum? I've seen worse from toddlers."

"You think this is a game?" he growled, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "This is not your world, little girl. You do not understand the rules here."

Littlegirl?

I scoffed, twisting my neck to look at him. "And you do? You're just a puppet master, pulling strings and hiding behind your magik. You're not even alive, Veylor. You're just a corpse playing God."

His eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, I thought I saw a hint of pain. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual stoic expression. He releases me abruptly, stepping back as if I had burned him.

"You know nothing about me," he said coldly. "And you would do well to remember your place."

I turned to face him fully, rubbing my arm where he had gripped it.

And where is that, exactly? Because I wasn’t sure.

"Finish your work," he commanded, turning his back to me. "And stay away from that door. It is not a request."

Veylor turned his back to me so I did the next best thing and stuck my tongue out at him.

He halted abruptly and let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping. A tendril of hair escaped from the neat bun atop his head, curling against his neck. "Just keep your distance from that door," he muttered, his voice carrying a grave warning. "It's not something you should trifle with."

Chapter 22

Oryx

Initially, I couldn't understand the advantage of me cleaning the estate. My Lord instructed me to clear the branches that Benedict had begun, preferring to keep him indoors for other duties. Though I was built for tough work, being separated from my pet left me uneasy.

I could barely hear her heartbeat, let alone her thoughts. In my haste to complete my tasks, I became careless and ended up having to redo them.

Unfortunately, Benedict was my charge, which only meant more work for me.

I hated him.

The thought of ripping him apart came to mind but my pet spent so much time putting him together, I knew I couldn’t ruin her work. She is thoughtful, and she would only put him back together again and that is time spent away from me.

Benedict mentioned that after we clear away the dead leaves, we will plant foliage again. He envisions restoring the estate to its former splendor, just like the picture hanging in the hallway.