Page 30 of Promised in Blood

Ophelia’s mouth hangs open, and for the longest time, she only stares at him. Eventually, she speaks, and her voice is weak and quiet—the opposite of her. “But what does that mean? For me? For us?”

He stands and glares at her. “It means training, Ophelia. Lots and lots of training.”

Chapter

Twelve

ALEXANDROS

My brother’s blue eyes remind me so much of our mother’s. Long-forgotten memories swim through my mind, bombarding me with images of the life I closed the door on after the loss of my wife and daughters. For five hundred years, those memories have lain dormant.

But now they linger close to the surface, ready to break free at the slightest hint of encouragement. Surely it is Ophelia’s doing. My mind is sharper than it was before too, and my ability to hear other’s thoughts has been magnified. As if allowing herinside has somehow heightened the potential of my power whilst unlocking its secrets.

“Alexandros,” Giorgios says, reminding me that he is waiting for an explanation as to why I have again summoned him to Montridge.

I shake my head, and the memories wash away like water circling a drain. “I have something to tell you.”

He rolls his eyes. “I suspected as much given that you summoned me here. But what is it?”

I lick my bottom lip and avoid his scrutinizing gaze. Will he think me more a fool for giving into temptation or for protesting so adamantly that I would resist? I suppose his opinion matters very little, although he would be right either way. But I do wonder if he suspects. Does he have any inkling that I have bonded with an elementai? Her effect on my entire being has been so profound, I am certain he must have sensed something.

Yet four full days have passed since I bonded with her, and I have not heard from him. Surely he would have contacted me if he suspected. I clear my throat. “I bonded with Ophelia.”

He blinks at me, his mouth agape, and then he simply stares. The silence hangs heavy between us. Judging by his reaction, I would say he had no idea that was why I called him here, which is a huge relief. That means our father would not have felt it either.

“Are you going to say something, Giorgios?”

He snaps his mouth closed and takes a deep breath before he speaks. “You bonded with the elementai girl?”

I tilt my head, scrutinizing his features: the slight pinch between his thick, dark brows, the barely detectable narrowing of his sapphire-blue eyes. “Yes.”

His right eyelid twitches. “When?”

I lean forward in my seat, hands clasped between my thighs as though being closer to him will allow me to read him moreeasily. This is not the reaction I was expecting—not that I truly know what I anticipated. But it was not this. “Are you disappointed in me, brother?”

He runs his tongue over his top teeth and gives a brief shake of his head. When his eyes lock on mine again, there is no trace of the disappointment or suspicion I thought I just saw in them. “No, Alexandros. I am merely surprised by your change of heart. And so quickly too.”

I wince. It was not all that long ago when we sat in these same chairs and I swore I would never bond with her. He was so sure even then that I was fooling myself, so his reaction now is particularly unsettling. “And I am surprised by yours.”

He frowns. “How so?”

“When we spoke last, whilst you did not say I was fooling myself, you certainly gave the impression you believed such. Did you not?” In fact, he practically encouraged me to bite her and claim her for my own.

His nostrils flare on a deep breath. “I suppose you convinced me with your steadfast conviction that this was not what you intended.” He leans across the void between us and places his hand on mine. “But make no mistake. I am happy for you, brother.”

Appeased by his explanation, I offer him a nod of thanks.

“What was she like?” His voice contains a low rumble that I suspect is purely instinctual.

I frown, confused by his question. “In what way?”

“She is the first elementai born in half a millennium. You told me you believe she has mastery over three elements, possibly all four. So tell me, what did she taste like?” He licks his lips.

In the entirety of our long existence, we have never compared notes on sexual conquests, and even if that is not what this is, his question is uncomfortably intimate. And whilst the connection Ophelia and I share goes far beyond our sexual relationship, todiscuss her taste in such a way feels disrespectful. “I can tell you that the experience of bonding with her was like nothing I have ever felt before, Giorgios, but her taste will remain between Ophelia, my boys, and me.” I add a growl of warning, and he thankfully heeds it.

“So it was different from bonding with Elena?” His eyes sparkle with curiosity once more, and I wonder if my possessiveness over Ophelia caused me to misinterpret his previous question.

I recall bonding with Elena. How her blood warmed my insides, and her inherent goodness made me want to be a better man for her. My feelings for her—safe and stable—came from a place of loyalty and honor.

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