Page 58 of Promised in Blood

Enora smiles, and her obvious genuine affection for Ophelia is reason enough alone for my gratitude and loyalty. “You are welcome here any time. Cadence will be needing her friends around her these next few weeks.”

Reminded of the reason we are here, I add, “If there is any indication that the girl cannot cope with the burden we have placed on her this day, let me know immediately, and I will erase her memory.”

Enora nods. “I will keep a careful eye on her.”

As soon as we have left the vicinity of the Vale houses and are sheltered by the cover of trees, I draw to a stop. Confused, Ophelia stops beside me. With slow, deliberate intent, I wrap my hand around her slender neck and press the pad of my thumb on the underside of her jaw, tipping her head back until her pretty blue eyes are locked on mine. Axl, Malachi, and Xavier stand to either side of us, devious grins on their faces.

Ophelia narrows her eyes. “This is either where you bite me or reprimand me. So what have I done wrong?”

I brush my lips over her jawline. “I do love having you in this position, little one. Feeling your pulse flutter beneath my hand makes me want to strip you naked right here beneath these trees and sink my cock inside you inch by inch until you are begging me to fuck you.” Her pupils blow wide, and she sucks in a deep breath that makes her breasts heave. “As adorable as it is to see your little fists balled with rage, you have no reason to harbor such petty jealousies.”

Her throat works like she is ready to speak, no doubt to come back with some feisty retort, but I squeeze my hand and cut her off. “I have lived for over two thousand years, Ophelia. I have enjoyed many pleasures of the flesh. I have bedded at least half the faculty of this university, but all of it was merely in pursuit of momentary pleasure. I have only ever bonded to one woman before you. She grew three of my children in her womb, but stillnothingcompares to the feelings I have for you. Our bond is unique. Not just with me, with all of us. No one will ever take your place, agápi mou. And the sooner you realize that, the easier all our lives will be.”

I relax my grip on her and rest my hand at the base of her throat, allowing her to speak freely. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better, Professor.” Her sultry tone coupled with her warm breath dancing over my face has me on the edge of finishing what we started earlier in the house. Is that her end game here? She is incredibly submissive, perhaps because she knows how hard it makes all of us. The boys are as desperate for her as I am, and the wicked smirk playing on her lips tells me she knows it. What happened to her friend today has her nerves understandably on edge, and perhaps she is seeking comfort in the best way she has learned. Whilst that saddens me, I am also painfully aware that it would be a comfort to all of us.

“Are you simply looking to get yourself fucked, Ophelia?”

Her legs tremble, and the scent of her arousal grows thick around us. She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. “Maybe.”

I trail my fingertips over her cheek and suppress a smile. “Not right now.”

Axl and Xavier each let out a dark laugh, and Malachi utters an unintelligible word that sounds full of sympathy. “So unfair,” Ophelia mutters.

I drop my hand and walk away, striding ahead and leaving her and the boys to make their way back to the house at a slower pace behind me. Yes, it is unfair. I wish I could spend every waking second with a part of me inside her, but there is too much to lose. Too much at stake if she unleashes her powers before she has a hold on them. If it would not draw my suspicion from my father, I would take her and my boys far away from this place and never return.

I squash the idea before it takes root and begins to grow. There is no simple answer to the paradox of Ophelia Hart. And if I were a man prone to wasting time, I might wish that there was.

Chapter

Twenty-One

AXL

Alexandros is pacing his study and runs a hand through his hair while muttering in Greek. We got back from Silver Vale a few moments after him, and he summoned us in here as soon as we set foot through the door. I’ve never seen him so rattled before, and it’s unnerving.

“I don’t understand why Meg having her heart ripped out would be an attempt to implicate you, Professor?” Ophelia says, her nose wrinkled in confusion. “Surely you are not the only vampire ever to have committed such a crime?”

He stops pacing and stares at her, and there is a look of something like regret etched on his face. But I know that can’t be right because my sire is made of granite. He is sure and iron-willed, leaving no space for all-too-human emotions like regret or guilt.

Alexandros’s eyes don’t leave Ophelia’s face. “To tear out a witch’s heart…” His tongue darts over his bottom lip. “In ancient times, witches believed that their hearts were the root of their power.” His eyes flicker over her face as though he’s searching for something. Her disapproval, perhaps? But our girl simply maintains that same curious expression she often has. “Like their elementai cousins, witches’ emotions have always been linked to magic. Therefore, even after their ancestors discovered that the heart was simply another vital organ, the heart remained a totem of a witch’s power for a long time. To remove their heart is to desecrate their body, and some believe this prevents them from taking their place amongst the cosmos after their death.”

“So by taking their heart, you also take their soul?” Ophelia asks.

He nods, his eyes still fixed on her. “That is why removing a witch’s heart is so barbaric and why it is considered too heinous a crime for most to be capable of.”

“But not you?” Her voice is little more than a whisper.

A low, instinctive growl rolls out of him, and before I can blink, he’s standing right in front of her, a large hand cradling her face. “No, not me. And make no mistake. I would do the same again if I had to.”

Unease permeates the room, so heavy I can taste it, but I can’t decipher it entirely. Perhaps because it is something I’ve never experienced before from Alexandros. I pay careful attention to the way his heart pulses a little faster than normal,his breathing a fraction shallower, his eyes imploring her. Is he seeking her approval? Or her forgiveness?

Ophelia’s heart rate picks up now, and I tune into her feelings, surprised at how much more easily I can do that since he bonded with her too. Perhaps it has something to do with her powers being unlocked, or maybe it’s because the five of us are one entirely connected unit. Whatever it is, I like it, and I don’t have the desire to dissect that any further right now. But she doesn’t disapprove of him. Not even a little. She feels sadness. His and her own. And she’s anxious too, much like the rest of us, but not because of anything he’s done.

“I hope you never have to” is all she says. She tips her head back, submissively displaying the pale skin of her throat.

The air grows thick with sexual energy as he runs the pad of his thumb over her lip. My brothers watch them every bit as intently as I do, and all five hearts in the room beat to the same steady rhythm, a cacophony of blood pulsing through each of us. The symphony of our bond. “Enora will cast new spells which will strengthen the protection at Silver Vale, and I will have her cast a similar incantation preventing anyone uninvited from entering this house too, but as we discovered today, they are not failproof. We will all need to be more cautious.”

He keeps his hand around Ophelia’s throat. “And you will no longer go anywhere on this campus unaccompanied.” She licks her lips but doesn’t reply. “Do you understand me?”

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