Page 14 of Crimson Devotion (The Sacred Seven #1)

FOURTEEN

Faith

Ophelia’s sitting behind her vanity, her long dark hair falling down her back in loose, soft waves.

She’s humming a song that I’ve never heard before, but the gentle tone is enough to have me hypnotized.

Her eyes are glued to the jewelry as she’s cleaning the gold, then putting them back in their original spots.

Over the past four weeks since I’ve been here, I’ve learned a lot about Ophelia. She was parentified, alongside Lucifer, when she was too young to be anyone’s parent, and she took on the role with her whole heart. She loves all of her siblings, and she worries about them non-stop.

However, she’s still the matriarch of the family.

I’ve seen how she interacts with Valerio and Aurelia.

Although Aurelia loves to joke around, a single glance from Ophelia is enough to stop any attempts of further button-pushing.

Valerio never speaks over her, and even if he doesn’t like what she’s saying, he never denies her. He doesn’t dare to.

Both of them — and I’m assuming the rest of the siblings — show their utmost respect for all the sacrifices the oldest two D’Achille siblings have made over the centuries spent together. Even if they don’t like her leadership, they suck it up and keep their mouths shut.

I came here fully prepared to kill Ophelia.

I wanted nothing more but to see her bleed, to see the life drain out of her eyes, until she perished, just like many vampires that I’ve ruined throughout the years.

Her downfall was the only reason I decided on going against my better judgement and doing something as reckless as traveling to a foreign country, across the world, all alone.

But now?

I don’t know what’s different.

I’d be lying if I said I was completely fine with her turning me into a vampire.

However, when Ophelia swore up and down that she didn’t mean to turn me into one, I believed her.

She couldn’t have known how our lives would get turned upside down, or how it would affect us in the long run.

And as vampires, the long run is extremely fucking long.

And now that we’ve been thrown into this situation, I’m not sure I’d ever want to leave.

Blaming it on the mate bond is the easiest thing to do, and it’s partially the reason I’m unable to spend even two hours apart from this woman.

However, on a deeper level, I fear I’d be just as connected to her even if it weren’t for the bond.

It’s been just over a month since she turned me into a vampire, and since she revealed that she was my fated mate. Only a month. Yet, my entire life now revolves around her. There’s no me if there’s no her. No life for me unless she’s in it.

But the reason I came here was to find out what exactly happened to my parents. She couldn’t have been the one to kill them — I understand that now. The fact remains that they were killed, and I won’t stop until I’ve found who did it and why.

“Is there a reason you’re staring at the back of my head, little hunter?”

Ophelia’s angelic voice snaps me out of my trance. She turns to look at me, dressed in her nightgown that barely reaches her thighs. My mouth goes dry, and I force myself to look her in the eyes — although, it’s not of much help.

The soft sun gleam flutters through the thick curtains, falling onto her face. Her eyes seem brighter, redder than before. A color that’s somehow become my favorite. Her lips are coated in a thin layer of light pink lip oil, shimmering under the light.

“You keep calling me that.’’ I clear my throat, doing my best to keep my emotions at bay.

Whenever our eyes lock, whenever she gives me that look, it takes all the strength in my body not to tear her clothes off — not that she’d actually let me.

She likes to be the one to take care of me, but sometimes, I just want to return the favor.

“Does it bother you?”

“No.’’ I sigh, approaching her. She crosses her legs, head cocking to the side.

Slowly, she drags that intense gaze all over me, skimming over my entire body, especially the way her clothes look on me.

I’m not sure why she has such a variety of clothes, especially in different sizes, but I don’t want to ask, either.

The thought of it belonging to a past lover makes my blood boil. “But I’m no longer a hunter.’’

Ophelia’s hands come to rest on my hips, eyes flicking up to meet mine. She rubs circles into the flesh over the fabric, soothing me to the best of her abilities. The smallest of touches from her are enough to get me excited.

“It doesn’t matter.’’ She chuckles. “You’ll always be my little hunter.’’

Without another word, Ophelia pulls me to sit on her lap. My hands instinctively move to wrap around her neck, fingers gently intertwining with her silky hair. Her gaze softens, her red eyes full of something I could only describe as adoration.

Neither of us speaks; the silence that surrounds us is enough to tell the deepest, unspoken thoughts. My hands move from the nape of her neck to her cheeks, thumbs gently brushing the strands that are covering her face. Her eyes close, and a small smile tugs on the corners of my lips.

I lift her chin upward slightly, then place my lips on hers.

Ophelia’s reaction is immediate — she kisses me back with a force I’ve never felt before.

She’s devouring me through the kiss, pulling me closer in a desperate attempt to mold our bodies together.

Her hands clutch around the fabric of the dress, her tongue dragging along the seam of my lips.

My lips part, and the moment I taste the sweetness on her tongue, my mind goes blank.

Ophelia groans into the kiss, sucking on my tongue gently.

It sends shock waves all throughout my body, and all the restraint I had goes out the window as she pulls back, looking at me with glossy eyes, swollen lips and heavy breathing.

She lets out something between a whine and a growl when I get off her lap, reluctantly letting go of my hips. However, her eyebrows lift to her hairline when she sees me get down on my knees between her legs.

I push her own apart, stroking her inner thighs.

Our eyes lock, and she’s silent, waiting for what I’ll do next.

My heart thumps against my ribcage as excitement rushes through my veins.

It’s not like I’ve never done this before — I have.

But Ophelia’s never let me be the one to make her feel good, her sole focus on my pleasure.

I’m a little scared that she won’t like it, or that I won’t be able to make her feel good. My hands tremble, and she notices the nervousness on my face. She chuckles, then starts stroking my hair gently, parting her legs farther.

“Don’t think too much about it, alright?”

I nod, then start planting kisses on her inner thighs. Ophelia’s hand threads through my hair, holding it tightly and giving me a little tug. Looking up at her, I’m met with one of the darkest looks she’s ever given me. If this woman could eat me whole, she would, in an instant.

She holds eye contact as I sink my teeth into the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, then moans loudly. Ophelia pushes my head farther into her skin, the blood coating my tongue.

She’s given me full access to the fridge where she keeps all the blood, and she has bags of every single blood type. I tried them all, yet none of them taste quite as sweet as hers. It’s addictive, and mixed with the vampire venom that runs through her body, it’s enough to have me craving more.

The thick liquid fills my mouth, and the more I suck, the louder her moans become.

The hand holding my hair starts trembling, and the scent of her arousal hits me instantly.

The scent is rich, and it makes all of this so much harder to deal with.

It’s the smell I want to smell all the fucking time.

She has me completely wrapped around her little finger, at her mercy.

Suddenly, she pulls my head back, and I whine at the loss of contact.

Blood dribbles down my chin, and the corner of my lips, my teeth painted in her color.

Her eyes darken, a feral look overtaking her features.

I’m not sure whether it’s the fact that I’m practically soaked with her blood, or the fact that I’m on her knees before her — and I don’t care.

“Fuck, little hunter,’’ she breathes out, voice low. “You look so fucking perfect with my blood all over you.’’

“Thank you,’’ I whisper.

“Such a good girl for me, thanking me so sweetly.’’

Something snaps within me, and immediately, my fingers hook on the waistline of her underwear before I rip them apart. She chuckles at my impatience, but it’s been weeks since I’ve practically begged to taste her, and now, I’m not getting off my knees until I’ve had my fill.

I part her labia with my fingers, inhaling her sweet scent. A deep groan sounds from my throat, reverberating through the room. I flick my tongue out, a small taste of what’s to come. My eyes roll to the back of my head, and I’m completely enthralled by the way she tastes.

My mouth is on her, sucking and licking everywhere I possibly can. Ophelia relaxes in the chair, wrapping her legs around my neck and pulling me closer. If I die like this, I’ll die the happiest person in the world, between the legs of the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Her juices mix with the blood on my tongue, and I probably seem like a starved animal. My eyes are closed, all my senses focused on making her feel good. Ophelia’s soft moans only encourage me to keep going, alternating between sucking on her clit and gently pushing my tongue inside her.

“Just like that, little hunter,’’ she croaks out.

My eyes open, and I see her head falling back against the chair, pure bliss on her face. Her legs tighten around me, and I know she’s not letting me out any time soon. Not that I’d want to leave this heaven.

Her praise sends shivers down my body, and I start teasing her entrance with my finger, before pushing inside while sucking on her clit. Her eyes snap open, and she looks down at me, like an obedient puppy, between her legs.

“Such a good girl for me,’’ she moans. “That’s it. Make me come all over your tongue, little hunter. Let me mark that pretty face of yours.’’

I moan into her pussy, feeling it throb against my tongue. I add a second finger, then start to pump them in and out of her at a quicker pace. Whenever I reach that sweet spot inside her, her eyes roll back, and her grip on my hair tightens.

“Please,’’ I mumble, my words muffled by her skin. Her hips buckle against my fingers, and I curl them up. A deep, low groan fills my ears, the small hairs standing up straight at the back of my neck. “Please, let me taste you.’’

“Such a perfect girl, begging for me.’’

My heart hammers against my ribcage, fingers and tongue working overtime just to see her fall apart for me — because of me. She keeps eye contact when I feel her finally come undone, the sweetness of her juices hitting my tongue in waves. I slurp them all up, determined not to waste a single drop.

Ophelia’s breathing is heavy, and she starts panting as she comes down from her high, slowly getting her legs off my shoulders. I’m not done, though. I go back, cleaning her up entirely with my tongue, until there’s not a single drop of her release left.

She pats my head, then pulls me off my knees, back to sit on her lap. Her arms wrap around my waist, her head buried in my chest. She’s trying to regulate her breathing, and all I can do is hug her back, stroking her hair gently.

“You were amazing, little hunter,’’ she praises, causing my heart to flutter.

“You tasted amazing.’’

Ophelia chuckles, then looks up at me. Something raw, vulnerable, and real changes her expression. It’s the first time I’m getting to see who Ophelia D’Achille truly is, and I’m mesmerized. The look of pure adoration flickers through her red eyes, and my stomach clenches at the sight.

Because I know it’s all for me.

Only for me.