The pot contains each of our blood now.
Letting me go, Roman stirs the mixture in the pot, and unsure what to do, I step back to stand with Malachi and Cain. They hand me a wipe, and I clean my finger.
The two men stand by me, naked, the moonlight caressing their large frames, and their cocks heavy and aroused, like ancient guardians of the woods. But wearing those masks, they’re as intimidating as can be. They’re also delicious and erotic, and I do believe a part of me likes the intimidation and the air of danger. After all, I’m a girl who has discovered she likes to be chased through these woods.
Roman has taken the pot off the fire, and he keeps stirring it before adding some cold water from the bottle he has by the base of the tree. He stirs more, then dips his finger in the liquid, he brings his glistening digits up to the light and inspects them.
“We’re ready,” he says. “Take off Ophelia’s dress.”
“How does this work?” I ask, increasingly nervous.
“We will paint our bodies with our mixed blood and the herbs we need to deepen our bond and banish past harms. Then we fuck you.”
The way he uses the word fuck, harsh in so many ways, but electric, too, makes my blood sing.
“Finally, when we’ve filled you with our cum, and we’ve covered you in our mixed blood, we’ll tie the silk cord around ourselves and make the final plea to the gods.”
“I’ve not heard the Prophet,” I say. “Not since I killed him. Do you think we still need this?”
I feel connected to my men, and part of me is worried that they don’t believe in my strength and how much I’ve grown.
“This isn’t just for you, Ophelia. It’s for us all.” Roman steps to me and takes my hand in both of his, some of the red mixture coating the back of my hand. “We need this after everything that’s happened. You’re not the only one who has been hurt.”
I swallow hard. Of course not. I shouldn’t think it’s always about me. Look what happened to Rome. He was beaten so badly, I thought he might die.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s not all about me.”
Roman frowns. “Ophelia, my love, there’s no need to apologize. I don’t for one minute believe you think that. I only want you to understand that we aren’t doing this because we see you as weak. It’s for me, as much as you. For Cain and Mal, too. Understand?”
I nod. “Yes.”
He steps back and nods to the other two, who move to me as if one, and begin to lift my dress. Roman watches, his eyes dark behind his mask, his arms crossed over his chest, and his breathing growing heavier as my body is revealed to him.
He’s seen me naked so many times, but somehow this feels new, as if he’s witnessing my body revealed for the first time.
“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he murmurs as the dress is lifted from my head.
I shiver a little as a light, cool breeze brushes over my skin, my nipples hardening in response. Roman picks up the iron pot by the handle and carries it to me. He swirls his fingers through the contents and begins to paint the blood over my chest. It’s warm and not as thick or sticky as pure blood, mixed as it is with the water and the coloring from the plants and herbs.
When he’s painted a stripe from one collarbone to the other, he dips his fingers down, drawing a streak of red between my breasts.
He smiles at me and moves on to Cain. He repeats the process on Cain, and finally Malachi.
“Will you do me the honor of painting me in our lifeforce, Ophelia?”
Roman hands me the pot, and I take it, happy that he’s asked me.
I dip my fingers in the warm liquid, and do as he did to Cain, me, and Malachi. I paint a horizontal line across Roman’s chest, then take it down between his pecs.
When I’ve finished, I hand him the pot back.
“Now what?” I ask.
Roman smiles at me. “You need to take our essence into you, so we’re all joined that way. Do you remember when you kneeled for me so beautifully in the woods all those weeks ago, when we first met?”
I nod, my throat running dry. I’d sunk to my knees for him and rested my head on his thigh, and it had lit something in him. I don’t know to this day what made me do it. But it had felt so right.
“Good girl, I want you to go to that space. Okay? The one where you’re trusting of us. Turn off that internal voice and know that I’ll always protect you and have your best interest at heart, whenever we’re doing anything like this.”
