Aphrodisiacs & Poetry

It was eerily silent for a moment and she wondered if death had finally come for her. Instead, she was wrenched forward forcefully. Wincing at the sudden pain, she was once again reminded of her human frailty. Her eyes gazed into the dark depths in front of hers and she realized that this wasn't death. This was definitely not a hallucination. Orion was here. The intensity in his eyes caused something to coil deep within her stomach.

It screamed at her to react, but before she could even question him, he bit down upon his wrist. Wide-eyed, she watched blood begin to flow from the wound. Her eyes stayed upon the wound for a moment before her eyes returned to his eyes.

“Orion?” she whispered.

His mouth was smeared with his blood. It should’ve shocked her. It probably should’ve caused a different type of reaction, but she had lived with her stepbrother and been around their culture for most of her lifetime. Her heart raced in her chest and she watched his tongue slide across his top lip. She should be shrinking away from this. She shouldn't be so captivated by how he can make everything seem so sensual.

As she opened her mouth to question him, he leaned in, capturing her mouth with his. She gasped, tasting his blood. Her eyes popped open as fuzzy images began to overtake her thoughts and the buzz of emotions not of her own burned through her. It was addicting -- the sensations, the emotions, and the visions. When he drew away from her, her eyes returned to his as he leaned his forehead against hers.

“Drink,” he whispered, offering her his wrist.

She swallowed hard in uncertainty. What if he was only doing this out of guilt? What if he felt obligated to do so because of his bond with Caleb? He was her weakness. It almost made her forget he was the one that shut the door and turned her away. He had made his sentiments known and the heartbreak of it surged within her.

“I-I can’t.” She shook her head, attempting to pull away. “What good is it to turn me when you won’t stay afterward?”

“I’ll stay.”

She chuckled bitterly. “No, you won’t.”

“You don’t know yet, but you will.”

She sucked in a breath when he licked his wound. She groaned when he yet again pressed his mouth against hers. His tongue danced with hers, tasting his blood upon her taste buds. When did blood become an aphrodisiac? Oh, right, his vampiric blood was pure and a known aphrodisiac. It wasn’t fair that everything about him was addicting. He didn’t even try to hide his darkness. He wasn’t controlled by it and he didn’t hide behind it. He unapologetically owned it and that type of self awareness magnetically drew people in like moths to a flame. Like now, he knew his blood was a powerful aphrodisiac and he was using it to his advantage.

She wasn’t a child though. She wasn’t a victim like some innocent lamb being led to the slaughter. She allowed him to lead her down this path, because the deeper into madness she went, the more his secrets bled into her.

I can’t lose her, Persephone. It’ll be the death of me.

Losing control of her inhibitions, she kissed him deeper, wanting more of him. She chased the taste of his blood on his tongue. I’m not ready for that. I’ll never be ready for that. She’s my mate. I can’t just let her go. I’ll follow her in death if I must. Desperation clouded her judgment when he pulled away from her, taking his secret truths with him.

Her wild eyes gazed at him. She was so hungry and she wanted nothing more to devour him. She needed to know more and feel more.

Once again, he offered her his offering of his forbidden fruit, lifting his hand. Her eyes riveted to his blood smeared across his wounded wrist. There was a playful smile teasing the corners of his mouth. The fucking devil knew she was too close to the edge and he was dangling everything she wanted in front of her.

All she had to do was take.

Her choice.

Her heaven and hell.

Maybe just one lick.

Just one?

With trembling hands, she held his offered wrist. Her eyes met his as she tentatively licked his wrist. He stiffened for a moment, grinding his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut. She smiled at his reaction, but she could feel the flames burning through him. She flattened her tongue against the wound and deliberately dragged it across the sensitive wound. The way his eyes rolled back and the sound of his groan made her want more of him. Spurred on by his pain and pleasure zinging through her, she pressed her mouth against his wounds and sucked. Her eyes took in the blissed out expression upon Orion’s perfect face and her heart rejoiced that she was making him feel this way. Then he wrapped his free arm around her as he drew her closer to his embrace. She gasped when he sank his teeth into her shoulder and began to drink from her.

____

Orion had left awhile ago, but Persephone had stayed at their father's townhouse. She had no desire to return home. The residence she shared with Reginald never felt like home. Father's townhouse, even when he wasn't in attendance, always felt more welcoming and peaceful. Even when Father disappeared on one of his adventures, Orion lived there instead of his townhouse on the outskirt of Crown. She was always able to see family, but even when both Father and Orion were gone, she would seek solace away from her life with Reginald.

She was hiding in the extensive library attached to the same office she had found Orion in. Curled up on the oversized armchair, she was reading her favorite book of poetry. She was a scholar at heart and adored books, but nobody would have ever known that except those that were close to her. The book was given to her by Caleb for their first anniversary as a couple. She had given him a pocket watch with a poetic engraving.

After seeing how shattered Orion had become after finding out that Caramia was truly on her deathbed, she was forced back to that moment Caleb had walked out of her life for good to seek out his half sister without her assistance. She figured it was the same for Caramia when Orion shut the door in her face to entertain Lady Mercedes Delacroix of the House of Danvers. It was like one's soul shattering like glass frozen in time, reliving that moment over and over.

The worst part wasn't that. It was living after that exact moment when life didn't have any purpose afterwards. She struggled to live life after Caleb. If it hadn't been for Reginald providing her a necessary distraction, she wasn't certain what would've become of her. For a long time, she felt indebted to Reginald, because he had been a gentleman in the beginning. In the beginning, he was the perfect gentleman doting on her. He showed his true colors after awhile, but even then, she didn't walk away from him.

She resented him for not being Caleb and he resented her for not seeing him above Caleb. In the world of the Ton, high-ranking members of vampire society didn't just break apart if a relationship wasn't working. Their families would bear the brunt of their irresponsibility and their House reputations were both something they both held high above their own personal feelings.

Biting her lip, she flipped to the front of her poetry book and gazed at Caleb's handwriting within the dedication page. My Love, The most beautiful moments I witness is when your eyes light up when you read each and every word of the pages before you. May this be another pearl to add to your library and let it be among the first to be placed in our future library. Tears beaded on her eyelashes until the words on the page blurred. They had dreamed of a life together. What had happened to that vampire who desired a life with her?

Perhaps, he had gotten tired of her like Reginald had. She had always been deemed an ice queen or as Reginald lovingly put it, 'Cold Fish'. When the thrill of bedding her wore off, was that when Caleb decided it was only just a dream?

"Persephone?" Father called out to her softly.

Embarrassed to be caught crying over Caleb, she quickly snapped shut the book. She grew ashamed and humiliated when Father glanced down at the tattered poetry book knowing exactly who had gifted it to her. She chewed her bottom lip as her father took a deep breath.

"I'll be returning to Isla Wysteria," she promised as she popped up from the armchair.

He shook his head, putting his hand out to still her. "Stay. Just stay awhile longer."

Not wishing to depart from the townhouse to return to hers, she slowly sank back down on the armchair. She embraced the book to her chest. She wondered what Father would speak about as he sat down in the opposite armchair from hers. Instead of looking at her, he was gazing out at the stars blanketing Starlet Province.

"I have made a lot of mistakes." His words startled her for a moment. He still continued to look out of the window. "I do not wish to see you make the same ones."

She frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

"Do not delay the inevitable. It shall only bring you more pain." His eyes slid to hers before they dropped to the book she cradled against her body.

She swallowed hard as he gave her a weak smile before rising back to his feet. He walked over to her, leaned down, and placed a kiss on her forehead before he left her to stew over his words. She glanced down at the book and her heart sank. Was he trying to tell her it was time to let go?

It was the only thing she had left of Caleb. Everything else was torn from her by Caleb even his heart. He took that back too. These words were only reminder left that he had once loved her and truly wished to have a future with her.

Perhaps, Father was trying to tell her it was time for her to rid herself of reminders of childish dreams already lost to her. She stared down at the book in dismay. She left her heart on the armchair as she finally disappeared from the library. She returned to the residence she shared with Reginald to find out that the master of the residence had gone out for the night and wouldn't return until tomorrow.

Knowing exactly who Reginald was entertaining at this very moment brought both emptiness and relief. At least, she wouldn't have to entertain him tonight and obviously disappoint him and herself. Stifling loneliness wrapped around her like chains as she found her way to her bedroom. She was alone yet again. She was always alone.