4-Ever Cursed (4-Ever Hunted Book 2)

by Kasi Blake

He sent a text instead: Summer was cursed by Oberon. Cowboy says she looks eighty. She locked herself in her room. Maybe you should come over and talk to her.

  He pocketed his cell and grinned at his reflection in the terrace doors.

  ♫

  Summer lifted the black veil and took another look at her reflection, hoping it wasn’t as bad as she remembered. If anything, there were more wrinkles than before. Was it her imagination or was it getting worse by the hour?

  Footsteps rushed down the hallway in her direction and stopped just outside her door. She sniffed the air. Matt! That stupid hunter had gone straight home to blab to his brother. She didn’t have to strain her brain to grasp the reason why. Trick had brought his brother to see her... or rather her disgusting face in the hope that Matt would dump her. Sometimes boys were so transparent.

  She pulled the netting to its original position as the door opened behind her. She wanted to turn and run into Matt’s arms. But she couldn’t risk it. Her hands held onto the veil. She adjusted it again while keeping her back to him. She’d rather die than allow him a glimpse.

  Her eyes focused on the bedroom wall. She’d chosen the room with salmon wallpaper and a Victorian design that reminded her of childhood. No one would be surprised to hear her parents had spoiled her with beautiful clothes and every toy imaginable. On her tenth birthday, her father had given her a pony. It might surprise them to know he had sold her to a vampire on what was supposed to be her wedding day.

  “Go home,” she said. Her hands curled, and her fingernails dug into her palms. The physical pain kept the emotional pain in check. If she started crying, he’d never leave. She added, “I don’t want you here.”

  “Are you okay?” Matt asked.

  “Please leave.”

  His footsteps drew closer instead of receding. “Trick told me what happened. You’re my girlfriend, and I... I love you for what’s on the inside, not what’s on the outside.”

  Her jaw dropped. It was the first time Matt had used the L word. Why did he have to say it now when she couldn’t say it back? Why did he have to ruin what should have been the happiest moment in her life? Her contempt for pity and mercy and every other weakness known to mortals made her blood boil. “Get out!”

  Matt circled around to stand in front of her. He folded his arms and stood his ground. “No. I am not going anywhere.”

  “Then I will. I’ll teleport out of here, and you’ll never see me again.”

  If he didn’t leave, she would. She could teleport to Siberia and live in exile forever. She’d go where they didn’t have mirrors so she wouldn’t have to see herself again. Beneath the veil, her eyes filled with tears. She should have known better than to fall in love. No matter what she did love never worked out for her.

  Matt stared at her covered face as if trying to see through the veil.

  She turned her back on him.

  His hands gripped her shoulders from behind. “Don’t push me out of your life just because you have a problem. I’m here for you. Let me help.”

  “There isn’t anything you can do... except go away.”

  His hands tightened. “I can be here for you until we find a way to fix this.”

  “I don’t want you here.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  She knocked his hands off her shoulders and put distance between them. “Don’t tell me what I mean, Matthew. You don’t even know me. We were just playing house, having fun and pretending to be a real couple. It’s over. Go away.”

  She drew in a deep breath and got ready to start screaming. Maybe he would listen if she broke the sound barrier. As a girl used to getting what she wanted, Summer didn’t have a lot of patience. She stormed to the door. Stomping her left foot, she pointed the exit out to her unwanted visitor.

  Head hung low, Matt crossed the threshold.

  He turned to say a last parting word, but she slammed the door in his face. His voice, sad with a tinge of desperation called her name. She threw herself onto the bed and covered her head with a pillow. The memory of Matt’s smiling face began to fade. Maybe someday she’d forget him completely. Or maybe she would just have someone stake her. Trick would do it before she finished the request.

  And Matt would hate him for it.

  A tiny bit of malicious glee entered her heart. If she had to die, knowing Trick had lost his brother over her death would at least give her a spark of satisfaction.

  Speaking of Trick, her vampire hearing picked up on the stupid game he was playing with Cowboy downstairs. She shook her head in disgust. Boys.

  ♫

  A dart flew by Trick’s face, barely missing him. He dove over the back of the couch before Cowboy could throw another. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He landed hard on the wood floor and rolled in reverse, using the couch for cover. A variety of strategies went through his mind. None of them seemed viable. Even though he had more power than the other vampire, Cowboy knew how to best use his supernatural strength and speed.

  Trick held a dart in each hand. After taking a deep breath he popped up and threw the green-tipped one at his moving target. Cowboy was too fast. It missed him by several inches, but Trick threw a second dart.

  Direct hit. Cowboy froze in place and stared down at the dart in his chest. He glared at it and then at Trick. “I knew I should have changed my shirt before challenging you to a game.”

  “Are you just gonna leave it there?” Trick smirked.

  “If I take it out right now, I’ll put it in your eyeball.”

  Trick held his hands up. “Hey, we agreed on no face shots.”

  Cowboy plucked the dart from his chest. Before he could retaliate, the terrace doors flew open and banged against the wall. They both stared at the empty doorway while sniffing the air. Werewolf. The terrible stench turned Trick’s stomach, and he wondered if he’d ever get used to that particular odor.

  A familiar brunette with sultry eyes waltzed in as if she owned the place. Her gaze landed on Cowboy, and he seemed to deflate like a leaking balloon. “Finally found someone to play darts with you?” Isobel asked. “Good.”

  “What the hell do you want?” Cowboy shot a glare at her, but Trick could tell he wanted to throw the dart instead. “You don’t belong here anymore, Izzy.”

  She went to the couch and sat on the cushioned arm. “I brought information, and if my boss knew I was sharing, he would do to me what he’s doing to you. Be grateful I care.”

  Cowboy pointed a menacing finger at her nose. “Explain now.”

  Trick stood between them in case Cowboy decided to kill her. Sounded like she had some valuable information. He wanted to hear it. Then Cowboy could kill her.

  “Oberon put a curse on our little Summer this morning,” Isobel said. “He enjoys watching his prey suffer. When it’s not fun anymore, he’ll kill her. He’ll kill you all. You should have left town a long time ago when I first told you to go, but you had to have your fourth.” She glared at Trick before returning her attention to her ex. “You should have left before he killed the Shadow Faerie. Now it’s too late.”

  Trick made a face at his vampire friend. They already knew about Oberon’s sadistic nature. However, there was one thing Trick didn’t understand about Oberon’s plan. “Why didn’t he curse me first?”

  Isobel snorted. “He did.”

  Trick and Cowboy shared another silent but meaningful look. Wouldn’t he know if he’d been cursed?

  “Guess he missed,” Cowboy said with a shrug.

  Isobel smirked. “Maybe you haven’t noticed it yet. Or maybe the faerie blood in your veins has slowed it down so it’s not obvious.” She turned her head to look at Cowboy. “You’re next.”

  Cowboy folded his arms. “What’s he got up his sleeve for me?”

  “He wouldn’t say.” Isobel’s mouth pinched. “Guess he doesn’t trust me as much as I’d hoped. He must know I still have feelings for you.”

  “Yeah, right,” Cowboy scoffed. “You care so much for me t
hat you did the one thing that would keep us apart forever. You became a stinking werewolf.”

  “It’s who I am.” She went to him, and a seductive smile curved her lips. “You knew that when we met.”

  The second werewolf ever created, Isobel had been Jersey’s first soldier in what was supposed to become a formidable army. Upon his death, all werewolves including Isobel had returned to mortal. Somehow she’d convinced Cowboy to make her a vampire, and she’d joined his group... for a while. Cowboy had believed she was happy with fangs, but Isobel longed for what she’d lost. After Jersey returned to life as a werewolf, she got him to turn her for the second time.

  Cowboy was hurt and angry by the betrayal.

  Isobel was obviously still in love with him.

  They had a lot to work through.

  Trick got out of their way. No longer worried Cowboy would kill her, he feared getting caught in the middle of a lovers embrace. While the vampire and werewolf stared at each other with unnatural affection, Trick replayed her words. Was it true? Had Oberon already put a curse on him?

  He drifted to the open terrace doors and stared out at another blistery cold Nevada day. The in-ground swimming pool was empty. Trees had been stripped of their leaves. Bare skeletons now, the weaker ones bent to the will of the wind. At least the ground wasn’t covered in snow anymore. Arctic weather made it difficult to hunt; he couldn’t blend in with people if they were huddled inside.

  Cowboy’s angry voice cut through Trick’s musings.

  “Let’s get something straight,” the vampire said. “I don’t like you. I don’t trust you, and I don’t want to see you again until you have something real to show us. Bring me the cure for Summer, and maybe I’ll believe you’re on our side.”

  “I am on your side.” She smiled and gently touched his face. “Always. Someday I’ll prove it to you.”

  Dead silence followed the short impassioned speech.

  Trick’s gaze bounced from one to the other.

  Isobel spun on her three-inch black spiked heels and retraced her earlier steps. She shut the terrace doors behind her. A smug smile curved her lips as she exited the mansion.

  Once she was gone, Cowboy grabbed the fireplace poker and used it to vandalize the room. He beat the wall with vicious blows, making small holes. Grunting from the effort, he struck a nearby lamp. Then he repeatedly hit the couch until he ripped the cushioned arm she’d been sitting on.

  He dropped to his knees beside it.

  The poker fell next to him.

  “You done?” Trick asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn’t want to be insensitive, but he’d been taught to keep his emotions in check. His father had believed in control over everything else. Only the weak wore their hearts on their sleeves.

  “Shut up,” Cowboy said.

  “Do you believe her?” Trick asked.

  “Rarely.”

  “I mean about being on your side?” Trick asked, “Do you think she’ll bring us a cure?”

  Cowboy slowly shook his head, a deep sadness residing in his eyes. “Isobel is a survivor above all else. If she helps us, Oberon will kill her, and she knows it. I told you we should have left town. Now we can’t until we cure Summer.” He stood and added, “I hope you’re happy.”

  Cowboy left the room, and Trick stared after him. Why did he feel like he’d let his friends down when he had yet to openly admit they even were his friends? His life seemed to become more complicated by the year. He should have just listened to Cowboy and packed a bag after turning vampire. That would have saved him a lot of trouble.

  And what about the curse?

  If Oberon had put one on him, why wasn’t it working?

  ♫

  CHAPTER TEN

  Girls, Girls, Girls

  Trick was sitting halfway up the staircase when Matt arrived home looking like he’d lost his best friend. Isobel’s statement continued to torture him. He wasn’t in the mood to sympathize with Matt. If Oberon had cursed him, why didn’t he know about it? Was the curse slowly building within him? Perhaps the curse hadn’t affected him because he was different. He had faerie power in his veins. Maybe he was immune to curses. Wouldn’t that be something?

  “She threw me out,” Matt grumbled as he plopped down on the step next to Trick. “She wouldn’t even talk to me.”

  Summer. Of course, that would be what was on his brother’s mind. Trick had real problems to deal with. He didn’t want to hear about his brother’s idiotic romance with the vampire girl. He opened his mouth to warn Matt to shut up about Summer. He didn’t want to hear it, but his brother spoke first.

  “What do I do now?” Matt asked.

  Trick shrugged. “How should I know?”

  “You’re a vampire.”

  “I’m a new vampire, and there isn’t a handbook. I wasn’t given instructions to go with the fangs. No one knows what’s wrong with Summer... not for sure.”

  Matt’s eyes sharpened on Trick’s face. “But you do know something. Tell me.”

  Trick sighed. “Isobel told Cowboy that Oberon is behind what happened to Summer. We think it’s a curse.”

  “If it’s a curse, it can be broken.” Matt smiled. “Right?”

  “How should I know?”

  “But you’re going to do something about it. Right? You’ll at least try to help her?”

  Helping a vampire? That’s what his life had come to, saving the enemy. He pictured his father’s angry face as it loomed over him from a place beyond the physical world. Ian Carver had hated vampires with an unnatural obsession, but he had worked with them on occasion.

  Matt stood abruptly. “If you don’t want to do anything, I will. I’m going to save her. I’ll find a way to break the curse.”

  Before Trick could point out all the reasons Matt needed to sit on the sidelines his brother sprinted up the stairs. His bedroom door slammed a moment later. At least he couldn’t get himself killed in his room. He was probably working on a dangerous plan though. That gave Trick some time to figure out how to stop Matt from doing something stupid. Perhaps Isobel would come through for Cowboy and bring them a cure.

  But he couldn’t rely on her. Somehow he needed to find a way to undo what Oberon had done. Not for Summer’s sake, and not even for Matt’s. Cowboy would be cursed next. As much as he hated to admit it Trick needed the vampire. He needed someone to help him on his immortal journey, someone who had been around for a while.

  Besides, he finally admitted to himself, Cowboy was his friend.

  ♫

  If someone had told him he would enjoy teaching a girl to fight, he would have called them crazy. In the past, he’d shown Scarlet some moves, but she had already been a decent fighter by the time they’d met. She didn’t pull hair or scratch or bite like other girls. She punched—hard. Her elbows and knees should be registered as lethal weapons.

  Dani, on the other hand, wasn’t the type to get into a brawl. Her fingernails were always polished and her hair neatly groomed. No way had she blackened someone’s eye or split their lip. After everything that had recently transpired, she wanted to learn to protect herself. She was going to ask her father to teach her, but the man was gone more often than he was home. His hunting group kept him busy.

  Trick and Dani practiced in his garage. His family was gone for the day and so were their cars. They left a lot of space to work in and plenty of privacy. Although the garage door was open, the structure protected them from the chilly wind. Dani had secured her shiny, straight hair in a ponytail. She was wearing long sleeves but had discarded her jacket after getting warmed up. His was alongside hers on the cold concrete.

  She repeatedly punched the open hand Trick held up.

  “Why are you holding back?” he asked, annoyed.

  “I’m not.”

  “That’s as hard as you can hit?” His eyes narrowed as he provoked her. “Seriously? You hit like a girl.”

  She shrugged before admitting, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

 
“I’m a vampire. You couldn’t hurt me on your best day. Come on.” Both hands up, he wiggled his fingers in the familiar bring-it gesture. “Put some real force behind it. What if I was trying to rip into your throat? Are you here to learn to fight or not?”

  She swung a fist, and he let it hit him in the jaw. His head snapped around. Her hands covered her mouth. “I am so sorry.”

  He forced a laugh and repeated, “You can’t hurt me.”

  Then he turned away and mouthed a word. Ow. Damn, the girl had an amazing right hook. With a little training, she could be dangerous.

  “How long do you think it will take me to become a great warrior?” she asked.

  A great warrior? Dani Foster? Trick nearly choked on his own saliva. A picture of Dani dressed as a ninja made him laugh out loud. She was adorable. Maybe she could kill vampires with cuteness, but she’d never be a bad-ass fighter like Scarlet.

  Thinking about his best friend brought on a fresh wave of guilt. He still hadn’t told Dani about the kiss. True, Scarlet had kissed him and not the other way around, but by the end he’d fully participated. Plus, he couldn’t stop obsessing over it. The kiss had blown his head off. Now that didn’t necessarily mean anything except the girl was good at kissing. It certainly didn’t mean they were meant to be together.

  A little voice echoed in his head: It didn’t mean anything.

  He had the feeling Dani would disagree. If she found out about the kiss, she might blame him, dump him. It was better to keep his mouth shut. Scarlet wouldn’t tell. She wasn’t speaking to either of them, which was good since he didn’t know how he felt about the whole thing. His emotions were churning in a blender at the moment.

  “Here.” He held a palm up and tapped it with his other hand. “Hit me here, not the face.”

  She pounded his open hand with her fist again and again. If he wasn’t a vampire, she might have broken the small bones in his palm. The girl had a powerful punch, he had to admit.

  After a while, he taught her the different punches, kicks, and jabs she could use to defend herself. Standing there watching her do his moves, he realized she didn’t need his protection. She could take care of herself. For some reason, that didn’t make him feel better.