Isach lowered his head, his mouth inches from mine. My eyes widened at the realization that he was going to kiss me. I didn’t want him to, but I was powerless to stop him. My body wasn’t responding to my mind. It was like I was paralyzed, and panic seeped through me at an alarming rate. What was wrong with me? I tried to push against Isach’s chest, but my hands hung limply by my sides.
Only one idea dominated my thoughts…
Isach was messing with my mind again. But this time, he seemed to have control over my body, too. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I couldn’t even blink them away.
“Isach,” Trent said, his voice deep and full of warning. “Don’t even think about it.”
Trent and Jax stopped right in front of us, forming a human shield, but that didn’t stop me from noticing how everyone standing near the pickup fell silent.
Isach leaned even closer, and his warm breath brushed across my lips. Despite not wanting to kiss him, my lips parted. He smelled incredible, and everything about him drew me to him in a way that was terrifying. I tried to tell him to stop, but all I managed was a pathetic whimpering sound.
“Who’s going to stop me, Halstead?” Isach asked, his expression turning sinister. “You?”
“Don’t do this to her, Isach.” Trent’s voice was tight, his teeth clenched. “She doesn’t deserve this, and you know it.”
Sweat dripped down the side of my face, and I was dizzy. I had to fight not to throw up even though I was overcome with nausea. Why couldn’t I speak or move? And why wasn’t Isach letting go of me? My eyes darted toward Trent, pleading for help, but he was too focused on Isach.
“You going stop me?” Isach asked, his gaze wandering to me. His eyes were back to the same mesmerizing green from earlier. “You know what to do.” Even though his words were for Trent, Isach’s gaze never wavered from me.
Slowly, I regained feeling in my body, and I wiggled in Isach’s arms. “What?” I muttered. Everything was still hazy, but I was alert enough to know Trent and Isach were having an unspoken battle, and I was at the center of it. I just didn’t know why.
Trent’s face was filled with indecision and pain and contempt. I didn’t know why, but it was as if he were somehow blaming me for the current situation.
“Trent,” Jax warned. “Don’t be stupid. You can’t do this.”
Do what? What was everyone talking about?
“Tick tock, Trent. Time’s running out,” Isach taunted.
“You’re losing your touch, Zoya.” Trent crossed his arms over his chest.
If I didn’t know him like I did, I’d be terrified right now. He was a force to be reckoned with—imposing, threatening. Deadly.
Isach’s hold on me loosened a fraction, enough for me to draw in a deep breath. I gasped, inhaling as much air as I could. The fogginess cleared from my mind, and all the sounds around me hit my ears like a bullhorn. I cringed.
“Trent,” Jax warned again. His gaze swept toward me, and his eyes were dark and sinister. But there was something in his expression, something softer. Almost concerned.
“She’s already been claimed,” Trent said coolly, ignoring his brother. “You’re too late.”
Before I could make sense of what he’d said, he yanked me out of Isach’s arms. And then I was in Trent’s arms, my mind and body fully functional again. But I didn’t have time to react because Trent’s lips were on mine. I didn’t even hesitate to welcome his kiss, and the moment his tongue touched mine, the world around me disappeared.
The music faded to a dull hum. The laughter and shouts of the partygoers became nothing more than white noise in the background. It was if there was no one else there but me and Trent. He put one hand on my back, pulling me closer, and his other hand was bunched in my hair, holding me in place.
I put my arms around his neck and threaded my fingers into his hair, which caused him to moan softly into my mouth. Then I was hit with a moving wave of images and emotions so strong my knees became rubbery.
Crippling fear from a woman I didn’t know, whose face I couldn’t see clearly.
Undying love from a man shrouded in darkness. Loss. Pain. Heartache.
I whimpered against Trent’s lips, but instead of releasing me, he deepened the kiss, pushing even more images and feelings into my mind. I was on sensory overload and couldn’t take much more. But still, Trent continued to kiss me, each flick of his tongue more desperate, hotter.
Seething rage from a man who resembled Isach a little too much, and I knew it must be a relative. Miraculous hope followed by stark realization. New life. Crying. Disappointment. Anger. A flash of a cemetery. Grief. Mourning. Bloodlust. Guilt. So much guilt it was physically painful.
Tears pooled in my eyes, and Trent took my face into his hands, slowing the kiss, easing the onslaught of images and emotions and whatever else was happening.
“Trent,” I gasped when he finally released my lips. My pulse thundered in my ears, and I was physically, emotionally, and mentally weak. I opened my eyes again and saw the satisfied look on Isach’s face as he stood watching Trent and me.
Isach’s grin was pure evil. “See you around, Chloe.” He winked, tucked his hands into his pockets, and wandered off, whistling.
“What was that? What is going on?” I demanded.
I was still dizzy from that kiss, still trying to make sense of it, so the words I said sounded strange to my ears, and a laugh bubbled up from inside. I clamped my hand over my mouth. I worried I might be losing my mind. Now I knew why he’d been avoiding kissing me, and he’d been right. I wasn’t ready for what happened, for all those thoughts and feelings he’d pushed into my mind.
His eyes were squinted and dark, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. Did he know that I’d seen and felt all those bizarre things? I needed to know… If I kissed him again, would it be the same? Taking a deep breath, I pressed my lips to his. Almost immediately, he put his hands on my waist and pulled me closer. I relaxed a little, grateful he didn’t push me away.
There were no images this time. No flashes of things or people I didn’t understand. No overwhelming emotions. All I felt was Trent. Every hard inch of his body flush against mine. His soft lips. His warm, sweet breath. A sense of pure love eased through me, settled into every inch of my body, warmed me from the inside out, and filled the hole in my heart.
Reluctantly, I pulled away, meeting his intense gaze. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
Sliding his hands around and clasping them behind my back, he rested his forehead on mine. He lifted his head, placed a quick kiss to my lips, then released me. “Not here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
The Zoya
TRENT HELD MY HAND AS HE drove away from Bushnell Falls. I was still so confused about everything that happened with him and Isach. And now I was worried, too, because I’d left without telling Abby or Ellie or anyone else where I was going. Isach would probably tell Abby, but I should’ve told Ellie. What if she left the party without me? How would I get back to her place? Or home? How would any of us explain not being together like we said we would?
“Where are we going?” I asked.
We were shrouded by complete darkness; the only light came from the truck’s headlights.
“Somewhere private,” he said.
He pulled to a stop in front of a rundown building located at a dead-end street. There wasn’t any sign to indicate what this place used to be, but it was bigger than a house, probably a business of some sort.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going inside,” he said.
It was uncomfortably warm inside the cab, and perspiration dotted my brow. When it was that hot, it was hard to breathe, which wasn’t good for me because I was already having trouble getting air thanks to that kiss. I licked my tingling lips, hoping I’d get another kiss from him before the night was over.
“C’mon, we can sit on the tailgate. Might be a tad cooler.” Trent got out, and I met him at the back of the truck.
Once he put the tailgate
down, I hopped up and sat. He sat right beside me, close enough that our bodies were touching. An electric current buzzed through me, making me more aware of him than I already was.
He didn’t speak right away, and I had no idea what to say, so I tucked my hands under my legs and looked up at the stars. They were so bright out here against the black sky. I couldn’t ever remember stars like this in Florida. Probably because I never took the time to stop and look.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” Trent finally said.
“Start by telling me about that kiss.” I angled my body toward him. “What was that? Did you see all those things, too? Did you feel all that? Or am I crazy?”
“You’re not crazy.” He didn’t so much as crack a smile. His face was hard, stoic, and filled with regret. “That shouldn’t have been our first kiss.” Regret filled his tone.
My shoulders slumped, and all the fight left my body. He regretted kissing me.
“Well, it’s good I’m not crazy, I suppose,” I mumbled. Still no smile. No twitch of the lips. My lame jokes weren’t working very well.
Trent’s sharp inhale cut through the dead quiet. “Isach isn’t who you think he is.”
“Yeah, you’ve already said that. But why? What does he have to do with any of this?”
“Everything.” Trent shifted, then hopped off the tailgate. He paced in front of me, one hand firmly on the back of his neck as if he were trying to rub away some invisible scar.
“Maybe you should start at the beginning because I’m totally lost here. Tell me how you know Isach and why you don’t like him.”
Trent stopped pacing for a moment. He studied me as if he’d never seen me before, and I fidgeted under his gaze. He took a step toward me. Then another and another until he was right in front of me. His gaze dropped to my legs, to where he tentatively put his hands.
My whole body froze. Other than holding my hand, kissing me, and putting his arm around me, Trent hadn’t ever touched me like this before. Slowly, he caressed his hands up my legs, his gaze following their movement. I sucked in a breath and held it, unsure what he was going to do next. His hands continued to roam up—over my hips and waist, up my stomach and rib cage, then back down. I shuddered.
He moved his hands, and his fingers, soft and featherlight, trailed up my arms, causing goose bumps to form. I knew he hadn’t brought me out here to try and have sex with me. In fact, his touch wasn’t overtly sexual at all, even if he intended it to be. It was as if he were trying to memorize me.
“You’re so beautiful, Chloe.”
He cupped my face with his hands. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them before, or maybe it was a trick of the night. I was sucked into them, unable to look away, unable to move or speak. It was exactly how I’d felt when Isach was trying to kiss me. Only this time, I wasn’t afraid.
I wanted Trent to kiss me again. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and hold me tight. I wanted to be his. Forever. It was a feeling I couldn’t explain. A pull. A joining of souls and hearts. And I knew, after this moment, things would never be the same between us. I only hoped they were different in a good way and not in a we-can’t-be-together sort of way.
Inch by agonizing inch, Trent’s mouth lowered to mine. My eyes fluttered closed, and the instant our lips touched, the night vanished, replaced with bright colors. Blues, purples, and reds. It very well could have been all in my mind, but I didn’t care. Trent was kissing me again, and that’s all I wanted to focus on.
He released my face and put his arms around me, pulling me toward the edge of the tailgate and closer to him until our bodies were pressed so tightly together, not even a breeze could pass between us. His kiss started soft and stayed that way for much longer than I expected. Not that I was complaining.
When he started to pull away, I whimpered and pulled him back to me. I wasn’t ready to let him go yet. Heck, I’d never be ready to let him go, but I needed to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. I grazed my fingernails along the nape of his neck, and he kissed me a little harder.
“Chloe,” he groaned and then nipped at my bottom lip before breaking the kiss.
I took several deep breaths. “What was that for?”
Finally, he smiled. That gorgeous smile that lit up his face and weakened my knees. But then it faded just as quickly. “Because I know once I tell you the truth, you’ll never want to speak to me again, and selfishly, I wanted one more kiss.”
“I’m sure there’s nothing you can tell me that will make me stop talking to you. I mean, you told me you’re a vampire, and here I am.” I held out my arms.
He sighed warily. “You have no idea how badly I want that to be true.”
He was really worried this was it for us, and that made me worry.
I swallowed hard. “Okay then, tell me.”
With a quick nod, he stepped out of my reach. “Do you remember I told you Sean promised to take care of us because he thought we were his redemption?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Well, he feels he needs to make amends because of something Isach’s family started centuries ago.”
“Okay,” I said slowly.
Where was he going with this? I wasn’t shocked to learn his family knew Isach’s family—that was evident based on the hatred they had for each other—but I didn’t know it went back so far.
“The Zoya are witches practicing dark magic.”
I stared at him, eyes wide. Witches? Dark magic? I shouldn’t be surprised considering vampires were real, but… Isach didn’t look like a witch. Then again, I’d never met one in person, so I had no idea what they were supposed to look like.
He hopped back up on the tailgate and sat beside me. “That’s why Isach and Marc have been able to manipulate you into seeing things that aren’t real. They’re using magic to alter your perception.”
So, I wasn’t simply hallucinating because I was stressed? Someone had been intentionally making me see and feel things? Oh, God. I was going to be sick. I momentarily closed my eyes and fought against the urge to throw up.
“Why? What have I ever done to them?” My voice cracked.
“They’re doing it because of me.” He hung his head. Guilt radiated from him. “It all started with a man named Rector Zoya.”
I shivered at the mention of that name, though I had no idea why.
“My father—Sean—married the love of his life. Annmarie Lewis. She didn’t know what he was, but he’d always planned to tell her eventually. He hoped she would be so in love she wouldn’t be able to deny him. And then he was going to change her so they could spend eternity together.”
I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in an effort to ward off the chill that was settling in my bones. “He never told her?” I couldn’t hide the disgust from my tone.
What kind of love was that, to lie about who you were to trap the person you loved? I was suddenly very grateful that I’d learned the truth about Trent when I had.
“No, and it’s something he regrets to this day.” He frowned. “In order to keep our existence a secret, we do whatever we can to blend in, and that often means pretending we’re human. Doing human things. Following human traditions. It’s easier to be what others expect us to be for as long as it suits us.”
I pondered that for a moment. That really wasn’t anyway to live—constantly pretending to be something you’re not, always having to be someone else in order to survive.
“A couple of months before the wedding, Sean and Annmarie lost control of themselves and…” He raised his eyebrow suggestively. “Sinned.”
“Oh.”
“That was blasphemous back then. For her, anyway. For Sean, it was normal. That’s the thing about vampires—we’re not bound by societal rules or expectations. We do whatever we want. When we can safely get away with it.” He forced a laugh. “They swore to behave respectfully until after they were legally wed.”
I laughed.
“But the damage was already done, and it set them on
a path that would have a permanent ripple effect.” Trent took a deep breath, then continued. “And it all happened right here in Keene Valley. No one in town knew the truth about Sean, and he lived here peacefully. Until Rector Zoya arrived.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, my stomach in knots. Having experienced Isach and Marc’s mind tricks firsthand, I shuddered at the thought of what Rector might have done to Sean.
“Rumors followed Rector into town. There were whispers that he was something bad, something evil. Pastor Jonah was the one who first declared that Rector was a witch. He tried to intervene, to create a mob to run Rector out of town, but Pastor Jonah went missing. After that, the town simply shunned Rector. Everyone except Annmarie.”
“Did Rector know about Sean?” I whispered.
“Not until it was too late.” Trent hopped off the tailgate again.
I’d never seen him so… restless. This story really bothered him. I opened my mouth to say he didn’t have to tell me if he didn’t want to, but I thought better of it. I needed to know what was going on, especially when I was caught in the middle of whatever this was.
“One night, Sean heard Annmarie talking to her maid. She was pregnant.”
I gasped. “What? Vampires can have children?”
“No.”
“Oh.” I felt foolish for asking that. Of course, vampires couldn’t procreate. But then, how did Annmarie conceive? “Oh,” I said, realization dawning on me. “Rector.”
Trent gave a quick nod. “At first, Sean didn’t believe it. He thought she was lying. Or that she’d lost her mind.” He grunted. “But then he heard it—the tiny heartbeat. The smell of new, fresh blood. He was overjoyed and believed it was some sort of miracle, a human-vampire hybrid he’d helped create. He didn’t know Annmarie had been unfaithful to him. Rector used his magic to mask their relationship. My father never had a clue.”
Even though I didn’t agree with Sean lying to Annmarie like he had, he didn’t deserve that kind of betrayal.
“Annmarie knew she couldn’t stay married to Sean when she was in love with another man and carrying his child. So, she did the only thing she could think of.”
Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1) Page 18
