Gifted Curse (Curse Trilogy)

by C. M. Owens

  I touch his leg through one of the larger holes, and I feel the healed skin where the grenade had once left tortured pieces shredded.

  “It’s all better, baby,” he coos, forcing my girly grin to emerge.

  “You look better too,” Hale says while his eyes burn against me from the rearview mirror.

  “I heal with very little blood,” I murmur as Brazen inspects all the places that had sustained injuries.

  “I remember,” he mutters with underlying meaning, and a snarky grin spreads over his face before he looks away.

  Brazen seems intensely focused on my examination, and my mind is filled with all the memories I have of healing myself on the incredibly erotic blood filling Hale’s veins. His grin continues when he sees my forced arousal, and I actually shake my head to try to free myself from the intense memories.

  I almost break the door on the armored vehicle when I bail out at the compound, and Hale lets a wry grin turn up in its cocked position. Smug son of a bitch.

  “So we’ll head back out on the road tomorrow then?” Clay asks Brazen.

  “I’m fine with that. They’ve been weakened now, and the cleanup crew will have time to assess which of our species it was. It’ll be easier to track them down once that knowledge is required, and then we’ll let Araya interrogate the hell out of them,” he huffs out, and his lips show mine affection briefly before turning back to a wincing Hale and an agreeing Clay.

  “You’ll have to keep the training charade up for a while longer. We may need you to stay close,” Clay says to me.

  “I’m going this time,” I growl.

  “Not a chance. You saw what happened today,” he rebukes.

  “It wouldn’t have happened if I had been there.”

  “You don’t know that, Araya,” Brazen scolds.

  Thanks for taking my side, babe.

  “We came into the situation knowing what was ahead. In an ambush, you could have peaked too early, and you would have been weakened by the oncoming assaults. It’s happened before,” Hale adds, and I see I’ve gravely wounded Clay with my snide remark.

  “I’m sorry, Clay. I’m just a little worked up about how wrong this all could have gone,” I grumble, and Brazen’s hand intertwines with mine.

  “It’s fine. You’re probably right, but I can’t risk it. Not with you. You’re too important to the United to be put at risk unnecessarily ever again.”

  I see the mounds of guilt, pain, and fatigue in his eyes. I shouldn’t have said that. I had no right to.

  “Were there any witnesses left?” Hale asks a man passing by.

  “None, Sir. She took them all out.”

  “Doubting me?” I playfully scoff.

  “Just being thorough,” Hale says very seriously while flipping through photos of the attackers before I skinned them alive. “None of these look familiar. I can’t tell from the pictures if they’re human, full blood, or hybrid. How were their movements?” Hale asks Brazen and Clay.

  “I don’t know. I was too busy firing at anything that moved to tell how fast it was or wasn’t moving,” Clay sighs.

  “Same here. They threw grenades right off the bat, and we were scrambling to get our human companions to cover. There wasn’t a whole lot of time to gauge anything, and the dust stirred too violently to view anything once we were under fire.”

  “I saw them,” I say to answer the question he neglected to ask me.

  “What were they?” Hale prompts.

  “I wish I knew. Some moved slow, some moved in blurs like us, and some seemed to move even faster than us. I never saw any demonstration of gifts, so I’m assuming they are lower on the chain of command. It’s possible we have a species mingle here.”

  “That’s impossible. Humans won’t dare mix with our kind outside of the safety of our compound walls. Not to mention, it’s illegal unless you have the right gene. How could there be humans we don’t know about?” Brazen inquires.

  “I don’t know, but they didn’t show any speed when my attacks started coming in. The ones that could dodge me made an effort. I think the two species have some how mingled. It’s possible all three have,” I say with intrigue.

  “Doubtful. Full bloods usually loathe our kind outside of the United army,” Clay says while in deep thought.

  “I suppose it’s a good thing I’m part of the United,” Brazen says with an adorable smirk, and then he takes my hand in his.

  “For now I’m going to go get cleaned up. I’m stained in blood, sweat, and death. I need clean clothes and a moment of peace before I can continue this exhausting hypothesis. Call me if you need me,” he says to Clay, and again I feel guilty when Brazen’s arm snakes around my waist.

  Hale’s eyes beg me to just leave my full blood masterpiece and come back to his sexy-as-Hale self. I break the excruciating eye contact, and Brazen pulls me to our room I never left.

  “You didn’t stay here all week?” he asks curiously when he doesn’t see a trace of me left in the room.

  “I did, but I packed this morning. I was planning on going home. I didn’t want to stay here any longer because I knew it was bothering you for me to be here with Hale,” I answer with a half truth.

  I was worried about staying any longer with Hale, and now I have to.

  “I’m glad you were close by. I was starting to worry I’d never see you again,” he crackles out, and then he clears his throat to rid himself of the unwanted emotion trying show itself.

  I rush to him, and my lips are consumed by his as his tongue invades my mouth. I feel his grip tightening, and then the bed presses against my back as he pulls me closer. He flips me over to be astride him, and I stare down into his greedy eyes as I slowly pull my shirt over my head.

  His hips grind against me between my shaking legs, and I can feel his fully erect desire. My pants are tight, too tight, and I shred them from my body rather than trying to pull them off. I don’t want to remove my body from his for even a minute. His eyes grow wide, and I’m sure tonight isn’t going to be the slow, sensual sex we normally have. Tonight is going to be savage, unkempt, and I’m going to get fucked.

  His hands slide up my legs, and I lower my lips to graze his chest before trailing down his magnificent body. My tongue dances against the remaining fragments of blood, and he groans when I reach the top of his pants. I unbutton the already shattered pants and show them more mercy than I offered my own by pulling them off very slowly.

  My lips trail up the inside of his leg, and then the boxers beg me to touch his perfection staring me in the face when I pull them down. My mouth slowly slides over his firmness, and he moans louder when I take it all to the back of my throat.

  “Fuck,” he exhales, and my mouth tightens around him even more, while I slide up slowly to continue the teasing rhythm.

  My teeth lightly graze his skin as I pull up, and he almost hisses out his pleasure when I move back down. I quicken my rhythm, and he jerks me up when I can feel him about to explode his desire into my mouth.

  He flips me to the bed and his mouth covers mine as he breathes me in. The throbbing down below becomes almost unbearable when the head of his erection threatens to rip through my lacy panties in its ferocious appetite for me.

  “Take me,” I plead, and I hear the lace ripping between his hands as he slides into me to slowly fill me until I feel all of him harnessing his power inside me.

  I moan out as I feel his teeth scraping over my nipple, and then he moves to the other to evoke the same tortured moan from me. His lips move back up to my neck as he thrusts harder into me, and I feel like I’m about to explode.

  My teeth threaten to break the skin of his shoulder, and his breath becomes rasp, coarse, and almost needy. I don’t know if he wants me to do this or not, but I almost need a blood fuck right now.

  I struggle to refrain from the overwhelming temptation, and his rhythm becomes hastened as each pump thrusts in more pleasure and surreal release. My teeth bear down harder, and the skin almost tears. He
moans, and then his mouth covers mine before I do something so selfish. He pushes between my legs that much harder, his hands tangling in my hair.

  He slows slightly just when I’m about to explode around him, and I almost lose my climatic moment. His teeth graze my neck, and then I find that release that I thought to have escaped. The walls shiver under my screams, and his body pushes that much harder into mine when he’s unwilling to follow me so soon.

  I’m shaking against him as the aftershock of the powerful quake consumes me, and suddenly I feel my body being flipped around as he jerks my hips to thrash against his from behind. His teeth graze over my back when he pulls me up, and one hand cups my right breast while firmly tugging at the same time. He slides back up to grip a fistful of my hair and he jerks me harder as he plows into me with one last thrust for his big finale. We both sink to the bed while panting out our exhaustion from the incredible moment that almost felt too hot to be him.

  He’s normally so civil, controlled, and I love that, but I love the savagery too. His eyes have still not opened, and his arms wrap around me to pull me tighter to his shaking body.

  “That was… surreal,” he murmurs with a breathless air.

  “I agree. I’m starting to think I should share blood with you more often,” I breathe out.

  He laughs a little at my remark, and then he pulls my lips to his.

  “It wasn’t the blood,” he smolders out, and then he pulls me into his arms tighter.

  “What was it?” I muse innocently.

  He seems like he wants to say something, but he stops himself.

  “Just you. It was just you,” he lies, and then he pulls on his boxers while heading to the kitchen area to pull out a glass for his whiskey.

  “No, there’s something you’re keeping from me. Is something wrong?” “Never, baby. You’re the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me,” he sizzles out, and then he stirs the wind with his blinking pace to rejoin me in the bed.

  I taste the hint of whiskey on his breath, and I lean back to stare into his exquisitely pale eyes.

  “I feel lied to. You only drink when you have something on your mind,” I sigh.

  “I’m not lying. It really was just you. By the way, were you really going to mount me in the backseat while your ex and best friend sat in the front?” he says, a daring smirk appearing on his amused face.

  I shrug as a blushing hue tries to rise to my heated cheeks.

  “They couldn’t see,” I say innocently, and he snickers lightly while pulling me to his lips.

  “You don’t normally act so wild. I think that blood affected you more than me,” he teases, and perhaps he’s right.

  It made me crave his blood. I wanted the erotic venom to run into his veins from my bite. I wanted to feel the undeniable lust throwing us into the pit of passion. The damn human blood was almost a tease. I’ve been fine not blood fucking him until now. Now, I’ve never wanted anything so badly.

  In an effort to distract myself from my wicked fantasies, I pull on his tee-shirt before getting up to go acquire my own drink from the fully stocked bar. I lean over the countertop to stare him in the eyes.

  “Where will you be going tomorrow? And don’t lie to me,” I say, my delivery ending very sternly.

  He smirks a little as he lies back against the bed, his perfect body almost distracting me from hearing his answer.

  “We’ll go back to Hensen first, and then we’ll start tracking the early deserters from there. They left thinking they had won. What worries me the most is the fact it wasn’t an ambush. We surprised them just as we surprised ourselves by finding their camp so quickly. If this had been an organized attack, that shit could have gone a lot worse very quickly.”

  Knots turn in my stomach, and I go to climb back into the bed beside him.

  “It’s been a long time since I was that scared. That’s the first time in so long I’ve pushed my gift that far. I was worried I’d forget how to use it.”

  “Five years isn’t long, and you were our only light in a dark abyss today. I heard you call my name, and it was the best feeling there has ever been. It felt like you were there for me and only me. It felt incredible to feel like you loved me that much.”

  Now I feel even guiltier for my shameful feelings for Hale. Brazen is so incredible. I have to stop thinking about the ex that broke me over and over.

  “I was only there for you. I know that sounds terrible, but it’s true,” I murmur very honestly.

  His lips attack mine the instant the words leave my mouth, and I feel him pulling me into his arms as the sound of my glass shattering to the floor erupts in the otherwise quiet room. The tee-shirt I’m wearing starts sliding up slowly as his hands jerk me against his body, and I feel his breath clinging to mine.

  “Let’s get married soon. I don’t want to wait until next year,” he breathes into my mouth.

  For the first time since he proposed, I feel hesitant, uncertain, and even a little scared. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  “When?” I murmur against his lips.

  “Next month, next week, tomorrow… I don’t care. I just want to be married to you soon.”

  I laugh a little at his excited eagerness, hoping my nerves don’t find an escape to reveal themselves.

  “Let’s get through this shit, and then we’ll plan a wedding,” I say with a noncommittal, humorously exasperated tone.

  “I’ll make sure this ends soon then,” he smolders out, and then the shirt I’m wearing is suddenly being ripped over my head as his lips scour my body. “Very soon,” he adds.

  If I don’t marry him soon, then someone needs to have me put in lockdown with the other psychos.

  Chapter 3

  All Hale Breaks Loose.

  “I hate leaving you again so soon,” Brazen grumbles.

  “I would go back to Javeline, but I’m a little too scared to risk it now. I wouldn’t have made it there in time yesterday if I had been back at home. I was minutes away from leaving.”

  “Don’t start doing that to yourself,” he soothes, and his lips close over mine before taking my hand in his.

  “I’ll be here when you get ready to come back,” I pout, and the thought of more time alone with Hale is starting to excite me, while forcing more shame onto my already guilty mind.

  “I’ll be back soon. I told you, I want to marry you as soon as possible,” he coos, and my eyes drip to release their guilty flow.

  “Please don’t cry, baby,” he breathes comfortingly, but he doesn’t realize why these foolish tears are falling.

  “I love you,” I choke out, and I do.

  I love Brazen. I just happen to also love Hale.

  “I love you,” he returns, and his hand wipes away my drizzling tears scaling down the sides of my cheeks.

  “All guests of the Seminole, please report to the gate for departure,” the announcing speaker blares.

  “That’s me. Walk me out?” he sighs, digging back into our usual routine.

  “You know I will,” I say with dread.

  What if Hale is just waiting on him to leave?

  After our stare-down in the car, I’ve avoided him. I only had Brazen for one night, and we didn’t leave the room. I had completely acted like a crappy fiancée when I dismissed Brazen’s touch in front of Hale. It was discreet enough to fool my full blood, but not my hybrid counter.

  We make our way down hand in hand, and Hale’s scent finds me before my eyes find him. He’s talking to Clay. Drool tries to form when I see his lips moving. I instantly envision those lips on my body, and guilt moves back into full swing, forcing me to shiver. His eyes don’t lift to meet mine the way I thought they would. Maybe he’s finally accepting Brazen and me. Do I want that? Yes. Yes I do. I actually need that.

  “I’ll check in when I can. I love you,” Brazen huffs, and then his lips offer me one last taste of his perfection before swishing away.

  “I love you,” I say into the wind following his vanishing t
rail, and I turn back to see Clay has already gone.

  Hale is leaned against a wall talking to a girl about something I’m apparently not supposed to overhear because they’re talking too low for me to catch a word. I turn away and start heading back to the solitude my room offers when I feel someone suddenly behind me.

  “Ms. Crush?” a guy’s voice chimes out.

  “Yes?” I ask while turning around.

  “I was hoping you would be my date to the function this afternoon,” he murmurs nervously.

  I let a laugh escape, and I quickly mask it to spare his feelings.

  “Function?” I ask curiously.

  “Yes ma’am. They always have a gathering to celebrate the first week of training being completed. I… I was hoping… um… well… that… I could escort you,” the nervous man stammers.

  “She’s already got a date for this evening,” Hale interjects, and then I feel his arm slinking around my waist while pulling me away from the disappointed man.

  “That’s rather presumptuous of you,” I play.

  “Would you prefer Mr. Drool All Over Himself?” he teases.

  “Definitely not, but I really don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go to this together,” I hesitantly reply.

  It’s a bad, bad, very bad idea to be more specific.

  “It’s not like we’re going to be fucking in a back room,” he jokes, and I feel the throbbing growing from his crude remark. “Unless you want to of course,” he seduces, and I would fan myself if I wouldn’t look like a stupid fool.

  I’m worried I will fuck him in the back room if I let him take me.

  “Funny,” I shortly respond. “When do I need to meet you?” I ask while trying to hold back my shaky nerves.

  “I’ll swing by to get you around six.” He stops talking for a second, his eyes gauging mine, and then a small, devilish smirk appears. “Are you okay? You made that way too easy.”