A Cursed Embrace

by Cecy Robson

  “Fifty, maybe sixty,” Liam answered. He took a beer out of the fridge, twisted the cap off with his teeth, and chugged it.

  “None of this makes sense,” Danny said. “It would take an entire army of demons to produce that many offspring, and there are only a few strong enough to leave hell.”

  Liam stood against the wall with his arms crossed. He glanced over at Emme, who sat on the couch quietly. “I think they were after our girls.”

  Aric shook his head. “They have no reason to hunt them.”

  “How can you be sure?” Liam argued. “They’ve been stealing women for months.”

  “They’ve been stealing human women for months,” Gemini clarified. “The girls smell of magic and power. They’re not easy prey. What could they hope to gain by attacking them?”

  Aric stood from the kitchen chair, hard enough to make it slide. “I don’t know what’s happening, but we can’t just make assumptions. We have to go to the Den and call a meeting with the Elders.”

  Koda didn’t move right away, despite Aric’s direct order. He continued to hold Shayna on his lap as if afraid she wouldn’t still be there upon his return. Aric walked over to them. “Koda, the only way to keep them safe is to understand what we’re facing. To do so, we must arm ourselves with knowledge and join together as a pack.”

  Gemini stood and took his place beside Aric. “Don’t be afraid, old friend. Bren and Dan will stay and protect them in our absence.”

  Bren stretched his tensing muscles. “Yeah, don’t sweat it, man. I’ll protect them, and they can protect Danny.”

  Normally Bren’s comment would have made me laugh. But I wasn’t in the mood. I went upstairs before they’d finished speaking.

  “Damn it, Aric, just let her go,” Taran said behind me. “Celia is still upset. Just like the rest of us.”

  • • •

  Aric heeded Taran’s advice and left me alone. It was almost midnight when he and the wolves finally returned home. I pretended to sleep when Aric entered our room and continued to do so when he climbed into bed after showering.

  He placed his hand on my hip. Even through the sheet, I felt the warmth from his touch. But I didn’t move and kept my back to him. “I know you’re awake, sweetness,” he whispered. “Could you tell me why you’re so mad?”

  I sighed. Sulking wasn’t getting us anywhere; I knew we needed to talk. I arranged my pillows behind me and leaned against them. Aric’s hair remained moist from his shower. I could see the dull shine despite the darkness of the room. And I could sense that horrible strain between us. “I don’t like the way you yelled at me. It was disrespectful.” I paused. There was more I needed to say, except it was hard for me to force the words out. “We’re so close in a lot of ways, Aric. But sometimes when we’re intimate, you distance yourself from me.” I dropped my gaze. “And I’m not talking about when we make love.”

  I waited for him to respond and watched as he gathered his thoughts. “I don’t mean to hurt you or close myself off. And I sure as hell would never intentionally disrespect you. I was angry that you didn’t listen when I told you to run.”

  I pursed my lips tight. “I’m not one of your Warriors to order around, Aric.”

  “I know you’re not. You’re something . . . something way deeper than that.”

  I searched the entirety of his visage—his strong jaw, the gaze that could melt ice during a winter storm, and that mouth that had brought me pleasure and comfort. I searched long and hard for any signs that could reveal some emotion, any emotion that would unleash his thoughts. Yet nothing came, just that whatever he felt was strong. “What am I exactly to you, Aric?”

  He closed his eyes. When he opened them, he stared back at me with more force than I’d ever seen. “You’re everything to me, Celia. Can’t you understand what you mean to me?”

  No. I couldn’t. I swept his wet hair away from his face. “I fought for you today, Aric. Just as you did for me. And yes, I was injured. But it was worth it, and I would do it again.”

  Aric slowly shook his head. His eyes swept over where the demon had mutilated my shoulder. He stared at my regenerated skin for a moment before reaching out to me.

  His hand gradually ran up my arm, tracing an invisible line along my neck, stopping only to rest against my cheek. I covered his hand with mine, welcoming his touch and the intensity behind his gesture. “Emme may not always be around, Celia,” he whispered. He exhaled deeply. “When I saw how injured you were, it infuriated me. But only because losing you is my greatest fear.”

  Neither of us said anything for several breaths. Aric did appear scared, and disheartened. I came to an understanding about our relationship then. Aric Connor might not have been ready to love me, yet I recognized his feelings for me as very real. And maybe, just maybe, those feelings might someday flourish into love. That hope extinguished any lingering sorrow and replaced it with desire.

  I slid onto my knees and pulled off my top seductively. My long hair fell around my breasts. Aric watched me carefully as I then teasingly removed my underwear. But it wasn’t until I removed the sheet and climbed on top of him that I realized he hadn’t bothered to dress after his shower. My insides ached for his caress. “A little presumptuous, don’t you think?”

  A small, sultry smile spread across his lips. “No. I just hear make-up sex is hot,” he murmured before kissing me wildly.

  CHAPTER 24

  Aric and I ran fast, slinging the thick mud behind us. The attack the previous day had left our beasts restless. We needed to burn through some energy. Six miles in along the Truckee River, and my tigress had only just begun to settle.

  “Are you okay, sweetness? You’re moving kind of funny.”

  “What can I say, wolf? You’re too much man for me.”

  He stopped. “Are you serious?”

  I ground to a halt next to him and clutched his arm as I bent to remove my sneaker. “Yes, but actually I think I have a pebble in my shoe.”

  Aric laughed, only to then shove me abruptly away from him. I looked up from the ground in time to see two wolves tackle him. I lurched to my feet and froze. The wind shifted directions, and oh my God, I could scent them. More beasts waited, in the trees, in the brush, all around me. And I could feel their thirst. I didn’t hesitate; I changed and ran as fast as I could.

  I led them away from Aric. His howl rippled through the air behind me. He knew we were in trouble and called forth his Warriors.

  Why are wolves attacking us?

  I realized too late that it wasn’t just wolves after us. A werelion slammed into my side, tackling me down the embankment and into the river. The lion was huge, but I was a tigress, and that made me queen of beasts. I dug my claws into his haunches, fear of drowning making my strikes brutal. The freezing water slapped cumbrously against my fur. We clawed and bit each other, but it wasn’t until he plunged his fangs deep into my thigh that I felt real pain. My blood mixed with the river water. I knew I had only one choice to survive.

  I held my breath and forced myself down to the bottom, dragging my opponent with me. The pull of the water was strong and so was my struggling companion. My frantic movements were less than grateful. My strength, however, seemed to help. Slowly, but surely, I made my way to the bottom.

  The force of the current shoved into my nose and against my eyes. I kicked my back legs, the pressure in my lungs building and pleading for release. When I felt his rear claws scrape along the base, I blew out my last bit of air and shifted him deep into the mud. Bubbles of his last breath flowed past me seconds before I broke through the water.

  I sputtered and choked with every clumsy stroke back to shore, only to encounter more of the werelion’s friends. At the edge of the water, eight wolves, four rats, and what appeared to be a deranged-looking squirrel restlessly waited for me.

  Shit. Where’s Misha when I need him?

  I turned and paddled to the opposite shore. Unfortunately rats, it seemed, were pretty decent swimmers. One o
f them grabbed my hind paw just as I reached the other side. I kicked him in the snout and took off in a mad run. My paws beat hard against the surface, but my mangled thigh caused a painful limp and slowed my speed. Growls and snarls echoed behind me. The bad guys were coming for me and closing in fast.

  Just when I thought I was going to die, the cavalry showed up in the form of vampires in Catholic schoolgirl uniforms.

  “You rang, kitten?” Misha stood in the center of the path dressed all in black with his arms crossed. His long blond hair whisked against his shoulders from the speed in which his vampires attacked. I turned to help the good Catholics, but Misha grabbed me and yanked me back. “Stop, Celia. You are already wounded. Leave my family to deal with them.”

  The vamps easily tore the outnumbered weres apart, and had fun doing so. Blood splattered against their crisp white shirts. Their elongated nails shred through fur, and their fangs found the perfect veins to puncture and feast from. I changed to speak with Misha. At that moment, I was more fearful of Aric’s safety than being naked in the arms of a vampire.

  “Misha, there are more weres. I have to get back to Aric.”

  “Have you lost weight, my darling? You look thinner.”

  I shoved myself away from him. “Misha, I’m serious!”

  “Very well, Celia. I shall send others after your pet, but you will remain with me.”

  With just a simple gesture of his hand, half of his vampires took off after Aric. A redhead human with dazed blue eyes appeared carrying clothes. She handed me a dress and some underwear, which I proceeded to don as fast as I could.

  My head jerked in the direction the vampires had vanished. “Thank you, Misha.”

  “You sound surprised that I am a gentleman.”

  I clasped my injured thigh. “It’s not that.” I couldn’t finish my thought. I was terrified for Aric, and the profuse bleeding seeping through my fingers made my head spin.

  “Please sit, Celia, so that I may tend to your wounds.”

  The redhead spread a blanket on the ground and motioned me to it. I did as Misha asked and positioned myself on the ground, holding tight to my wound. Misha moved my hand with ease and spread my knees apart. Like an idiot, I forgot vampires didn’t use first aid kits. A gush of blood spurted out and splattered against the blanket. Misha didn’t panic. He bent forward and licked the inside of my thigh very slowly. The wound sealed, but he didn’t stop. He continued to lick me in teasing strokes, sending a wave of paralyzing chills up my spine. And call me crazy, but I failed to see how his look of seduction was beneficial to my injury.

  “Ah . . . What? . . . I . . .” Words failed me. It took another flick of his tongue to finally jar me out of my shock. I slammed my knees together and quickly scrambled to the edge of the blanket. But I was too late. From nowhere, a snarling wolf appeared at my shoulder.

  Aric changed back to human. Misha rose to meet him. They stood nose-to-nose. The scent of Aric’s fury scorched the air around us. Misha remained blissfully calm. After all, he’d just eaten. Challenging growls and hissing surrounded us as Misha’s vampires and Aric’s wolves prepared to attack.

  I squeezed between them in an attempt to prevent all-out war. “Aric, stop.” I tried to push him back, yet couldn’t even manage to nudge him. Aric typically outmuscled me, but at that moment he was an impenetrable wall of livid energy. I didn’t want them to fight, and I sure as hell didn’t want anyone to die. So I threw in my only weapon—the weak and helpless card.

  “Aric, please, Misha just saved me from a bunch of weres.”

  “I was coming for you!”

  “Yes, but you might have been too late. I was already badly wounded, and the weres had caught up to me. Misha was just trying to help.”

  “By trying to seduce you?” Aric’s muscles tensed and shook violently beneath my hands.

  My breath sputtered as I released it. “I was bleeding from a deep wound in my thigh. All he did was seal it.” I glanced back at Misha, hoping he’d back up what I was saying. He didn’t. Bastard.

  Aric ground his teeth. “What is he even doing here?”

  Misha flashed him one of the wickedest smiles in his arsenal. “Celia was in danger and thought my name. Thus, I responded. And now that I have tasted her blood, our call is that much stronger.”

  Great. More bars, in more places. Having a vampire’s digits just got better and better.

  Aric went perfectly still. In a way, that was way scarier than the angry, growling, red-faced wolf he’d been seconds before. I swallowed hard. The weak and helpless card clearly wasn’t working, so I tried to reason with him. My hand gently touched his face. “Aric, this is not the time. Something terrible is happening. We were attacked by vampires several months back. Yesterday it was a horde of demon children, and today some strange weres. What’s going to happen tomorrow? Misha isn’t the enemy. We have to figure out who is.”

  Misha whipped his head away from Aric to glare at me. “You were attacked by a horde of demon children yesterday? And you did not inform me?”

  I threw my hands in the air. Great, now they’re both pissed at me.

  “Your mate is right, boss,” said an unfamiliar voice.

  The word hit me hard enough to back away from Aric and Misha. I turned to find myself eye level with the biggest set of boobs I’d ever seen. A naked blonde covered in blood had moved to stand beside Aric. I didn’t know Pamela Anderson was a werewolf.

  The blonde smiled and extended her hand. “Hi. I’m Heidi.” Her voice was cute and bubbly. Goody for her. I shook her bloody hand and looked at Aric, but he was preoccupied with visions of eating Misha’s insides dancing through his head.

  Misha motioned his vampires to retreat with a subtle nod. “It appears our clans need to meet and discuss this matter.”

  “It appears so,” Aric answered through clenched teeth. “Heidi, take five wolves with you and escort Celia home. Have Genevieve place a protective ward around her house. Call me if you sense any danger. I’m counting on you to keep her safe.”

  “Okay, boss,” Heidi answered cheerfully before changing into a beautiful snow white wolf.

  Great. Even her wolf form is hot.

  Aric turned away from Misha to take my face gently in his hands. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. I’ll be home as soon as I can.” He gave me a long, sweet kiss, proving to Misha that he was the one who held my heart.

  • • •

  “They should have called by now.” Shayna stared at the phone in her hands. They trembled slightly, but then again we all waited on edge.

  “Screw this, I’m calling Gemini.”

  I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t, Taran.”

  Taran shrugged me off. “Why the hell not? Shit, it’s one o’clock in the goddamn morning—”

  “Do you really want to interrupt a meeting between a vampire family and a clan of weres just because your boyfriend’s not home yet?” Bren asked from the couch.

  “Screw off, Bren. You don’t know what I’ve seen or felt. You don’t know shit!”

  Bren narrowed his glare. “And you don’t know shit about supernatural politics.”

  “That’s enough.” I stood between them. “Your bickering is not helping.”

  Taran opened her mouth, no doubt to rip into me, when the walls of our house hummed from the ward Aric had asked the witches to place. Something powerful was approaching—fast. Taran’s magic ignited, my claws shot out, and a hideous growl thundered from Bren’s chest. Shayna raced toward the window with a dagger in her hand. “It’s okay, it’s okay. They’re home now.”

  Taran released the magic surrounding the house with a charm the witches had provided and threw open the door. “Baby, why—?”

  She backed away from the door, allowing the wolves to step slowly into the house. Everyone froze upon seeing their pale and distraught faces. Aric, in particular, appeared devastated beyond words. I hurried toward him, ready to throw my arms around him. He jerked
away from me and stepped aside, refusing my touch. I turned to the others, confused by his reaction. The wolves collectively averted their gazes. Koda swore beneath his breath.

  A sour sensation effervesced along my back, chilling me instantly. “Aric, what’s wrong?”

  He kept his head down. “I need to speak to you privately, Celia.”

  I followed Aric upstairs to our room. The stress and melancholy spilling along his spine reminded me of the funeral march preceding my foster mother’s burial. Each step felt more like a walk through quicksand than a stride along a plush carpet. I closed the door behind me and leaned against the dresser, waiting. Aric walked to the window and looked out. He stood with his arms crossed, completely motionless. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.

  “They’re dead.”

  I pushed off the dresser. “Who’s dead?”

  Aric wouldn’t turn away from the window. “My kind. We’ve been decimated. There were organized attacks yesterday and today. Not just here, but worldwide. They’ve slaughtered our men, women, and children. They’ve also targeted the vampires.”

  I clasped my mouth in horror. “My God. Who—what did this?”

  “They call themselves the Tribe.” Aric scoffed. “We’ve been such fools, Celia. All these years we’ve ostracized our kind for being lones while the vampires have aimed their wrath on those who dare defy their masters. All it took was an entity smart enough to unite them with the promise of revenge.”

  Understanding momentarily stopped the knife digging its way into my stomach. “Demons.” I almost couldn’t say the word.

  “Yeah. The demons formed a plan. And a brilliant one at that.”

  Aric continued to stare outside. “The night Liam and Emme were attacked outside the club, the Tribe had begun to hunt weres. Based on the recent deaths, and how aggressive they were in trying to take me, we’ve surmised the purebloods have been their main objective all along.” He glanced over his shoulder. “It’s the one way they can guarantee the obliteration of my species.”