Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  He placed his hand on my waist, his fingers finding flesh, and it was like he’d struck a match and set me ablaze. He peered down at me, his eyes a shade of blue I’d never seen before. They’d always been crystal clear or black as night, but right now they were somewhere in between. Lustful yet seeking permission.

  I squirmed beneath him—to get closer or farther away I had no idea—closed my eyes, and arched into him. I threaded my fingers through his hair, and he lowered his mouth to my collarbone, leaving lingering kisses that would forever brand me to him.

  “Trent…”

  “I want you, Chloe,” he whispered, nipping at my ear.

  Framing my face with his hands and pushing the hair back from my forehead, he gently eased his body down onto me.

  “Ahem.”

  I yelped at the sound of someone other than me or Trent clearing their throat. Trent let his head fall to my shoulder, his body tense. I peeked around him to find Jax standing in the doorway that connected the two hotel rooms.

  He leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed, gaze intense. Seeing him again brought back all the memories of the past few weeks—afternoons spent in the bookstore, talking, laughing. Confiding in him. Raw anger festered in my gut, threatening to erupt.

  “You’re getting careless. You didn’t even hear me come in,” Jax said.

  “I heard you,” Trent said, his voice ice cold. “I chose to ignore you, hoping you’d see I was busy and go away.” He climbed off me, intentionally using his body to shield me from Jax’s gaze.

  Sitting up, I grabbed the pillow and hugged it to my chest. How long had Jax been there watching?

  Trent gracefully scooped his shirt from the floor and put it back on. Then, he turned around to face Jax, arms crossed, once again shielding me. I quickly scrambled off the bed to stand beside Trent.

  “Chloe.” Jax smirked. “Glad to see you’ve gotten your memories back.” Emotion flashed behind his eyes, but it was gone before I could figure out what it was.

  “Jax,” I said, my tone poisonous.

  There was so much I wanted to say to him, to scream at him about, but my fury was scorching hot, making it impossible to think clearly. My limbs shook with barely controlled rage.

  “What are you doing here?” Trent asked. “You’re supposed to be on your way back to Keene Valley.”

  “I was.” Jax pushed off the door frame and sauntered into the room.

  Would I ever stop being shocked by how similar these two were? Or how gorgeous?

  “Sean called. They’re on the move.” Jax’s gaze darted in my direction before landing back on Trent. “Figured you’d want some back up should they get here before you two get out.”

  Tendrils of fear spread through my limbs and squeezed my heart. “Who is they?” I looked to Jax, who didn’t answer me, so I turned to Trent. “What’s going on? What does he mean we need to get out?” My voice steadily increased with panic.

  Trent rubbed the back of his neck, and my stomach sank. “Those things I mentioned… the things you needed to know…”

  I stepped away from him. “Someone better tell me what’s going on.”

  Crashing back into my life like he had, learning the horrid truth about my father and my lineage, walking away from another home and family… Wasn’t that enough? What more could I be expected to endure?

  “One of you had better start talking. Now,” I bit out.

  Jax laughed but quickly covered it with a fake cough, his eyes sparkling. What was wrong with him? I knew he’d gotten my threatening text messages. Of course, I should’ve guessed he wouldn’t take them seriously. I was nothing more than a joke to him.

  “This is why I’m here, Chloe.” Trent took my hands and guided me to sit on the bed. He kneeled in front of me. The look of concern that blanketed his face didn’t do anything to calm me. “There’s a coven of witches looking for you.”

  “What? They’re looking for me? Why?”

  But I didn’t really need an answer to that question—I knew why they wanted me. They must have figured out who I was and what I could do for them. Did he know that, though? I doubted it, because if he did, we’d be having a very different conversation right now. And I knew Jax would have a lot to say, too. He wouldn’t be holding back; he never had before.

  Trent shook his head. “We’re not sure.”

  I was. And I had to tell him. I had no idea how to do that, though, or what his reaction would be. I’d made the decision to be with him, but I was undecided about turning into a vampire. Would he force me to do the one thing I didn’t want to? Before I confessed, I needed to know what they knew.

  “You think it’s Isach?” I asked.

  “Who else would it be?” Trent tilted his head, studying me.

  I lowered my head, uncomfortable with his scrutiny, and shrugged. The Zoya would do anything to make sure the curse wasn’t broken—including kill me. Which meant if this coven knew about me, then the Zoya probably did, too, which made me a very wanted woman.

  “We haven’t seen or heard from Isach since he took off after…” Jax frowned.

  “Yeah, I remember,” I snapped. “And could you just shut up? The sound of your voice makes me want to stab you.”

  Jax’s eyes widened, and he held up his hands in a show of surrender.

  I pulled my hands from Trent’s and stood. “So, now what?”

  “We hide.” Trent rose and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Just until we can figure out how to stop them.”

  “You just expect me to run away with you?” I crossed my arms.

  “It’s either that, or you can wait for the Zoya to find you,” Jax said. He moved to stand next to Trent, both of them now in front of me. “And not even God knows what they’ll do to you this time.”

  Maybe he really did need a tutor, because clearly, he had no idea what shut up meant. But his words caused me to shudder, and I rubbed my arms to rid them of the sudden goose bumps.

  It’s not like I had any intention of going back to my father’s house, but I had planned to head to Keene Valley. Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean would be thrilled to have me back. But I was not going to lead trouble their way.

  “So, this explains why you came back,” I said to Trent before turning to glare at Jax. “But why are you here?”

  “He’s here because I asked him to be here,” Trent said and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nothing about this went according to plan.”

  I huffed. “And what was your brilliant plan if I hadn’t remembered everything?” My hard stare landed back on Trent.

  Holding my gaze, unflinching, he said, “Kidnap you.”

  My jaw dropped, and my arms fell to my sides. “I can’t just disappear. What am I supposed to tell people?” I said, my tone a mix of shock and resignation.

  “We’re not cutting you off from the world,” Jax said, amusement coloring his tone. “You can still check in with your friends and family, but as far as they know, you’re spending the summer traveling.”

  I glared at him.

  “But in reality, you’ll be with me, some place safe,” Trent said.

  Jax’s expression hardened. What was that all about? He was probably angry that he had to spend his summer babysitting me. Why did I even care what he thought? He meant nothing to me. Not anymore. He didn’t have to stick around, not as long as Trent was with me. And honestly, the idea of spending the summer with Trent—just the two of us—was exciting.

  “Okay,” I said with a sigh. “When do we leave?”

  Trent raised a brow. “That easy?”

  I nodded. It wasn’t like I had many other options. I was officially a wanted woman, and what better protection was there than two vampires?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:

  Road Trip

  TRENT RUSHED AROUND THE ROOM, PACKING his belongings. Everything I wanted was crammed into my backpack and one suitcase, so I stood near the door, out of his way. Everything about this seemed so surreal, but I was toting around a shoebox full of
evidence that I couldn’t ignore.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Keene Valley,” Jax said.

  “What?” Have they lost their minds? “I thought we were going somewhere safe. Why would we go home? That’s the first place Isach will look for me,” I said.

  Trent shot Jax a dirty look. “We own a cabin high in the mountains. It’s secluded, and no one knows about it. It’s the safest place for you.”

  “Oh.” That made me feel slightly better. At least I wouldn’t be too far away from my family.

  “What’re you going to tell your dad?” Trent asked.

  Heat flamed up my neck and face. “Um, my dad thinks I’m visiting Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean for the summer.”

  Jax raised his brows in surprise. “Why does he think that?”

  “Because I told him that’s what I was doing.” I scowled at him. “Got a problem with that?”

  Holding his hands up in surrender again, Jax shook his head. “No problem. It’s just—”

  “What?” I crossed my arms, refusing to let him intimidate me or push me around ever again.

  “It’s rather convenient, isn’t it?” He stepped closer, but I didn’t back down. “You just happen to tell your father you’re going home before you knew what was going on. Why is that, Chloe?”

  I fought against the shudder threatening to break free. “For your information, Jaxon.” I poked him in the chest, and the jerk smirked at me. “I’ve been planning to go home all summer. But you already know that, remember?”

  “Okay, calm down.” Trent grabbed Jax’s arm and pulled him away from me.

  I blew out a breath.

  “Seriously, Jax, what’re you doing?” Trent asked.

  “Nothing.” Jax jerked his arm from Trent’s grasp. “Just want to make sure our bases are covered.”

  “C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Trent said.

  Trent opened the door. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and followed him out as he carried both his bag and my suitcase to his car, the same car I’d ridden in before. The windows were near black, perfect for him and Jax to travel during the day.

  “Want to put that in the trunk?” Trent nodded to my backpack.

  I clutched the strap tighter, panic squeezing my chest. Letting what was inside of this bag out of my sight wasn’t a good idea, but acting weird about it would tip off Trent and Jax.

  “Yeah, sure.” I handed it to him and forced a smile.

  He tossed it into the trunk with our luggage and closed the lid. Jax climbed into the backseat, and I got into the passenger’s seat. Trent slid in behind the wheel, graceful as ever. Simply watching him was breathtaking.

  Trent put on a pair of sunglasses and started the car. “Ready?”

  I hooked my seat belt. “Let’s do this.”

  Jax was unusually quiet. I glanced at him. He was stretched out on the seat—as best he could in the small car—hands folded on his stomach, eyes closed. I’d be perfectly fine if he slept the entire drive. I could barely stand to be near him, and listening to his voice really did make me want to murder him.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. Tension coiled in my chest. I was afraid to see who it was; I wasn’t sure I could handle talking to Abby or Ellie right now. What if it was Aunt Beth? What if Dad had called her? I scrambled to get my phone out. Mild relief settled over me when Simon’s name appeared on my screen.

  Trent growled under his breath.

  “Somebody’s jealous,” Jax sing-songed from the back.

  “Shut up, Jaxon,” Trent snapped.

  I rolled my eyes and rejected the call. Simon called right back. I sighed.

  “Obviously, he didn’t get the hint. I thought for sure our little display at his party would drive the point home,” Trent said, brow furrowed.

  “Don’t be a jerk. Simon didn’t do anything wrong.” I rejected the call again, my heart splintering.

  If Simon was calling me, then he must have forgiven me, or at least be willing to give me a second chance. Too bad I’d never get the opportunity to tell him goodbye.

  My phone rang again. This time, I swiped my finger across the screen to accept the call. “Hello?”

  “Chloe?”

  I closed my eyes at the familiarity of how he said my name, the syllables twisted and exotic. I was really going to miss that.

  “Yeah. It’s me,” I said.

  “I’m sorry for how I behaved the other night,” he said.

  Resting my head against the window, I blinked back tears. “It’s okay. I deserved it.”

  Beside me, Trent growled again. I gave him a warning look. He didn’t have to like whatever relationship I’d had with Simon, but in my defense, I didn’t know Trent even existed. It’s not like I’d been cheating on him. And I wasn’t heartless. I wasn’t going to be unnecessarily mean to Simon.

  “No, you didn’t,” Simon said. “Look, you know I like you, Chloe, and I don’t know what’s up with that Trent guy, but… can we hang out tonight? To talk?”

  I rubbed my forehead, praying the ache would go away. “I can’t,” I whispered.

  “Oh.” Simon’s voice was impossibly sad, and my heart broke a little more. “Okay.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion.

  “You’re okay, right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Simon asked.

  I almost laughed at that. If I knew anything about Trent, it was that he’d die before he ever hurt me. “No,” I said. “I’m on my way back to Keene Valley. I’m visiting for the summer.”

  It was best to tell him the same story I’d told my dad. The only difference was, I hated lying to Simon.

  “You’ll be back then, yeah?” He sounded too hopeful, and I hated myself for giving him false hope.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Right. Well, have a good summer, Chloe from New York.”

  I smiled.

  “Stay in touch, yeah?” he said.

  “Of course.” But as the words passed my lips, I knew they were a lie. “I’ll talk to you later, Simon.” I ended the call and tucked my phone under my leg. Why did this have to be so hard?

  Trent took my hand, laced our fingers, then kissed my knuckles. He mouthed “sorry.”

  “Thank you,” I mouthed back. I’d forgotten how considerate Trent could be.

  “Simon is one of the good ones,” Jax said.

  “What?” I asked. “How could you possibly know that?”

  “His aura is white. He’s good. For whatever that’s worth.”

  “No one asked you,” Trent said, glaring at him in the rearview mirror.

  I swatted Trent, then twisted in my seat to look at Jax, even though he was the last person I wanted to deal with. “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse, but thank you for saying that,” I said.

  He winked, smiling faintly, and my face flushed. I turned back around, heart fluttering. What on earth was that? Why did I react that way to Jax? To the guy who’d lied to me, conned me, made me trust him only to find out it was all some big game?

  As soon as I had a second alone with Trent, he had some explaining to do.

  “It’s going to be a long trip if you don’t get that heart of yours under control, Chloe. The sound of your blood rushing through your body is very distracting.” There wasn’t a hint of humor in Jax’s tone.

  “Jax!” Trent slammed on the brakes, causing Jax to lurch off the seat and onto the floor.

  My seat belt tightened, nearly cutting off my circulation.

  Jax punched Trent’s arm.

  “Will you two knock it off,” I snapped. My nerves were already on edge, and my emotions were too high to deal with their juvenile behavior.

  Jax laughed and repositioned himself on the backseat.

  I settled into the seat, rested my head on the window, and closed my eyes. Thankfully, the ride was quiet, and I fell into a semi-peaceful sleep.

  I AWOKE WITH A jolt. Where was I?

  “Morning, sl
eeping beauty.” Jax grinned at me from the driver’s seat.

  I gasped with surprise and straightened. “Don’t talk to me.”

  Slowly, things came into focus. I was on a road trip back to Keene Valley with Trent and his brother. Wait… Where was Trent? I glanced behind me. He was sleeping in the backseat.

  “Do you need to stop for anything? There’s a rest area just ahead,” Jax said.

  “Yes.” My bladder was seconds away from exploding, and my stomach grumbled loudly. I hadn’t eaten anything today, and I was starved.

  Silently, Jax pulled off the highway and into the rest area. As soon as he parked, I was out of the car and rushing toward the building. A second later, I heard the beep of the automatic locks. I turned to see Jax following me.

  “Um, I’m pretty sure I can use the bathroom on my own,” I said.

  “I’m sure you can, too. But until we know what’s going on, you’re not leaving our sight.”

  I scowled.

  “Besides, I’m hungry.” He shrugged one shoulder like it was no big deal.

  “Hungry? Or hungry hungry?” I whispered and glanced around, afraid someone would hear me and know what I meant.

  Jax laughed. “Is there a difference?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Relax. I’m getting the same kind of food you eat.” He strolled by me and motioned for me to hurry up.

  “Wait.” I jogged to catch up. A slight breeze picked up, and I rubbed the chill from my arms. “What about Trent? Are we just going to leave him in the car?”

  “Why?” Jax faced me, one corner of his mouth lifted in the most devious smile I’d ever seen. “Would you prefer to leave him somewhere else? Because I’m totally on board with that plan.”

  I hated—no, loathed—how he could so easily make me forget how angry I was with him.

  “I mean, what if he wakes up and we’re gone. He’s going to worry. Shouldn’t we tell him what we’re doing?” I wasn’t sure if I was more worried about Trent freaking out or me being alone with Jax. I didn’t exactly trust Jax all that much anymore.

  “I’m sure if he wakes up and sees we’re at a rest stop, he can figure it out.” Jax resumed walking. “Besides,” he called over his shoulder, “he’s not going to wake up.”