Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  Jax spent most of his time with the twins, doing God knew what outside. Trent hadn’t brought up what happened during our date night, nor had he tried to taste my blood again. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or disappointed about that.

  I still hadn’t heard from Abby or Aunt Beth, though, and each day that passed without a call or text, my worry increased tenfold. I checked my phone for what felt like the millionth time. Still nothing.

  My stomach knotted, and nausea swept over me. That had been happening too much lately, and I had no idea why. I inhaled deeply through my nose and blew out through my mouth until it passed. Then I resumed pacing in front of the fireplace, nervously chewing on my fingernails. Why hadn’t they called me back?

  “You’re going to walk a dent in the floor if you keep that up,” Trent said from where he sat on the couch. He was immersed in some strange first-person shooter video game.

  “Can you please just go check on them?” I asked. Again.

  He knew how worried I was, but he insisted everything was fine. I refused to believe that until I knew for certain. He paused the video game, tossed the controller on the coffee table, and approached.

  Taking my face into his hands, he peered into my eyes. “Jax and the twins went to check on them. There’s where they are right now.”

  “Seriously?”

  Trent nodded.

  Relief swamped me. “Thank you.”

  I rested my forehead against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. It really wasn’t like Aunt Beth or Abby to ignore me like this, which meant something was wrong.

  Trent squeezed me reassuringly, and I grimaced. My stomach was in another knot, this one bigger and tighter. Pain radiated across my lower abdomen. I stepped away from Trent, needing the space. Clearly, the stress of this entire situation was getting to me. That, or I was getting sick.

  “You should try calling them again,” Trent said.

  Nodding, I pulled up Abby’s number and pressed the green call button. It rang three times. Four. Then five. Finally, she answered, and the sound of her voice made me freeze.

  “Okay, don’t yell at me. I know I haven’t called or texted, and I’m so sorry. But I got a job!” She squealed. “And I’ve been so busy, and there’s this guy that works with me, and oh my God, Chloe.” Abby groaned with delight.

  I laughed, all my anger and worries vanishing. “I was starting to worry something happened to you.”

  Trent caught my gaze, grinned, then returned to the couch.

  “Nah, I’m fine. I’m actually headed to work now, so I don’t have a lot of time. How are you? When are you coming home? Did you talk to Frank about it? I keep trying to convince Mom and Dad to just go get you now, but they keep refusing. Said they don’t want to be arrested for kidnapping.” She huffed.

  “Yeah, about that.” I cringed and turned my back to the couch. “I’m actually traveling with a friend this summer, and I probably won’t be home until right before school starts.” I mentally braced myself for Abby’s reaction, knowing it wouldn’t be pleasant.

  “What friend?”

  “Um…” I really should’ve thought this out a little better before I said anything. “Whitney,” I blurted. She was the only person I could think of on the spot.

  “Whitney who?” Abby asked. “How come you’ve never talked about her?”

  “It’s a long story.” I laughed nervously, and my stomach twisted with pain. I winced. “I haven’t known her that long, but she invited me to spend the summer with her and her family. They’re making their way across the country and promised to drop me in Keene Valley at the end.”

  “Oh.” Too much disappointment dripped from that single word.

  “I’m sorry, but I swear I’ll be home in time for school. I have no intention of going back to my dad’s. I promise.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Abby sighed. “Well, I’m at work, so I gotta go.”

  “Hey, how’s Aunt Beth? She hasn’t returned any of my calls, either.” I resumed pacing.

  “She’s fine. She lost her phone the other day and has to get a new one. Call me later tonight and you can talk to her.” The sound of a car door slamming rang in my ear.

  “Thanks. Have fun at work,” I said.

  “Oh, I will. Nathan is working today.” Abby giggled, and just like that, she was back to her overly exuberant self.

  Ending the call, I clutched my cell phone to my chest, letting the past few days’ worth of stress drain away. My family was fine. I felt like I could breathe again.

  “Everything okay?” Trent asked.

  “Yeah. I was worrying for nothing.” I laughed and joined him on the couch.

  TWO HOURS LATER, JAX and the twins returned. Before they even made it through the front door, I was waiting for them. Even though I’d spoken to Abby, I needed to know they were physically okay, too.

  “What happened?” I asked. “Are they okay?”

  “Jeez, Chloe.” Jax shielded his eyes. “Only you could glow black. Seriously, calm down.”

  I scowled and crossed my arms defiantly. “Stop with the stupid colors,” I snapped, “and tell me about my family.”

  Wyatt squeezed by us and made a hissing sound, then laughed. Whitney shoved him from behind, rolling her eyes.

  “They’re fine,” Jax said, blinking. “Abby’s working a summer job at the country club with some guy she thinks is uber hot.” Jax’s tone was mocking, and he sounded so much like Abby in that moment.

  Well, at least Abby hadn’t lied. Not that I thought she would, but it was nice to have it confirmed, to know that she wasn’t hurt or intentionally avoiding me for some reason. Still, a pang of homesickness hit me with the force of a train. I just wanted to go home.

  “Did you see my aunt and uncle?” I asked.

  “They’re both fine, too,” he said, glancing over my head and at Trent.

  I was glad they were okay, but my relief was fleeting. Something in Jax’s demeanor had the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge.

  “What?” I asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Jax’s hard gaze landed squarely on me. “The Rose Coven has been in Keene Valley. There are remnants everywhere of their magic.”

  My stomach dropped to my feet. “They were there? Why? What did they do? They didn’t hurt anyone, did they?”

  I needed to calm down. Jax just told me my family was fine. The Rose Coven didn’t hurt anyone—at least, no one I loved. But that didn’t mean someone else hadn’t gotten caught in the crossfire of this ridiculous feud.

  Trent now stood behind me, hands resting protectively on my shoulders. “They must have done something. A spell, maybe.”

  “What?” I must not have heard him correctly. “What kind of spell?”

  “We think they’re watching your family,” Whitney chimed in. “They’re the first people you’d call or reach out to, so as soon as you do…” She shrugged.

  I swallowed hard. Did my call with Abby put her in danger? Or did I inadvertently alert the coven to where I was? But I’d told Abby I was traveling. No one, except the people in this room, knew where I was.

  I’d talked to Ellie, too, though. Was she okay? Or had I dragged her into the middle of this, too? I felt the color drain from my face.

  “That means they’re getting desperate,” Trent said, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze.

  His words sent an icy chill down my spine, and his touch did nothing to comfort me this time. A fresh knot formed in my gut, and I gritted my teeth.

  “We need to make sure we’re all well fed,” Sean said as he walked out of the bedroom. “I fed this morning, but the rest of you should go.” He stopped near the edge of the couch and crossed his arms. “I can stay here with Chloe.”

  “Are you okay with that?” Trent asked me.

  I momentarily closed my eyes and nodded. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the evening with Sean. Who knew what he’d found out about me or my family—or the secret I was still guarding.
>
  Did he uncover the truth? Was that why he was so quick to offer to stay here with me? Was he planning to confront me as soon as everyone left? Pain sliced across my midsection, and I blew out a breath, hoping it wouldn’t get any worse. The stress of this entire situation was slowly killing me.

  “All right, boys, let’s head out so we can get back before it’s too late,” Whitney said.

  In sync, the guys began to move about the house. I had no idea what any of them were doing—they were all moving at superhuman speed—but I stood in place, not knowing what to do or where to go.

  Trent pulled me aside and planted his lips firmly over mine. Sighing softly, I leaned into his kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me so tightly I worried he might crack a rib or two. His hand coursed up my back, and his fingers tangled in my hair. I loved it when he did that.

  As badly as I wanted to stand here and kiss him, he needed to go. It was important he feed. Reluctantly, I broke away, my breathing labored.

  “We won’t be too long, okay?” He caressed the side of my face.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Maybe spending some time with Sean wouldn’t be so bad. If I was going to have a future with Trent, I really should get to know his family better. And his friends, which meant I was going to have to talk to Whitney and Wyatt more than I have.

  Trent smiled and gave me one final kiss. “Love you.” And then he was out of the house. Whitney and Wyatt followed.

  “Jax,” I said, grabbing his arm as he walked by. When he stopped, I flung my arms around him.

  He stood stiff for several beats, but then he softened in my embrace and hugged me back. His hold wasn’t as tight as Trent’s, but I didn’t want it to be. This was a friendly hug. Nothing more.

  “Thank you for checking on them,” I whispered.

  “Of course.” Jax buried his face against my neck and inhaled, eliciting a shudder from me.

  I had no idea how long we stood there like that, but neither of us made any attempt to pull away. A simple hug didn’t seem like enough to show the depth of my gratitude. As the days passed, my anger toward him had lessened. I still didn’t trust him, but I missed the friendship we’d started building all those afternoons we’d spent in the bookstore.

  Eventually, Jax released me, and his signature cocky smile was back in place. “You’re a hazy red again.”

  And I’d bet anything my face was just as red, too.

  “That keeps happening when you’re around me. I’m starting to think you like me a lot more than you’re willing to admit.” He winked, then walked out of the house, leaving me staring after him.

  I was worried he might be right. Blowing out a breath, I ran my hands over my hair. Hesitantly, I turned to face Sean. He’d moved to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table, and he was setting up a game of checkers.

  “Care to play?” he asked.

  “Sure.” I sat cross-legged on the floor opposite him, thankful we had something to do so we weren’t just sitting around awkwardly.

  When he finished setting up the board, he nodded at me to go first. I slid a red piece forward. He moved a black piece diagonally. We were silent for a few moments, each of us concentrating on the game.

  “We haven’t really had a chance to talk much, have we?” Sean asked, his gaze on the board.

  “No, not really,” I said. “So, how’s the research going? Have you found anything useful?” I hoped my voice sounded calm and not like I was trying to interrogate him.

  “Not really. At least, not on your mother’s side. I haven’t had a chance to really dig into your father’s side of the family.” Sean cleared one of my pieces from the board, then glanced up, his expression friendly. “Do you know much about your family history?”

  “No,” I said a little too quickly. “I mean, I know about my mom’s family because I lived with her most of my life, but father took off when I was seven, so I really don’t know anything about him or his family.”

  I swallowed around the lump in my throat. Trent never mentioned if Sean had any sort of “gift” or “special power,” and I hadn’t specifically asked. What if he could somehow tell I was lying?

  “Right. Sorry.” He smiled apologetically. “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

  “Oh, no, it’s okay,” I said and moved another piece. “I’m coping with things a lot better than I used to.” I laughed nervously.

  “Well, one way or another, we’re going to figure out why the Rose Coven is after you.” He cleared another one of my pieces from the board, and I frowned. “I made a promise to Trent that I’d do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

  I slouched. Even though I was grateful to have their protection, I felt bad that they were essentially uprooting their lives for me. They were stuck here just as much as I was.

  “Your turn,” Sean said.

  I moved my piece and jumped two of his. I swiped them from the board, and he chuckled.

  “Nice move,” he said, and then took his turn. “For some reason, this game always helps me think clearer.”

  “Whenever I had too much on my mind, Mom would take me to the beach. We’d just lay in the sand and stare up at the clouds,” I said. “Most of the time, we wouldn’t even talk.”

  The memories made me smile, which was a welcome change from wanting to cry whenever I thought of her and all the things we used to do together.

  “I need to thank you, Chloe,” Sean said. He gently moved the board to the side and folded his arms on the coffee table.

  “Thank me? For what?” I asked, confused.

  “For loving my son the way you do,” he said. His eyes, a much softer shade of blue than Trent’s, held more gratitude than I’d ever seen in my life. “For accepting him—all of us—for what we are.”

  I took a deep breath and leaned back against the couch. What was I supposed to say to that? I’d never had a parent thank me for something like this before.

  “I’ve never seen Trent this happy before,” Sean continued, his gaze unflinching. “And I know you’re the reason.”

  “I love him, too,” I said softly. “More than anything.”

  “I know.” He smiled. “I can see that in how you look at him.”

  I held my hands in my lap and picked at my cuticles, unsure what else to say. I wanted to ask him if Trent would be okay if the curse was never broken, if I never changed. If I died. Jax insisted Trent would never be all right if he lost me. Maybe Sean had a different outlook on the situation.

  “May I give you a piece of fatherly advice?” he asked, head titled as if he were trying to figure out what I was thinking.

  “Sure.” I nodded.

  “No matter what happens, please trust in Trent. Despite the life he’s lived, he’s a good man. He’s honest and loyal, and he’s devoted to you in a way I’ve never seen before. A way I never was with Annmarie.” He smiled sadly and shook his head.

  My breath hitched, and the sting of tears burned my throat. “Trent told me what happened with Annmarie. I’m sorry,” I said.

  “I should be the one apologizing. If I hadn’t let my emotions get the best of me…” He moved the checkerboard back between us and took his turn.

  “They don’t blame you,” I said. “For the curse, I mean.”

  “Thank you for saying that,” Sean said. “But the only way I’ll absolve myself of the guilt is to find the way to break the curse so my boys can have a future.”

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Not only did I have the power to break the curse, I had the ability to take away Trent’s greatest fear and to rid Sean of the guilt he’d carried for far too long.

  Was my mortality really worth causing the people I cared about so much pain? Why were my hopes and dreams and wants greater than Trent’s and Sean’s? If I could give them the happiness they craved—that they deserved—after decades of grief and guilt, shouldn’t I do it?

  “Sean, I—”

  “Sean!” Whitney burst throu
gh the front door. “Something’s happened. The boys need you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:

  Impromptu Girls’ Night

  SEAN WAS ON HIS FEET BEFORE I even processed Whitney’s words. I scrambled to my feet, and by the time I stood, Sean was out the front door, leaving me alone with Whitney.

  “What happened?” I asked. “Where’s Trent? Is he okay? Are Jax and Wyatt okay?”

  “They’re fine,” she said, closing the door. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Sean will take care of it.”

  “Take care of what?” I asked, my tone sharp. “Tell me what’s going on?” I crossed my arms and glared at her.

  She sighed as if annoyed with me. “We found a body while we were hunting.”

  My jaw dropped. “A body?”

  “Yes.” She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “A woman.”

  “Was she… I mean, is she… dead?” I cringed just saying those words.

  Whitney nodded. “Yes, and she was killed by a vampire.”

  My head spun, and I blinked to get my bearings. “A vampire? But…”

  “It wasn’t any of us,” she said.

  Yeah, that didn’t make me feel any better, because if it wasn’t anyone staying in this cabin that meant there was another vampire roaming around. And clearly, he or she wasn’t very friendly.

  “Like I said, Sean will take care of this, so please try not to worry. We’re not going to let anything happen to you,” she said, her tone a little softer. “So.” She uncrossed her arms and pushed away from the wall. “Know what this means?”

  I stared at her, waiting for her to explain.

  “Girls’ night!” She threw her hands in the air and let out a loud whoop.

  “You can’t be serious,” I said. “There’s a dead woman in the woods, and you want to have a girls’ night?”

  “I volunteered to come back here and stay with you while the guys figure out what’s going on. They’ll take care of the body, and with any luck, they’ll find the vampire who killed her.” Whitney stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders. “Trust me. A girls’ night will help take your mind off things, and as soon as everyone gets back, they’ll tell us everything.”