The Curse (Shifter Origins)

by Harper A. Brooks

  “May I join in on this dance?” he whispered against her ear. The huskiness to his tone sent shivers down her spine.

  She didn’t need to answer. Her body was moving in perfect time with his, grinding against his pelvis. The steady beat of the drums vibrated through her entire being, urging her on. More. There would be no pulling away this time.

  “I couldn’t take my eyes off you all night,” he said. With Erec being so close, she could smell the musk of his arousal and hear the call of his wolf to hers through their pack bond. Its howl vibrated behind her eardrums, only meant for her to hear.

  A small voice floated from somewhere in the back of her mind, reminding her that she had questions to ask him about Jerrick, and that she shouldn’t be allowing him this close without more answers. But before her common sense could kick in, Erec twisted her around and drew her in close. She gasped in surprise, and he took that moment to claim her mouth. She felt his aggression—his desperation—through the kiss as his tongue tangled with hers.

  He pressed her closer, and Astrid’s head reeled. The ache inside her was becoming all-consuming, and her blood seemed to be burning beneath her skin. She wanted him, all of him. She didn’t want to fight whatever this was between them anymore.

  Not waiting for him to take control, Astrid’s hand slipped down the muscular lines of his chest to the waistband of his pants, teasing the gap between the fabric and his stomach. Desire rolled off him in waves, swirling around her, strong and demanding. She breathed it in, and instantly, urgency skated through her veins. The fever was running so wild within her that if Erec had tried to take her right there, in front of the fire and the other couples, she would have let him.

  Right before her fingers could dip any farther, Erec caught her wrist and broke the kiss. When she peered up at him, the same hunger shone in his blue eyes. “Not here,” he growled. “I’ve been holding back for so long—envisioning this moment so many times—that there will be nothing quick or gentle to it when I take you.”

  The words should have scared her. Instead, they sent delicious tremors through her. Lucky for him, quick and gentle wasn’t what she wanted. Not at all.

  She smirked, challenging him. “Perfect.”

  He growled deep in his throat. Not wanting to waste another second, Astrid took his hand and tugged him to her tent. The moment the flaps closed behind them, she pulled Erec down to claim his mouth again. With her free hand, she slid past his pants and grabbed his length, his hot skin searing her palm as her hand closed around him. His surprise came out in a breathy gasp. Having seen Erec naked before, he was a lot bigger than he had looked. Thicker, too. She swallowed in anticipation.

  Erec nipped her bottom lip, not hard enough to hurt but enough to send her pulse into a frenzied dance. Then, she realized they were moving—Erec was guiding her backward to the bed with their lips still locked in a passionate kiss. In the next second, her back hit the cushion and her head cradled into the pillow. His movements were so quick that she hadn’t even felt the clothing leave her body until the cool air kissed every inch of her flesh; she lay bare and completely naked before him, and his gaze drank her in slowly, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.

  “You’re so beautiful, Astrid,” he whispered and discarded his own pants and fur coat. His erection stood straight up, strong and a little intimidating. He crawled over her body, and she trembled. The heat coming from his skin had her mind reeling, and when Erec pressed his manhood against her inner thigh, she thought she might combust. She arched her back and spread her legs wider, all too ready to feel him buried deep inside her. Instead, he shifted his body down hers until his face hovered over the most private part of her. He lifted her knees to rest on his shoulders, his breath tickling her core.

  “Erec… What are—” Her sentence was cut short by the tiniest flip of his tongue. She gasped. Another flick had her head clouding. Astrid peered down the curves of her body to meet his eyes. He held her gaze as his tongue teased her, stroke after stroke. She could barely breathe as a tingling sensation spread across her skin and a pressure began to build low in her belly.

  His hand came up and palmed her right breast. He fondled and squeezed as his mouth continued its relentless assault. When his fingers pinched her nipple, her body jerked in response. Erec’s soft chuckle vibrated between her legs, and he returned to licking the sensitive spot, his pace and demand increasing. As her body twisted and arched, his fingers dug into her hips to hold her in place. A molten force slammed into her, making her shake and her muscles twitch. Unable to help herself, she cried out.

  Erec didn’t stop however, not even when the waves of tremors ended. Not even when she gripped his shoulder, a silent plea to cease his sweet torture. It wasn’t long before she was soaring again, her mind floating somewhere above the earth. This time, as she rode the waves rushing through her, Erec moved up her body and drove his length greedily into her heat, filling her completely.

  In that one mesmerizing moment, there was only the two of them, and the world around them seemed to fall away. The pack tie between them strengthened, and a tidal wave of sensations drowned her. Erec’s unquenchable hunger showered over her first, hot and heavy. Next, there was a prickle of determination and unwavering desire. Confidence and then trust.

  And surprisingly, at the distant fringes of his subconscious, Astrid sensed the twinge of fear—a feeling that had been suppressed but still lingered in the background. It was a fear of losing her.

  Could he feel her innermost feelings just the same?

  But then Erec pushed into her again, even harder this time, driving away any questioning thoughts. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she met him stroke for stroke. He moaned, head falling back and eyes closing briefly.

  Sweat clinging to his brow, he pumped into her, deeper and with more urgency, his breathing harsh. His dark gaze drank her in, watching her breasts bounce from his powerful thrusts and her lips part in a groan of pleasure. It was almost as if he couldn’t get enough of her. In touch, in sound, in taste. He dove for her mouth again and caught her with another fiery kiss.

  Erec had been right about one thing—there was nothing gentle about his movements, but she welcomed all of them.

  The sounds of their bodies, along with Erec’s grunts of need, was enough to send her over the edge again. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back, but soon pleasure spiraled through her, making her head spin. A strangled noise tore from her throat that sounded more like Erec’s name than anything else as the convulsions took hold.

  Erec came with her this time, his warmth spilling into her. He collapsed on top of her, his weight nothing she couldn’t handle. She loved it—the pressure of his body on hers, the feeling of his hot breath caressing the hollow of her neck, and the sensation of his muscles twitching underneath her fingertips. She could get used to this.

  When he finally did roll off her to lie at her side, she noticed he was still hard, and another rush of fire shot over her skin. Breaths ragged, Erec gave her a sidelong glance, his dark eyes weighted with lust. A tilted smile teased his lips, hinting that he had plans for her and the rest of their night together, more than just this.

  “Another dance?” His voice was nothing more than a low rumble, but it sent Astrid’s heart drumming against her rib cage.

  She smiled seductively back at him, meeting his challenge. Little did Erec know that she wasn’t done with him yet, either. Not even close.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Astrid drifted awake from a distant, peaceful place. First came the sweet ache between her thighs—a throbbing heat that radiated up into her lower belly, reminding her of her long, passionate night with Erec. He hadn’t lied to her when he’d said the sex wouldn’t be quick or gentle. And that was quite all right with her. She preferred the hard, fervent kind anyway. It was a good thing their kind didn’t become fertile until after they’d found their soul mate and broke the curse. Otherwise, after a night like that, she had no doubt in her mind that s
he would have fallen pregnant.

  Erec’s soft breathing and his steady heartbeat were the only sounds; silence had replaced the thundering music outside the tent. The recoil of her wolf told her it had to be some time during the day. Just what time it was, she couldn’t be sure.

  Then came the scents—the strong tickle of cedar and smoke, the wisp of lilac, and the sweet aroma of sex. She and Erec had enjoyed each other’s company three more times before exhaustion swept them both into a heavy sleep, forcing them to squeeze close together on Astrid’s tiny bed.

  Cracking her eyes open, she was greeted by a harsh brightness that stung and quickly shut her lids again. Maybe she’d just stay here for a while longer. With the light pressure of Erec beside her, accompanied with the hypnotic sound of his breaths, it would be easy to find sleep again. Being here with him was a comfort she wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

  It wasn’t long before she visited that blissful, dream-filled place again. Over the next hour she glided in and out of consciousness. She would have continued to chase sleep for much longer, too, if a frantic stirring beside her hadn’t jerked her awake. Snapping up in bed, Astrid’s mind leaped through all the worst possible scenarios, most involving Jerrick and some kind of unheard ambush. Then she peered over at Erec, who was thrashing about, his lips pressed tightly together, a bluish vein jumping under the skin of his forehead. Despite his heavy breathing and the sweat glistening across his brow, his eyes remained closed. He was still asleep. It seemed the only real threats were the ones invading his mind in a very violent, very forceful nightmare.

  Astrid silently commanded her jumpy heart to settle and leaned closer to Erec. She ran the back of her hand along his fevered forehead and whispered his name, hoping to wake him. He bucked under her touch, snarling, and she pulled back.

  Her heart constricted. She didn’t like seeing him in any kind of pain, especially if it was intangible, something she couldn’t help him fight. “Erec…” she called gently. “Erec, please wake up.”

  Every one of his muscles was drawn tight, but he stopped twisting in the bed. What dream could be tormenting him so much? As she whispered his name again and again, she touched his brow for a second time. Her skin was icy compared to the heat radiating from his. His fear and anger pulsed through his new pack connection so strongly it seeped into all her senses, leaving a pungent, bitter taste on her tongue.

  “Erec…” she said with a little more force this time. “Wake up.”

  His eyes snapped open, wide with panic. He blinked several times, and when his gaze finally found her, his body eased into the bed, unwinding. A small smile teased his lips as if his dreams had only been full of happy things and not the terrible fight she had just witnessed.

  “Good morning,” he said, his voice still raspy with sleep. “Or should I say afternoon?”

  “Erec.” She couldn’t keep the worry from her tone. “You were having some kind of nightmare. You were thrashing in your sleep.” You scared me.

  His brows rose in surprise. “I was?” His fingers brushed the dampness clinging to his forehead and his puzzled look intensified.

  Unease turned in Astrid’s gut. “You don’t remember?” she asked. “It just happened. Now. I tried waking you.”

  “I only remember pieces,” he started. “I remember repeating a lot of what you and I did last night. Although it wasn’t nearly as good in my head as it was in real life.” His blue eyes darkened on her, causing her cheeks to burn as desire stirred. Sweet Moons, this man could turn her into a puddle without even trying.

  “I must have had another dream because I remember Jerrick’s face. His laughter.” His jaw clenched, and his fury surged around him again. “And the smell of blood.”

  That had to be the nightmare. “But you don’t remember anything else?”

  Erec shook his head and sighed. “No, but it’s not important.”

  His fingers glided down her arm, beckoning her to lie back with him. She did, and settled in close to his chest. Being pressed against him did things to her body she had no control over, like make her pulse hum through her veins and her lower belly clench with need. But still, there were questions she wanted to ask him, questions she had been so willing to put off last night. She needed the answers, but she hesitated, unsure how she would feel after getting them. If Erec and Jerrick really did have some sort of history—or worse, a present—would she be able to pull herself away from him then? The sinking feeling tugging at her gut told Astrid she wasn’t as strong as she thought she was.

  “What’s wrong?” Erec looked down at her, worry weighing his gaze. She was about to ask him how he knew something was bothering her, but then she remembered their new pack bond and the link between them.

  “Filip told me what Claus said during the questioning,” she began, wondering how to go about the delicate topic. Maybe straight to the point would be best. “He told me Jerrick is looking for you.”

  His body tensed against hers. “Apparently he is.” He said it through a tight jaw. “Unfortunately, your father was too quick, and I didn’t get the why before Claus lost his head.”

  Why didn’t that surprise her? Her father’s temper was untamable. “So you don’t know why?”

  “I have no idea,” he replied. “I don’t even know how he knows my name. We’ve only met once, and that was during the ambush on the east-side pack, when Jerrick snapped Mikel’s neck in front of me.” Erec’s rage pushed off him in waves, as fierce as the river’s current, and Astrid was sure he wasn’t lying. No one could fake that kind of fury.

  Relief flooded her. Erec wasn’t working for Jerrick, but that left the question of why the alpha was looking for him still. It was best to leave it alone for now. Jerrick was a madman. Who knew how his brain worked? As long as Erec wasn’t part of that insanity, that was enough for her.

  “We should probably get up and leave this tent before people start wondering where you’ve disappeared to,” Erec said as he stretched his arms up above his head. His well-defined stomach and hip bones peeked from under the blanket, just covering his manhood, and Astrid’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced up at him and met his eyes. Having caught her staring, he made sure to add, “As much as I don’t want to.”

  Astrid sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. “They’ll wonder where you are, too.”

  He snorted a laugh. “Not me, but I’m sure Boden will be looking for his daughter, making sure you haven’t run off again.” Realization flitted across his face, and Erec suddenly looked ill. “Better yet, I think we both better wash before we step foot anywhere outside. I don’t need Filip or your father smelling me on you.”

  Filip wouldn’t care, but her father… He was a different story. He may not be the alpha anymore, but he was still her father. An overprotective one, too.

  “I’d like to make it to the Blue Moon alive, if possible,” Erec said, a grin playing with his lips.

  “I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t care if you died before the Blue Moon. As long as dying was on your terms.” It seemed terrible to joke about such a thing, especially after the horrible words Erec had uttered the other day about wanting control over his fate. But something about his mischievous smile had her wanting to play along.

  Erec put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back until she lay flat on the bed again. Then he leaned down, his lips brushing hers as he spoke softly. “That was before I had something to live for.”

  He kissed her, but this time, there was no rush to the possession. His tongue whirled with hers in an erotic dance that was both slow and hypnotizing. The heat of his hand cupping her cheek spread over her, warming her entire being. Astrid reveled in it, remembering sunshine and the spring and all the promises that time of year brought with it. She missed those things desperately. Erec reminded her of those things.

  Was it love? Filip’s words bounced around in her head. “When you finally do know it, you’ll know it. With every fiber of your being. Believe me. It’s a feeling lik
e no other.”

  Astrid still couldn’t say it was love for sure, but she did know one thing absolutely—now that she had relished in that sunshine and hope with Erec, she had spent too many days in this bitter winter.

  She never wanted to be cold again.

  …

  Even after washing any remaining traces of Astrid off his skin, Erec couldn’t get rid of the memory of what she felt like under his fingertips or how she tasted on his tongue. Those were things he’d always carry with him, even if he was wrong and he ended up not surviving the Blue Moon. Somehow, the memories he had with her would stay with him in the afterlife, too.

  He hadn’t understood what had come over him last night. Watching Astrid dance by the firelight with the orange and gold glow of the flames flickering across her skin proved to be a powerful and mesmerizing spell, one he couldn’t shake. The way her hips swayed and her body rocked called to him, and it wasn’t long before he lost himself. But he was glad he had because finally giving in to that unexplainable magic between them was freeing. It was like being able to breathe fresh air again after years of drowning—at first a sting that was sweet but temporary, then soon a bliss he couldn’t deny or get enough of.

  He was in love. He had realized it the moment he and Astrid had come together the first time while on her bed. At that moment, his heart was no longer his, and as the night wore on and he took her again and again, his feelings only seemed to strengthen. He couldn’t get enough of her, and if it wasn’t for the exhaustion that seized them both, he would have continued taking her until the Blue Moon rose in the sky.

  Astrid had to be the one meant for him—his mate. Any lingering doubt dissipated, leaving only certainty. She was the one his wolf howled for and his soul called for.

  And that meant they were saved.

  But the hesitance dulling Astrid’s green eyes as they dressed and readied to leave the tent suggested her feelings didn’t mirror his own. Even after their night together, she still wasn’t sure about them, and that worried him. How could he be so certain about what was between them, but she wasn’t? What did that mean for the curse? If one of them wasn’t convinced about their love, would their twenty-fifth Blue Moon take their lives?