The Curse

by Jaimi Wilson

  "Jenkins, there is nothing to forgive. I would have done the same thing in your situation. Though maybe in the future, tell me first, okay? It was creepy as hell waking up like that, floating like there was no gravity." I shiver at the reminder. And although I recover quickly, I can tell the others noticed.

  "What was it like being faced with the sun and the moon?" Josh asks, his voice filled with curiosity.

  "It was… really strange. I was floating in this dark room with no idea where the hell I was or why I was there. When the sun and moon appeared, I was a little surprised. But I was completely flabbergasted when they turned human and introduced themselves as Helios and Selene. Then they proceeded to tell me about themselves, how Helios was responsible for the creation of the wolves and Selene the vampires. My mother, the earth, created the first witches."

  I tell my mates everything as they sit in silence. I let them know about my child, my power and everything else that Selene and Helios told me. Things I still found hard to believe, but somehow knew were true nonetheless.

  By the time I finish relaying everything to them, the guys are all looking at me with wide eyes. But before any of them can speak, my stomach growls loudly, echoing throughout the room. All four of them chuckle, while I just flame in embarrassment.

  "Hey, it's not funny. I'm eating for two now, remember?" I say, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at them.

  Liam holds out a hand out for me, helping me to my feet. "Come on, Jasmine. Let’s go get you fed. I'm pretty sure there's a kitchen on this floor somewhere," he murmurs to himself as he leads me to the door, still holding onto my hand. I don't have to look behind me to know the others are following us, this bond inside me telling me exactly where they are.

  Liam opens the door and I look out into the hallway in surprise. I assumed we’d be back at Liam’s giant ass mansion, but we’re clearly somewhere else entirely. The gray walls and smooth metal doors, so different from the warm wood of Liam’s house, make that instantly obvious.

  The next thing I notice is my father, who’s leaning against the opposite wall, seemingly waiting for us. He opens his mouth to speak, but I hold out my hand, stopping him. "I'm famished, so if you have any questions, you can either follow us and ask them while Liam feeds me or you can stay here until we come back. It’s entirely up to you.”

  With that said, I push past him, not in the mood to deal with any other delays. I'm completely ravenous and no one wants to deal with a hangry Jasmine, especially not a pregnant one.

  We set off down the corridor, with Liam leading us, in search of the kitchen. As we walk down the bland looking, sterile hallway, I frown, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. "Where are we?" I ask of no one in particular.

  Surprisingly, my father is the one to answer. "You're deep within the Soldiers’ headquarters, the same place your mother was forced to remain until your powers freed her. Since she's no longer around, we figured it would be safer to remain down here, rather than topside. That being said, we do have the protection of close to six hundred wolves now that Benji’s pack and Liam’s are in one place. Apparently when Josh felt something happen to you, he freaked out and ordered that the entire pack come with him to rescue you.”

  I freeze in shock, turning first to look at my father, then at Josh, who refuses to meet my eyes. "You brought Benji's pack here? Because of me?"

  He shuffles his feet, his usual confidence seeming to have completely disappeared. What caused this change in him? Why is he acting so subdued? Does he think I will be upset by his actions? If anything, I'm in awe that he would do something so drastic for me.

  "I felt it when Jenkins pushed your soul from this world. My heart broke in that moment because I wasn't here to protect you. I knew then that I needed to be with you, so I gathered the pack and summoned a portal. I told them that they could either stay behind without my protection, or they could come with me."

  My mouth opens and closes, unsure what to say to that. So instead of grasping for words, I decide to let my actions speak for me. I let go of Liam's hand and stride right up to Josh. He finally lifts his eyes when he sees my feet in front of him, meeting my gaze. I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. He doesn't hesitate, gripping one hand in my hair and kissing me back just as desperately.

  We’ve both been denying this, which I curse myself for now. It just feels so right, being in his arms and kissing him like this. After a minute, Josh slows the kiss and I finally pull away. He presses his forehead to mine and we stay like that as I work to regain control of my breathing. Then, looking deep into his eyes, I tell him exactly how I feel in this moment. "You are an amazing person and I feel honored to have you as a mate. Thank you for thinking of me and going to such lengths to help me. I know I’m not easy to handle most of the time, so it means a lot that you did all that."

  I hear muffled chuckles from behind Josh and turn to glare at Benji and Jenkins, who quickly try to school their expressions, but with little success. I roll my eyes at them before focusing back on Josh.

  He caresses my cheek with his thumb slowly, as if committing my face to memory. "Even though you can have a bit of an attitude problem, I wouldn't change you for the world. That attitude is part of what makes you who you are, after all. If you were this soft girl who couldn't handle things on her own, then I don't think I would admire you as much as I do right now. You have faced so goddamn much and only became stronger for it. Not many others can say the same."

  I fight not to lower my gaze, feeling embarrassed but sensing there's more he wants to say.

  "I just hope that one day you will be as proud of me as I am of you." Then he presses his lips to mine one more time, gently as if he is savoring this moment. When he steps away, I sigh contentedly, feeling a little more at peace than I was before.

  I smile warmly at Josh before rejoining Liam at the front of the group. Then we all begin walking down the hall together in silence.

  After a couple of minutes, we finally reach a door, which is almost twice as large as the silver ones I’ve seen elsewhere in the building. Liam doesn’t knock or even hesitate. He just grabs the handle and opens the door, revealing the largest kitchen and dining area I have ever seen.

  Benji, Josh and Jenkins immediately move to the fridge, pulling out drinks and opening them. Meanwhile, my father goes over and plops down on a chair at the dining table, which spans the length of the room. It looks much more like a picnic table, but rather than having bench style seats, there are individual wooden chairs, which I imagine were hand carved. But the kitchen area is massive too, so I assume they just have a lot of people eating here at one time.

  Liam guides me over to the fridge, pushing the other guys out of the way as he does. He opens the door wide so I can see inside what turns out to be a fully stocked fridge.

  "What would you like, Jasmine? Name it and I'll cook it for you."

  I look through the contents of the top shelf, all various cuts of meats, until I come across something that looks appealing. I pull out a package filled with pork loin chops and my mouth starts to water, despite them still being raw.

  "I want pork," I tell him with a dreamy sigh. I can already imagine myself devouring three of the chops on my own.

  Liam chuckles and lets go of my hand so he can take the chops from me. Then he moves over to the indoor industrial sized grill, turning it on. He begins to prepare the cuts of meat while I linger by the open fridge, my stomach growling.

  I reach in and pull out a block of feta cheese, feeling a craving. But before I can even open it to cut off a few slices, Jenkins appears next to me and snatches the package from me. "No cheese for the pregnant woman."

  I pout at him, unsure why I can't have cheese. With a sigh, I turn back to the fridge in search of something else. To my delight, I spy some smoked salami and pull it out with an eager groan. I grab out a piece and am about to pop it into my mouth, but it disappears and the packet vanishes mere seconds later.r />
  I look up in confusion and see Josh, standing there chewing on my piece of salami with a satisfied smile on his face. "No processed meats."

  I growl under my breath, frustrated by their actions. Desperately, I try to think of something else to snack on while I wait, but nothing else is appealing to me. So with a disappointed sigh, I move over to the coffee press and turn it on, eager for a cup. But then Benji appears at my side, flicking the switch off with a satisfied smirk.

  I take in a deep breath, my anger spiking. First they take my food and now they're trying to take away my coffee? I may actually kill one of them if that's the case.

  I stare at Benji with narrowed eyes as I reach up and switch the coffee press on yet again. I watch as if in slow motion as Benji raises his hand again and turns it off.

  "Right then. I'm going to kick all of your asses, except for Liam, because he’s cooking for me. First you guys take my food, and now you think you can deny me coffee as well? Do you want me to murder each of you in a caffeine withdrawal induced rage?"

  Benji opens his mouth to respond, but doesn’t get the chance because another voice speaks up at that moment. "I'd be careful if I were you, guys. I've seen her in a caffeine withdrawal before and it is not a pretty sight."

  My heart pounds in my chest and my mouth goes dry. That voice. I’d know it anywhere. I turn slowly, hoping my ears are playing tricks on me because I don't know if I'm ready to deal with this if it’s who I think it is. But sure enough, there in the open doorway stands the woman I once thought of as my best friend. That was, until I found out she was only my friend because my father wanted her to get close to me.

  "It's good to see you again, Jasmine."

  "I don't know if I can say the same, Harry."

  Fourteen

  The silence stretches as I look at my former best friend, her frizzy brown hair looking wild and untamed. She stares at me from the doorway, her hazel eyes filled with worry. I notice her biting her lip, something she does when she's nervous.

  I quickly shut down all emotion, too overwhelmed by everything to process how I feel about her arrival right now. With a cold expression, I glance at my father. He looks torn between feeling guilty and hopeful by her arrival.

  I'm about to open my mouth and give them both a piece of my mind, but just then a little body pushes past Harry, rushing into the room. My heart skips a beat at the sight of the beautiful little girl that comes running towards me, her eyes lit up with joy.

  "Aunty Jaz," she shrieks as she collides with me. I drop to my knees, wrapping my arms around this precious girl.

  "My sweet Ivy. God, I missed you so much, sweetheart," I murmur into her hair. As I hold her, I can feel the gazes of my mates on me, but this moment right now is mine. This little girl has been part of my life since she was just a baby and I always thought of her as mine in a way. After all, I helped look after her whenever Harry had to work or was sick and we even had regular little girly dates to get our nails and hair done together.

  Spending time with her had been the highlight of my days. When I had to pack up and leave my life behind, I was heartbroken, uncertain when or if I would ever see her again. So to have her in my arms right now is a little overwhelming to say the least.

  After a minute, Ivy begins to squirm, so I let go of her. She doesn't move far, though, instead just starting up at me with a frown on her sweet little face. "Aunty Jaz, why are you crying?"

  I smile at her through my tears, lifting a hand to caress her soft cheek. "Ivy darling, these are happy tears, I promise. I missed you so much and am just overwhelmed with joy at seeing you again."

  Her frown immediately morphs into a smile so wide that I can't help but return it with one of my own. She wraps her little arms around my neck and hugs me tight. Then a soft gasp slips from her lips. "Aunty Jaz, you got all your magic!" she says with wonder, her voice echoing in the room.

  Even though it was relatively quiet while everyone was watching our interaction, now it’s so silent you could hear a pin drop.

  I pull her away and look into her hazel eyes, my brow furrowed with concern. "How did you know about my magic, Ivy?" I ask her gently, while sending a glare over her shoulder at Harry.

  Was she really so stupid to have told Ivy about supernaturals? Surely she wouldn't have, right? If the human government were to find out Ivy knows before being sworn in, who knows what might happen to this sweet little girl? And I know for a fact that she hasn’t yet been sworn in because the human government won’t allow such a thing until a child is at least thirteen years old. They have that restriction because they believe a child has to be of sound mind and old enough to understand what they are swearing to.

  She giggles and boops my nose. "Silly Aunty Jaz. I'm a witch too. I always knew you had magic. Selene told me I couldn’t tell you, though, not until you were ready. But now you know, so it’s okay," she says with that big smile on her face. I'm almost distracted enough by her innocence and sweet smile not to question her words.

  “What do you mean Selene told you, Ivy?” I keep my gaze focused on her, sure she can’t have meant my grandmother.

  She nods her head quickly, an eager smile on my face. “Yeah, she told me last year when I got my magic. She said one day we would all be family for reals.” Ivy reaches out places her hand on my abdomen. “He will be my best friend.”

  My mind races at that. I reach out with my magic, needing to feel her energy. My grandmother wouldn’t have spoken to Ivy if there wasn’t something more to her.

  As my magic brushes against her, I can’t help but gasp at what I find. Ivy feels like a combination of vampire, witch and wolf energy, which clearly marks her as a Soldier, but underneath it all, hidden in a place so deep within her it feels like an endless well, is a magic so potent it frightens me.

  I pull back with a jerk and glance up at Harry, a question burning in my eyes. The magic inside Ivy is at least twenty times stronger than what even I possess, but her magic isn’t light. It’s all dark.

  I give Ivy a quick kiss on the cheek. "Is there somewhere down here you can play, Ivy? I think your mom and I need to have a talk."

  Ivy glances back at her mother with a worried expression, obviously cluing in to the fact that something’s wrong. While I feel guilty for sending her away, I need to deal with everything first.

  But before Harry can dismiss Ivy to leave, Liam speaks up. "How about we all eat first? Then we can discuss the grown up stuff after?"

  I look at him, torn between my desire to eat and my need get answers from the woman I used to consider my best friend. Then my stomach decides for me, growling loudly in the quiet room.

  Liam looks at me with an amused smile. "Come on. Let’s feed you two before you get all hangry on us and decide to take a chunk out of whoever's closet."

  I frown at that, not liking how close to the truth he is. We still haven’t broached the subject of what me being part vampire and part wolf means, even though I know they're aware of the vampire side after seeing me bite my father’s wrist. I guess they might just be waiting for the right time to discuss it, but I really need to talk to someone about this. Do I need to drink blood now? Or can I still sustain myself with normal food? And what about my wolf side? Will I need to eat more to account for that?

  Resolving to get answers soon, I turn and take Ivy’s hand. I lead her over to the table, where we both sit down. Ivy smiles brightly, seeming happy for the chance to sit next to me.

  Liam comes over and places a plate in front of me, piled high with three pork chops, mashed potatoes and steamed greens. Then he places a smaller plate in front of Ivy.

  She thanks him quietly and he smiles warmly at her. He doesn't even know this little girl, but I can sense he would do anything to protect her, simply because of how much I love her. That leads me to think about the little being growing inside me. He’ll have strong fathers, who will protect him no matter what. That thought makes me smile and I start to think more about my little boy, and whether he
will have Liam's violet eyes or Benji's blue ones?

  Liam continues serving, placing plates in front of everyone. Then he comes to sit on my other side, with a plate of his own. After he's seated, we all dig in, eating in comfortable silence.

  The moment Ivy is done eating, she climbs out of her chair. She goes over to give her mother a kiss before quickly leaving the room. I look at her abandoned plate, surprised to see she ate all of her food before I even got halfway. Actually, Ivy finished eating before anyone else. With a couple of wolves at the table, how is that even possible?

  Harry chuckles, obviously picking up on my confusion. "Ivy is going through a bit of a growth spurt, both physically and magically. She needs extra meals throughout the day to sustain her ever increasing metabolic rate."

  "What do you mean by ‘both magically and physically?’ She shouldn't have magic..." I glare at her accusingly. Soldiers don’t have strong magic, which means whatever her father was, he wasn’t a Soldier, a regular supernatural, or even a hybrid, but something more like my grandparents.

  "I can already see you are judging me, which is pretty frigging low of you, Jasmine. You of all people should know that you can't help who you love. And besides, if I hadn’t met Ivy's father, my daughter wouldn't be here right now,” she says, her voice filled with anger and hurt.

  I sigh sadly and set my knife and fork down, my appetite completely gone. "You're right, Harry. You can't help who you fall in love with and if you hadn't met that bastard, then Ivy wouldn't be here. While the world would be a much darker place without her in it, you have to understand that there could be terrible repercussions. Her very existence may upset the balance. Are you really prepared to deal with whatever consequences come with that?"

  Knowing that Harry is a Soldier leads me to believe she was at least schooled in the balance and how it worked. But if she wasn’t, then she might have no idea that the power raging in her daughter could cause her to go insane. I would hope that since my grandparents didn’t say anything about it, it means neither Ivy or my baby will affect the balance, but who really knows? When I see my grandparents again, I’ll need to ask them about this, to learn whether there will be any side effects or consequences of me, a hybrid of multiple species, and a werewolf creating a child together. It would be bad enough if I were just a witch, but the power from my maternal side makes everything so much more complicated. Just as it does for Ivy with her father possibly being the same type of being as my grandparents.