Curse of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  “Don’t be sorry,” Abby says. “You’re…you’re incredible, Callie. I’m lucky I get to call you my sister. I love you.” She throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly before breaking away and taking Penny from Phil.

  “I still haven’t quite processed this,” Phil says. “But you’re pretty badass, Callie.”

  “Yeah,” I agree with a laugh. “I am.”

  I walk them to their car, hug Abby and Penny again, promise to check in later, and watch them drive away. Then I go back in, finding Kristy and Ruby in the kitchen.

  “Do you want me to stay?” Kristy asks. “I totally will if you want me to.”

  “Lucas and I haven’t had the house to ourselves in a while,” I tell her, and Ruby rolls her eyes. “Go home, get some rest, and I’ll call you in the morning.” I look at Ruby. “And I’m walking you to the door.”

  “I, uh, I think I’ll go, too,” Kristy says. “Vanessa and Betty open tomorrow, and I’ll sleep much better inside the Covenstead.”

  “With Evander?” I add under my breath, and Kristy shakes her head. “Thank you, guys, for everything.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.” Kristy playfully elbows me.

  “I know,” I laugh. “I’m being polite. But Ruby…thank you.” I turn to her and lock eyes. “I owe you an apology. If we could go back, I would. You’re a lot cooler than I thought you were.”

  “And you’re not the asshole I thought you were.”

  I laugh. “If you want out, I won’t blame you.”

  She holds out her hand. “There’s no way I’m out.” Her eyes drill right into mine. “You know I still regret missing out on the action back in our Academy days.”

  I take her hand. “Ride or die?”

  Her lips curve into a smile. “We’re not dying.”

  I give her hand a squeeze. “Then let’s ride.”

  Chapter 23

  My eyes fly open, and I gasp, sitting straight up in bed. Heart racing, the remnants of the nightmare still have their claws sunk into me.

  “Callie.” Lucas’s hand lands on my thigh. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I say, knowing that’s the biggest understatement of the century. So much is wrong right now. “I had a nightmare. A normal one,” I quickly add.

  Bright sunlight shines through my window, and exhaustion clings to me. I got up early to meet Kristy at Suzy’s cafe to give her the cash to then buy the Infernal Dictionary. The coven still has temporary possession of it, and we decided it would be better for me to stay out of all coven affairs.

  Our coven’s council is aware Lucas and I gave Kristy the money, but since the book will in turn officially be gifted to Grim Gate’s library, they don’t seem to care. Don’t trust a vampire, but take all you can from one. I can’t roll my eyes hard enough.

  “Lay back down,” Lucas urges. “You didn’t get much sleep.”

  “No,” I agree, resting my head on his chest. “I didn’t.” It was hard to fall asleep and even harder to get my mind to stop racing. About a week ago, Lucas almost died.

  And last night, root-monsters attacked when my sister and her nonmagical family were in the house.

  “You didn’t get much sleep, either,” I tell Lucas, splaying my fingers across his pec. His skin is warm from being under the heated blanket. “You were up with me and then went downstairs to do your vampire business.”

  “I don’t require much sleep.”

  “You don’t when you’ve recently eaten, and you haven’t.”

  “I’m fine,” he presses and starts to slowly run his fingers up and down my back. I close my eyes and hook my leg over him. I put on leggings and an oversized sweater for my quick trip into town and stripped down to my underwear as soon as I got back into my room, crawling under the covers with Lucas.

  I got a good hour of solid sleep in, and thanks to being not totally human, I don’t need much sleep, either.

  “Mmmmhhhh,” I breathe as Lucas starts massaging my shoulders. “That feels good.”

  He’s careful when he gets close to my neck, which is still tender from being almost strangled to death.

  “Do you want me to make you breakfast?” he asks, voice low.

  “Not yet. I just want to…to stay like this.” I lazily rub his arm, feeling bad that he rubs and massages me all the time and I don’t always return the favor. “But I want to be your breakfast.”

  Lucas chuckles. “I don’t want to take anything from you until you’ve recovered.”

  “I’m not fully human,” I remind him. “I heal fast.”

  “You do, but you still need to rest.”

  My heart swells in my chest, feeling so much for him right now. I tip my head up and press my lips to his.

  “I need you more,” I whisper, and Lucas wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly before changing positions, moving on top of me. He kisses me hard, and desire quickly fills my entire body. He moves his mouth to my neck, gently kissing my bruises, and works his way down, kissing every inch of me as he strips me naked and moves his head between my legs.

  Eyes closed, I press my head back against my pillow as his tongue darts out, lashing over my clit.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he moans and puts his mouth over me, licking and sucking with fervor. My body tenses, and I’m getting so close to coming. Lucas can tell, and he pulls back, purposely making me wait so when I do come, it’ll be that much stronger.

  “Patience,” he tells me as I reach for him.

  “I can come more than once,” I protest. “You always make me come more than once.”

  “I know.” He moves back down and grabs my thighs, scooting me down to the edge of the bed. He moves to the floor and hooks both my legs over his head. His lips go to the inside of my thigh, softly kissing my skin. Tingles weave through me, and I gobble the sheets in my hands in anticipation of what’s to come.

  He turns his head, lips brushing over my sensitive clit. I groan and reach down, ready to take a tangle of his hair and direct his face back to my core. Lucas grabs my wrist and pins it to the mattress. He takes his time kissing my thigh and then releases my wrist, sliding his hands under my butt and lifting me off the mattress.

  Lucas puts his mouth over my this time, licking and sucking at my most tender parts before moving back to my thigh.

  A growl comes from deep inside his chest, and he sinks his fangs into my thigh with no warning. The pain sends a jolt through me, adding a different sensation to the pleasure but ultimately heightening it. A moan escapes my lips, and he sucks at the bite on my thigh hard, pulling out a mouthful of blood.

  Then he pulls back, waiting for the blood to drip down between my legs. My eyes flutter open, needing to see him look at me hungrily. His dark blue eyes are wide as he watches the blood run down my leg, and another few beats pass before he dives back down, licking the blood off my core.

  His tongue lashes against me, bringing me back to the edge in only a few seconds. He turns his head, licking up the blood from my thigh again, and then gets back to work, licking, sucking, and flicking his tongue against me.

  I feel magic sizzling around my fingers, and I grip the sheets again and hope I don’t catch the bed on fire. I’m right there, on the verge of an orgasm, and Lucas takes his mouth off me again.

  “I need you,” I groan. “Now. Please.”

  “I like hearing you beg.” His voice is deep and gravely. He licks at the wound on my thigh once more and then puts his mouth over my pussy, working me until I’m trembling against him, coming so hard my entire body tingles.

  I’m still riding high from the intense orgasm when he goes back to the bite on my leg. He groans as he sucks out another mouthful of blood. I slit my eyes open, looking down at him. Having him drink my blood was such a weird concept at first, but now I find it so hot.

  I bring my hand down, touching myself. I’m still so revved up it wouldn’t take much to come once more. Lucas takes his mouth off me, licking up the blood that’s dripping down
, and holds pressure to the bite wound as he watches me play with myself.

  Then he gets back in bed with me, and we scramble to take off his pants and tangle back together. I climb on top, taking hold of his big cock and guiding it into me. I put my hands on Lucas’s chest and shove him down onto the mattress, rocking my hips as I ride him.

  The bite wound is still tender on my thigh and rubs against him as we make love, but the pain only adds to how fucking good this feels. Lucas grabs my hips and brings me down deeper on his cock, groaning as I pitch forward, breasts in his face.

  Moving with vampire speed, Lucas moves up and plunges his cock into me, moving his hips in a circular motion as he thrusts in and out of me. My lips part, moaning as I come again, and Lucas doesn’t stop there. He moves onto his knees, lifting one of my legs to rest on his shoulder. He rubs slow circles over my clit as he fucks me, and only moments later, I’m coming again, this time so hard wetness spills from me. I’m shaking, ears ringing, and totally overcome with pleasure.

  Lucas lowers me onto the mattress and moves on top, holding himself up with his elbows. We kiss as he continues to drive that big cock in and out, and my body is still humming with ecstasy as he brings his face against my neck, fangs scrapping my skin. He lets out a growl as he comes, pushing in deep and holding himself there.

  “You taste different,” he whispers, slowly pulling out. He grabs the blankets and covers us both us.

  “My blood does?” He nods, wrapping his arms around my middle. “Like a bad different?”

  “No. It’s a good different. Very fucking good.”

  “Oh, well good. But I don’t know why it would change. Maybe it tastes better than the bagged blood you’ve been drinking?”

  “Maybe. Or maybe more of your angels powers have been unlocked.”

  “Hah.” I flick my eyes up to the ceiling. “I think he forgot about me or something.”

  “Your father came back after twenty-five years to save you. He didn’t forget.” Lucas gently pushes my hair out of my face. “But I understand your frustration.”

  “I finally get a dad who doesn’t think I’m a freak.” I shake my head and close my eyes. “But I don’t have daddy issues. I just have questions. So many questions.”

  “You’ll get answers eventually.”

  “Yeah,” I agree but have my doubts. I lay cuddled up with Lucas for a while and then get up, use the bathroom, and wipe the smeared blood off my legs. I look at myself in the mirror, noting how ragged I look. Whatever. I’ve had a lot going on lately.

  “Do you want breakfast?” Lucas asks when I get back into bed.

  “Yeah, that does sound good. I got coffee and a donut at the diner, but I’m hungry again.”

  “You worked up an appetite.”

  I smile and move closer to Lucas. “I did, and so did you, apparently.”

  He moves his hand down my thigh, gently feeling the two little sticky scabs on my thigh. “I’m always hungry for you.”

  “I like that answer.” I rake my fingers through his hair, which is getting slightly longer since we first met, and the ends are curly. Vampire’s hair grows very slow, same with their nails. I don’t quite understand it, but then again, I don’t quite understand how they have tears, saliva and…other fluids, either.

  It’s part of the dark magic that keeps them undead, and I’m not going to question something when it allows the love of my life to be right here, naked and next to me.

  “Do you have curly hair?” I ask Lucas, lazily combing his locks with my fingers.

  “Only when it’s long, which it hasn’t been in over five hundred years.”

  “I like it.”

  “Should I let it grow out?” Lucas asks with a smirk. We both know that would take a decade.

  “I prefer you how you are. Call me biased.”

  He sits up and kisses me. “I’m making you breakfast.”

  “I won’t argue with that.”

  Lucas tucks me in, tells me to give him a head start, and then goes downstairs to cook for me. I roll over, pulling the blankets up tightly around me, and close my eyes. Only a second later, my phone dings with a text message. It’s Kristy, and she said she purchased the book with no issues and will drop it off later today when she’s done with her shift at the store.

  I lounge in bed for a while, mindlessly scrolling through social media, and then get up, feeling a little sore from swinging that sword around last night. I used to be really good about working out but have been slacking a lot lately.

  My feet hit the floor, and I blink and get hit with an image of the demon again. He was just standing there, watching.

  It doesn’t make sense.

  Pushing demonic thoughts out of my head, I pick up Lucas’s t-shirt from the ground, pull it on, and grab a pair of black sleeper shorts from my drawer.

  I go downstairs, appreciating the smell of coffee and bacon filling the air. Lucas is standing by the stove, only wearing dark blue pajama pants, watching a YouTube video on how to make omelets.

  Lucas trades the spatula for tongs and flips the bacon. “How are you feeling, my love? Last night was…was trying, to say the least.”

  “I’m a little sore,” I admit. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine by the end of the day. It’s one of the benefits of not being fully human, right?” I go behind Lucas and wrap my arms around his waist. He leans back against me, flips another piece of bacon, and then turns around, taking me in his arms.

  “I ordered groceries online,” he says, almost proud of himself for doing something so human. “So I could make you breakfast. They arrived after you came back and fell asleep this morning.” He kisses me once more and turns around to tend to the omelet. I pour myself some coffee and sit at the kitchen table, watching Lucas cook.

  “I could make some serious money just live streaming this right now,” I say, tipping my head as I stare at Lucas’s firm ass. “Vampire porn is a booming business.”

  “It’s daylight,” Lucas reminds me.

  “Oh, dammit, you’re right.” I watch him flip the bacon again and take a sip of my coffee. “I like how that’s the only thing you were concerned with, too. Not me selling you out for cheap porn.”

  “There’d be nothing cheap about it. You are right. People would pay for this.” He turns and wiggles his hips, making me laugh. I feed my familiars and Scarlet while Lucas finishes my breakfast. Then we sit together at the kitchen table while I eat.

  “Does it gross you out to watch me eat?” I ask as I shovel an entire piece of bacon into my mouth.

  “Not really. You have to eat, and I remember liking food at some point. Before I was kidnapped during battle, that is.”

  “Your life is so…big,” I say, tipping my head. “You’ve lived through and experienced so much, even before you were turned.”

  “My life isn’t any bigger than yours. I’ve been on this earth longer, yet it’s safe to say you’ve lived through and experienced far more than the average witch.”

  “Hah, that’s true.”

  “I lived for myself,” Lucas goes on, casting his gaze to the table. “It wasn’t until I met you I realized how much more I could live when life wasn’t just about me.”

  “I’m a good influence,” I say with a smile.

  “Very much so.”

  We talk as I finish breakfast, and then Lucas goes into the office to handle his business affairs. I go outside with my familiars and Scarlet, enjoying what could be one of the last warm and sunny days before the weather turns.

  I’m behind on so much right now, from house work to mowing the lawn. It’s overgrown, but Scarlet seems to be enjoying leaping through the tall grass. And in the grand scheme of things, my grass being too tall doesn’t fucking matter. At all. I move to the bench on the back porch and stretch out my legs, mentally debating if I should change into my bikini and attempt to tan one last time or not.

  I stay outside for a while and then go in, begrudgingly doing the housework that’s been put off for far
too long. Once that’s done, I retreat to the couch, watching TV while Lucas works. I end up drifting off, waking two hours later because I’m hungry.

  Lucas is still in the office, talking to someone in what I think is Italian, when I start heating up a pizza pocket for dinner. I eat it in the living room, watching TV. The sun is starting to set, and Kristy calls not long after that, saying she’ll be over soon.

  Lucas comes out of the office and sits next to me on the couch.

  “Business is good?” I ask.

  “Yes, though that anti-assimilation group is giving other businesses hell across the city.”

  “Do they really think they can scare people into following them?”

  “Yes,” Lucas answers seriously. “It’s not easy being in business when you are a vampire. It’s much harder to get the licenses needed to operate anything when you’re undead. To have that threatened…I can see how it will get others to follow.”

  “That sucks,” I sigh. “But I still don’t get it. Don’t a lot of those businesses depend on humans to stay in said business?”

  “They do.” Lucas takes my hand in his. “I think it’s not so much as refusing to serve humans as it is making vampires publicly acknowledge that they are better than humans.” He turns to me. “Not that they agree with it, but that’s the message I feel this group wants to put out. They don’t want us to follow the VC’s laws, which were drawn in agreement with the current human government.”

  “Why can’t we all just get along?” I roll my eyes. “It’s not too much to ask or anything, right?”

  “Throughout history, differences have been singled out and chastised. I doubt even I will live to see a time when the vast majority of people, dead or alive, see eye to eye on this earth.”

  “Unless we have an alien invasion.”

  Lucas shakes his head. “They’d take one look at the mess Earth is and move on.”

  I laugh. “You’re probably right.”

  “Probably? Why do you think it hasn’t happened yet?”

  Laughing again, I rest my head against him and hand Lucas the remote, letting him pick something to watch while we wait for Kristy to come over.