Forgotten Curse (Curse Trilogy)

by C. M. Owens

  My heart jumps into my throat before plummeting back down to slap my stomach. Brazen’s jaw is tensed, his hands are fisted at his side, and his eyes are blazing with expectations for truth. He lied? Why would he lie?

  Hale looks a little caught off guard, and he tears away the rest of the tape before very casually countering, “I didn’t lie. I fucked up, and now Araya is yours because of it. Just go be with her and stop wasting your time interrogating me.”

  Brazen’s eyes narrow as he walks over to take a seat on one of the leather chairs.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth. I’m not interrogating you yet, but I’m about to. You see, I know you’re lying because Corbin was with Alex the night of Araya’s birthday party. I know because my eyes are forever scarred by the pictures he so proudly sent to my phone that night when he felt like boasting. Now my question is, why in the hell would you tell Araya you fucked Alex when you didn’t? There’s only one answer, and that means she’s in danger. Now I’m going to fucking find out who or what is after her before I leave this room.”

  Tears drench my face now. He lied about Alex? That son of a bitch. I have been swimming in a pool of pain for nothing? This doesn’t mean he lied about never loving me.

  Hale sighs out deeply before dropping to a chair of his own, and Clay’s lips tighten as he sips on his whiskey. Brazen has just punched a gaping hole in my hybrid’s web woven from the fabric of deceit, and now it’s time for the rest of it to unravel.

  “You don’t want to know. If you do, then you’ll want to help me, and Araya will be in the same predicament she was with me. You’ll want to tell her so badly it hurts, but you’ll worry about her above all else - she’s not ready to deal with this. Too much shit keeps being unloaded on her, and this might send her too far over the edge for even me to bring her back. Just go back upstairs, climb back into bed, and be there for her. I’ve got this,” Hale exhales, and Clay hands him a glass of whiskey to comfort the stinging in his eyes.

  “You’ve got this? I love her, Hale. You don’t have this by your-fucking-self because I’m not going to let someone fuck with her ever again. After tonight’s incident, I want us three to be on rotation with her. I’m not crazy about you being around her, but I know you won’t fucking let what happened tonight happen again. I can’t be with her all the time because I’ve still got field detail. I refuse to trust her with just anyone. Now tell me what the hell is going on so I know what I need to be looking for.”

  Brazen’s adamant stance makes Hale sigh again, and Clay pulls up a chair of his own while lighting a cigar.

  “Tell him, Hale. He’s right. He needs to know what might be coming. I still think you should tell Araya too.”

  Damn straight he should tell me.

  Hale chugs the glass of whiskey as if he needs it for strength. The glass shatters in his hand when he squeezes too hard. No one flinches at the sound of the pieces of the glass slapping against the cold tile floor. They all sit silently - Hale waiting for Brazen to drop it, Brazen waiting for Hale to speak, and Clay waiting to hear who caves first. But, Brazen’s gaze is still expectant, unwavering, and stubborn as he awaits the truth.

  “They’re not dead,” Hale breathes out.

  “Who’s not dead?” Brazen prompts.

  “The Scorpions,” Hale almost whispers, and I get sick at my stomach in that instant. “The men who kidnapped, tortured, and experimented on her,” Hale rattles out with a chilling tone, and he winces as his mind rushes back to those terrible memories.

  I’m frozen right now. I don’t know if it’s because of the overwhelming panic stinging me with a prickling sensation, or if it’s because I want to hear the rest. I need to hear the rest.

  “How? I thought she killed them all?” Brazen panics.

  “She killed everyone there, but that wasn’t everyone involved. I don’t think they’re just after her for her hybrid savage blood. They knew who she was to begin with. They fucking knew her blood was a healing component for full bloods. They probably know more about her than we do to be honest - as far as science goes anyways.”

  Brazen grips his head, and then he stands up to start pacing back and forth like he does when he’s worried. He grabs a weight and throws it across the room to shatter the wall when he needs to find a release.

  “How long have you fucking known?” he growls.

  “About their knowledge of her blood or the fact they’re still out there?” Hale asks softly.

  “Both, damn it.”

  “Clay and I only recently connected the pieces of the puzzle to their knowledge of her blood. We believe someone from Cheyenne found out about the phenomenon that is inside her, and they’ve been plotting and scheming in secrecy for years. We believe they’re responsible for this new hybrid breed.”

  “How?”

  “They most likely found a way to fuse her unique and complex blood structure with the virus to create this whole new breed. We think they hit a road block when it came to the savage, and that’s why they took her five years ago. Having seen their devolved and unfinished version of their savage further proves that theory,” Clay interjects. “That’s why they went after her specifically. We think they took the other hybrids to figure out how to draw out the savage. They were just trial runs educating them on the real thing, but Araya’s savage is so much different than all of ours.

  “She’s never gone phase three, and God help us all if she ever does. In order for them to fully complete the process, they need phase one, two, and three. Another thing, Araya only went savage for the first time a few years before they took her. It’s the longest a savage has ever laid dormant, and we still haven’t figured it out, though I have a theory,” Clay continues.

  “What’s the theory?”

  “I think Nicholas was trying to keep her safe. Something about Araya’s birth could explain so much about her. I think he gave her a metablocker. If taken at infancy, it could subdue a large portion of her strength as well as conceal her scent. It could subdue her for several hundred years. It could explain why she lacked control over her telekinesis until after the kidnapping. She goes savage almost regularly now, and that’s been a very recent shift. I think the metablocker has finally started working its way out of her system for good, leaving her stronger each time it gets closer to being completely gone.”

  “Why hasn’t she ever gone phase three?” Brazen murmurs while trying to digest the overwhelming heaps of information.

  “Because we only go phase three when we’ve been painted into a corner we can’t escape from. If you get injured while in phase one, you go phase two. If you get injured or if someone you care about is injured by the hands of your attacker, you go phase three. Araya is too powerful in phase two to be touched - as you saw during the fight outside Metropolis. She went full blown phase two, and she could have destroyed everyone there within a blink. Her savage in phase two is the reason we created a level eight hybrid. Imagine what would happen if she ever reached phase three.”

  “Fuck,” Brazen grumbles while running his hands through his hair. “So you think they’re trying to provoke all three? Isn’t that suicide? If she goes phase three, she’ll kill them all, and then that son of a bitch can just bring her down, right?” Brazen snarls while glaring at Hale.

  Hale narrows his eyes at him as his jaw clenches, but Clay rests his hand on his shoulder before he says or does something stupid.

  “We don’t know if Hale would be strong enough to bring her down from phase three,” Clay sighs out.

  “In phase three, Hale’s body goes invincible… most of ours do actually. Araya owns that invincibility in her sane state of mind. We call it a gift, but it’s merely an over evolved state for her. When Hale is invincible, Araya can’t inject him. It’s happened before, and he took her with him while disappearing for several days until he came down on his own. She remained in control because of his desire for her, so she was able to steer him away from any populated areas. If it hadn’t been f
or her, he would have done far worse. Araya, however, can’t be controlled once she hits phase two even. To be honest, it’s hit or miss on whether or not Hale has any influence on her at all in phase one. But anytime she’s in two, he has to let her be the one in sole control, and he just allows her to run the show while subtly making suggestions until he gets the chance to inject her. On occasion, he can do a sneak attack. If she were to go phase three and be invincible, he wouldn’t be able to inject her, and he wouldn’t be able to do with her the way she can do with him.”

  Brazen’s hands steeple in front of his face as he silently continues to process, and I shiver inside the drafty shaft as my nerves begin rattling around inside of me. They’re terrified of me right now. They’re terrified I’ll go phase three now that my savage has started appearing quite often. I’m sure Brazen also hates hearing about my strong connection with Hale. I’m not too crazy about it either. He told me he cheated on me just because he thought I was too fragile for this. Knowing this is nothing new. It hurt a hell of a lot worse to hear him tell me he left me to fuck another girl.

  “So when did you find out these men were still alive?” Brazen asks through a strained tone.

  “Two months after Araya came home from the kidnapping. I had a source who was tapped in on the crime chains all over, and he called me with information. From there, it was one lead after another until I dead ended about three years later. It’s been quiet for a while, and I thought I had made a dent until my source called me the night of Araya’s party this last time. They found out about him though. He was found strung up and whipped to death outside a bar… the bar I was caught fighting at. I went there to meet him in secrecy.”

  “That’s why you were missing all the time? You were fucking chasing after her captors? Fuck. Why didn’t you tell me?” Brazen snaps.

  “Because I knew you would want to help. Araya needs someone to be here for her, and you can’t do her the way I did. I had no idea the toll it was taking on her until we reconciled. She basically said I had made her life a nightmare by lying and disappearing all the time during our last two years together. I couldn’t just let them hang around out there either. When I caught onto a new lead, I had to make her hate me so she would stay away.”

  Brazen’s jaw tenses all the more, and then he stares at the wall in blank confusion as to what to do.

  “I’m not leaving her, Hale.”

  “Then you can’t help me. I don’t want you to help me. I want you to stay with her as bad as I fucking hate the thought of it. I can do this on my own, and when I’m done, you and I can have that talk about my becoming a threat,” Hale releases with a sizzling promise.

  Brazen’s eyes narrow, and then he moves to the edge of his seat.

  “I’m not going to not do anything. I’ll just tell her I’m on detail. I’m sure Commander Jude can transfer all my normal tasks to someone else so that I can focus on keeping her safe.”

  “Did you not hear what I just said?” Hale growls. “I left her devastated all the damn time because she knew I was lying. She suffered because I was selfish. You can’t put her through the same damn thing.”

  More tears spring free, and I cover my mouth to hide my sobs. Brazen is just as willing to lie to me as Hale was. They’re both stupid sons of bitches.

  “I can find a medium. I’ll help when I can, and I’ll be with her when she needs me. I’m not losing her, and I can’t just give her up. You can start including me in on all your leads,” he growls back, and then the door to the room opens as Grayson runs in with a panicked look.

  Angelica trails behind him, and her eyes dart to the elevator doors that are cracked. She looks away quickly, and I know she just realized I’m in here.

  Fuck.

  “What the fuck are you doing down here?” Brazen blares. “You’re supposed to be with Araya.”

  “She’s not there. I don’t think she ever was. I heard a noise, so I got up to investigate. Angelica opened the door to your room, and it was empty. I came down here hoping Hale was still here,” Grayson puffs out.

  “Fuck,” Brazen growls before slapping a table, and Hale’s eyes find the cracked elevator doors as well.

  “She’s here,” he sighs out in a pained tone.

  Clay looks over to the doors, and then his body becomes the only thing I can see anymore when he blocks the crack while prying the doors open. The squealing of the doors being tugged off track screeches out before his hand pops out to help me to the floor.

  I release the cable when I concede, and I sigh out loudly as I stare at the room full of glum faces.

  “You followed me?” Brazen asks in a nearly muted tone.

  “You snuck out. Only someone on a deceitful mission sneaks out. I wanted to know what you were hiding. Little did I know I’d land right in the middle of a pile of secrets. All of you have been lying to me,” I murmur in disbelief.

  “I haven’t,” Grayson rolls out casually as he plops down.

  Hale rolls his eyes at the young one, and then he turns his eyes back to me.

  “Araya, how much did you hear?” he worries.

  “Well, let’s see. I heard you lied to me about fucking Alex, which makes no sense at all. Do you really think I didn’t fucking know they were still out there?”

  His eyes widen as confusion spreads over his face.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not fucking stupid, Hale. I’ve dealt with that possibility daily. The chances of every member being in that building were slim. My pupils aren’t the least bit dilated right now because I’ve prepared myself for this day. You’re an idiot for not telling me something like this. I need to know this sort of shit. The last time I checked, it’s my blood they want, not yours. That makes it my fucking business,” I scream out, and he flinches after hearing my scolding.

  “You want to know what else I heard, Brazen?” I blare while cutting my eyes to my soon-to-be-ex fiancé.

  He takes a deep breath while leaning back in his seat, and the fear of losing me stings his eyes.

  “Araya, please don’t do this. Don’t leave me, baby,” he calmly pleads.

  “Leave you? Why would I do that? Why would I want to leave someone just like the asshole who lied to me for years because he didn’t think I could handle it? Why would I want to leave the man I thought was so dedicated, honest, and trustworthy when you were so eager to lie to me? Hell, you even planned out how you were going to get away with it. Now why would something that deceitful make me want to leave you?” I cry out, and my tears drip mercilessly.

  “No. No, baby. Please understand,” he coos while jumping up to run over to me. “I fucking love you too much to lose you. Please don’t do this.”

  I rip free from his grip, and then I walk over to look Clay in the eye.

  “We went to Cheyenne together. We grew up in the same hell hole. I stood in front of that whip several times for crimes I never committed to spare the others… including you. I’m so much stronger than you gave me credit for. I bit down every time that whip cut through my flesh, and I took it when no one else could. I chose to be that person who stood up for everyone else. The one time I needed you to stand up for me, all you did was toss out some words in my favor. You should have told me. You owed it to me to tell me.”

  His eyes tear up, and he starts to speak when I hold my hand up to insist upon his silence, for I care nothing about his excuses.

  “Araya,” Hale sighs. “I wanted to keep you safe.”

  “You’re the worst of them all. I’ve always confided in you about everything, and I’ve never held back the truth no matter how devastatingly honest it was. You’re nothing to me anymore, and I pray I never go savage again because I don’t ever want to see you for the rest of my life span I can only hope ends soon,” I choke out.

  “Don’t say that,” Brazen and Hale murmur in unison.

  “Let me ask you liars something,” I growl. “That day you came out with Grayson and Angelica, did she show you? Did she revea
l her secretive gift that demonstrated she was my sister?”

  They all look down except for Clay, and Grayson squirms uncomfortably as he realizes he too has betrayed me.

  “That’s what I thought. You weren’t ever going to tell me, were you?” I sob out.

  “That’s my fault,” Angelica says in defense of the cowards in the room. “I asked them to let it be me or our father who told you.”

  “Our father?” I scoff. “Don’t get it twisted little girl. He’s not our father. Saving my life once doesn’t entitle him to forgiveness or acknowledgement. He left me to rot in Cheyenne. You think you’re pitiful because you don’t fit in? Well bless your fucking heart. I drank blood daily to heal from lashings I never deserved. I stepped in front of children being abused in ways you could never imagine. I lived a life where hell seemed to be a better option. Then I crumbled the whole fucking compound the first time I went savage. The real first time I went savage. Clay just likes to pretend it never happened because I was merciless. I ripped apart men who were running for their lives. I tore apart homes holding people who viewed our lashings like a spectacle. I shredded the place, and I was only in phase one. Our father put me there. Our father left me there. Our father didn’t give a fuck about me or what I went through.”

  The glass shatters all around from the mirrors that once lined the walls. Her eyes run with the tears I’ve provoked, and she sobs loudly as she faces my reality. My cruel words have sliced through her, and Grayson’s eyes narrow at me.

  “It’s not her fault, Araya. She was just as scared and destroyed as you. She had nothing to do with this.”

  I grab a vial of olophine from the medicine cabinet, and I casually inject myself before countering the naïve fool.

  “Really? She had no qualms about asking Hale or Brazen to lie to me. Two of the men I’ve trusted with my life, she asked them to lie, and they did it. They kept her fucking secret, and they would have carried it to the grave. And you, I saved your life. I stood up for you over and over. I risked my own life to save you, and you left me in the dark as well. She has no concern for me, and she convinced all of you to feel the same fucking way. Pardon me for not feeling sorry for the princess who lived a normal, happy, scar free life. Everyone seems to keep choosing her over me, and that’s just fine. Keep her. I’m done,” I snarl out, and she only cries harder.