“I can see why you like it.” I glanced up at the hanging branches, noticing the way they gave us shade from the brighter than usual sun today.
Trent’s face wasn’t red like it normally was after being outside. Now I understood why we were here. He could be himself and comfortable.
“Tell me about Hannah,” I said, keeping my face turned away from him.
He sat up and draped his arms over his bent knees. I could feel the change in his demeanor instantly. I sucked in a sharp breath, hoping this wasn’t going to be the end of our day. Sitting up, I moved so I could put my arm around his back. He lowered his head so it was resting against mine.
“Jax met her in the seventies at a Save the Lab Animals rally.”
I laughed. “Jax is an animal activist?” I couldn’t picture that.
“He was that day.” Trent smirked. “Boredom is a real problem for us, so we tend to do whatever we can to entertain ourselves. Hence the reason we went back to high school.” He winked. “We were feeding one night, and he saw a flyer for the rally. I told him he was crazy, but he spent all night making protest signs, more determined than ever to help save the animals. Naturally, I went, too, so I could make fun of him.” He stretched his legs out in front of him and chuckled. “Hannah was leading the rally, and the instant he saw her, he was a goner.”
“Love at first sight, huh?” Everything he was telling me didn’t align with the grumpy, brooding Jax I knew.
“It happens that way for us.” His words were distant, as if he didn’t want me to dwell on that detail. “Unfortunately, Hannah didn’t want anything to do with Jax at first.”
“Seriously?”
Trent nodded. “Jax doesn’t always make the best first impressions.”
“Tell me about it.” I laughed. “They obviously got together, though, right? How did that happen?”
He sighed heavily, and the burden he carried was evident in that moment. “I spent some time with Hannah, trying to convince her my brother wasn’t the biggest jerk on the planet. We got… close.” He hung his head. “I liked her, a lot, but I knew how Jax felt about her, so I ended things.”
My ears rang, and my mind momentarily blanked. Trent had dated Hannah? Did Jax know?
“She went out with Jax for a while, and things seemed to be going well. But I couldn’t shake the connection I had with her.” He huffed like he was completely disgusted with himself. “She told me she still had feelings for me, but that she had feelings for Jax, too. We all agreed she’d have to choose.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Considering what little Trent had already told me about Hannah, I could easily guess what her choice had been.
“Jax decided to tell her about us, and she was… excited. That only made me want her more.” He scrunched up his face at the memory. “She wanted us to change her so she could spend eternity fighting for the causes that were so close to her heart. She was such a free spirit.” He smiled fondly.
“Let me guess. Jax changed her?” I tried to hide the horror from my voice.
“No. I did.”
I gasped. “What? You changed her? Why?”
“Because she wasn’t mine.” His voice was sad. “She ultimately chose Jax. He was convinced that if I changed her, we’d get past the curse. Our father warned us not to do it, that we were playing with fate. But God, Jax loved her so much, and I knew if she stayed human, her death would be his destruction.”
“So, you changed her.”
“Yes, I changed her.” He took a deep breath. “At first, we thought it worked. She was a normal vampire. But then, slowly, she began to shift. She’d become angry and violent for no apparent reason. She took off one night with no warning and killed a tour bus full of old ladies on their way to see a Broadway show. Jax took care of it and made it look like an accident.”
Eyes wide, I cupped my hand over my mouth.
“After, she had a lot of guilt, which only intensified her anger and violence. She was constantly craving blood, and Jax managed to sate her thirst with blood bags, but that didn’t last long.” He shook his head. “She took off again, this time leaving a wake of destruction across the east coast. When we finally caught up to her, she was working her way through a homeless shelter.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“I managed to convince her to come with us, and we locked her up in the basement, hoping once she came down from the high of drinking so much blood that she’d be reasonable. But the longer she was locked up, the more violent she became.” He stopped and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Are you sure you want to hear the rest of this? It’s not pleasant.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“We were giving her enough blood to keep her alive, but not enough to give her any real strength. One day, when Jax went to see her, he found that she’d impaled herself on the metal bed post. He thought she’d managed to kill herself, but she was still very much alive.”
Cringing, I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that would get rid of the mental image I had. I should have told him to stop talking.
“We pried her off and removed anything from the room that she could use to hurt herself. For a while, she seemed to be doing better. Jax was hopeful that we’d find a way to break the curse, and in doing so, Hannah would get better.”
My stomach sank. I knew how this story ended.
“Somehow, she got out of the room. To this day, we have no idea how. But she went on another spree, and when we found her that time, she refused to come with us. She entered an orphanage. Jax followed her in and tried to talk her down. He couldn’t, so I did what was necessary to stop her from killing innocent children.”
“You killed her?” I muttered, horrified.
“I had no other choice.”
He stated that so simply, like he was talking about the weather or something. He was her creator and her murderer. And suddenly, I had an entirely new respect for Jax and the pain he must still be suffering.
“That’s why Jax doesn’t like me. He’s worried I’ll become like Hannah,” I muttered.
“Yes, but that has more to do with me than you. He blames me for her. All of it. Her going mad. Every life she took. Her death. The things he had to do to protect her—protect our secret. He expected too much from me, and I let him down.”
I shook my head. “He knew letting you change her was a risk. He can’t blame you for that.” I twisted so I was facing him. “He loved her, and he has to know that killing her was the best thing for her. Did he really want to keep her locked up so she could suffer?”
“No, but he’s convinced that me changing her didn’t work because I’d had a relationship with her. So, he blames me for that, too.” Trent frowned.
“Do you think that’s what happened?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe Sean was right, and we never should have tried.”
“Right.” I licked my lips, my heart fluttering with unease. “Do you two fight over girls like that a lot?”
“It’s happened a few times, but none of them were as severe as Hannah.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Without another word, Trent cupped my cheek with his palm, his fingers spearing into my hair near my temple, and then he kissed me again. I sighed with contentment and leaned into him, pressing my lips to his a little harder. The response was overwhelming. His groan rumbled through me, triggering something inside, and I was floored with more images and feelings.
A woman with long, black hair gazing expectantly at Trent, heart full hope and wonder and love. She was pure goodness wrapped in bell bottoms and a floral shirt. Hannah. And the love she radiated for… Trent… it nearly suffocated me. Why so much love for Trent when she’d chosen Jax? I pulled away and took several deep breaths, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.
“Why does that keep happening when you kiss me?” My voice trembled.
“Sorry.”
“You are doing that, right? I mean, you’re the one put
ting those thoughts and feelings in my mind?” Saying those words aloud made me sound crazier than I felt.
“Yes.”
I sat, speechless. The silence stretched on for several long moments.
Slowly, Trent lifted his head to look at me. “That’s my unique ability. I can share my memories with other people. Sometimes I can control it, but not always.”
“Does that skill come in handy often?”
He laughed. “Never. But it’s more than sharing thoughts and feelings. I can completely erase myself from anyone’s memories, which is useful when I need to make someone forget we exist.”
My jaw dropped, and my mind raced. He could manipulate another person’s memories? I didn’t know if I should be impressed or horrified.
“Is that what you would have done if…?” I swallowed against the words I didn’t really want to say. “If I hadn’t agreed to keep your secret?”
He hesitated, and my stomach clenched.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:
Home Invasion
“LAST NIGHT, YOU STARTED TO SAY something else about the bloodlust.” I picked at the grass. “That it doesn’t just make you want to feed on me.”
Trent draped his arms over his bent knees. “Bloodlust is… overwhelming. We have very little control when we’re in that state, and our primary focus is feeding.” He spoke slowly, as if the words were painful. “And drinking from a human is a very intimate thing, so there’s a certain level of… arousal that comes with it.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Arousal?”
“Yes.”
My mind raced as I tried to put the pieces in place. “So, when I argue with you…” And every time I did, I was a little fearful. I mean, he was a freaking vampire for crying out loud. Who wouldn’t be afraid?
“You always smell of fear,” he said, his tone soft.
“And that triggers your bloodlust?”
Trent nodded.
My throat went dry. “And when I argue with Jax…”
“Same thing.”
I expelled a heavy breath. There was no way I was going to stop arguing with either of them, especially when I knew I was right about certain things. But I also didn’t want to push them too far and have them snap and kill me.
“You’re safe with me, Chloe.” He cupped the side of my face and pinned me with an imploring stare. “I would never bite you.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But Jax—”
“He’d do it just to piss me off.” Trent’s tone turned hard and cold. “He’s still so angry about Hannah. I wouldn’t put it past him to hurt you just to get even with me.”
Jax and I didn’t exactly get along, but I wasn’t sure Trent was right about this. Despite everything, Jax had a softness to him. Sure, it was buried beneath a terrifying exterior, but I’d seen brief moments of compassion and understanding in his gaze.
“For what it’s worth, I love it when you argue with me.” Trent’s eyes blazed an intense, deep blue.
“You do?” I blinked, confused.
“Mm-hmm.” He licked his lips and shifted so he was closer. “When you trigger my bloodlust like that, it makes me want you even more. My already heightened emotions and senses become even sharper, and in those moments when I’m teetering on the edge, when I have to make that split second decision to bite you or not, all I can focus on is you. On how badly I want you. Not your blood.”
“So, you don’t want to bite me?” My voice trembled.
“Oh, no, I do.” He laughed. “But my desire to not hurt you outweighs my desire to know how you taste.”
“Right. Thanks.” I nodded, but my thoughts were jumbled.
He wanted to bite me and taste my blood, but he wouldn’t because he didn’t want to hurt me. That was a small comfort, but what happened if, one day, I triggered his bloodlust, and he couldn’t stop himself?
“I’m not going to hurt you, Chloe,” he said.
“I know.” I smiled. And I did believe him—I didn’t think he’d ever intentionally hurt me, but he was a vampire, and from what I’d gathered, they operated on pure animalistic instinct.
“Let’s eat,” Trent said, abruptly changing the topic. He moved away from me and reached for the wicker basket he’d brought.
Trent and I spent the rest of the afternoon eating the food he’d packed—sandwiches, chips, fruit, cans of cola and chocolate. I told him about growing up in Florida, and he must’ve asked me a million questions about my old school, my friends, and my father.
He told me more stories of his childhood and what it was like to grow up with Jax and Colt. I remembered to tell him about my new phone, too, and we exchanged numbers. When neither of us could eat another bite, we lay down on the blanket, shoulders touching.
“So, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?” he asked.
I shrugged. I’d be okay if we stayed right where we were, but I didn’t say that. He’d probably think I was a weirdo. “Are there any other secret places you want to show me?”
“No, I’ve pretty much shown you all the cool stuff.” He rolled onto his side and propped his head in his hand. “We can drive into the city tomorrow if you want. It takes a while to get there. But there’s a lot to do.”
“I’ll have to ask Aunt Beth.” I rolled onto my side and mimicked his posture. “But it sounds fun.”
“Or maybe I’ll make you spend the day at my house. It is about time you formally meet my dad.” He grinned. “And I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time with Jax. Once he gets to know you, he’ll realize you’re not going to end up like Hannah.”
I rolled onto my back again. “I don’t think an eternity with Jax would make him like me.”
“He just doesn’t know you like I do,” he said, placing his hand on my stomach. “And he wasn’t very happy with me when he found out I liked you. He understands the consequences, and he’s worried. That’s all.”
I forced a smile, unsure if he was telling me the truth or if he was telling me what I wanted to hear so I would agree to spend the day with his family. Either way, the thought of spending more time with Jax was equally terrifying and exciting.
“Please don’t worry about it, Chloe. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Then I guess we’re spending tomorrow with your family.”
All the food I’d eaten threatened to come back up. I knew how his brother had reacted to me. And after the way I’d freaked out when I’d seen Sean at the funeral… What if Mr. Halstead didn’t like me? Would that affect Trent’s feelings toward me?
“Want to go catch a movie or something?” he asked.
“Sure.”
We packed up and left. Being there made me feel closer to him, and the moment we stepped through the gate, I felt overwhelmed, like I was going to lose him now that we were in open space. I walked closer, and he took my hand. Once we were back at his truck, he tossed the blanket and the picnic basket into the back. Then he pulled me into his arms.
“This probably isn’t the best date you’ve ever been on, but for me, it’s been pretty amazing,” he said.
My heart melted at his words. I reached up and caressed his cheek. “Actually, this has been one of the best days I’ve had since arriving here. Well, since Mom died if I’m being honest, and I have you to thank for that.” I rose up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his in a tender kiss.
Trent took my face into his hands and kissed me back softly. I prepared myself for another wave of images, but thankfully, they didn’t come this time.
Releasing me, he took a deep breath and opened the passenger’s side door. “Ready?”
WHEN I ARRIVED HOME later that evening, I was greeted with laughter coming from the dining room. I easily picked out Aunt Beth, Uncle Dean, and Abby, but someone else was here, too. Someone who sounded slightly familiar. I closed the door and toed off my shoes.
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard,” the voice said at the same time Aunt Beth said, “Is that you Chloe?”
; My heart stopped. That other voice… Isach. What was he doing here? I considered turning around and walking right back out the door, but it was too late for that.
“Yeah,” I called in response to Aunt Beth’s question. Then, hesitantly, I headed into the dining room.
“You’re just in time.” Aunt Beth smiled. “Dinner’s ready.”
I glanced around the table. Everyone was in their normal spots, and Isach sat next to Abby—in what was typically my spot. I scowled at him.
“Chloe, you must know Isach Zoya, right? Abby says he goes to school with you.” Aunt Beth returned to her seat.
“Yes.” The simple word nearly choked me with the effort of speaking it.
Isach looked at me with a knowing smile, and my stomach recoiled. Was I truly sick, though, or was he playing another trick on my mind?
“May I be excused from dinner tonight? I ate way too much today, and I’m not really hungry.” I was careful to keep my attention solely on Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean.
“Of course,” Aunt Beth said.
“Thanks.” I hurried upstairs, my heart racing.
It was bad enough that Abby was mixed up with Isach, but did she have to bring him here? I opened my door, stepped into my room, and froze.
My blankets were in a heap at the foot of the bed. My nightstand and lamp were tipped over. My alarm clock was flung across the room, the screen shattered. Everything that had been in my desk and dresser were tossed. And my mother’s urn was in the middle of the room, on its side, the contents scattered across the floor.
“No,” I shrieked and dropped to my knees, scrambling frantically to scoop up the ashes and put them back in the urn. “No. God, no!” Tears streaked down my face.
Thunderous footsteps pounded up the stairs, and Uncle Dean barged into my room. “Chloe, what’s wrong?”
He was asking me what’s wrong? Couldn’t he see the destruction? I fell back onto my butt and clutched my head.
“Chloe, honey?” Aunt Beth was in my room, too, kneeling beside me. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Dean, call the doctor.”
“No.” I jerked my head up. “I’m not sick. It’s—”
Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1) Page 23