Eternal Love: (The Cursed Series, Book 4)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  “Hmm.”

  “That’s when I started to think it was all because of the bond. I’m physically drawn to him, and that’s hard to resist, so when I was with him, I was happy, but it wasn’t real. I know that now. Because if it was, I wouldn’t feel so rotten whenever I left him.” I stared at Trent’s chest, unable to look at his face for fear of what I might see there.

  “How do you feel when you’re with me? Do you wish you were with him?”

  “No, never.” I finally looked up at him.

  His eyes were dark, bordering on black.

  “When I’m with you, I’m with you. One hundred percent. Always.” I placed my hand on his cheek, and he leaned into my palm. “It was never that way with Jax. And these past two weeks when I refused to see either of you…” I took a deep breath and continued.

  “All I thought about was you. How much I missed you. How badly I wanted to see you and touch you and kiss you.” I smiled faintly. “I thought about Jax, too, but it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as when I was actually with him. That’s how I knew I couldn’t trust what I felt for him.”

  Trent turned his head and pressed his mouth to my palm in a tender kiss. “Thank you.” His voice was deep and raspy, the sound sending shivers through me.

  “I need this bond gone.” My tone was emphatic. “I want it gone, which is another reason I changed my mind. But I have to find a way to remove this bond.” I put my hand back on his chest, right over his heart. “Because you gave yourself to me for eternity, Trent, and I’m finally ready to do the same. I’m yours. For eternity.”

  His mouth landed on mine so hard and fast my head spun. Everything about his kiss was passionate and dominant. He guided me over onto my back.

  I hooked my arms around his neck, not wanting him to move too far away from me. “And I don’t just mean becoming a vampire, either.”

  Head tilted, he raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m your soulmate, and you’re mine. Before you change me, I want you to claim me.” With those words, it felt like my heart was going to burst free from my chest, but I didn’t regret a word of what I said.

  “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?” Brushing strands of hair away from my face, he kissed me again, softer this time but no less hot. “But I can’t do either of those things.” He frowned. “And that kills me, Chloe, to know there are so many things you want that I can’t give you.”

  Not this again. “Which is exactly why we need to talk to Ivy,” I said.

  Trent groaned, and he hung his head. “If I thought for one second that Ivy could help us, I’d be kicking her door down right now, but she can’t. And we can’t trust her.”

  “How do you know she can’t?” I asked, my tone insistent. “I’ve tried everything I know of, and nothing has worked. Maybe Ivy is the answer.”

  “She’s not,” he said, his tone hard.

  I scowled. “Why won’t you even consider this?”

  “Can we please not fight about this? Not tonight.” He brushed his thumb across my bottom lip, his lips following closely behind. “We’re finally together again, and that’s all I care about right this second.”

  Sighing, I reluctantly nodded. Eventually, we’d have to talk about this and make a decision, but for tonight, I was willing to let it go. Because he was right—we were finally back together, and all I wanted was to be with him.

  “Thank you,” he whispered. “So, you’re absolutely positive about wanting to change? Because if not, tell me now.”

  “Don’t try to weasel your way out of this,” I said, smiling. Then I held up my hand. “You already put a ring on it, buddy. You’re stuck.”

  He laughed and lined his hand up with mine before lacing our fingers. “I have another ring, you know. A more permanent one.”

  My breath hitched, and my eyes widened. He had an engagement ring? That must be what he was talking about, right? My heart was once again out of control, banging around erratically.

  “You do?” I asked, my voice more of a squeak.

  “Mm-hmm.” He brushed his lips across my knuckles, then kissed the back of my hand. “I didn’t go see your father just so I could get his permission to be with you. I went to see him to ask for his blessing to marry you.”

  “Then why didn’t you ask me that?” I whispered.

  “Because I saw the look on your face when I reached into my bag. You were terrified. I could smell your fear. Just like I can now.” He smiled sadly. “I suspected marriage might be too much right now, so I bought the promise ring.” He twisted the ring on my finger, his gaze trained on his movements. “But make no mistake, Chloe.” He pinned me with an intense stare. “I don’t want to wait to marry you and adopt a herd of kids.”

  I laughed, but it came out sounding more like a sob. Silent tears slid down the sides of my face. He hadn’t said anything about claiming me or changing me. Probably because he knew as well as I did that doing those things was nearly impossible now. Though, I refused to give up, and I wasn’t going to let him, either.

  “But I’ll wait until you’re ready. I’ll wait an eternity if I have to.” He winked.

  Drawing in a shaky breath, I wiped my face. “Well, we can’t wait that long. I’m not going to get old and wrinkly while you stay young and hot.”

  He barked out a surprised laugh. “So, you think I’m hot?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a dork.” But he was mine, and I never wanted to experience life without him ever again. “My dad really gave you his blessing to marry me?”

  Trent nodded. “Eventually. Like I said, he made me swear a blood oath, and I had to promise he could kill me if I ever hurt you. Then there was the contract he made me sign… That sucker was at least two hundred pages and ironclad.”

  I laughed again and snaked my arms around his neck, needing to feel him closer. I loved this side of Trent, the fun, easygoing, teasing version of him.

  “Can I see it?” I asked.

  “The contract?” He shook his head. “Your father was supposed to email me a copy, but he hasn’t yet.”

  I sighed with fake annoyance. “The ring,” I said, my tone light with humor.

  “Oh. Right. The ring.” His eyes were a crisp, piercing blue—the shade they always were when he was happy and relaxed. “That depends,” he said.

  “On what?”

  His expression turned serious as he brushed his lips over mine in a teasing kiss. “Are you ready to let me put it on you?”

  My heart slammed hard in my chest and then began a rhythmic thumping to the tune of say yes, say yes, say yes. Was I really ready to get engaged, though? Of course, I had promised to become a vampire and spend eternity with him. Marriage was nothing compared to that.

  My dad had given his blessing, but there was still Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean. They’d freak out if I came home with an engagement ring on my finger. Technically, they hadn’t even met Trent yet. Or again?

  “No,” I finally said. “Not yet. There are things we need to do first.”

  His expression remained exactly the same, and I couldn’t tell if he was upset or not. “Such as?” He moved to kiss along my jaw, and I tilted my head.

  “Well, you need to meet my aunt and uncle.” I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of his lips expertly working their way down my throat and neck.

  “Of course.”

  “We need to graduate from high school.” I threaded my fingers into his hair, his locks soft against my skin.

  “Right.” His mouth moved across my collar bone, each tiny kiss featherlight and as hot as a branding iron.

  “Maybe college. I haven’t decided on that yet.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  Was he even listening to me? I was starting to think he hadn’t heard a word I’d said. “I’d like to talk to my dad, face to face. Y’know, make sure you’re not lying to me or anything.”

  “Sure.”

  Yeah, he definitely wasn’t listening to me. He eased
his hand up the hem of my shirt, his fingers grazing my stomach. I sucked in a sharp breath and bit back a moan.

  “Maybe I should see the world first, too,” I said, fighting hard to focus on what I was saying and not on the feel of his hands on my skin.

  Trent moved slowly back up my body and placed his mouth at my ear. “Chloe?” He nipped at my earlobe.

  “Yeah?” I whispered, clutching his arms, because I couldn’t not touch him. It was a constant need now to have some part of my body touching his.

  “You realize you can do all of that with the ring on your finger, right? We don’t have to actually get married until later.”

  “I know.” I swallowed hard.

  He wasn’t asking me run away and marry him tonight. He just wanted to propose. No big deal. That thought nearly made me laugh. I’d lost my mind if I truly thought this wasn’t a big deal. Every choice I’d made over the past twenty-four hours had been huge. Life-changing.

  “If you ask me now, though, it won’t be a surprise,” I said.

  He pulled back to look at me, humor coloring his expression. “The surprise is already ruined. You know it’s coming.”

  “Yeah, but I won’t know when. Or how.”

  “So, I have your permission to propose when I want to?”

  “Yup.”

  He gave me a wicked, devilish smile. “Good.”

  And then he kissed me again, his desire and intentions unmistakable—until he abruptly stopped, and his hand stilled.

  “What?” I asked, breathless.

  “You still haven’t told me how you’re planning to deal with Isach. He was very clear that he’d kill you if you tried to break the curse.”

  “Are you seriously thinking about Isach right now?”

  We’d been getting pretty hot and heavy, and he’d been thinking about Isach? I didn’t know if I should laugh or be insulted.

  “No. I’m thinking about how badly I want to change you, and it dawned on me that I have no idea what’s going on with Isach, or how you’re so sure he won’t make good on his promise.”

  “He’s had a change of heart recently.”

  I explained how Isach felt about Abby, how he wanted to try to make amends, and how he really didn’t want to be involved with the vendetta his coven had against Trent’s family.

  “He said he couldn’t possibly watch me twenty-four seven, and if I went on a vacation or to visit my father and I came back different…” I shrugged.

  Trent narrowed his eyes. “So, he never actually said he wouldn’t kill you if you broke the curse?”

  “No, but he won’t. I know he won’t.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Because I’ve gotten to know him. I’ve spent time talking to him.” I wrapped my arms around Trent’s neck and brought him closer. “He said he’d look the other way. And once it’s done, what’s he going to do about it? His coven doesn’t know about me, and if Isach was really worried about me breaking the curse, he would have told them.”

  “He needs to give us his word,” Trent insisted.

  “Fine. We’ll talk to him then.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” I laughed at how determined and suddenly impatient he was. “But you realize none of that matters if we can’t find a way to break this bond, right?”

  “I know,” he said around a sigh. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

  “Good. Now can we please stop talking about Isach. It’s killing the mood.”

  Trent smiled and lowered his mouth to mine. I sighed against his lips, his weight pressing me deeper into the soft mattress.

  “I can’t wait for you to know what it’s like.” He groaned as he settled on top of me. “To know how I feel every single time I touch you and kiss you, to know how much I love you.” He took my hands and pinned them above my head, our fingers locked together. His gaze bored into my soul. “You have no idea how intense it is, Chloe.”

  My breath hitched. I’d been so worried about how I’d deal with having to drink blood that I hadn’t really taken time to consider the heightened emotions. My love for Trent was already so deep and strong—I couldn’t imagine it getting any more intense. Physically, every time he touched me, he set me on fire. I’d probably spontaneously combust the first time he touched me after I changed.

  And I couldn’t wait!

  CHAPTER SIX:

  Where’s Wyatt?

  “C’MON, CHLOE!” ABBY SHOUTED. “MOM’S GONNA be mad if we’re late.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to find Abby standing near Whitney’s car—I had no idea how it had gotten back here; I’d left it at the lodge. Whitney sat in the driver’s seat, ready to take us home.

  “I’m not going to survive the day. Or the night. Or tomorrow…” Trent said from where he stood on the front porch.

  I turned back to him and smiled. “Neither will I.” I gave him another hug and buried my face against his chest, never wanting to let go. Now that I had him back, I couldn’t bear to leave him, even if I was only going home.

  “What if Ivy tries something?” he said, his tone full of concern.

  “I don’t think she will,” I mumbled.

  As much as I didn’t want to give that woman credit for anything, she was true to her word. When she said she was going to do something, she did it, and she’d told us to come see her, so she wasn’t going to seek us out any time soon.

  “I still don’t like it,” he said.

  “I know.” I sighed.

  I really didn’t like it, either, knowing Ivy and her entire coven were now living in town. Who knew where they’d show up or what they’d do? And with several Zoya families in town now, too… This was a disaster waiting to happen.

  “Talk to your aunt and uncle so I can see you later.” He took my face into his hands and kissed me softly, leaving me totally breathless. “I’m serious.”

  “I will. Promise.”

  Because I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him again until Tuesday, not when it was only Sunday morning, and there was no school tomorrow on account of Columbus Day, which was the dumbest holiday ever. I rose up on my toes and sought another kiss, which he granted with a small groan only I could hear.

  He flattened his hands on my back, pressing me tightly to his body, and memories of how close we’d been to being intimate last night flooded me. The kisses, tender touches, whispered promises—all of it rushed through my mind, and my face heated.

  “Oh, my God. Chloe!” Abby shouted again. “Don’t make me get the crowbar out of the trunk and pry you two apart.”

  “Whitney has a crowbar in her trunk?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  Trent chuckled. “Knowing her, probably.”

  I reluctantly stepped away from him. “I have to go.”

  He reached for my right hand, and his thumb landed on my promise ring. “If we were married, you’d never have to leave.” He glanced up at me under his long, dark lashes, his eyes a smoldering shade of blue.

  I attempted to give him a stern look, but my smile betrayed me. “Haven’t you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?”

  “After everything we’ve been through, I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” He closed the small distance I’d put between us, and I inhaled deeply, letting his scent seep into me.

  “What happened to waiting until I was ready?” I whispered.

  A faint smile touched his lips. “I know. I will. I’m only teasing you.”

  “No, you’re not.” I laughed.

  “Yes, I am. Sort of.” He winked, then slid his arms around my waist, once again drawing me close to his body. “What can I say? I’m impatient. All I want is you, Chloe.”

  “You have me.” I moved to steal another kiss when Whitney blared the car horn. I jumped, my heart suddenly racing.

  “Chloe Marie Madison!” Abby shouted my full name with zero patience and all the anger in the world.

  “Your middle name is Marie?” he asked, head
titled.

  “Yeah. What’s yours?”

  I’d promised to be with him for an eternity, and I didn’t even know his middle name. There was still so much I didn’t know about him, I realized.

  “James.”

  Trenton James Halstead.

  “I like it.” I smiled.

  Chole Marie Halstead… I really liked that.

  “Okay, I have to go, but I’ll call you later.” I planted a quick kiss to his cheek, then turned and rushed toward the car. “Sorry,” I said to Abby as I climbed into the backseat.

  “If Mom yells at us, you’re the one explaining what happened.” Abby got in the front seat and slammed the door.

  “Go easy on her,” Whitney said as she backed out of the driveway. “She’s in love.” She glanced at me in the rearview mirror and grinned.

  “I am.” I sighed dreamily, my gaze stuck on Trent, who still stood on the porch. “He’s so amazing.”

  “I’m happy for you,” Abby said with sincerity in her tone.

  But I knew her well enough to know there was something bothering her. She wasn’t normally so grumpy and definitely not after spending a night with Wyatt. When we got home, I’d talk to her and find out what was going on.

  “We should do something later,” Whitney said, “just the three of us.”

  “Like what?” I asked. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out. I had one new text message.

  Trent: I MISS YOU ALREADY.

  A smile split my face.

  Me: I MISS YOU MORE.

  Trent: NOT POSSIBLE. HEIGHTENED EMOTIONS, REMEMBER? I WIN.

  I laughed. Since when had this become a competition?

  “What’s so funny?” Abby asked, twisting around in her seat to look at me.

  “Oh, um, nothing.” I attempted to hide my phone, but I wasn’t fast enough.

  “Are you seriously texting Trent? You just saw him.” Abby grabbed my phone from my hand, laughing.

  “Abby, no!” My eyes widened, and I scrambled to snatch my phone away from her. If she read my messages, how would I explain Trent’s heightened emotions comment?