Isach’s face fell, and he muttered a curse.
“Exactly.” Trent blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t know how it works, and I don’t have control over it.”
I rubbed Trent’s back, which was stiff with tension, and smiled softly. I knew he wanted to help, but I could tell he was scared. What if he messed up? I didn’t want him to accidentally fry Abby’s brain, but we couldn’t let Abby tell Rector the truth, either. No matter what we did, there was a huge risk involved.
“But you were able to give back all her memories about me,” Isach said, his tone accusatory. “You didn’t seem to have any trouble with that.” He scowled.
“Giving memories back is easy,” Trent said. “It’s taking them away that’s difficult. I could accidentally wipe every single memory she’s ever had. Then what?”
“Why don’t we just kill Rector?” Colt said. He stood near the door, arms crossed, his gaze hard and unflinching.
“Because he’s literally the most powerful witch in the world right now. You’re not strong enough to kill him,” Isach said.
“You have to do this, Trent.” Jax’s tone was hard, and a shiver snaked down my back. That was the tone he always used when he was about to say or do something that would inevitably piss me off. “You either wipe us from Abby’s mind, or I’ll have to kill her so she doesn’t talk.”
“You so much as look at Abby the wrong way, and I’ll drive a stake through your heart,” I said, positioning myself directly in front of Jax. “You are not going to kill her.” My voice cracked, and I hated how weak I was in that moment. “Jax, please. Promise me you won’t kill her.”
Jax stared down at me, his eyes shifting from black to dark blue, a spark of hunger igniting in his gaze. Tension sizzled between us, and I was acutely aware of the fact that Isach, Colt, and Trent were watching us. I could feel the jealousy and anger rolling off Jax in waves.
“Remember what I told you the night I killed Felicity?” Jax asked.
It was her or you, and I will always choose you.
“Yes,” I whispered. Blood rushed to my ears, and my pulse pounded so loud and hard I was positive everyone in this room could hear it.
“Then you’d better convince your fiancé to wipe her memories.” He said the word fiancé with so much disgust I nearly choked on it. “Because we both know what choice I’ll make if he doesn’t.”
I licked my lips and nodded. Jax’s eyes narrowed and lowered to my mouth. My heart hammered in my chest.
His gaze darted behind me to where Trent stood. “This is why he’s the wrong choice, Chloe,” Jax said, his tone sad yet still angry. “He’s not willing to do what’s necessary to protect you.” Then, Jax stormed out of the room.
He flung the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. I jumped, my heart beating even harder. Colt spun on his heel and followed Jax out of the room, but not before pinning with me a deadly glare.
Slowly, I turned toward Trent. His face was tight with anger, but his eyes were tormented, and the sight of him like that broke me. Tears filled my eyes as I rested my forehead against his chest and placed my hands on his hips.
He immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll do it,” he said.
I closed my eyes and let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” Isach said.
Stepping away from Trent, I wiped my eyes. “We have to explain to her what’s going on. She needs to know.”
The only reason I hadn’t said anything about this in front of her was because I knew she’d agree to it if it meant keeping everyone safe, and I wanted to make sure Trent was okay with it before we said anything to Abby.
“I agree,” Trent said. “You do want me to try to restore her memories after she talks to your father, right?”
Isach nodded. His shoulders sagged, and it was so clear just how much stress he was under. “I guess I’ll go tell her what the plan is.” He walked out of the room and left me alone with Trent.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
A Better Man
TRENT CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND ISACH, then stood with his back to me for much too long.
“All that stuff Jax said about you not being the right choice…” I said, my voice wavering. “He was wrong. You know that, right?”
“What did Jax say to you?” he asked, turning to face me, completing ignoring everything I’d just said.
Nerves and fear swirled around in my chest, making it difficult to breathe. “What?”
“The night he killed Felicity. He said something to you. What was it?” Trent asked.
I swallowed hard. “When I ran outside to get some air, he was out there. I yelled at him for killing her.” I twisted my hands in front of me, my stomach knotting tighter and tighter with each passing moment. “He said it was her or me and that…” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “He said he’d always choose me.”
The muscle in Trent’s jaw ticked with barely controlled rage, and his eyes melted into black puddles. He blinked a few times, and his eyes slowly shifted back to blue. “Did anything else happen?” he asked.
“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “I swear.”
“Do you regret your choice?” he asked, his entire demeanor suddenly softer, almost insecure. “Choosing me, I mean.”
“What?” I said on a rush of breath. “No, of course not.” I placed my hands on his chest and peered up into his eyes.
“Watching you stand up to him like that…” Trent shook his head. “I could feel the pull between you two. He could barely control himself, Chloe. He wanted you. I could see it in his eyes.”
“Jax can’t let go,” I said. “Even though the bond is broken, he still insists he has feelings for me. That’s it.” I smoothed my hand up his chest and laced my hands around the back of his neck. “I love you. I want you. Not him. Not anyone else. Just you.”
I rose up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his, but he didn’t kiss me back. Instead, he clutched my waist and held me an arm’s length away.
“Trent.” My voice gave out. “Please tell me you know that.”
He released me completely and rubbed the back of his neck again. I stared at him, my heart breaking into pieces. He paced away, then came back. Then paced away again. Finally, he stopped in front of me, and I waited, praying he wasn’t moments away from shattering me and destroying all our dreams.
“I know how much your family and friends mean to you, and I know that sometimes, the things they want are in direct conflict with what you want. And that sometimes, things need to be done that are dangerous, but not doing them could cost you your life,” he said, his voice level and firm. “I know that scares you, and every single time something happens, I force myself to stop and think, to try to find a solution that will keep you and them safe.”
I exhaled heavily. Tears burned my throat and eyes.
“I do that because I know it matters to you, because losing someone you love would hurt you, and I don’t ever want to hurt you,” he said.
He took my face into his hands, his touch so incredibly gentle it broke the tenuous dam holding back my tears, and they spilled down my cheeks.
“But believe me, if I could just kill every threat that came at you, I would. I’d do anything to protect you, Chloe,” he said fiercely.
“I know.” My lips trembled. “And that’s exactly why you were the right choice, because you’re always so rational, and you don’t do anything without thinking it through. It’s just one reason I love you.”
“Then please tell me you know that every choice I make is for you, that even when I say no, it’s because I’ve weighed every option already and feel like my decision is the only way I can think of to protect you,” he said.
“I know.” I sniffled. “But you need to know that I can make my own decisions, and even if you don’t agree with them, they’re my decisions to make.” I pulled back, and his hands fell from my f
ace. I wiped my tears. “Everything we’re trying to do is dangerous. I know that. And I’ve accepted there are risks. So has Abby and everyone else involved. You can’t protect me from everything all the time.”
“I know. And that scares the hell out of me,” he said softly. “It’s my job to protect you.”
“Says who?” I crossed my arms.
He let out a surprised laugh and shook his head with amusement. “Me.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I didn’t know much about my biological father, but I knew he wasn’t a good guy. He disrespected women, abused them, treated them like they were his property to do with as he pleased.” Trent rubbed his hands over his face. “I swore I would never be like him.”
“And you’re not,” I said.
He couldn’t seriously believe he was anything like this biological father, could he? Trent was the most caring, gentle, considerate guy I’d ever known.
“No, I’m not,” he agreed. “But I also swore once I fell in love, I’d cherish her and love her and protect her with my life.” He closed the small distance between us, placed his hands on my shoulders, and bent his knees so we were eye level. “If I don’t protect you, I’m no better than my sperm-donor of a father.”
Great, here comes more tears.
Trent had told me about his father once, but he’d never shared this with me before. I never knew how strongly he felt about not being like his dad, or how it drove him to do everything he did, to make every choice he did. But now, thinking about everything that had led us to this moment, I could see clearly. It all made sense now.
I drew in a shaky breath; then I laughed.
Trent tilted his head with confusion. “What’s so funny?”
“You were right. I’m going to be a mess when you say your vows. There’s no way I’m not going to cry.”
He dragged his hands down my arms, stopping when he found my hands. He laced our fingers, then kissed my knuckles, a faint smile on his lips.
“And I don’t even care.” I shrugged. “I’ll stand on that altar and cry until I don’t have any tears left because I love you so much, and I want to hear every word you have to say.”
Because now I knew he didn’t say all those heartfelt things to me just because he was a hopeless romantic—he said them because he truly meant them, because every word he said, every choice he made, every touch and kiss and intimate encounter was done with a greater purpose.
Trent was fulfilling a promise he’d made to himself, a promise I was now a part of, and I was going to spend eternity helping him live up to that vow he’d made so long ago.
“I’ll go easy on you with the vows.” He winked.
“Don’t you dare.” I laughed again. “I want you to just be you. Be the guy that makes me cry all the happy tears.”
He captured my lips in a kiss that singed my nerves and fried my ability to think. I freed my hands from his and wrapped my arms around his neck at the same moment he lifted me from my feet.
I hooked my legs around his waist, and he deepened the kiss to the point I couldn’t breathe. My mind spun with the perfect chaos of lust, love, need, fear, and uncertainty. Being with Trent was always like that, though, a whirlwind of emotion I couldn’t control. All I could do was hang on for the ride.
Trent laid me on the bed and brought his mouth down to my neck. His lips were hot, his kisses even hotter. I tilted my head, granting him full access to do whatever he wanted. My body was on fire, and all he’d done so far was kiss me.
He positioned himself between my legs, suspending most of his weight into the arm he propped over my head. His free hand was planted on my hip, his fingers flexing as if he was trying to memorize the feel of me.
I knew we shouldn’t be doing this right now. Not when everyone else was in the living room. Not when Isach was explaining to Abby that Trent was going to wipe her memories—again—so she could submit to some stupid truth test. We should be out there with them, but I needed Trent right now more than I’d realized.
His breaths became sharp and ragged; his kisses became harder and less frequent, and that meant only one thing—he wanted to bite me.
I threaded my fingers through his hair and arched into him. “Do it,” I whispered.
Razor sharp fangs pierced my skin, and I cried out, my body convulsing briefly before I went limp beneath him. His grunts of pleasure rang in my ears, and my eyes fluttered closed.
Slowly, the air was sucked from my lungs, and the room started to spin. Ecstasy thickened inside of me, and my heart beat faster, pumping more and more blood through my veins.
Fear clutched my chest, squeezing until I couldn’t focus on anything else. Panic whipped around me, diving in and out of my thoughts, paralyzing me. Something wasn’t right. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Tears trickled down the sides of my face.
With a guttural snarl, Trent tore away from my neck and rested his forehead on my shoulder so I couldn’t see his face. I gasped as if I’d been holding my breath for too long, and my pulse pounded in my throat.
His shoulders rose and fell heavily with deep breaths. There was something different about it this time, but I couldn’t pinpoint what. The sexual reaction was still very strong—I wanted him twice as much as I had before he’d bitten me—but my physical reaction was different.
This wasn’t how I’d imagined it would feel when he finally bit me for pleasure. I was expecting something… less painful and more erotic. I was expecting the same feelings I’d had when Jax bit me.
“Trent?” I swallowed hard, my throat raw.
“Are you okay?” He still wouldn’t look at me.
“Yes. Are you?”
He shook his head, his hair tickling my face.
A fresh wave of fear and panic struck me harder and more unexpectedly than a bolt of lightning. “What’s wrong?” I asked. I wiggled beneath him, trying to get him to look at me, but he didn’t move. “Trent. Tell me what’s wrong.”
He sighed. “I drank too much.”
Finally, he pushed himself off me far enough so I could see his face. His eyes were vacillating between dark blue and black, and his lips were blood red.
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What do you mean you drank too much?”
“I mean, if I hadn’t stopped, I would’ve killed you.” He climbed off me, stood, and rubbed the back of his neck. “You didn’t feel it? The way your blood was pumping so fast, and then everything just… slowed?”
I nodded. “I felt it,” I whispered.
At least now I knew what it would be like when he changed me, though I couldn’t imagine how much more terrified I’d be when he didn’t stop. I pushed those thoughts away. It didn’t matter how scared I’d be then, because I’d be with Trent, and he’d make it as painless as possible.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” His eyes were filled with shame and regret.
“Come here.” I crooked my finger at him.
He hesitated, then kneeled over me, hands on either side of my head. I pushed myself up on my elbows and kissed him. Groaning, he used the force of the kiss to push me down onto my back, bringing his body against mine as he did.
“I’m becoming addicted to the taste of your blood,” he muttered as he kissed along my jaw. “And I can’t control it.”
“Yes, you can.” I took his face into my hands and stared into his gorgeous blue eyes. Would our baby have his eyes? I hoped so. “Wait… How are you addicted already? You’ve only bitten me once,” I said, confused.
“You taste that good,” he said with a forced laugh.
“Well, I don’t for one second think you’re going to attack me and suck me dry.”
He smirked. “No, but I need you to promise me something.”
“What?” I moved my hands up into his hair.
Eyes closed, he groaned and tilted his head, pushing into my touch. “No more biting until it’s time to change you.” He opened his eyes and stared down at me. “I really don’t want to a
ccidentally kill you. That would suck.”
I laughed. “Okay, no more biting. It would suck if you accidentally killed yourself, too.”
He laughed, the sound wrapping around my heart.
I shifted beneath him and smiled. “This is what I was talking about earlier. When I said I missed us, this is what I meant. These moments when it’s just you and me and the outside world doesn’t exist.”
“Chloe? Trent?” Isach knocked on the door.
So much for the outside world not existing.
“Yeah?” Trent said.
Isach opened the door and walked in, followed by Abby. Trent didn’t bother to move, and Abby covered her eyes when she saw us.
“We’re fully dressed, Abby. It’s fine,” I said.
She peeked between her fingers, grinning. “You could’ve told us you were busy.”
“If we’re in this room and the door is closed, consider us always busy.” Trent winked, then kissed the corner of my mouth.
Unable to hide my smile, I rolled my eyes and nudged him to get off me. He gracefully hopped off the bed, then helped me to my feet.
I adjusted my shirt so it was no longer twisted, then turned my attention to Abby and Isach. “So, what’s up?” I asked.
Trent stood behind me, arms wrapped around my stomach, and he nuzzled his face against my neck. His breath against the fresh bite mark sent a shiver through me. I playfully but firmly elbowed him and wiggled out of his hold. I loved this overly affectionate side of Trent, but now was so not the time for it.
“I need to go, but I wanted to make sure everything was good with our plan.” Isach’s gaze stayed focused on Trent.
“Yes.” Trent sighed. “We’re good if Abby’s good.”
Abby nodded. “Whatever I can do to help, I will.” She smiled up at Isach. “I’d really like to have my boyfriend back.”
I really wanted her to have him back, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
We’re Doing This
TRENT AND I LAY IN HIS bed, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. Raucous laughter filtered in from the living room, slicing through our solitude.
Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5) Page 20