Gifted Curse (Curse Trilogy)

by C. M. Owens

As soon as he puts it in park, Brazen is opening my door for me.

  “You could have ridden with me,” he sizzles out, and then his arms wrap around me, pulling in the scowling eyes of the full bloods around us taking notice.

  “I think you’re drawing unwanted attention,” I grumble. “Your kind frowns upon species mingling… remember?”

  “I don’t give a damn what they think,” he sighs, and then his lips threaten to envelope mine before I pull away.

  “You should. We’re in a city full of nothing but your kind, and I’m on the most hated list. I just want to find my room,” I mumble, and then he takes my hand in his before I walk away completely.

  His touch has been so comforting for so long. He has always made all of my pain, anxiety, and fear subside with something as meaningless as holding my hand.

  “I don’t fucking care about anyone here, and I dare them to say something. Stay with me tonight, please. I promise I won’t do anything. I just want to see you, and I’d feel better if you were with me in this place. It can get vicious even for my own kind,” he murmurs, and I feel his lips on my forehead.

  I look up into the genuine pale eyes staring into mine, and I huff out my own frustration. I feel so terrible for not telling him, and I feel even worse for still wondering if I’m making the right decision by choosing Hale.

  I’ve always felt drawn to Hale in so many ways, but Brazen loves me so differently. I’ve never had to worry about lies, deceit, or betrayal. The first time he hurt me was directly after I had fucked up, and I used it as an excuse to break free. If he ever said anything like that again, I could seriously or fatally hurt him, and I couldn’t bear that burden.

  “I think it would be best if I slept in my own room with my own space. You keep forgetting we’re broken up,” I grumble, and then I dart by him to find where to obtain my room number.

  I expect to see Hale in the lobby, but he’s nowhere to be found. I suppose I pissed him off with my earlier rejection. Clay follows me in, and then he interrupts Brazen’s second attempt to corner me when he brings me a key.

  “If you have any problems, dial someone right away. I’m not crazy about you staying alone. You’re welcome to bunk with me,” Clay suggests.

  “I don’t want to stay with anyone. I need a minute to unwind, and I want to breathe in fresh air before the stale breaths suffocate me,” I exasperate. “Besides, if anyone tries anything, I’ll fucking rip them to shreds,” I menace.

  “I don’t doubt that. Just try not to rip the rest of the place to shreds with them. Have you got emergency olophine?”

  I pucker my lips in distaste for the need I could have later, and I nod.

  “More than enough - at least ten vials or more.”

  “Good,” Clay says with a smirk, and then he follows me onto the elevator along with Brazen.

  “You’re still struggling with whatever this thing inside you is?” he asks softly.

  “This thing isn’t inside me,” I growl. “It’s me, just a part of me I don’t care to talk about… especially not right now,” I scold, and my eyes point to the elevator full of snarling full bloods in disgusted disbelief for my presence.

  Clay turns to face the encroaching crowd, and he displays his commander’s symbol for the United.

  “If anyone fucks with us, you’ll deal with the wrath of the United. Your city will also lose our protection,” he asserts, and everyone instantly takes a step back.

  Their vicious eyes simmer down, and they begin acting as if we’re no longer on the elevator with them.

  “See,” Clay says with a shrug. “Nothing to fear.”

  “As long as you have a chance to announce your rank,” I grumble, and Brazen takes my hand in his again.

  “If you just stay with me, you won’t have to worry at all. I’m one of them, and they know who the fuck I am. No one will even come close to you as long as you’re with me,” he assures.

  “I thought you just had a couple of friends here,” I say suspiciously.

  “I do, the rest are too fucking scared to speak to me,” he boasts with a smug twinkle in his eyes.

  “I wasn’t aware you were such a bad boy,” I chuckle out, and he gives me a sexy-as-fuck smile and wink.

  “I’d be glad to show you how fucking bad I am. You never knew everything, baby,” he smolders out, and my knees tremble slightly as he pins me against the wall between the scattering full bloods with gaping mouths.

  “See,” he seduces. “Not a fucking word,” he boasts again, and his lips brush against mine.

  When the fuck did he get so damn ridiculously hot? He’s always been sexy, but not this kind of sexy. Fuck my life.

  “Stop, Brazen. Please don’t do this,” I plead, and I can see Clay squirming uncomfortably with uncertainty of what to do plaguing him.

  Suddenly his lips are firmly gripping mine, and his hands begin burning against my sides as he pushes me harder against the wall. I struggle uselessly against his powerful hold, and then I finally find the leverage I need to push him off.

  “You don’t fucking get to say my kind is beneath you and then tell me you love me,” I scold. “You don’t get to accuse me of just fucking someone and not knowing love, and then try to fuck me. Just leave me alone. I want to be alone,” I scold, and then I rush off the elevator the moment it dings.

  Hale is in the hallway, and I want to just launch myself in his arms. I know it would obliterate Brazen though. I honestly feel so fucking crazy right now. They’re playing a game of tug of war, and I’m the damn rope.

  “What the fuck? Why are you crying?” he gasps, and he grabs me before I can pass.

  “Araya, I’m sorry,” Brazen calls, and his eyes narrow when they meet Hale’s.

  “What the hell did you do to her?” Hale barks.

  “He didn’t do anything besides try to make amends,” Clay sighs. “Let’s not fight again, or I’ll separate Araya from the both of you. I’ll let her lead her own fucking brigade if that’s what it takes.”

  Hale tightens his grip on me, but I softly start to pull away before Brazen catches on.

  “I’m down the hall from you if you need me,” Hale almost whispers, and he’s fighting the urge to pull me into the room with him.

  “I’m on the other end,” Brazen snarks to let Hale know he overheard his gesture.

  “Don’t you have friends here to be contacting?” Hale retorts.

  “I do, but I want to make sure Araya doesn’t have any problems,” he growls.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake. I’ll go tuck Araya into bed if it will shut the two of you up,” Clay admonishes, and he rips me away from the pissing match in play.

  “You should have left me behind,” I huff.

  “I couldn’t. I need Hale, and he refused to come without you. It’s been a difficult three years for him, and now that he has you, he’s not going to risk ever losing you again. I owe it to him to give him what he wants,” Clay gripes, and I whip around to look at him as the door to my room closes.

  “What the fuck? So you only brought me to have Hale here?” I screech.

  His face drops when he hears his accidental slip, and then he takes a deep breath before starting his climb out of the ridiculous hole he just dug.

  “I brought you as a favor to him, but also because I’ve been far too overprotective of you. You were always good in the field - great even. You would have had your own platoon by now if it hadn’t been for the kidnapping. Knowing what could have happened to you scares the hell out of me. Not just because you could have leveled everything around you for who knows how long, but because we almost lost you. You’re my oldest friend, and you’re the voice of reason in every insane conversation. You helped me make commander, and you’re always on my side.”

  I almost cry, and I hug him to hide the wavering tears.

  “I wish they’d stop fucking fighting,” I mumble against his chest, and he starts laughing instantly.

  “I really will separate you from them if I have to
,” he jokes.

  I pull back with a small smile and then I take a breath as I look around the huge room. The couch is a crisp red, and the balcony doors have been opened to allow in the heat of the city.

  “I need to get going. I’ve got a pile of paperwork to sift through, and then I’ve got more phone calls to make than I care to think about. This shit with Salan is pretty fucked up,” he sighs out.

  “I’m going to shower, change, and then I’m going to bed to try and sleep off this massive headache.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” he mumbles, and then he heads out to leave me alone.

  This is the first time in a while that I’ve actually had my own space, and I know how desperately I need that space. I pour a glass of tequila, and then I head to the balcony to sit and sip as I stare out at the city full of a species that hates me.

  I’m part of them, but they only view me as an abomination. A full blood father, and a human mother bore me into this world, neither wanting me. It’s a sad story shared by almost all of us, so I shouldn’t feel as though I have the right to be any more upset than any other hybrid.

  A knock at the door almost pisses me off, and I creep quietly to see through the peephole. I almost smile when I see Hale propped up on the wall across from the door, and I creak it open to usher him in.

  “I’m sorry,” he smolders while rushing in to kiss me.

  The door shuts behind him, and I feel him lifting my legs to be around his waist.

  “I’m sorry too,” I murmur against his incredible lips.

  Hale. Definitely Hale.

  “I love you, baby,” he coos, and then I feel the bed I haven’t even seen yet.

  “I love you, but you promised not to fight,” I lightly scold, and he draws back to lie on his side and face me.

  “I only promised not to tell him about us or provoke him. I did neither. I refuse to let him attack me without defending myself though, and you shouldn’t ask that much of me. I did everything I fucking could to save you, and he-”

  My lips press against his to silence his angry rant. He pulls me into his strong, immaculate body, and I barely draw back to speak.

  “I know you did, and I’ve told him that before. I saw you struggling to get to me, and you damn near lost control of your sound mind. I couldn’t tell him the whole story without divulging our secrets. He doesn’t know you went savage and ripped an army of men to shreds,” I soothe, and I caress his soft cheek as I try to calm him.

  “The olophine burned through too quick. If I hadn’t already been shot fifty fucking times, Clay wouldn’t have been able to get the meds in before I went invincible. I swear I fucking tried,” he almost whimpers, and my lips console his once more.

  “Hale, I know. You don’t have to defend yourself to me. The only thing I ever got mad about was the aftermath,” I murmur softly, and I almost see tears spreading in his eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” he breathes, and his lips now show a need for mine as they attack with a fervent desire.

  I feel my pants sliding off, and then I flip over to straddle him while pulling my shirt over my head. His lips find mine before it’s even completely gone, and then he jerks me to be on top of him as the bed creaks beneath us.

  A knock at the door halts our wild tumble, and I quickly grab a robe to tie around me.

  “Who the fuck is that?” he gripes in a whisper.

  “I don’t know. Stay in here,” I huff out, and he pulls me down to kiss him once more.

  I smile as I remove myself from his intoxicating clutches, and then I shut the door behind me on my way to investigate the intruder. In my erotic hazy frame of mind, I jerk open the door without looking to see who it is. I’m floored when I see Brazen, and he doesn’t speak before his lips connect with mine.

  Holy fucking shit.

  “Stop,” I assert while pushing him off me, and my eyes dart toward the bedroom door.

  “Araya, please stop fighting me. I know you still love me. I can see how much this has hurt you, and it’s fucking killing me,” he blares

  I know Hale has to know who interrupted our heated session now, and I‘m praying he doesn’t run in to pound Brazen’s face. Brazen doesn’t want to see Hale’s savage. It won’t end well if he ever does.

  “Why can’t you just let me breathe?” I exasperate, and then I pick up the drink I had abandoned when Hale got there.

  “Because you’ll run. I know you, Araya. If you don’t fix something soon enough… you leave when it gets too hard to deal with. I don’t want you running from me. I can’t fucking think without you, and I’m starting to wonder if I’ve lost my damn mind. Please, just spend the night with me. I swear I won’t touch you at all. Just stay with me for one damn night,” he pleads, and tears spring up to my eyes.

  Another knock at my door interrupts this conversation, and it’s all I can do not to scream.

  “Who the fuck is it this time?” I grumble to myself, and I swing it open to see the dramatically sardonic expression on Clay’s face.

  “I need your help with something,” he murmurs out vaguely.

  “Gladly,” I sigh out, and Brazen’s shoulders drop.

  “Captain Mordel,” Clay formally offers.

  “Commander Jude,” Brazen responds, and he follows us out. “Do you need her help while she’s wearing a robe?” Brazen suspiciously adds.

  “It doesn’t matter what she’s wearing. I just need her to sift through the files of the hybrids that are and aren’t gifted. Our cadet list is very extensive, and she promised she would help me out earlier. I realize now she got distracted.”

  I did? When was I supposed to do that?

  “Oh,” Brazen says in acceptance. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  I just shake my head, and then I follow Clay into his room. He types something into his phone, and then he puts it down while stifling a laugh.

  “Not that I don’t appreciate your excellent timing, but I really don’t remember you asking for my help,” I say with bemusement.

  He lets his laughter creep out, and then he strolls over to the couch where he has several screens that have dropped down from the ceiling.

  “Hale sent me a text from the bedroom of your suite. He told me to get you the fuck away from Brazen before he walked out ended the charade himself.”

  “Oh,” I grumble while blushing fiercely.

  “I’m sure Brazen has gone on by now. You might want to get back to your steaming hybrid,” he snickers out.

  “Shit,” I grouse. “Thanks,” I murmur, and then I sneak back out of Clay’s room while his laughter continues.

  Fortunately, Brazen isn’t haunting the hallways, and I dash into my room, not risking a dawdle. I smirk as I pull off the robe and return to the bedroom, but then I feel my smile fading into a pissed off scowl. Hale has fled from the bedroom, and all that’s left is his fucking shirt.

  This is so fucked up.

  I sprawl out on the bed and cover my head with my pillow so that I can scream into it to prevent anyone else hearing my little tantrum. I pull Hale’s shirt to my face and smell his incredible scent before my eyes become to heavy to hold open.

  The air whistles through the crack of the balcony doors, and I stand up to go shut them, silencing the eerie sound. It’s late, and I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep. I walk over to my door, and I check the peephole to see if anyone is in the hallway. I sigh when I see Brazen sitting on the ground in front of my room, his eyes shut, his head propped back. Several empty bottles of whiskey lie at his feet, and I huff as I open the door.

  He doesn’t stir, and I squat down to wrap his arm around my neck. His eyes open, and his drunken stare becomes very apparent.

  “I’ve been knocking,” he slurs while staggering around.

  “I’ve been sleeping,” I retort, and he starts laughing as though I’ve made some brilliant joke. “Damn you’re drunk,” I grouse.

  “I’m not drunk, I’m still drinking,” he laughs out, and then his whisk
ey flavored lips cover mine.

  “Stop it,” I grumble, and I feel his door behind us.

  I begin digging around in his pockets to find the key, but he pins me against the wall more to deliver his kissing assault. His erection reminds me of how incredibly gentle and wonderful our sex has always been, but I can’t do this.

  Having been successful in my key digging attempt, I push him back against the wall to steady him. I quickly open his door, and then I help him stagger into his room. His hands grip me tighter as he finds his balance, and he throws me onto the bed before forcing me beneath his body.

  “I love you, Araya,” he murmurs against my lips, and then his grinding motion begins as he slides my shorts off.

  “Brazen, I swear I’ll kick your ass if you don’t stop,” I warn, and he smiles against the kiss as his hand runs over my lacy underwear.

  “I want to show you how I fuck,” he murmurs, and I have to admit that’s pretty fucking hot.

  His lips claim mine, and his erection is freed from his pants and digging into my underwear before I can get out from underneath him. I feel the head of it sliding through the lace, tearing it as he threatens to surge in, and my breath hitches in hesitation. I finally manage to knock him off, and then I straddle him to restrain his hands. He grins menacingly at what it appears I’m about to do, and I have to stifle a grin.

  I’ve never seen him so forceful, and if he had done this shit when we were together, I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave him.

  “You need to sleep this shit off,” I giggle out, and then he pulls me back down to him.

  “I’ve always loved hearing you laugh,” he says so sweetly, and his lips play on mine while he grabs my ass to force his grinding motion again.

  “I’ve always loved laughing with you, but right now, I need to go back to my room. We’ve got serious shit going on outside these walls. I want you to promise me you’ll stay focused. Stop chasing me for right now, or Clay is never going to let me back out in the field for entirely different reasons,” I grumble, and his hands slide up to cup my face.

  “Just stay with me tonight. That’s all I want,” he pleads.

  “No,” I exasperate. “I’m trying to be professional right now,” I lie, and I climb off him before pulling my shorts back on.