"That doesn't make sense," he argues, and I roll my eyes.
"As if any of this makes sense? The last few days have been nothing but insanity, and I've been driving myself crazy trying to come with a reasonable explanation for any of it — and there isn't one. This is beyond explanation, Jared, but... you came back to me. I saw you freak out, and I'm not sure if you remember all of it, but I can tell you remember some of it."
"If there's more... if I did more to you, I don't want to know. I already want to die just to make sure I never hurt you again."
"That's not going to happen, Jared." Pushing myself off the floor, I put a little weight on my injured leg and I'm still confused as to why it doesn't hurt much at all anymore. "Open the door."
"No, Harper. I just promised my dad I'd stay away from you, and I'm not going to put you at risk. You stay out there, and I'll stay in here."
I don't even bother arguing with him, I just bang my fist on the door and repeat myself. "Open the damn door, Jared."
"Stop it, Harper!" he shouts, but I can tell it's more from panic than anything else.
"Either open the door or I'm going outside to break a window and climb in, and since my leg is still bleeding a little I probably shouldn't do—" The door cracks open before I can finish the empty threat and I swing it wide, but Jared isn't on the other side. When I step inside, I find him in the far corner of the room, sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, arms crossed atop his knees and his head down. "Jared, look at me."
"Please shut the door again, Harper. I don't want to hurt you. Please," he begs, and I can feel the difference in him. This is my Jared, the Jared that I fell in love with, that winked at me and stole my heart in a Philosophy lecture hall. This is the man that bought a ring and wanted to ask me to marry him on what he'd planned to be a romantic weekend. This isn't the monster that wanted to see me in pain, that wanted me scared.
"Look at me and tell me if you want to hurt me." I say the words from the doorway, because although I'm confident, I'm also trying not to be an idiot. It takes a minute for him to finally look up at me, and when he does, he immediately squeezes his eyes shut again.
"Christ, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I—"
"Answer the question, Jared. Do you feel any urge to hurt me? Hunt me down in the woods?"
"No!" He finally looks at me, really looks at me, and I can see the pain in his eyes. Normal and green once more, full of life and emotion. "God, I never wanted to hurt you. I wanted us to be together forever. I wanted to protect you... and look at you. I did that to you."
"You really think it was you?" I ask, taking a few steps forward until he raises his hands up.
"Don't. I don't trust myself around you." He looks down at my hands and his jaw clenches tight. "Where the hell is the gun, Harper! Did you really just come in here without it?"
"It's on the floor by the door, but I don't need it, Jared. You may have been somewhere in your head the last few days, but I've been watching you. I probably should have listened to my instincts more, because I could tell you weren't yourself. Hell, I even said it to you, but I kept trying to snap you out of it. I kept hoping if I just helped you, that everything would be okay."
"You need to listen to your instincts right now and get out of here. What if it comes back? What if—"
"Shut up." Sighing, I close the gap between us, even though he tries his best to shove his back through the wall. Shifting to the floor in front of him, I leave an arm's length between us just so he doesn't actually run. "I am listening to my instincts right now, Jared. I love you. This you, the real you. I don't think all of that supernatural shit would have gone down if it wasn't actually leaving you, and I think if you really focus on how you've felt the last couple of days, you'll realize you feel different now."
He goes silent, his forehead falling against his arms again as he mutters to himself. He's still curled into the corner, defensive, but I know the only person he's trying to protect right now is me.
"Admit it."
"Who cares if I feel different, Harper? I still did"—he waves a hand at my body—"all of that to you."
"If I thought you, the real you, was capable of hurting me like that, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I would have put a bullet in you the second you slid the gun out the door."
"That would have been the smart choice," he grumbles and all I can do is sigh.
Holding up my left hand, I ask, "When did you buy the ring?"
Jared's gaze lingers on the engagement ring, his brows pulling together as I watch the sadness roll over him. "Two months ago. I kept trying to think of the perfect way to ask you... I carried it with me all the time, just waiting for the right moment."
"And so you decided to bring me to the one place in your life that has been sacred to your family," I fill in, and he groans, covering his face with his hands. Reaching forward, I tug one of them away, holding onto his wrist so he can't hide again. "It was a great idea, babe, and I would have said yes no matter where you asked me."
"I didn't even ask you, Harper. I forced the ring on you just like I forced—" He clenches his eyes shut, his hands balling into fists as he shakes his head. "I don't deserve you after this."
"That's not really your decision, now, is it?" Pulling at his fingers, I make him uncurl his fist so that I can slip my hand in his. "I've wanted to marry you for a while now. I think I've just been assuming it would happen, and you obviously wanted to marry me, or you never would have bought this ring or taken me here to try and make it special."
Squeezing my hand, I can see the emotion raging in his eyes as he stares at the ring. "You're the only one I want, Harper."
"Then I'm yours," I reply, smiling, but then I feel the ring heating up again and I yank my hand back, hissing through my teeth as it scalds my skin. "Shit!"
"What is— FUCK!" Jared stares at his left hand, cringing, and as the heat fades from the ring I shift it out of the way again, only to see an intricate pattern woven in dark ink under my skin right where the ring sits. Jared groans, rubbing at his hand as well. "What the hell?"
"Okay, so... maybe the supernatural shit isn't over," I mutter, moving the ring higher on my finger to show him the mark. When I hold it out, Jared extends his left hand where an identical pattern forms a band on his ring finger.
"This is insane. I actually feel... better?" he says softly, rolling his head from side to side before reaching back with his right hand to run it along the back of his skull. "The knot is gone."
"Are there any voices whispering to you right now?" I ask, definitely feeling more nervous than I did before, but when Jared looks up at me again, I still see him.
"No. I don't feel any of it anymore. I felt kind of hungover before, and my head was pounding."
"That's probably because I tried to bash your skull in with a water bottle," I answer, a smile sneaking over my lips, and he actually chuckles.
"I'm glad you did, we just might need to work on your swing." He smiles and it lights up his entire face, and before I can even think about the risks, I'm leaning forward to pull him into a kiss. Jared goes stiff at first, too tense, but when I slide my hands to the back of his neck, he starts to relax, his tongue tentatively brushing mine before delving deeper, intensifying the kiss for one perfect, sweet moment before he pulls away. "I don't deserve you, Harper. Not at all."
"I'm the only one that gets to decide who deserves me, Jared, and I chose you." Reaching for his hand, I interlace our fingers, not even caring that I'm quoting the cursed version of him. It's the truth. We both chose each other, and he chose me long before the curse tried to destroy us. I shift to lean against the wall beside him, resting my head on his shoulder, and he takes a deep breath.
"I love you so much," he whispers, squeezing my hand tight, and I tilt our hands to look at the mark on his finger.
"I love you too, babe, and I'm pretty sure your land just married us, because I'm ninety-percent sure these are tattooed on."
He chuckles a
gain, reaching over to run a finger over the ring created in supernatural ink on his hand. "I think these rings mean it's our land now, Mrs. Loxley."
Grinning, I lean over to press a kiss to his lips. "I like the sound of that."
A loud crash comes from the living room and Jared is on his feet in a second, moving between me and the doorway just as a man steps into it. "They're in here!"
"Is the girl there?" a woman's voice yells, and then she's standing behind the man who’s aiming a rifle right at Jared's chest.
"What the hell?" Jared says, raising his hands. "Are you the Tucks?"
"Yes, we are, and you need to step away from the girl Mr. Loxley." The man gestures with the rifle, but Jared doesn't move.
"If you think I'm giving you a clear shot at my girlfriend, you're insane."
"Actually, I think I'm your wife now, right?" I say, standing up, and I realize my thigh doesn't hurt at all, which is strange, but I'm way more concerned about the man pointing a gun at my... husband? That feels weird to think. Moving to stand behind Jared, I try to keep my lower half hidden since he didn't bring my jeans or my underwear back with him, but I feel confident they won't shoot if there's a chance the bullet will go through him and hit me.
"We got a call from Charles Loxley saying his son had activated the curse and that he had a woman here with him in need of medical attention." The man hasn't lowered the gun yet, but I'm not as concerned about him pulling the trigger now.
"That's me." I wave a hand, and the woman steps past him.
"Fran!" he shouts, but she ignores him and grabs my hand, sliding the ring out of the way again.
"Oh thank the Lord," she mumbles, grabbing Jared's left hand to check it as well. "They broke the curse on their own."
"Charles didn't mention that," the man says as he lifts the rifle onto his shoulder.
"Would someone explain what the hell is going on?" Jared asks, and the woman pats his hand with a kind smile.
"I'm Fran Tuck. That's my brother William Tuck," she says, tilting her head toward the portly man in the doorway. "He's a doctor and I think it would be a good idea for him to look you both over, see if you still need any medical attention while we talk."
"That sounds great, I'd just appreciate some clothes first," I say, feeling a blush heat my cheeks as I hold onto Jared's waist to keep him from moving out of the way.
"We'll meet you in the living room,” Jared tells them.
"Great. I'll just go ahead and make you two something to eat while Bill gets his things together." Turning around, she waves her hands at him. "Would you put the damn gun away? He's not dangerous anymore."
"How do you know?" Bill snaps, following her into the living room, but we can still hear them clearly.
"Well, if you'd read Papa's journals then you'd know all about the curse and what it took to break it last time. These two have already committed to each other, got the Loxley bands on their fingers and everything. No danger anymore," Fran says in a chipper voice that doesn't seem to really fit the situation. "Well, except for whatever already happened to her, and you'll take care of that."
Jared turns around and cups my face in his hands, concern etched into his forehead. "I want you to know that if you want to leave with them, if you want to go, then I won't stop you. I want you to—"
Cutting him off with a quick kiss, I smile. "After all the effort you put in trying to keep me here, would you stop trying to get rid of me?"
"That wasn't me!" Jared sputters as I walk over to my duffel bag and dig out shorts and underwear so that the doctor can still look at my leg.
"Oh, so now you agree with me?" I ask, and he groans, walking over to shield me as I get dressed.
"I just don't want you to ever feel trapped. Weird magical tattoos or not, okay?" Jared is being serious, and I love him even more for it.
"I'll keep that in mind, babe. But I'm not going anywhere." Buttoning my shorts, I poke his bare stomach and grin. "You should probably put on a shirt so you don't give Fran a heart attack."
"Seriously?" he asks.
"I saw how she was looking at you. She looked like she was ready to track you down in the woods and claim you herself."
Groaning, Jared drops his head back. "This is going to be a thing now, isn't it?"
"Absolutely," I answer, kissing him one more time before I head toward the living room. "After all, no one else has an engagement story like this."
"Harper! You wouldn't!" he shouts after me, and both Fran and Bill look over at the doorway, but he comes out a moment later, tugging on his ratty, worn ‘king of the outdoors’ shirt, which makes me smile.
I knew he packed it.
"I wouldn't tell anyone, but it's still pretty incredible," I whisper to him and he sighs, pulling me into his side.
"You're the incredible one," Jared says, leaning down to kiss me, and as he parts my lips, I hear Fran's quiet 'aww' in the background.
"These two are cute." Fran's voice floats out of the kitchen and Bill just huffs as he points at the couch.
"What happened to your leg?" he asks me as I take a seat.
"Jared shot me with an arrow."
Bill's eyes go wide, turning to look at Jared who has a similar expression on his face as he raises his hands. "It was the curse. I'm good now."
"Heavens to Betsy," Bill mutters, reaching over to pull the tape off my thigh that I'd looped all the way around trying to keep the bandage in place. "So, when exactly did this happen?"
"Earlier today," I answer, and then I look down at the puckered scar on my thigh. It's still smeared with blood, but when he reaches over with an alcohol swab to clean it away, the wound is completely closed.
"How the fuck?" Jared says, and Fran pops out of the kitchen.
"Language, Mr. Loxley," she chastises, pointing at him before she looks at her brother. "Again, if you'd read Papa's journals then you'd know that once the curse is broken by their commitment to each other, the land heals them."
"Heals us," I repeat, looking over at Bill and then Jared.
"Well, yes," Fran says, walking into the living room with a paper towel wadded in her hands. "Why did you think all the Loxleys live so long and stay so healthy?
"My grandfather died when I was seven," Jared argues, and Fran puts a hand on her hip.
"Well, did he stop coming out here?" she asks, and Jared nods slowly. "That's why then. The Loxleys are tied to the land, this land specifically. Abandon it for too long and the land abandons you too. When the men come here and hunt, tend the land, the cabin, they renew its force, which is then shared with the whole family." Fran smiles, still sounding way too cheery to be talking about death and magic and curses as if she's reciting a recipe for cookies.
"I need to re-read the journals," Bill mumbles and Fran laughs.
"You need to read them for the first time you mean. Lazy bones." Fran throws the paper towel at him before she heads back into the kitchen, and I look up at Jared to see him lost in thought.
Reaching over, I take his hand and squeeze. "What is it, babe?"
"If she's right... then that means I have to come back here. I have to keep coming back here, back to where I..." he trails off, and I can tell how much he hates the idea, but I pull him onto the couch beside me and squeeze his hand tighter.
"Then you'll come back," I say, trying to sound confident. "You'll need to watch out for Ollie anyway, right? Make sure he doesn't make the same mistakes?"
"But what if we have kids? I'll just have to repeat the cycle, put them and their future loves at risk." Jared groans, and I lean my head on his shoulder.
"You wouldn't be doing it alone, babe. I'll be here," I whisper, and he leans down to capture my lips in a kiss.
"I don’t deserve you, but I love you so much, Harper."
"I love you, too," I answer, smiling at him just as Fran comes out of the kitchen again, a bright giggle leaving her as she waves a spatula around.
"Did I hear you two talking about kids? Because if so, there's
something else you should know..."
Epilogue
Jared
There are days my life doesn't feel real.
Harper is beyond beautiful, even more so now than I ever thought she was before, and I'm not sure if it's the fact that she's my wife now, or the perfect little boy she's carrying around in her arms — but I wouldn't trade this life for anything.
Not that it's been easy.
Finishing our senior year at Dartmouth with a baby on the way, and then having a newborn during finals, wasn't exactly how Harper or I ever thought things would go. Then again, I don't think either of us expected to activate a curse that has apparently haunted my family for generations.
We're both determined that what happened to us, and what apparently happened to my grandparents, is never repeated. To make sure, Harper has spent the last year going through every journal in the cabin, and every journal my grandfather kept in his things, to compile an actual set of documents for the rules on being a Loxley. The Tucks have been a huge help, and we discovered through their family history and their Papa's journals that the Tucks, along with several other families, moved from England at the same time. Of course, the Rules of Being a Loxley document would probably get us tossed into a loony bin if anyone found it, because it sounds crazy. Curses and magical forests and supernatural wedding bands... if we just had seven dwarves we'd probably have a successful fairy tale on our hands.
Well, an X-rated one at least.
But none of that really matters, because we're together, and I have a real wedding band on my finger to cover up the little pattern that appeared in my skin when Harper chose me. It was my dad that noticed the similarity between the pattern and the old bow in the chest, and none of us think it's a coincidence. There are no coincidences for a Loxley.
We're loved though. So, very loved. Even Harper's parents love me now that they've met Ash. Getting their daughter pregnant and showing up engaged wasn't exactly the best way to join the family, but I'm pretty sure they're over it.
Hunted (The Dirty Heroes Collection Book 13) Page 14