Cursed Blood

by Ashley Marie

  “She fell asleep that fast,” Cam whispers peering over the couch.

  Kayden shrugs, grabbing a blanket out of the ottoman and lays it gently on Avery. “Guess so.”

  “She’s the one, isn’t she?” Cam murmurs watching Kayden with keen eyes.

  Kayden jerks looking at Cam, “I think so.”

  Cam nods and with one last glance leaves the room.

  Kayden stays for some time. Watching this beautiful dark girl sleep. Her chest moving slowly with measured breaths. He doesn’t want to leave her side. Not now not ever. He knows he needs to, though. Now is not the time for this even though everything he is, is saying it is the time. Take it. Make her yours. He can’t. Not yet.

  With one last longing look, he walks quietly out of the room and away from the girl who he will spend the rest of his life with.

  It’s not time. But eventually, it will be.

  Chapter Seven

  Avery

  I STRETCH COMING awake and see two big brown orbs. I lean further back into the soft couch. The limping boy, I think his name is Camron is sitting right up against the couch. His pointy chin resting on the edge.

  “Yes?” I ask, one eyebrow goes up.

  “You slept forever.” He smiles sitting up just staring at me.

  I sit up too, getting further away from those dimples and that smile. What does he want from me?

  He pushes his curly hair out of his eyes reveling the cut above his eyebrow, which now has five butterfly band aids on it.

  “How old are you Avery?”

  “Seventeen.”

  “What’s your favorite color?”

  I just stare at this boy. Why ask something like that? My eyes flick over his slim shoulders when I hear a thump.

  Thunder eyes, Aden is leaning up against the wall by the tv. His arms are crossed, eyes narrowed on me. He’s thinking. I can see it in his toxic gaze. What does it have to do with me?

  “Favorite food?”

  My eyes flick back to Cam. My head cocks to the side as yellow ribbons come out to dance around his head. They twist and spin to their own song.

  “Hobby”?

  “What do you want?” My voice comes out as ice and that boyish smile falls from his face.

  He looks down at his hands, his hair falling in his face again. He peeks up like a lost puppy, “Are you hungry?”

  I nod.

  The ribbons go wild as Camron jumps to his feet. That childlike smile back on and shinning bright.

  “Awesome. Come on.” He reaches for my hand.

  I jerk back a snarl blooming across my face, “Don’t touch me.”

  He jerks back like he just got electrocuted. “Oh sorry.” He shoves his hand in the pockets of his black plaid shorts.

  “Food. Come on.” He nods almost skipping out of the room.

  I slowly climb to my feet watching Aden the way he’s watching me. With a death glare that trumps all death glares. He doesn’t like me either. That could become a good thing or a very bad thing. From the puzzle looks he’s been shooting me I say it’s going to end up a bad thing.

  I smile slow and creepy at him and watch him stiffen. His eyes narrow to slits and I leave the room.

  Camron’s bustling around the kitchen when I get there. A plate of something gets popped into the oven.

  I sit down at the table glancing at the clock. It’s three. Guess I did sleep forever. It was nice not to hear the normal screaming for once.

  A plate of some type of meat and green beans gets sat down in front of me with a flourish.

  “Dig in.”

  I pick up the fork and pop a piece of meat into my mouth. My taste buds explode with flavor. Good considering the cardboard food I’ve been eating for two years.

  “Ah, Avery your finally awake,” Jeff says as he walks through the door.

  Camron fiddles with his fingers. My head cocks to the side. Jeff makes him uncomfortable.

  “What do you plan to do today?” Jeff asks fixing himself something to drink.

  Camron stays quiet, running his fingers over the grains in the counter top.

  “Avery?”

  I look up from Camron’s slim fingers.

  “What are you doing today?”

  “Am I allowed to do something?” My lifeless voice causes both to flinch.

  “Why of course,” Jeff says surprised lighting his worried face.

  I place my fork on the now empty plate. I haven’t made the choice to do anything in a long time. The guards and nurses at Green Bier always told me what to do. Where to go.

  Camron mumbles something.

  “What was that Cam?” Jeff looks over his cup at the hunched over boy.

  Camron clears his throat, “I said she might like a shower?”

  Ah, yes that does sound good. Hot water to wash away the smell from the ward.

  Both look at me.

  I nod. Getting up from the table. I wait.

  “Cam show her the guest shower and grab some clothes from her room,” Jeff says as he leaves.

  Camron lets out a deep breath.

  “He makes you uncomfortable. Why?” My head tilts to the side.

  Camron’s eyes widen his lips forming an o.

  “He doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” Camron squeaks.

  I shake my head no.

  He straightens out his white tee shirt, “Well he does me. Come on.”

  Camron showed me to the large shower. It could fit four people easily. The steamy hot water felt good on my skin. The hot water melting my muscles. I should have done that last night.

  Dressed in shorts and a purple shirt I pad down the hallway and back towards the kitchen. It seems to be the one place everyone tends to be in.

  I stop short at the door. The tingles are back. Warm and buzzing down my skin.

  I scratch my arms as I walk through the door. It’s a full house. Everyone is at the large breakfast bar.

  Kayden stares at me again like I’m his star. Everyone else pretty much ignores me.

  “How was the shower?” Cam asks smiling again.

  “Fine.”

  I look to Jeff, “I’m going to the lake.”

  “That’s fine Avery. The boys will go with you.”

  My head falls to the side. Why do the boys have to go with me? Is he pushing these guys on me for some reason or is he afraid something could happen to me? Could it be the nonsense they were talking about yesterday?

  I nod walking out the sliding glass doors.

  Chapter Eight

  Avery

  THE MOUNTAIN AIR is crisp and pleasant as I breathe it into my lungs. My eyes shut, my head falls back letting the evening suns warm rays bathe my skin as the summer breeze whirls about my face and my wet hair bringing the smell of cleanliness with it. It’s intoxicating. Being outside. It’s not until I hear the shuffling of feet that I snap back and continue walking, taking the middle path in-between the trees.

  The trees are bigger than what I’m used to seeing out of the windows at Green Bier and the leaves are bright glossy green. Birds are singing and a few squirrels tussle in the bushes. It’s like I’m seeing everything for the first time.

  “So, how are you doing?” Camron asks as he falls into step beside me. This boy doesn’t know when to stop.

  My eyes flicker over to him. He’s staring straight ahead, hands shoved in the front pockets of his plaid shorts.

  “Fine,” I reply half-heartedly. I don’t care to pretend to care today. The other three are quiet following behind us, listening to us.

  I feel a flutter of frustration laced with disappointment. It makes me stop in my tracks. My eyes lock onto Camron’s when I stopped. He stops to and turns to face me. These emotions aren’t mine, but his. It’s a feather light touch. Barely there. I’m blocking always blocking. I’m completely walled off but the emotions whisper over me. Why now am I feeling him?

  My head tilts, “Why do I feel you.” I say more to myself then him. Wondering how this could be possible. W
anting to figure out the why so I can stop it for good.

  His beautiful chocolate bar eyes widen and he stumbles back in shock I suppose. Aden comes up behind him. I pay him a parting glance, my attention locked back on Camron.

  Awe lights up Camron’s features causing ribbons to appear and whisper touches of emotions to flow to me. It’s so light I could ignore it but I want it to stop completely.

  He gulps afraid and excited all at the same time, “What do you . . .”

  “Nick. Nicholas.” A high-pitched whine rings out interrupting Camron and causing a groan to release from Nick.

  A life size Barbie doll rounds the bend of the path coming from the direction I’m heading. She’s tall with platinum blond hair and dark blue eyes. A halter top shows her midriff and a barely their jean skirt covers her lower half. She’s also bare footed.

  Huh. A backwoods Barbie.

  Joy lights up her overly made up eyes. A whirlwind of pink hued and dark red ribbons surrounds her.

  “Ah, Nick baby I found you.” She sings out in a whiney voice. It rattles my ears.

  She stops when her eyes latch onto me. Bright green replaces the pink but not the dark red. The two colors dance together. A sneer covers her inch-thick make-up face. “Who’s this?” She growls it out, hands on her boney hips.

  These people spend way too much time around dogs.

  Nick steps around me while the others move in standing close to my back, “This is Avery. Jeff’s niece.”

  She’s bipolar. It’s like a flip of a switch. She’s back to the same girl who first walked out. All smiles and false sass.

  “The loony one.” She giggles out, twirling a piece of her hair around her boney fingers.

  A fierce growl echoes out. Barbie stumbles back, fear slamming on her face. Nick tenses up. It was Kayden. Even him growling like a demon dog has my blood heating with an electrical current racing across my skin more powerful than before. Is he the cause of this pin and needles? I’m really starting to hate this place. Maybe being free isn’t worth all this crap. I don’t need their crazy mixing with mine. That’s how insane folks are made.

  “Um . . . So where are you guys going?” Barbie asks softly. Eyes flickering around on the ground. Head held down. It’s like she’s submitting. But to what or whom? I do know Kayden scared the sass right out of her.

  I smirk, moving around her and Nick going into the bend of the packed down dirt path. The lake should be close. I feel some of the tension lose its strength on my tired body as I walk down the smooth path. I hear mumbles from behind. Hushed harsh whispers.

  “Hey let’s do something else,” Nick suggests jogging to catch up to me.

  “Why?” Camron stops causing the others to do the same. I keep moving, I just want to reach that muddy body of water.

  More heated whispering echoes from behind me.

  “Yeah, Avery lets go back to the house.” Camron’s nervous. I don’t even need to look at him to know. His voice raised in a high pitch plus the edgy feeling tumbling around in my gut coming from him. I shake my hands out as the emotion slowly drains out of me.

  “No. You all go back. I didn’t ask for any of you to come.”

  My feet hit the Sandy beach. The lake is more magical than I remembered. Stretching further than my eyes can see. The sun shining its rays on the muddy surface. Maybe I’ll go for a swim. Could my body handle it? I haven’t done anything besides walking in a very long time.

  Growls and yelps bring me to a sudden stop halfway to the lake. My head snaps to the left. Further down the beach is a small crowd of kids surrounding what looks like a dog fight. What’s wrong with these people?

  “Uh. Oh.” Barbie’s whiney voice rings out behind me. She’s excited. I can hear it in her tone.

  I flick a look over my shoulder cold eyes landing on Barbie who looks at the ground, fighting off a smile.

  I turn back towards the rowdy group of kids. There’s a tornado of ethereal ribbons exploding in and out of the chaos. So many colors. There’s one that catches my attention. It draws me forward like a moth to a flame. Dark and thick spinning slower than the others.

  It’s black and broad. Dancing sensually above the other ribbons. There’s more than one. I move closer watching the people part from the corner of my eyes. Never straying from the thick black ribbons. That seem to make my mouth water and my heart to flutter.

  I reluctantly pull my eyes from the ribbons. It’s not a dog fight. It’s a wolf fight. What kind of place do these people live at to have wolves for sport fights?

  A huge black wolf with thick course hair is about the size of a great Dane, but wider with thick wiry muscles. He’s standing over top of a much smaller grey wolf. The grey wolf is about the size of a small border collie and it’s in some serious pain and scared to death. Animals have ribbons? It’s a first for me but then again, I haven’t been around any animals after the ribbons made their magical appearance.

  My eyes narrow as I step forward into the center of the group causing the black wolf to back up. A soft whine coming from pulled back lips. I don’t think the wolf knows what to do about me.

  I give the beasty one last glance and look down at the small grey wolf at my feet. It looks quite pitiful. Bending down, the grey wolfs gold eyes lock onto my face. I hold its stare but the ribbons soon draw me away.

  It’s like my body hungers for them. My hand raises. My fingers wiggle and I watch as the many black ribbons slither slowly to me like a snake.

  They weave in and out between my fingers feeling like a cool gel. I barely notice that the grey wolf has calmed down somewhat. The ribbons have my full attention. They start to wrap around my wrist leaving a numb sensation on my fingers and hands. My eyes follow them as they twist around my arm, slithering higher. They spread out under my shirt across my chest. It’s a cool sensation but burns at the same time. I gasp as I feel a push through my skin, over my pounding heart.

  I fall to the ground, landing hard on my back. My body writhing around on the sun warmed sand. My mouth opens in a silent scream. My body absorbs them. One by one till all three are slinking in my veins.

  The thick black ribbons, causing unyielding pain and vigorous pleasure all at the same time. Tears leak from my eyes. I hear voices like I’m under water. Muffled and hazy.

  I finally stop moving wheezing for air as the last ribbon vanishes under my skin, numbing my chest. I thought it was over. Whatever it was but I’m wrong. My body starts to bend in impossible ways. My head going backwards toward my back digging into the sand. My torso raises off the ground bending out towards the sky as a burning hot cold stretch through every cell of my body. I hear several somethings snapping as worried jade green eyes fill my foggy vision as I pass out.

  Chapter Nine

  Kayden

  “WHY DO I feel you?” Avery’s cold voice lashes out causing a deep hurt to roll through Kayden’s tense body.

  He doesn’t like the fact that she can feel Camron or what this means for him. A growl forms in his throat. He clamps down on it. If Avery can feel Cam than that means she might be an empath after all and empaths do not mate with wolves. How could his instincts be wrong? Everything in him is saying that Avery is his. His mate, not his empath. What does this all mean?

  “What do you . . .”

  “Nick. Nicholas.” Courts banshee voice pulls Avery’s cold gaze away from Cam, who lets out a stress filled breath of air and looks at them with wide panicked eyes.

  Court comes around the bend of the path dressed as she always is. In skimpy clothes. “Ah, Nick baby I found you.” Her whiney voice rings out.

  How Nick can be around her is beyond Kayden. The girl is a complete power hungry twit and that voice is like nails on a chalk board.

  Kayden’s body tenses his toned muscles ready to snap and he steps closer to Avery when a sneer covers Courts face. She can be a real brat at times.

  “Who’s this?”

  He can’t help but smirk when Court shows her jealousy. He finds
insecure girls like Court amusing sometimes.

  Nick steps around Avery moving closer to Court while Kayden and the others move in closer to Avery, boxing her in. Better safe than sorry. Courts known to wolf out over everything and the last thing they need is that happening.

  “This is Avery. Jeff’s niece.” Nick says.

  Kayden watches a smile stretch across Courts face, “The loony one.”

  A growl rips from his throat before he realizes. Oh well.

  Avery is his to protect. He knew it as soon as he caught her cold winter scent. But what is she to him is another question. Only time will tell.

  He can’t help but notice the quiver that goes throughout Avery’s body at the sound of his growl. He smiles on the inside quite happy that she reacts to him that way.

  “Umm . . . So where are you guys going?” Court asks her eyes anywhere but on the more dominate wolves.

  Kayden watches Avery move around Court and Nick with a predatory grace. She’s so cold. He wants to know why she is the way she is and how he can bring a bit of life back into those dead blue eyes of hers.

  “What?” He snaps out to Aden.

  “Where you not listening?”

  “No.” He watches as Cam and Nick jog to catch up with Avery.

  “Kayden.” He brings his attention back to Aden.

  “Court said Deans at the beach fighting some of the others. Now personally I don’t see what the problem is, but Jeff might.”

  Kayden snaps his teeth at a smirking Aden.

  Shit. Avery can’t go down there.

  “No. You all go back. I didn’t ask for any of you to come.” Avery’s cold voice causes him to tense up. Trying to hide how his body wants to tremble from her sound. From her.

  Even if one of them could convince her to go back to the house, which is highly unlikely it would be too late.

  Kayden watches stiffly as Avery pauses on the beach. Her body relaxes a little bit as she looks out towards the lake. Too bad it won’t last long.

  “What are we going to do?” Cam whispers out over top of gnawing on his finger nails.

  “Nothing,” Aden answers earning a frown from Cam.

  Cam.

  “Look.” They turn their gazes toward Avery.