Cursed Blood

by Ashley Marie

  The wind blows across the lake, chill bumps pop up on my exposed shoulders and neck. Time to get out. The lake has done its job.

  I glide through the water liking the feel of it as it kisses my skin. My hands land on the deck making a wet smack.

  Camron jumps and squeaks, “Ahh, Avery.”

  Pulling myself up onto the deck, Camron makes an embarrassed choking sound turning around.

  It’s like he’s never seen a naked girl before. I’m not nearly naked. The naughty bits are covered.

  “Are you an innocent Camron?” I whisper making it sound like our dirty little secret. He makes a choking noise again.

  Maybe he is.

  I wouldn’t know being innocent and all myself. Evan and I, well we never made it that far.

  My shorts become difficult as I pull them up my wet thighs. Ugh. Wet skin and clothes have a rather disgusting feel to them. Just plain nasty.

  My tank comes on much easier and I hook my fingers in my shoes. I’d rather carry them then get a wet stink in em.

  My toes sink into the warm sand, “Are you coming?” I ask Camron knowing his back is still turned away from me.

  “Yep.” He runs to catch up falling in step as we walk down the beach.

  “You know, it is not the girl naked apart.”

  I glance over at him. His face is red as a tomato as he rubs the back of his neck.

  “It’s the cousins part.” He mumbles.

  I stop. “Cousins?”

  He turns to me a sheepish look on his face, “Yeah. Not through blood or anything but my mom and Shelly are sisters. So yeah, we’re cousins through marriage.”

  Cousins. Huh. Don’t know what I think about that. I start walking again.

  “So, what happened with Kayden?”

  “What do you mean?” I forego confusion watching where I place my feet. I’m not too keen on stepping on a piece of glass or a sharp rock.

  “Don’t play dumb.” Aden snarls out grabbing my attention from my feet and the soft sand.

  Where’d he come from?

  My head snaps up fast, my eyes growing colder and deathly as I pierce Aden’s silver eyes with my dead ones.

  My gaze flickers over his body seeing his muscles bunch up underneath his tight tee shirt. He’s either afraid or ready to spring at me. I doubt he’s scared from the look in his blazing eyes. I wonder why I never see any ribbons dancing around him?

  I smile my doll like smile and start walking once more. Sand squeezing in between my toes.

  I hear air leaving lungs in a whoosh. Camron. I did scare him when I snapped around. I felt it.

  Both him and Aden are rather curious to me. So, different but able to form an em-bond. Is that how it works. With people who are opposite of each other? I don’t think that would be a very good bond.

  A humorless chuckle leaves my lips. My life was much saner being locked away. Which is insane if you ponder about it.

  “Oh no.” Cam groans coming to a stop, looking to the right.

  A carbon copy of Camron struts down the beach. Honey tanned skin. Sandy brown hair and warm chocolate eyes with think black lashes stop in front of us.

  The girl’s eyes shine with a sparkle and she squeals.

  “Finally, I’m Cammie.” She holds out a tan hand towards me.

  She smiles, “Right forgot. You don’t like to be touched.” She pops her gum.

  “Go away.” Cam snaps.

  The girl, Cammie cocks a hip, “Now why dear brother should I do that? I’ve been waiting forever to meet Avery.”

  My eyebrow cocks.

  She turns to me a full smile showing dimples, “They’ve kept me away from you.” She says, twisting her hair around her finger.

  I look a Camron, “Why?”

  Cammie laughs so full of giddiness, “Their afraid I’ll get you in trouble.”

  “We had good reasons for that Cammie. You’re always getting into trouble.” Cam says.

  Cammie scoffs, “No trouble here. Run along. It’s time Avery had a girl to chat with.”

  Cam looks uneasy and Aden has a tiny smile on his face.

  “We’re not going far,” Cam says kicking up sand.

  “Ok. Toot a loo.” Cammie says smile, fingers wiggling in the air.

  Cam shoots her a look of disdain but walks off with Aden.

  “Come on,” Cammie says walking the opposite direction from Cam and Aden.

  “Are you guy’s twins?”

  “Yes. Cam thinks he’s the boss because he popped out first. Which is mega ridicules. A couple of seconds make him the boss. Nope, I don’t think so.” Cammie huffs, kicking up sand.

  “Are you an Empath too?”

  Cammie winces. A small frown pulling at her pink lips, “No. Cam stole that too.” She says bitterly.

  Well then.

  “Do you know everything now?” Cammie asks smile back in full force.

  “Everything?”

  She pops her gum, “Guess not.”

  A twinkle shines in her eyes when she looks over her shoulder, “Come on.” She whispers taking off to the left. Running towards the trees.

  I look behind me and see Camron and Aden walking with their backs to me. I shrug and jog after Cammie. I say Camron was right about her being trouble.

  I slip in-between the trees walking now. Where did she go?

  “BOO!”

  I turn and look at a red-faced Cammie.

  “Not the scaring type, huh?”

  “No.”

  She shrugs and starts skipping through the woods.

  “Where are, we going?”

  I step over a large rock and around a patch of bushes.

  “We, my darling cousin are going to bust you out of here and go into town.” Cammie giggles, weaving through the trees.

  To town. Yes, she is trouble.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kayden

  KAYDEN SMILES STEPPING onto the beach.

  His smile slowly falls seeing no Avery at the dock. He looks left down the beach. Still no Avery. He turns right spotting Cam and Aden but no Avery.

  Where is she?

  He walks toward Cam and Aden, “Hey, Where’s Avery?”

  Cam gets jittery looking around as the boys walk towards one another.

  “They were just here. I swear.” Cam says eyes full of panic.

  “They?” Kayden frowns.

  “Cammie and Avery,” Cam mumbles still looking in all directions.

  Kayden’s hands curl, “You left her alone with Cammie.”

  Cam’s head stops jerking around and he gulps looking at Kayden’s glowing eyes.

  “They were right there.” Cam stutters.

  Kayden snarls turning on his heels. “Where do you think, they went?” Kayden grinds out between lengthen teeth. He should never have left the beach. He knew something like this would happen.

  “Maybe the house.”

  Kayden nods stiffly taking off at a run. He runs through the woods towards Cam’s house. Why would Cammie do something like this? She should know better.

  He picks up speed. His pulse pounding in his neck. He’s going to ring Cammie when he gets a hold of her.

  Kayden breaks through the tree line. Cam’s house sits up against the hill side. A three-bedroom stone cottage.

  Two minutes later a red faced panting Cam and a bored Aden bust through the tree line.

  “Her car’s gone,” Kayden mutters, pacing in the green grass.

  Cam pales. “No.”

  “Yes, Cam. Your wayward sister took my mate off pack land.” Kayden snarls, his skin rippling with the shift.

  “We’ll take my car,” Aden mumbles going to the garage.

  A rumble of an engine can be heard behind the garage door that slowly pulls open.

  A black mustang pulls out with Aden behind the wheel. Kayden jumps in the passenger side and a shaky Cam climbs into the backseat.

  “She wouldn’t take Avery to town. She wouldn’t.” Cam mumbles.

  “
Cam. Enough. You know she did.” Aden grips taking a sharp turn. His tires kicking up gravel from his speed.

  “Where would she go?” Kayden growls hand gripping the door frame.

  “The Smoothie,” Cam whines, hands rubbing at his face.

  The mustang tires squeal when Aden slams on the breaks in front of the gate.

  Kayden quickly taps in the code. The gate slowly pulling open. When there’s enough room for the mustang Aden guns the engine.

  “She better be okay.” Kayden snaps as the car speeds down the road.

  Chapter Twenty

  Avery

  I SIP AT the strawberry smoothie Cammie ordered me. I watch her from the round table I’m sitting at in the Smoothie.

  Cammie moves from group to group. Talking and laughing. A social butterfly.

  “Whoop, it’s so hard being me.” Cammie giggles taking the metal chair in front of me.

  I cock an eyebrow at her. This girl is something else. She takes a big slurp of her smoothie eyes flicking around the seating area.

  “How does it feel to get out?” Cammie asks, chewing on her straw.

  “Noisier.”

  She giggles. “Your funny.”

  Yeah, so funny.

  Her eyes widen and her giggles cut off at the same time I feel the heat against my back.

  My eyes narrow and I tip my head back.

  A guy with blond hair, blue eyes, and a lip piercing is standing directly behind me. A smirk on his red lips.

  “Yes?” My right eyebrow goes up.

  He licks his lips, “Your new.”

  I smile something sweet, “Yeah?”

  His eyes shine, “Yeah. What’s your name?”

  My sweet smiles turn dark. The guy’s eyes widen, “Death.” I say monotone.

  His head cocks, pale skin turning even lighter, “Death? You can’t be serious.”

  I put a purr behind my empty voice, “Ah, baby I am too you.”

  Cammie busts out laughing and the guy looks at her and then back at me. He shakes his head walking off muttering, “Crazy.”

  “Oh, my Gawd. That was creepy but hilarious. Did you see Jack’s face? I so knew I liked you for a reason.” Cammie hoots, slapping the table with her hand.

  “Come on. Let’s go.” Cammie giggles walking towards the door.

  I follow sipping my smoothie. It is quite good.

  “You know, you really should put your shoes on. Never know what you might pick up on the side walk.” Cammie mutters staring at my now dirty bare feet.

  I shrug my shoulders. I never did like shoes on my feet and it feels good to let them breath for once. We always had to have shoes on in Green Bier.

  I see Cammie stiffen when we get to the cross walk.

  “Maybe taking you to town wasn’t such a good idea,” Cammie mutters.

  I glance behind me and see Jack from the Smoothie with two others.

  I look at Cammie.

  She’s biting her nails waiting for the light to change saying we can cross.

  “Is this bad?” I slurp at what’s left of my smoothie.

  “No, why would you say that?”

  The light turns. “Come on.”

  I walk fast keeping up with Cammie as we hit the other side of the sidewalk walking towards her little sports car.

  “Your acting like its bad.” I twist my head looking at an anxious Cammie who keeps glancing behind her.

  She mutters, “You must give off some damn potent pheromones.”

  Cammie unlocks the doors with a beep and we climb in.

  “Pheromones?” My nails start tapping on the door.

  Cammie pulls out into traffic, “Yeah, it’s this smell Empath’s give off letting wolves know. Hey, I’m here.”

  My eyes narrow and I turn towards her. She’s flushed chewing on her lip and glancing at the review mirror.

  “Empath?”

  She speeds up as we get out of the small town. “Yeah. I so knew I was right.” She mumbles.

  “Right?”

  “Yeah, that’s why the boys seem to want to be around you. Empaths can’t help it. You’re like cat nip to their wolves.”

  So now I’m cat nip. Could this get any stranger?

  “Of course, the boys don’t notice. Because they’re boys. But I guessed by the way they were all acting.” She nods speeding up.

  “It seemed Aden was on the verge of figuring it out. You know, because of his sister. But yeah. I know you’re an Empath. A little emotionless to be an Empath but still one. What exactly happened to you?”

  “Shit!”

  I cock my head at Cammie. She’s all over the place.

  “What now?” I mumble my nails tapping faster.

  “That was Aden’s car.”

  Oh. Guess we didn’t do a good job at losing them.

  “I’m so dead. So, dead.” Cammie mutters going faster. The car hugs the turns perfectly and it isn’t long before we’re at the gate and Cammie is punching in the numbers.

  “How close do you think they are?” I ask watching behind us as dust kicks up from the gravel.

  “Too close.” She mutters her hands turning white on the steering wheel.

  She skids to a stop in front of her house and climbs out.

  “Come on Avery.” She laughs taking off running through the trees.

  If I’m crazy this girl is the Queen of Crazy.

  I climb out and walk after her.

  The wind blows causing my hair to fly up in my face as I walk slowly through the woods. Trees and bushes and small streams seem to be everywhere here. I step over one of the small streams then pause looking down at my black feet.

  I shrug my shoulders and sit down on the ground. The cool water on my feet feels good. I’m not used to walking so much with or without shoes and my feet are sore.

  I watch as the water swirls around my feet washing off the grim and dirt. The black water slowly trickles further down the stream until it’s once again clear water.

  I’m cat nip. I shake my head. Is that why they all seem to be so nice to the cold girl? Would you be nice to someone who is always cold and distant? I’d like to think I wouldn’t have cared in the past but now I don’t care so much.

  A stick snaps jerking me around. Cammie is stumbling through the woods. Eyes wide and frightened.

  She spots me sitting on the ground, “What are you doing?”

  She huffs sitting down beside me. I splash my feet in the stream. She looks but doesn’t say anything.

  I start to feel tiny pin pricks zooming along my skin and I sigh. They’ve found us.

  Kayden walks out behind a tree. His body vibrating.

  “Oh no,” Cammie whispers.

  “Found them.” He shouts over his shoulder.

  His bright eyes lock on me. He slowly looks at me from head to toe. Nodding he turns and looks at Cammie.

  She waves her fingers. His eyes narrow.

  A disheveled Cam stumbles into view. His eyes widen at Kayden’s tense form and he rushes forward grabbing Cammie by the arm. “Go home,” Cam mutters at his sister.

  Aden finally appears looking amused at a sulking Cammie heading home.

  “What were you thinking?” Kayden growls stalking towards me.

  I look up, “I wasn’t.”

  I climb to my feet and he steps back.

  “Avery, you scared us,” Cam says shakily.

  I shrug and turn around and start walking. Kayden snarls.

  “This way,” Cam mumbles cutting right. Soon we’re back on the path and my feet are dirty again.

  I walk slowly and someone huffs. Oh well. My feet are sore. I wonder how much trouble Cammie will get into for taking me to town? Will I get in trouble too?

  I feel a tinge of frustration laced with disappointed. I glance over my shoulder looking at Camron. He’s still scared.

  These emotions aren’t mine nor his. What’s going on now? My eyes flick from side to side. Looking for someone in the trees. There’s someone else out there.<
br />
  A need so strong hits me like a bull. I stumbled and a gasp falls from my parted lips. What the hell?

  “Avery, Are you okay?” Camron asks bending down a little, looking at my face, but not touching. Smart boy.

  You must give the boy his props for following the no touching Avery rule.

  “Someone is following us,” I answer standing straight looking at Aden. Kayden moves closer.

  They snap full alert. Both boys body taking on a predator demeanor. It’s interesting to watch seeing them turn into something other than human. Looking at them right now you’d know they’d be trouble.

  “Maybe it’s Nick?” Cameron whispers.

  “No.”

  All three give me a funny look. I’ve never felt Nick before and I would have with these powerful emotions rolling around.

  “Where are they?” Aden asks scanning the trees again.

  “I don’t know.”

  Aden narrows his eyes at me, “Just keep moving.”

  Aden stays close to Camron as he takes out his cell phone. I feel the heat of Kayden at my back.

  My mind wonders away from him as more emotions slowly flutter to me.

  Desire. Happiness. A feeling of rightness.

  Whoever they are, I can feel them so much more than Camron. A light headedness soon engulfs me as the feelings keep coming. Making me feel the same way. My heart pounds faster, as saliva pools in my mouth. I’m feeling too much to fast after so long of feeling nothing. I can’t keep it out. The feeling just keeps coming and coming. Bulldozing over my wall.

  I stop walking causing the boys to stop too. My chest feels tight and my head light.

  “Avery?” Cameron questions.

  I make myself breath slow. In and out. In and out.

  My eyes snap open as I feel the Kayden tingles move across my skin. Growing stronger by the minute. Never been gladder for the buzz he brings as they slowly cover up the unknown emotions. Making them less strong to where I’m able to separate myself from them. No longer feeling them as my own but I can still sense them. Hovering in the background. Ready to pounce.

  “How do you know?” Kayden’s husky voice tightens up my stomach.

  He looks stressed and upset.

  My head tips to the side, “I can feel them. Whoever it is.”

  No point keeping what I can do a secret anymore. Cammie knows and she said Aden was close to figuring it out.