Cursed Blood

by Ashley Marie

I nod. Not understanding why I need to do either of those things. I think the safe thing to do is not to move. But I would very much like to get away now that my fear is starting to brim back over.

  To know how to do it is the question. Do I just go to get up? Push his two-ton head off my thigh? Ask? Would he even understand what I mean?

  “Umm, Dean I need up?” I say softly, my chin tucked into my chest. Please don’t go for my throat.

  Cam said he’s intelligent. Asking should do the trick.

  Dean shifts, looking back at me. A question in his glowing copper eyes. I don’t know what to do really. I’m going with my gut now. Hopefully, it leads me true.

  Dean looks back up at Cam and a low growl rumbles from his chest as he stands up. Well, Cam’s been warned. What about who knows. For heaven’s sake, it’s a wolf. There could be several things he said in that growl.

  I climb slowly to my feet, wincing at the needle feeling of blood flowing back into my legs. The fear is still there, but it’s not boiling over yet. I guess I’m getting used to being around him.

  I shuffle back about a foot from the patio. Chewing on my nails. A bad habit, but one I discovered I do when I’m nervous.

  “Alright now what?” I ask looking at a pale Cam.

  He chuckles nervously, “I’m going to come out and we’ll work on the next steps.”

  Alrighty. I shift from foot to foot- watching Dean watching Cam. I can see all the tense muscles running through Dean’s wide back. His head goes down as Cam moves to the edge of the patio, stiff as can be. Will Dean attack him? Oh, my gosh, what am I to do if he does? How am I to stop the wolf?

  “Nervous Cam?” My lips twist in a mocking smile. Serves him right after what I just went through. Leaving me out here by myself. Locking the damn door. Getting sniffed up by a wolf.

  “Yeah, just a little.”

  Dean sits down slightly in front of me. It’s like he’s guarding me against Cam which is silly. The only threat here is Dean. He’s the one with the sharp teeth and claws.

  “Alright. Have you felt the bond connecting you and Dean?”

  “I think.” I really don’t know. This is all so very Twilight Zone.

  “Good enough. This isn’t going to be pleasant for you or him when he starts to transition back. Hell, it might not even work right away.” Cam mumbles looking at Dean.

  My hand goes up to a loose piece of hair with the not pleasant part. Twisting the hair around my fingers. It’s another nervous habit of mine back before I lost everything. It seems something’s stay the same.

  “I need you to push out the emotions. Your human ones through the bond. You need to imagine being human. The human face, body. Things like that.”

  “Um. What kind of emotions?”

  I thought all and any emotion would be considered human but I guess not. Who knew.

  “Like sadness. Joy. Love. Shy. Loss. Even jealousy. Things like that.”

  Alright, whatever. Still, doesn’t make a lot of sense. Animals feel things too probably more than people I’m guessing.

  I close my eyes and picture a human body. Arms, legs, hands, feet, body. I let everything build and build up till tears stream down my face and my breathing becomes panicky gasps. I reach out to that dark spot in my mind, I’ve associated with Dean. I hope that’s our link anyways. I start to push those things down through to that spot. A line starts to spider web away from me and out towards Dean. There’s a burnt red glow along the lines. I watch it as the colors move further from me and closer to Dean. There’s a confused snarl followed by a horrific howl has my concentration snapping and me stumbling backwards on weak legs.

  Crap that scared me. My eyes snap open locking onto the massive black wolf laying on its side panting for breath. My hand comes up all on its own as I step forward. Towards Dean. Is he okay?

  “Avery don’t. Just keep going.”

  Cam’s serious tone stops me in my jerky tracks. I look at the patio and see that Aden and Nick have joined us outside. Still no Kayden though. He should be here with me. Why did he leave?

  “But . . .” It hangs there in the open air. I hurt Dean. Whatever I did hurt him badly.

  “He told you it wouldn’t be pleasant. Whatever you hear do not stop. You have to keep going no matter what.” Aden says softly. The sorrow in his voice even has me hurting for him.

  I nod and move back.

  Eyes close. I find the dark link and start pushing as much as I can. Love. Loss. Grief. It comes in waves after waves. Tiny glowing balls of yellow follow down our link. It has my knees knocking together. I picture the body next. A human head, feet, legs, arms, hands, torso. I pull more from inside my core that I didn’t even realize was there. My need for him to change. To shift. To be human once again.

  Hurt. Guilt. Love. Fear. Shame. Joy.

  It blasts through me and into the brunt red link bringing me to my knees on the hard-grassy ground. Leaving me breathless. My heart banging against my ribs.

  An agonizing howl rents the air sending the tiny hairs on my body to attention. I gasp and shake as the sound of breaking bones reach my ears. Dean.

  He’s hurting and it’s my fault. I almost stop but remember the sorrow in Aden’s voice. The seriousness in Cams’. I can’t stop. It’s not right for a wolf to be stuck in the rage and I’m the only thing to bring him out of it. To bring his humanity back.

  Tears flow out of my eyes. I push harder, my body shaking as I catch myself with my hands as I fall forwards onto the ground. My head hangs down, my neck too weak to hold it up. My breathing is fast and uneven. Stars dance behind my eyelids.

  The howls turn into growls mixed with tortured whines. More bones break and snap. Grinding together. Echoing out across the yard. I cringe at the noise. It sounds like a baseball ball bat hitting the concrete at full force. Over and over. The sound rings out louder than the devastating whines. The pain he must be going through. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like. And the confusion. How does he even know what’s going on? I should have talked to him. Told him what I was going to try and do. Instead of him thinking invisible hands are tearing him apart.

  I’m panting. On the verge of passing out when a very human scream fills the air. That has my body jerking from the pain fueled sound.

  “Avery stop. It’s done.”

  Done. I’m done. I did it. I let go of our shared connection. I feel a small smile form on my lips as my shuddering arms give out and I hit the ground with a hard thud. My labored pants mix with more pain filled whines and grunts that sound more human than animal as I lose the last of my consciousness.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Dean

  SHE CALLED OUT to him. Her voice ringing in his ears sweet and full of desperation and fear.

  Why? It wonders through his mind as he watches the two-legged female with the two-legged male that came from that thing past the grass. A den maybe. Dean doesn’t know. Doesn’t remember a lot of things he knows he should.

  He doesn’t like the two-legged male who made the female move. Dean was comfortable laying on her. He felt sleepy and she was soft.

  His lips peel back wanting to snarl. He doesn’t know if it will spook the funny shaped female who called out to him. He doesn’t like the sour smell of her fear coating her winter scent.

  Mid chase. Almost had the fat rabbit.

  His mouth starts to water at the thought of his snack being disturbed. She called. He will always answer her call even if it meant no rabbit.

  The two-legged female that brings a want raging through his blood. The one that smells cold and fresh. Like a first snow.

  His big head cocks watching the female. His ears flicker listing to the funny sounds she makes.

  He growls as the pain hits his body. His muscles quiver.

  Why? I am not tired. Who hurts me?

  He grunts and growls as the feelings come.

  What is this?

  Guilt. Love. Worry. Lonely. Fear.

  They hit him like a batterin
g ram knocking him down on the ground. Taking his air.

  He doesn’t understand these feeling. Why they hurt so much. His muscular body shakes from the pain.

  Lonely. I have been lonely. Lost. Always looking for something. No more. She will keep the lonely at bay.

  His body withers on the ground as the feelings pound and pound on him. In him. His strong bones snapping and re-shaping.

  His snarls soon turn into screams. He jerks at the odd sound coming from his snout.

  What a weird noise.

  He snaps at the air. Looking for the enemy. He whimpers and whines as something forces his body to break. To change. One last scream flies free and he’s on hands and knees. Panting hard at the pain. The confusion coursing through his drained body.

  What am I?

  His eyes are glued onto the strange pale things where his paws and claws use to be.

  Hands. Fingers.

  The thought comes and goes as he fights through his confusion and groggy mind. The pain still withering his body.

  Snow. Cold and fresh invades his nostrils. Her. The two-legged female is close. Coming closer.

  Not two-legged female. A girl. A human girl.

  The thoughts fly away when a soft voice reaches his delicate ears.

  He doesn’t understand her. The human. It’s there somewhere in his mind. He should know these things. What happened to him? He feels, though. A need so great it has his body twitching from it.

  In a blink, he has the girl on her back. His head resting on her soft middle. Arms wrapped around her warm small body.

  Home. Mine.

  They talk. She talks. He doesn’t understand her strange words. He’s content. Happy.

  Cinnamon. Male.

  Dean crawls up the rest of her body, covering her completely with his new strange form, considering her pale blue eyes that look of ice.

  Eyes of ice. The scent of snow. My winter goddess.

  A growl bursts through his funny shaped mouth. Not as terrifying as he would like but it stops the cinnamon smelling male who dares to come to close to what is his.

  Mine. I must mark. Make mine. Others stay away. From Mine.

  “Mine.” He growls.

  He sinks his teeth into the soft flesh of the girl. A small pop sounding as his teeth pierce her. Her blood warm flowing down his throat.

  She is mine.

  It’s the last fleeing thought before darkness takes him.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Avery

  I SQUINT AT the bright light shining in my eyes. Ugh. What happened? It feels like I worked myself to the bone. My muscles quiver and there is a pounding in my head. And why am I laying on the ground? Outside?

  “Hey, you feel okay?” Cam’s voice is soft coming in front of me.

  I raise my head up and see him sitting cross legged in front of me. I turn my head to the left and jerk back a little. There not even ten paces away from me is a man. A very pale naked man on his hands and knees, face hanging towards the ground. He’s panting so hard it has his whole body moving up and down in time with his breathes. The muscles in his back and arms straining.

  Oh, my god. I slowly turn my head back towards Cam shell shocked.

  My eyes are huge, “Why is there a naked man next to me?” I whisper harshly out at Cam.

  He smiles cheeky, “That is Dean.”

  What? Wait a minute. The wolf. Dean. It all comes rushing back to me. The black wolf, Dean I was pushing my emotions on to bring out of the Rage. The howls and very human screams. The sound of bones breaking that had my teeth hurting. The bone warning fugitive I felt from it the whole ordeal. I must have passed out. I slowly climb to my knees, setting on the back of my legs.

  “You were only out for a minute or two?” Cam answers my huh look.

  That’s good at least. Minutes is so much better than days. My hands come up fast squeezing on either side of my head as this pounding feeling intensify.

  “You need to let him in Avery. You can’t keep the link blocked.” Cam says quietly, squinting warm brown eyes at me.

  I narrow my eyes in return. He never said I had to be constantly linked up to Dean. It’s like an invasion of our personal space. My private world. My personal bubble Dean did well and popped, I guess he wouldn’t care. Cam, it seems leaves a lot out when he tells me things. Important things.

  I let out a groan at the pain. Hitting me harder. Oh god. It feels like my head is going to burst open like a watermelon.

  My eyes squeeze shut as I find the now black thread linking me and Dean. It’s like I have a door in the middle of the link, blocking it from entering me. With a deep breath, I jerk the door open. Better fast then slow.

  The sorrow and loneliness knock me back onto my hands. A sharp cry pulling from my throat. Confusion and fear come so strong it has my vision going blurry.

  I feel this need to be close to him. To help him. It’s all me, this feeling. Next thing I know I’m sitting in front of this fragile man. Dean feels like he will break any second. Worse than before.

  My hand lifts slowly on its own accord. I run my fingers in his white as snow hair as I try to send a peaceful feeling towards him through the newly opened link.

  “Ahh.” I screech as Dean moves to fast for me to see. One minute his bent over and the next his arms are around my waist, head laying on my belly with me on my back, our legs tangled together. He snuggles up to me like I’m his favorite teddy bear.

  What the hell.

  My hands are up in the air not touching him as my face burns beet red. I have a naked man lying on top of me. I bit my lip nervous and so out of my element. Why is he laying on me? And naked for that matter. What to do?

  I send a beseeching look at Cam, whose mouth is hanging open.

  “Calm him.” Cam sputters.

  Yeah Okay. How am I supposed to do that when I’m nothing but a bundle of nerves? Seriously. This is so terrifying. I’ve never seen a naked guy before and to have one laying completely on top of me clutching me like I’m his life line is just. God, I don’t even have a word for it.

  I take a much need deep breath getting a whiff of fresh rain with a hint of saddle wood, relaxing my muscles sending peace and calming vibes through our link, which I’m totally not feeling. I hope that’s the only thing I’m sending through.

  I feel his hard body relax on top of mine and his breathing becomes easier. This is so bizarre.

  “Hey,” I say softly not wanting to send him over the edge any more than he already is.

  He moves so slowly turning his head from my belly looking straight up at me. My breath catches in my chest. He still has those same odd copper eyes as before with thick white eyelashes, and white eyebrows shaped gracefully. He has a perfectly straight nose, not to big, not to small and smooth plump lips that would make any girl green with envy. A strong jaw line. He looks to be the perfect photo shopped picture created for every girl’s single desire. He’s breath taking. And he’s moving.

  I squeal like a pig, biting my lip as my muscles lock up tight and he starts to climb slowly up my body, like a monkey and I’m his own personal tree. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to pop right out of my chest. He never looks away from my eyes as he moves sensually up my body until his face is hovering an inch above mine. A warmth like no other burst through me causing my bare toes to curl for all to see.

  I don’t dare move or even blink as he stares at me with a gleam in his bright eyes. My gut clamps as his startling gaze drop down to my lips than travel leisurely back to my flushed face. His head tilts to the left. To the right. Taking my whole face in.

  “Umm.” Cam’s voice has Dean snapping his head up looking in Cam’s direction. I draw in a much need breath of air with his intense gaze focused away from me. Those eyes took the air from my lungs.

  A growl rips from Dean’s chest that has me flinching, clamping my eyes shut.

  Don’t do anything stupid Cam. Not with him on top of me. I plead in my head.


  I peak my eyes open seeing Dean looking back down at me. A possessive feeling flows from him into me. Its demanding and loving at the same time. Uh oh.

  “Mine.” It’s barley a horse whisper.

  But I hear it. Oh, lord do I hear it. Mine? What does he mean by mine? Oh, my god. I’m breathing super-fast, I think I might be having a panic attack. Please don’t mean what I think it means. Please.

  He looks back up at Cam, “Mine.” It’s louder this time.

  There’s a second of tension pause where you know something you aren’t going to like is going to happen. Then he leans over where my neck meets my shoulder. He inhales deeply. Goose bumps pimple my skin as a shiver rolls through my body bringing an intoxicating heat with it.

  “No!” Cam’s scream comes too late.

  Dean bites down with so much force a cracked scream leaps from my throat. It’s over in a matter of seconds. He latched on, then let go. He freaking bit me. The naked Dean bit me.

  Dean’s head comes back up from my now pulsing neck. Those copper eyes hard and with blood, my blood coating those plump lips of his he moans, “Mine.” Licking my blood off his lips.

  I raise a shaking hand and clamp it on the bite mark stopping the flow of blood. I watch him as his eyes roll in the back of his head. He falls the rest of the way down on top of me out cold and knocking my air away from my lungs.

  I don’t know what exactly happened other than he bit me. I mean like really bit me. Put some type of claim on me. And I’m scared. I just want to get up and away from him.

  “Cam!” It’s a shirking, breathless wail as it comes out of my mouth.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Avery

  “CAM JUST DON’T stand there. Get him off.” I pant out, my breathing harder as Dean’s weight settles on my chest. Gosh, he’s got to weigh what, like 250. It’s crushing.

  Hearing footsteps I tilt my head backwards. Two pairs of shoes stand next to my head. A pair of black combat boots and a pair of Nike’s. Aden and Nick.

  My eyes go up and see the astonishing look on both guys faces. Just staring at me and Dean. Not helping. No, they just got to gawk at me and the naked man covering my body, who bit my neck then passed out.