Lifted Curse

by Owens, C. M.

  “I don’t suppose I’m invited on this excursion,” Brazen grumbles.

  “I wish I could invite you to be honest. Being that I’m a hybrid, I’m not crazy about driving through several full blood territories alone, but the Summit are unaligned. They don’t allow full bloods to enter their camp at all, and they would never trust me again.”

  Brazen’s lips tighten as he nods softly, and then he walks on into the building as I follow Hale back out to the car. He keeps his smug smirk in check as the eyes of Seminole gauge me in my shameful attire.

  “You walking me out to my car?” he asks when his true grin can’t be suppressed any longer.

  My stupid grin tries to emerge, but I fight it back.

  “I just wanted to tell you thank you,” I murmur when nothing else comes to mind.

  Take me with you.

  “You would have done the same for me,” he says casually. “You know I’m always here for you, Araya. Clay has some blue contacts which should hide your purple. Go get with him, get some rest, and be careful tomorrow. He’s bringing you in case this leads us somewhere. He wants you to interrogate without seeming like you’re interrogating.”

  “Okay. Will you still be there when I get there?” I ask softly.

  He smiles a little more, and then he tosses his bag into the back of his car while sitting in the driver’s seat.

  “I will. This colony has been at war with a full blood colony for years. I’ll be there to make sure no disputes spill over into our time there.”

  Several men run up to fill his trunk full of gas jugs, and one carries the mobile pump over to fill his tank as I take a step back. Wendy runs over to jump in the passenger seat, and I look at him with confusion.

  “They allow humans and I need someone to take over driving since it’s so far away,” he says to answer my eyes’ question.

  My lips tighten as she giddily sits down in my seat, and a twinge of jealously fills me for some odd reason. It’s Wendy. She’s human. He doesn’t mess with humans. Why do I care if she goes?

  I start walking away without saying anything, and suddenly he’s out of the car and whirling me around to face him.

  “Are you upset about Wendy going with me?” he asks softly. “She’s my assistant, and it’s all I could do to get them to allow a human to go with me. They don’t like threats, so they said three hybrids, one of which was requested to be you.”

  Me specifically?

  “I don’t understand why I can’t just go with you instead of Clay,” I accidentally release, and his smile returns.

  “Do you want to go with me?” he sizzles out while pulling me to his body, and his lips almost find mine before I pull back.

  “I do want to go with you. Does that mean I can?”

  He smirks more, and then his lips press against my forehead before he releases me completely.

  “No. I’m going in without you in case it’s dangerous.”

  “I’m more resistant to injury than she is,” I snark.

  “I’m in love with you, not her,” he quickly retorts, and then he kisses me without warning before I can object.

  I fall into the kiss, and his hands grip me tightly for a moment before releasing me all together again.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t be jealous,” he playfully adds, and I roll my eyes as he climbs into the car.

  Way to be obvious, Araya.

  I watch as they disappear out of the gates, and then I walk in to go find Clay and my new contacts. Brazen is propped up by the doorway, and my stomach sinks to the ground when I realize he just saw that interaction.

  “It’s him. You’re choosing him… again. Why?” he asks with a broken tone.

  Tears start dripping from my eyes, and he pulls my hand in his before pulling me to his body.

  “Don’t cry, baby. Just tell me why it’s him.”

  “I don’t know why it’s him. It… it just is. I love you, Brazen. I really, really love you, but it’s still Hale.”

  He sighs out as his lips press against my forehead, and I can feel his pain radiating from his breath.

  “I’m not giving up just yet, baby,” he murmurs softly. “You’ve come back to me before.”

  Not this time. I’m so sorry, Brazen.

  “Don’t do that. Don’t continue to wait for me. You deserve so much better than me, Brazen.”

  “There’s no such thing as someone better than you, baby.”

  More tears roll out as I bury my head in his chest, and he pulls me tighter to him to comfort me when I’m the one breaking his heart. His lips continue to kiss the top of my head as his breaths grow more painful.

  “Let’s go get your eyes covered,” he murmurs softly.

  I just nod, and he pulls me inside the building promising to be empty without Hale in it. I feel relieved to have finally realized who I truly want, and I feel like a fool for fighting it so long, and dragging Brazen along for the ride. He should hate me right now. He shouldn’t be concerned, worried, or even thoughtful at all. I’m so fucked up in so many ways.

  “We’ll be there in about thirty minutes,” Clay says into the phone.

  “It’s actually pretty nice here. If I wasn’t gifted, I would consider living here,” Hale murmurs softly. “How’s Araya?”

  “She’s a little nervous about running into someone who might recognize her after the latest fiasco. Her outfit is a little out of the usual too, but we might stop at the marketplace once we get there,” Clay chuckles out at the end.

  “What happened to her clothes?”

  “My fucking savage didn’t think they were sexy enough, so I burned them while under the influence,” I grouse, and I hear Hale laughing.

  “The ones she replaced them with are rather risqué, but she’s hybrid. She’s pulling it off.”

  I roll my eyes while slouching down in the seat. The only thing missing from this outfit is a bold scarlet A.

  “Let me talk to her,” Hale chuckles.

  Clay smirks as he hands me the phone, and I fidget awkwardly in the leather ensemble far too sexy to be wearing in public. The brazier type top barely covers my breasts, and the low rise pants do absolutely nothing to offer any modesty. The leather is hot under the grueling temperatures today, and I’m glad I’m not as susceptible to the heat as the humans are.

  “Hey,” I murmur into the phone, and I hear rather than see his smile.

  “Hey back,” he flirts. “I wish I had let you ride with me now. We didn’t come across a single problem.”

  I see Clay stifling his grin as we continue at his slow pace down the dirt ground. I roll my eyes at him before returning to the conversation.

  “That’s good to hear. We made it through the full blood areas without pause, and if Clay wouldn’t drive like an old man, we’d be there sooner than thirty minutes,” I playfully add.

  Clay narrows his eyes at me in mock anger, and I stifle a laugh as Hale lets his free.

  “Are you saying you prefer my speed?” he sizzles out.

  You always have perfect speed.

  I just blush at the innuendo-laced remark, and then Clay finally lets a chuckle escape.

  “So what’s it like out there?” I say to be a little less flirtatious.

  “It’s different. They’re an all organic colony. Meaning, they only heal off of each other. That’s something to think about,” he smolders.

  Fuck. That backfired.

  Clay laughs harder, and I blush deeper while rolling my eyes again.

  “How is Wendy fairing considering she’s marked for change?”

  “She’s holding her own. They haven’t paid her very much attention, and she served her purpose. She drove the last four hours while I crashed. I was a little tired since someone kept me up for hours on end. I’m not complaining though.”

  Damn it. He can turn anything into a flirting opportunity.

  “Ha. Cute. Real cute,” I playfully scold, and he laughs louder until suddenly I hear gunshots in the background.
<
br />   “Fuck,” I hear him growl, and suddenly the line goes dead.

  Fear rattles through me as I look toward Clay with urgency and panic spreading through my eyes which have been falsified blue.

  “We can be there in ten minutes,” he asserts as he floors it.

  I rip my guns free from my back, and I load them as my hands rattle nervously.

  “Do you think it’s a full blood colony or them?” I worry.

  “It’s probably the full blood colony. There’s not usually any bloodshed, but I don’t want to take a chance. They usually unload some rounds, create some flesh wounds, and then they bicker for hours on end until one of them agrees to do something differently. Don’t worry,” he says with zero conviction.

  “If I shouldn’t worry, then why are you?”

  “For the same reason you’re worried. It’s Hale,” he sighs, and the car rattles against the ground as he shows the accelerator no mercy.

  The compound comes into view, and the fireworks are still in action. It’s far more than a little dispute though. This is a raging battle, and there is plenty of bloodshed. The sun is threatening to come into full glow, and I can tell by the scent in the air these are full bloods going on a rampage.

  “If Hale is hurt, I swear I’ll fucking lose it and kill them all,” I murmur while injecting myself with the medicine.

  “I’m sure he’s fine. Hale knows how to take care of himself. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s been in a scrape.”

  I leap out of the car before we’re even completely there, and I begin firing wildly into the mass while holding my invincibility up. Screams erupt as their attention diverts to me, and I drop my empty clips to the ground before slamming fresh ones in.

  The bullets rattle off of my unfazed body, and they begin panicking when they see how ineffective their weapons are. I rip two grenades off my sides, and I toss them into the packs of rabid full bloods thirsty for bloodshed.

  Let’s see how you fucking like it.

  The explosions thunder across the ground, and more screams deafen the crying air. I walk through while shooting rapidly, refilling, and firing more. More and more fall to their death, their blood spraying the ground before they hit it, as the others finally decide it’s time to retreat. My invincibility is holding up so much stronger and longer. It’s not wavering at all.

  I don’t have to worry anymore as the ticking sound warns the full bloods of the sun’s arrival, and they all leap into the tinted vehicles I haven’t destroyed on my rampage to escape its wrath. I fire into the windows, and they shatter just as the sun peers out its full glow wonder.

  I smile as they scream, burn, and beg for mercy. The skin falls, scraping free from their bodies, and the remaining ones slam on the gas to get the hell out of dodge before I can force them to endure the same excruciating death.

  The remaining bodies on the ground all ash in unison, and I walk through the fog of ashes swirling around the dusty air as I make my way to the compound. The doors open without even a request, and Clay walks up beside me with wide eyes.

  “Not saying you’re not usually badass, but that was beyond anything I’ve ever seen you do. The only thing is, you didn’t hold back. That worries me, Araya.”

  “Hale’s not out here, Clay. That’s why I didn’t hold back. He would have been out here the moment he saw me if he wasn’t hurt. I told you I’d kill them all.”

  He realizes I’m right, and panic spreads as we both rush in to find the chief.

  “Araya Crush. You don’t disappoint,” a man with hair dusted gray says as we rush in.

  An ager. An ungifted ager.

  “Please tell me where Hale Banner is,” I prompt.

  “He’s in the infirmary. He refused blood from anyone but you. His assistant assures me he’s fine.”

  I sigh in relief, and a small glowing smile comes to my face.

  “I’ve been wanting to speak with you, but I hadn’t planned on that arrival. Those aren’t our usual foes. We bicker with the surrounding full bloods, but nothing ever escalates to that level. I had several men to almost die.”

  “I’m sorry, but I really need to go check on Hale,” I say softly while walking away.

  “He’s in the first building, far left at the end of the hall,” he calls to my back.

  I wave as I rush into the building, and I see Wendy lowering her phone with wide eyes when she sees me.

  “Wendy, how is he?” I ask while running toward the room.

  “He’s… I didn’t think you were going to be here for a while,” she says in bemusement.

  I don’t have time for idle chat right now though. I rush by her, and I throw the door open expecting to see a far less gruesome scene than my eyes fall on.

  “Hale!” I scream to the still body on the infirmary bed.

  His blood is everywhere. His face, arms, chest… everything is gashed all to hell. He’s a pile of blood, and his chest has no rise or fall.

  No. No. No.

  I dive on top of the small bed which holds him, and the clinical room around us is stained red from the loss he has suffered. I can’t hear any breaths, and his heart is as still as his body.

  “No. No, damn it. Wake up,” I cry as I use my blood bringer to rip the flesh on my wrist.

  I take in a mouthful of my own blood to pour into his mouth, and I use my gift to massage his heart as I force the blood down his throat. Tears pour from my eyes as the red stains me, and I cry harder when he still shows no response.

  “Hale Banner, don’t you fucking do this to me. Please wake up. Please wake up,” I sob as I pour more blood into his mouth from mine.

  Then I feel his heart moving on its own as it slowly picks up a steady rhythm. His arms curl around me as his hands scour my back, and I take a breath as my body shakes violently from the overwhelming relief flooding through me.

  “Araya?” he murmurs through strain while coughing in air, and I choke on my own emotional waves as I cry harder just from hearing the sound of his voice.

  “Yes. It’s me. It’s me,” I whimper as my lips close over his.

  I feel his wounds starting to close up as I pour more blood into his mouth, and the next mouthful is all he’ll take without pulling me in for a deeper kiss. His eyes stay closed as his hands search my body.

  “I know it’s you, baby. I’m just curious about what the hell you’re wearing,” he murmurs jokingly as he coughs again, and I laugh while crying and kissing him at the same time.

  He grips me tighter as his lips devour mine, and he sits up as the erotic bombs burst inside us both. His lips press against my neck as he slithers down to his favorite spot, and I gasp as he breaks the skin between my shoulder and collarbone.

  My blood flows into his mouth, and his wounds continue to close up as the venom surges through me with merciless ambition.

  “I love you,” I exhale as the passion continues to ignite, and he rips my small, brazier-like top from my body.

  “Do you?” he playfully retorts while flipping me to be beneath him as he peels off the tight leather pants.

  “I do,” I murmur softly as his lips reclaim mine.

  I smile behind the kiss for he has no idea how serious I am right now. The tattered shirt falls to the floor to reveal his immaculate body, and then I hear his pants quickly following as his bare body rubs against mine.

  “Say it,” I demand softly, and he pulls back to look me in the eyes.

  “I always love you, baby. Sober, savage, or blood fuck drunk - I always love you.”

  My lips ravage his, and he pulls me tighter as he surges in to send me into a gasping fold. He tugs at my hair to bring my face to his chest, and I know what he’s asking me to do. I unsheathe my blood bringers, and I press into his skin to draw out the freshly rejuvenated blood. I feel his pulse pounding fiercely through the strands of blood flowing into my mouth, and the taste of erotica continues to burn through me as he thrusts in deeper.

  “I’m yours, Hale,” I murmur through my raspy br
eaths as he continues to pound into me with merciless intent.

  His lips feverishly attack mine, but I taste a twinge of pain as if he’s hurting. I pull back to look at the face hiding such pain, and he refuses to look me in the eyes now. He doesn’t stop, and my head tilts back when he forces me to give him access to my chest.

  “Fuck,” he murmurs angrily as he explodes into me, and I accidentally let out a laugh at his early release.

  He grumbles as he drops beside me, and I lean over on him to wait for round two as he covers his face. I continue to snicker, but he doesn’t look as amused as I do.

  “Hey, it’s no big deal. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s ever happened. You can make it up to me very, very soon - like in a couple of minutes,” I tease as my lips trail down his chest.

  His hands grip me as he pulls me back from his body, and he forces me to look at him as the pain in his face becomes more pronounced.

  “What’s wrong? Did you not heal all the way?” I ask while quickly starting to inspect him.

  “It’s not that, Araya. You know how madly in love with you I am. You know how far I’d go to get you, so please don’t play with me like that. I know you’re strong enough to refrain from the emotions which come with such an intimate connection, so please don’t do that. I know I talk a big game, but you’re all there is for me, baby. When you sober up and don’t want me anymore, it kills me - every time. Don’t say it until you mean it.”

  I’m such a major bitch.

  I sigh as my lips move back down to his chest, and his hand strokes my back as he catches his breath.

  “I love you. I’m yours, Hale,” I say without any warning.

  He looks down at me a little dumbfounded, and my lips move up to his as I slide back down over his freshly awakened erection. His eyes roll back in his head momentarily as he feels himself slowly filling me up from the inside, and my teeth graze the surface of his chest.