Lifted Curse

by Owens, C. M.

  I know my daughter is strong because of what you endured. I know you’re smarter, stronger, and I know no one can hurt you worse than you’ve already been hurt. You’ll survive this. Though it gives me no reprieve, I know your pain-filled life has been preparing you for this in every way; including mentally and physically. If nothing else, I pray your tortured life has been the building blocks to surviving this. It’s the only thing that gets me through from day to day, and I thank both Brazen and Hale for offering that insight to me.

  I love you. That’s what I want you to know more than anything. One day, when you find the place in your heart to forgive me, I hope you accept that from me, though I don’t expect it in return. Just know, you are loved by your father, and I will go to my grave loving you. Thank you for rising above your harsh and cruelly unjustified life to become such a beautiful woman from the inside out.

  Your father,

  Nicholas

  The tears swell in my eyes, and I nod toward Clay when the words of appreciation escape me. He really did care, and he’s right about the fact my life led me to be strong enough to endure today. My friends I met, my loves I’ve met, and the lives changed because of me all came from the tormented road I had to travel.

  I can’t hate him for something he never intended to do. I can’t hate him for saving my life. I can’t hate him for sending me down a path no other could have traveled.

  I love you too, father… wherever you are.

  Chapter 14

  One Hale of a Day

  The wind whispers in my ear, drowning out Clay’s monologue of love shared, never lost, and its freeing power. Hale’s hybrid blues shine into my fabricated blues, and his smile looks to hurt. My smile mimics his as his hands cling to mine, itching to pull me into his arms.

  His sweet breath fills me with promise of what’s sure to follow, his eyes swear to love me for as long as he lives, and his touch sizzles on contact. My red dress trimmed in black is begging to be ripped off, and his lip inches between his teeth as scandalous fantasies arise.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Clay says when all sounds become audible again, and the moment I’ve been waiting for finally arrives.

  Hale’s lips consume mine as their velvet touch engulfs me. His hands grip almost too tightly as he pulls me against his body, and his love for me pours out between my parted lips while his daring tongue spikes my desire to a rolling boil.

  “I love you,” he breathes, and I pull him closer for a deeper kiss as the crowd stands to applaud the union they’ve long awaited.

  “I love you too,” I finally release in a giddy, high-pitched whisper.

  His grin only grows as he scoops me up, and everyone’s eyes stay glued to us as he carries me back down the aisle. I’m finally his wife. Araya Crush Hawkins Banner.

  A picture of Nicholas sits in place of his body at the seat I reserved for him. Angelica smiles as she rushes over to hug me the moment Hale puts me down. Her strawberry-scented hair strikes my face, and I feel the hand of my husband refusing to completely leave my body.

  “I’m so happy for you,” she squeals, and then I see the soft eyes of a smiling Grayson walking up behind her to help remove her from the choking embrace.

  “Congratulations,” he murmurs mildly while shaking Hale’s hand.

  He smiles at me again, and I stick out my hand to shake his knowing full well what he’s going to do. He pulls me into his body, and he gives me a hug like a brother would give his sister on the day of her wedding. I smile as I stare at the sweet engagement ring bearing an angel engraved in a blue stone that dresses the ring finger of my sister.

  “It won’t be too long until I’m congratulating the two of you,” I murmur softly while drawing back.

  “I know,” she squeals louder.

  Grayson sticks his finger in his ear to pretend as though she has just burst his eardrum, and I laugh at his mockery when she playfully slaps his stomach. His lips find hers, and just like that, we’ve lost their attention. Hale laughs as he turns me away from the lovebirds, and then Symphony walks up carrying a large ring of her own on her finger.

  “Marriage is in the air these days,” she giggles out.

  “I see that,” I chuckle out, and her arms wrap around my neck as she tugs me tightly to her.

  “I don’t know how you did the things you did, but I can never tell you what you’ve done for me. There aren’t words to describe the debt I owe you, and thank you just isn’t enough to even describe the gratitude I feel. It’s all I’ve got right now though.”

  I smile into her hair before leaning back, and Clay walks up to wrap her up in his arms before kissing the back of her head. I see the glow exuding from her - the lover’s glow of pure bliss, and I smile bigger when I see the same on Clay.

  “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “Araya, you gave me back my life. You gave me back Clay,” she crackles out, and she’s forced to clear her throat from the accidental emotional break.

  “Clay has done more for me than he’ll ever tell. He deserves to have you back just as it was intended to be from the beginning. Call it me repaying a debt to him,” I say with a grin.

  Hale’s lips start strolling over the back of my neck, and my hand slides up to meet his cheek as I caress his smooth face until my fingers find the soft hair of the man I plan to love for as long as I live.

  “Well, I do have one bit of information you should appreciate on your wedding day. I’ve announced to the United I’ve found a way to heal the wombs never meant for childbearing in hybrids, and I’ve also told them you were my first successful trial. It went over incredibly well, though I’m sure in part it’s because everyone feels a huge debt of gratitude for your solo feat. You can do it now. You can raise your baby without anyone objecting.”

  My tears fall feverishly with the news I never thought possible, and I start choking on the emotion rising in my throat. Hale clears his throat, trying to rid his own overwhelming heaps of emotion. I throw my arms around Clay, and he smiles against my head as he holds me tightly in his arms.

  “Thank you,” I whimper, and then I turn my eyes to Symphony who looks to be shedding tears of her own. “See what I mean?”

  She laughs and nods while wiping away her tears, and then she touches her stomach.

  “The cure has worked on me, Araya. My womb can carry a child now. Though he made a way for you, you made a way for all of us,” she whimpers.

  Clay’s chest jumps a little, and I hear his heart quicken, full of excitement and elation.

  “She’s amazing,” Hale murmurs while pulling me back to his body.

  “Also, the hybrid law has been appealed, changed, and is going into effect soon. Licensed parents will be allowed to care for hybrid children. They can be adopted as soon as next week,” Hale says into my ear.

  “What?” I gasp.

  All air leaves my lungs, and my heart forgets to beat.

  “After the incident with Ty, the council decided it was in the best interest to abstain from any cruel punishment not fitted for other breeds, and their lives had to be impacted in a more positive way if we wanted them to grow up with any sanity left in them. They never want what happened a month ago to happen again.”

  More tears fall, and Hale wipes them from my eyes before kissing my forehead.

  “Gifted hybrids will still have to join the United, but they will receive more time for leave. The unaligned have relinquished all rights to their hybrids for fear of meeting you,” Clay chuckles out.

  “I wish they didn’t have to join the United,” I sigh. “At least not out of force.”

  “It’s for safety purposes - theirs and ours. They need people acquainted with the savage to care for them. They need a place they can rid themselves of excess energy we all know builds up. It’s a way to give them a sense of belonging as well. No one needs to feel superior or inferior in our world.” Then he leans over to whisper only to me. “Not everyone with immense power
has the ability to keep themselves grounded the way you do.”

  I know he’s right, but it still sucks to know they don’t have that choice.

  Greta walks up, and I smile at her as she hugs me tighter than I thought she ever would.

  “I’m so happy for you,” she murmurs softly. “I’ll be happy when it’s my son one day too,” she whispers almost too faintly for even me to hear.

  I sure as hell never thought I’d hear that leaving her lips.

  Apparently Brazen has confided in her quite a bit for her to know that little tidbit. I’m sure he needed someone to talk to though, and Greta has proven to be trustworthy.

  “Thank you, Greta,” I graciously offer.

  “No, thank you, dear girl,” she whispers even quieter while holding out her hand in the full glow of the sun shining through the windows. “I never once thought this to be a possibility. By the way, your food is incredible.”

  I laugh lightly, but her sincere tears stream as they float down her face. Brazen’s father, Miles, walks up and stands basking in full glow while facing the windows, unaware it was my blood which blessed him with that ability. I smile lightly as the other full bloods all do the same, feeling the sun they’ve always cowered from.

  “The cure has worked perfectly,” Clay says with a twinge of pride.

  “Indeed. You truly are an incredible commander. You don’t have to worry about ever getting voted out of your position. No one else will ever fill your shoes,” Greta says with adoration.

  “I can think of one who will have to one day,” he says while looking at me.

  I’m not having this argument again.

  Clay is convinced I’ll be the one to take over when his span ends, and he has the whole damn council on my ass about committing to it.

  “She will be incredible,” Hale murmurs while pulling my face to meet his.

  I smile against his kiss, and Greta giggles lightly while running her hand down my arm and clutching my hand one last time before walking away. I feel the crackling of paper in place of her hand when she’s gone, and my eyes stray from the beautiful hybrid kissing me to the tiny note tucked inside my fist.

  Meet me in the courtyard,

  Brazen

  I take in a breath as my mind finally realizes that his was the only face absent at my wedding. I know this hasn’t been easy on him, and my heart almost breaks for the full blood who loved me despite the scrutiny he endured. He deserves so much better than I ever gave him. I pray he’s calling me out there to tell me he has changed his mind about waiting, though I know he never will.

  “I need to go do something,” I murmur to Hale, and he looks at me quizzically before reading my eyes.

  His lips tighten, but he gives me a nod, his blessing to go offer my full blood some closure for the time being.

  The long corridor seems to grow in length as I cautiously make my way to the door, careful not to let my dress drag over the dusty steps leading to the outside. My breath leaves my lungs momentarily when I see the door standing between me and the man pining for me. I’m not sure if I’m ready to face him knowing he’ll be thinking of the wedding we never had.

  I finally summon up the courage, and with trembling hands, I push open the door to the full glowing sun casting beauty on the full blood dripping sex appeal. His lean body is straddling his bike as he leans over the handlebars of his sleek, black ride. His dark jeans perfectly tapered to his body remind me of all the times they slapped the floor in our numerous homes. His black shirt hangs off him with seduction as it whips in the wind, giving me a peek at those mouthwatering abs my hands once scoured without hesitation. His firm, stunning skin basks in the light of the full glowing sun.

  I almost feel like I should wipe drool from my mouth, and his devious smirk lets me know that’s exactly what he was trying to do to me. I roll my eyes while walking to him, and he rests his helmet on the handlebars while leaning back on the beast ready to be cranked.

  “Since when does a full blood need a helmet?” I tease to lighten the air.

  “I thought it might be a good idea to keep the women from going crazy when they see this,” he says while motioning to his face. “It might be too much for them to bear in the full glow, and considering we changed the tinting times to be lesser, there’s a lot more sun out these days.”

  I can’t help but laugh, and he smirks while pulling my hand in his and my body closer.

  “You look amazing,” he says with that beautiful smile distracting me.

  “You look like you’re leaving,” I softly retort, straying from saying, you look like sex on wheels.

  “I am. I’ve got to head out to spread the cure around for my kind. We’re doing it in smaller intervals to keep people from storming the gates here at Seminole. I’ll be heading up the clinical side of things, making sure there are no side effects we need to know about of course. Then I’m off to see some places in the world I’ve only ever dreamt about seeing under the sun without the shadow cast from the red-orange sky.”

  I smile at his elation before staring down at the ground, and he tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his again.

  “I don’t like the contacts,” he grumbles. “It hides the true beauty of your eyes.”

  “Well, people might accept me for a lot of things, but an emergent’s daughter is still not something they’re ready to risk. Maybe one day though,” I murmur hopefully.

  “Things are changing pretty quickly. It may happen sooner than we think. I for one will be an advocate for emergents.”

  “They’d never allow it if they knew what all I’m actually capable of. I still don’t fully know the extent of my abilities. I can’t blame them for exercising fear and caution.”

  “I’m not afraid of you,” he interjects rapidly. “I never have been… ever.”

  “I know,” I mumble shyly.

  “Do you? It’s important to me you do. I know what an amazing woman you really are no matter where you came from. I know you’d never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it no matter what state of mind your in. Your savage has even started liking me a little,” he says with a touch of humor on the end.

  I let a laugh escape, and he kisses the back of my right hand.

  “It’s hard not to like you,” I joke while letting my thumb stroll over the back of the hand holding it.

  He sighs, and stares at my rings, the same hand that once held his ring of promise. After a few silent seconds, he looks up to meet my eyes again.

  “I’ll be checking in on you and your baby as often as I can. If you ever need me for anything at all, I’ll be here. I’ll always be here for you. You know that don’t you?”

  “I do, Brazen,” I say while staring back into those pale eyes.

  “Good. So don’t lose my number.”

  I laugh again, and his arms wrap around me as he pulls me to his body. He slides me into his lap, and I feel his body along with the metal of the motorcycle beneath us as he clutches me almost too tightly.

  “I love you, baby,” he coos, his soft, cool breath finding my cheek.

  I’m torn about what to say, but he puts his finger to my lips before I let anything come out.

  “Don’t. Just let me say it for now. You can say it in… hmm… say seven hundred years or so?”

  I roll my eyes at his morbid humor while he snickers at his own line.

  “Well, can I kiss the bride?” he chirps when his light laughter subsides.

  I smile and turn my cheek to meet his lips, but he pulls my face front as his lips firmly press against mine. I let the kiss go on, knowing it’s the last he’ll have for a really long time if he holds true to not finding anyone else to fill the void.

  It’s so soft, his lips intertwining with mine, his tongue lightly slipping through my parted lips. It gets a little steamier, and his grip tightens. I pull my hand behind his head to let him know this is hard for me too.

  After a few minutes, I pull back shaking my head and hiding my smile.

  “You’r
e sneaky.”

  “Not really. You knew I wouldn’t leave without feeling those lips again,” he seduces, and I giggle foolishly while looking away.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he says softly while tucking my hair behind my ear.

  “I’ll see you then. Be careful,” I murmur while kissing him very lightly on those dangerous lips, and then I stand up to start walking away.

  “If I get into trouble, I’ll just tell them I know a girl who could send them crying in the fetal position with one look,” he jokes.

  I turn back, all humor washing away from my face as I stare into his eyes with complete surety.

  “I would do that too. Just so you know, I would still do that to anyone who hurt you,” I seriously interject.

  He swallows hard, his emotion finally starting to show, his humorous façade giving way to his serious struggle, and I can tell it’s taking all his strength not to rush me again, claiming me as his own despite my wedding band that proves otherwise. His shoulders drop when he decides against it, and sincerity clings to his eyes as they stare into mine trying not to cry.

  “I know you would. That’s why I’m waiting. That’s why I’ll be here when you’re finally ready for me,” he says without a trace of humor left.

  I smile lightly, and then I walk back over to him. My hand slides into his shirt pocket where I felt the metal in a circle pressing against me when he pulled me into his chest. I pull free the engagement ring he apparently keeps close to his heart, and I slide it onto my right hand, his eyes starting to tear up as I do. Then I slip off my necklace he gave me several years ago which I wore today. The engraving on the back saying, always.

  “Keep this in its place,” I murmur softly.

  He smiles as he slips it into his pocket, and then he pats it through the fabric. He gives me that adorable wink before cranking up the beast, and I take a step back as he heads toward the open gates awaiting his departure.