“Barely,” Trent said.
Jax punched his arm and laughed. “I’m a fantastic driver.”
Nausea rolled through me at the very unpleasant memory of Jax and Trent fighting—really fighting. Trent throwing Jax into a tree. The crack of the tree trunk. Jax taking a bite from Trent’s neck. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath, willing the contents of my stomach to stay down.
“Chloe, it’s so good to see you again,” Sean said.
My eyes popped open to find him standing directly in front of me. I stifled a gasp. My eyes hadn’t been closed that long. I’d never get used to how fast they moved.
“Uh, yeah, you too,” I muttered.
He reached for my hand, and I jerked away. Last time he’d touched me, he’d abruptly dropped my hand as if I’d burned him, and then he hadn’t bothered to say another word to me. That type of behavior was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.
Sean tilted his head, studying me.
I shifted on my feet.
“Are you all right?” he asked with what could only be described as fatherly concern.
“Just tired,” I said. “It’s been a long few days.”
“I’m sure it has.” He smiled, then turned his attention to Trent. “Why don’t you show Chloe to her room? Once she’s settled, we can talk about our… situation.”
Situation? That’s what he was calling this? If he only knew.
“Follow me,” Trent said over his shoulder as he headed for the stairs.
“Shouldn’t we get my stuff first?” I asked, hooking my thumb toward the door.
“Jax and I will bring it in,” Sean said.
Panic seized my chest. What if they went through my backpack? Or what if they somehow figured out what I had stashed inside?
“I’ll help.” I headed for the front door, not giving anyone a chance to argue.
They followed my lead and headed outside. Jax popped the trunk, and I snatched my backpack, slinging the straps over my shoulders. They each grabbed a suitcase and lugged them inside. Trent went for the stairs again, my suitcase in hand, so I followed without question.
Thankfully, the upstairs contained bedrooms with actual walls and doors. Trent stopped near the room at the farthest end of the hall. He swung open the door and motioned for me to go first.
The bed frame was hand carved from a dark cherry wood; the dresser and nightstands were constructed from the same rich materials. Gold and maroon accented the décor. It was absolutely breathtaking.
“Wow,” I said.
“Glad you approve.” Trent set my suitcase near the foot of the bed. “My room is right next door, to the right. Jax’s is next to mine, and the bathroom is the door to the left.”
I nodded. “Is your dad staying here, too?”
I really hoped he wasn’t. Not that I didn’t like him—he seemed nice enough—but knowing what I knew… keeping this secret from Trent and Jax was going to be hard enough. I didn’t want to have to deal with his father, too.
“Yeah. His room is downstairs, just past the living room,” Trent said.
“Right.” I nodded again.
At this rate, I could have a lucrative career as one of those bobblehead dolls. Easing my arms from the straps, I let my backpack drop to the floor.
“Chloe?” Trent moved closer and slipped his arms around my waist. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. This is all just a little overwhelming.”
“I know,” he whispered and placed a lingering kiss to my forehead. “But you’re safe here, okay? Nothing will happen to you.”
I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. He made me want to believe him, but I knew clear to my soul that he was wrong. One way or another, something was going to happen to me. Either I was going to turn into a vampire and break his family curse, or I was going to walk away from him completely. There were no other options.
Lifting my head, I peered up into his mesmerizing blue eyes, allowing myself a moment to pretend he was just as human as I was, to daydream about having a normal relationship with him, to fantasize about going to prom and on double dates and sneaking out to meet him so we could make-out like hormonal teenagers.
He smiled faintly, then brushed errant strands of hair from my face, his hand grazing across my temple and down my cheek. Then, he lowered his mouth to mine, his kiss soft and delicate, almost as if it were our first time and he was unsure if I’d kiss him back.
But I did. Fiercely. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, holding him to me. His kiss became harder, more insistent.
I loved Trent so much, and the thought of walking away—again—was worse than cutting my own heart from my chest with a dull butter knife. But I couldn’t become a vampire. I didn’t want to. Squeezing my eyes shut, I forced all negative thoughts away and instead, focused all my energy on this moment.
“I love you, Chloe,” Trent whispered.
My breath caught, and a sharp pain shot through my chest. “I love you, too.”
He cradled my face in his hands, and the look of pure, everlasting love in his gaze was too much to bear. I gently pulled away from his hold and cleared the lump from my throat.
“We should probably get downstairs and see what your dad has to say about this whole thing,” I said.
Trent studied me a moment too long. Did he know I was hiding something from him? I held my breath, waiting. Finally, he laced our fingers and led me downstairs.
Jax was seated at the counter, a heaping plate of food in front of him. My jaw dropped. How could he possibly eat again after all that food he’d eaten at the rest stop?
Sean sat at the dining room table, an open laptop in front of him. Vertical blinds had been pulled closed across the sliding glass doors, blocking what little light had filtered in from the full moon.
Sean glanced up. “All settled?”
“Sort of.” I shrugged and leaned closer to Trent.
“Did you give her the full tour?” Jax asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You two were up there a long time. Not quite as long as I would have taken, but…” He shrugged.
Trent glared at him through narrowed eyes.
What was going on with those two? Did they always act that way with each other? I hadn’t really spent all that much time with Trent and Jax before I’d left Keene Valley, so I didn’t have much of a basis for comparison.
“Knock it off,” Sean said, but his tone was laced with the faintest hint of humor. “Sit.” He nodded toward the empty chairs.
Trent pulled a seat out for me, and I slid into it. He occupied the chair next to me, and Jax sat across from me. I glanced around the table, and for the first time since this whole mess started, it fully hit me.
I was sitting at a dining room table in a cabin in the mountains with three vampires. Yeah, this was a disaster waiting to happen, a certified slasher movie in the making. Laughter bubbled up, and I clamped my lips shut.
Laughing? What was wrong with me?
Trent had been quieter than usual, unless he was snapping at Jax. And Jax was being unusually nice to me—probably because he felt guilty for lying to me. Maybe all of us had lost our minds, and hysteria was the only way to make it through whatever was going to happen.
Because right about now, it was the only thing that made any sense.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
A Coven of Roses
“I ASSUME TRENT FILLED YOU IN on what’s going on?” Sean said, his stare pinning me in place.
I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yes.”
Unease prickled along my skin, and I shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Did Sean know more than Trent and Jax? Was he going to spill my secret? Sitting up straight, my body went rigid, my muscles tightening painfully.
“We haven’t quite figured out why they’re after you, but we have to assume it has something to do with us,” Sean said.
He doesn’t know. Relief swamped me, and tension eased from my body. “Do you think th
ese witches are Zoya?” I asked.
Sean shook his head. “No. It’s the Rose Coven.” His gaze darted to Jax, then to Trent before settling on me again. “Zoya practice dark magic. The Rose Coven are more traditional in their beliefs and practices.”
Trent reached under the table and took my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Remember I told you about the witch who said she wanted to help us break the curse so she could restore the magical balance?”
I swallowed against the nausea rising in me. “The one who disappeared?” I asked.
Samara Rose. The witch my father murdered to protect me.
“Yes,” Trent said. “She’s part of the Rose Coven. They’re the second largest coven in the world. Normally, they’re very… friendly.” His lips thinned into a scowl.
“The second largest?” I asked, though I had no idea why. I could easily guess who was the largest.
“The Zoya are the largest,” Sean said with a frown.
“How did you know the Rose Coven was after me?” I asked.
“We have a friend in common with the coven. She doesn’t get involved in supernatural affairs, but she watches various groups. I helped her out of a bad situation several years ago, and she repaid me by alerting us to the coven’s recent movements,” Sean said.
“Why?” I asked, which earned me curious stares from Trent and Sean. I cleared my throat. “I mean, why did she alert you about the Rose Coven? Do you normally care what they do?”
Sean chuckled humorlessly. “No, but it’s rare for an entire coven to go after one human girl.”
“Right.” I licked my suddenly dry lips.
“None of this makes sense,” Jax said. He tipped his chair back, balancing only on the back two legs. “They wanted to help us once before. Why not just come to us now, too? Why make a move against Chloe?”
Sean heaved a sigh and shook his head. “That’s what we need to figure out.” He closed the laptop and pushed it away from him. “Do you have any idea why they would want to come after you, Chloe?”
“No,” I said much too quickly. “I mean…” I released Trent’s hand and wiped my sweaty palm on my jeans. “Other than knowing you guys… I have no idea.” I shrugged.
“You don’t think…” Trent said, then paused, his gaze distant.
“What?” Sean asked.
“The Rose Coven has been obsessed with finding a way to break this curse and restore the magical balance. You don’t think they found a way, do you?” Trent said. His tone held an edge to it that made me uncomfortable.
“What does that have to do with Chloe, though?” Jax asked, letting his chair fall forward. He folded his hands on top of the table and turned his attention to me.
“Don’t look at me,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. “I don’t know anything about what’s going on.”
Everyone was silent for much too long, and my heart raced as I waited for someone to say something. Was my lie convincing? I might be able to sell my ignorance to Trent and his family, but the Rose Coven had to know the truth. There was no way I’d be able to hide it much longer.
“I don’t know,” Sean said, his expression contemplative. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to do some digging into Chloe’s family. If that’s okay with you.” He raised a brow, waiting for me to answer.
Crap. If I said no, they’d know I was hiding something, but if I said yes, Sean might very well learn my secret. Although, for years, no one knew my true identity—my father had made sure of that—and knowing I had all the proof hidden in my backpack, maybe Sean wouldn’t be able to find anything incriminating.
“Yeah, sure,” I said.
Maybe if I told Trent the truth, he’d help me. He’d understand I didn’t want to become a vampire. Then, he and his dad and brother could find a way to stop the coven from coming after me.
Or, I’d tell Trent the truth, and he’d tell his father and Jax, who would then force me to change. Would Trent take my side or theirs? Would he turn on his own family to save me? Could I even ask him to do something so horrific?
My mind circled around each question, my thoughts a jumbled mess, and the room began to spin. I stood abruptly.
Trent was on his feet in a flash, and he gently gripped my elbow. “Are you okay?”
“This is all too much.” I laughed bitterly.
Trent enveloped me in a tight hug, and I clung to him, praying all of this was some bizarre dream that I’d eventually wake up from. But I knew better.
He kissed the top of my head and murmured, “It’ll be okay.”
If he only knew how wrong he was.
“I think I’m going to go lay down.” I gave Sean and Jax tight smiles, then made my way upstairs to my room.
Closing the door, I blew out a breath and rubbed my hands over my face. My gaze snagged on my backpack that I’d carelessly dropped in the middle of the floor. I stared at it as if it were a snake ready to attack. The information inside that bag taunted me. What was I going to do?
I snatched the bag from the floor and tossed it into the closet, closing the door harder than necessary. Maybe if I pretended it didn’t exist, it would disappear. I snorted. Yeah, right.
Hefting my suitcase onto the bed, I rummaged around for a pair of pajamas. After changing and brushing the knots from my hair, I yanked the covers back and eased my tired, aching body beneath them.
A sigh of contentment broke free, and I closed my eyes. The bed was, unsurprisingly, very comfortable. The sheets were cool and smooth, the blankets plush, and the pillows were like feathery cotton cradling my throbbing head. At least the cabin was nice, even if everything else was an impending train wreck.
I BOLTED UPRIGHT, A guttural scream ripping from my throat. Sweat creased my brow and dripped down my back. I fought to draw a deep breath, each inhale razor sharp.
“Chloe?” Trent brushed sweaty strands of hair from my forehead and took my hand in his. “Are you all right?”
I gasped, and my eyes snapped open. Where was I? I glanced around frantically, trying to get my bearings. My attention snagged on Trent. Dressed only in cotton pajama pants, he squeezed my hand, his face full of concern.
My gaze wandered around the unfamiliar room—dark wood walls, hand-carved bed frame and furniture, fluffy tan area rug—until my eyes landed on Jax. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. Behind him stood Sean. The three of them stared at me.
“Um.” I cleared my throat and wiped the tears from my eyes. “I had a nightmare.” Talk about lame. “I’m okay. Sorry I woke you.”
Sean nodded, then left.
Jax hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but then he furrowed his brow and spun away from the door.
“Chloe?” Trent cupped my cheek, and I turned my attention back to him. His eyes were semi-dark, and the longer I looked into them, the bluer they became.
“Sorry,” I said again.
“You haven’t been sleeping again, have you?” There wasn’t any accusation in his tone, just genuine curiosity.
I lowered my head. “Not since I got my memories back.” Or since I found out my father was a murderer. I fidgeted with the blanket.
“Do you want to talk about it? Your nightmare?”
“You were changing me,” I whispered. “Against my will.”
He put his finger under my chin and tilted my head so I was looking at him. “You know I would never do that, right?”
I nodded. At least, I hoped he’d never do that, but once he knew the truth, he might change his mind. But until or unless that happened, right now, he was still my Trent, and I wanted to hang onto that for as long as possible.
I adjusted so I was on my knees, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. He let out a low, guttural growl that sparked a desire I didn’t know I possessed.
His hands landed on my waist, and he kissed me back. Hard. Desperate. Then he scooped my legs out from beneath me, laying me flat on my back, and he was on top of me. I
gasped but welcomed his mouth on mine once again, settling beneath him as if this was something we did every day.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” I asked in between kisses.
Trent pulled back, his expression a mix of desire and torment. “Because of your nightmare? Or because of something… more?”
The implications of that single word—more—sent shivers through me. As enticing as that thought was, I still wasn’t ready to take things that far.
“After everything that happened with Hannah, I couldn’t sleep,” I said.
“I remember.”
“Except when you’re next to me. Then I can sleep.” My voice caught on my admission. There was no taking it back now. “You make me feel safe.”
The most gorgeous smile I’d ever seen graced his flawless face, and all the breath rushed from my lungs. I loved him so much it overwhelmed my senses and sent my synapses into overdrive. Everything inside of me buzzed and hummed and crackled.
“Please?” I whispered.
He placed a tender kiss to my forehead, then my lips. “I’ll always stay with you, Chloe.”
Despite his low, husky tone, his words echoed around me, solidifying my feelings for him. He rolled off me, laid on his back, and wrapped his arm around me.
I snuggled closer and rested my head on his chest. “Thank you,” I said around a yawn.
Trent was silent for a moment, and then he asked, “Why were you dreaming about that?”
I froze, unsure what to say. Giving an awkward shrug, I mumbled, “I don’t know.” But I did know that I couldn’t keep doing this. I couldn’t keep lying to him.
“What do you think this coven wants with me?” I asked.
“I’ve been asking myself that question for weeks now, and I still don’t have an answer.” He trailed his fingers up and down my arm, sending the best kind of shivers through my body.
“And you’re positive they’re not working with the Zoya?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Like my father said, the Zoya are deep into dark magic. The Rose Coven isn’t. They’re traditional witches. They draw their magic from nature, and they never upset the balance. That’s why none of this makes sense.”
Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2) Page 20