Cursed Heart (After Dark Book 4)

by Sarah Bailey

  A few minutes later, she heard the creak of floorboards followed by footsteps. She smelt him before he entered the room. Not turning around as she felt the bed dip beside her, she waited for him to speak.

  “Are you well?”

  “No,” she whispered. “I feel like shit.”

  “I’m sorry about knocking you out. Felise didn’t think you’d agree to come with her willingly.”

  “She was right.”

  A long moment of silence stretched between them. She didn’t know the man sat on the bed behind her. The sight of him tugged at her chest. She dared not turn around. He isn’t Rex.

  “Don’t take him away from me, please. I’ll do what you want, just… don’t kill him.”

  She knew he’d hate her for binding herself to his brother, but she couldn’t live without the man she loved.

  “Does he really mean that much to you?”

  “Yes. He showed me how to live again after my world fell apart. After Alan broke me. After… after what you forced me to become.”

  She resented Eli for biting her. For turning her into a werepanther. Her life was never going to be the same. But she also had Rex. Kind, caring, considerate Rex who gave and never asked for anything in return.

  “I love your brother,” she whispered. “But he doesn’t know it yet.”

  She didn’t know why she’d admitted it to Eli. Who knew if it would make a difference. All she knew is it would break her again if she lost his brother. The hole in her chest grew larger the longer Eli said nothing. The only person who could fill the void didn’t know where his girlfriend was.

  She felt him rise from the bed and listened to his footsteps as he walked from the room and down the stairs. She turned, finding a black phone sitting on the bed. The screen was unlocked. She pulled it towards her, tapping to bring up the dialling screen. She stopped, realising she had no idea what Rex’s number was. She’d had no need to memorise it. Cursing herself for a moment, she pulled up a webpage and found the only other number she could think to dial.

  “The Werehouse,” came the bored tones of Gareth.

  “It’s Izzy.”

  “Fuck, Izzy! Where are you? What happened? Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay. I’m with Eli. Where’s Rex?”

  “Losing his shit, but he’s not here.”

  His words sent a shot right to her heart. Her love was suffering from her absence.

  “I rang because I don’t have my phone. Can you give me his number?”

  She put the phone on speaker so she could type the number in when Gareth told her it.

  “Izzy, I’ve never seen him like this. About anyone. You’ve really done a number on him.”

  “He’s done one on me too.”

  “I’ll get off the phone so you can talk to him. I just hope you’re safe.”

  “For now, I am.”

  They hung up. She took several deep breaths. Even though Eli had left his phone with her so she could call Rex, she still felt a sense of trepidation. He’d want to know where she was, but she didn’t know. Eli hadn’t given her that information. She dialled. It rang once, twice before her heart slammed against her rib cage at the sound of his voice.

  “Hello?”

  “Rex,” she sobbed, tears immediately spilling down her cheeks.

  Her fingers curled around the duvet. I miss him. I miss him so much it hurts. I love this man with every inch of my being.

  “Izz… fuck, hearing your voice. I didn’t know if I would ever breathe again without you. Are you okay?”

  “No but being able to speak to you is making up for it.”

  “What have they done with you?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all other than dressing me and giving me breakfast… which I then saw again not long after.”

  “You’ve been sick?”

  “Yes… but I don’t think they tried to poison me. They need me.”

  She released the duvet, rolling onto her back. Hearing his voice made her heart soar.

  “What do they want with you?”

  “Eli wants me to agree to the binding ritual so they can stop killing to keep him alive. They haven’t discovered what the ritual is yet, so I still have time.”

  She explained what they’d said to her until she reached the part about Eli telling her Rex’s real name. He listened intently, not asking questions.

  “Eli… Eli told me about your love of dinosaurs when you were a kid.”

  “Then you know.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because no one calls me Adam any more. Not since Eli… well, when I thought he was dead. I don’t like the memories associated with that name.”

  She stifled a sigh. Rex kept too many secrets about his past. She wanted him to open up to her in the way that she’d done to him.

  “You’re going to have to let me in some time, you know. I can’t keep finding out things about you from other people.”

  “I’m sorry, Izz. There are so many things I should’ve told you. It’s my fault. I just want you home… I need you.”

  “Please don’t blame yourself for this situation. There was nothing more either of us could’ve done.”

  She couldn’t take any more pain. She was struggling not to break down and sob her heart out because he wasn’t here. She wanted his green, golden eyes on her. Devouring every inch of her skin and the touch of his calloused fingers, holding her close.

  “Why has he allowed you to call me?”

  “I don’t know. He’s aware we’re together, but he didn’t tell me why. I… I need you too. I hate this. I miss you, so much. I feel like this nightmare that my life has become is never going to be over. All I want is you.”

  She wanted to tell him that Eli gave her his phone because she’d told him she loved his brother. It wasn’t something she could say for the first time over the phone. She wanted to be looking into his eyes when she said those words, to see his reaction.

  “Izz… It will end, I promise you. I promise we’ll be together again. Do you trust me?”

  “Always.”

  The door to the bedroom opened. Eli watched her with cold eyes.

  “Then trust me when I tell you we’re going to find a way back to each other.”

  “Okay. I have to go.”

  “I lo… I hope he lets you speak to me again.”

  He hung up without waiting for her to say goodbye. The phone slipped from her fingers. I didn’t imagine that, did I? He was going to tell me he loved me. Eli walked over to the bed, scooping up the phone. She stared up at him, confusion in her eyes.

  “You can speak to him again tomorrow.”

  And with that, he walked out.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Two weeks passed by in a blur. She’d wake up every morning, have breakfast with Eli and Felise before hurling it up within ten minutes of swallowing. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. She could keep her food down in the evening. It didn’t make any sense. If her captors knew what it was, they weren’t saying anything about it.

  Felise and Eli had given her a few sets of clothes. She spent most days sat on the sofa watching TV whilst one of them went out. The other always remained to keep an eye on her. Eli let her ring Rex once a day and gave her some privacy to speak to him alone. It was the only thing keeping her going. Hearing his voice, knowing he was okay, made their separation bearable.

  The full moon was close. Both her and Eli felt it. The familiar itch to change raked over her skin. Her panther didn’t like being contained for so long. She needed to run. Feel the wind in her face. Climb trees and sleep under the canopy. She wasn’t sure what Eli was planning to do when the full moon forced the change in them. Would he let her out of the house?

  Four days before that night, Eli was looking a little pale and his movements seemed a little laboured. Felise watched him carefully the whole day before they spoke in low tones when night fell. Izzy caught snippets of their conversation.

  “It has to be ton
ight… It can’t wait… You know that,” Felise said.

  “What about… She can’t be left alone.”

  They both looked over at her but she pretended to be watching the TV. A moment later, Eli strode over to her.

  “You are going to stay put tonight or I will find you and I won’t give you the same courtesies that you’ve been afforded so far,” he said.

  “Why would I leave?”

  “Felise and I need to go out for a few hours.”

  Her blood froze in her veins. She knew what they needed to do. They were going to go kill another girl.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  It was a lie. She would find a way to escape when they left. She couldn’t wait for another opportunity. Even if Eli came after her, she’d get back to Rex and he’d protect her at all costs.

  “Do not make me regret this.”

  She shrugged and turned back to the TV.

  “Take me with you if you’re so worried about me escaping.”

  She watched him scowl out of the corner of her eye.

  “No, you will stay.”

  “Fine, have fun.”

  Ignoring the two of them as they left the room, she sat back counting the seconds until she heard the front door slam. She leapt up, checking the window to make sure they were walking away.

  When she saw them turn the corner, she rushed into the hallway and found a pair of shoes which fit her, just about. Pulling on a coat that didn’t belong to her, she hurried into the kitchen. They would’ve locked the back door. She tried the window by the table, but it was locked. Cursing, she realised they would’ve thought of all of this.

  She only had one choice. Running upstairs, she tried the windows in the bedrooms but found those locked too. The only window left was the bathroom and even if it opened, it would be a tight fit. She took a deep breath. To her profound relief, the window opened, but not all the way. She stuck her head out. There was a downpipe within reach. If she could crawl out, she could grab hold of it and shimmy down.

  She moved back in before grabbing onto the ledge and sticking her legs out. She turned over onto her front before shoving her way out of the window until she was just about holding onto the ledge by her elbows and hands.

  She managed to brace her feet against the bricks before she reached out and grabbed the downpipe with one hand, followed by the other as she swung herself over to it. She held on for dear life for a moment. The urgency of her situation had her scrambling down and letting go several feet from the floor. Landing with a thud, she ran into the back garden and hopped the fence, not caring that she was invading their neighbours. She had to get as far away from here as possible before they came back.

  She crept across the gardens until she reached the last house and clambered up a brick wall. Jumping down, she found herself in a quiet street. She had no idea where she was, but there was nothing else for it. It was time to start moving until she could get a sense of her surroundings.

  She set off up the street and into the next one when she couldn’t see any obvious road signs. It seemed that this was a relatively expensive, but quiet suburb.

  She walked for about ten minutes before she found a high street. Not long after that, she found herself outside Twickenham station. It would take her hours to get back to Rex’s on foot, but she didn’t have any money to pay for transport. She didn’t want to ask a random stranger if she could borrow their phone. Fuck. I don’t know what to do.

  There was nothing for it. She would just have to hop in a taxi and hope Rex was home and could come out and pay for it. He wouldn’t care about the expense when he had her back. She managed to flag one down and get in. She was a nervous wreck the whole forty-five-minute drive.

  “Um, look, I know I shouldn’t have got in your taxi without any money, but if you just wait for a second, I’ll get my boyfriend to come down and pay you, I promise,” she said to the driver.

  He scowled at her but nodded. She hadn’t wanted to do this, but there was no other way. She had to get away from Eli. She scrambled out the door and pressed the buzzer for Rex’s flat several times. She didn’t have her keys. She had nothing but the clothes on her back which weren’t even hers.

  “Hello?”

  “Can you come down and pay my taxi for me, please?” she said immediately into the intercom when he answered.

  “Izzy? Is that you?”

  “Yes, just please come down or this guy is going to lose his shit with me.”

  She stepped away from the intercom, giving a slight tentative smile to the driver. Two minutes later, the front door opened and there was the man she loved. His eyes roamed over her for a moment before he strode past her and spoke to the driver.

  A minute later, he drove off and Rex turned to her. His eyes softened. She ran to him, curling her arms around his back and breathing in his familiar scent. Whisky, pine and panther. My Rex. He wrapped his arms around her, his face pressed into her hair.

  “Izzy,” he whispered.

  “I’ve missed you.” Her words were muffled by her face pressed into his chest.

  They held each other out in the street for a long time. Neither of them knowing what to say. When they pulled away, he took her hand, leading her inside and upstairs to their flat. He bypassed the living room and took her straight into the bedroom. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her with such care, tears threatened to spill out.

  “How did you get away?” he asked as he pushed the coat from her shoulders.

  “They had to leave me alone because… I think they needed another life for Eli. I climbed out the bathroom window because they forgot to lock that one. I managed to get to Twickenham station before I got that taxi. I had nothing on me, but I had to get back to you.”

  “Then they’re going to kill again tonight.”

  His brow furrowed. He pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text before he chucked it on the bedside table and pulled her to him. His hands roamed down her sides, the heat of his palms sending sparks up her spine. She ached for the touch of his skin on hers. Her hands went to the bottom of his t-shirt, fingers trailing underneath. She felt his muscles tense and relax under her hands.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered. “I want you and nothing else.”

  “You have me.”

  She tugged him down for a kiss, fire exploding inside her when his lips met hers. The two weeks they’d spent apart made her eager to have his hands all over her. She clung to him, feeling him hardening against her stomach. He growled low before pushing her onto the bed.

  He claimed her mouth again, his fingers curling under her clothes. She tugged at his t-shirt and he moved, taking it off and throwing it across the room. Her top came next followed by both their jeans and shoes. He kissed down her chest and stomach, fingers dancing across her skin. She arched up against him, needing more.

  “Rex, please, I want you.”

  He ripped off her underwear, neither of them caring that he’d ruined it beyond use before he struggled out of his boxers. He pressed inside her and she was in heaven. All the longing faded away. It was just the two of them as they clung together, matching each other thrust for thrust. She was home and it was all that mattered.

  There was something she had to say to him. She reached up, holding his face, forcing him to look at her. He stilled confusion in his eyes. She put a finger to his lips when she saw he was about to ask her what was wrong.

  “I love you.”

  It seemed like an eternity as he stared down at her before he said anything.

  “You… you do?” he choked out.

  “Yes. I love you with every inch of my being and so does she.”

  Her panther mewed in response. She smiled. They both loved him and nothing would change that.

  “I don’t need you to say anything,” she continued. “I wanted to tell you, but it didn’t seem right over the phone. It’s why he let me talk to you. I told him how I felt about you. How you put me back togeth
er when I thought all was lost. I love you because you’re the kindest, most caring person I’ve ever known. I never want to be apart from you again.”

  His fingers brushed against her cheek, his gaze turning into complete adoration. His green, golden eyes glittered in the low light.

  “Izzy… my heart is yours. It has been from the day I found you in that park.”

  She thought her heart might explode the way it was hammering inside her chest. He loves me back?

  “Rex…”

  “I love you, Izzy. Always.”

  He pressed his mouth to hers, meeting her in a searing kiss which sent all thoughts from her head. He thrust into her again. Their bodies becoming slick with sweat as he gave her everything and she met him with all of her in return. Her fingers dug into his back, her leg wrapped around his waist.

  “I love you,” he whispered in her ear over and over.

  She cried out his name as her climax rocked her. He grunted above her as he met his own end, collapsing next to her a minute later. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Eli might just have a heart after all.”

  “I don’t think he hates you. I think he wants to live and so does Felise.”

  “Who?”

  “His fae woman, that’s her name. They didn’t really explain what happened. I think she saved him after your fight, but whatever she did isn’t working any more. It’s why they need me because by sharing my life force with Eli, he’ll live until I die. I don’t want that, Rex. I don’t want him dead, but I don’t want to bind myself to anyone either.”

  He tugged her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “I won’t let him. He won’t have you. I’m going to end it this time. For good.”

  “I don’t want you to kill your brother again.”

  “Do you think I want to? I have no choice, Izzy. This has to end.”

  She knew he was right, but it didn’t make her feel any better. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in.