Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel)

by Light

  “Can we talk?” he asked. She walked past him wordlessly and he turned to follow, weaving after her through the crowd. “Aria, come on. Let me explain.”

  “Explain?” she said, shaking her head. “You open your mouth and lies come out. I don’t need you to explain anything. I understand perfectly now.”

  “I deserve that.” Christian was scrambling to figure out what he was even going to say. He’d thrown back a few beers already, and although he wasn’t as inebriated as he thought he should have been, it wasn’t helping any. “Aria, I just want you to know that it wasn’t me. I didn’t spread this shit around. I’ve actually been telling people it didn’t happen.”

  “But you told someone,” she said, whirling around to face him. “You slept with me and then you just left and you told someone about what we did—about everything we did. That’s supposed to be personal. It’s supposed to mean something. Or at least I thought it was. Apparently I was just disillusioned.”

  “It did mean something.”

  “Yeah, fifty points!” Adam hollered, holding his hand up and waiting for Christian to give him some skin. He twiddled his fingers in the air.

  “Adam,” Christian said sharply.

  “You’re right,” Adam grinned. “It should really be more like a hundred points since you banged her twice and got a little BJ action.”

  Christian shoved Adam furiously, watching as he stumbled over some cups and fell on his ass in the sand.

  Adam was laughing and checking his beer.

  “Dude, I didn’t even spill! Cat-like reflexes.”

  “I’m going to drown you in a keg,” Christian growled.

  “What a way to go,” Adam laughed. “Dude, come on,” he said, popping up off the ground. “I spiked the drinks with a little something special.” He pulled a small vial of red liquid out of his pocket, shaking it in front of Christian’s face. “It’s a magical aphrodisiac. I call it… liquid sex. Now, go find yourself a sweet piece and drown her in a keg. You can thank me later.”

  “You couldn’t have told me that before I started drinking?”

  “Hey, so you’ll be a little hornier than usual. Who cares? Enjoy it.”

  “I don’t feel horny, I feel fucking needy,” Christian snapped.

  “Is there a difference?”

  Christian placed a hand over Adam’s face and shoved him backwards. “Stay away from me right now,” he muttered. By the time he turned around, Aria was long gone. For Christian, the first party of the year was turning out to be a complete drag. People were drinking, girls were loose, and magic was literally in the air. And yet the only thing he felt like doing was digging himself a hole in the sand.

  Chapter 31

  Fireworks flared across the night sky, bursting with vibrant color. They were made of pure magic, and people were shooting them out of their hands in various shapes. Rome watched a fierce dragon coil through the clouds as they ended their set. It was probably the coolest thing he’d ever seen. Jason and Matt flipped the loud music back on before following him off stage.

  “Someone has to teach me how to do that,” he said, looking up at the fireworks. “Seriously, this magic stuff is starting to grow on me.”

  “Stick with us,” Matt said, “and we’ll teach you more than that.”

  “Fuck yes,” Jason added. “That was the shit. You are officially our new best friend. You were shredding that guitar like a pro.”

  “Thanks,” Rome laughed.

  “Do you want to go smoke a bowl with us?” Matt asked.

  “Uh, no thanks,” he said, searching the crowd for Aria. He spotted Dallas and made his way over, figuring she had to be nearby.

  “Where is she?” he asked.

  “Who?” Dallas said distractedly. He was watching some girls dancing in the sand in skimpy bikinis.

  “Who else? Ariahna... I thought you were watching her?”

  “Shit,” Dallas said. “I forgot about that.”

  “You forgot?”

  “This is not my fault. He asked her to dance and she ran away,” he said, pointing at Shawn. Shawn looked like he was about to argue that fact when they both noticed Rome doing something strange. He was lifting his nose to the air and breathing deeply.

  “Are you already high?” Matt asked, scratching at his sandy blonde hair. Jason bit his lip, snickering at the comment.

  Rome trudged away from the party and into the trees as the small group shadowed him. He could hear talking and laughing coming from close by, and he followed it along with Ariahna’s unique scent to a small clearing nestled in the woods. She was sitting on the forest floor between Jesse and Scarlet. They were seated in a circle with several other girls.

  “Alright, so the game is Flip, Sip or Strip,” Jesse grinned, holding a bottle of hard liquor in one hand and a shot glass in the other.

  “We’re not getting naked,” Eliza said.

  “Speak for yourself,” one of the girls laughed.

  Rome sauntered over to the circle and Jason hung back, mumbling to Matt. “How did he do that?” he asked.

  Matt shrugged.

  “Scoot over,” Rome said, staring down at Jesse.

  Jesse shook his head. “Sorry, we’ve reached our quota for men.”

  “You can sit here,” a flirtatious brunette said, pulling Rome down beside her. “My name’s Brooke. This is Tabitha,” she said, gesturing to the blonde sitting on the other side of him. “Oh, and this is Amber.”

  “I don’t know you hoes,” Amber grumbled. “Don’t talk to me.”

  Rome locked eyes with her as the two girls started to hang all over him. He would have been uncomfortable, if he wasn’t so distracted by Amber’s presence. The look that passed between them was a shared thought, spoken without words.

  I know what you are.

  Amber was a werewolf, he could feel it. But somehow he knew that unlike him, unlike Christian, she was not an alpha. They turned at almost the same time to look curiously at Ariahna. She didn’t smell like Amber, she didn’t smell like him or Christian either; and yet he could sense something wild inside of her, something strong, and exotic. Amber had to have felt the same thing. He could see it in her eyes.

  Ariahna looked oblivious.

  “How about we play spin the bottle?” Dallas suggested, settling into the circle with everyone else. He conjured an empty bottle and slapped it down on the grass in front of them. “Ladies first,” he said, gesturing to Shawn. Shawn squinted at him mockingly before spinning the bottle.

  Rome watched as it landed on him. His eyebrows twitched as he glanced up, his face devoid of amusement. “Yeah, that ain’t happening.”

  “Seconded,” Shawn said.

  “If you’re not going to pucker up, you gotta take a shot,” Jesse declared.

  “Both of us, or just him since he landed on me?” Rome asked. “I think by now everyone should know I have issues with alcohol.”

  “You don’t have to,” Dallas said. “We’re not going to make you. Just go ahead and spin.”

  “Thanks,” he mumbled, leaning over to take his turn. It wasn’t until the bottle was spinning in the grass that he realized he was going to have to kiss someone. He’d just been so relieved that they weren’t going to pressure him into drinking that he’d completely forgotten the object of the game. It landed on Eliza and Rome had a mini heart attack.

  “I knew you’d come around, blue eyes.”

  Rome watched her walk across the circle as he wiped his palms against his jeans. He glanced over at Aria as Eliza knelt in front of him. Ariahna looked away, staring into the trees. He licked his lips, leaning forward as Eliza smiled at him patiently.

  “Just do it already,” Jason shouted.

  “Don’t rush me.”

  “You can’t rush perfection,” Eliza said.

  Rome gulped as she closed her eyes, cupping the side of her face and pressing his lips timidly to hers. He’d intended to leave it chaste, but Eliza managed to slip him a little tongue while they were lo
cked at the mouth. His heart was thundering in his chest the entire time.

  Somehow he felt like he was cheating on Aria.

  “Looks don’t lie, you’re a good kisser,” Eliza complimented.

  Rome was completely red in the face, and he coughed to try and clear his throat. Ariahna still wasn’t looking at them. “I think it’s your turn,” he said. Eliza took her seat and spun the bottle, laughing when it landed on Amber.

  “Girl action,” Jesse said. “Now it’s getting interesting.”

  “We’re friends, that would be weird,” Amber said.

  “She’s right,” Eliza agreed. “Pass me the shot.”

  Rome saw Jesse making a disappointed face right before he suddenly caught Kaleb’s scent in the air. His eyes scanned the tree line. “I’ll be right back,” he muttered. He wandered into the trees, peering into the darkness.

  “Kaleb? Where are you? Why don’t you come join us?”

  Kaleb stepped out from behind a tree, stalking slowly towards him. “I don’t play well with others,” he said. “You should get back to your friends.”

  Rome sighed, his breath weighted with guilt. “Is this about what happened earlier? Because I’m sorry. I freaked out, and I didn’t mean to upset you.” He could tell his words were only making the situation worse. “What do you want from me? Do you need to hear that I liked it? That you confuse me? That I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about you?”

  “I’ve already made it clear what I want.”

  “Come hang out with us. Just have some fun. You don’t have to hide out here in the trees. You might find you have more in common with them than you think. Hell, they might stop being so afraid of you.”

  “It doesn’t bother me if they’re scared. They should be. I could kill all of them without batting an eyelash, and I like it that way. We’re nothing alike.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.”

  Kaleb pressed his back against the rough bark of a tree.

  “Do I need to bribe you like a child?” Rome asked.

  “It would be a good place to start.”

  He exhaled heavily. “If you’re not laughing and having fun by the end of the night, you can bite me as hard and as often as you like.”

  Kaleb stood up straight, pushing away from the tree.

  He’d definitely caught his interest.

  “Don’t talk sex to me,” Kaleb said, watching Rome shiver. “Biting, for a vampire, is nothing less than foreplay. That’s why so often our food and our playthings are one and the same.” He traced a long, thin finger over the pulse in Rome’s neck. “You’re the only donor I’ve had that I haven’t fucked. If you really want to get me interested,” he whispered, “promise that you’ll bite me.”

  The two of them melted back out of the trees and into the small gathering. Christian was standing at the edge of the circle, and Rome nearly growled when he saw him. Kaleb’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from acting. Dallas looked like he might do it for him, though.

  “Sorry,” Dallas said, “no douchebags allowed.”

  “But Shawn’s here,” Christian smiled.

  Dallas’s face warmed with amusement. He knew just how to get on his good side. “You little shit,” he said. “I don’t think I can stay mad at you.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Christian took a seat between Jason and Shawn, who was staring at him in barely concealed annoyance. “Hey Shawn.”

  “Whose turn is it?” Rome asked angrily.

  “Aria’s,” Dallas said.

  She spun the bottle, and it stopped on Christian.

  “I’ll take the shot,” she choked out.

  “Or you can just kiss me again,” Jason offered happily.

  “I’ll pass on that one, too.”

  Jason gaped at her. “You’d pass up these?” he said, pointing to his puckered lips. “You know you want some.”

  Aria’s eyes flicked over Jason as she smiled at him disinterestedly. He had a square jaw, a short haircut, and a tattooed J on his thick neck. He looked like a bully, and he kind of was. His kind brown eyes were the only thing about his appearance that didn’t seem to fit him. From what she’d seen, he seemed most in his element when intimidating others. That was perhaps what made him most unattractive, in her opinion. “You have a case of overconfidence,” she said. “You should get that looked at.”

  Jason was pouting. Matt seemed amused.

  “He’s a bad kisser, isn’t he?” Jesse stage-whispered.

  “Don’t make me kiss you,” Jason threatened.

  “Don’t,” Jesse said, jabbing the liquor bottle fearfully in his direction.

  Christian huffed in aggravation, leaning forward to take his turn as the rest of the group dissolved into laughter and chatter. The bottle whipped around in quick, repetitive circles, and he was starting to think he’d spun it a little too hard when it finally started to slow. His heart jumped up into his throat as it swung towards Aria. He actually thought it was going to stop on her and he was going to be turned down again when it drifted just passed her, landing on Scarlet. Christian crawled across the gap, ignoring how close he was to Aria as Scarlet pressed a peck to his chin. That was all she was going to give him, he realized, and before he could shuffle back to his seat, she shoved him away.

  “I wasted good lipstick on you,” she muttered.

  Christian rubbed the red mark off of his skin, trying not to scowl.

  “My turn,” Scarlet said excitedly, giving the bottle a whirl. She’d spun it pretty weakly, and it barely twisted all the way around before sliding by her. “Aria,” she grinned. “Red would be a good color on you.”

  Ariahna rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. “Just take the shot.”

  “All you girls are so unadventurous,” Matt challenged.

  “Is that so?” Scarlet replied. “I’ll do it. I’m not afraid of a little lip-gloss.” Scarlet turned and pressed her luscious lips over Ariahna’s own soft pink ones, silencing the protest that had been about to tumble out of her mouth. It was a gentle kiss, meek and innocent. It should have only lasted a second, but the allure of that innocent kiss took Scarlet by surprise.

  Aria tasted sweet, she felt soft, and she smelt delicious. She was submissive and enticing, and she wasn’t stopping her. She was letting her nudge her mouth open with her lips, letting her push her tongue into her mouth and responding eagerly to every stroke and caress. Scarlet reached up to smooth her hand slowly over her soft curls. Her fingers slipped around the side of Aria’s neck, and before she realized what she was doing, she was easing her back onto the grass.

  “Oh,” Jesse breathed. They’d almost leaned back into his lap. Ariahna’s head was resting on his thigh, and Scarlet’s hand was brushing gently against the outside of his leg as she caressed Aria’s neck.

  “They’re touching me,” he whispered excitedly, pointing at the two girls making out on top of him.

  “Shhh,” Jason said, pressing a finger to his lips. If Jesse kept moving around like that, he was going to shake them out of whatever spell they were under. The entire group was completely silent.

  Rome fought back a growl as Scarlet’s hand swept over Aria’s breast. Her skirt was slipping slowly higher, and by the look on Dallas’s face and the tilt of his head, Rome knew he could see her underwear.

  Sister my ass, he thought.

  “That’s enough,” he said roughly. Scarlet made no move to stop, and Aria moaned softly as her hand ghosted up her leg, pushing her skirt even higher. Rome couldn’t have been more jealous.

  Nearly every guy in the group exclaimed disappointedly as he pulled Scarlet off of her. “I said that’s enough. This is spin the bottle, not have sex on the fucking grass.”

  “Actually, we were playing have sex on Jesse,” Jesse smiled.

  Ariahna hid her face behind her hands.

  “It’s a party,” Scarlet said. “Lighten up.”

  Rome sat back down, glaring at her intently. He really wanted to give her a piece of his mind, but
he didn’t think Aria would appreciate it right now.

  “Someone else can go,” she mumbled.

  Amber twirled the bottle after no one else made a move for it. It stopped, and Kaleb and she turned to stare at each other in mutual disgust.

  “I’d eat her face off before I’d kiss her,” Kaleb said.

  “Dude, she’s hot,” Jason exclaimed. “What’s your problem?”

  “She smells like bitch.”

  Amber snatched the bottle off the grass and Shawn had to stop her from chucking it at Kaleb’s head. “Better than a bloodsucking leach.”

  “Alright, knock it off,” Rome said.

  “How about a new game?” Dallas suggested.

  “Let’s play I’ve never,” Eliza said happily. “I’ll go first. I’ve never kissed a girl.” She waggled her eyebrows at Scarlet with a grin.

  “Wait, we need more booze,” Jesse said. “I’m almost tapped out.”

  “Christian, go fetch some mini-kegs,” Dallas said.

  Christian sighed. “Fine,” he mumbled, walking off towards the beach.

  “What about him?” Brooke said. “It’s not fair if he’s not drinking.”

  “Someone could conjure me a root beer,” Rome said.

  Matt opened his hand and a plastic bottle appeared in his palm. He tossed it at Rome who caught it, frowning at it in disgust.

  “This is half gone,” he complained. “You got me a used bottle of root beer. And it’s warm. That’s just sick.”

  “What if it was a stripper’s?” Jason smirked.

  “That’s even worse. Now I’ve got really bad ideas about where this thing’s been,” he said, tossing it over his shoulder and wiping his hands off on the grass. Ariahna handed him an unopened bottle a moment later, and he smiled at her in response. “Thanks.”

  “That’s still not exactly fair,” Brooke pointed out.

  “It’s fine,” Dallas said. Brooke was nice, but she was dumber than a box of rocks. She and Jason would make a cute couple, he thought offhandedly.

  Christian hurried back with the kegs and a stack of cups under his arm. He poured everyone a glass, and all the guys took a drink. Aria took a timid sip, and Scarlet downed a healthy gulp.