Curse of Stone

by Nikki Lockwood

  Below, under the paleness of the bright moon light, a lone woman walked outside on the second-floor balcony. She appeared angry beyond contempt, frazzled, taking deep breaths and staring at the moon. The instant urge to protect and comfort her surprised him.

  Her long black hair contrasted against her pale skin. She was small in stature but had curves that even he recognised as dangerous. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her beauty bewildered him.

  His breath caught in his throat as two green eyes stared back at him. Danielle Stone. The woman who had visited him earlier. Gabriel touched his wrist. Even in stone form, he had felt the warmth of her touch. Every word she’d spoken was with hope.

  For an instant they were locked in gaze. The heart, which was not only his own, beat faster within him.

  The glass door slid open, and a man stepped out onto the balcony. Gabriel’s hands balled, and a fire coiled in his stomach. He stepped backwards, slipping into the darkness of the night, still able to see her but she couldn’t see him.

  Something stirred inside him. No woman had drawn his attention in such a way since his wife. He frowned. Such a trivial thing did not matter. The only thing that did was finding his healer.

  12

  There was no one else out on the balcony. A chill had filled the air. I sat down at a clean table and looked up at the night sky. I took a deep breath. A fire blazed within me. Fucking Harley. Red danced across my eyes. And fucking Jay talked to the arsehole. He knew…he fucking knew how much I hated Harley.

  The skies rumbled in low growls. I looked across the rooftops in the distance and froze. An icy gust swirled around me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Dread crept up from my stomach. Something or someone stood in the darkness. Fierce red glowing eyes stared at me, the only defining feature. They burned into my soul, not hurting me, but bearing their pain. A heaviness set on my heart, and I gasped for air.

  “Danielle,” a male voice said.

  I blinked, breaking my stare. The weight lifted off my heart and my breathing calmed. My eyes darted through the darkness, but whoever it was, had disappeared.

  “Danielle.”

  Fuck. That voice, I knew it. Every part of me tensed.

  “Can we talk?” Harley said, as he sat down.

  “No.”

  “Well, we are going to anyway.”

  “We have nothing to talk about,” I scorned.

  “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I miss you.” He reached out across the table and grabbed my hand. I tried to pull it away, but he was stronger than me, and held it tight.

  “Let go of me,” I demanded.

  “I never meant to hurt you, I just, just…well I felt so alone in our relationship.”

  “Oh, and that makes what you did okay, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t, but I’ve changed since then. I realised I wasn’t happy within myself, and it was unfair to make you responsible for my happiness.”

  I glared at him, not convinced of his bullshit. As far as I was concerned, no one, and I mean no fucking person, got a second chance with me.

  “I needed some time, to figure myself out. We were so young when we got together, and things got serious so fast once we left school, it freaked me out.”

  More fucking excuses. Yep, that was him. Blaming everyone else still. Things didn’t get serious fast. What the hell was he talking about? Neither of us had mentioned marriage, kids, or moving in together back then. Serious? What another load of BS.

  “I want to be with you, I know that now,” he said. “Please look at me.”

  I clenched my eyes firm, casting a death stare from hell at him. “What? Now you want to be with me. Are you fucking kidding me? Oh, I get it, you mean now that you have screwed the entire female population in Estermoor, you realised the grass wasn’t greener.”

  He brushed my snide remarks off, appearing unphased by it for whatever reason, but it was the damn truth, we both knew that.

  “I love you. I know you still love me too. Give us another chance.”

  It didn’t sound like he was asking me.

  Rage boiled over inside me like lava erupting from a volcano. I’d had enough of his bullshit. “No,” I said, spitting venom with my words, and stood up. “I’m going back to my friends, don’t follow me.”

  Turning to walk away, I tried to wriggle my hand free, but he pulled me backwards, close to him. My back pressed against his chest. His cool breath in my ear. “You still love me, admit it. I bet you haven’t even fucked another person since me, and you know why that is don’t you. It’s because this belongs to me.” His free hand slid around my body and cupped the space between my legs.

  I saw red. Bright fucking red.

  With joint effort, I used my bum and elbows to push away from him. I turned to face him with an eviscerating glare. My body trembled as a white heat overwhelmed me. “How dare you lay a hand on me.” It felt like there was actual flames burning in my eyes. “Nothing about me belongs to you. I cannot be owned. And as far as giving you another chance, are you fucking deranged? You’re the one that broke up with me, for someone else. It’s been three years. Those feelings I had for you back then are long gone. I don’t have anything to say to you, and I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Leave me alone.”

  13

  Fresh air. She fucking wanted fresh air. Alone. Fuck. Stone couldn’t be alone. I would never forgive myself if a demon snatched her from right under my nose.

  Harley had scared her off, I knew it. There was no other reason. That prick just wouldn’t let up. Coming over to me asking about her. Fucking playing the bro card. That shit didn’t work on me. I fucking told him to leave her alone. And that’s exactly what Stone would’ve said too. Leave me the fuck alone. I could hear her voice, harsh, cold, hurt. My wolf rumbled with a growl, shaking me from my seat. No one hurt my girl, no one.

  Excusing myself from Mac’s urgent arms, I headed for the bathroom, making a swift turn towards the balcony when her eyes no longer trailed me. Fuck. I halted, my hand clutching the aluminium handle on the glass door. Unrestraint heat boiled over. My wolf’s heckles rose and bared its teeth with a clenched growl.

  Harley had his hands on her. If I hadn’t been able to see the fury in her eyes glowing, my own fury would have erupted out.

  She arched her back, and thrust backwards with both her butt and elbows, in one violent shove, freeing herself from his grip. That’s my girl. She was strong and could handle him herself. Disgust fuelled the fire in her wild eyes. It would make her mad, if I went out there, guns blazing, and pulverised him. It nonverbally shouted that I thought she was weak, and that wasn’t true.

  Pride simmered my anger as she threw an assault of verbal revolt at him. But Harley wasn’t getting the message and Stone was getting more and more infuriated.

  I stepped out onto the balcony.

  14

  “Stone?”

  Jamie’s voice surprised me, but I didn’t turn around.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  My skin prickled with a familiar awareness. The heat of his body grew closer to mine.

  “This has nothing to do with you, Jay,” Harley said.

  “I told you to leave her alone, but here you are, bothering her,” Jay said.

  “Go back inside, this is between me and Dani.”

  “OH. MY. GOD.” I started, my fingers darting backwards from the sides of my forehead in frustration. “There is nothing between us, and there never will be ever again.”

  “Don’t be like that,” Harley said. “You know there is—”

  “No there fucking isn’t. Are you fucking delusional?” I said, my voice raised in aggravation.

  Jamie now stood beside me. His presence overshadowed Harley.

  Harley’s eyes narrowed and darted between Jamie and me with suspicion. “Oh, I get it, you two huh,” he said, arrogantly waving his finger at us.

  “I think you should leave,” Jamie said in a firm tone.

 
“That’s the real reason, isn’t it? He’s the reason you won’t give us another go.” Harley glared down his nose at me. “You go from me to this scumbag,” he spat, and waved his hand in Jamie’s direction.

  “This has nothing to do with Jay.” I growled.

  “Oh, Jay, is it now?” he sneered, the words rolling purposely longer on his tongue.

  That was it. I’d had enough. I stepped forward, giving him the most enraged stare, I could summon. My jaw clenched tight, eyes narrowed, hands clammy, and my fingers wiggling at my side. Adrenaline pumped through me, feeding off my rage, preparing me for war.

  “What? You going to hit me, Dani? I’d like to see you try,” Harley said amused, with his eyebrows raised.

  “Stone,” Jamie said, as he touched my forearm.

  My hands balled into fists, but my mind was divided, I couldn’t decide whether to punch him, or to walk away.

  “Go on do it, do it Dani, hit me,” he antagonized. “Do it.” He paused, sneering at me. “You won’t hit me, and you know why, because as much as you’re angry with me, you still love—”

  The white heat returned as he spoke. I planted my fist straight in his nose and stood unmoved. The fire in me burned with radiating pleasure. Harley stumbled backwards, clutching his face. His eyes met mine, and in an instant, jolted forward towards me.

  “You bitch,” he said, as he pulled his arm behind him, with fist clenched, and swung it in my direction.

  Jamie stepped in front of me and caught Harley’s arm before it connected. In a chaotic split second, Jay grabbed Harley’s other arm, and then planted him face down on the ground.

  “You fucking bitch,” he yelled. “Get off me Jamie.” Harley struggled to get free, but Jamie was bigger and stronger than him.

  Three bouncers burst out onto the balcony. They paused for a second taking in the scene that lay before them.

  One crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at Harley. “Do I even need to ask what’s going on here, Jamie?”

  “Caught this arsehole trying to take a swing at my friend here and I wasn’t about to let that happen.”

  They looked at Harley restrained on the ground with his face bloodied.

  “What happened to his face?” another bouncer asked.

  “Self-defence,” Jamie answered surely.

  The first bouncer who had spoken, still had his eyes fixed on Harley. “We don’t take kindly to those who think they can hurt a female. Night’s over for you pal.”

  The bouncers surrounded Harley, grabbed him from Jamie’s restraints, and carried him away.

  “Thanks,” I said, turning to Jay.

  He appeared pissed off about the whole thing, judging by his body language. Arms crossed, chest puffed out, stern look on his face, and mouth clenched. Thankfully, only a couple of drops of Harley’s blood had stained his shirt. Not that he’d care, Mac was putty in his hand, he would get laid, blood or no blood.

  “He’s a real piece of shit, Stone. I don’t know what you ever saw in him,” he said in a cold voice that sent a shiver of regret down my spine.

  “You’re the one that’s fucking friends with him.”

  “No, we’re not friends. Not since…never mind.”

  “Yeah, okay.” I rolled my eyes. “What the hell has gotten into him? He never used to be like that.”

  “He always was.”

  Jay’s answer was so absolute, that it rattled me slightly. I wondered what made him say ‘he always was’. Had Jay known he was cheating on me, and never told me? For all I knew, all the guys in our group of friends from high school were like Jay, never satisfied with one woman, but needed many, breaking hearts along the way with little regard.

  Mac and Tiff burst out on to the balcony, followed by Jamie’s friends.

  “What happened?” Tiff questioned.

  “Did you see? Harley got carted out by the bouncers with blood all over his face,” Mac said.

  I looked at them, then at Jamie, and back to them.

  “Stone punched him,” Jamie boasted.

  Tiff and Mac stared at him, eyes widened, and then at me.

  “Serves him right too.” Jamie added.

  As the adrenaline started to fade, there was a tingle in my hand, which in a matter of seconds developed into a dull ache. I could still wiggle my fingers, so it wasn’t broken, but the pain radiated.

  “How’s the hand?” Jamie smirked.

  “Oh, shut up.”

  “Oh my god, look at your hand,” Mac exclaimed. “You did punch him.”

  My hand looked as bad as it felt, knuckles swollen and bloodied, and I wasn’t sure if the blood was entirely Harley’s.

  Jamie threw his arm around my shoulder. “Proud of you.”

  “Oh, get off.” I shrugged with a small slither of pride myself, not that I was about to beam it externally. Violence was a last resort, but he’d made me so mad.

  Jay laughed. I ignored him as Vee came into my line of sight. His eyes, alluring pools of green, fixed on me. Not judging or questioning me, just watching me, seeing me. There was a knowing, that whatever had happened, it didn’t need explaining. Something made me centred, balanced, as I stared into his eyes that were beckoning me to him.

  I walked straight up to Velkan. “You want to get out of here?” I asked.

  His lips curved upwards. “Sure.”

  I hugged Tiff, then Mac. “Come see me tomorrow,” I said.

  I gave Jamie a grateful look then Vee held his arm out for me to hold, and I slid my arm around his.

  “Come on thumper, let’s get that hand home.”

  15

  Outside the club, fog had rolled in, and the night sky was no longer visible. Arm in arm, we walked across the road to the taxi stand. As I stood there, my gaze ran over him, following every curved muscle, from his wrist, up his arm, and across his chest to where his white shirt had several buttons undone. Dark olive tones adorned his skin. Tracing the length of a leather necklace that hung around his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt, I bit my bottom lip.

  His face held a strength in its carved definition. And those perfect rounded lips, so sensual. The weight of his gaze tingled across me, spreading a gentle warmth to my cheeks.

  “How’s the hand?” he asked, shifting his arm to shadow my shoulders.

  The throbbing pain that I’d been trying to avoid, subsided at the very touch of his arm around me.

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  A white and yellow taxi pulled up curb side in front of us. Vee opened the backseat door and held out his hand for me to climb in first, before he followed. After giving the driver my address, I leant against Velkan, and his warmth radiated through me. His hand touched my face, turning it towards him. My heart thumped, my breath short and erratic, and my stomach flittered with crazed butterflies.

  Velkan’s hand slid under my chin, his breath hitting my lips. My entire body tingled. With a slight head tilt, he moved a fraction closer, pressing his mouth onto mine. I laid my hands on his chest, sliding them beneath his shirt. His bare flesh, warm and hard. My hand moved in slow motion, feeling every curve of each defined muscle. I crossed my legs, leaning them towards him, and arched my back. His lips slid from my mouth to my neck, down to my collarbone, and with the same urgency, back to my mouth. The heat was intense, the passion was like fire, my thighs quivered.

  I wanted to rip his shirt off and feel his bare flesh against mine, but he pulled away. My face stayed in place, eyes closed, not wanting to stop kissing him. I opened my eyes, his hand still on my cheek, he smiled. Thank goodness he had; I didn’t know how much longer I could have held myself together beneath his presence.

  Velkan held my non-bloodied hand in his. I leant up against him, steadying my rapid breath. I stared out the window, into the fog, watching the outside world as we drove by.

  The fog had become thicker by the time we rounded the last corner onto Benson Avenue. The buildings were lacklustre in my part of town, dull grey tones, towering into
the sky. The driver slowed for a traffic light, and I glanced down a nearby alley as the car came to a halt.

  Two red eyes shone in the fog.

  Adrenaline pounding through me, I climbed out and walked as fast as I could in heels, to the alleyway entrance. Through the dense fog, it was hard to see far, and the figure with the red eyes had disappeared…again.

  “What’s wrong? What is it?” Vee bounded over to me.

  All attempts to see anything, even with concentrated squinting, were no good, I couldn’t see anything. The street was silent, eerily so, that even the singular tap of my foot echoed.

  “Nothing, it’s nothing.”

  It wasn’t nothing. I’d seen something in that alleyway with red eyes, and earlier at the club, but it was hopeless. A knot twisted in my stomach, with an ache. Whoever or whatever it was, this confirmed it. I was being followed.

  Unable to answer the question why anyone would want to follow me, I walked back to the cab. Vee appeared frozen, deep in concentration, staring into the alleyway, with a troubled look on his face. Had he seen it too?

  “You coming?” I asked, waiting at the open taxi door.

  With a flinch, he broke concentration, and joined me in the taxi.

  “You gotta death wish or something lady? Bolting from the car into the fog, at this time of night. You know how dangerous stepping into an alleyway is, even during the daylight? Death wish if you ask me,” the taxi driver said in extremely poor English.

  “Yeah, sorry, thought I saw something.”

  “Saw something? Well now, best leave whatever it was alone, no sense in provoking—” He paused, as he looked at Vee. “Never mind.” He turned back around.

  The taxi drove on.

  “You, okay?” Vee asked.

  Tucked beneath the warmth of his arm, it felt good, safe. But was I really safe? Someone or something was following me. But who?

  The taxi pulled to a stop outside my building. I handed the driver money and opened the door. The fog was thick as I stepped out onto the dew-covered footpath. Vee got out and stood next to me. Part of me screamed that it was too soon. That there was too much going on in my life to get involved. But the other part of me overrode it.