A Cursed Bloodline (WG 4) (12 page)

—

It didn’t matter that I screamed at Misha in front of my sisters that we weren’t getting married. Nor did anyone care for my dramatic, breaking-down-t
he-doors exit. My sisters saw what they wanted. The broken bond, my naked figure wrapped in a blanket, and Misha’s smile when he asked them to be bridesmaids.

Bastard
.

My sisters and I sat in the kitchen of the guest house’s second-floor apartment. Chang and Ying-Ying had already moved Bren so the contractors could repair the damage from Koda and Tim’s smackdown. We’d spoken very little during our care of Bren. Not even Taran had commented on Little Bren’s elation when Emme wished his bigger half a good morning.

It was awful. Normally, when we sat drinking chai we talked a lot, whether to discuss our lives, seek advice, or simply laugh between jokes. But no one laughed, joked, or even spoke. My actions had confused them. They wanted answers, but I had none to give.

“So she chose Misha,” Taran finally said. Everyone’s gaze shot toward her. She shrugged and took a sip of her tea. “You’re a big girl, Celia. You know what’s best for you.”

Shayna scowled. “No, she doesn’t. What she did to Aric was low.”

My eyes closed firmly and I took a breath. When I opened them, Shayna continued to frown my way. Emme set down her cup. “Leave her alone, Shayna. Celia is not a hateful person and you know it.”

“You’re wrong.” Shayna scoffed, “I don’t even know who she is anymore.”

A spark of blue and white lit above Taran’s head. “
Stop it
, Shayna.”

Shayna slammed her palms down and rose, the werewolf essence Koda had given her surging her anger. “Why couldn’t you just tell Aric to his face? Why did you have to be so brutal? You humiliated him—”

The crashing sound when I tipped the table stopped Shayna’s anger from building. Hell, it stopped everything. I couldn’t even hear the birds outside anymore. Deep fury heated my body and my tigress’s eyes replaced my own. All my beast wanted was to lash out. She was ready to fight, to maim, to kill, and so was I.

Emme slipped out of her seat and backed away. “Oh, God…Celia.”

My sisters’ terror incited my beast. She was done being caged by those who sought to hurt us, and rushed forth to protect me.

Even if it meant charging those she had always looked after.

I took a step forward without realizing. The speck of humanity that remained within me forced me to stop and close my eyes again. I thought of my baby, that little peanut whose heart beat because I lived. I had to keep it together. I had to get us through this. My fury slowly abated and I wiped the two tears that escaped without my permission. When I regained enough control, I gathered the garbage pail and broom and began to sweep. At first no one moved, but then they knelt on the floor and helped gather the broken pieces of ceramic.

My grip on the broom handle cracked the wood in two. Shayna clasped my wrist and slid the handle from my hands. Her eyes reddened and she wept. It seemed her fear and sadness were enough to manage the wolf Koda had passed her. “What’s happening to you, Ceel?”

Taran and Emme whimpered as their own grief unfolded. They were frightened for me. God, what
was
happening to me?

“I have to leave,” I croaked.

Taran wiped her mascara-streaked face. “Where are you going?”

I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I mean I’m leaving…and not coming back.” A sense of reprieve washed over me.
That’s it. That’s the answer. I have to get as far away from here as possible. It will please Anara and keep everyone safe.

Emme knelt over the mess with a cracked mug in her hand. “Celia, honey, you can’t just leave us.”

Taran slammed a chipped saucer into the garbage pail. “Shit, Ceel. I don’t know what the hell is happening, but there’s no way you’re going anywhere!”

I ignored them. The more I thought about my plan, the more it made sense. I had money saved from years of working and from the missions I’d accomplished for the vampires. I could rent something small and work as a nurse until the baby was born.

Shayna dropped the pieces of broken broom and gripped my arm. “Dude, you’re sick. You can’t be alone in your condition.”

I gaped from the skinny arms that held me to her imploring expression.
Great, they think I need meds. I was better off when they thought I was a bitch.

I shrugged her off. “I’m not sick. I just don’t belong here anymore.”

They exchanged glances, unsure what to do next. In her desperation, Emme threw down the Catholic guilt. “What about Bren? You promised you’d take care of him.”

Bren slept peacefully on the couch, blissfully unaware of the horrors surrounding us in the conscious world. “You’re right.” They all sighed with apparent relief. “I’ll take him with me.”

“No, honey, that’s not what I meant!”

“Screw that, Celia.”

Shayna approached me with her palms out like I was going to catapult off a building and take them with me. “Don’t panic, Ceel. You need help—but that’s okay. We’re going to get you through it.”

She jumped when her cellphone rang. I appreciated their attempts to be supportive, but their idea of “help” involved me, a straitjacket, and a trip to the funny farm. I was surprisingly calm, finally feeling like I had made a good decision.

“Puppy, I can’t talk right now.”

Koda’s voice boomed on the other line. “Did Danny help Celia break the bond?”

Shayna’s gaze slowly traveled up to meet mine. Emme and Taran fell silent.

“Baby, it’s important. Ask her—”

“She’s right here, Koda.” Shayna put him on speaker. “She heard you.”

Taran slowly walked toward Shayna’s outstretched hand. “What’s happening?”

Koda took a breath. “Heidi was upset and wanted to speak to Danny about a fight they’d had. She tracked him to Harrah’s in Stateline. She told us when she kissed Danny she could taste Celia on his lips.”

There was an audible pop when my sisters’ jaws fell open.

Koda snarled. “Now, that was last night. The same goddamn night the bond was broken. So, Celia, I ask you this: Did Danny help you break the bond?”

My heart shouldn’t have been beating so hard, seeing how all the color had drained from my face. “Koda…where’s Aric?”

“He went to find Danny to ask him himself.”

Chapter Eleven

Never in my life did I believe I’d say these words: “Shayna, drive faster.”

My hands shook. Danny was smart—too smart. He’d hidden his tracks by using a different name when he’d checked into the hotel. I couldn’t reach him at Harrah’s and he wasn’t answering his phone.

“Do you think Aric will hurt Danny?”

Emme wasn’t asking, she was begging us to tell her Danny would be fine. None of us answered. We didn’t want to admit that Aric would probably do more than hurt him.

If he dies…it’s my fault.

Koda and the other wolves were already hightailing it to Harrah’s when he’d called. But they were coming from Squaw Valley and they didn’t have Shayna at the wheel. She sped into the Nevada side of Tahoe, slamming down on the accelerator until we screeched to a halt in front of Harrah’s.

We rushed out and stopped short, staring at the eighteen-story giant.

Shayna’s eyes bulged. “How the heck are we going to find him?”

I urged them forward. “Taran, use your charm to get the staff to tell you where he is.”

Glass shattered with a scream as we bolted toward the building. A king-sized bed followed by a set of table and chairs flew out a sixth-floor window. The bed landed in the lake. The chairs punctured the lawn like tombstones while the table slammed into the sidewalk, cracking the concrete into large chunks.

Oh no. Aric.

Taran and Shayna charged into the hotel. I grabbed Emme before she could follow. “Toss me up.”

Emme jumped from my grasp. “Celia, my aim is terrible. I might hurt you.”

“Just do it!”

Emme threw me with her
force
. I rocketed through the air with flailing limbs. She was right, her aim was awful. She stopped just short of ramming me into the side of the building. I scrambled along the brick and through the broken window while she kept me suspended. My claws dug into the thick carpet and I dragged my body forward, rolling aside in time to avoid the giant dresser hurling toward me. It plummeted toward the sidewalk and exploded with a splintering crash.

Aric loomed over Danny, snarling. “All this time, you’ve wanted her for yourself.
Didn’t you?
” Danny cowered on the floor, his face varnished with bruises and his mouth gushing blood from his missing teeth.

In his rage, Aric had failed to notice me. I shot forward and rammed myself between them. He glared back at me with vicious eyes. “Did you come to save your lover, Celia?” There was nothing left of my wolf behind that malicious and hateful stare. Only a beast bent on destruction remained.

“Don’t hurt him, Aric. None of this is his fault. Please, love. Just let him go.”

A strange stillness gathered around us. “All right,” he said.

I didn’t have time to blink. I didn’t have time to breathe. Aric moved around me with dizzying speed and pitched Danny out of the window. Emme screamed from below as I sprinted forward and dove after Danny. The wind whipped at my face and hair. I reached for the tip of his shoe moments before his skull smacked the concrete.

I
shifted
us through the sidewalk and resurfaced. Aric vaulted down, swinging off a lamppost and landing in a crouch mere feet in front of us. “You betrayed your Leader, Daniel. Now you will die.”

My body froze in horror. Aric’s wolf had shoved aside his humanity and transformed him into the merciless killing machine he’d been bred to be. He stalked forward, a hungry beast who’d found his meal. I snapped out of my terror and shoved Danny behind me. I wouldn’t let Aric hurt him. He’d have to go through me first.

My heart thundered in my chest as I crouched and readied myself to take on my mate. He didn’t even see me; his gaze stayed fixed on his prey. I almost buckled with relief when I heard the pounding footsteps behind me. The Warriors had arrived.

Gemini tackled Aric onto the sprawling lawn and the others leapt on top of him. Sirens blasted behind me where a large crowd had gathered. Women screamed as Aric broke loose with swinging fists, exposing his ravaged and scarred face.

I shoved Danny farther away. “Get out of here!
Get out of here now!
”

Danny tried to haul me with him. “Celia, you have to come with me. Aric is in shock. If his wolf fails to recognize you, he’ll kill you.”

In the few breaths Danny had spoken, Aric’s murderous rampage had been unleashed. Liam and Koda sprawled against the demolished turf, unconscious. Gemini thrashed in agony, his legs broken. Emme hurried forward, trying futilely to hold Aric back with her
force
. He broke through as if bursting through paper and stormed past her.

Shayna rushed to Koda’s side. She wouldn’t risk stabbing Aric unless there was no other choice. Only one sister stood between us and Aric.

Taran gathered her magic and blasted him with a jolt of lightning. I screamed when he collapsed to the ground. He rose almost immediately, growling, his glare just as piercing, still targeted on Danny.

I gave Danny one last shove and lurched forward. My anger at Aric’s actions and my fear for Danny’s safety propelled me onward with my claws out. I meant to hurt him. I meant to make him bleed. Yet my love for him beat my wrath into submission.

I flung my arms around his neck. In breaking the bond, I thought the glorious warmth between us would cease to exist. I was wrong. Heat immediately encased us, soothing my tattered soul with unbelievable reverence. My breaths released in sobs. Everything inside me had missed Aric and failed to live without him.

“Baby, don’t,”
I begged when he took another step toward Danny.

Aric stopped, as if the current charging his monstrous demeanor had been cut. Slowly, his body relaxed and his head fell against my shoulder. The rough and sharp textures of his damaged skin scratched at my face, but I didn’t care. I just needed him.

His arms encircled my waist. “Why?” he choked. “I love you so much. Just tell me why.”

My cries turned to hysterics. We dropped to our knees, tightening our holds.

Taran released a blue and white mist to hypnotize and calm the panic-stricken crowd. I barely felt her magic as it passed over my skin. The world around me ceased to exist except for Aric. I knew only him and his beautiful scent. He kissed my head and ran his fingers through my hair. My hands swept over the hard muscles of his back. He felt so right. I couldn’t fathom how I’d abandoned him. I was going to confess everything. But before my lips could part, I was silenced by the deafening sound of howling wolves.

Anara’s translucent form charged toward me. “You
bitch
!”

I jerked away from Aric, falling backward on my hands. Anara shoved his face in mine. “I will kill him if you don’t force him from your life!” I sat there, held in place by the Pack magic swirling around him. “Need I remind you of my strength?”