A Cursed Bloodline (WG 4) (15 page)

Danny’s face turned bright pink. He slinked his arm from my shoulders and returned to focusing hard on the road.

“Danny…where were you last night?”

“Um. Heidi tracked me down again. She heard about me getting kicked out of the Pack and, er, tried to cheer me up.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Did she now?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“So, let me get this straight. While I was up thinking you’d been tortured, killed, and possibly castrated, you were actuality getting laid?”

“Yes, but you should feel sorry for me.”

“And why is that?”

“Because sex is still the only way she’s able to communicate her feelings.”

“I see. Pull over, please.”

“Huh?”

“I think I have to vomit.”

“Because of me and Heidi?”

“No. Because I’m pregnant with Aric’s baby.”

Danny almost lost control of the car. “HOLY CRAP!”

“Holy crap indeed, Danny.”

—

Danny stopped a mile or so from Misha’s house so I could hurl. The moment I was done, he embraced me. “Does anyone else know?”

“No one but you.”

It felt good to tell someone my secret. And although Aric was the wolf I first wanted to tell, Danny was sure as hell a close second.

“How long have you known?”

“I found out the day after we arrived from Chaitén.”

Danny shook his head, his expression heavy with worry. “The same day you were attacked in your house.”

“Yes.”

“Also by Anara.”

“Yes, Danny.”

He hugged me tighter. “You’ve been dealing with so much on your own. How the heck are you even functioning?”

I’m not really.
“No one can know about the baby.” I started trembling and almost broke down. “Anara told me he’d rather see Aric dead than have an abomination like me curse his bloodline.”

Danny tensed against me. I could scent his anger and his fright and yet he tried to comfort me. “I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

Danny stopped the car in Misha’s driveway moments later. The Catholic schoolgirls immediately pounced on me like a ravenous dog on a chunky squirrel. They crinkled their noses and Maria huffed, her Brazilian accent seething with annoyance. “Celia, dis whole attention thing is getting old. And what de hell did you do to your hair? Honestly, you look dreadful.”

Before I could smack her into the middle of next week, Liz shoved a bunch of fabric swatches in my face. “Pick your goddamn colors.”

“For what?” I shoved them back and started toward the guesthouse. And look at that, they followed right behind me.

“For the bridesmaids’ dresses. I look better in the lavender, so that’s the one you need to go with.”

“Liz, I’m not getting married.”

Everyone ignored me and then Agnes started in on me. “Regardless of the color, we’ve decided we want platinum necklaces as your gift to us.”

Maria agreed, of course. “It’s de least you can do. We’d also like them to have added bling. I was thinking colored diamonds.”

That perked up Edith in more ways than one. “I want pink diamonds. The same color as my nipples.” She tried to pull down her push-up bra. “Want to see?”

“No,”
I growled.

Maria elbowed her away. “We also want hair jewelry. Just because you’re bald, don’t expect de rest of us to follow suit.”

Sympathy was a term completely unfamiliar to the good Catholics. My temper flared. “Step away from the tigress, before she knocks you on your butt implants.”

Agnes played with one of her long pigtails. “Celia, let me be perfectly blunt. You’ve been a real pain in the ass. If you want us in your wedding party you’ll have to work for it.”

They ranted about what a bitch I was after I slammed the guesthouse door in their faces.

Danny stared at the closed door. “Wow. They’re convinced you’re marrying Misha.”

Ying-Ying had been watching some kind of Asian game show with Bren. She took a good look at me and hugged me. When she swung open the door, the naughty Catholics scattered. She winked my way and lotus-pose floated down the steps. No one messed with Ying-Ying. Ever.

Danny bent over Bren, closed his eyes, and touched his bare arm. We waited but nothing happened. He failed to block Anara’s power like he’d done with the other wolves. Bren didn’t so much as stir. “What do you think we can do to save him?”

Danny shook his head. “I don’t know. For Anara to manipulate the wolves and trap Bren’s wolf in this state, he must be even more powerful than we think. Especially if none of his Pack suspects what’s happening.” He paused and took a seat next to me on the lounge. “I don’t know how to fight him, Celia. And I’m not sure if we can. Pack Elders…they just don’t do this.”

“Well, this one does and has had fun doing it.” My attention fell to the thick binder on the wooden coffee table. The sticky on top read: “Guest List for Bride’s Approval.”

I groaned. On to problem number two. “Danny, there’s something else I need to talk to you about….I had this dream—a vision actually—that Misha and I had children. It was right after Anara first attacked me. Misha was trying to soothe me with his vamp mojo. When he attempted a stronger hypnosis, he saw the image, too.” I pointed to the binder. “I think that’s why he’s convinced we’re getting married. Despite my protests.”

Danny’s eyes darted nervously. My voice turned from Demi Moore husky to shit-has-hit-th
e-fan high-pitched. “This is the part where you tell me it’s nothing to worry about. That it was just some freaky thing that happened.” He remained silent. “Danny!”

“Celia, I don’t know what’s happening. Seeing as you’re pregnant, you could be developing the ability to have visions of what’s to come.”

I stood abruptly. “Why would I all of a sudden develop a new power?”

“You told me the first time you
changed
into a tigress, you had just gone through a growth spurt.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Growth is hormone-related and so is pregnancy. Your body is producing tremendous amounts of hormones to maintain the fetus. They could have given your gifts an extra boost.”

“But Danny, Aric is my baby’s father. In my vision, I had three children and they all resembled Misha.”

Danny touched his chin thoughtfully. “That does add to the confusion. Have you had any other images since involving Aric?”

I hesitated. “There was one. But it was more like a nightmare.” I explained the dream involving Aric burning and the scarred children.

Despite the gruesome accounts, he surprised me by smiling. “That was likely a result of your guilt over hurting Aric. I wouldn’t worry about that one coming true.”

“But at least that involved children where Aric was the father.”

Danny stopped smiling. “Yeah. Well, I guess you’re right about that.”

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. But as much as Danny always tried to make me feel better, he’d never lie or give me false hope. He excused himself and went into the hall bathroom. He returned with a bottle of antiseptic and a wet towel. Very carefully, he wiped saturated cotton balls across my bleeding bald spots, and then covered my head with a nice cool towel. My sensitive scalp throbbed at first, but the coolness of the thick cotton soothed the sting. “Thanks, Danny.”

His face remained unusually pale. “Celia, I’m concerned about your baby’s life. If Anara, the remaining Tribesmen, or heck, even if the shape-shifters find out, they’ll want your child dead.”

My claws splintered the wood as they protruded across the heavy table and my words released with a growl. “Anara considers me an atrocity. I recognize that any child of mine and Aric’s would be perceived the same way. But why should the Tribe or those damn shape-shifters care?”

“Celia, you’re an extraordinary and powerful being, whose powers are yet to be fully tested. Aric is believed to be the strongest
were
in history. That makes you both dangerous and a threat. Any child from your union will be perceived as a force to be reckoned with.”

I stood, my chest rising and falling quickly. “But what if the baby is human? A human couldn’t possibly harm them.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder. “The dark ones likely won’t wait to find out.”

All of my concerns lately had revolved around Anara, but Danny was right. I’d made multiple enemies and none would be jumping for joy at the news of my pregnancy. The shape-shifters especially frightened me. They were born witches, murdering countless in exchange for the ability to transform into any creature they wished. They were hard to detect, hard to kill, and carried the power of hell within them. I’d met one briefly a while back. News that I’d conceived a child with Aric Connor might renew his interest in killing me.

My vision blurred with tears.
Damnit.

Danny took my hand. “Celia, I promise to do anything to protect you and your baby.” If he was trying not to make me cry, it wasn’t working. Without saying the words, Danny had just vowed to die for me if he had to. He sat me back down. “I was thinking there has to be a way to get everyone together and tell them about Anara.”

“So we can all die in one shot?”

Danny chuckled. I wasn’t trying to be funny. “I mean someplace safe where Anara’s magic could be blocked—like here at Misha’s. The problem is, the presence of so many
weres
will diminish the amount of vampiric power and provide multiple links for Anara to reach you. Aric’s presence especially will tip the scales toward Anara’s advantage.
But,
if we can manage to recruit extra vampires—including multiple masters—I think it will be enough to override Anara’s power.”

“Danny, this all sounds great in theory, but how are we possibly going to get all these beings together at one time?”

“Simple: invite them to your wedding to Misha.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Are you crazy? I’m not marrying Misha!”

“Celia, think about it. Your sisters will come to support you whether they like what you’re doing or not. And the elite of the vampire community will also be in attendance.” Danny’s excitement grew the more he contemplated his idea. “There are only five master vampires in the entire world who match Misha’s and Uri’s power. They’d all be dying—well, you know what I mean—to attend. But even if only two of them came, it would diminish Anara’s magic.”

“He’ll still have access to Aric.”

“Not if Aric is here, too.”

“Oh. You’re right. I’m sure Aric will just be thrilled to death to get an invitation. Maybe we could ask him to be the ring bearer—or better yet, the best man. Do you think he’ll give me away if I ask nicely?”

Danny watched me pace the room. “Celia, your bond with Aric is severed, but his love for you remains. He won’t let you marry Misha. He’ll crash the wedding and his Warriors will try to stop him. As soon as everyone arrives, we reveal Anara’s actions. This way no one gets hurt.”

“No one, except Misha.” I stopped pacing. “He’s my friend, Danny. I won’t hurt or humiliate him to save my own ass.”

Danny crossed his arms. “I know it’s a lousy thing to do to someone, but I don’t see another option. Anara must be stopped. His actions aren’t those of a sane
were
.”

Logically, everything Danny said made sense. Regardless, I knew I was incapable of such a ruse. Yes, my loved ones would be spared. But Misha would be disgraced before his peers and inferiors. I could never use anyone like that. Especially Misha. “I won’t do it, Danny. There has to be another way.”

Emme rapped on the door before opening it slowly. She’d changed into a long ivory sweater dress and brown boots. Her other clothes must have had blood on them. “Are you all right?” I asked her.

She nodded as Shayna and Taran slipped in behind her. They seemed surprised to see Danny alive. I’m sure they’d expected to find him partially eaten and me flossing. I tried to push away my hurt and adjusted Bren’s position.

Shayna angled her way around the couch to see Bren, likely to make sure I wouldn’t hurt him. She fixed the sheet to cover his bare arms and cleared her throat. “Koda and the others say you knocked Emme out. Is it true?”

My heart clenched just having her ask. “No. I would never hurt Emme.”

Emme fidgeted with her hands. “The last thing I remember was answering the door before I blacked out—and I remember you screaming. What happened?”

I shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you.”

Taran pursed her lips and scowled. “Damn, Ceel. What if Liam’s right and evil things are following you around? Do you think you might be possessed or something?”

I shrugged again, unsure how to answer. She was trying to come up with a plausible solution instead of simply assuming I’d lost my mind.

Danny hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans. “She’s been herself around me.”

My sisters exchanged glances. They took that little bit of hope Danny gave them and ran with it. Shayna grinned. “Awesome! I bet this whole thing is just temporary.”

My other sisters nodded, excited by the possibility I might not need shock therapy. Emme approached me slowly. “Can we see your hair, sweetie? Taran and I think we can fix it if we work together.”

I carefully unwrapped the towel. “Okay. But I have to warn you, it’s not pretty.”