Gifted Curse (Curse Trilogy) Read online

  Chapter 1

  Fragile Wounds

  This cold, gray, steel room is my home, and it’s where the world crumbles for me. No one gets out without confessing their darkest crimes into my awaiting ears - this one will be no different. The titanium table separates him from me, and the sound of a human’s beating pulse is making him sweat all the more despite the frigid atmosphere. The human guard’s breath creates a cold fog while the full blood’s breath steams into the air - his blood thirst heating his core, quickening his heartbeat, and forming drool in the corner of his mouth.

  “So, Ivan, tell me about the rabid pack of hairless beasts trailing up and down the coast,” I say to the seething full blood glaring at me.

  He yanks against his cuffed hands that are bound to the steel shafts protruding from the floor to keep the resisters at bay, and I twitch my finger in a disapproving manner.

  “You know those cuffs are designed to slice your wrists off if you manage to break through the reinforced steel. I recommend you just answer the question,” I taunt with a hint of arrogance.

  “Fucking bitch hybrid. I won’t tell you a damn thing, and there’s no proof that was me. Without proof, you can’t fucking hold me here. These cuffs won’t be on me once I step outside this damn compound. We’ll see what a smug bitch you are then,” he hisses, spitting his disgust to the floor the second the words finish falling out of his filthy mouth.

  “Ivan, Ivan, Ivan. And here I thought you were going to be a little more cooperative.” I waltz around the side of the table, propping up while drawing out my little scam. “I do have proof it was you. Our aerial surveillance cameras caught quite the show. I’ve got your face sucking the blood out of the mutts, and then we even get the chance to watch the infection spread before the hounds breathe a new life. The cameras didn’t catch everything apparently,” I murmur vaguely. “We didn’t get to see the loathsome act you would have become entangled with after the blood rush.”

  His eyes burn through me, begging to rip me apart, and satisfaction spreads over me when I succeed in pissing him off.

  His fury seethes from his eyes, and he blares, “You fucking bitch! You know damn well it isn’t like that with the blood of animals. There is no urge, you foul, despicable half blood,” he screeches.

  Now I’ve got him. Now I can push his buttons to get him right where I need him to be before I start to send him enough rope to pull him back from the ledge.

  “So, Ivan. Tell me what I don’t know because I know when I taste blood straight from a vein, I have to go farther. There’s no escaping a good blood fuck, and I think you know that,” I smolder out with far too much of an offensive tone for his full blood pride to withstand.

  “I’ll kill you, you fucking hybrid,” he screeches, and then he throws himself against the table to try to escape the cuffs once more.

  A light ticking warns him of how close he’s getting to making the blades thrust down on his wrists, and he instantly drops back down in his seat while heaving for the air that is leaving him.

  “What’s wrong, Ivan? Is it too much to ask you to tell me where you took the animals after you drained them? I’d love to see you in action. Just think about what your high-and-mighty full blood society will think when they hear about your carnal encounter with the beasts you infected,” I chuckle out, and this time his eyes widen in fear rather than rage.

  “No. You can’t tell them. I swear it doesn’t fucking do that with animals. They won’t know that unless they’ve fed on them before. A blood fuck only happens with humans or other full bloods,” he gushes in a panic.

  Or hybrids, if you’re brave enough to risk it.

  “So you’re saying you fed on the beasts, but you didn’t fuck them?” I crudely counter.

  “I was so hungry for the taste of a vein. The diluted sacks of cold blood you sons of bitches provide us with are nothing like warm blood flowing freshly from a vein. It had just been so long, and I needed to feel the warmth flowing into my mouth. It was disgusting to taste, but I was desperate,” he pleads, and a huge smile spreads across my conniving face.

  “Thanks, Ivan. All I needed was a confession,” I smugly remark, and then I grab my papers, neatly shuffling them back into place, before heading to the door.

  “You lying abomination. There weren’t any fucking cameras, were there?” he screams.

  “No, but now I know what I came in here to find out, and it’s straight from your fanged mouth,” I rattle out with an imperious tone.

  “Damn you and your fucking disgusting blood. You don’t know a fucking thing. I hope I live long enough to see your smug face split in half,” he spews, and now the real games begin.

  “Are you threatening me?” I daringly provoke.

  “No. I’m not, but there will come a time when I’ll be the one smiling triumphantly. I can promise you that,” he snarls behind a secretive smirk.

  “Ivan. Are you trying to tell me you know something about the Rising? I’d love to hear all about this wonderful little crew threatening our way of life. Your own life would be much easier if you give me something to take to the Commander,” I coax.

  He snorts derisively while leaning back in his restrained state, and he attempts to show a more relaxed persona now that he feels as if he is in charge.

  “Not a fucking chance. If you hybrids are so much better than us, then you should be able to figure it out on your own.”

  “You make it sound as though you really don’t like my kind,” I say to lure him into my web.

  “You disgust me,” he scoffs.

  “I think there’s a lot about me that makes you mad, Ivan. You don’t necessarily hate my kind, you envy us, and I don’t blame you,” I taunt, and he just shakes his head while continuing to carry his secretive smirk.

  “I would never envy a hybrid.”

  “I think you do. You see, you have to stay segregated from the humans in an effort to keep the infection from spreading, where as I can walk among them. You can only live off their blood, for the blood of your own kind is not meant for nourishment. I don’t need a human’s blood at all. I only need blood when I need to heal, and I can take anyone’s blood I want - straight from the vein. That warm, drizzling flow can enter my mouth any time I feel it necessary, and all I need is someone’s consent. For instance,” I say with a suspenseful pause, while circling over to the human guard I had intentionally brought into the room with me.

  The gentle-eyed man turns to me, and I strum my fingers over his chest before walking behind him. My mouth grazes over his back as I circle back around, and I can see Ivan’s eyes widening when he realizes I’m seducing him with his only weakness - the blood from a human’s vein.

  “Right now I could take this young, dedicated man’s blood if he wanted me to. I could taste the warmth of his delicious red stain flowing into my mouth while the passion inside of me erupted. We would tangle up in our passionate throes, and he would give me access to any part of his body I wanted to drink from,” I seduce, and the human wavers under my heated touch as he tries to steady his enticed libido.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the human stammers out, and I try not to laugh while keeping my very in-control stance.

  “You hear that, Ivan? I didn’t even have to ask. He’s simply offering his blood to me. Doesn’t that drive you crazy? I don’t need, crave, or even desire that blood unless I’m hurt, but you need it all the time. Here I am with a soft, supple bit of flesh just inches from my lips, and you’re restrained to a chair. Don’t tell me you don’t envy me,” I smolder, and then my teeth scathe over the man’s shoulder, tearing his uniform slightly when my blood bringers unsheathe themselves from my gums to add a little more zest to the mind torture.

  “S
top,” Ivan almost whimpers. “Please stop,” he begs again, and now I know I am getting closer to bringing him to a fold.

  My teeth press down to where they almost break the skin on my human puppet. The mortal heartbeat quickens, the sound resonating in the ears of the lusting full blood sweating a river in the same room. Ivan squeals out through a gasp.

  “I’ll tell you if you let me drink from a vein,” he huffs out heavily, his eyes almost black as they teem with need.

  I draw back from the seductive ploy, and the guard shivers off my lingering tease.

  “I can have a death row inmate brought to your cell for your pleasure. You can drain her, blood fuck her, and then we’ll ash her - or him if you prefer. That’s up to you,” I murmur with a nonchalant tone.

  The offer dangles over him like a slab of meat over the head of a starving dog. There’s no question about it, he’s putty now.

  “Him, please,” Ivan almost whispers, and a devious smirk emerges to my face.

  “Then tell me who is behind the Rising. I need names. The more you give me, the more time you’ll have alone with him.”

  “I want it in writing. As soon as I have it in writing, I’ll tell you everything I know,” he eagerly promises.

  I smile very victoriously, and then I wave to the glass that seconds as a mirror. Almost instantly, I’m joined by the redhead I’ve worked with for almost too long. She sits down with the paperwork necessary to start the deal, and I give her a wink to display my joy for the win we’ve been looking for.

  “Let me know the scoop. Clay asked me to come see him as soon as I finished up here. Give Ivan some pictures of the ones we have on death row. If his facts pan out, we’ll make sure he enjoys his one night,” I say to Sherry, my partner.

  Ivan is almost drooling when I walk out, and he’s eager to spill the information. I’ve been working for so long to catch this break, and now it’s finally here.

  Clay’s door is open when I turn the corner, and I can see the heavy face I was hoping would be much more lifted with this win in the bag.

  “I just found the biggest lead to the Rising yet, and here you are moping in your office,” I chuckle out.

  “I’m not moping, Araya, I’m a little stressed is all,” he sighs, and then he motions for me to shut the door.

  I do as he silently beckons, and then I sit down, bemused by his bizarre reaction to the biggest break we’ve had yet.

  “We’re calling an emergency meeting. The Rising is no longer a top priority, and I need you to pack a bag for the Seminole compound,” he grumbles.

  “What?” I squeal. “I’ve been busting my ass on this for months, and now that I’m this close to blowing the doors off, you’re pulling the plug?”

  “I’m not pulling the plug,” he growls. “Sherry will have to handle the Rising on her own. They’re not the biggest threat right now. We’ve run into some problems in other compounds. Weapons as strong as ours were used in the attack. They have our knowledge, and they have anonymity. It’s not the Rising though. We at least know that much.”

  “Why do I have to go? There are tons of interrogators in the United,” I grouse.

  “You’re our lead interrogator. Discretion is an absolute necessity. The last thing we need is an outbreak of panic. You’ll be going under the guise of a training seminar.

  “There will be actual students there to learn, and not even they will know they’re just pawns in this scheme. You’ll have a schedule to keep for the public eye, and cloaked meetings for our privacy. I’m sorry, but you’re my best.”

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been so snippy,” I grumble, and then something dreadful races through my mind. “Please don’t tell me he’s going to be a part of this,” I almost whimper.

  “You know he will be. He’s the best of the best, and he’ll be very necessary to this operation,” he says sternly.

  “Damn it, Clay. You know I can’t see him,” I explode.

  “You have to. It’s been three damn years, and you’re engaged to Brazen now. Hale shouldn’t pose a problem.”

  “Fuck,” I growl, and Clay is forced to stifle a grin as I throw my tantrum.

  I scowl at him when I see the small waver of his lips turning up, and then I flee from the room before he lets his laughter escape. He’s loving this. He has wanted Hale and me back together since we broke off our engagement.

  Damn it.

  “Araya Crush?” a man asks when I step up.

  “Yes. I’m here for the training seminar. Commander Jude sent me. Where do I need to go?” I ask with dread.

  My stomach is in absolute knots right now. I haven’t seen nor heard from Hale since I threw his ring down on the bed three years ago. I worked very hard to change all my numbers, and I refused to let him step foot on the property when he kept showing up. I’m not ready to see him. I just got engaged to Brazen, and I can’t get sucked back into Hale.

  I just hope I can be strong.

  “You have top level clearance which prohibits me from asking you to pass through the scanners, but I will have to search you for security purposes,” he nervously murmurs as he stares at my very intimidating credentials.

  “Since when does top level security personnel have to be frisked?” I almost growl, and his eyes lower as his anxiety grows.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s my orders. I’m just doing my job per the captain of our compound. We have to watch for blood runners,” he almost mumbles.

  I roll my eyes and decide to show mercy on the human guard shivering in fear.

  “Fine,” I grumble.

  “I’ll need you to turn around and put your hands on the wall, please,” he says with even more trepidation.

  “Really?” I scoff, my brow raised in disbelief.

  “Sorry, m… ma’am,” he stammers out.

  I sigh as I turn around and throw my hands against the wall like a damn convict. His hands begin patting me down very timidly at first, and then they’re scouring my body with a heated and almost desired touch. I can’t stifle the grin spreading over my face when I realize it’s Hale.

  Damn it. Why am I smiling? Fuck.

  I keep my back turned while his breath lingers against my neck, and he slides one hand up to cuff the two of mine. His free hand roams over my breasts, and I roll my eyes at their unwillingness to move.

  “Really? Is the captain going to let you violate all of his guests, or am I on some perverted grope list?” I mock, and his breath becomes closer as he bends down to my ear.

  “The captain told me to make sure you were thoroughly searched. I need a better angle,” he seduces, his voice smooth enough to fall into.

  He whirls me around so quickly, I lose my breath. My eyes connect with his, and he pins me against the wall with his forceful body as he strokes my sides with his hands - his daring, tempting, dangerous hands. He looks so much fucking better than I remember him, and that’s the last thing I need.

  His dark, tousled hair gleams under the tinted sky, and his cosmic blue eyes still haunt me in my dreams. Staring into them right now is enough to course fire through my veins, and I do my best to remain cool.

  “Satisfied?” I utter with a touch of a seductive edge, and I immediately feel guilty for using such a tone.

  “Not yet,” he breathes as he leans in to bring his lips dangerously close to mine.

  “No,” I gasp before swishing free from his clutches.

  He sighs and then leans back against the wall with an aggravated and disappointed huff.

  “Still not over it, eh?” he sighs.

  “No. I’m not, and I never will be,” I snark.

  “Well, you may change your mind before the week is over,” he chirps with a more optimistic tone.

  “Doubtful,” I scoff, and then I walk up beside him when he ushers me toward the massive building towering over us.

  “I felt you up pretty damn good, and I didn’t find the chip you were supposed to bring,” he smolders.

  I smirk before daringly
responding, “Well, you never were good at finding the right places.”

  He playfully cringes and shakes his head at my flagrant remark.

  “Ouch.” He covers his heart to show his wounded area. I just roll my eyes before his darken, his tone changing to be more seductive as he continues with, “I’m not recalling a time when that was ever an issue. I remember very well how loud you would scream when I found all the right places.”

  In an instant, he has turned this playful banter into a stroll down lustful memory lane. Now I’m squirming uncomfortably as his eyes dare me to try out his incredible lips that have forged trails on my body like no one else ever has.

  I shake free from the seductive memories, and I pull off the artificial layer of skin from my forearm to reveal the chip Clay had me bring.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. I did miss the right spot,” he muses, and he takes it from me while making sure to force some skin contact between our hands. “You look incredible,” he adds with a little more seriousness.

  I try not to look into his delectable eyes, knowing all too well how easy it is for him to make me fold with those hybrid blues. I wasn’t ready to see him. I knew I wasn’t ready to see him. Damn you, Clay. It’s almost painful to be so close to him.

  “You look like you’ve changed a few things since I saw you last,” I murmur while staring at the ground.

  “I suppose I’ve spiced things up a bit. So tell me how things are back at Javeline,” he says softly, and I feel the walls closing in on us when his hand grazes my back for too long as we enter the large, arched doorway.

  “It’s about the same as it was when I first moved there. A few things have changed, but for the most part, three years flashed by in a blink.”

  Actually the first year was agony thanks to you, and the other two would have been as well if it hadn’t been for Brazen.

  This is so fucking hard, and it shouldn’t be. It wouldn’t be if Brazen hadn’t been gone for over two months on a damn mission for peace between rivaling clans.

  “That’s our blood bank over there,” he says, snapping me out of my terrible train of thought. “And there’s the school for the humans. The hybrids and full bloods attend the school on the east gate side.”