Eternal Bond : (The Cursed Series, Book 3) Read online

  “Chloe?”

  “You were eavesdropping on girls’ night? Don’t let Whitney find out. She’ll kill you.”

  Trent sighed and lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. His gaze was insistent. “Did you mean it? Or was it just girl talk?”

  I physically flinched at his question. “Of course, I meant it.”

  Why would he even ask me that? Did he doubt how I felt about him? His only answer was a hard, dominant kiss that I gladly accepted and returned.

  He scooped his arm around me, dragging me under him as he rolled on top of me. The weight of him pressing down on me was like a safety blanket, reminding me I was okay. Loved. Protected. Lifting my shirt, he slid his hand across my stomach and over my ribs.

  I grabbed his hand, stilling his ascent. “If you start this, I’ll never make it back to Whitney’s room.”

  As badly as I wanted him—I always wanted him—I couldn’t start this now. I’d made a promise to Whitney that I refused to break, no matter how badly I wanted to right now.

  He groaned but slipped his hand out from under my shirt. With a quick kiss to the tip of my nose, he squeezed between me and the back of the couch, returning us to our original position.

  “At least lay here with me a little longer?” he asked.

  I settled in, content to lay on the couch in his arms. I had no idea how long we stayed like that, but my eyelids became increasingly heavier, and I knew if I didn’t get up right now and go back to Whitney’s room, I never would.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Trent’s eyes were closed. Careful not to wake him, I eased out from under his arm and tiptoed out of the living room. I made a detour to the bathroom.

  When I was finished doing my business, I flushed and washed my hands. I flicked off the lights, then opened the door. And yelped with surprise.

  Jax held his finger to my lips. “Shh. You don’t want to wake everyone.”

  I smacked his hand away. “What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”

  “I didn’t sneak up on you. I just happened to be standing here when you opened the door.”

  “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s still creepy.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest—his bare chest. Before I could stop myself, my gaze raked down his body and lingered on his narrow hips, on the spot where smooth flesh met a silk waistband. Why did he have to be so hot?

  “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, abruptly changing the subject.

  My gaze snapped back up to his face. “Yup.”

  “Why?” He made no effort to move, and I was now stuck between him and the bathroom.

  “Because every time I’m around you, you say something stupid.”

  Jax narrowed his eyes and took a small, predatory step forward. “Just because you don’t like what I say doesn’t mean it’s stupid.”

  Lifting my chin, I straightened my spine and glared at him. “That’s exactly what it means.”

  My heart beat a hard warning against my ribs. I needed to get away from him. Fast. I shouldered my way around him, but he clutched my arm; his touch ignited an inferno inside of me, a raging, unstoppable fire that I couldn’t contain.

  I was tired of fighting it, fighting the pull I always felt when I was around him. I yanked out of his hold, my chest heaving with each breath. And then I crushed my mouth to his, my arms circling his neck and my fingers spearing into his hair.

  He let out a guttural, satisfied growl as he kissed me back. Hard. Desperate. Dominant. Backing me into the bathroom, he swung the door closed and then pinned me against it.

  His mouth never left mine, but his hands… they were everywhere. Exploring. Memorizing. He rubbed his thumb over the bite mark, and I whimpered, my body melting against him.

  “Chloe?” Jax’s voice was harsh.

  I blinked, disoriented. “Huh?”

  I was still standing in the bathroom doorway, Jax in front of me, arms crossed. Glancing up and down the hall, I leaned against the wall to steady myself. I’d been hallucinating again. Why did that keep happening?

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  “Done what?”

  “In the bathroom,” he said slowly like I was a child who was unable to fully understand what was being said.

  “Oh, um, yeah.” I scurried around him, but his gaze followed me, intense and probing.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yup. I’m fine.” I took several steps toward Whitney’s room. “Night,” I called over my shoulder.

  As I passed the living room, I peeked in. Trent was still on the couch, eyes closed. Thank God. I hurried into Whitney’s room and lay back down. But sleep was a lost cause.

  I lay on the floor for hours, staring up at the ceiling. Why did I keep dreaming about kissing Jax? When it had happened, after he’d fed on me, I’d like it. A lot. But it had been wrong, and I loved Trent with my entire being. There was no way I’d ever actually kiss Jax again.

  I wracked my brain trying to figure out when all of this started… Prior to being locked up with Jax, I’d begun to notice him—how attractive he was, how nice and funny, how sweet he could be when no one else was around. But I’d never lusted after him, not like I had been lately. The only difference between then and now was Isach.

  My ears rang. That was it!

  Isach had messed with my mind before, making me see things that weren’t there. He had to be doing it again. He was the reason I was having all these thoughts and feelings for Jax. And the way Abby had acted earlier today at the falls, snapping at me for no real reason. It all made sense now.

  Or maybe it didn’t.

  Why would he make me fantasize about Jax of all things, though? To cause problems between me and Trent? Maybe he hoped if Trent and I broke up, he wouldn’t have to worry about me breaking the curse.

  Or maybe he wanted to cause trouble between Trent and Jax? Together, the two of them were a force to be reckoned with, but separately… Isach could tear them apart and label me as the reason. They’d both hate me so much they’d never change me, no matter how hard I begged.

  The whole thing was crazy, and way more complicated than it needed to be, but this was Isach Zoya. Who knew why he did what he did?

  But tomorrow, it would stop. I’d make sure of it. I’d have to confront him and tell him to knock it off, without Trent finding out. The last thing I needed was for him to know I’d been fantasizing about Jax.

  I’d probably have to swear to Isach I wouldn’t break the curse, sign an oath in blood or whatever witches required when making promises. But I’d do it if it meant he’d stop invading my mind.

  Plan in place, I was finally able to relax a little. I burrowed beneath my blanket and closed my eyes. By this time tomorrow, all of this would be over, and I could start my senior year with Trent and my friends.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:

  Patience

  I STOOD IN FRONT OF THE bathroom mirror and stared at my neck. Two puncture marks stared back, taunting me. They were just as visible as they had been the day I’d gotten them. They weren’t fading.

  Gingerly, I ran my fingers over them and winced. They didn’t hurt, but they were a constant reminder of what I’d done, of how I’d betrayed Trent. I just wanted them to go away.

  Though, at this point, I didn’t know which was worse—the bite marks or the dark circles under my eyes. It had been four days since the sleepover at Whitney’s. Four days since I’d been in the same house with Trent overnight. Four days since I’d had more than a couple hours sleep. I felt and looked like a zombie.

  “C’mon, Chloe!” Abby banged on the door. “We’re gonna be late.”

  Releasing my hair so it covered my neck, I walked out of the bathroom. “We’re not gonna be late,” I told her.

  Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean were celebrating their wedding anniversary, and they made plans to go out of town for the weekend. Rather than leave us home alone, they suggested we stay with a friend. Naturally, I’d suggested Whitney, and A
unt Beth had eagerly agreed.

  I veered off into my room to grab my bag, which was packed with all the clothes Whitney had given me. Dad said he’d send money, but he hadn’t yet. I was going to call him and find out what was going on, because I was tired of not having my own stuff to wear.

  “Are you finally ready?” Abby asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

  I laughed. “Someone’s excited.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “And you’re not?”

  I couldn’t hide my smile. An entire weekend with Trent? I was more than excited, but if we acted too weird in front of Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean, they’d know something was up.

  We headed downstairs. Two suitcases were parked near the front door. Uncle Dean stood near the door, keys clutched in his hand. He looked as impatient as Abby.

  “Okay, girls, remember. Have fun, but be safe. We’ll call and check in as soon as we get to our hotel,” Aunt Beth said.

  “We know, Mom. You’ve only told us a million times,” Abby said.

  “Happy Anniversary,” I said, giving Aunt Beth a hug. “Have fun, but be safe.”

  She swatted at me and laughed.

  “Come check on the house tomorrow, okay?” Uncle Dean said as he held the door open for us. “But just you two. No one else is allowed here while we’re gone, and absolutely no parties.”

  “We know, Dad,” Abby said, lugging her bag onto the porch. How much did she pack? “Don’t worry. The house will still be here when you get back, and we’ll be safely at Whitney’s.”

  I couldn’t believe they didn’t trust us to stay home alone for the weekend. I was eighteen—a legal adult—and Abby was seventeen. We knew how to take care of our ourselves. Though, they were probably more worried about us having parties and inviting boys over. If they only knew that in their quest to prevent that, they’d agreed to let us have a sleepover at our boyfriends.

  The four of us walked outside. Abby and I got into her car and drove away before Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean had their suitcases in the trunk.

  “We have an entire weekend to ourselves.” Abby squealed.

  I laughed, finally letting my excitement surface. “So, Wyatt is taking you out on an official date, huh?”

  Abby nodded. “Yup, and I cannot wait.”

  I settled in for the short drive and rested my head on the window. Abby seemed happy with Wyatt, and I hoped things worked out with them. I had no idea how serious things were, or if they’d ever get to the point where Wyatt told Abby the truth about what he was.

  Part of me wanted her to know so I wouldn’t have to keep lying to her, but an even bigger part of me didn’t want her to ever have to go through the shock and myriad of other emotions that came with learning vampires were real.

  Moments later, she stopped in front of Trent’s house. He was on the porch, waiting. My heart leapt at the sight of him, and I was out of the car as soon as Abby parked.

  Trent met me at the steps and folded me into a tight embrace, his face buried in my hair. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

  I clung to him, letting all my stress evaporate. “Same,” I whispered.

  Even though it had only been four days since I’d seen him, it felt like years. How was I ever going to survive when school started? Right now, it didn’t really matter all that much that I wasn’t sleeping, but once I had to start going to school again, lack of sleep was going to be a major problem.

  “At least take it inside,” Abby said as she walked past us and into the house.

  She’d quickly become very comfortable here and had no issues coming and going like she owned the place. Not that anyone who actually lived here cared. Sean spent most of his time in the basement office, filling in the pieces of my lineage and connecting it all together, so he had no clue what was going on in his house.

  Reluctantly, I released Trent and stepped back. “I need to get my bag from the car.”

  Trent studied me. “You look dead on your feet.”

  I smiled at his unintended joke, then turned to go to the car. He was beside me in one long stride, and he reached the car before I did. He leaned against the door, blocking access to my stuff.

  “You’re still not sleeping,” he said.

  “No.” I rubbed my hands over my face. “I try, but I can never sleep more than a couple hours at a time.” As if to emphasize my point, I yawned.

  “Come here.” Trent took my hand and tugged me into his arms.

  I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be with you at night.” He kissed the top of my head. “I want to be.”

  “I know.” I glanced up at him and was momentarily stunned by the fierceness of his gaze, like he somehow felt personally responsible for the fact that I couldn’t sleep.

  But it wasn’t his fault. It was Isach’s and Hannah’s and Ivy’s. And Jax’s. I might be able to handle the nightmares—I’d lived with them before—but the constant fantasies about Jax, the hallucinations, not knowing what was real and what wasn’t… that’s what was keeping me awake at night.

  “Let’s go take a nap,” he said, “because I have plans for us later.” A twinkle appeared in his eyes, and he smiled.

  I couldn’t stop from smiling back at him. “Let me guess. It’s a surprise?”

  He laughed. “Did you expect anything else?” He grabbed my bag from the backseat.

  “You know how much I hate surprises,” I said, fighting the urge to laugh.

  “Not mine,” he said with all the arrogance of a guy who knew he was right. Trent slipped his hand into mine, lacing our fingers, and we went inside.

  As soon as I stepped over the threshold, Whitney hugged me.

  I dropped Trent’s hand and hugged her back. “I need to talk to you,” I whispered in her ear.

  Whitney straightened. “I’m stealing your girlfriend for a minute,” she said to Trent and then dragged me into her room. “Okay, what’s up?”

  “Where’s Abby?” I asked, glancing round.

  “Wyatt’s room.” Whitney sat on her bed, cross-legged, and motioned for me to do the same, and when I did, she said, “So, what’s going on? You don’t look so good.”

  Ugh. I was so tired of people telling me I looked like crap. As if I didn’t know.

  “This is what’s going on.” I held my hair away from my neck and turned my head so Whitney could see. “This is where Jax bit me, and the mark isn’t fading. Is that normal?”

  She leaned forward to get a better look. “Hmm.”

  My heart sank. That couldn’t be good. “Well?” I asked.

  “Seems like they would’ve faded by now,” she said slowly. “But I’m no expert on this.”

  I let my hair fall back over my neck and groaned. I knew something was wrong. But what? And how did I fix it?

  “Have you shown Trent?” she asked.

  My eyes widened, and I shook my head. “No, and you can’t tell him.” Fear laced my words. “He was furious when he found out Jax bit me. I can’t imagine how he’ll react if he finds out the mark isn’t fading.”

  Whitney smiled sympathetically. “Give it a little more time. I’m sure they’ll go away.”

  “Thanks.” My shoulders slumped.

  I had no idea if she truly meant that or if she was just saying it to make me feel better. Either way, I couldn’t shake the worry that hung over me. Maybe whatever mind trick Isach was playing on me was affecting the mark, too.

  I still hadn’t had the chance to confront him. Once our camping trip was over, he disappeared. As far as I knew, no one had seen or heard from him, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

  Having Isach hover was horrible, but not knowing where he was or what he was doing was even worse. For all I knew, he could be telling his coven about me, and they were planning an attack.

  “Where’s Isach?” I asked, climbing off the bed.

  Whitney shrugged. “I haven’t seen him since the camping trip.”

  “Yeah, me either.” I
frowned, then yawned. “Okay, I’m going to go take a nap.” I gave her another hug. “Thanks.”

  “Any time.” She smiled.

  I made my way to Trent’s room, and he was already in bed, waiting for me. He’d drawn the blackout curtains closed. I toed off my shoes and stumbled forward, then climbed beneath the covers he’d pulled back.

  “All good with Whitney?” he asked.

  “Mm-hmm.” I pressed my mouth to his, needing to be closer to him, to feel how much he loved me and wanted me.

  Trent speared his fingers into my hair and kissed me like he hadn’t seen me in forever. His tongue twisted around mine, his breath warm and sweet and inviting. His soft gasps spurred me on.

  I swung my leg over his waist and straddled him, never once breaking the kiss. As soon as my body connected with his, Trent growled, and his hands flattened on my back, pressing me even closer.

  “Thought you wanted to sleep,” he said, nipping at my bottom lip.

  “I do. But I want to do this, too.” I kissed his jaw. “I like kissing you.”

  He chuckled. “I like kissing you, too.” He moved his hands to my hips, his fingers flexing against me.

  “What’s wrong?” I sat up and peered down at him.

  Normally, he had no problems making out with me. In fact, he often initiated it, but there was definitely something up today. He was holding back for some reason.

  “Nothing,” he said, then sighed. “It’s just… being close to you like this, it’s hard for me.”

  I tilted my head, my heart suddenly beating sharper and harder. “But I thought… you said…”

  He’d told me once that it was hard for him, but not in an I-want-to-kill-you sort of way. Rather, he came alive when he touched me and kissed me. He said he craved me. What had changed?

  “I love kissing you and touching you and just being with you, but it’s getting harder and harder every day to be this close and not claim you,” he said.