Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (39 page)

I was right there in the open, on the sidewalk with nowhere to run or hide without being seen.

Frantic, I dropped to my stomach and silently, and very painfully, slid myself under Ashton’s stupidly low car.

From under the car, I watched his feet go by. He made another call as he headed up to the front of the house. I only heard the first part. “Hey. No, it didn’t work. We’ve gotta try something else.” He was inside
the house a second later.

I waited a few minutes before dragging myself out from under his car and taking off at top speed.

Looking like I’d just face planted on the street, me and my dirty ass hauled it toward the vampire hospital. I figured Felix would be there.

I stopped when I was close. I called Felix to let him know I’d be at the chained front entrance of the old theater in a couple of minutes, and that I had something I needed to talk to him about.

He met me at the front of the old theater and led me through it and into the hospital portion. When we reached his office, we had a heated discussion about what I’d heard and what I thought it meant.

In the end, Felix finally agreed to have Ashton tailed, but he informed me it wasn’t so easy.

Apparently, Ashton’s father had a lot of power in our little town, and he was good at covering his tracks and making sure the vamps were unable to catch wind of whatever it was he had planned.

I guess after the last time Felix had Ashton tailed, Mr. Weslin had gotten even craftier.

With this information processing, things started to click into place.

“Wait,” I said. “Are you telling me Ashton’s dad is some sneaky, crooked bastard that’s out to stop the vampires?”

“I would not say that’s his main priority,” Felix said.

I stared at him. He was sitting behind the desk in his office. I’m sure my eyes were bugging out of my head. I mean, I knew Ashton’s dad was sneaky and an ass, but I just thought that was his thing. Not that he had something to do with whatever evil plans were afoot.

“I believe Ashton’s father’s goal is to disrupt the balance of power,” Felix offered as I sat there with my mouth hanging open. “I do not have an exact idea of how he plans to go about shifting the power, and by this, I mean Tobin Weslin would like to take the power away from Brookehaven and its members. I am also not clear if this is his plan or if he is merely a pawn or possibly a decoy in someone else’s plan. In my opinion, the Weslins are merely a distraction from something larger that is heading our way.”

I continued to stare at him, completely baffled.

Felix continued, “I have found that the more I dwell upon what the Weslins are up to, the further away I get from the real problem—a problem that is sure to show itself when we least expect it.”

“What?” I spat out. “If you know something bad is coming, why are we just sitting here? Why aren’t you telling Oliver? Why aren’t you making sure those of us you claim to care about are safe?” I was kinda yelling, but he just smiled faintly.

“Carter, how can you think I have not already taken precautions to keep you and the others safe? Without locking all of you away, where the elements and evils cannot find you, I am doing the best that I can.”

“But you said—”

He cut me off as I protested. “There is always an evil lurking around every corner. How are we expected to live our lives if we are constantly hiding from what is to come? Go home, Carter. Enjoy your life, and remember that every moment should be treasured and could possibly be your very last.”

He stood and, dum
bfounded, I did too. “But…”

“Carter,” he said very sincerely, “you need to focus on what is good in your life before the fears of what might happen consume you.”

“Uh…um…okay,” I said as I followed him out of his office.

In the hospital hallway, he clapped me on the shoulder and smiled down at me as if that would reassure me. “I will see you soon, my friend.”

“Um, actually, do you think you could give me a ride back to my apartment?”

He rumbled a deep, h
earty chuckle that echoed down the hall. “Of course. But you will need to wait until I have finished analyzing the samples I took from Delaney and Ashton.”

I nodded, then I followed Felix to his lab.

After some time, Felix concluded that nothing was amiss, and that we’d just have to be more careful.

I listened as he called Oliver and Laney and gave them the news.

When he was off the phone, I questioned him, asking if there was anything we could do to prevent something like this from happening again.

“Aside from being more cautious, I am afraid not. Not anything any of us would be willing to try at this point,” he said, leaving me with more unanswered questions.

I didn’t need this shit, I had enough on my mind…

Mistletoe and Bug Guys

Happy to wake in my boyfriend’s arms, and more than relieved to have retained the
knowledge that he was my actual boyfriend, I showered Oliver with morning kisses before forcing myself out of bed to get ready for the day.

It had been twenty-four hours since the Ashton thing. I was still a little jittery, but I think it was more mental than physical. I mean, I had forgotten my boyfriend! In no way was I ever going to be okay with that. There was especially no way I was ever going to be okay with the fact I had thought Ashton was my boyfriend.
I shuddered at the thought.

After taking a shower and getting ready for the day, I took a seat at the dining table with my bowl of Lucky Charms. Oliver had left his Laptop of Infinite Knowledge open on the table. So, naturally, I looked.

“Hey,” he said, a smile on his perfectly kissable lips when he returned from retrieving his cell from the nightstand in our room. He took a seat in front of his computer.

“What is that?” I questioned, pointing at his laptop.

“Oh, um, just community plans.”

“May I see?” I asked.

He quickly closed his laptop. “Not yet,” he said, trying to flash me a grin that was supposed to make me forget what we were talking about. Not this time!

“Why?” I questioned,
a sudden irritation was apparent in my voice.

“I’m not ready for you to see it yet, that’s all.” He smiled again, but I pushed and argued. His smile disappeared
, and the argument continued. It was mostly just me pushing for him to show me the community plans, and him resisting.

Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, kissing me, mid-rant.

It surprised the hell out of me, and it calmed me down. “Did you do that to shut me up?” I questioned once he released my arm.

With a sly grin in place, he said, “Maybe.”

After that, we were fine.

I realized I was just irritable because I had to go to class, without Oliver. I was also frustrated because we hadn’t really been “together” for nearly two weeks. Not that I hadn’t tried… Oliver was
still against “togetherness” with others nearby.

It amazed me how strong his will was. It also amazed me how clever he was trying to be. Many times, when we could have snuck off to our room, he would pop in a movie and invite Carter to join us. I was beginning to feel rejected, but I also knew I was being ridiculous. I would just have to get clever myself.

After my astronomy class, once all the other students were gone, I asked Amber if she had some free time so I could take my midterm.

“I am sorry, but I do not have time to spare today,” she said as she gathered a few folders and books from her desk. “I actually need to get to the hospital.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Another time, Delaney,” she said. She smiled wearily.

I nodded and headed out of the class. I wanted to get the midterm over with. I loved Amber’s class, but I was losing interest in the subject. I used to have this incredible passion for the stars and what lay beyond them, but since I had discovered there were so many amazing creatures right here on the ground around me, my passion had moved from the sky to the earth and all of its inhabitants.

Oliver was waiting for me in the parking lot. He had insisted on driving me to the college and
he’d stayed while I went to class. I think he was still pretty shaken over the whole “forgetting him” thing. I didn’t blame him.

I gave him several
sweet, soft kisses as I got into the car, and then we headed out to Julz’s.

Oliver wanted to pick up some of his things from Julz’s house. Apparently, Isaac had fully moved into Oliver’s room, and he had boxed up Oliver’s stuff and stashed it in the garage.

Oliver was fine with this. Especially since he didn’t plan to live there anymore, and he had only been living there part-time over the years, anyway.

During our drive, Oliver mentioned again how we needed to get our own place. I agreed. Big time.

As we walked through the front door at Julz’s, Lola greeted us, excited to see us, as always. I moved past Oliver and the loveseat that separated the living room and the entryway.

In the front room, I crouched down so Lola could nuzzle me and give me big slobbery dog kisses while I ran my fingers through her silky hair. I really did love that dog.

While loving on Lola, I glanced around and was surprised to discover the house was already decorated for Christmas.

It was also warm and strangely inviting. Perhaps Julz was on her best behavior, desperately trying to win Isaac back. Or maybe she was just having a less-than-crazy moment.

As I was standing, and Lola was still trying to get some love from my hands while they hung at my sides, Julz came out from down the hall and abruptly stopped at the opening of the hallway when she saw Oliver and me there in her living room.

“Oh, hey,” she said rather quietly.

She took a step back. She was still sporting yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt. She didn’t look all that great. She actually looked sort of worn out. I figured Isaac moving out of their bedroom, and the fact he was still giving her the cold shoulder while living under the same roof, had to be torture.

I felt bad for her, but on the other hand, I felt she kind of deserved it. Perhaps
Julz and her sister did have more in common than I realized. Like perhaps, poor morals.

“Isaac and Hayden are out shopping and getting ice cream,” she said, her voice slightly strained.

“That’s fine,” Oliver said, eyeing her curiously. “We just stopped by to get a few of my things.”

“Oh,” she said, her gaze settling on the floor in front of her bare feet. Her fingers were busy messing with the tattered hem at the front of her sweatshirt. “I’ll just get out of your way then. I was about to take Lola for a walk and get some fresh air anyway.” She disappeared for a moment and returned wearin
g a pair of running shoes and a tattered, black windbreaker over her already unflattering attire.

Lola was reluctant to leave, but, with some encouragement from me, she followed Julz out the front door.

“She’s still avoiding me,” Oliver said as he watched the front door close behind Julz and Lola.

I was looking at the pictures on the fireplace and absorbing the warmth from the fire. “Lucky us,” I said, turning my attention to him.

He flashed me a sexy half-grin. He was standing under some mistletoe and near a heavily decorated Christmas tree that was situated in front of the bookshelves that lined the wall in the front room. I noticed that a few wrapped presents already sat beneath the tree and shimmery garland was draped over every curtain rod. The house even smelled Christmassy, like pine and cinnamon.

As I stepped closer to Oliver, I pointed up to the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling fan overhead.

He looked up and then back to me. He grinned that super sexy half-smile again.

I stopped right in front of him and smiled rather seductively. A moment later, h
is cool lips touched mine, gentle and soft.

My entire body felt like it was melting against his as I slipped my arms around his waist and held his body to mine.

His strong hands cupped my face and his tongue brushed against my lower lip before easing its way into my mouth. His scent hit me a moment later, making me crave him and increasing my need for him. His touch and his kiss were not enough, I wanted more of him. No, I
needed
more. I needed his weight on top of me, to feel him inside of me… A few minutes of rhythmic rocking, it was all I needed.

With my lips still on his and my arms still holding him close, I took a step back, toward the chaise sitting beside the fireplace. He followed without hesitation.

I continued slowly backing my way to the chaise, him following me with his lips to mine the entire way.

When I reached the chaise, I slowly lowered myself onto it and grabbed the front of Oliver’s shirt
—pulling him down to sit beside me. One of his hands moved, slipping into my hair just behind my ear. His other hand was slowly trailing down my arm, causing excited shivers all over my body.

I moved closer, pressing my chest against his and digging my fingers into the back of his soft
, wavy locks while his lips continued to work mine, his scent growing even stronger.