Cursed

A loud knock echoed through the room. I glanced at my brother, who had one leg draped over the back of the couch and the other planted on the floor. His gaze was trained on the television.

“You expecting company?” I asked him.

“Nope.” He tilted his head. “It’s a human, though.”

That wasn’t surprising, considering there were more humans than vampires in this town. But what was one doing knocking on our door? I crossed the room and stopped at the front door. In the blink of an eye, Jax was next to me. Whoever it was knocked again.

“Impatient little thing,” Jax muttered.

I grinned and opened the door. A short woman with black hair twisted atop her head and large, dark eyes stood on our doorstep. She was dressed in a navy blue pantsuit that looked a size too big and had bright red lipstick caked across her lips. A briefcase was clutched tightly in her right hand. I raised a brow.

“I need to speak with Mr. Halstead,” she said, pushing her thick, wire-rimmed glasses up her nose.

My instincts told me this woman was trouble, despite her barely five-foot frame. “I’m Mr. Halstead,” I said, then added, “Trenton.”

“I’m Mr. Halstead, too. Jaxon.” He thrust his hand out at her, and I had to swallow back a laugh.

She jutted her chin out, her gaze unwavering. “I’m looking for your father. Sean Halstead.” She adjusted her briefcase, so she was now gripping it with both hands in front of her.

“And you are?” I asked.

“Miss Findley.”

“Well go get him for you.” Jax yanked the door from my grasp and swung it shut in her face.

“What the hell?” I glared at him.

“She’s gray-ish purple. Conservative. Smart. And way too serious.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “She’s trouble, Trent.”

Jax’s ability to read a person’s aura never failed to be useful. I sighed. “I figured as much. So, what do we do? Get Dad or kill her?”

He laughed. “As tempting as that is, she’s not bad. Let’s find Dad and figure out what she’s doing here.”

Minutes later, me, Dad, Jax, and Miss Findley were seated at the dining room table. She set her briefcase on top of the table and flipped it open. “Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Halstead.” She pulled out a packet of papers, closed her briefcase, and settled her gaze on Dad. “My name is Jessica Findley, and I’m the Truancy Officer for Keene Valley schools.”

My jaw dropped. She was a truancy officer? I couldn’t stop from laughing. Dad shot me a dirty look, and I clamped my lips shut. Jax cursed under his breath.

“We’ve had some complaints that your sons aren’t attending school.” She briefly glanced at us. “They are school aged, are they not?”

Dad cleared his throat. “Yes, they’re both seventeen.”

“And why aren’t they enrolled in school?” She pushed her glasses up her nose again.

Dad’s jaw clenched, and I waited to see what he’d say. It’s not like he could tell her the truth. “I don’t have an answer for you,” he said simply.

“You do realize not enrolling your sons in school is a crime, don’t you?” She slid the packet of papers across the table. It was a copy of the law she was citing.

“Wait a minute,” Jax said, leaning forward menacingly. Miss Findley instinctively leaned back in response. “We’re seventeen, which means we’re not legally required to attend school. Anyone can drop out at sixteen.” He smiled with satisfaction.

I sliced a look in his direction, wishing he’d shut up. Provoking this woman wasn’t going to help our cause.

She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, yes, but—”

“I’ll get them enrolled today,” Dad said without bothering to look at the papers. Disbelief rolled through me. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do.” He stood, and just like that, she was dismissed.

Before she left, though, she said, “If this matter isn’t resolved by the end of the day today, I will be back.” Her heels clicked noisily down the porch steps.

It was then I noticed Old Man Moore standing on his porch, staring at our house. And there was a faint smile on his face. Obviously, he’d been the one to make the complaint that led to Miss Findley’s visit. My hands curled into fists, and my gums ached with the familiar need to bare my fangs. I was going to kill him.

“I am not going to high school,” Jax said, arms crossed.

“Me either.” I mimicked his stance as we faced our father. “You realize how ridiculous this is, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’m well aware of how ridiculous this is, Trent, but what would you have me do? Kill her? Surely, someone knew she was coming here. If she disappeared, we risk exposure.”

I scowled.

“Not if we killed the entire town.” Jax’s lips twitched.

I elbowed him. I really wished he’d outgrow the let’s-kill-everyone phase he seemed to be stuck in. “I could always chase her down. Wipe her mind. Make her forget all about us.”

“And then what? Let Old Man Moore report us again? I don’t think so.” Dad shook his head. “You two wanted to come back here, remember? This was your idea, so either go to school and try to fit in naturally, or we move. The choice is yours.” He disappeared downstairs.

We’d only just returned to Keene Valley, and it was one of my favorite towns. I didn’t want to move again. But I also really didn’t want to go back to high school. The risk of exposure was too great, though. Even though we were stronger and faster and more deadly than any human, secrecy was our greatest weapon. Blend in—always.

Jax looked at me, a mixture of anger and despair in his expression. “Are we really doing this?”

“Do we have a choice?”

He sighed heavily. “Not really.”

“It could be fun.” I shrugged. “Humans are entertaining. And you were complaining yesterday how bored you are.”

“Right, because school will cure my boredom.”

I laughed.

***

The following morning, Jax and I entered Keene Valley Central, just like normal teenagers. The hallways were packed with students—humans—who were chattering excitedly, laughing, smiling. God, was this really the highlight of their lives?

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jax muttered and shook his head. “What the hell were we thinking?”

“We weren’t.” Frowning, I glanced around. We’d graduated once, back in 1932 when we were truly of age. Being back here now was cruel and unusual punishment. “My locker is right there.” I pointed to an ugly green locker a few feet ahead.

Jax grumbled and veered off. I had no idea where he was going, but I was sure we’d catch up later. As much as I loathed being back in school, I was going to make the best of it—unlike my brother. When I approached my locker, the one next to it was wide open. Curiosity sparked in my chest as I opened mine.

A moment later, slender fingers slammed against my face. The sound of knuckles cracking echoed around me. I stood there a moment, stunned. Did someone seriously just punch me in the face?

“Ow,” a sweet, melodic voice cried softly.

I closed my locker door. “Did you just punch me?”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… it was an accident. I’m sorry.”

To anyone else, she sounded genuinely sorry, but to me… I could hear the slight tremor in her voice, smell the faint scent of fear. And her heart beat wildly, pumping blood through her body at an astounding rate. She smelled entirely too tempting.

I took a deep breath, then slowly pushed her locker door closed. “Are you okay?”

She looked at me, tilting her head back enough to meet my gaze. Big, gorgeous doe eyes peered up at me, unblinking. I was in so much trouble already. But when I realized her head only came to the middle of my chest, that was nail number two in my coffin—I had a weakness for short girls.

“I should be asking you that. Are you okay?” She stepped closer, inspecting my cheek. I caught a whiff of vanilla and lavender, and I had to stifle a groan. “Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”

I laughed. It was cute she was so concerned. “I’ve taken worse. I’ll be fine,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word. “Is it normal for people to punch you? Because you seem very cool about this whole thing.”

I re-opened my locker and rummaged around inside, not bothering to answer her question. I was positive telling her that my brother and I beat each other up for fun would scare her. Or make her think I was some sort of freak.

“Well, I’m sorry,” she said again.

“Apology accepted.”

“Thanks.”

I closed my locker—again—and leaned against it. “Are you positive you’re okay?”

She’d been cradling her hand to her chest, and I was really worried she’d hurt herself. When she turned toward me, I let my gaze roam down her body… her very fit, curves-in-all-the-right-places body. Something long dormant awakened inside of me, stirring emotions I didn’t realize I still possessed.

“May I see?” I nodded toward the hand she held protectively against her chest.

Cautiously, I took her hand and gently ran my thumb across her knuckles. God, she had the softest skin. I bet the rest of her was just as soft. She cringed but didn’t pull away. Her knuckles were red and starting to swell, but nothing appeared to be broken. She stared at me intently.

“Would you like to take a picture?” The corner of my mouth quirked up into a smirk.

She quickly averted her gaze. “Uh, I think I’m good.” She removed her hand from mine and made a fist. “Thanks.”

“You should probably go to the nurse. Get some ice before that starts to swell.”

Her eyes widened as if she were horrified. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Really.”

I nodded. “Well, this has been an interesting first day. I hope this isn’t how they greet all new students.”

“What?” She cocked her head.

“Apparently, my welcome was a punch in the face.” I’d told Jax school wouldn’t be boring. He was never going to let me live this down, either—getting punched in the face by a girl. A human girl no less.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m new, too. I’m Chloe.”

Chloe. Such a simple yet pretty name. I loved the way it rolled off my tongue with ease and perfection.

“C’mon, Trent.” Jax nudged me, barely giving Chloe a second look. “Stop screwing around with the locals, and let’s get to class.”

“Oh, I’m not a local,” she said.

“Like it matters,” Jax muttered.

“Knock it off, Jax.” I was going to kick him in the teeth. “I’ll see you around, Chloe.” Without another word, I walked away, Jax beside me.

“We’re not even here half an hour and you’re already hitting on a girl?” Jax rolled his eyes. “I told you this was a terrible idea.” He glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes, then quickly turned back.

I punched him in the arm, hard. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you,” I said.

We stopped outside the room where our first class was, and for the briefest moment, I wondered if maybe Jax was right. Maybe moving again would have been a better idea.

“She’s pure white, Trent,” Jax whispered. “Blinding white.”

My brows rose in surprise. Pure white meant purity. Goodness. Compassion. In all my decades as a vampire, Jax had only pointed out a pure, bright white aura twice. Chloe made three. And that made her all the more attractive. I should stay far away from her, though. My aura wasn’t anywhere close to pure, neither were my actions, and I had no right to taint her with what I was.

I turned, unsure where I was planning to go, when someone barreled into me. I scowled, until I realized it was Chloe. Then I grinned. “My face wasn’t enough? You need to assault my chest, too?”

Her face flushed a sexy shade of crimson. I stepped around her, muttering about how screwed I was and how I was a horrible guy. Finding an empty seat, I tracked Chloe as she headed straight for the back of the room.

Right then, I made a decision—if I had to suffer through high school, it was going to be with her.

Chloe’s gaze met mine, and it was like she’d reached into my chest and squeezed my heart. My God, she was gorgeous. And I was staring at her like some sort of creep. I slid on my sunglasses, and using every ounce of willpower I possessed, I looked away from her.

Despite promising myself I wouldn’t, I kept sneaking glances at Chloe throughout class. She was wholly focused on the teacher and his lecture. She was probably smart and studious in addition to being the most beautiful girl in this school.

Every so often, she’d tilt her head and toss her hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck for the briefest of moments, and I’d be rewarded with a whiff of her floral scent. My gaze lingered on the vein in her neck, on how it pulsed steadily. Would she taste as good as she smelled?

I scrunched up my face in disgust. What was wrong with me? I hadn’t drank from a human in decades, not since Hannah, and I wasn’t about to get sucked into that rabbit hole again. I didn’t care how tempting she looked or smelled.

When the bell rang, I rushed out of the room, not trusting myself to stay away from her. The morning dragged on—high school was just as horrible as last time. Finally, lunch rolled around, and while I didn’t plan to eat cafeteria food, I was looking forward to having a few minutes to decompress.

I claimed a table in the corner of the cafeteria, one that afforded me a clear view of the room and everyone in it. My gaze zeroed in on Chloe. She was sitting in the middle of the cafeteria with a group of kids. Her shoulders were tense, and terror flashed across her face. I moved to get up, to go over there and ask what was wrong, but then just as quickly as the emotion had appeared, it vanished. That was odd.

“This blows.” Jax flopped down in the chair next to me. “I’m not sure who in this school is dumber. The teachers or the students.” He crossed his arms and scowled.

I rolled my eyes and refocused my attention on Chloe. Right about now, I’d kill to have the twins’ ability to read minds. I’d have to settle for enhanced senses. Blocking out everyone else, I honed in on Chloe’s conversation.

“Oh, yeah, you’re the new girl who’s been sitting in the back of every class,” said one of the girls at the table.

“Wait, didn’t you punch that new guy in the face this morning?” one of the guys asked.

“Oh my God. I heard about that.”

I tilted my head. Why wasn’t Chloe saying anything?

“No, he grabbed her butt,” the other guy said.

A laugh erupted from my chest. That escalated fast. Not that I hadn’t thought about touching her in all the wrong places for all the right reasons, but no one except me knew that. Jax slowly leaned forward. I ignored him. The last thing I wanted to do was tell him I was obsessing over a human girl.

“What?” Chloe gasped. “No. That’s not how it happened at all. It was an accident.”

Chloe twisted the top off her water bottle and took a long drink. When she set it down, I didn’t miss the way her lips glistened. I’d never wanted to taste a mouth as badly as I wanted to taste hers. I’d bet her lips were as soft as her skin. She’d be so eager and pliant against me. I couldn’t suppress the groan that rumbled through me.

“Are you seriously stalking the local girl from this morning?” Jax asked.

“No.” But I still couldn’t tear my gaze from her.

“Leave her alone,” Jax warned. “I told you. She’s bright white, and for us, that means trouble.”

I glanced above her head, then back to her face, but I didn’t see anything. It bugged me Jax could, though. He described it once like a shadow that surrounded a person, the color constantly changing based on emotions. To him, people were walking mood rings.

Chloe reached up and smoothed her hands over her head and down her hair. I fought to hide my smile. Chatter at her table resumed, and she looked away. When she did, it was like popping a balloon—all the breath rushed from my lungs, leaving me deflated and feeling alone. I was in a shitload of trouble.

“You’re not going to leave her alone, are you?” Jax asked.

“Probably not,” I admitted.

I wasn’t sure I could leave her alone. Even though I knew I should—for her own safety—I also knew I’d obsess about her until I got to know her better. So far, I’d only spoken to her once; for all I knew, she could be as interesting as a slug. Maybe once I got to know her, I’d realize I didn’t like her all that much.

Jax shook his head. “Why do you hate yourself so much?”

I laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re going to torture yourself over her, and for what? We both know how things will end. Do you really want to go through that again?” There was an edge to Jax’s tone.

As usual, he was talking about the disaster that had been Hannah. That girl had wreaked more havoc in our lives than I cared to admit. But she was a warning I couldn’t easily dismiss, either.

My skin prickled, and I turned slightly to find Chloe staring at me. A need unlike anything I’d ever felt before crashed down on me. My body tensed the way it always did right before I went on a hunt. I curled my hands into fists, fighting against every instinct I had. Chloe wasn’t prey.

But she was a complication. A huge one.

The bell rang, and Jax stood. “We should get out of here,” Jax said as we walked out of the cafeteria.

“You mean ditch the rest of the day?” I raised a brow.

“Why not?” Jax shrugged. “Miss Findley said we needed to be enrolled. She never said anything about actually going to classes.” He laughed.

“Look, I’m not thrilled about being here, either, but let’s not make this any harder on Dad, okay?” I slapped Jax’s shoulder, then strode into my next class.

All eyes shifted to me, and I stood a little straighter. If they wanted to watch me, I’d give them something to watch. I squared my shoulders and lifted my head, making each step purposeful. Graceful. Hearts raced. Breaths caught. Eyes widened as girls swooned over me. And I ignored all of them. Except one.

Chloe’s gaze was glued to me, and an unexpected thrill shot through me. Her heart was racing faster than anyone else’s in the room. Fear and curiosity swirled around her. I had this inexplicable compulsion to talk to her. I needed to, because if I didn’t, I quite literally felt like I might die. Again. For good this time.

I stopped in front of her desk and crossed my arms. “I was going to sit there.”

God, I was a certified idiot. Of all the things I could’ve said, I chose that? This girl was making me crazy.

“You were?” she asked.

I nodded. “I sat at that desk for two other classes. It’s my seat.”

Shut up! But I’d started this, so I needed to commit. At least she was talking to me, which was what I’d wanted. And in my defense, that desk was in the perfect spot—I could see the entire room, and it was positioned so the sun didn’t shine on my face.

She stared at me for a moment, and then she swiped her bag onto the floor and studied the top of the desk. What is she doing?

“I don’t see your name anywhere.” She stood and checked the chair, too. “Nope. No name.” She plopped back down and gave me the sweetest smile.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. She’d caught me off guard, and that was almost impossible to do. I admired the hell out of her for her courage, and her willingness to stand up for herself. Still, someone needed to tell her it wasn’t wise to a pick fight with a vampire.

I could easily remove her from that seat, show her exactly who and what I was. That would definitely help end whatever fascination we seemed to have with one another. But I wanted her closer, not farther away. That thought made me scowl.

Jax barged past me, his shoulder bumping mine—a clear warning to knock it off. But when did I ever listen to my brother?

“Please move,” I said.

“No,” she said.

“All right. Fine.” I slid into the seat beside her and then moved the desk closer, scraping the metal legs across the floor in an obnoxious, grating noise.

Everyone in the room had stopped to watch our exchange. I was tempted to shout at all of them to mind their own business or take a page from Jax’s playbook and just kill all of them. That seemed a little extreme, so I did what I did best—I ignored them.

Someone near the front of the room coughed the word “fight,” which caused a ripple of laughter. Except that guy—that guy I was going to kill. A slow rage built inside of me. Why did people insist on being jerks?

Jaw clenched, Chloe turned toward me. “Why are you telling everyone I punched you?”

Wait… she thought I was telling people? Well, that was interesting. Let’s see where this goes… “You did,” I said simply.

“It was an accident.”

I knew that, but clearly, someone else in this school thought it was a bigger deal than it was. Chloe curled her hands into fists, her fingernails biting into her palms hard enough I could smell the blood rushing to the surface. Need and desire exploded in my gums, and I forced my fangs back.

Her brown eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and desperation, and everything inside of me wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her it would be all right, that I’d never let anything or anyone harm her. But damn, she was incredibly sexy when she was angry.

“Easy there, slugger.” I inclined my head toward her balled hands, my mouth twitching with a smile. “I haven’t told anyone.”

“People are saying you…” She averted her gaze, and that tiny moment of insecurity, of hesitation, tore at my resolve. I needed her. There was no denying it.

“Grabbed me, and that’s why I hit you,” she said.

I let out a laugh that silenced the room. All eyes were on us again, including Jax’s, and I could feel his gaze boring into me. He was probably coming up with a list of ways to kill me.

“No, I most certainly did not grab you,” I said.

“You don’t have to sound so disgusted by the idea,” she mumbled.

My brows shot up. She thought I was disgusted by the idea of touching her? My God, if she only knew how many times over the last few hours I’d fantasized about doing exactly that she’d probably be horrified.

“Disgusted is not the word I’d use, Chloe.” Her name rolled off my tongue so smoothly. I’d give anything to be alone with her, in the dark, so I could whisper her name as I—

“What word would you prefer, then?” she asked, interrupting my very naughty daydream.

I glanced at her. What word would I use? Smitten. Obsessed. Needy. Frantic. Crazed. Longing. Yearning. Desire. The hunger she evoked in me was unparalleled to anything I’d ever experienced. So, yes, there were so many words I could use—that I wanted to use—but I couldn’t exactly tell her any of them.

“Cautiously interested,” I finally said.

She opened her mouth as if she were going to say more, but thankfully, the teacher entered the room and closed the door. I slouched with relief, unsure I’d be able to keep talking to her without throwing myself at her feet, begging for just one small taste. One innocent touch.

Jax was absolutely right—Chloe was trouble, and I was more than willing to jump in headfirst. I didn’t care what the consequences would be. I needed to see where she led me.

When the bell rang, Chloe stood and stretched.

“You okay?” Abby asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You most certainly are,” I mumbled, and then I disappeared from the room before she could even turn around.