Sealed With a Curse (WG 1) (7 page)

“No.” Despite my marathon-length runs, I hadn’t caught one whiff of that wolf’s addicting aroma. Even if I had, I wouldn’t have known what to do. Mostly I just wanted to see him again. And hoped maybe he would approach me.

My faced burned hotter, especially when my sisters grinned my way. It seemed strange how the mere thought of the wolf brought an easy smile to my face.

Taran winked at me. “Ceel, we
have
to find that big, bad wolf.”

“Bren! What the hell are you doing?” Bren’s boss screamed at him from the bar.

“I’m on break, Paul!” Bren shouted back.

“Break’s over, dipshit. Get back to work!”

Bren rolled his eyes and returned to his station at the bar. Immediately a cluster of women with horrendous boob jobs swarmed him. If Bren weren’t so popular with the ladies, Paul would have fired him years ago.

I’d barely finished my third beer when a small pack of wolves in their human forms entered the club. Every vertebra in my spine stiffened, hoping
he
walked among them. My shoulders slumped with disappointment when my wolf failed to appear. Still, I couldn’t relax. The powerhouse pack tingled my senses like a shock wave.

The wolves stalked across the crush of dancers toward the bar, shoulder-to-shoulder, moving smoothly as one. The human patrons perceptibly sensed the wolves’ dominance at a primal level. Some gawked; others cuddled closer to their partners. Most scrambled out of their way. A few of the brave straightened, growing wary of the sudden danger.

Bloodlust, supernatural stalkers, and werewolves. What was next? Locusts and four horsemen? Taran’s irises briefly turned white. “Celia, three
weres
are coming toward us.”

“I know. I picked up their scent.” My tigress instinctively growled. The wolves’ collective power had been strong enough to change Taran’s eye color and send my tigress’s territorial instincts into overdrive.

“Good grief, they’re huge. Are they the same ones from the beach?” Emme asked, sounding hopeful.

I shook my head. “No, they don’t look familiar.”

The
weres
didn’t need to do more than glance at the guys sitting across from us, and the six guys crowding the booth vacated fast. The
weres
claimed the space and watched us closely once they picked up
our
scent, ignoring Bren’s watchful gaze from the bar.

Weres
didn’t typically attack, but that didn’t mean I’d turn my back on them. They were tall, over six feet, with the large chests and lean muscles typical of wolves. One was Native American, with long, loose black hair that hung past his shoulder blades. He was good-looking in an “I’ll rip your throat out in one bite” kind of way. But his most prominent feature was his eyes. They reminded me of the start of a dangerous storm, a turbulent brown that bordered on black. The
were
sitting next to him was Asian, possibly Japanese. He had short black hair and a thin, well-trimmed goatee. And unlike his friends, who wore jeans and T-shirts, he’d dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was handsome in a stoic way. His presence held a sense of calm, but his dark almond eyes remained vigilant.

The third wolf reminded me of a rock star. If he were on a stage, girls would’ve thrown their panties at him. His messy blond, spiky hair must have required a lot of hair gel to perfect. He carried a definite edge, but his face possessed a boyish charm. I glanced around to see what had made him smile. I knew we were in trouble when I caught Emme blushing and smiling back.

Oh, crap.

Part of me wanted to grab her and run when he approached our table. Instead, I remained still, despite the rise in my hackles and the growl rumbling in my throat.
To add to my unease, the other two
weres
exchanged glances and followed.

“Hi,” he said to Emme. “I’m Liam, Liam Smith.” He nodded toward the Asian. “This is Gem, and that ray of sunshine over there is Miakoda.”

“I go by Koda,” the Native American said. He shot Liam a snarl that caused my claws to protrude, but Liam ignored him.

Emme smiled so sweetly at Liam, I feared the poor sap might need insulin. “I’m Emme Wird. These are my sisters, Celia, Taran, and Shayna.”

No one said anything at first. Koda, Gem, and I were too busy sizing each other up. If it came down to it, I thought Bren and I could take them in a fight.

Liam remained oblivious to the tension. “Would you like to dance with me, Emme?” he asked, extending his hand.

“Sure.” She strolled off before I could stop her.

Shayna, who could sense the growing strain between Koda and me, intervened. “How about a dance, big guy?” she asked.

This broke Koda’s eye contact with me, and he seemed genuinely surprised. “Are you talking to me?”

Shayna’s grin lit up her face. “Well, duh. I’m looking right at you, dude.”

It wouldn’t have shocked me if no one had ever asked Koda to dance before. He was a scary mo-fo of epic proportions. Shayna wriggled to the edge of the seat to leave, but not before I shoved the toothpick from her martini into her hand. She giggled and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry, Ceel,” she whispered, glancing at Koda from the corner of her eyes. “I’ve got this one.”

Koda moved aside to let her out of the booth. Shayna
grabbed his hand and led him out to the floor like a well-trained poodle rather than a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound werewolf. I couldn’t believe it. Taming someone like that was impressive even for her.

I turned to Taran, who had been unusually quiet. Gem slid into the booth next to her. They stared into each other’s eyes, but not in a challenging way. Most guys gawked at Taran. I was used to that. Yet the way Gem stared at her wasn’t sexual; it was tender, and it put me on edge. I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on, but thought it best to run interference.

“So, what kind of name is Gem, anyway?” I asked, trying to rip his eyes off my sister.

“My nickname is Gemini. My real name is Tomo Hamamatsu.”

“Is that your astrological sign or something?”

He returned his gaze to Taran. “Something like that,” he muttered.

Taran said nothing. Hell, she barely breathed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Another fun night out with the girls.

I enjoyed a good paranormal romance as much as the next gal, but there was only so much lovey-dovey crap I could take. After fifteen minutes of watching Taran and Gemini reenact the last few seconds of
Ghost
, I left to take a seat at the bar.

The brunette flirting with Bren scowled at me the moment I slumped onto the stool. I slammed my purse onto the bar, tired of dealing with petty bitches. “Do you have a problem?”

Bren groaned when the tramp ran like I’d set her sequined miniskirt on fire. He shoved a lime into another
Corona and handed it to me. “Are you trying to ruin my chances of getting laid?”

I played with the bottle. “Sorry. It just sucks to always be the one without a date.”

My stomach clenched with the immediate sadness my words brought me. I hated admitting how lonely I was.

Or how badly I wanted to fall in love.

Bren leaned forward. “Ceel, you have a killer body and are smarter than hell.” He grinned. “You’re also beautiful. And you don’t even fucking know it.” He reclaimed the beer, took a swig, then handed it back. “But you know what your problem is?”

“I scare people?”

“Yes. Shitless. But that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “You haven’t found anyone who can compete with the strength of your beast.” His smile faded. “You need to find your equal, babe.”

I glanced back at Taran and the wolf she’d so easily enthralled. “What if I can’t?”

Bren didn’t answer me. He may not have known how much I longed to be in the strong arms of a man who wanted to share his life and passion with me. But he did know better than to give me false hope. I downed my beer and went to the bathroom. When I came out, Bren’s floozies were once again throwing themselves at him. I didn’t want to continue to bug him, so I left the bar area to check on my remaining sisters.

Shayna ripped it up on the dance floor. She laughed as she moved, totally showing off. Koda surprisingly kept up with her. He appeared to be having fun, but I still wouldn’t have jumped for joy at the sight of him in a dark alley. When a couple of guys stopped to watch Shayna, one glimpse from Koda sent them scurrying toward the exit.

Emme and Liam faced each other along the far wall. They weren’t dancing, but they stood pretty damn close. Liam stroked the side of her cheek and spoke softly while she smiled shyly at him.

Liam didn’t appear threatening, but I didn’t want Emme to forget he was a
were
. I slunk around a few guys dancing until I reached Emme. She jumped when I tapped her shoulder. I barely blinked before Liam took a protective stance in front of her. He laughed, and patted my head when he saw it was just little ol’ me.

I would have drop-kicked him had it not been for his next comment. “Sorry, kid. By the way Emme jumped, I thought someone was trying to hurt her.”

I couldn’t believe it. Liam had only just met Emme, and he was already prepared to stomp ass in her defense.

Emme peeked around Liam’s big body. “Hi, Celia.” She frowned when she caught my surprised expression. “Is everything all right, sweetie?”

She was obviously in safe hands with this wolf. “Um. Yeah. Listen, I’m hot. I’ll be out by the lake if you need me.”

Emme nodded, but appeared concerned. Liam patted my head. Again. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll watch out for her.”

“You’d better,” I said in a low growl that clearly meant business.

Liam laughed and turned back to Emme, whose eyes widened with alarm at my “I may have to pummel your date’s ass” scowl. I didn’t gut Liam only out of respect for Emme, but that didn’t mean I’d wait around for another pat on the head.

And what did he mean by “kid”? I stormed away.
Patronizing asshole.

The music switched from the floor-shaking “In the
Ayer” to the soft, aching melody of “Lightning Crashes.” From where I stood, Shayna beamed expectantly at the mountainous Koda. Surprisingly, the smooth wolf dancing so effortlessly moments before glanced down awkwardly at my beautiful sister with the dazzling grin. He froze, his eyes searching hers, but failed to act.

Shayna carefully slipped his mammoth arms around her slender waist. Koda hesitated briefly before smiling softly and bending forward. Shayna encircled his neck. And just like that, they became one. It was a perfect choreographed moment in time. One that shouldn’t have been so difficult to watch.

But it was. Regardless of how much I didn’t want it to be.

I could have come to the club in one of my many slip dresses or in a nice pair of jeans and a sweater. Instead I’d allowed Taran to dress and accessorize me like a ridiculous Barbie doll.

And it hadn’t made a difference.

I walked out of the club and into the night.

And I kept on walking.

C
HAPTER 7

Damn it.

The almost full moon gleamed against the dark blue night. Time was running out for Misha…and for Tahoe if the impending bloodlust crisis wasn’t contained. My steps turned slow and cautious at the thought.

I’d told Emme I’d be out by the water if she needed me. But she didn’t need me. She had a guardian of the earth on her arm. I sent her a quick text letting her know I was going home. I needed to mull over Misha’s proposition.

My focus remained ahead, away from the noisy street where the upscale clubs along the lake battled it out for the rush of new tourists…in time to see Petro exit one of the five-star restaurants. Two high-priced call girls led him toward his white limo. His eyes widened upon seeing me, and, despite the illumination of the fluorescent streetlights, I could see his face redden.

I pretended I hadn’t noticed him or his dates. Women likely washed Misha’s feet with their own hair. And there was Petro, master vampire, forced to pay for sex.

A throng of twenty-somethings, chatting and laughing with excitement, hurried across to where the velvet ropes awaited. Valets turned away perturbed drivers attempting to pull in, claiming the lots had reached maximum capacity. I alone moved against the restless crowd and crossed the street, seeking solace from the increasing madness.

I shoved my way through a mob of pedestrians, their large numbers spilling out of the crosswalk.

And that’s when it hit me: the familiar scent of fire, earth, and water crashing over stones. My knees buckled and I almost fell. The wolf from my run stalked toward me, a blond bombshell, with a Victoria Beckham bob, fastened to his arm. She spoke to him, but he didn’t appear to listen. His head snapped up and his eyes widened the moment he saw me. A few anxious tourists circled around him as his pace slowed. The blonde tugged on his arm, her voice garbled as if she were speaking underwater. Yet he failed to acknowledge her, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on mine.

The blonde’s tugging became more urgent as our steps converged, her muffled voice becoming louder. “Are you listening? What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Ten more steps. The wolf’s piercing gaze intensified.

Five more steps. The sounds of the street disappeared.

One step…

His brown eyes blazed with fire.

My neck craned and my body whipped around as we passed, refusing to leave the forceful grip of those eyes.

I stopped.

And so did he.

A couple of drunks bumped into me as I remained cemented in the middle of the street. The wolf stood only
a few feet away, but it felt like miles. More people brushed past us, their steps quickening until everyone had cleared the street.

Everyone but the three of us.

The blond she-wolf with him glanced openmouthed back and forth between us, her shock swiftly turning to fury. She growled, deep, hard, and deadly.
“Mine.”

My jaw slackened.
Yours?
Her words pierced me like the sharp edge of a knife.
He’s…yours?