The witchs curse, p.23
The Witch's Curse, page 23
“You alright there, love?” He smirked, amused by my behavior.
“No.” I waved at my chest. “Fix it.”
“Feel free to continue. As you can see, my mate is extremely pregnant and very needy.” He lifted one side of his shirt that I was wearing, again, and dove right in. He had both hands on my back, keeping me right where I needed to be.
“The Mayors in Palmdale and Lancaster have a list of all those needing jobs still, and their qualifications.” The man ended with a bit of a whimper, one he was trying to reign in.
I turned my head and laughed, then moaned. “Hello, Ryley. Long time, no see.” I lifted the shirt slowly off my head and threw it on the floor, he whimpered again.
Perfect, it had been too long since I got to torture someone. I grinned and rocked harder into Curtis. He was enjoying this as much as I was.
Ryley licked his lips and rubbed himself through his jeans. “Some of them have qualifications for jobs available in Santa Clarita. They want permission to move them.”
“And why did they come to you with this?” Curtis asked, cleaning up his mess from the first one.
“Ooo, is there any left for me?” Lucas walked into the room and practically skipped around.
“Please.” Curtis said politely, pulling my head down. “It leaves me open for other things.” I smiled as I kissed him.
Ryley shifted and grimaced. “I was there collecting new donors. With the Nightwalkers all through the wall now, we need more. Those cities had not donated yet. I took some of the unemployed ones and brought them here. It inspired the mayors to work harder on finding them jobs.”
“Good. No one will be caught not pulling their weight. That’s where the humans went wrong. Too many people were living off taxpayer money.” Curtis kissed down my neck, making sure Ryley had a view of his hand on my chest the whole time.
Curtis spanked me, Lucas bit me, Ryley had to unzip, and I yelled out. It was a long one too.
Lucas pulled away with a grin, smacking his lips. I reached over and grabbed him. Ryley wasn’t bothering to hide his whimpers anymore.
“Anything else, Private?” Curtis asked him, a smug smirk on his face.
“N... no, sir.”
I could feel his eyes watching me and Lucas, who was petting my head and calling me a good kitty.
“How old are you, Private?”
“43 years since I made the change, sir.”
Curtis nodded, rubbing a hand down my side. “You are still young. You are still learning control. Lucas here has been by my side for centuries. It takes time to get that control, to earn trust. To earn the ability to keep a pet.”
Lucas sighed and stepped away. I licked my lips and Curtis felt my forehead.
“You’re still warm.”
“I have been for hours.”
“Ryley. Come help my Queen. She will show you why it is important to always behave and to never step out of your rank.”
Ryley walked over and checked me out hungrily. Curtis lifted me up and motioned for me to get on my knees. I didn’t wait. I knew what we both wanted. Ryley on the other hand just stood there, shocked.
Lucas laughed as he went behind him and pushed down his pants. “Come on, go ahead.”
Painfully slow, he moved. He got into it eventually, but it wasn’t helping me any. If anything, it was making it worse. I could feel the fever climbing again.
Then I heard a slap, a yelp, and a deep chuckle. He got much better after that. The sounds of Lucas spanking him helped me more than that did though.
“Keep working on it, Ryley. You’ll get there.” Lucas laughed. “My Queen?”
“Please.” I gasped out, this was getting ridiculous.
Between him and Curtis, I finally got what I needed, and Ryley got a lesson.
“Tell the mayors I approve. As long as housing is available.” Curtis collapsed into his chair and pulled me onto his lap.
Ryley nodded and practically ran out the door.
“He never would have been able to handle you.”
“Or anybody for that matter.” I laid on his sweaty chest. “It’s getting harder and harder to get that release.”
“I noticed. And that’s the second time today we had to empty you. Didn’t Lucas do it when you woke up.”
I rolled my eyes. “How do you think he woke me?”
Lucas shrugged. “I know how they look when they are too full, and you were tossing and turning in your sleep, trying not to touch them.”
“They wouldn’t keep filling up so much if you two weren’t constantly emptying them.”
“Hey, you are the one who came in here and practically shoved it in my mouth.” Curtis poked my side.
I squirmed. “You started it and now I have to live with it. Are you saying you don’t want to do it anymore?” I turned to face him, my lips hovering right over his. “Should I save that pleasure just for Lucas?”
Curtis kissed me hard and fast. “Don’t you dare.” He grabbed them both and massaged them roughly. “These belong to me. I only let the others borrow them once in a while.” And I was flying. He chuckled. “I think I just found a new trick to the fevers. Lucas?”
“Yes, master.”
“Bring your bags of toys to my room, but make sure they are clean first.”
Lucas’ eyes sparked up. “Can I watch, sire?”
“What do you think, love? Can Lucas watch us?” When I didn’t answer they both laughed. “I think she is okay with that.”
Lucas ran out of the room and Curtis moved us to the floor. I may have had a bruise or two by the end of it, but my blood was finally cooling. Maybe that was where the fevers came from. The fire in my son’s blood was burning me up. He couldn’t control it yet, for obvious reasons.
I waited on Curtis’ couch reading one of the many books lying around the house. Whoever lived here before had an odd taste. I’d been through their movie collection, which was boringly normal. The books must have been their hidden weird side. I really shouldn’t talk though. I was living some of these. Got a few ideas from them too.
Curtis’ phone rang, I tried to ignore him. And got that guilty inkling that I should be trying to eavesdrop. That inkling was getting more than a little annoying.
When I heard the window smash into a thousand pieces, I jumped and screamed. Curtis had thrown the lamp out the window. I ran over before he could throw anything else.
“Curtis? Baby? What happened?” I tried to pull him down to look in my eyes, but he was seething too hard and staring over my head with his glowing yellow eyes. “Curtis, please, you're scaring me. What happened?”
Lucas came running in a minute later, searching the room for a threat, his eyes glowing as well. Guess my son wasn’t the only one struggling to control that fire.
Lucas looked out the window last, seeing the remaining pieces of the lamp, and blinked his eyes.
“What happened?”
I kept patting Curtis’ cheeks, tears rolling down my face. “I don’t know.” I hiccupped. “He got a call, and then that happened. I wasn’t paying attention. I rarely do when you guys are talking about business. Baby, please. Answer me.”
I wrapped my arms around his stomach and sobbed. I really hated being pregnant sometimes.
“Baby, I need you. Don’t leave me, yet.” Okay, so maybe I was channeling some other unresolved issues.
Slowly a pair of anaconda arms wrapped around me, holding me. I sobbed harder, my legs giving out as I crumpled to the floor. We reversed roles. He was now trying to soothe me until I was quiet enough for his words to make sense. After a few of my hiccups, and using a tissue, he spoke.
“Why would I leave you?”
I shrugged. “Everybody does, eventually. Story of my life.”
He sighed, frustrated. “When are you ever going to believe that I am here for the long haul?”
I shrugged again but didn’t say anything.
“What happened, boss?” Lucas asked like he was tiptoeing through a bed of nails.
“Deacon had teams all over the country last night. Hunting. It was all over the human news and social media. Witches, shifters, and Royals. They cleaned out over a dozen cities of Nightwalkers. And I am sure they will be back at it tonight.”
“We have more men on this side, than we do on that side.”
“Yes, but most of the ones out there were my good fighters. They were raiding the cities. Deacon is also showing his hand to the clan and to the humans. They will see him as an effective ruler. With the humans handing them my kingdom on a silver platter, no one else will be coming to our side.”
“What now, then? Do you want me to send more men out? Fight them in the cities?”
Curtis shook his head, then held me tight as he stood up. “No. No more small battles. Now we go for the head of the snake. Take out Deacon, and they won’t have a choice but to follow me. I am going to take Grace to lie down. Call my council. Tell them to come. It’s time to discuss strategy.” He walked to the door and stopped. Without turning, he asked “has anyone heard from Ryder yet?”
“No, my Lord. He seems to have disappeared.”
Curtis sighed deeply. “I didn’t want to believe it, but it looks like we have our spy. Ingenious, really. Kenny was a lot like Deacon. Both raised after the curse. Both refused to hide. I think I took him on, feeling like I was getting my family back, in a way. Tell me when they are all here, Lucas.”
From over Curtis’ shoulder, I saw Lucas bowing. Both of us were worried about the deep sadness in Curtis’ voice. He took his time on the stairs and walked down the hall. He laid me gently on the bed and moved a familiar looking bag onto the floor.
“Isn’t that the bag that had those tools you used to pull my IUD out?”
He pulled my shirt gently over my head, then moved to my skirt. I obediently laid down and let him put the blanket over me. His clothes came next. I held the blanket up for him and he slid in next to me, holding me tight.
“Yes. It’s Lucas' bag of toys. It’s what he uses to play with his pets.” His voice was still lifeless.
I lifted onto my elbow so I could look down on him. “What’s wrong? I know losing a lot of men is bad, but what else is it?”
He pulled me back down and turned me so he could hold me from behind, his hands cupping my stomach.
“I think, subconsciously, I had been hoping to find a way to not kill Deacon. He is the only family I have left. He reminds me of me, of who I used to be. I think, on some level, I always expected him to join me at some point. I’d like to think I would have let him keep his mate, at least the female. Expanding our clan is a good thing. You and she could have been sisters. You could have raised our babies together. We could have been a family.”
“That would have been nice. Why can’t we still have that?” My life would be so much easier if it was.
He sighed and buried his face in my neck. “Because he has grown into a leader. His mate will not come to our side. She will not let him. I can see how she will win over the humans. She’s already started.”
“What’s so bad about that? Isn’t peace a good thing? Aren’t we safer with peace, then with war?”
“You would think so. There would be a honeymoon period. Everyone happy and getting along, but then it would fade. Humans say they are tolerant of those who are different, but in reality, they are not. Look at the Blacks and the Hispanics in America. Even the Native Americans, who were here first. They get the raw end of the deal every time. All immigrants and descendants of them do. If one vampire loses control and bites someone unwilling, the riots will start. And the war begins again. Humans are like Nightwalkers, they need to be controlled, they need to be watched. They cannot be trusted to govern themselves.”
I completely disagreed. Which was the only reason I hadn’t completely succumbed to him yet. Our differing opinions was my life preserver at times.
“How are you going to find Deacon? Do you know where he is?”
“No. I hate to ask this of you, love. I know how much the visions of war hurt you, how all of them hurt you lately, but I need you to find him for me.” He growled softly against my back, frustrated with himself, frustrated at the situation, but I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t frustration with me too.
He pushed me to my back and hovered over me. I knew what he saw. He saw the tears that matched the fear he smelled. He cursed.
“Forget it. I hate the idea of hurting you. I will find another way. Maybe I can send Timothy. His father has asked him many times to come home. I would send Mark, but you said Colton saw him.”
“Are you sure?” I whispered, hoping he would say yes.
“Yes. If at all possible, I want you to avoid looking into the future, at least until this is over. I want to spare you from that pain. After our son is born, we can cut back on the blood, maybe that will help them weaken again.”
I opened my mouth to protest that idea, then mentally kicked myself. I needed to break that habit.
He thought it was funny. “Trying to pretend you aren’t as addicted to my blood as I am to yours?”
“No.” I moped. I leaned up and licked his neck, he shivered. “I guess if you are going to cut me off, I should get it while I can...”
“Is my kitty hungry?”
I didn’t know what came over me. I meowed.
I mean, what the hell, Grace? Did you have any dignity left?
He laughed happily and bent over to our side table, where he kept a small pocketknife for just such occasions. I was mostly happy he didn’t sound lifeless anymore.
The knife wasn’t the only thing he had in his hands.
He dropped most of the items, so that he was only holding the one thing and swayed it over my head. “Wanna play?” I licked my lips, and my heart began racing. “That’s what I thought. Now lay there like a good little kitty while I put your collar on.”
I even stinking purred when that sucker clipped on me. He twisted his wrist multiple times, wrapping the leash around it.
“Blood first. Finger, or wrist?”
I glanced down, to what was sitting pretty on top of my stomach. He barked out that laugh very loudly.
“I haven’t actually done that before. But I’m willing to try it. Under one condition.”
He bent to the bag on the floor and unzipped it. When he came back, it looked like he was holding another leash. My eyes widened when I realized what it was. I watched as he slid to my feet and sat down, he very carefully made a one-inch slice on himself, with the knife. He shook and breathed heavily. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I blamed the pregnancy hormones for what happened next.
We were sleeping, upside down, when Lucas came in a few hours later. Curtis had dried blood on him, and my leash wrapped around his wrist.
“Try a new place to feed her from, boss?” Lucas’ face was stuck in a weird sort of grimace and intrigue.
Curtis sat up and laughed. “Yes. It was better than I expected. Would you mind?”
“Not at all, boss. Would be my pleasure.”
I cackled loudly, happily, when Lucas jumped on the bed. He didn’t leave after sealing it either. Curtis ended up falling back onto the bed. I just sat there and watched. Of course, the one time I tried to move Curtis pulled my leash even closer. The second Lucas moved, I grabbed it and took over. He then went behind me.
He planned that. I knew he did. I just didn’t care. Lucas loved to be behind me. I heard the snap of the whip on the ground and jumped. He must have found it on the bed. He didn’t even need to hit me with it, the sound was enough to bring back the memory of early.
“So much for just watching.” I teased Lucas a few minutes later.
He shrugged. “The council is downstairs, my Lord. They made great time.”
Curtis pushed himself to stand up, lengthening my leash. He turned and looked down at me. “Your face is flushed again.” He sighed. “I think this may be our only son.” He grazed a finger down my cheek. “These near constant fevers worry me. They are becoming more frequent. As does the speed in which he grows.”
My eyes teared up. I cursed and started wiping them quickly. Curtis sat next to me and carefully removed the collar.
“Are you worried about our son, or sad about not having any more after this?”
I huffed. “I don’t really know. I am so tired of crying! I am tired of these stupid emotions always getting the best of me.” I growled and crawled off the bed. “And I am tired of always having to freaking pee!”
They were laughing, I couldn’t hear it anymore, but I knew, and I flipped them off. Then their mutual arousals hit my nose.
“Not helping!” I shouted as I slammed the toilet room door closed.
Curtis was waiting on the bed for me, my new favorite outfit next to him. I didn’t bother apologizing for my outburst. He wouldn’t let me say it anyway. I just stood there while he dressed me. He had gotten the hang of twisting the shirt up pretty quickly.
Chapter 25
Grace
“Did you want to come down with me? Or do you want to stay up here? I can have Charles bring you some dinner.”
I folded my arms and hissed. They were filling and getting hard again already. Still, I kept my arms there.
“I’m tired of always being in this room. Can’t we go outside or something?”
Curtis rubbed my bare belly. “Not with you dressed like this. It is too cold outside.”
I sniffled, again. “I need air, Curtis. I’m going crazy being trapped inside all the time. And maybe the cool air will cool me down. Maybe I just need fresh air.”
Curtis cupped my chin and kissed my head. “No. And that’s final.”
I pressed my lips together, fighting back the urge to snap at him. Which made my skin heat up.
“Bottling it up makes it worse. You know that.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like arguing with a brick wall is going to do me any good either, so just drop it.” I looked into his eyes. “And that’s final.” I mocked him as I turned and started walking out of the bedroom door.
