Page 1 of Cursed

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A BLOODY MESS

SHAYLA

Ilay awake in bed between two of my mates, worrying. With the magical light emanating from a small lantern beside Rourke’s bed, I stare at the smooth stone ceiling of his bedroom inside the mountain cave. Branden and Rourke press close to my sides, their naked heat keeping me warm.

The dragon’s lair doesn’t have a damp, mildew smell. Instead, it smells of summer nights and bonfires. The scent is Rourke’s scent—so maybe I should compare it to an out-of-control forest fire. I hope he will calm down once we decide what to do about our mate bond, whether we solidify it or we painfully sever it.

I roll onto my side, facing my vampire mate, Branden.

My fated dragon mate at my back seems to want to rescind his previous rejection of our bond. I want to believe him, but how can I trust the mind-blowing sexual experience earlier with Branden as the only sign of his commitment? Maybe he just needed to release some of the sexual tension we had accumulated in the last few months.

My hand skims the spot on my neck where Branden sank his teeth into my flesh—where he claimed me.

Mi Sangre Amor.

My Blood Love… the bond vampires give to each other.

But how can I give him that? I’m not a vamp.

Yet, I was able to give Landis, my beautiful, flirty incubus, a shadowmate bond. Something usually reserved only for two cubi mates.

Also, I’m my druid’s dyad. My bond with Arden is yet to be completed, but the threads and cosmic connection have been forming for a decade.

With the thoughts of both Landis and Arden, my heart pangs with heartache. I miss them already. I’m worried that they didn’t escape the Academy safely.

And what about my wolf shifter, Professor Quade Hollis? I can’t feel him at all.

I can’t sense the other three males who have captured my heart and soul. Just the two next to me in bed in this mountain lair.

My mind won’t shut down, but I need to rest so that Branden and Rourke won’t have an excuse to keep me here instead of meeting up with the others. I suspect Branden will want to enjoy this bit of seclusion and the intimate setting a bit longer. I don’t blame him really.

Goddess, what will Quade do when he finds out I’ve mated with Branden?

I have no flipping idea. I suppose Quade will want Rourke to finally claim me or sever the bond. Maybe Rourke truly wants that now that the love of his life is bonded to me.

In his sleep, Branden tenses and yanks me to him—chest to chest. He grunts and whimpers as if fighting off some monster in his dreams. If he holds me any tighter, I might bruise, or he could crack a rib.

I suck in a breath.

“Branden?” I call to wake him, before he mistakes me for his dream enemy and accidentally rips me in half with his vampiric strength.

“Shit,” Rourke curses and moves to sit up behind me. “Shayla?” he says urgently.

I crane my head back to look at the dragon shifter over my shoulder.

His stupidly gorgeous face is filled with worry. He’s running his hand nervously through his blond hair. “We need to get you away from Branden.”

“Duh…. but his grip is too tight,” I whisper, mostly because I can’t take in much of a breath. “What’s going on?”

This appears to be something Rourke is familiar with and worried about.

“Night terrors.” Rourke frowns as he stares at his lover, thinking. “He hasn’t had them in a while.” Then he looks at me with concern.

“Did I… bring his… terrors back?” I wheeze out.

Rourke strokes my face and moves a stray lock of hair from my face. “I think… his emotions are stirred up.” His hand hovers over where Branden has his arm around my waist. “I’ll pry open his embrace. You wiggle out.”

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