Page 10 of Cursed Beasts

The driver exited quickly, walked over to open the door and out came a man who looked to be in his fifties. He buttoned up his jacket, looking up at us. He looked just like his ancestors.

The guys and I were waiting to see the Belladonna. She exited the car, looking up at the house in awe. The blaze from the lanterns gave us very little light to see her, but I could tell she was attractive.

I turned around and began walking to the dining room, knowing the man would follow us and she would not be too far behind him. The anticipation of seeing her was throwing me off.

The food had been cleared leaving a cauldron for the spell we needed to complete. The man walked in with an air of arrogance, looking like he was ready to leave as soon as possible, like this was a big inconvenience to him. We stood next to each other by the windows away from the table.

I heard her shoes before she walked in.

I was not prepared for her, but the slight movement on either side of me made me realize none of us were ready for her.

She was breathtaking.

Her violet eyes took in the room with rapt curiosity. She looked at the cauldron with appreciation, scanning the room again.

“Belladonna,” I almost growled.

That’s when her eyes snapped to me.

She was magnificent.

Her long black hair cascaded down one side of her face in curls that came down just below her breast. Her eyes were big and round, framed by dark lashes and dark brows. Her cheek bones were high, her lips full and pouty.

I had no idea what she was wearing, but it was tight against her body accentuating her curvaceous figure that begged for me to hold on to her while I had my way with her.

Her body looked like it was made to bear children, driving me to think even more impure thoughts. I started to swell in my pants, it wasn’t appropriate, but this woman couldn’t be more perfect if I had conjured her up myself.

“Zev,” the man said, thankfully breaking my thought before I started to wonder how she would look naked on this table.

I stepped forward towards the cauldron, knowing these feelings needed to stop. She was my enemy, no matter how beautiful she was; I knew at the end of the hour, things would be different.

“Hand, Katarina,” the man snapped at her, pulling her roughly, slicing her hand over the cauldron.

His roughness had me wanting to step in and tell him to watch out. When her blood made the cauldron turn violet, I knew something was wrong. Was she a Belladonna? Were they trying to deceive us? I looked at her again, seeing no resemblance to the man in front of us. She didn’t look like the typical Belladonnas we have seen in the past. He pushed her back, causing her to stumble again before he cut his own palm, dropping his blood in, turning the normal black color.

“Father, what—.” He turned around to look at her and she stopped whatever she had to say. She stepped back, looking down. The feeling to protect her popped up again. I almost lurched forward to strangle him.

I stepped forward to slice my palm, glaring at this man, then handing the knife to Aeon, who did the same, passing on the knife. As soon as Lucien’s blood hit the water, we all felt the magic clicking in place but this time it moved slowly.

The sense of everything fitting correctly flared to life in me like I had everything I needed right in front of me. This Belladonna had somehow righted everything, and all was perfect. My wolf whispered one word that had me freezing.

“One year, Katarina. Break their spell and then you can come home.” The man snapped at her, but we were all stuck in the moment. When the magic finally gave way, she looked as confused as I felt.

She turned around to follow her father out when I turned to look at Aeon and Lucien.

“Did you feel it?” I asked, my voice wavering a little from the shock of what just happened.

“Yes,” both of them said.

“What the hell just happened?” I asked.

“The color her blood left in the cauldron was violet and not the normal black,” Aeon stated. “What if she isn’t a Belladonna?”

“The house accepted her blood offering. She might not be a full-blooded Belladonna.” Lucien rubbed his jaw.

“I don’t think the spell said anything specific. We all might have assumed that it was the daughter of a Belladonna, but maybe it could be anyone.” Aeon looked pensive. “Maybe that’s why she doesn’t look the same?”

“Sounds like a possibility, this might not be our usual Belladonna, but I think that means we need to be extra careful.” I said, walking out to see what was going on. “She is our enemy.”

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