Page 135 of Cursed to Be Mine
HER
Holding a plate of hot breakfast, I knock on Micha’s door. I wanted to check in on her last night and thank her for saving me, but Sau told me she was still healing over what Maddox had done to her.
My fingers grip the warm glass as I remember the look in Sau’s eyes when those words passed her lips. Whatever Maddox had done to her couldn’t be healed with magic.
“Micha?” I murmur. “It’s me – Scarlett. I brought you breakfast.”
I wait, but there’s no answer. Shifting on my feet, I wait a bit longer.
Still nothing.
“I just wanted to thank you for protecting me,” I say through the wooden door. “What Antonio did… I thought he killed you, and I’m really happy you’re alive.”
Nothing but silence answers me, and my heart twists as I dig my toes into the lush carpet of the hall.
“Um…” Imove the plate to one hand as I squat down in front of the door. “This is my number.” I push the scrap of paper I wrote on earlier through the crack. “If you want to talk or for me to get you something so you don’t have to come out, just text me, okay?” I hated going through the house when I didn’t feel wanted at home; I can’t imagine how she feels about potentially running into the man who tortured her and the one –herfiance– who gave the order.
The fact that he is still her fiance is something I can’t wrap my head around. I know she likes him, but fuck.
“Okay, well, I’ll just leave this plate here for you if you want to grab it after I’m gone.” Placing it down on the floor, I stand, and with one last lingering look at the door, I head down the hall and into the kitchen.
The boys and their mother are still sitting around the table, and I take my place beside Khalid. Nerves eat away at my stomach, so I just push my food around. Although I’m excited to complete the bond today, the fact that it’ll end with all of his brothers coming inside me is making me low-key panic. I barely know them, and I haven’t even talked to half of them. I’m not entirely sure if that makes it better or worse. Given I’m going to live with them after, perhaps worse.
Oh God, what if I make a fool of myself?
Placing his fork on his plate, Khalid squeezes my thigh. “You okay?” he asks as he looks at me.
I nod, but I know he can tell I’m lying. We shared more blood last night and more again this morning. I can feel his excitement mixed with jealous possessiveness, and he can undoubtedly feel my fear that they will be so turned off when I’m naked that they won’t be able to finish.
And then what will happen?
My face feels hot and cold all at once, and my knuckles turn white on my fork.
“If you want to wait –”
I shake my head. “No, I want to do this today.” Not just because I want to be there for him in some way when he goes to kill Talon, but becauseIwant it. A bond is forever, and I want to wake up every day hearing him laugh and seeing those intense eyes of his drilling into me. I want a future not tainted by Antonio, which means living as long as a witch does because the fucker is going to be a bitch to kill, I just know it.
A shudder rips through me as I face the final reason. The real reason that’s making me want to do this now rather than in a few weeks’ time, which wouldn’t require him siphoning off Varius’ dormant magic.
He could die at any moment. They might have recast the spell protecting this house, but the werewolves broke it once. Even if Talon is actually on the run and not just hiding at Antonio’s like Varius suspects...there are more witches he could be using. People have turned on their own people all throughout history, and Khalid has filled me in on all the attempts made inside this very Family.
It’s why the tension in the car didn’t ease after I tried to defend Talon for Khalid’s sake. Their brother wanting us to be unharmed meant he had turned on Varius like all the others. Varius’ face never once changed during that car ride –or even in all the time after– but that must hurt him, knowing he is the sole reason for Talon’s betrayal.
So I want to be connected to Khalid before it’s too late. I don’t want to wait a few weeks when in only afew days, I have seen so much death.
Smiling at him, I kiss his cheek, then pick up a forkful of eggs so he truly knows I’m okay. He watches me eat a few bites before continuing his own meal.
As conversation flows around us, I sweep my eyes around the table. Sau sits to the right of me, talking to one of the twins across the table about the girl he’s recently entered an arranged marriage with. Though they’ve been ‘just friends’ since they were children, it’s clear he has a thing for her, his cheeks blushing every time his mother mentions her name.
“And how is Stormie? I haven’t seen Stormie since she caught you with that girl? What was her name?”
His twin jumps in. “Adeline.”
“I wasn’twithAdeline,” he mutters as he stabs a piece of toast. “We were going over her grandma’s grimoire and summoned a demon that shoved me onto her.”
“With your pants down.” His twin grins.
“It was a fucking demon. They’re not exactly nice.”
