Cursed Read online

  “Go away,” she called, unwilling to face him. “Just…leave me alone.”

  “I have been trying to leave you alone.” Stavros’s voice was muffled by the door. “But I grew worried about you. It has been hours and I thought the effects of my blood must have worn off.”

  “Don’t worry about me—I’m just fine,” she snapped. “If I get cold I’ll take a hot bath.”

  “Please…” The deep voice was pleading now. “At least come to the door. At least let me see that I haven’t harmed you.”

  “You’d feel it if you had,” she pointed out. “Any physical pain…you’d feel it.”

  “I know…” His voice was so low now she had to strain to hear it. “But there are other ways a person can be hurt. Please, Charlotte…”

  Charlie got up unsteadily, and wrapped the towel more firmly around herself. Lifting her chin, she marched to the door on legs that felt as brittle as old sticks. She took a deep breath, braced herself, and unlocked the door.

  “Fine, here I am.” She probably looked a mess with her hair all rumpled and her eyes bloodshot, not to mentions she was dressed only in towels. Not that she cared.

  Stavros didn’t look much better himself. His hair was wild, as though he’d been running both hands through it and his eyes were more red than blue.

  “Charlotte…” For a moment he didn’t seem to know what to say. Then he dropped gracefully to his knees and bowed his head. “Forgive me,” he said hoarsely. “I have no excuse for what I did.”

  At the sight of him kneeling before her, looking so abjectly miserable, Charlie’s heart throbbed. For a moment she wanted to reach out to him. Her hand was actually outstretched to touch his hair...

  Then her dream came back to her and she remembered the fear in Missy’s eyes…and her own fear on the couch when it had seemed that he would bond her to him whether she wanted him to or not.

  “Charlotte…” he whispered again when she didn’t answer. “Please…”

  “Please what—forgive you?” she demanded. “For nearly raping me or for almost trapping me in a relationship I could never get out of?”

  “I am sorry.” He raised his eyes to hers. “I should not have bitten you. I should have known it would make me want…more.”

  “Well you can’t have more,” Charlie snapped. “You know how I feel about being bonded to you? To any Kindred? I’d as soon be turned into one of those freakish Joined Ones!”

  He recoiled as though she’d slapped him.

  “Surely you can’t compare bonding with that.”

  “I don’t see a difference.” Charlie crossed her arms over her breasts protectively. “It’s a relationship you can never get free of—it’s a cage.”

  “How can you say that?” His voice was low and rough. “How can you feel that way about a relationship so close and loving…a bonding that lasts a lifetime?”

  Charlie shivered, thinking of Missy. Thinking of Momma and Daddy, always fighting, always shouting… “You cheating no good lousy bastard, go back to your little whore!”

  “I wouldn’t have to find another woman if you’d put out once in awhile!”

  “So I can catch the diseases you got from her? I don’t think so…”

  They had fought and snapped and shouted for years until her Daddy finally filed for divorce. It had been a relief for everyone—especially Charlie and Missy. But then Missy started having the dreams. And everyone knew there was no getting out of it. After all, the Kindred didn’t do divorce.

  She could still hear her sister crying… “He’s coming for me and I’ll never be able to get away from him….”

  “Right,” she said flatly, snapping back to the present and glaring at the big Kindred, still kneeling before her. “Being tied to someone you can’t get free of…always bickering and arguing…hating the other person so much you want to die because death is the only way out. Oh yeah, that sounds freaking wonderful.”

  “It’s not like that,” he pleaded. He stood gracefully and took her hand in his. “I don’t know what human bonds are like but between the Kindred…”

  “Look, just leave me alone.” She pulled her hand away and pointed a shaking finger at him. “Don’t touch me again. As long as we’re here we still have to pretend to be a couple but if you so much as lay a finger on me…”

  “I won’t.” He lifted both hands in a gesture of peace. “You know I won’t.”

  “Good. Now leave me alone—I want to take a shower.”

  Charlie slammed the door in his face and went to twist the shower controls violently. As the bathroom filled with clouds of hot steam, she buried her face in her hands and wept.

  * * * * *

  Stavros sank down on the other side of the fresher door, his legs too weak to hold him. Over the sound of the water running, he could hear Charlotte’s broken sobbing. He wanted in the worst way to go to her, to hold her and comfort her, but he couldn’t. He was the reason she was crying in the first place.

  She hates me. Gods, she really hates me. And I can’t blame her one Goddessdamn bit. After what I did…

  But she almost seemed more upset about the near bonding than she had about the way he’d almost taken her against her will.

  Almost, hell, he told himself angrily. You were almost inside her before she made you see reason and you pulled out. You acted like a fucking animal—no wonder she can’t stand the sight of you now. No wonder she hates you.

  He hated himself, too. Especially now that he was beginning to understand how he really felt about Charlotte.

  Admit it, whispered a little voice in his head. You’re falling in love with her. You can’t help yourself—she’s all you’ve ever wanted in a female and even though she’s out of reach you can’t stop wanting her. You can’t stop…you’ll never stop.

  Stav closed his eyes in agony. It was true. All of it was true. H wanted her—wanted her forever—and he couldn’t have her. He had heard a saying on Earth—“The truth will set you free.” Well, now he knew the truth about himself—the secret hiding in his heart. He loved Charlotte but knowing it did him no good and he wasn’t free at all. He would never be free of this hopeless love.

  Never be free.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “So…are the two of you settled comfortably on the truth-saying couch?”

  Nar’sa looked at them innocently, clearly unaware of what was really going on between them.

  “Yes, we’re fine,” Charlie said.

  She sat stiffly on the round, furry red couch, her back rigidly erect, trying to keep her distance from the big Kindred who sat beside her. To his credit, Stavros sat straight as well, keeping to his side and being careful not to touch her.

  “And did you fulfill the demands of the dream that came to Charlotte?” Ta’no asked.

  “We did,” Stavros said simply. “In every way.”

  “Well…” Nar’sa looked as if she wished she could have the juicy details but Charlie wasn’t saying a damn thing. Let their Hossan councilors imagine what they wanted—Charlie’s lips were sealed. She was trying not to even think of the time she and Stavros had spent together, let alone talk about it.

  “I must say, for mates who have participated in erotic activities so lately, you do not appear very affectionate towards each other.” Ta’no frowned at them.

  Stavros cleared his throat.

  “We are…tired. The erotic ‘homework’ you assigned us was most taxing.”

  “Is this true?” Nar’sa looked at Charlie, frowning.

  “I’m completely worn out,” Charlie said, truthfully. Of course, she was worn out from crying and hating herself and being angry at Stavros and missing her sister all over again but Nar’sa hadn’t asked about that.

  “Well…” At last the female Hossan shrugged. “I suppose since you have done as we asked, you must be promoted to the Circle of Oneness, no matter how listless you appear.”

  “This is true, my love.” Ta’no motioned to them. “Rise and accompany us. Yo