Breaking the Play boy′s Curse(8)

“I need to think,” he told them quietly. “I—” He shook he head and started toward the door, running a hand through his hair. Confusion warred with frustration. He shook his head again, trying to figure out why he hadn’t seen this complication before. His visions of them together had been so clear, to the point of arousing. “Why didn’t I see this!” he whispered harshly to himself. “What am I missing?”

“Wait,” called someone behind him.

Draven sighed. He really wanted to leave, but if he were to get along with these men one day, he shouldn’t ignore them. Turning back, he swept his gaze over the group, lifting a brow.

A short, slender man sporting spiky black hair with frosted white tips stepped forward. He twisted his fingers together nervously while glancing over his shoulder at a light brown haired human.

“Yes?” Draven asked, drawing the word out.

“If the spell was already broken, how would we know?”

Draven’s brows shot up. “Now that…is a very good question,” he replied, giving his full attention to the skittish shifter.





Chapter Four





Vail stalked through the mansion, growling under his breath. He wanted to find a forest, shift, and run. His wolf wanted out. Unfortunately, he also knew where his wolf wanted to run to…to find the vampire, his mate, Draven. His growl transformed into a pitiful whine at the reminder of his mate.

As he slammed the door to his suite of rooms behind him, Vail thanked the gods above that everyone was gathered downstairs and couldn’t hear him. He crossed the room to the window. Resting his palms and forehead on the cool pane of glass, he tried to get his turbulent thoughts under control.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, but the click of the door handle caught his attention. The heady aroma of his mate hit him, calling to him. He closed his eyes, wondering how rude he’d have to be to get the man to leave. Why couldn’t Draven have listened the first time?

Feeling a pair of strong arms wrap around him, Vail stiffened. Draven rested his chin on his shoulder as he held him tightly. Vail’s body practically vibrated at the intimate embrace, barely catching himself from leaning against the man.

Finally untying his tongue, he whispered hoarsely, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Your friends have been telling me some interesting stories,” Draven said, surprising him.

“What? Why?” Where the hell was Draven going with this? Sharp teeth scraped up his neck, pulling a harsh gasp from him.

“Well,” Draven murmured, drawing the word out and breathing warm air across the hairs on his nape. “According to the guys, you’ve already saved a couple strangers.”

“Huh?” Vail was having a hard time concentrating.

“A buffalo shifter named Darrell,” Draven crooned, seducing with his voice. “You assisted in saving him and his mate, Lydia, and their two cubs. You didn’t know any of them, and you didn’t get anything out of it. Then, Yuma said you helped save his mate, Hunter. You’d been introduced less than thirty minutes before helping save him from an ex, I believe he said. You didn’t get anything out of that, either, did you?”

Draven rubbed his lips over the tendon running the length of Vail’s neck, sending shivers across his skin and down his spine. Finally, what Draven was possibly saying clicked into place and he untied his tongue. “You think the spell is already broken?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

Possible? Wait. Vail tensed. As much as he hated losing the feel of his mate’s lips on his body, Vail gently eased forward and turned. Draven let him. “How would we know for sure? Your life is too important to leave to possibilities.”

Nodding, Draven licked his lips, drawing Vail’s attention to the thin slash of a mouth he really, really wanted to taste fully. “I’d like to do a reading on you.”

Vail blinked. “A reading? What’s that?”

“It’s simple, really. You relax, I say a chant, and it will tell me if any curses, enchantments, or anything else is attached to you.”

He could feel his wolf curl up in his mind. He agreed with his animal. The idea of someone doing magick to him curdled his stomach. The fact that it was his mate offering to do it didn’t make him feel any better about it. Vail didn’t actually know the man.

Unfortunately, Vail realized it could be his one shot at being with Draven. Swallowing hard, he nodded. “Okay.”

The smile he received from Draven settled something inside Vail. He liked having pleased the man and knew his decision was the right one, even if it turned out that the curse wasn’t broken after all. Plus, it’d be nice to know.