Sealed With a Curse(27)

Aric edged his way around to face me, removing and twisting his shirt around his neck with each step before fully slipping it on backwards to the clean side. “I have to hold you against me in order to adjust your shoulder. There’s blood all over the front of my shirt. I didn’t want to get any on you,” he explained.

“Thanks,” I said a little too high-pitched for my normally husky voice. “I appreciate that.”

Aric quirked a brow, but when he inhaled my scent his eyes widened with surprise. He was silent for several seconds before gesturing to my arm. “Are you sure you want me to do this?”

There were many, many things I wanted Aric to do, and none of them pertained to my busted shoulder. Yowza. I needed to take a cold shower, and possibly invest in electronic devices.

“Celia?”

Right. I focused on the pain and hoped I wouldn’t go down like a wimp. I nodded and closed my eyes. “Go ahead.”

Aric’s strong arms wrapped me in a bear hug, his contact hard and gentle all at once. For the second time that night, his body heat encased me. My face fell against his muscular chest. My God, the aromatic blend of his scent mixed with musk from battle drove my tigress insane. Don’t purr. Don’t purr. Oh, Jesus, please don’t let me purr.

Aric’s voice tightened. “Your heart’s racing….”

“S’okay.”

“Brace yourself. This is going to hurt like a mother.”

Aric didn’t lie. There was a brief crunching sound when he rammed my limb back in place. I thought he’d snapped my spine. A thousand blades stabbed at every nerve in my neck, arm, and shoulder. My head flew back and my back arched. I didn’t cry or whimper, but damn, did I want to. Aric held me tight.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “That was a bad idea.”

I pumped the fingers of my right hand. It remained sore, but I could manipulate it. “No. This is better,” I said between breaths.

Aric released me and stepped back, his jaw clenched tight enough to shatter Mrs. Mancuso’s lawn gnome.

“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I’m tougher than I look.”

Aric shook his head. “No. You’re not. You shouldn’t have been out there tonight, Celia.”

My head snapped up.

Aric stared hard at the ground. “Look, something is coming. Something severe enough to threaten every life in the area. I’d like you to leave town for a while.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I can’t just leave, Aric. This is my home; my life is here.”

Anger flared in Aric’s eyes. “I can’t explain what’s happening. But if you stay, you might get hurt.”

I motioned to my shoulder. “It’s too late for that, wolf.”

“Celia—”

“You don’t know me, Aric. But there’s something about me you should.” I straightened to my full height. “I don’t just run because someone tells me to.”

I stormed up my front steps and unlocked the door, not bothering to turn around.

Every part of me sensed Aric watching me. In the reflection of the glass pane on the door, I looked upon the almost full moon. Aric was wrong. I knew what was coming. I’d seen the aftermath in the alley and I could feel the darkness as it dug its way through my skin. Tahoe was in jeopardy.

Decision time had arrived.





CHAPTER 9


I finger-combed my wet curls as I walked into my kitchen to prepare some tea, lamenting how I ended things with Aric. Good Lord, what a night. I’d been waiting to see him. Dreaming of speaking to him. Wanting to spend time with him. Dead bodies and alley brawls aside, my wishes had come true. Only to leave me back where I started, wondering if I’d ever see him again.

While I hadn’t liked him ordering me around, he’d helped me and kept me safe. And yet my temper prevented me from wishing him so much as a good night. Nice, Celia.

A sound like a half knock drew me toward the door. I growled in anticipation of another paparazzo. My heart just about stopped when I opened the door and saw Aric leaving my porch. He froze at the bottom of the steps before sighing and glancing in my direction. “Hi.”

“Hi.” I looked toward the driveway, where his Escalade remained parked. “Have you been here this whole time?”

“No. I left and came back.” He motioned toward my shoulder. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

I adjusted the belt around my thick cotton robe. I was all about dressing to impress. “W-would you like to join me?” I pointed behind me. “Inside, I mean. I’m making tea. Hot tea.” I grimaced. Behold my magnificent sentence structure and charm. Envy me!