Page 63 of Cursed Touch
Grabbing her by the back of her head, he brought their mouths together for a sweet kiss. It was not enough to satisfy him, but what he wanted was not suitable for public consumption. His mouth opened, and when he realized he had nearly professed his love in the middle of the café, he swallowed past the lump in his throat.
“What?” she asked, worry lines forming between her eyes.
He smiled to reassure her. “Have I told you how lucky I am to have you?”
Vanessa’s eyes became bright as a grin lit her face. “You have not.”
Carter kissed her again. “Well, I am.”
As he forced himself to leave her in the middle of the café, two separate individuals joined her among the open seating. With another quick glance over his shoulder, he hurried to the back.
Carter raised a fist and knocked on the door labeled Employees Only. He heard some rustling before Brandy appeared. She looked tired, with bags under her eyes and her hair pulled to the top of her head in some form of bun.
“Car? Everything okay?” she asked and peered around him. “Where’s Vanessa? Is she okay?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Whoa, everyone’s okay. Areyouokay?”
Brandy stepped back and waved him in. “Yeah, I’m just exhausted. Gia wasn’t having it last night, so I didn’t get much sleep.”
Carter nodded slowly. “Gotcha, newborn problems. Want me to take a look at her?”
Brandy waved him off. “Nah, she’s better now. By the time I realized the kid just needed to fart and couldn’t, I was well into zombie mode.”
He chuckled. “You should get some gas drops. A lot of parents find they help.”
She tilted her head. “Thanks, I’ll have Ryan pick them up. I don’t need a part two to last night. Now, what do I owe the pleasure of—”
A loud bang sounded outside the office, and his heart plummeted as Brandy’s eyes widened. “Vanessa!”
They stormed out of the office as people cried out in surprise. Carter turned the corner, and a woman’s scream pierced the air. He called himself a hundred different names for leaving Vanessa alone and vulnerable. Sure, she seemed to be exuding magic, but any magic she could do was new and unrefined. She was sure to cause more harm than good if she tapped into it without learning to control it.
Tables and chairs lay skewed in various directions of the floor. Vanessa stood in the middle as a woman crouched against the counter behind her. The few early employees could not be seen, as steam gushed from one machine.
Carter’s quick scan of the room returned to Vanessa and a half human, half dog before her. If Carter had never borne witness to a werewolf, he would have mistakenly believed that thing was one. He stepped forward, intending on protecting her, when a small hand gripped his bicep.
“No! I’ve got her,” Brandy hissed before she rushed forward.
He felt her surge of power before she took three steps and grimaced. The spells he now wielded for telekinesis were no match for the thing threatening Vanessa. As much as he wanted to step in, he swallowed his pride and let Brandy do what he could not.
His magic swirled around him, begging to protect his mate, when he remembered their tethered minds.
“Vanessa… Sweetheart, are you okay?”he asked.
When no reply came, he scanned the room again. He could no longer hear the steam from the machines or the cries from the humans. In fact, it seemed the air itself was stagnant.
“Brandy?” he called as she placed a hand on Vanessa.
“It’s okay. Go to Carter, and he’ll heal you,” she said as Vanessa’s shoulders sagged, and a gasp pierced the silent room.
Vanessa turned on her heels, her eyes darting around before they locked on his. The blood in his veins boiled at the red line running from her shoulder and down her collar bone to her breastbone. The gash was not deep, but blood seemed to pour from it.
“Fuck,” he snapped when she reached his arms and crumbled.
“Carter,” she said through a heavy breath, and her eyes flickered. Her long, dark lashes fanned as her lids tried to close yet remain open.
He shifted her in his arms and lowered them to the ground. Vanessa had his entire focus when he placed one hand on her wound, ignoring his years of training that told him to avoid her blood. Carter released his magic and tried to ignore the similarities to Tyler’s wounds months ago. His brows pinched as he drained himself into her.
“Brandy!” he cried when Vanessa barely healed.
