Page 217 of The Curse Trilogy

Hot and fucking cold.

“Fine, Captain. I’m sorry. I forgot my place for a moment,” I icily rattle out, and he winces slightly under my stinging formality.

Clay pops back in with the weight of the world weighing him down just as Grayson pokes his head in with wide, fretful eyes.

“Is everything okay?” I ask worriedly given the earlier scuffle.

“I need to speak with Hale for a minute,” he murmurs while staring directly at my confusing hybrid.

He avoids eye contact with me, which is unusual for Grayson. And since when does he trust Hale? Since when does he go to him over me? I almost pout over the insulting action.

“Yeah,” Hale sighs.

He slides out from under the table, and his shoulders droop as he walks by me. Clay shrugs at me, and I begin examining the file as I take Hale’s warm seat. This spot smells like him, and it’s almost enough to draw tears from my eyes.

Hale’s eyes are wide when he pops back in, and he stares only at Clay as he says, “I have something to take care of. Can you find someone else to be Araya’s observer when you’re preoccupied?”

“Sure,” Clay murmurs with an exaggerated annunciation. “Should I be made aware of something?”

“Possibly later, but not right now. I’ll see you after while.”

Hale ducks out before anyone can ask questions, and I roll my eyes while turning back to Clay.

“Still think he loves me? I sure as hell don’t,” I huff, and then I walk out to face the guy I plan on making cry before I leave the steel box.

I’m sick of the twisted forms of mind-fuck, and I’m done trying to make sense of him.

The phone keeps going voicemail as I call Brazen for the fifteenth time. He always answers my calls, and I don’t know whether to be worried or aggravated.

“This is Captain Mordel. Leave a message, and I’ll call you back when I’m available.”

You haven’t been available for thirty damn minutes, and you’re the one that invited me to lunch.

I round the corner, and I start to pass the training box when suddenly Hale and Brazen emerge from the room together with matching ashen faces and trembling eyes. I half expect a ghost to pop out with them given their ghastly gaping mouths hanging unhinged.

“What’s wrong?” I chirp, and they both jump at the sound of my voice.

“Araya,” Brazen startles out as if I’m not even supposed to exist.

“Yeah, it’s me. Your girlfriend, and your very stood up lunch date,” I sarcastically retort. “What’s going on?”

He looks at his watch, and then he sighs out.

“Sorry. I lost track of time. Let’s go grab something if you still have time,” he replies with an insipid lack of enthusiasm.

“Actually, I don’t have time anymore. I finished up early so I could see you, but now I’ve got to head back. The lab work Clay did on me came back clean, which means I’m still not infected. In case you were worried. I’ll talk to you later,” I huff, and I start walking away from the pale eyes that shouldn’t be keeping secrets.

“Araya,” he grumbles while sprinting to my side. “I said I was sorry.”

“I’m not mad about you not answering my calls. I’m mad because you’re not telling me something,” I mumble, and he stops me to whip me around.

Now I see Grayson walking out while holding Angelica to his body, and Hale rubs her back affectionately as a few tears drip down her face. What the fuck is going on?

“What’s wrong with Angelica?” I ask with worry.

“She and Grayson had a tough morning. Let me take you to your apartment. I bought all kinds of random choices for lunch. I promise I’ll make it up to you for being late,” he seduces as his lips start grazing my bare shoulder.

I shiver slightly, and then I roll my eyes as he smirks very cockily before bending to pull my lips to his. I look up to see Hale has looked away, and then he motions for Angelica and Grayson to follow him. Her eyes catch mine, and an unexplainable guilt is etched in her freshly changed hybrid blue swirls.