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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  The Soul Mate's Curse

  Copyright © February 2008, Dahlia Rose

  Cover art by Missy Lyons© February 2008

  Amira Press

  Baltimore, MD 21216

  www.amirapress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-934475-45-4

  No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Amira Press.

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Coming Soon From Amira Press

  Chapter One

  Chapter One

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  Dedication

  To my BFF Debbie for always being there and the unending support you give!

  You're the best incurable romantic I know!

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Prologue

  There is a legend, a legend that spans a thousand years. It is of the Valentino men, who on their thirtieth birthday sense their life mates and claim them as their own. The ability to sense their mates remains hidden throughout most of their lives. Until they turn thirty, when everything changes. The Valentino man could be anywhere, at work or walking down a street, when he feels his mate. The sensation is that of the hairs standing on the back of his neck. An instinct to find his love follows. What the woman's situation is does not matter—whether she is married, cloistered in a convent, a whore, or a servant girl. When a Valentino man feels his soul mate, she is his and God help anyone who stands in his way of claiming the one he loves. Nothing stops him or his mission to have this woman who holds his heart.

  These women were loved well and long by the Valentino men, carrying on the line from generation to generation. Until the time came when the woman claimed was the daughter of a witch doctor in New Orleans. Kaleen was stolen away in the middle of the night to become the wife of Lucien Valentino. In time, she bore Lucien a son, Marcus. On their son's first breath and cry, the witch doctor cursed them for an eternity. No Valentino man would find happiness again in the arms of his beloved. Instead, the wolf in him would kill her, and her blood would spill into the earth before they could create a child.

  It started with Lucien and Kaleen's son, Marcus. From there, the curse went on. The only way to continue the Valentino line and their hopes of finding a way to break the curse was for the male Valentino to have a child with one who was not his beloved. She would be the one to teach the child of his destiny and his cursed fate. After the death of his beloved, each Valentino man killed himself. The agony of what he had done to his beloved was too much for him to bear.

  The curse can be broken, but only on a Valentine's moon, and there is only one every five hundred years.

  This is the year of the Valentine's moon.

  There is only one left in the line now, and his time is coming. He is the descendant of Lucien and Kaleen's only son, Marcus. Born not from his father's soul mate but from the woman who tried to comfort him after he had spilled his true love's blood. Jonathan Valentino told her the secret of his ancestors. Even in his grief, he knew he had to give his descendants another chance to break the curse. His tears fell into the hair of the woman who comforted him and who took his seed inside her. She swore to let his son know the truth of his birthright. He wished his son well and hoped he would be the one to be able to hold on to his love. Then, in his sorrow, he drove his car into the deepest water he could find. As he felt the cold water fill his lungs, he saw the face of his beloved. She beckoned him to join her on the other side of death, where they would be free to love.

  Now Lucas Valentino is the only one left, and he has felt the pull of his soul mate. He knows of the curse and what it holds for him, and he runs away to the mountains. Not only for himself, but to save her from a fate that is not of her choosing. The legend will continue, and the lives of those involved will be destroyed forever. The soul mate's curse will end only when the Valentinos are gone and their seed wiped from the Earth, unless...

  Remember the Valentine's moon comes...

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter One

  February 1st, 2007

  "This is just freaking great,” Sonja muttered to herself, looking at the flat tire of her little Fiat. She had been driving along just fine, trying to get to her friend's cabin before dark, but some idiot had left a nail in the road. She kicked the flat tire once again and went to the trunk of the car to retrieve her spare and jack.

  Oh, this is relaxing, she thought, squatting down beside her car. How the hell was she supposed to change a tire? She had never gone to mechanic school. But in the cool Appalachian Mountains, she'd have to give it a go. Her friend, Brian, had insisted she take his cabin for a few weeks to get away from the stress at work. What stress?

  "Go up to Destiny,” he had said. “Take a few weeks at my cabin,” he had said. “Relax,” he had said. She mimicked Brian's voice in her head.

  "This is freaking great,” she muttered under her breath. She loved the pace of being an EMT. But the last call she had been on had hit her hard, too hard, and she didn't know if she could go back. Maybe Brian was right; she needed a break. She would take it, too, if she ever got off this mountain road and to the fucking cabin. God, all she wanted to do was sit in front of a roaring fireplace and sip a glass or two of wine.

  After the second time of trying to use her jack and ending up grating the skin of her knuckles, Sonja sat on the cold asphalt and leaned against her car. Muttering curses under her breath, she hoped that the town called Destiny was not too far to walk to. It was getting colder by the minute. They'll probably find me frozen and some animal using me as a salt lick, she thought.

  As she rose to start her journey, the bright lights of a vehicle lit on her and Sonja froze. The truck pulled over to the side of the road. Sonja could not see whether it was black or midnight blue. The lights of her car illuminated long, lean legs unfolding from the cab before going off. Those legs in high boots slowly ambled toward her. Sonja bent down to pick up the metal handle of her jack. If this person was offering her more than just help, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. The man turned on his flashlight as he walked toward her.

  "What are you going to do with that, pray tell?” a deep, male voice drawled.

  "Hit you with it if you do anything stupid,” Sonja retorted.

  "So, that's how you ask for help?” the voice remarked.

  "Yeah, well, this is 2007, buddy, and I've seen Deliverance."

  "Didn't Deliverance deal with men?"

  "I don't care. I don't relish the thought of being ass-fucked in the cold woods,” Sonja shot back.

  Deep, rich laughter burst from the chest of the man it belonged to, and Sonja would have appreciated the sound if she weren't ready to defend herself.

  The laughter died with a little sigh. “Okay, ma'am, as fun as this is, I can help you. I'm Sheriff Lucas Valentino from the Destiny Police Department."

  He pointed
the beam of light to his chest. It was only then that Sonja saw the badge and his sheriff's uniform.

  "You could have said that before instead of giving me a fucking heart attack,” Sonja yelled.

  "And miss this little conversation? I don't think so,” Lucas replied with a grin.

  Sonja stood with her hands on her hips.

  "So, what's the problem, Mrs....?” Lucas said.

  "It's Miss Sonja Stone,” Sonja replied. “My tire is flat, and I can't use this thing."

  "It generally needs the other parts to make it work."

  "No! You're kidding? I thought I should just dance around waving this until it re-inflated."

  "You sure are feisty. Did you eat dinner?” Lucas asked, looking at her quizzically.

  Sonja looked at him in amazement, and then smiled. “No, I didn't have dinner, and I'm sorry for being snippy. It's been a long drive.” Sonja knew her prickly personality would have put off other people, so it was kind of funny when that seemed not to bother him.

  "Okay, let's have a look-see,” Lucas said, getting down to the wheel. After a moment or two, he lay flat against the road and shined his light under her car.

  "What are you looking at?” Sonja asked curiously.

  "Um, you have more of a problem than just a flat tire."

  "Like what?"

  "Like your sway bar has come off its mounting,” Lucas said, still looking under the car. He got up then brushed off his hands and uniform. “You're going to need a tow."

  Sonja let out a stream of curses that would have turned a pastor's ears red. Lucas looked on curiously as she cursed and muttered to herself. She turned and threw her hands wide while her curses filled the air. As soon as her tirade ended and Sonja looked at him, he spoke.

  "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

  Ignoring his question, Sonja said, “Where do I get this fixed? How much is it going to cost?"

  She was already irked at the flat-tire issue. Now her car had a sway bar off its mounting. Hell, she didn't even know what a sway bar was. This trip just kept getting better and better. She was tempted to high-tail it back to Chicago.

  "In Destiny. I'll radio for the tow truck to come and get it. I'm assuming that was where you were heading?"

  Sonja sighed. “Yes, it was. Just passing through anyway. I was heading up to the cabins by Devil's Lake."

  "Okay, then, we'll get you into Destiny for the night and get your car fixed,” Lucas said. “Get your things and hop in."

  Sonja walked to her car and dragged open the passenger door, muttering to herself about stupid cars breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

  Lucas shook his head, got on the radio in his truck, then called in to the station. “Jeff, you there? Over."

  The radio crackled, then a voice came over the other end. “Yeah, Sheriff, you got me."

  "Jeff, get Law over here to Oaks Road for a tow. Got me a stranded lady with a busted sway bar."

  The radio crackled again. “Lady, huh? How does she look?"

  Lucas laughed. “You keep your eyes to yourself, Jeff, before Marnie gets after you with a frying pan."

  "Gotcha, Sheriff, I'll get Law on his way. Over and out."

  Sonja walked up with her first bag in the middle of the conversation. “So who are Jeff and Marnie, and who seems to have put the fear of God in him?"

  "Jeff is my deputy, one of four, and Marnie is his wife, who would knock him on his ass in a heartbeat. Let's get the rest of your things."

  Getting Sonja's things seemed like a monumental task. In all, she had five large bags stuffed into the car, plus two boxes in its trunk.

  "Going to be staying at Devil's Lake awhile, I see.” He looked at all the stuff in the bed of his truck.

  "Maybe. I don't know yet. I like to be prepared,” Sonja said as she climbed into the big truck.

  "Okay, then, let's go."

  Lucas jumped into the truck and started it up. It was maybe another thirty minutes before Destiny. He could have worse company on the way to town, he thought with a smile. It was a few minutes into the drive that he felt it, low in his back like an electrical zing. It made him jump just a little.

  Sonja looked over at him quizzically.

  "Long day,” he explained.

  She nodded and went back to staring out the window.

  Lucas shifted in his seat, and the feeling turned into warmth and spread across his body. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ear. The rhythmic thumping sped up until he could no longer track the beats. Even though it was cold outside and the mountains were gripped with winter, inside the truck it was completely different. Lucas felt a heat rise in his body. It traveled along every nerve ending under his skin. A trail of sweat trickled down his back. He had felt this once before, when he had reached his thirtieth birthday. He had run away from the feelings and from his home, knowing the meaning behind it. He had grown up hearing of what would happen when he turned thirty, and it had filled him with dread. Why had it come back now? Why did his heart feel as if it wanted to jump out of his chest? He looked over at the woman who sat next to him. It was her. Sonja.

  Sonja looked at him and smiled.

  Lucas smiled back, but it turned to a grimace as he felt a pain in his chest.

  "Hey, are you okay?” she said with concern.

  "I'm fine.” He tried to control his breathing. “I'm fine,” he said with a stronger voice.

  "Are you sure? You looked a little pale there for a minute."

  "I'm positive.” Lucas knew it was her. The feeling was still there, except now he could manage the sensations better.

  "So, tell me Sonja Stone, where are you from?"

  "Chicago. I moved there eight years ago for a job,” Sonja replied.

  "Really, and what do you do in the Windy City?"

  Sonja laughed. “Maybe you should run a background check on me, Sheriff."

  "It's a small town, Sonja. No background check needed. I was just making conversation."

  "I see. Okay, then, for conversation's sake, I'm an EMT."

  "Well, now, that's mighty interesting,” Lucas said. “Do you like it, being an EMT?"

  "It has its ups and downs.” Sonja didn't want to talk about her job. It was the reason why she was here.

  "So you said you moved to Chicago. Where were you really from? No ... let me guess .. New York, right?"

  "Wrong way, buddy. I was from New Orleans."

  It is her! I knew it! He had felt her eight years ago when she lived in the city where his heritage was cursed. She had to be about twenty when he felt her. Panic rose in his chest. He had run away from his curse, and it had still found him. His fear was not for himself, but for his mate. He knew what was inside him, and when it took over, he would not be able to control it. It would be like trying to control the weather.

  * * * *

  Sonja watched as the truck pulled into what she would have to say was the epitome of a small town. The buildings were built with old-world charm, two and three stories tall, each having its own little balcony. Sonja looked at the two-story building painted in white with yellow shutters and grinned.

  "This is great! The General Store ... I love it!"

  Lucas stopped in front of the building and hopped out of the truck without a word. He walked around to the other side of the vehicle and opened her door. “It's called that because the guy who owns it is named General."

  He reached up to help her from the truck, and the heel of her shoe got caught on the doorframe. Sonja couldn't help but squeal as she fell forward. Lucas reached up and plucked her from mid-fall, holding her solidly against his chest. She felt her breath whoosh out as she fell against his hard body and the instant flare of heat as he held on to her. She looked up at him, and the heat of his eyes looking back at her filled her belly with butterflies. His eyes glittered with something, but Sonja didn't know what. And he wasn't making any move to let her go.

  "Uh, thanks, Sheriff. You can put me down now.” The heat between them excited he
r, but she also feared it. She put a cap on the emotion quickly. She had come to Destiny to relax, not get into a love affair with a small-town sheriff.

  "Maybe I don't want to,” Lucas murmured.

  "Well, you are going to have to, buddy.” What does he think, just because he's bigger than me and he's the sheriff that he can just grope as he pleases? Sonja was about to reply to that remark when Lucas shook his head as if to clear an offending thought. He let go of her abruptly and turned to walk up to the store. Sonja had no other choice but to follow him. As they went in, Sonja noted the rows and rows of shelves of everything she could possibly think of. From hammers to Ben and Jerry's ice cream in glass coolers built into the walls, the General Store had it all.

  "What brings you in tonight, Sheriff?” Behind the counter sat a small, balding man with just a few strands of white hair around his head. He wore an eye patch and had a tattoo on his forearm.

  "Well, General, it seems we had a visitor stranded out on Oaks Road. I came across her while I was coming back into town,” Lucas said to the old man.

  "Well, she is a looker, isn't she?” General commented. “Hello to you, ma'am. Everyone around here calls me General."

  Sonja smiled, instantly liking the old man. “Well, General, I'm Sonja, and I can tell from that tattoo that you were in the Navy. Am I right?"

  "Right as rain,” General said, looking pleased that she had noticed his tattoo. “How'd you guess?"

  "My dad was a seaman his whole life before he died."

  "Well, now, isn't this a small world? While you're here, Miss Sonja, if you need anything, you just come ask General, and I'll make sure to fix you right."

  "Thank you, General; I'll do that,” Sonja replied.

  "She's going to need a room until her car is fixed. Is Dora at the hotel?” Lucas leaned against the counter where Sonja was standing.

  Sonja studied him from the corner of her eyes as he pretended to look at one of the displays on the counter. She took in how he crossed his ankle over the other, his body lean and well built. She could almost imagine the ripple of muscles under his uniform shirt.