The Soulmate's Curse Read online

  "Where is she going to be staying while she's in Destiny?” General said, bringing her out of her mini-fantasy.

  "I'm standing right here,” Sonja said, waving her hand in the air. “I will be staying at cabin nine up at Devil's Lake."

  "Well, why does she need a room, Sheriff? You live in cabin twelve. You can give her a ride."

  Sonja looked around in time to see Lucas shaking his head wildly. He turned red at being caught in the act. Sonja felt her temper rise. Well, of all the nerve!

  "It's okay, General, the sheriff obviously does not want to take me up there."

  "It's not that I don't want to take you up there. I'm still on duty,” Lucas said hurriedly.

  "Christ, Sheriff, it would take you about an hour to take her up there,” General raised one eyebrow at the curious way the sheriff was acting.

  Sonja looked at Lucas with cold eyes. “Don't worry, Big G, I'll go to the hotel. I can see Destiny is in the middle of a crime spree."

  The old man's voice cackled with laugher, and he leaned his hands against the counter. “She got you there, Sheriff,” he wheezed out after a few moments.

  "Uh-huh,” Lucas drawled, looking at Sonja. “I'm going to check in at the station. Get what you need from here, and I'll take you and your stuff up to the cabin."

  "Why, Sheriff, I thought you were still on duty?” Sonja said with exaggerated sweetness.

  "It's my pleasure, ma'am, to help a visitor to our quaint little town,” Lucas drawled out.

  "I'll be back in thirty minutes. Be ready.” With that order, he turned on his heels and strode out the door.

  Sonja and General stared after him, then she turned to the aged man with a huge grin on her face. “Come on, Big G. Let's get me hooked up in half an hour."

  She grabbed a shopping cart. As she pushed, one wheel turned wildly around, making bumping noises as it went. General followed behind her, pointing out the various items she might need up at the cabin. She didn't know how long she was going to stay, so she took everything the old man recommended and put it into the shopping cart.

  Sonja stopped in her tracks. She could swear she heard a wolf's howl. “Hey, Big G, did you hear that?"

  "Hear what, Miss Sonja?” General cocked his head, listening intently, trying to hear what Sonja had heard.

  "I swore I heard a wolf's howl. Do you guys have wolves lurking around here in the woods?” The thought made Sonja a little nervous. She didn't want to be outside her cabin face-to-face with a wild animal.

  General laughed. “No; not in these parts. And even if one or two stray this way, we're too far down the mountain for them to come around here. Wolves tend to stay away from the bright lights of a town."

  "Hmm; guess it was my imagination.” Sonja moved once again to continue her shopping. But why did she feel as if a cold chill had replaced the warmth in her body?

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  Chapter Two

  "Sonja Stone.” Lucas typed the name into the computer, then waited impatiently for the machine to spit out the information he needed. In Destiny, the computer he had at the station was outdated and slow. To get online, he had to use dial-up. He tapped his fingers against his office desk and wished he was at his cabin where he'd had someone come in and set it up for wireless Internet. He would have had what he needed by now, but he couldn't wait to go home to find out. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the information he needed began to pop up on the screen.

  Sonja Stone, age twenty-nine, born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her family had moved to the fourth ward in New Orleans when she was five. She had moved to Chicago when she was twenty-one, and she had been pre-med before she dropped out of college to become an EMT.

  Now he knew for certain it was her he had felt. Jesus, I can't even run from it? This fucking curse, it was his father's gift to him before he'd died. And even though he had run far away from the place that was going to be his death sentence, the damn thing had come back to bite him in the ass.

  He'd had it all planned out; he was going to live in Destiny and never marry. If he felt the urge to have a roll in the hay, he would always use protection and never let his men be caught going to fertilize some egg. This curse was going to die with him. This was the year of the Valentine's moon, and after this, five hundred years would pass. He would be dead within fifty of those years, and if his line stopped with him, so would the curse. He wouldn't pass this burden on to an innocent child. His mother had explained that his father had been trying to give his future son a chance to find love and break the curse when his father had gotten her pregnant. But as he grew up, he knew his father had been selfish. No man should ask a child to bear this.

  "Hey, Sheriff, where's your passenger?” a voice asked.

  Lucas looked up, startled. He'd been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't heard his deputy, Jeff, come in. “Oh, she's at the General's picking up some stuff she's going to need. I'm taking her up to cabin nine here in a few."

  "Law's got her car in the shop, says it's going to take a few days to fix the sway bar,” Jeff said as he sat at his desk in the corner.

  "Yeah, well, tell him to take it up to cabin nine when it's fixed. She's going to need it to get stuff up there if she stays long."

  His mind was still wrapped up in the fact that his beloved was in the same town as him. Christ, now I'm calling her my beloved already.

  "Sheriff, you okay?” Jeff said in a concerned voice.

  "I'm fine, I'm fine.” He got up from behind the desk, closing the door to his tiny office as he went. “I'm going to take Miss Stone up to her cabin. Hold down the fort until I get back."

  * * * *

  Lucas pulled up in front of the store where he had left Sonja earlier. When he walked in, she was seated with General behind the counter and drinking coffee from a mug. A pile of packages sat on the floor next to the counter.

  "Hey, Sheriff, back so soon? We were just getting acquainted,” General said.

  "I can see that. Shouldn't customers be on the other side of the counter?” Lucas replied.

  "Well, she's a privileged customer, being the daughter of a seaman and all."

  Sonja saluted smartly. “That's an affirmative, General, sir!"

  General grinned broadly. “See? I like her."

  Lucas liked her, too, more than he cared to, and the pull to kiss her was becoming so hard to resist. The moment he'd walked back into the store, he'd wanted to take her. He could feel the heat rising inside himself and his cock twitching in response. Lucas pressed down the urge as best he could. He would take her to the damn cabin and then stay as far away from her as possible until she left. After she was gone, he would go back to his comfortable plan of being the last Valentino man. “Sorry, General, but I'm going to have to take your new friend away.” Turning to Sonja, he asked, “Do you have everything you need?"

  Sonja replied in a curt voice, “I'm ready when you are, Sheriff."

  Lucas raised his eyebrow at her tone but said nothing. Instead, he picked up some of her packages to take out to the truck. Better that she dislike him. That way, he could avoid her and ignore this need to claim her.

  Sonja grabbed the last box from the floor, then straightened up with a bright smile on her face. “Thank you so much, Big G. I'll come see you as soon as I get my wheels back."

  "Sure thing, little miss, come by the store anytime,” General replied with a wave.

  Sonja stepped out into the night, following Lucas's lead. The temperature had dipped considerably since she had entered the store. She shivered and hurried to put the box in the back of the truck, then hopped into the warm cab. Lucas had left it running, and when he got in, he saw her holding her hands in front of the warm air coming from the vents. “You're going to have to get a good winter coat and gloves."

  "Don't you worry about what I will need, Sheriff,” Sonja said coldly.

  "You'll need good boots, too. It's going to snow soon if the weather keeps up like this,” Lucas said as if he hadn't hea
rd her. “Law, the mechanic, will have your car up here in a few days."

  Sonja rolled her eyes and said nothing as he drove out of Destiny and up a dirt-covered road. The leaves were already gone from the trees, and Sonja could see the sky through the bare branches. The drive to her cabin took a little over ten minutes. She was timing it just in case she needed to walk to town if her car wasn't fixed on time. She'd been thinking about her car when Lucas said Law would have it done. Now he's a freaking mind reader as well.

  She figured she'd have to talk to him sometime, so she said, “General called him up while I was at the store. He even convinced him to give me a discount on the cost.” At least now he knew she didn't need him to do things for her.

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yes, really,” she affirmed. “I also know Marnie runs the bed and breakfast. The Jones brothers will cut and bring me wood. General's niece runs the library, and she is the English teacher. And I most probably can have hot chocolate at Mrs. Leary's when I get to know the town."

  "I see General's been his busy self,” Lucas remarked.

  "Big G is great. He says I have eyes like a cat."

  A sexy, sleek cat that I want to stroke ... His body hardened in response. Thank God the cabin was coming up. Lucas screeched the truck to a halt and got out.

  "Well, Sheriff, I guess you can't wait to get me out of your truck."

  "The quicker, the better,” Lucas muttered, but Sonja heard him.

  "That's it! I don't know what I did to you between the time you picked me up and when you took me to the store, but your social skills suck, Sheriff Lucas Valentino!"

  "My social skills? You're the one who wanted to hit me with a jack!” Lucas reminded her.

  "Well, you can just leave my stuff on the porch and be on your merry way."

  Lucas looked at her. “I can't."

  "Well, why the hell not?"

  "I have to check your chimney and make sure you don't have anything nesting in there. It'll back the smoke into the cabin."

  "Fine, whatever. Just make it snappy.” Sonja unlocked the cabin door and stormed inside, leaving it open for Lucas to follow.

  He smiled as he picked up a box and bag and followed her inside. His beloved was a spitfire. Ah, crap, he thought as he kicked the door closed with his foot. His mind was calling her his beloved once again. He had to get away from her as quickly as possible before other needs took over.

  Sonja busied herself putting her new things away as Lucas looked at her chimney. Brian had modernized the cabin kitchen with a brand-new stainless steel fridge and stove. Thank God, Sonja thought as she put her food away. She'd been worried that she would have to figure out how to use an old-fashioned stove. The modern kitchen that Brian had installed made her life ten times easier. After the kitchen was stacked with her purchases from the General Store, she dragged her suitcases up to the loft bedroom one by one. She hadn't been able to resist buying a handmade quilt from General's store. She made the bed and spread the new quilt over the sheets lovingly, smoothing it down. By the time she came back downstairs, Lucas had a fire lit and was standing next to the fireplace looking into the flames. Damn, he looks good standing there. She had the urge to go stand behind him, let her fingers creep around his waist and lean her head against his strong back. Sonja broke off her fantasy once again. She needed to get him out of there before she made her fantasy into a reality.

  "I could have done that,” Sonja said. “I can cope by myself."

  "I never said you couldn't. I was just being helpful,” Lucas shot back.

  "Why, thank you so much, Sheriff. Now get out."

  "That's it.” Lucas began to walk toward her.

  Sonja backed up, her eyes wide with alarm, until her back hit a wall and she couldn't move any farther. “Hey, wait! What are you doing?"

  "Shutting you up,” he growled.

  Lucas's hand traveled to the back of her neck and pulled her to him. His lips met hers in a kiss, and he groaned low in his throat.

  Sonja was surprised by the kiss. Then her eyes closed with the pleasure of it. She wanted to sink into the sensual haze he was creating with his lips alone. It had been so long since she had been kissed, and never like this. His mouth rubbed against hers lightly, tempting her to come and find out what he was offering. He teased her unmercifully, nibbling her full lips then giving her a quick taste of his tongue. Sonja could hardly stand it; she wanted to feel the hard pressure as he crushed her lips under his. She craved it. Her hand slowly crept up the front of his shirt and gripped the material. Her mouth opened under his in a plea for him to take more. He let his tongue sink inside, daring hers to come out and play. Sonja gladly obliged, and soon their tongues were slowly dueling from her mouth to his. She made a purr of pleasure, and her hands moved from the front of his shirt to around his neck, trying to pull him in to deepen their contact even more.

  As they slowly pulled apart, Sonja whispered against his lips, “Why did you do that?” It was her turn to nibble and tease. She needed to know if he was feeling the same sensations that were going through her. That kiss alone had her wanting Lucas to take her right there against the wall with her legs wrapped around his waist.

  "I did it to shut you up.” Lucas pulled her hand from around his neck and took a step back, breaking their contact.

  His words made anger spark in her eyes. “I should've hit you with the fucking jack, you ass."

  "Maybe you should've,” Lucas said and walked out the door.

  Sonja heard his truck start up and pull away. Well, of all the ... She walked over to the door and locked it, reminding herself that the next time she saw Lucas she would give him a few choice words. She walked into the kitchen to make something to eat. Damn, but that was some kiss, she thought as she pulled food from the fridge.

  * * * *

  It was almost two in the morning before Lucas finally fell into bed. After dropping Sonja off and driving back to town, cursing himself for kissing her, Lucas had been forced to deal with two drunks at the local bar who had decided to beat each other with the pool sticks instead of playing with them. Just before he went home, a call had come in about a traffic accident on the main highway on the outskirts of Destiny. Lucas and one of his deputies had been out there with the Highway Patrol. Some kid had lost control of his car and wrapped it around a light pole. The kid was fine: the idiot with a beer-soaked brain was too drunk to care that he had almost killed himself. By the time he had gotten home, all Lucas had wanted to do was go to sleep and forget the day.

  Lucas undressed, and soon his eyes drifted closed, sleep instantly claiming him. Very soon his head was filled with images of his dream. He was standing in New Orleans. The streets were filled with revelers for Mardi Gras. Soon, a thick fog closed around the partygoers, and the voices, music, and dancing faded into the mist, leaving him standing alone. As Lucas squinted to see through the fog, a figure walked out. He was a tall man, and though Lucas had never met him, he could tell instantly that it was his father. His mother had shown him a picture once of the man. One picture ... the only thing he had to fill the void of not having a father when he was growing up.

  "You've grown well,” Jonathan Valentino said.

  "You look good for a dead man,” Lucas said. He had had dreams of his father every once in a while throughout his life. But Jonathan had never spoken to him until now, only standing at a distance as if watching as Lucas had grown up.

  Jonathan laughed. “You have that Valentino attitude in you."

  "Why the hell are you talking to me now?"

  "Because your beloved is here, and this is the time of the Valentine's moon."

  "So you're here to tell me that before I can get her pregnant, I'll rip her fucking throat out. Yeah, I know the curse ... Dad.” The word Dad sounded like an insult coming from Lucas's lips.

  "No, I'm coming to tell you that you can break the curse. At least she can, anyway."

  "Really? I plan to avoid her until this moon thing passes and then die with
out passing this curse on,” Lucas said casually.

  "You would damn us like that? Damn yourself?"

  "The way I look at it, you damned me from the time you planted your cursed seed in my mother."

  "You whelp! You were never damned. I gave you a chance to have the life none of us had. We may have died in grief, but we have loved. To live and not feel love? I am not the one who damned you, Lucas. You are doing it to yourself."

  Lucas shouted at his father, who, even in death, was a dominant man. “What would you have me do? Love her, claim her, and then kill her?"

  "Give her a chance to believe! Her heart and yours will tell you how to break the curse!” Jonathan implored. “Your heart has no choice but to love her; it's already happened. You can do this, son!"

  "I won't do it. I won't put anyone through that!"

  Jonathan looked at his son with sadness. “You have no other choice, Lucas. The fever will start, and the wolf in you will come by the Valentine's moon. You won't be able to resist, none of us could. You will claim her and kill her unless you break the curse. It will be your fate as it was the fate of us all."

  Jonathan Valentino faded away on his last words, and Lucas woke in a sweat. He looked around his empty bedroom, expecting to see his father there. The dream had been so real, but Lucas knew it was no dream. His father had come to him—to warn him or save him, he didn't know. Whichever one it was, Lucas didn't care. He wasn't going back on his plan. He would stay away from Sonja and let that moon pass. Even if he had to chain himself in his cabin when that time came, he would not take her life. Lucas turned in bed and tried to go back to sleep. He stared into the darkness, waiting for his body to relax and his eyes to close once again.

  There were twelve days before the Valentine's moon. He could feel the beginning of the fever inside his body. The sheets felt like sandpaper against every nerve ending on his skin. He felt a flush build, spreading across him, as Sonja's face swam in his head. His cock hardened when the thought of her taste invaded his mind. He could smell her scent. She would be hot and wet as he filled her with himself. He would stoke the fire in her until she screamed his name in pleasure. Stop! Stop! Lucas jumped off the bed and began to pace in his room frantically. I can't go to her! Oh God! I need her. I won't be able to survive without her with me!