Cursed Hearts (Hearts Duology Book 1) Read online

  Cursed Hearts: Hearts Duology Book One

  By SF Benson

  Copyright © 2017 by Avanturine Press, LLC

  All rights reserved worldwide

  Published February 28, 2017

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of this author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Funky Book Designs

  Editing by Tia Silverthorne Bach

  Formatting by Avanturine Press, LLC

  For more information about this book and the author visit:

  www.authorsfbenson.com

  Also by SF Benson

  THE ALLIANCE CHRONICLES SERIES

  REGRESS (#1) - Available Now

  RESCUE (#2) - Available Now

  RELEASE (Novella) - Available Now

  REBEL (#3) - April 2017

  Be Open To Love

  The boy’s essence still lingers on my lips, his body gone cold. I exhale, crouching beside him on the wooden floor, and run my fingers through his silky blond hair. My muscles quiver and my breathing is strained.

  Once again, the curse I was born with is responsible for this travesty. I drop my head in my hands. There’s something inherently wrong with taking what’s not rightfully mine, like a thief ransacking a person’s home.

  But I’m not a thief, not in the traditional sense. It’s not material items I covet. Instead, it’s the essence from humans I seek, the core of their existence. Lilins do it with grace and a special sophistication. We don’t kill, not like this. It goes against our code.

  I know that doesn’t explain why I’m kneeling beside a corpse, but this is my handiwork.

  I’m a novice succubus. I lack the ability to control my urges. My powers are surging, and I’m supposed to be learning how to handle them. When I screw up, like today, my brother comes and cleans up my messes. It keeps the humans living in Falls Creek unaware of the evil in our town.

  Time passes, fifteen minutes to be exact, and still there’s no sign of my brother. My thoughts swirl around the possibility of being discovered. It’s never happened, but I can’t help thinking it. The longer I’m with the deceased, the harder it is to think rationally. I glimpse from beneath the bleachers in the gym.

  Where the hell is Cash?

  Normally, this doesn’t happen at school. I usually wait and let Cash set up a random hookup with a stranger. But the closer I get to my birthday, the stronger my cravings. It’s the Awakening, the point of maturity for a succubus, trying to happen. The more I attempt to ignore it, the more slip-ups I make. Like this one.

  “Kels?”

  I whirl around and look up into a pair of smoke-blue eyes. It’s Cash.

  “Sorry I’m late, Kels. I had to wait for the hall to empty,” he says and kneels by the body. “You couldn’t wait until you got home?”

  A ready-made excuse hovers over my tongue. The heavy, meaty smell of flesh wrinkles my nose and interrupts the thought. So, that’s why he was late. He stopped to take care of his own need before helping me.

  Selfish incubus.

  My eyes drift back over the body. Landry Moore was a junior liked by everyone. He kissed me on a dare. Something I discovered when I overheard a conversation between his friends. I should have known better and not indulged. But the problem with my kind is desire draws us out like magnets. I couldn’t help myself. It’s why Cash has insisted I only practice learning control with him around.

  This mess I created is bad. I don’t know how my brother will fix it. Thinking about the turmoil I caused makes my heart and head hurt.

  Cash rises and puts his arms around me. “Stop beating yourself up. It happens.”

  I open my mouth to speak right when my phone buzzes. I step away and check the message. My best friend, Lena Riley, wants to meet up for coffee and maybe a run.

  “Cash…”

  “Go on. I’ll see you at home.”

  “It might be a while. Lena wants to meet for coffee and a run.”

  “Seriously?”

  He doesn’t understand my fascination with running. It’s not something our kind gravitates toward. Normally, sex is the way we seek release. I prefer not to think about it. My mom explained it to me once. It was an eerie birds-and-bees conversation, supernatural style. As I recall, it was an uncomfortable discussion for the both of us. The memory still makes me shudder.

  “Suit yourself,” Cash drawls. He scoops up Landry’s body and walks into the darkness. A place creatures like me belong.

  It’s after school, and the local coffeehouse is busy. Students spreading rumors, the constant ding of the cash register, and the baristas calling out orders fill the air. The heady aroma of recently ground beans mingling with fresh baked pastries and chocolate make the chaos worth it. Lena and I make our way through the crowd and find a table near the window.

  I place a straw in my frozen mocha and glance back at the line. My eyes land on the handsome blond swim team captain, Matt Kilpatrick. He’s one of those guys that practically every girl in school has either dated or wants to date. Not that it matters, but I’ve had my eye on him since freshman year.

  “You’re staring,” whispers Lena, my friend since sixth grade. She reaches across the table and taps my hand. “Go talk to him, Kelsie. If you don’t talk to him, someone else is going to beat you to him.”

  I drag my eyes away from Matt and stare at Lena. She didn’t need to point out the obvious. Unfortunately, I can’t tell her why I’ll never say more than hello to him.

  “Kelsie?”

  Her voice pulls me out of my head. “What?”

  “Something wrong?”

  “No. I’m not that interested,” I lie.

  “Mm hmm.” She takes a sip from her latte. “If you say so. Let’s talk about Friday night.”

  “What’s Friday?” My eyes are back on Matt. Yes, he’s insanely handsome, but it’s not his looks I’m focused on. I’m hoping he distracts me from what keeps playing in my head.

  Brown eyes lock onto mine and lips that taste like cherry lip balm… My hands shake with the memory. I clasp them in my lap. It’s like Landry is haunting me.

  “Have you forgotten about the concert?”

  Crap! I have. There’s some fundraising concert with local bands playing music from the eighties. I’m not a fan of retro music or blind dates. I inhale deeply through my nose. Lena won’t like what I’m about to say. I exhale.

  “I’m not going.”

  “And why not?” she asks with a pout on her face.

  How do you explain to someone that you’re tired of killing? I imagine it would be like a serial killer finally confessing and saying he stopped because he got tired of disposing the bodies. Or, a vampire quit biting because he suddenly had an aversion to blood. No. There’s no way Lena would understand why I’m taking myself off the market. After two years of causing the deaths of countless young men, I just want to graduate with a semi-clear conscious. Landry has to be the last one.

  “I can’t,” I lie. “I’ve got this family thing.”

  “Since when?” Lena folds her arms across her chest and leans back. “When I told you about this a week ago, y
ou said you were available. Besides, your mother is always at work. And Cash… That brother of yours is always hanging out with those trouble-making friends of his.”

  I take a long sip of my drink. Think of a lie. Anything.

  “Lena, I just don’t want to go. If it were just us, that would be fine,” I admit.

  “So, you’re turning down your date, and you haven’t even met him yet? Get real. You’re going.” Lena looks out the window. “Not every guy is a jerk, you know.”

  She believes I date a lot of losers. You know, guys who are only after one thing. I let her believe whatever she chooses. It makes life easier, and it’s what supernaturals do. We let humans think the myths about us our true. It makes them comfortable. If the residents of Falls Creek knew the truth, well, let’s just say Lena Riley would not be my best friend.

  Lena pulls her platinum blonde hair up into a ponytail. “You don’t have a choice, Kelsie. I purchased the tickets. You have to go.”

  “I said I’m—”

  “Going. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Lena stands and slings her backpack over her shoulder.

  “I thought we were running,” I say. After what I’ve been through today, exercise might take away some of the tension twisting my body.

  “Nah. I have to get home. Too much homework tonight.” She cuts her eyes toward Matt and winks. “Maybe he’d like to run with you.”

  I watch her bounce out the door. A breeze sweeps by followed by a shadow crossing my view.

  Matt.

  His teeth flash white against his bronzed skin. He adjusts the strap of the gym bag slung across his body. “Hey, Kels. Mind if I sit?”

  Slowly, my muscles unwind and warmth spreads over my body. I feel the incessant pressure of my heart beating, drawing me to him.

  No. I can’t do this.

  I won’t be responsible for his death. I fumble with my purse and backpack. “It’s yours, Matt. I’m leaving.”

  His shoulders slump. He tosses his bag to the floor and takes a seat. “So soon? I was hoping we could talk. You know the Homecoming dance is coming up and—”

  “Maybe another time,” I lie. The longer I stay near him, the stronger my craving gets. Fight it! I curl my fingers against my palm.

  “I’ll look forward to it,” he replies.

  Never going to happen.

  Guys like Matt aren’t for me. To be honest, none of Falls Creek’s guys are for me. I can’t date them. Ever. Once I learn control, they’ll simply become part of a supernatural food chain.

  I glance over my shoulder before I push the door open. A redhead approaches Matt. She smiles and sits down.

  Damn.

  Landry Moore is still on my mind as I finish up my jog through the neighborhood. I was so certain exercise would clear away my guilt and make me feel somewhat normal. What the hell is wrong with me? Lilin don’t feel remorse. Ever.

  Mom didn’t have any regrets when she drained our fathers. After they served their purpose—providing offspring—it was time for them to be terminated. That’s the circle of life with Lilin, a regular event for us.

  Cash tells me I’ll grow out of my emotions. Mom says it just makes me different, but I don’t like standing out. It’s better to blend in when you have issues.

  Remorse is a human trait. Something none of my cousins exhibit. Ever since I can remember I’ve always been the Lilin who sticks out like a rotting corpse.

  I’m the only succubus in the family having issues. No one else is killing their prey. To make matters worse, I’m also the only one not having full on sexual encounters. My incubi cousins are busy pleasing single women in town with hot sex. Not one of those women has died.

  To be honest, it’s not just Landry’s death eating away at me. I have this desire that only humans get to experience—the quest for a happily ever after. It’s an idea planted in my head by my aunt. She used to tell me wonderful stories about humans falling in love and getting married. Ever since I heard her tales, I wanted to meet and fall in love with just one guy and spend the rest of my life with him. Mom places the blame with my sire, my father. He was a man with a heart so big it blinded him from the truth: even humans don’t get fairy tale endings.

  Running may not have cleared my mind, but it did exhaust me. I’m ready for a hot shower and a cool bed.

  I look toward our front porch and notice Cash sitting on the stairs. He’s oblivious to the effect he’s having on our neighbors walking by. My brother has his head tossed back. His chiseled body is on display as he soaks up the sun. He needs to stop before there’s a line at our front door.

  I clear my throat.

  “Hey, sis,” he drawls. “Finished running?”

  I drag my feet up the stairs and head for the door. “Yes. A shower and—”

  “A surprise is waiting inside for you.” His fingers grasp my forearm and prevent me from going indoors.

  “Not now, Cash,” I groan. After what I did earlier today, I don’t want to hook-up with anyone. “I need a shower, and I have homework.”

  “Stop coming up with excuses. You need to forget about the kid. He was a casualty.”

  “Really, Cash?” His apathetic words hit me like cold water. “His parents won’t think of him as a casualty.”

  “Humans die. They’ll get over it. You need to pull yourself together. Hiding in your room isn’t gonna help you learn control. Besides, you need it. You look like shit.”

  I ignore him and tug on the door, but he won’t let me by. “You want to help me? Stop forcing so many hookups. I promise we’ll train tomorrow. But tonight, just give me a few hours to get over this one.”

  He shakes his head. “No can do. You’ve got to stop feeling so much. It’s not healthy.”

  “Enough, Cash.”

  He leans against the door. “Look, we’ve been waiting for you to grow out of this. Emotions are for humans. It’s what we prey on. You need to face facts and start living the lifestyle.”

  “I’m not ready,” I shoot back. “Maybe I’m just a late bloomer.”

  “Maybe you’re just chicken,” he hisses.

  Scared? Of course I’m scared. When Cash was my age, he was responsible for killing three girls and one androgynous male. I have killed fifteen boys, including Landry. How can I not feel anything about that?

  My energy is fading like the setting sun. I need this hookup the way a meth addict needs his next fix. Fear clings to my heart. What if this time a kiss isn’t enough? As my powers grow stronger, my body demands more essence. Eventually, sex is going to be the only way to restore my lagging spirit.

  Cash lowers his voice. “Listen, I’ll be there the whole time. Your snack brought his sister.”

  Savagery peels off his words and turns my stomach. My brother can conveniently forget we’re feeding on humans and not delicacies at a buffet counter. “I told you I’m not in the mood. Move so I can go to bed.”

  He grabs my hand and pulls me close. His hot breath scorches my face. “Sorry, baby sister. You don’t get off that easy. Forget your emotions, and do what needs to be done.”

  I narrow my eyes. Does he even realize that with my fatigue I could do more harm than good?

  “No more stalling,” he says and drags me into the house.

  We go through the dimly lit entryway and into the living room. On the sofa sits a redheaded couple. The female, dressed in a camisole and cut-off shorts, is busy preening in a small mirror. She runs a finger through her long hair and checks her overdone makeup. Beside her sits a lanky man with a hawk-like nose. He’s wearing ripped jeans and a faded T-shirt. His skin is pale and reddish in spots, and he twitches like he has a nervous condition.

  Cash and I stop in front of them. “Kelsie, meet Angela and Gregg.”

  Everything about her is too much, including her bright pink lips and too-white overlarge teeth. She’s the exclamation point to Gregg’s comma.

  “Hiya,” she says, and her New Jersey accent assault
s me.

  Surely, my brother could have done better than these two.

  Cash claps his hands together and eyes the couple hungrily. “They’re in town for the evening.”

  Gregg—all elbows, knees, and right angles—extends his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  A painful ache settles in the back of my throat while my body goes languid. My heart races and I manage an unenthusiastic, “Same here.”

  Cash and Angela move to the recliner in the corner. She slides onto his lap.

  Is it too much to ask for a little privacy?

  This is the drawback of practicing with my brother. He’s an exhibitionist, so other people in the room will not stop him. To prove my point, he strokes Angela’s back like she’s a kitten. Her lips part, and he leans in. One hand threads through her fiery hair, snaking around to her neck. He kisses her deeply while she presses her body closer to his.

  Well, I have two choices. Either continue watching Cash display his admirable skills or try to find some semblance of satisfaction with Gregg. I look over at the couch, and he’s patting the cushion.

  Siren, help me!

  Slowly, I make my way to the sofa. Behind me I hear Cash purring like a freaking kitten and Angela’s gentle snoring. Like I said, he has skills.

  “Kelsie?”

  “Coming.” I sit beside Gregg. He’s grinning like a revenant I met at our last family reunion—no lips on a wide mouth. I force back the bile threatening to crawl up my throat.

  He slides closer to me and runs a finger down my arm. “Angie has done this quite a few times with your brother.”

  Crap! She’s a regular? This isn’t good. Cash should have told me. Most likely she’s filled her brother’s head with nonsense. A Lilin encounter can provide a thrill, like an orgasmic experience, but it’s not the same thing when all you do is kiss. I’m sure she’s had the full experience with Cash.

  “So, Gregg, did Angela fill you in on our little condition?”