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Chapter 13: Layla's Choice
Last Updated:
2023-08-18 14:06:10Related chapters
The Blood Curse Chapter 14: Starlit Night
The next morning, Layla woke up before the other girls so that she could sneak out of the room. She needed some time alone to think about the night before. After showering and braiding her hair back, she dressed in a pastel sundress and left the room. On her way down the hall, she texted Mia to tell her she was going to take some time alone and not worry about her. Layla walked leisurely through the ship, watching the crowds of people go about their morning. Many filled the restaurant as she walked by, sipping from champagne glasses and munching on pancakes. As she walked out onto the deck, the sun was shining brightly and reflecting off of the aqua-blue water. Layla started to make her way down the deck, her eyes on the water. Her thoughts went to Atreus. To his word, he didn't text her and she hadn't seen him or felt him since last night. She thought about his lips on hers and the thrilling sensation of his touch and the way he looked at her with want and desire. Just pictu
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 15: Bait and Switch
Layla was finally home from the cruise. She had just finished unpacking her suitcase of its contents and was settling back into her apartment. It had been almost two days since Layla and Atreus shared their kiss on the observation deck of the ship. Every time she thought about it, it brought a giddy smile to her face. Whenever her phone dinged, her heart would flutter at the thought of receiving a text from Atreus. She imagined him learning how to use a phone all so that he could contact her and that made her smile even more. The night they had shared a kiss on the observation deck they spent hours talking to one another. It felt like Layla was truly starting to get to know him. While he didn't talk much about himself, through his dominating presence, a kind soul was starting to surface. He had made it very clear that he wanted to pursue something more than just kissing and talking that night, but Layla wasn't ready for that yet. After he walked her back to her room, she told him
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 16: Sweet Pleasure
"What did you do?" Layla exclaimed, turning on Atreus. "Take me back right now! Ryan is going to be wondering where I am!" "Let him wonder," Atreus said coolly as he walked to the bed and laid down casually. Layla watched him, still reeling from what had just happened. "This is completely inappropriate, Atreus," she scolded, walking toward him. "Do you not understand how absurd you are acting?" Atreus watched her with lowered lids as if he were completely unphased. With a huff, Layla pulled out her phone to text Ryan so he wouldn't think something bad had happened to her. Layla: Ryan, something came up and I had to leave. I'm sorry!She saw in the corner of the text that his message bubble that the text had been read, but Ryan didn't message her back. Her guilt over the situation grew. She looked up at Atreus who was looking very pleased with himself. "You are unbelievable," Layla muttered. She turned and went to walk out of the room, but like a bolt of lightning, At
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 17: Trust
Atreus was still inside her when he leaned down and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. He then looked into her eyes which were heavy with pleasure. "Mmh, decedent," he whispered. Then slowly he slipped out from in between her legs and walked naked to the bathroom. Layla's mind spun over what had just happened. She lay there panting softly, still coming down from the high of her powerful climax. No man had ever made her feel so… much. Being with Atreus was like standing in the center of a thunderstorm. Howling winds, thunderous claps of lightning, and rain falling across her face. All she could do was stand there and take in the electric power of it all. After another moment, her heartbeat started to go back to normal. Layla sat up when she heard the bath running from the bathroom beside the foyer doorway. Atreus walked back out in all his manly glory and Layla's eyes roved over him greedily. He had that smirk on his face as he watched her unabashed. "You're staring," he
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 18: Being Followed
Layla had laid in Atreus' arms all through the night; her body satiated and relaxed as he drew lazy circles across her hip bone. At some point, she had fallen asleep and woke hours later. To her confusion, it was still dark. Sitting up she saw that the shades were pulled over the windows. A glimmer of sunshine glowed through the crack of the curtains. With a stretch, Layla looked over at Atreus whose eyes were closed. She took this rare moment to watch him. His face held an almost serene expression. A far throw from the usual cocky smirk that was always present on his face. She watched him for a moment longer until she heard her phone ding. Layla crawled to the foot of the bed and retrieved her shorts that had been discarded on the floor. She unlocked her phone and checked the time. It was almost nine o'clock in the morning. If she had any hope of getting to class on time, she needed to get going. That's when she noticed the text from Mia. Mia: Dude, what happened with you an
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 19: Taken
Layla had just returned to her apartment after her talk with Mia. But her mind had strayed from the Ryan fiasco and was now on the black-haired man who was watching her on the street. Something was telling her that it wasn't a coincidence. She considered what she should do about it, but there wasn't really anything she could do at that moment except be more cautious. So, she decided to get the dreaded phone call with Ryan over with. Layla walked over to her bed and sat down before pulling out her phone and calling Ryan. It rang repeatedly and she wasn't sure he was going to pick up until she heard his voice on the other line. He didn't sound happy."Hey," he said simply, his tone quiet. "Hey Ryan," Layla started, her nerves in her throat. "How are you?" She heard him sigh on the other side of the phone. "What do you want, Layla?" he asked firmly. Layla cringed at his tone. She'd never heard him sound so cold. "Listen, I know last night sucked. I feel terrible about it. I
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 20: Only You
"It's good to see you again, Atreus," Cairo said with a smirk on his face. "I see you haven't lost your taste in mortal women." Layla wondered for a brief moment what that meant. The two shadow stalkers stared at one another with such intensity there might as well have been electricity sparking between them. "You are lucky I don't kill you where you stand," Atreus snarled darkly, sending a shiver up Layla's spine. "What the h*ll do you want?" "Do you really think that I want to go around kidnapping girls just so I can create an opportunity to talk to you?" Cairo said dismissively. "You brought this all on yourself. If you had just met with me, all of this nonsense could have been avoided." Atreus glared at him. "You have ten seconds." Cairo sighed and took his gaze to the ceiling before he looked at Atreus again. "Ravana has been looking for you." If Layla didn't know any better she could have sworn that Atreus stiffened. "You dare speak that vile name in my presence,"
Last Updated : 2023-08-18The Blood Curse Chapter 21: Hollow Eyes
"I can't feed off of anyone but you." A long silence stretched between them as Layla stared slack-jawed at Atreus. She took a step away from him and he let her, releasing her hand as she put some distance between them. "What does that mean?" she asked wearily. "You can't feed off anyone but me, or won't?""What is the difference?" he deflected. "It makes all the difference, Atreus," Layla said, trepidation building in her gut. "Either you chose me because you want me, or you want me because you need me. You need me to satiate your thirst." To Layla's dread, he just stared at her with his haunting eyes. That is when she saw the truth of it all. The glimpses of hunger she caught in his gaze weren't for her. It was for her blood. If he had the option, Atreus would have taken what he wanted from her weeks ago. Probably on the day that they met! But since he needed her permission to do so, he had been playing the long game. Getting to know her by taking her out and playing the pe
Last Updated : 2023-08-18
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The Blood Curse Chapter 50: A New Day
A couple of weeks later.Layla sat quietly on her towel, letting the sun kiss her skin. People chatted as they walked past and kids laughed and played, splashing one another with water. She sipped from the cold tropical drink in her hand and watched the waves clash with the shore in soothing rhythmic motions. That and the feeling of her toes in the sand made this moment completely perfect. With a sigh, she shook her hair from her shoulders and closed her eyes against the warm rays of the sun, basking in the peaceful energy of it all. "Girl, you're still nursing that drink?" Mia asked as she plopped down beside Layla with a huff. "Here I am with two drinks in my hand, thinking you might need a refill." "I will happily take that burden off your hands," Layla said with a grin, looking at Mia with a renewed appreciation for her friend. "Gimme." Mia laughed as Layla took the second drink and set it down beside her. "What's got you in such a good mood lately?" Mia asked suspicious
The Blood Curse Chapter 49: Broken
Layla gritted her teeth, as resolve steeled her gut. She wasn't going to run. She was going to fight until the bitter end. Glancing around, Layla looked for the First Chosen's wooden stake. She spotted it not far from the skirmish between the three vampires who battled against one another viciously. She bolted toward it, keeping her eye on Ravana, hoping that he wouldn't spot her. She swept it off the ground and turned toward the conflict and watched, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Cairo and Ravana were exchanging blows and Niniane was standing on her feet with shaking legs. She bolted back into the fray without hesitation, trying to catch Ravana off guard. Ravana roared with rage when Niniane managed to strike him in the arm with the stake. He grabbed Niniane by her throat and with brutal strength, he threw her hard against the stone wall. Niniane slid down the wall unconscious. "Niniane!" Layal cried, clutching the stake to her chest. Just then, Ravana struck out
The Blood Curse Chapter 48: The Final Battle
"Atreus!" Layla screamed. The ruby-inlaid dagger Layla had gotten from Niniane dropped from Atreus' hand before he crumpled to the ground. "Oh, God!"Layla ran to him desperately, a fleeting thought of how he'd managed to get the dagger running through her mind. Had he returned to the cemetery the night she was kidnapped to retrieve it? When Layla reached Atreus, his skin was still burning under the sun's unrelenting power. Ravana watched with a cold expression as Layla used all her strength to pull Atreus from the circle of light. Slowly, one tug at a time, Layla tugged Atreus' slack body until he was safe in the shadows. Turning him on his back, she dropped to her knees beside him and put her hands on his cheeks, trying to ignore the brutal cauterized wound on his throat caused by the dagger. "Atreus?" she sobbed. "Please, please don't go." Yet, the more that she tried to wake him, the more apparent it was that he was gone. His beautiful face, although covered with red blist
The Blood Curse Chapter 47: The Sacrifice
When Layla could see again, she first saw Ravana's dark smile and when she looked down, she saw her hand clasped tightly in his. They were still in Atreus' cabin at the moment just before Nolwenn had pulled her into the celestial garden. "Good choice, my dear," he said with a sneer as he transported them from the cabin. In the next moment, Layla found herself back in the audience chamber of Ravana's castle. Layla looked up at the stained glass mosaic of the sun on the ceiling then dropped her gaze and gasped. Right below it was a kneeling Atreus. He was chained down by what looked like iron chains with silver glints throughout. Layla could see how the chains burned at his flesh because his wrists were raw and pink with blisters all around his skin. "Atreus!" Layla called to him, going to move toward him when Ravana gripped her hand tighter, holding her back. Atreus looked up at her and the anguish that appeared in his eyes when he saw her, pierced Layla's heart with devastat
The Blood Curse Chapter 46: The First Chosen's Sacrifice
Layla was alone once again, sitting on the bed inside the cabin as she waited for Ravana's return. Her nerves were shot and she was still unsure of the plan that Niniane had helped her devise. All she wanted to do was run away from it all, but she couldn't leave Atreus to face such a horrible fate. So she sat and waited with the stake tucked into her jeans, praying that their plan would work. Just as Layla wondered once again when Ravana was going to make an appearance the all-familiar sensation of her surroundings warped around her with inky black smoke. Standing, Layla looked around for Ravana's cruel face. He stood mere feet from her and watched her with his fierce amber eyes. Slowly, a smile lifted his lips, revealing his pearly white canines. He watched her silently, his eyes sidling up her figure with a slow purposeful gaze. "Your beauty… it never fails to enthrall me," Ravana said, his voice dripping with honey. Layla glared at him. "Save your bullsh*t." "Such a foul
The Blood Curse Chapter 45: Until Dawn
"If you want to see your precious Atreus alive again, you had better tell me where you are." Layla's heart stopped for a moment as fear overtook her. No. It couldn't be true, Ravana had to be deceiving her. There is no way he could have overpowered Atreus. Or… was there? Layla swallowed as her throat went dry and her heart began to thud against her chest. "You're lying," Layla managed to croak out. "How do I know you're not bluffing?" Ravana sneered cruelly at her. "I have no reason to lie. How else do you think I could have managed to weaken the shield he had placed on your mind? But, if you truly don't believe me, have a look for yourself." The visions that swirled around Layla projected an image of Atreus chained up. He was shirtless and his face was covered in sweat and grime. He looked to be in pain as he gritted his teeth, pulling at his shackles. "Atreus!" Layla called out, but he didn't look up at her. A second later, the image was gone and it was only her an
The Blood Curse Chapter 44: Ravana's Threat
Layla shot out of bed with a cry. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as she tried to regain her bearings. To her relief, she had woken from the horrible nightmares that had tortured her through the night. No light shone through the window, so she hadn't been asleep all that long. With a loud sigh, Layla scrubbed her face with her hands. The images of her dreams were still raw and fresh in her mind. She pictured poor Alita's prone body in Atreus' arms as he raged over her death and the sounds of Atreus fighting for breath under Ravana's cruel grip. "F*ck," Layla whispered with a shudder. What was all that anyway? Layla wondered. Was it a vision from Alita? Layla didn't think she had the capacity to come up with those images on her own. It had to be Alita's influence. Layla's throat was dry and her heart was still pounding, so she slipped out of bed and walked out of the bedroom and into the main cabin area. She half expected to see Atreus brooding somewhere inside, but as
The Blood Curse Chapter 43: Before
"Layla," a melodic voice whispered. "Wake up." Slowly, Layla opened her eyes, blinking a few times. She sat up, looked around, and was shocked at what she saw. Layla was sitting in a beautiful bedroom. A bright, yellow, heavenly light glowed through large ornate windows that prevented her from seeing anything outside. There, in front of the elegant four-poster bed Layla sat upon, was a luxurious vanity with vintage combs and turquoise hair barrettes scattered across the top. A giant antique mirror on top of the vanity showed Layla's reflection. But as Layla looked closer, she realized that it was not her she saw in the mirror. It was a beautiful woman with long silky black hair and deep blue eyes. The dress the woman wore was gorgeous. Midnight blue satin with silver embellishments across the bosom and long flowing sleeves. She watched Layla with a small smile on her face. "You're awake," she said, her face pleased. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this." Layla stoo
The Blood Curse Chapter 42: Dead Stars
The next hour was spent locked in the bedroom of Atreus' cabin talking to both Mia and Layla's parents. Through painful apologies, Layla did her best to assure them of her safety. It took even more explaining to Mia; she had to lie to her friend once again about her situation. The only believable lie she could come up with is that she lost her phone and spent a few days without any service or means to contact people because she took a last-minute trip with Atreus to a remote vacation destination. Mia grilled her endlessly about how worried she'd been and terrified something horrible had happened to her. After another half hour of apologies and assurances, Mia finally let Layla off the line. Layla dropped the phone onto the bed and flopped back onto the blankets. Rubbing her eyes with her hands, she let out a loud sigh. At least that was done, but now she needed to have a conversation with a certain blonde-haired dream boat. Hauling herself off the bed, Layla walked into the ma
