Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5)

tablet.
“What’re you doing?” I asked.
“Messaging Ellie and Abby about your wedding,” she said without looking up. “Letting them know we need to plan for one more bridesmaid.”
“We do?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah, about that…” Trent said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re going to need another bridesmaid. I asked Colt to be in the wedding, too.”
“Okay then,” I said.
Who else could I ask? Gina or Tonya would be the only other people I’d ask, but they were as close as Ellie and I were. Asking one and not the other felt wrong. How could I choose? I could always ask Larissa; then she could be in the wedding with Little Frank, which might make the whole thing easier.
“All right, Colton,” Jax said, pulling out a chair and sitting. “It’s time to start talking.”
Colt sighed. Karina shifted closer to him, and he wrapped his arm protectively around her. “Well, I obviously didn’t die in the war. I mean, I did. Technically, but…”
“So, you did go to the war?” Sean asked.
Colt nodded. “Yes. I was drafted shortly after I turned nineteen. I fought for almost two years before I was severely injured. I was on my deathbed, literally, when I encountered a vampire. He offered to save my life.”
“And you said yes?” Trent asked, his tone full of disbelief. “You walked out on your family because you couldn’t stand the thought of becoming a vampire, and then you—”
“Easy, Trent,” Sean said. “Let him finish.”
I rested my hand on Trent’s leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He leaned closer, the scent of his cologne wrapping around me.
“When you’re knocking on death’s door, your outlook on things tend to change,” Colt said.
“Then why didn’t you come find us?” Jax asked, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth. He chewed, then swallowed. “After you changed, I mean.”
“I don’t know.” Colt shrugged. “I was embarrassed, I guess. Worried you wouldn’t welcome me back.”
“You’re our brother. Of course we would’ve welcomed you home,” Trent said.
“My sire took me under his wing, taught me how to be a vampire, and for several decades, I simply survived,” Colt said. He placed a kiss to Karina’s temple, then straightened in his seat. “But then we got mixed up with some dangerous people. My sire was destroyed, and I took off. Laid low for another few years. Until I met a vampire named Dante.”
Trent stiffened, and Jax froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. They’d reacted the same way when Macaih had talked about Dante, too. What was up with that? I really needed to ask Trent how he knew Dante, and why he seemed so terrified of him.
“That’s when I met Karina,” Colt said, smiling at her.
“Wait, you’re a vampire?” I asked, shocked. I was so certain she was human.
Karina laughed softly. “No. I’m human. Just like you.”
“Technically, she’s human,” Colt said, the two of them sharing a knowing look. “She comes from a line of very powerfully psychics.”
“Psychics are real?” I asked, pushing my plate away.
I hadn’t even taken a single bite, and my food was probably cold now, but I was no longer hungry. I was much too fascinated by Colt’s story.
“Yes,” Karina said. “Both of my parents were psychics, and I inherited their gifts when they died.”
“I’m sorry about your parents,” I said.
“Thanks.” She smiled sadly.
“So, you can see the future?” Jax asked.
“No.” Karina shook her head and leaned forward, folding her arms on the table. “I mean, not really. I can’t just randomly see what’s going to happen in the future, but sometimes, I’ll get visions, or I’ll see things in my dreams. Other times, all I have to do is touch someone or something and I can see what’s going to happen.”
“Which is why Dante had her,” Colt said. “He was in a bad way with some witches, and he was using Karina to figure out what was going to happen. When she couldn’t give him the answers he wanted, he’d…” Colt’s jaw clenched, and he curled his hand into a tight fist, his knuckles white.
“You rescued her,” I said.
“I fell in love with her,” Colt said, his tone vehement. “I couldn’t let Dante keep hurting her.”
“So, we ran,” Karina said, uncurling Colt’s fingers and taking hold of his hand. “And we’ve been on the run for over a year.”
“Where’s Dante now?” Jax leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, expression hard.
“No idea. He gave up following us a few months ago, somewhere in Italy. He just disappeared,” Karina said.
“What’re the chances Dante will find you here?” Trent asked.
“Slim,” Colt said. “I haven’t used the name Halstead since I died in the war. I took my sire’s last name. Dunn. There’s no way for Dante to trace me to you guys.”
Silence descended, and I adjusted so I was leaning against Trent’s side. He placed a lingering kiss to the top of my head.
“Look, you all have your lives here, and you obviously have people you care about, people you want to protect”—Colt nodded in my direction—”so if you feel it’s not safe for us to be here, we’ll go.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s fine. I’ll be safe. Please don’t leave.”
Jax and Trent just got their brother back, and I wasn’t going to be the reason they lost him again. I didn’t want Sean to lose his son again, either. Whoever this Dante guy was, he seemed like a lot less of a threat than the Zoya. Or Ivy.
Jax huffed. “That’s easy to say when your best friend is one of the most powerful witches in the world.”
I glared at him. “Jealous?”
“Of Isach?” Jax laughed too long and too loud. “In your dreams, sweetheart.”
“Who’s Isach?” Colt asked.
“Isach Zoya,” Trent answered.
“Zoya? Isn’t that the name of the witch who cursed you?” Colt’s gaze shifted around the table.
“Yes, but Isach’s different. He’s good.” I shot Jax a dirty look, warning him not to say anything negative. “He’s my friend, and he’s dating my cousin. And in case you forgot,” I said, my attention fully