Blood Oath (Cursed Legacies, #1)

by Morgan B. Lee

As usual, I refuse to let emotion of any kind show on my face as I look out the window of the ornate office.

They have no idea what they just let in.

I stare at it for a long moment, trying to figure out what to do with the rectangle, and finally, I hand it back to her.

We’re not supposed to speak during the Seeking, but he whispers, “Finally found you.”

Fuck my life. Why did my matches all have to be as high profile as possible? This is ridiculous. The gods must be laughing at me right now.

Maven. So that’s my mate's name.

now she's about to be the center of my world. Maven. My inner dragon growls possessively, and I smile in agreement.

I'm going to covet the fuck out of my mate. Keep her safe and very sated. We'll be perfect together, even if the rest of our quintet is a clusterfuck.

She must be nervous. I guess that's not surprising—I’d be overwhelmed if I were a sweet, quiet little wallflower being matched to such well-known legacies like us, too. Plus, I know I’m a big, scary motherfucker at first glance. Maybe she’s intimidated by our size difference, but I’ll show her just how gentle I can be as soon as we find somewhere private to get cozy. Unless she likes it rough. Or kinky. Gods, I need to know if she has any kinks.

It takes me all of two seconds to decide that I reject her rejection.

She has mine,” Crypt speaks for the first time as he gazes in the direction Maven went.

Crypt arches a dark brow. He looks like a deadly, sultry dream, one corner of his mouth pulling up in a crooked grin.

Still, healing myself is necessary since I can’t go to the university healers.

Keepers are considered the ones in charge, but they are also fiercely protected by their quintet because they’re the keystone, so to speak—the core of the group, without which the quintet would break and the curses would return. It makes keepers a target for other legacies hoping to climb the power rankings.

I’m positive she isn’t competitively ranked here at Everbound, so she’s likely not skilled with magic.

My paranoia was silent the entire time we were alone. No thoughts of her trying to kill me, no jumping at shadows, no hearing voices.

Just a couple more weeks until the winter solstice. If I don’t fulfill my mission by then, I’m leaving Everbound anyway.

You’re in my seat.” He points at his face and winks. “I’ve got a better one right here for you.” Fucking dragon.

Fucking FUNNY!

I’m the last to leave, with Baelfire strolling beside me. And I’m almost certain Crypt is, too. Maybe I should just wear a dreamcatcher as a necklace all the fucking time to keep him away.

I got sidetracked a couple of times jacking off just thinking about it all.” Oh. Gods. He’s such an oversharing idiot. That’s not a mental image I want in my head…mostly because it is impossible to think of anything else now. A small part of me wants to see this list.

It’s seriously inconvenient how gorgeous all my matches are, but all in their own way.

Why can’t a bitch just ditch her god-selected soulmates and move on?

Before I can strangle Decimus for letting the one and only person I have ever felt anything for out of his sight,

I’ve never had ice cream. But if I tell them that, they’ll have follow-up questions. More questions about my past means more lies.

And the sooner they give up on me, the sooner I can focus on fulfilling my oath.

I’ve never actively craved the scent of someone’s blood before. But Maven’s… My mouth waters and I suddenly feel feverish. My damn erection won’t go down.

The sight of her melts the tension away from my temples and chest. The ringing is gone. The shadows are empty. I breathe again. Unfortunately, my godsdamned erection returns with a vengeance—even

A brutal workout routine first thing in the morning is the only thing I know to calm myself down after my nightmares. It helps that it’s the same routine I grew up on.

I want to know how to fantasize about fucking you when I jack myself raw later. Gentle and sweet for a virgin or rough and hard for my mate?” Oh gods. I was not prepared for dirty talk first thing in the morning.

Because gods, if I let myself feel this, just for a moment… Stop wanting him. You can’t do this to them.

The way Silas’s dark hair curls around his forehead and the nape of his neck. The strain in Baelfire’s arms as I turned him into a panting mess. Crypt’s deliciously twisted smile and intent stare. Even Everett’s strikingly pale blue eyes and how his lips felt on my forehead.

I could stop fighting them. Make them mine. No. Fuck, no. With a vicious

quintet chattering happily and picking out the foods they want in front of us,

Seriously, you need to turn your phone off silent mode.” “That will

All I have to do is slip in, snag a wolf shifter’s heart, and bounce.

After that, my only ticking time bomb is the winter solstice. And if I fail⁠— “No,” I whisper to myself, shaking my head. “You won’t. You can’t. They’re counting on you.”

guys.” “Uh-huh, sure,” she says, drawing out

I’m glad I have Kenzie here at Everbound. Although, if she knew the truth about me, she would also hate me.

I’ve decided I need alcohol to cope with the mounting urge to drag her back to my apartment, tie her to my bed, and tease her delicious body until she understands exactly how she makes me feel—dancing on the edge of a knife, mindless with curiosity, frustration, and newfound thirst.

She doesn’t deserve to be stuck with a bunch of fucking toddlers who can’t play nice.”

I’m a possessive, obsessed, fucked up hypocrite. But I’m not sorry for it.

Diabolical. She’s utterly vicious. Fuck me.

now that I know she’s possibly as cutthroat as I am, she’s never getting rid of me. “Game on, my vicious little minx.”

monster she’s never encountered before.

Get in your truck and leave before I shove that nozzle through your eye socket, pump your head full, and set it on fire.”

enjoyed frightening that man. Knowing that makes my cock ache, and I slip back around the side of the station before she can spot me.

My condition rearing its ugly head right now is literally the worst possible scenario. This is bad.

Genuinely fucking bad because there will be no escape from their questions if they see me like this, and they might figure it all out. Then I’d be stuck in this inn with four powerful legacies trying to kill me.

The real me was broken years ago from the torture, isolation, and darkness. The real me is fucked in the head. Twisted. A monster who enjoys things I shouldn’t.

I want your praise. And just like you said, I’m going to fucking earn it.”