S. Harper - Cursed

Weve known each other for a long time, but it wasnt until we sat down during Comic-Con and again during DragonCon a few years ago and started kicking around ideas that the notion of working together was conceived. One thing led to another and before we knew it, we had Emma and Zack, a plot, a backstory, and a book!! Jeannes agent, Scott Miller, liked it, sold it and the rest, as they say, is history.

To those of you out there giving Cursed a chance, we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

Samantha & Jeanne

Youve seen one dark, rugged werewolf, youve seen them all.

Thats what I told myself the first time I laid eyes on Zack Armstrong. I was wrong. Dead wrong. And now that presumption has come back to bite me in the ass.

I interrupt my best friend, Liz, in the middle ofsomething. I realize Id lost the thread of our phone conversation the minute I spied Zack weaving his way through the maze of indistinct gray cubicles that make up the bull pen of the San Diego FBI Field Office. Save the hair and nine a.m. four oclock shadow, the man is all spit and polish. Tailored dark blue suit, starched white shirt, blue-and-gold silk tie, and gleaming black shoes. The hair gives him a distinct edgedark brown, slightly longer than regulation, no part. Its swept straight back, accentuating the lines of his square jaw.

I resist the urge to crawl under my desk. Ill call you back later. New partners here. Ive got to go.

Not until I hear the details. Whats he look like?

Liz is forever trying to play matchmaker. Ironically, I rely on her spell casting to make sure a match will never happen.

I turn around and lower my voice a notch. Remember the guy from South Carolina I told you about? The one I was partnered with on that missing persons case in Charleston last year?

Really? New interest sparks in her voice. He looks like him?

It is him, I say. Which youd think Johnson would have mentioned.

So whats the problem? Ill tell you now what I told you then. You shouldnt write off the possibility of a good romp with a guy just because he goes furry a few days every month. Weres have amazing stamina. Hey, did I ever tell you about Walter?

You name it, Liz has dated it. Being a witch with serious magical talent puts her in contact with a wide variety of supernaturals. A strong advocate for equal opportunity love, shes currently dating a vampire.

But Walter the werewolf was decidedly not one of her success stories.

Yeah, Liz. A few dozen times. The problem isnt Zacks nature.

The FBI has rules about fraternization?

No. I wish they did. I wish it could be that easy. Not that getting involved with a partner is encouraged.

What, then?

My eyes squeeze shut. I shouldnt have given Zack Armstrong a second thought in the last thirteen months, seventeen days. But I have. Ive thought of him often. Too often.

Gooseflesh appears on my arms; the hair on the back of my neck rises. A sense of dread washes over me. Thats why hes here. This isnt a coincidence. Its a test the Olympians have their hands in. Or, more specifically, one particular Olympian. Demeter. Im a Sirenone of three. We were banished by Zeus and cursed by Demeter thousands of years ago for failing to protect her daughter Persephonefor failing to rescue her before she was dragged by Hades to the Underworld. Its for this I atone. For this I pay.

And pay. And pay.

Im tempted to make something up, but this is Liz. She deserves the truth. I liked him. More than liked him.

Her tone turns serious. You never mentioned that. This could be bad.

The understatement of the year. Guys I get into meaningful relationships with tend to end up dead, courtesy of my favorite vindictive goddess. Partnering with Zack Armstrong and risking a rekindling of whatever was between us could prove exceedingly dangerous. Even lethal.

For him.

Ive got to go.

I click off, the sound of Lizs protests ringing in my ear, and concentrate on the familiar six-foot-plus werewolf coming toward me. Deputy Director Jimmy Johnson emerges from his office. Heres the memo I promised you about your new partner. Better late than never.

He may be chronically behind with paperwork, but otherwise Johnsons tenacious about his job, a real pit bull. And, despite being only five foot six, hes one of the toughest guys Ive ever met.

I snatch the sheet from his hand and drop it on my desk. Why didnt you tell me it was Armstrong?

I thought I did. His look is quizzical, but it doesnt stay that way for long. Zack! Good to see you again.

The two men greet each other with a hearty handshake.

Good to see you again, Deputy Director. The Southern accent is smooth; the cadence of his voice is, as I remember, low and lilting. It was the first of many things that got to me about Zack Armstrong.

Johnson dives in without preamble. Emma Monroes your new partner. I dont have to waste time with introductions. Whats it been, a year since you worked on that case together?

Just over, Zack answers, flashing a sideways glance in my direction.

What Johnson couldnt possibly know is that we share more than a past case. We both have secretssupernatural powers weve managed to keep hidden from the Bureau, the world, and, as far as Zack is concerned, each other. Unbeknownst to him, I sensed what he was the instant we met. We never discussed it. Hes never revealed it. But of course he wouldnt, not to an outsider.

And then there is the other secret we share. Zack and I slept together.

Once.

It was during our last night in Charleston. Wed celebrated wrapping up the case, indulging in a good meal and too much wine. The attraction had been building for weeks, the sexual tension as thick as the South Carolina air. I wish I could say that one thing led to another. That I was impulsively swept away. But Im not impetuous when it comes to sex. I cant afford to be. The potential consequences are too high.

We agreed that after, wed go our separate ways. There would be no telephone calls. No texts. No emails. No contact. Period. With twenty-four hundred miles between us, it seemed safe.

Johnson startles me with a slap on the back. Show him the ropes. Hes all yours.

I offer my hand. Good to see you again.

Zack takes it.

A woman can tell a lot about a man from his handshake. Zacks hasnt changed. Its confident, firm, and friendly. Its the handshake of a man who has nothing to apologize for and no regrets.

Johnson is already on his way back to his office. Zack doesnt seem to notice. His eyes are on me.

Im pleased to be working with you again, Agent Monroe.

Is he? The handshake. The demeanor. Both seem genuine. But, despite the old-world charm, I cant shake the feeling that something is off.

Maybe coming here isnt something he wanted at all. Maybe its strictly a Bureau-initiated transfer. Maybe hes merely worried about how Im going to react. My curiosity has gone into overdrive. The possibilities ricochet through my mind like bullets in a steel barrel. I want to know how he feels. To taste the truth, whatever that may be. And I could. All it would take is lowering the dampening spell that keeps my powers in check. But giving in to temptation like this would be uncharacteristic. Using my gift comes at a price.