Sealed With a Curse (WG 1) by Cecy Robson

immunity to penicillin.”
    “Why would her knees—”
    Emme’s deep blush told me she figured it out. Thank God. I wasn’t a “you can ask me anything” type of gal.
    We were about to sit when two girls jumped into the booth. I wouldn’t have cared as much if they hadn’t knocked Emme aside in the process. The closest one paled as she caught sight of me. She yanked her friend’s arm and quickly found someplace else to be. Bren joined us, drinks in hand. He handed me a Corona with a lime before taking one for himself and having a seat next to me. “Nice scowl, Ceel. I think you actually made the brunette mess her pants.”
    I watched them until they disappeared. “I barely looked at them.”
    Bren rubbed at his dark scruffy beard as he laughed. “Trust me, babe. Even your subtle glances are scary as hell.”
    He took a long pull on his beer and draped his arm around me. I leaned against him. “Is Danny coming?”
    “No. He’s in Santa Barbara at some stick-up-your-ass science convention, trying to get laid.”
    I quirked a brow. “You can get laid at a science convention?”
    Bren chuckled. “I could. I don’t think Dan can. He’s trying to bang some biochemist working in the research lab next to his. For his sake, I hope she’s as hot as he claims. His last lay could scare Christ off the cross.”
    I almost choked on my beer. Bren and Danny were the ultimate odd couple. Danny was human, neat, book smart, and hardworking. Bren was a lone werewolf, a slob, liked porn, and never woke before noon. And yet they remained the best of friends. Bren would take a bullet for Danny.
    Bren grinned as he watched me take another a sip of my Corona. “It’s good to see you out, babe. It’s been too long.”
    I shrugged. “I needed to get my mind off things.” Too much laundry, stress at work, crazy vampires hiding in bushes waiting to eat us…
    “No kidding,” Taran muttered.
    Bren narrowed his eyes at me. “Celia, you’re not seriously thinking about getting involved with all that vampire shit, are you?”
    “How did you…” Shayna suddenly felt the need to concentrate on her martini. “Shayna! You told him?”
    Bren chuckled. “I called while you were in the shower. All I did was ask her what was new and she sang like a canary.” He shook his head. “The master vamp assholes are trying to off each other. Let them. But keep your skinny ass out of it. Nothing good ever comes from playing with leeches.”
    I straightened. “I’m not playing. I’m totally serious.”
    Bren’s typically jovial spirit vanished. “So is this bloodlust shit. If some vamp is fucked-up enough to release that poison, she’s not going to care who gets in the way.”
    “But isn’t that more of a reason to stop her?” I argued.
    “The hell it is. Leave that to pack weres . It’s their goddamn duty to guard the world from all the mystical evil shit.”
    I didn’t agree with Bren, but I also didn’t want us to fight. And neither did Emme. She tugged on Bren’s “I heart Tahoe babes” T-shirt. “Guess what, Bren. Celia has a boyfriend.”
    I sighed. “Misha is not my boyfriend.”
    Emme’s jaw dropped. “I meant that wolf you met on the beach.”
    “Oh…him. He’s not…I mean, I don’t even know him.” I squirmed a little, wondering why my body suddenly felt so hot.
    Taran’s all-knowing smirk inched its way across her face. God, I hated that smirk. “No. But you want to. Really want to.” She danced her eyebrows. “Don’t you, Ceel?”
    I stiffened. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Bren laughed out loud. I couldn’t blame him. I was a horrible liar. Discussing a male I’d only been able to fantasize about bordered on pathetic—considering my sisters frequently enjoyed the company of real-life suitors.
    Shayna shifted her weight excitedly in her seat. Her face beamed, her butt bounced, and her finger pointed directly in my face. “You’ve been running every day, twice a day, since seeing