Page 20 of A Cursed Noel

“No.” She pressesher lips. “Look, I’m aware what they say about me.”

“They?” I ask.

“The hospital staff.They comment about my body and looks when they think I can’t hearthem. But when they see me and sense my tigress, they stopacknowledging me altogether.” Her voice drops. “They back awayfrom the scary beast tasked with protecting me.”

I have an inner wolf.He’s a part of me, but I’m the one in charge. Celia has a goldentigress lingering inside her soul. Celia can’t always control her.Unlike my wolf, her tigress is almost a separate entity and isferocious when it comes to protecting Celia.

The big cat peeksthrough just enough to warn others away. Everyone, except that doctorwho was smart enough to get through school, but too arrogant tolisten to his instincts.

Celia is right aboutothers keeping their distance from her. Her tigress is crazyprotective, and the reason Celia can’t make friends. Still,something else is wrong, and likely the reason Mimi sent me.

“Is there anythingelse?” I press. “Something that’s scaring you?”

She pauses to considerme. Again, it’s like her thoughts travel elsewhere. But then it’sas if she understands what she should say, instead of what actuallyis.

“Ana Lisa is reallysick,” Celia admits. “As the sole provider, I can’t afford acar right now and run to and from work.” She points in thedirection of the nearby neighborhoods. “This way home is longer,but the jog helps my tigress settle.” She shakes her head when Imake a beeline toward the first development and guides me in theopposite direction. “We have to take the shorter way throughSomerville. It’s not ideal. The alpha bear who runs the local packhas made it clear I’m not welcome on his turf.” This time whenshe shrugs, it’s obvious. “I’ve abided by his wishes to avoid athrowdown. But tonight, is different. I need to get home to myfamily.”

She starts forwardagain in that odd manner she’s been behaving. I pull her in for akiss to help her settle, and maybe me settle too. The contact istender but brief. Still, it doesn’t lessen the passion or theintent behind it.

The chemistry betweenus is enough to snap her out of the fog she’s in. I reason she’sjust worried about her family. My wolf warns otherwise.

I push her wet hairaway from her face. “We’re going to make it safely back to yourhome,” I tell her. “Not just cause we’re fast, but because I’lltake on an entire pack for you.”

Her eyes blink back atme. “You will, won’t you, wolf?” she asks quietly.

I return her softsmile, in a way of an answer and release her. She backs away from me,smiling once before whirling around and sprinting away. I catch upswiftly, keeping pace beside her.

It takes a block or soto find the right rhythm. Her stride is strong, but my legs are a lotlonger than hers. She has to move faster to remain beside me, notthat she seems to mind. If anything, she appears to enjoy the releaseof energy.

I’m not one to talkwhile I run. It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s more like me andmy wolf are too wrapped up in the freedom of it to allow words tointerrupt the moment. With Celia here, I want to talk and knoweverything she’s experienced in our time apart.

I open my mouth at thesame time she does. We laugh. “You first,” I tell her, notwanting to admit how much I love hearing her voice.

“You said you’rehere to protect me,” Celia says. “Do you think it’s from Odin,the werebear?”

“No,” I say,reasoning through her thoughts. “You avoid his territory, right?”She nods. “We’re only cutting through his turf because you needto get home and I’ve delayed your return.”

“That’s right,”she agrees.

“I wasn’t sent toput you in danger. I was sent to save you from it. Whatever I’mhere for is evil. Alphas trying to keep other supernaturals fromtheir turf shouldn’t equate on such a catastrophic level.”

“Then what else canit be?” she asks. Again, her voice fades.

I eye her closely. “I’mnot sure,” I admit. “Mimi sent me. She drew ley lines, fussingover time continuums and working her spell with runes. She stressedhow darkness surrounds you.”

“That’s nothingnew,” Celia reminds me quietly.

No. It’s not. There’ssomething about Celia and her family that makes things that go bumpin the night want to take her out. The reminder toughens my voice. “Irealize that, Love. Mimi sent me to protect you, stressing that yourlife was in peril.”

Celia’s speed slowsbriefly. “Are you okay?” she asks. “I’m sorry. I’m tryingto wrap my head around all this.” She laughs without meaning it. “Ican’t get past that Mimi is alive, let alone understand why shesent you to me.” She smiles in that same sad way. “But I won’tcomplain.”

“I won’t either,”I agree. No matter how much Mimi makes my wolf want to tear his furout, the hag did reunite me and Celia.

Streetlamps, with bulbcovers yellowed with time, light most of our way. As fast as we’regoing, it’s not fast enough to alert the speeding cars we pass ofour supernatural footprint. Most of the intersections we reach permitus through without breaking our stride, but as the suburban terrainslips away and we reach smaller and more congested sections, I knowthe town’s center isn’t much farther.

“How old are you,Aric?”

It should sound like astrange question, except that it’s not. In real time, I’m twoyears older than Celia. The last time we met we were the same age,but only because the space time continuum was altered by a spellmeant to spare her life.

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