Page 40 of A Cursed Noel

“Hatching” doesn’tpaint a pretty picture and it reflects across Shayna’s pixiefeatures. “Dude. Are you serious?” she asks.

“Of course, I am,”I yell over the bedlam. “And whatever it is, it’s trying tofinish what it started.”

Shayna clutches thebroom tighter to her body. She may not fully understand, but she’sreadying for a fight.

Thunder erupts, shakingthe ground and rattling the windows across several homes.

“What the hell ishappening?” Taran snaps. “You don’t get to just show up andtell us shit like this.”

Sweat pours downCelia’s scrunching face. She may be in pain, but she alsoremembers. Emme’s ability to heal must have destroyed the veilblinding us to the truth. Everything that’s happened to her and herfamily hits Celia at once.

“Taran, Aric’sright,” Celia manages through clenched teeth. “We have to stopit.”

She tries to rise, butI ease her back down. “No,” I tell her. “You’re too weak. LetEmme finish mending you.”

Taran drops to herknees beside her. “Celia, tell me what’s going on.”

“Something evil hastaken over our home,” Celia tells her. Her body jerks and she kicksout her feet in her pain. “It’s been leeching our souls formonths. It’s why Aric is here. He’s trying to help us.”

Taran’s hair whips inall directions. She turns toward the house. “We have to get AnaLisa out of there!”

“No!” I snatchTaran’s wrist before she can bolt. “I need you to stay here untilCelia’s healed, you hear me?”

She yells over thesweeping wind, her eyes wild. “No! You don’t get to call theshots.”

“Yes, I do.” Mysnarl shuts her up. “Celia’s down. Your sisters need you.Ineed to get in there and destroy whatever caused all this.”

Taran turns back towardthe house, igniting a piece of fencing that soars toward us withfire. It explodes and so does Taran. “You’re nothing to us,werewolf,” she accuses. “Why should we listen to you?”

I’m ready to answerher rage with mine. Instead, I squeeze Celia’s hand.

In her warmth andspirit, I am the male I wish to become. I press a kiss along herknuckles, permitting our connection to steady me and comfort herthrough her torment.

“I may be nothing toyou,” I tell Taran. “But Celia iseverythingto me.”

Shayna gasps and cutsher gaze toward Taran. “I think he means it, T.”

Taran, despite herresentment of me, falls perfectly still.

“She’s hurt,Taran,” I tell her. “Celia can’t fight. You can. I need you totake out anything that comes at you.”

“Okay.Fine,”Taran grinds out. She’s not crazy about me ordering her around.

Fair enough. I’veseen them fight. I’m not exactly nuts about leaving them in charge.

The sky erupts in awash of red. We’re out of time. My wolf ravages to the surface.He’s ready to fight and do what must be done. Except it’s notquite time for him to appear.

Sometimes a wolf needsthe man more.

The magic doubles andthat sense of wrongness thickens the current, making it hard tobreathe. “Where are you?” I growl.

Evil responds, and itdoesn’t like me calling it out.

A beam of bright redpunches through the sky and splits the tree in half. I lift Celia,rushing her away from the falling branches.

I don’t get far whenthe ground rumbles beneath us. I keep my feet. So does Emme, butTaran and Shayna are knocked to the ground. I start toward them, onlymanaging a few steps.

Red lines puncture fromthe roots of the demolished tree and ripple across the earth,breaking up the soil and encircling the property. Another jolt,another hard shake. Emme hangs tight to Celia’s arm, herpale-yellow light faltering as she fights to keep her magic and herbalance. The others aren’t so fortunate.

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