Page 53 of A Cursed Noel

“You’re no son ofmine,” Dad yells. “I should have killed you when you were insideof her.”

My mother walks towardme, rubbing her belly and cooing to the baby inside of her. “Thisone will be better,” she promises.

“Aric,” Celia callsagain. “Aric!”

Another stab, this onejust missing my heart. Mom sits beside me. Her voice frustrated.“Aric,” she says.

“Aric!”Celia roars.

“It’s her,”someone hollers.

Mom shakes her head,yelling over her shoulder. “Why can’t she just die!”

She turns back to me.“You didn’t listen to your father. Now, he’ll make you pay.”

My father marchestoward me, ready to cast his final blow. My mother lifts the knife.

I push up and leap,breaking through the spell I’m encased in and lunge towardGriselda.

The dagger she used tostab me spins when it hits the floor. The spinning sound slows as Ipaint the walls with her blood.

I lied to Odin. I don’trip out her throat as much as I shred it, and her, into pieces. Itdoesn’t take me long. I’m more than motivated to do it.

After I finish, I stepover her body and pad toward the front door.

No one bothered toclose it. No witch. No human. They were too busy trying to live.

It seems the same goesfor Griselda’s daughters. They’re gone as well.

Fine. Their reputationswere linked to their mother. She’s gone and won’t be coming back.Without her, it’s only a matter of time before they meet the samefate.

Had they been stronger.Had more witches stayed to fight. Had the vamps not been so weak.Yeah, I might not have made it.

I discover the reasonwhy I survived perched on the front porch.

A golden tigress sitsat the top of the stairs, her tail twitching back and forth as sheadmires the carnage below. Enough blood was shed to color the frontyard red.

Griselda’s backup hadapparently arrived. All human. All armed with guns. It’s only thearoma of fresh falling snow that muffles enough cursed gold bulletsto take on a pack.

Her small army wasexpecting a wolf. A big cat with an attitude is all they found.

Celia was more thanenough, and she still is.

Odin and hiswereswait along the driveway, giving Celia, and I suppose me, ample space.The bear, the one he left in charge, hands him a folded blanket. Hetakes it, walking slowly toward where we wait on the wide stonesteps.

It’s almost dawn. Thetrickles of light that snow allows through, illuminates the goldentigress. Her fur is stained with mud and human life. She shudders,changingto leave her human counterpart trembling in the cold.

Ichange, takingthe blanket Odin offers and wrapping it around me and Celia.

“We’ll take care ofthe mess, Alpha,” he says. He looks around, stating the obvious.“Looks to me like Griselda won’t be hurting your woman again.”

Celia’s voice shakesfrom the cold and much more than I can spare her from. “I made thepack bring me,” she says. She tries to motion to the dead men.“They-they were going to kill you. I-I-I couldn’t let them.”

I gather Celia to me,embracing her with my warmth and wishing more than anything my lovealone could ease her pain.

Chapter Fifteen

The crunch of snowalong the driveway and thebeep,beep, from the car’shorn announce the girls’ departure. Ana Lisa is tucked in the back,covered with blankets she insisted she didn’t need and doted on byEmme who can’t seem to leave her side.

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