Page 18 of Christmas with a Cursed Werewolf

And tomorrow, when the sun rises, I'll start figuring out how to prove it.

The curse wants us apart. Wants us isolated and cold and afraid.

But I'm done letting the darkness win.

A Heart Laid Bare

RONAN

Rakan's howl cuts through the night like a blade, raw with warning and fear. I'm moving before the sound fades, my body shifting even as I run.

The transformation comes easier now, fueled by desperation. Bone and sinew crack and reform as I burst through the castle doors, my wolf form taking over with practiced speed.

The curse pulses through my blood, stronger on this moonlit night. But for once, I welcome its power. Because somewhere in the darkness, Briar is in danger. I can smell her fear on the wind, mixed with the unfamiliar scent of strange wolves.

He's near the eastern boundary, Rakan's thoughts reach mine. Gage's pack has her surrounded.

My growl echoes across the snow-covered grounds. Gage. The name alone sends rage coursing through my veins. The rogue alpha has been testing our borders for months, but this—targeting Briar—this is a declaration of war.

I race through the trees, snow flying beneath my paws. The forest blurs around me, but my enhanced senses paint a clear picture of the threat ahead. Six wolves, their scents marked by darkness and something else—something wrong. The curse recognizes it, writhing beneath my skin in response.

Then I hear her voice, steady despite her fear: "Stay back."

The scene that greets me makes my blood run cold. Briar stands with her back against an ancient oak, facing down Gage's wolves. They circle her slowly, their eyes gleaming with unnatural hunger in the moonlight. But it's their leader who draws my attention.

Gage's wolf form looms larger than any creature I've ever faced, his thick black fur rippling with streaks of silver that glimmer like starlight against the darkness. It’s as if the moonlight itself bends toward him, seemingly absorbed into his being, enhancing the terrifying aura he emanates.

Power radiates from him in waves, feeling corrupted and wrong, like a tempest that has grown too vast to control. When he turns to face me, his eyes blaze with an unnatural glow, illuminating an intelligence that feels far more sinister than the instincts of a normal shifter.

Well, well, his thoughts pierce through the night, dripping with mockery. The cursed prince emerges from his castle. How fitting…

Fueled by rage and a protective instinct, I launch myself into the air, soaring overhead like a shadow. I land firmly and squarely between Gage and Briar, who presses her back against the ancient oak tree, her posture tense but unwavering. I can hear her heartbeat pounding behind me, a rapid rhythm infused with both fear and determination, but her voice remains surprisingly steady as she calls out, "Ronan?"

I can sense the weight of her gaze, the trust and worry mingling in her eyes, but I can't let myself think about that now. Gage’s taunts echo in my mind, but all that matters is protecting Briar.

Get back to the castle, I project the thought, hoping somehow she'll understand.Now.

Gage's laugh ripples through our connected minds. She can't hear you, prince. She's just a human—fragile, breakable. Like all your other weaknesses.

One of his pack members lunges forward, testing my defenses. I meet him with fangs and fury, sending him tumbling back with a yelp. But it's just a distraction. Two more wolves circle around, trying to get to Briar.

That's when Rakan bursts through the trees like an avenging shadow, taking one of the wolves down in a spray of snow and snarls. My second-in-command fights with the fluid grace that comes from years of protecting the pack, his movements precise and lethal.

The castle's defenses are failing, Gage's thoughts cut through the chaos of battle. Just like you. We can smell it—the decay, the weakening magic. How long before it all crumbles, I wonder?

I lunge for his throat, but he dances away with unnatural speed. Behind me, Briar gasps as another wolf gets too close. I spin, catching the attacker's haunches with my teeth, using my larger size to throw him into a tree. The impact shakes snow from the branches above.

Your brother sends his regards, Gage's thoughts slice through my concentration. The words make me falter just long enough for one of his wolves to score a hit, claws raking across my shoulder. The pain is nothing compared to the ice that grips my heart.

Rurik. Of course this is about Rurik.

He said you might be vulnerable tonight, Gage continues, circling closer. Something about the solstice weakening your defenses. Though he didn't mention the girl.

Another wolf lunges toward Briar, teeth bared and eyes gleaming with unnatural hunger. Rakan springs into action, intercepting the attack with savage grace, his movements ablend of instinct and skill honed through years of protecting the pack.

But even as he drives the wolf back, I can sense his fatigue. Each clash with these rogue wolves drains him further, a weariness that weighs heavy in the air.

We're outnumbered, and these wolves—there's a disturbing quality to their movements, a dissonance in their growls. They flow like shadows, but there’s an unsettling rigidity to their instincts, as if they’re being directed by a force that twists their natural wildness. It feels as though something darker has seeped into their essence.

---