Page 24 of Christmas with a Cursed Werewolf

A crash echoes from somewhere deeper in the castle, followed by the sound of running footsteps. Fiona appears at the end of the hall, phone clutched to her ear. She freezes when she spots us, quickly ending her call and hurrying away before I can question her.

"Your staff grows restless," Angelic observes. "They sense the change coming. Some more than others."

"What change?"

Her smile carries centuries of secrets. "The one you've been fighting since she arrived. Since Briar started awakening things you thought were safely buried."

The curse pulses at the mention of Briar's name. Even now, I can sense her presence somewhere in the castle, like a warmlight calling to something deep inside me. The magic in the walls seems to strengthen wherever she walks, as if reaching for her.

"Briar has nothing to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this." Angelic's voice sharpens. "Why do you think the castle called to her? Why do you think the magic responds so strongly to your connection?"

"There is no connection." The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.

"No?" She arches an eyebrow. "Then why does your curse grow stronger when you push her away, yet weaken when you allow yourself to feel? Why does the castle itself seem to breathe easier when you're together?"

Before I can respond, Briar's scent reaches me—lavender and old books, mixed with something uniquely her. She appears around the corner, concern creasing her brow as she takes in the damaged hallway.

"I heard the crash," she says, moving closer. "Is everything alright?"

The magic surges instantly, responding to her presence. The dying enchantments in the wall flare to life, stones knitting themselves together where moments ago they were crumbling. Even the air feels different—warmer, more alive.

It's her. Beautiful, curious,her.

As Briar's presence lingers in the air, I can't help but feel the weight of my own culpability. Each moment I allow myself to care for her, I invite danger—not just for myself, but for her as well.

Rurik's twisted ambitions loom like a storm cloud above us, darkening everything we touch. My instincts scream for me to shield her, to push her away before the chaos he creates can ensnare her too. But every time I think of pushing her away, the pulse of the curse thrums louder, reminding me that isolation isn't a sanctuary.

It’s a prison built of my own fear.

I press my palm against the newly repaired stones, feeling the magic surge beneath my fingertips, powerful yet fragile—a whisper to what might be. Briar's warmth in the castle feels like hope that this could end, yet my brother's shadow casts long and foreboding.

Guilt gnaws at me, twisting my gut as I recall the choices I've made, the burdens I've shouldered. It was my sacrifice intended to protect Rurik and keep our family intact, but all I've done is create a rift, allowing his darkness to flourish unchecked.

"Ronan."

The sound of Angelic's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. She steps from the shadows, her presence both chilling and commanding, as if the cold follows in her wake. Her knowing smile widens.

"Fascinating, isn't it? How the very fabric of this place reaches for her?"

I can feel the tension crackling between us, her observation hitting closer to home than I'd like to admit. The castle seems to resonate, a silent witness to my internal struggle.

"Your brother's experiments grow bolder," Angelic continues, her fingers trailing frost across the newly repaired stones, crystallizing evidence of the magic associated with Briar. "The Council watches with... interest."

The gravity of her words sinks in, heavy and real. My brother's meddling has consequences I can no longer ignore, and their roots stretch deep into both my past decisions and the perilous future we now face.

My hands clench at my sides. The mention of Rurik sends ice through my veins, colder than Angelic's magic.

"The Council has watched for years. What makes this different?"

"The balance shifts." Her otherworldly green eyes fix on mine. "Your curse was meant to contain his darkness, yet here you stand, letting it fester while you play at noble suffering."

A growl builds in my throat. The temperature drops further, and the shadows in the corners deepen. "I took this curse to protect?—"

"To protect what?" She interrupts with a sharp laugh that echoes through the hall. "Your brother experiments on wolves, twisting them into beings beyond the Veil's power to conceal. The castle's magic bleeds away while you remain locked in your own self-imposed isolation. You think you're protecting your own heart, but your refusal to let anyone in endangers everyone tied to this place. You might see yourself as a guardian, yet you're the one keeping the darkness alive."

Her gaze shifts toward the direction where Briar just disappeared, the urgency in her voice cutting through the tension. "And now... love threatens to unravel everything."

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