Page 32 of Christmas with a Cursed Werewolf

Our climax hits like thunder, magic erupting outward, shaking the entire castle. Books fly off shelves, windows rattle, and somewhere in the distance, I hear wolves howling.

My back arches as I cry out his name, nails digging into his shoulders. His teeth pierce my neck, marking me, his breath hot against my skin as he claims me as his mate.

My inner walls clench around him, drawing him deeper as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. His mark burns on my skin, a brand that proclaims me as his and his alone.

It seems to last forever, the world reduced to pure sensation. The air around us crackles with energy, and I can feel the bond between us growing stronger, binding us together. And I know I would follow him anywhere.

We collapse together, breathless. Ronan's weight pins me to the table, but I welcome it. I never want him to move.

Gradually, I become aware of our surroundings again. The library has transformed. Every magical symbol glows, casting rainbow light across the walls. Books hover in mid-air, their pages fluttering like birds' wings. The very air sparkles with magic.

“Look,” I whisper, awed.

Ronan lifts his head, taking in the changes. His eyes widen. “I’ve never seen it like this.”

He gathers me in his arms and carries me to his master suite, both of us forgetting to put our clothes back on. He lowers me onto his bed.

He presses a kiss to my temple. “Everything is alive because of you. Because of what we share.”

The sheets whisper against my skin as Ronan draws me closer, his warmth enveloping me like a shield against the castle’s chill. When our eyes meet, the silver in his gaze seems to flicker, like moonlight on troubled waters.

A muscle ticks in his jaw as he watches me, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin that leave trails of fire. The slight tremor in his touch betrays the control he’s fighting to maintain, even as his body curves toward mine like a bow drawn taut.

Each breath between us feels charged with possibility, with words we haven’t dared speak aloud.

The world outside fades away, leaving us. I can still feel the echoes of our connection, the way our magic intertwined in the library, igniting something ancient and powerful. It’s as if we’ve awakened a force that binds us deeper than I ever imagined possible.

I lean in, brushing my lips softly against his. The kiss begins gently, a tender exploration that sends shivers down my spine. It deepens as Ronan responds, his lips moving with a slow, deliberate hunger that makes my heart swell. I thread my fingers through his dark hair, pulling him closer.

"Briar," he murmurs against my lips, drawing back just enough to meet my gaze. His voice is thick with longing, and the sound of my name on his tongue sends a thrill coursing through me, igniting the fire that simmers beneath the surface. "I shouldhave asked you first before marking you. The choice should have been yours."

"I was always yours," I whisper, tracing my fingers along his jaw. The truth resonates in my bones, in the magic that pulses between us. "From the moment I stepped into this castle, my soul knew. The mark just made it visible to everyone else."

The tension in his shoulders eases slightly, and when his lips find mine again, the kiss feels different—deeper, as if the last barrier between us has finally crumbled.

I lean into Ronan's warmth, savoring the gentle brush of his fingers along my neck where his mark pulses with our shared connection. The sheets whisper against my skin as he draws me closer, his heartbeat steady beneath my palm.

"Tell me about the email," he murmurs, his voice rough with tenderness. "What made you come here?"

I trace patterns on his chest, watching how his muscles tense and relax under my touch. "Something in the words called to me. Like the castle was reaching out." My fingers find a small scar near his collarbone. "I couldn't ignore it."

His hand covers mine, pressing it flat against his heart. "And now? Knowing everything?"

"Now I understand why." I lift my head to meet his gaze, silver-bright in the dim light. "This is where I belong."

The magic pulses between us, warm and alive. Ronan's other hand slides into my hair, cradling my head as if I'm something precious. "The library—you spend so much time there. Why?"

"Books hold stories, but also truth." I press a kiss to his palm. "Each one is a window into someone else's world. Their hopes, their fears..." I pause, vulnerability making my voice soft. "For someone who grew up feeling like an outsider, books were my first real home."

His arms tighten around me. "You're not an outsider here."

"No," I agree, snuggling closer. "Here I'm yours."

The mark on my neck warms at the words. Ronan's breath catches, and his fingers trail down my spine, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

"Stay," he whispers against my hair. "Not because of the curse or the castle. Stay for me."

My heart swells. I push up on my elbow, needing to see his face. The walls behind his eyes have crumbled completely, leaving raw honesty in their wake.

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