Free Withering Rose (Once Upon A Curse Book 2) by Kaitlyn Davis Page B

leopard that slinks toward me, nearly
camouflaged by the falling snow. For the first time, I'm not
afraid. Its thick paw nudges the beast, but he doesn't stir.
    "He's alive," I assure the animal.
    Those golden eyes find mine again, filled
with understanding—far more understanding than any animal's should
be. But before I have time to process, howls reach my ears,
mournful cries that pierce the air and echo toward me. Over my
shoulder, gray shadows appear in the distance, growing larger and
more distinct, until a pack of wolves emerges from the shadows,
running closer. They don't stop until they surround us, all eyes on
the beast.
    An undeniable sense of love permeates the
space.
    I'm the outsider once again.
    But more than that, I'm the cause of all
their worry.
    "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm so very sorry.
He frightened me. I got scared, and I just acted out of instinct. I
didn't mean…"
    They're wild animals, but they don’t lash
out for vengeance, they don't let their gut reactions control them.
In fact, they hardly notice me.
    The lead wolf steps beside me, nuzzling the
beast's neck, so close I could reach out and pet the fluffy white
fur on the underside of its belly. Steam escapes its parted lips as
the wolf licks the beast's cheek, trying to wake him. It whines a
sad, screechy sound when the beast doesn't move. And then it looks
over its shoulder to the rest of the pack. Without needing to
speak, they march forward, determined. While the leader watches,
the rest of the wolves dig into the snow, deep enough so they can
crawl beneath the beast's body. They wriggle under, matting their
coats with dirt and frost, and then stand with his heavy weight
stretched across them. His hands fall to either side, leaving his
fingertips to brush against the ice while they walk away. I follow
the red traces of blood dripping from his skin, unable to look
away.
    When they disappear into the depths of the
storm, I finally remember how cold I am. My skin trembles. But I
can't move. I stare into the emptiness, utterly torn, remembering
the beast's last words to me.
    I don't want to hurt you.
    On a night like this, you'll never
survive .
    I was too blinded by fear to realize it, but
he was out here to save me. To bring me back to the warmth of the
castle, not to hunt me down and hurt me. Only after I attacked did
he unleash the beast within.
    But before, the way he laughed so harshly at
my silent dance.
    The way he slammed his fist into my door
when I wouldn’t let him in.
    The way he attacked me for touching that
glowing woman.
    No, I don't trust him.
    But, I realize confidently, I no longer fear
him.
    And I can't ignore the fact that I'm
intrigued. By him. By the mysteries of his kingdom. By the whisper
in the back of my mind telling me that maybe it was the beast who
found me in that field a few days ago, who held me in his strong,
sturdy arms, whose touch whispered that I'd finally found a place I
might belong.
    A soft downy head presses into my palm, and
I realize I had forgotten about the leopard with the golden eyes.
It nudges my leg, but I don’t understand. It nudges again. But I
don't move. Then it growls, looking up at me with a hint of
frustration, and starts to walk away.
    I try to follow, but my feet are frozen. My
body has no strength. The shivers grow unbearable. And with nothing
to distract me, the weariness mounts. Between the escape, the cold,
the storm, the battle, and the toll of my magic, my body shuts
down. I slink slowly toward the ground, utterly fatigued.
    In one leap, the giant cat is beneath me,
catching me before I fall. I'm not very large or very heavy, so it
waits patiently for me to crawl onto its back before carrying me
away. I breathe in the warmth of its fur, letting the heat of its
body course through me. And together we travel through the
storm.
     
     

 
     

     
     
    I must have passed out during the journey home,
because when I wake, I am curled against the leopard's side,
resting before the