Elliot scrambles to stand, rising on his single leg. As soon as he’s righted, he opens his hand, and his wooden staff appears as if from thin air. He props it beneath his arm, then takes a forbidding step toward the fae. “Nyxia,” he growls, “what the freezing hell are you—”
“Ah, so your memories have returned.” Nyxia smiles at him, revealing a flash of pointed canines. Then she glances at his staff. “Your magic too, it would seem.”
Elliot pauses, confusion tugging at his features. Slowly, I rise to my feet and make my way to his side. As I reach him, he throws his free arm out before me, eyes locked on the other fae. “Stay back, Gemma,” he whispers.
Nyxia crosses her arms and pops her hip to the side, a look of contrived innocence on her face. “Why so tense?”
“I remember now,” Elliot says. “You’re the one who cursed me.”
She shrugs. “I did. And, as the curse maker, I felt its end and came to pay my regards.” She turns her gaze to me, assessing. “You must be the one who broke the curse.”
Elliot spins toward me. “Gemma, what did you sacrifice?”
I open my mouth, but I’m still too stunned to speak. Too confused.
Nyxia speaks before I do. “She didn’t sacrifice anything, Flauvis.”
I furrow my brow. Flauvis? Is that Elliot’s real name? But that’s not important right now. I face the fae woman, summoning my words from the oceans-deep shock that thrashes inside me. “You’re wrong. I plucked the rose and sacrificed my greatest treasure…but why didn’t it work? How did the curse break if…if nothing happened to me yet?” A flash of panic washes over me. Will my sacrifice be slow, like Elliot’s loss of memories was over the course of the curse?
Nyxia throws her head back with a musical laugh. “The sacrifice worked, pretty human. You were willing and of your own volition to sacrifice your greatest treasure, just like my terms stated.”
I stare at her with a blank look, waiting for her to elaborate.
She rolls her eyes. “The curse only required a human be willing to make the sacrifice. It said nothing about actually having to make it. It was right there in the wording all along.”
“What?” I shout, indignation heating my blood.
A low growl reverberates deep in Elliot’s chest. “You turned my curse into a riddle?”
She assesses her fingernails for a moment, completely unperturbed by Elliot’s anger. “I may be devious, Flauvis, but I’m not cruel. Why make a human suffer more than they should on your behalf? It’s torture as it is that one must spend enough time with you that they come to hold you in any kind of regard. It would be pure evil to make them actually have to sacrifice their greatest treasure for you. You, of course, would have had to make a true sacrifice, should you have decided to break your curse yourself.” She says the last part with a delighted grin, as if she’s amused by her own words.
Elliot’s chest heaves with rage. “This little riddle of yours could have been the death of me.”
She pins him with a withering glare. “Trust me, that’s a risk the Alpha Council was eager to take.”
I bristle at that, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. I expect Elliot to lash out, and for a moment it seems like he will. Then he lowers his head and grumbles a string of curses under his breath.
“Can you blame us?” Nyxia asks.
He rubs the back of his neck and mutters, “Not entirely.” He flashes me an embarrassed glance, then looks back at Nyxia. “We weren’t on great terms, were we?”
She quirks a brow. “Are you talking about just you and me? Or you and everyone ever? Because the latter would be an affirmative.”
“Freezing fae,” he bites out. “I get it, all right? Now will you get off my damn property?”
Her mouth falls open in mock surprise. “Oh, so you mean, now that the curse is broken, you still consider the manor your property? Does that mean you’ve come to like human dwellings?”
“How long are you going to rub it in? Do you want a round of applause? A hug?”
She scoffs, then flips open a strange silver compact. “Bye,” she says with a delicate wave of her fingers. The same glowing light from before bursts from the compact. In the blink of an eye, it takes the fae with it.
We stand staring at the place Nyxia just was for a few silent moments. Then slowly, I turn to face Elliot. My pulse races, mind whirling after everything I just learned and experienced. At the forefront of my mind is a flicker of trepidation, which only increases when I see the rigidity of Elliot’s posture. I lift my eyes to his, finding uncertainty in his expression.
With the curse broken, have things changed between us? Elliot has his magic, his immortality, his memories. Even the ability to return to his unseelie form. Do I still mean as much to him as I did when he was cursed? Or is this where everything goes wrong again? Like it always—
No. I will not expect the worst. Not this time. If it comes to pass, so be it. But I will not fall victim to my doubts.
I open my mouth, but he speaks first. “Gemma, I don’t even know what to say.”
My heart lurches. Why does that sound like the beginning of a letdown?
“You…you broke my curse. You did the unthinkable. And I…I have my memories back. Things I didn’t even realize I’d forgotten have returned to me. I feel like they’re written all over my face.”
I furrow my brow. “What are you saying?”
“Surely, you can see it all. You must have seen it in Nyxia’s eyes. I was not a good wolf, Gemma. But I promise to be better.”
My breaths grow shallow, my mind reeling as I wait to see where he’s going with this.
His lips pull into a frown as he reaches a trembling hand to my cheek. “Do you still love me? I understand if you don’t, but…but I really hope you do.”
My heart flutters with warmth while relief and annoyance fight for dominance within me. “Of course I do, you fool. Do you think I tried to sacrifice our entire relationship for nothing?”
His lips pull into a sad smile. “I just thought…after what Nyxia said about me and the Alpha Council…well, my point is, it will take a lot of effort to repair the relationships with the other royals. In the meantime, they’ll talk. They’ll speculate. They’ll probably continue to hate me. I know you’ve been on the wrong side of gossip before, and I can’t—”
“Elliot,” I say, silencing him as I throw my arms around his neck, “let them talk. I don’t care. If they say anything to my face, I’ll have a few choice words for them myself, royal or no. All I care about is you. You, Elliot. The one I love.”
His lips pull higher, and finally I see that genuine smile of his, the one I first glimpsed in his parlor so many weeks ago. “I love you too, Gemma.”
He brings his lips to mine, tossing his staff to the side and gathering me in both arms. I pull him close, careful not to disrupt his precarious balance, reveling in the feel of him, the smell of him, the way his heart hammers against mine.
When we pull away, I feel like my grin will split my face in half. “So, your name is Flauvis? I suppose I should stop calling you Elliot Rochester.”
“Honestly, I don’t care what you call me,” he says. “Call me Elliot, Flauvis. Anything. So long as I’m yours.”
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
At the top of the stairs, I call down the hall toward the children’s room. “Dinner’s ready.”
I hear an excited whoop, followed by a bark, then three figures charge out the room and skid down the hall. Micah and Jenny are in their seelie forms, while Charlie pads over in wolf form.
My heart squeezes, noting Franklin’s absence. The fourth child left the manor just last month when his mother finally came to claim him. I’m happy that he’s been reunited with his original family, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the ache of having had to relinquish the pup I’ve grown to love over the last year. But I must bear it, for in time, all the children might be reclaimed by their parents now that the curse is broken. Un
til then, I will love them like they are my own with every beat of my heart.
“Who’s eating what?” I ask when they approach.
Charlie barks, Micah says, “Bread!” and Jenny shifts from foot to foot, lips pursed. Then, with a shudder, she dissolves into a puff of black and gray fur and lets out an excited bark.
“All right,” I say. “You know where to go.”
They charge down the stairs, and I follow them at a more leisurely pace. Once inside the dining hall, Micah takes a seat at the long table, while the two young wolves begin playing at the other side of the room, tails eagerly wagging.
Bertha comes in behind me, carrying a platter of fresh bread in one arm and an enormous bowl of stew in the other. “Let me help,” I say, taking the bread.
“Ah, thank you, my dear,” she says, and we bring the dishes to the table, which is already laden with a generous spread. Once our burdens are set down, Bertha faces me and reaches into her apron pocket. “I almost forgot! You have letters from the post.”
I take them from her, finding a few unexciting correspondences. Then at the bottom, I find an envelope sent from a familiar name—Ember Montgomery. Shortly after the curse was broken, Mrs. Coleman left Vernon, taking her daughters and stepdaughter with her. I can only assume that means her courtship with my father didn’t survive, for he still lives in town. A town that is becoming more and more populated by fae and other interesting people I’ve been dying to get to know. Still, I haven’t stopped thinking about my turquoise-haired friend, her beautiful piano playing, and her unfortunate living situation with her awful stepfamily. I begged her to write to me after she left, but this is the first letter I’ve received from her since.
My fingers buzz with anticipation, and everything in me wants to open the envelope at once—
“Where is everyone else?” Bertha asks, distracting me. “They know dinner is at six—ah, never mind. I hear them.”
Just then, the sound of paws comes slapping over the flagstones in the hall. A few seconds later, several wolves enter the room. Two work together to carry an enormous deer corpse, which I shake my head at.
With a sigh, I tuck the letters into one of my dress pockets, promising myself I’ll read Ember’s letter first thing after dinner. For now, more pressing matters await. “Blood on the marble?” I call to the wolves with the deer. “Again? I hope you’re on cleaning duty tonight.”
The two wolves take the corpse over to where Charlie and Jenny wait at the far end of the room. When the children leap for an early bite, the wolves growl for them to be patient until the others arrive. More wolves file in, and some shift into their seelie forms to join Micah at the table while the others head toward the back. Finally, bringing up the rear, is my beloved white wolf.
With a shudder, he shifts out of his unseelie form into his human body and plants his leg beneath him. A second later, his staff appears in his hand, and he props it beneath his arm. While he’s begun using his staff and prosthetic in equal measure, I think he’s still fondest of the staff. I look him over, finding him dressed in his nicest trousers, but he wears no waistcoat or jacket, and his shirt is untucked. Luckily, tonight’s dinner is the casual sort, so I don’t have to force him to go get dressed.
He crosses the room to me, circling his hand around my waist once he reaches me. I place my hand on his chest then lean in for a kiss. His lips press into mine, and I breathe in his scent, noting pine and snow and the unmistakable lingering aroma of wolf fur—a smell I’ve grown surprisingly fond of. Just as I’m about to pull away, he deepens the kiss, pressing me even closer. A buzz of excitement flutters in my chest, heating my core. I yield to him, parting my lips to feel his tongue slide against mine. Not so much that those around us would notice…but I certainly do. When we manage to separate, he gently nips my lower lip, his arm still circling my waist.
I grin up at him. “You’ve only been out running with the wolves for a few hours, but you act like it’s been days.”
“What can I say? After the beauty of the woods and sky, I come home to you and am stunned by what you do to my heart.”
I blush and lean in for another kiss. Again, it lingers far longer than it should.
“It’s time for dinner,” I mumble against his lips.
He lets out a frustrated groan. “Is it, though?”
I pull away, laughing. “Yes, Elliot, and my sister is coming too.”
“Surely, we can sneak away to the bedroom for just a second.”
My lips pull into a mischievous grin. “Trust me, when I get you alone tonight, we’re going to need far longer than a second.”
His grin mirrors mine, and I break away from him before he can reel me back in. My head feels light from our flirtation, my heart doing somersaults as I make my way to the table. Elliot takes a seat at the head of the table, his eyes burning into me while I help Bertha lay out the final dishes. I flash my mate a grin. “Stop staring, Elliot. When will you ever learn?”
“Never,” he says with a wink. “You’re just too freezing beautiful.”
Blackbeard, who decided to keep the adopted name even after his memories returned, makes a mock-gagging sound and lowers into his seat. “Get a room.”
The king throws a hand in the air. “She won’t! She insists we must have dinner first.”
Ellen, the wolf we used to call Gray, comes padding into the room in wolf form. “Did I hear dinner? Sorry, I was taking a bath.”
“Finally,” coughs Blackbeard. Ellen somehow manages to twist her canine features into a scowl, then joins the other wolves around the deer.
Bertha and I finish laying out the final plate just as our guests arrive.
“Gemma!” Nina runs to me, and I embrace her.
“How was your honeymoon?” I ask when we pull away.
A blush creeps up her cheeks, and her smile grows wide. Her eyes flash to her new husband, who shifts awkwardly from foot to foot as he looks from Nina to the dinner table, then to the pack of wolves. “It was wonderful.”
I turn toward her husband. “James, it’s great to see you again. I’m so glad you could come to dinner. Although, I do hope my sister warned you about us. We aren’t a formal household.”
He gives me a shy smile. “She has told me much about you and…and His Majesty.” He bends into an abrupt bow, and I turn to find Elliot approaching.
“Oh, none of that,” my mate says, then gives my sister a hug. To James, he offers a handshake. “It’s just Elliot on casual occasions like this.”
James stammers before finding his words. “Elliot? But is your name not Flauvis?”
The king grimaces, then smirks at me. “That’s only my name when I’m in trouble. Isn’t that right?”
I swat him playfully on the chest, then turn my attention to our third and final guest. “Mr. Cordell, I’m so happy you could make it.”
“Oh, come now,” he says as I pull him into a hug. “I know it’s only because I brought with me the newest Governess in Love book.”
My eyes widen. “No! It’s out already?”
He pulls a cloth satchel from his shoulder and withdraws a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. “You’ll be up all night. Trust me.”
“We’re already planning on that,” Elliot says, earning another playful swat from me. He then greets the bookseller, who has become a regular dinner guest of ours.
With all the greetings out of the way, I say, “Come, sit wherever you like. And I do suggest you choose a seat facing away from the wolves at the other end of the room. I know not everyone can stomach their choice of dinner.”
James pales but Nina simply chuckles. I lead our guests to the table, and Elliot returns to his seat. I take my place to one side of him, opposite Blackbeard. Micah leaps from his chair at the other end of the table to steal the spot next to me instead. Bertha shakes her head with an amused laugh and sits on the other side of him. Nina, James, and Mr. Cordell take my advice and claim seats next to Blackbeard, backs facing the wolves and thei
r unsightly meal.
“Let’s eat,” I say.
Everyone reaches forward and begins passing plates of food around. It takes James a moment to fall into the rhythm of our organized chaos, but Nina and Mr. Cordell help him. The table quickly erupts with chatter and laughter, not to mention playful growls and barks.
I scan the table, then the room at large, taking in the faces of the people and wolves who have become my new family, plus Nina, who has always been that to me. Even though linked through blood, we’ve grown closer this past year, as I’ve learned to open up in ways I never have before. She catches me watching her and smiles at me with a full mouth. I grin back, then slide my gaze to my mate.
He meets my eyes, and I find his glittering with a joy that reflects my own.
I return to my plate, but I’m almost too happy to eat, my heart full and warm in ways I never thought possible a year ago.
Back then, I’d convinced myself love wasn’t real. Or that it had to last for it to have ever been real. But now I know love is more complicated than that. I didn’t get it right the first time, and I almost messed it up the second time. And even if I had and went on to try a third, fourth, or thirtieth time…I think it would still be worth it. Love is worth it.
Whether I must be the storybook boy and lose someone important to me…
Or the dog and make a sacrifice for another’s wellbeing…
Or the governess on the other side of a love that conquers all, with happily ever after spread out at my feet….
No matter what, love is worth believing in.
A warm hand falls on mine, and I glance again at Elliot. I turn my hand up, lacing our fingers together, and allow myself to get lost in his ruby gaze. No, not lost.
Found.
He leans toward me, and I do the same. His mouth moves to the side of my face where he whispers what has become our deepest expression of adoration. “You make me feel the way books do.”
Before he can lean back, I turn my head and steal his lips with a long, lingering kiss. When we do finally break away, I whisper back, “As do you, my love. My wolf. My Flauvis. My Mr. Elliot Rochester. My everything. I love you too.”
Curse of the Wolf King: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling (Entangled with Fae) Page 31