2. The Cursed Castle

Following a massive black wolf through darkening woods in the dead of night wasn't how I'd planned to spend my evening. But then again, nothing about this day had gone according to plan.

Dante's wolf form moved like a shadow through the trees, not bothering to slow his pace for my human limitations. The snow was deeper here, each step an effort that left me breathing hard in the frozen air. My legs burned from trying to keep up, but I didn't dare fall behind. The howls in the distance were getting closer.

The corrupted magic grew stronger as we traveled deeper into his territory. It pressed against my senses like a physical weight, making my healing magic recoil even as it tried to reach out and soothe the wrongness. The silver mark

on my palm tingled, a constant reminder of the oath I'd sworn.

There is no escape now. I'm bound to this man-this beast-by a blood oath.

For a year.

The reality of what I'd agreed to hit me with each crunching step through the snow. One year with a cursed wolf pack. One year in forbidden territory. One year with him. With Dante. The alpha whose very presence made my magic surge and my skin tingle. The beast who could tear me apart with those massive jaws, yet whose human form... No. Best not to let my mind wander there.

This was about saving Father. About healing. Nothing more.

But the weight of Dante's golden gaze when he looked back to check my progress told me it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing involving blood magic ever was.

Through breaks in the twisted trees, I caught glimpses of strange lights in the sky-ribbons of blue and purple aurora that seemed to twist in ways the natural lights never did. Their glow reflected off the snow, creating shadows that moved when they shouldn't.

Dante stopped suddenly, and I nearly ran into him. He turned those intelligent gold eyes on me, and I could have sworn there was dark amusement in them before he looked ahead again. Following his gaze, I saw it.

The castle rose from the darkness like something from a nightmare. Dark stone towers stretched toward the writhing aurora, their edges too sharp, too wrong. Magic had warped the architecture the same way it had warped the forest-windows curved like snarling mouths, buttresses twisted like broken bones, and thorny vines of black ice crawled up the walls. The entire structure radiated pain. So much pain it made my healing magic surge up instinctively, uselessly.

A low growl from Dante snapped my attention back to him. He'd started walking again, this time toward a set of massive doors that looked like they'd been carved from black ice. As we approached, they swung open on silent hinges.

The entrance hall beyond was a study in fallen grandeur. Marble floors, now cracked and stained. Sweeping staircases with rails that coiled like serpents.

Mirrors that reflected shadows that weren't there. And everywhere, that sense of wrongness, of corruption eating away at what must have once been beautiful.

Movement in the shadows caught my eye. More wolves emerged, but these were different. Some appeared as wolves, like Dante had been, though

smaller. But others... I nearly recoiled at the sight.

They were caught between forms-half-shifted creatures with elements of both wolf and human. One had a human face distorted by a wolf's muzzle, another had human arms ending in massive clawed hands. Each one twisted in their own unique way, as if the curse had frozen them mid-transformation. The pain radiating from them made my heart ache.

The worst part was their eyes. Every one of them, whether fully wolf or partially shifted, had human awareness in their gaze. They watched me with

a desperate intelligence that spoke of the people trapped within these cursed forms.

Dark mist suddenly swirled around Dante's massive shape. I stepped back, still not used to watching the transformation. It looked even more painful this time, as if the castle's corrupted magic made it harder for him to change.

When it ended, he stood before me in human form, wearing only those same torn black pants. The ritual scars across his chest seemed to writhe in the strange light.

"Welcome to your new home, little healer." His voice echoed in the vast space. "Shall we discuss the rules that will keep you alive?"

I forced myself to meet his gaze, ignoring how my body reacted to his proximity. Which was becoming increasingly difficult. Heat bloomed across my skin wherever his power brushed against me, my magic humming in response. My heart thundered so loud I was certain his enhanced hearing could pick up every beat. Even the air felt charged between us, making it hard to draw a proper breath. And the way he moved-all predatory grace in that powerful body-sent inappropriate shivers down my spine despite the very real danger he presented.

Dangerous. He was dangerous. I needed to remember that.

"I'd like to know who I'll be healing first."

A dark laugh. "Eager to start work already?" He moved closer, and I fought the urge to step back. "No. First you learn the rules. Then you meet the pack.

Breaking rules here has... consequences."

"Fine." I lifted my chin. "What are your rules?"

"First" He reached out and caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look up at him. The touch sent heat shooting

through me. His skin burned fever-hot against mine, and this close I could smell him-wild forests after a storm, winter wind, and something darker

more primal. Something that made my pulse jump and my magic stir restlessly beneath my skin.

"You do not go anywhere in this castle without an escort. The curse has... affected certain areas. They're not safe."

I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened slightly. Through the blood oath bond, I sensed a flicker of... something from him. Satisfaction? Hunger?

The magic between us crackled like static, making every point of contact hyper-sensitive.

"Second," he continued, his voice rougher than before, "you will remain in your quarters from sunset to sunrise. No exceptions. The curse is stronger at night, and so are we."

"How am I supposed to heal anyone if I'm locked away half the time?"

His thumb brushed across my lower lip, the gesture seemingly unconscious.

The rasp of his callused skin sent sparks of sensation straight to my core, and

I had to bite back a gasp. His nostrils flared slightly-of course he could smell my reaction. Heat flooded my cheeks.

"Would you prefer to be locked away all the time?"

I held still, my heart thundering. "No."

"Then accept these rules." He finally released me and stepped back.

"Third, you will never enter the west wing. That's where the curse originated. The magic there would tear you apart."

"What happened there?" The healer in me couldn't help asking. Knowing the source of an ailment often helped in treating it.

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Fourth rule. You don't ask about the curse's origin. Focus on healing its effects. Nothing more.

One of the wolves in the shadows whined, drawing his attention. The sound held so much pain that my magic surged up again, reaching instinctively toward the source. Dante's head snapped back to me, nostrils flaring.

"Your magic..." His voice was rougher. "You truly want to heal them?"

"It's what I do. It's what I am." I took a step toward the suffering wolf, but

Dante caught my arm.

"Not yet. Maven will help you learn how to do it safely." His grip was firm but not painful. "The curse fights healing magic. Tries to corrupt it. You'll need guidance."

I looked up at him. "Is that why it hurts so much when you shift?"

Something flickered in those gold eyes.. Pain? Surprise that l'd noticed? But his expression hardened again. "Come. I'lIl show you to your quarters."

He didn't release my arm as he led me up one of the twisted staircases. The other wolves melted back into the shadows, butI could feel them watching.

The bond from the blood oath let me sense them more clearly now-each a different flavor of pain and corruption.

The corridors we passed through showed the same decay as the entrance hall. Portraits on the walls seemed to follow our movement, their subjects twisted by the curse into snarling beasts. Rugs that might once have been beautiful were now stained with something dark that made my magic recoil.

"The healing rooms are here," Dante said, gesturing to a set of double doors.

"Maven will show you how to use them tomorrow. The library is there-"He nodded toward another door. "It has texts on healing magic. You'll have

access during daylight hours only."

We climbed another staircase, this one spiraling up one of the towers. "My chambers are at the top of this tower," he said, his voice rumbling through

me where he still gripped my arm. "Yours are here."

He opened a door to reveal a surprisingly untouched room. Unlike the rest of the castle, the curse's corruption seemed lighter here. A large bed dominated one wall, draped in furs and blankets. A fireplace crackled with blue-tinged

flames. Bookshelves lined another wall, anda door led to what looked like a private bathing chamber.

"The curse is weaker in this tower." he said, finally releasing my arm. "My presence... helps contain it."

I rubbed where he'd held me, skin still tingling. "Is that why you're putting me so close to your chambers? To protect me from the curse?"

He moved into my space, backing me up until I hit the wall beside the door.

"No, little healer." He braced one hand beside my head, leaning down until could feel his breath on my lips. "I'm keeping you close because I don't trust you. Yet."

My heart raced as he brought his other hand up to trace the silver mark on my palm."The blood oath binds you, but oaths can be broken. If you try to run." His fingers encircled my wrist, thumb pressing against my pulse. "Well.

Let's hope you're smarter than that."

I forced myself to hold his gaze. "Are you going to lock me in?"

He studied me for a long moment, still holding my wrist. Still close enough that I could feel the unnatural heat radiating from his body. Finally, he

stepped back.

"No. Consider it a test." He moved to the door. "Dawn is in six hours. Get some rest. Maven will collect you when it's time to begin your work."

He paused in the doorway, looking back at me with those predator eyes.

"Welcome to the pack, little healer. Try not to let us destroy you."

The door closed behind him, leaving me alone in the strange room. Not locked in. A test, he'd said. But of what? My loyalty? My courage? My ability to

survive the night?

Through the blood oath's bond, I could feel the pack moving through the castle. Their pain. Their corruption. Their need. And strongest of all, I could

feel him. Dante. A burning presence in the tower above me that made my magic hum and my body ache.

A howl rose from somewhere in the castle, full of agony that clawed at my healer's heart. Another answered, then another. The sound built until it

seemed to shake the very stones.

What had i gotten myself into?

I touched the silver mark on my palm, remembering the heat of Dante's fingers there. One year. I had one year to help heal this cursed pack.

If I survived the first night.