Page 87 of Once Upon an Enchanted Castle

He kissed her back with reverence. With hunger. With something that felt like home. And a deep, unabating devotion that made her knees weak.

It was everything she hoped for and more. So much more.

When his mouth claimed hers fully, she gave her heart to him without hesitation. She was his, and he was hers.

There was no more curse.

Only him.

Only them.

Breaking apart, the realization she was trembling shattered her. He pressed his hand against the small of her back, holding her steady, keeping her close. Holding the pieces of her together with the very essence that was him.

He pressed his forehead against hers, their breath mingling in the small space between them as they shared this intimate moment. He didn’t speak. Neither did she, for words seemed inconsequential. She was incapable of conveying her feelings to him. Her heart fluttered hard and fast. Like a hummingbird had taken residence there.

She met his eyes. Her breath stopped. His, searching and seeking and wanting and needing with a hint of wonder.

“You did it,” he said again, nothing more than a whisper.

“I thought I lost you,” she replied, her voice weak.

“You nearly did.” He pressed his brow against hers.

She drew in the scent of him. Different from before. No longer like frost and sorrow. No longer like wood smoke and wildfire. No. Now, she caught the faintest scent of roses. Not cloying or sweet or perfumed. Different. Alive. Like petals brushed with morning dew. Like a bloom after being too long in the dark.

In a rush of emotion, she buried her face against his neck, inhaling that freshly bloomed scent and loving it. Lovinghim.

He was no longer fading into that dark world where he was a feral beast. He was a man. He was becoming.

And so was she.

His arms tightened around her as she held her close. So close. As though they would never be parted. A hand brushed down her messy hair. It was only then she realized her hair was still tied with the ribbon from the day before. Only then when she realized she wore the same gown.

“You brought me back from the dark, Bella,” he said, his voice soft in the glow of the room. He pulled back then to look at her, his eyes searching her face. “I am yours.”

A breath shuddered out between her lips. “And you are mine.”

“Always?” A smile tipped the corner of his mouth.

“And forever,” she confirmed.

In the dusky gloom of Leopold’s private sitting room, the final grain of sand slipped through the hourglass. It landed with a soundless thud. The glow vanished. Snuffed out like a candle in a storm, leaving only cold glass. No shimmer. And at last, Leopold’s life was his own.

Chapter 36

Bellaremainedinthecastle until morning. With Leopold still recovering, she took a bedchamber down the hall, thanks to Dickens. She slept that night for the first time in days. A deep sleep that was not interrupted by howls or curses or shadow things.

Before she left, Bella peeked into Leopold’s chambers to see he still slept. Likely he would need rest after the ordeal of the curse for the last several centuries. Plus, he had wounds that needed healing.

The old valet walked with her down the stairs to the front door in amicable silence. As if perhaps, he was trying to decide what to say and how to say it. After she left Leopold to rest, Dickens took her to a room without a word. It was an unspoken acknowledgement between the two of them that she had broken the curse and he was grateful.

Dickens was much changed. No longer did he have baleful eyes or frightful pale skin. He had color in his face once again. His eyes had changed from dark and piercing to a sparkling blue. His hair, once slicked back, now fell across his high forehead. The shaggy ends dusted his thick eyebrows. He looked different. Alive. Healthy.

He turned to her, grasped her hand, and held it a long moment. His fingers were warm around hers. There was relief deep in his eyes as he looked at her. Relief and admiration.

“My lady, what you did—”

“No need to thank me, Dickens,” she interrupted.

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