Page 56 of Cursed Alien

“Get away from that thing, Bella,” Jared called, his voice shaking. “It’ll tear you apart!”

“He could have done that a hundred times,” she replied calmly, still not looking away from Malrik. “He’s had me in his keep for over a week. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have.”

She placed her other hand on his chest, feeling the thundering heartbeat beneath the fur and muscle. “Remember the library? Remember how you listened while I read to you? Remember the garden you cleared for me?”

Something flickered in his eyes—recognition, memory.

“That’s right,” she encouraged. “You’re more than this rage. You always have been.”

Behind her, she heard movement—someone approaching. Malrik’s growl deepened, his muscles tensing again.

“Bella,” her father said softly.

She felt a flood of relief but didn’t turn. “Stay back, Papa. I’ve got this.”

“I know you do,” he said, his voice closer now. “But I’m standing with you.”

She felt him come to a stop beside her, his familiar presence steady and calm. His hand came to rest on her shoulder.

“My daughter knows her own mind,” he announced to everyone present. “Always has. If she says she’s not in danger, then she isn’t.”

Malrik’s eyes flicked to her father, confusion visible in their depths. The beast recognized him—the male who shared Bella’s scent, the one he’d once imprisoned.

“It’s all right,” Bella murmured, her thumb moving in small circles against Malrik’s fur. “He understands now. He’s not here to take me away.”

A rustle of fabric announced another presence. Agatha stepped forward, standing on Bella’s other side.

“Look at what you’ve all done,” the old woman scolded the villagers. “Charging in here with weapons drawn, making demands. Is this how we build peace?”

Mayor Hendry lowered his rifle slightly. “Agatha, you can’t possibly approve of… of this.”

“Of what? A Vultor finding his mate? Do I need to remind you that my own granddaughter is mated to a Vultor? It’s happened before. It will happen again.” She fixed him with a stern look. “Put those weapons down before someone gets hurt.”

The mayor hesitated, looking from Agatha to Bella to Malrik’s imposing form.

“But Finnar is not like that,” he protested weakly.

“He can be,” Agatha said calmly. “And I assure you he would be if you dared to point a gun at Scarlett. In fact, I suspect you would be dead by now.”

“Bella,” Jared called, his voice pleading. “You can’t want to stay with this… creature.”

She finally turned to face the villagers, keeping one hand firmly on Malrik’s arm. “This ‘creature’ has a name. He was once a Vultor noble. He protected your Tessa when she was in danger. He’s shown me nothing but kindness.”

“Kindness?” Tomas scoffed. “He kidnapped you!”

“He made a bargain with me,” she corrected. “I stayed willingly to repair his keep. And then I stayed because I wanted to.”

She felt Malrik shift behind her, his breathing changing. She glanced back to see his features flickering, the beast form struggling against something else—his Vultor side fighting to emerge.

“Look,” she said, gesturing toward him. “He’s changing. The curse is breaking.”

The transformation wasn’t complete—his form remained massive, still covered in fur, but his features were shifting, becoming more Vultor than beast. His eyes cleared, intelligence replacing blind rage.

“Impossible,” Lena whispered. “The curse of the unmated cannot be broken once it’s taken hold.”

“Apparently it can,” Agatha replied with a small smile. “With the right mate.”

Malrik’s voice emerged, rough but unmistakably his. “Bella.” Just her name, filled with wonder and gratitude.

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