Page 48 of Recipe for a Curse

Epilogue

Rio spent the day in the kitchen with me. Zach had retrieved his clothes and asked him to stay close to the manor, even if he changed. I wanted to see the change, but Rio had been very hesitant. My focus was on feeding him.

Zach checked in occasionally but didn’t seem all that worried. I stopped him once while Rio was helping with the firewood again, which apparently was a never-ending job in the winter when everyone loved to sit by the fireplace.

“You knew he was a werewolf?” I asked Zach.

“He’s not a werewolf,” Zach amended. “He’s cursed.”

I thought about that for a minute. “Does that mean there are werewolves too? And then people cursed like Rio?”

Zach shrugged. “There are a lot of things in this world that I didn’t used to believe in. Once your eyes are open to it, it’s a bit like tearing off a Band-Aid. Sometimes it’s amazing and other times it’s scary. Careful what you pull back.”

I had to think about that again for a while. “Was there really a curse on the manor that you broke by falling in love with Sean?”

“Sort of. It’s a bit more complicated, and yet a lot simpler than that. But yes, there was a curse and it is now broken,” Zach said.

“And no way to break Rio’s curse? Would Sean know?”

“No. Already asked. Most of his knowledge of Rio’s curse was supplemental. Something he heard from somewhere, never really experienced.”

“But if I keep him fed, he’ll be okay?”

“Sounds like it.”

That was good news at least. “Do you want to give me a pay cut to help pay for all the food he’ll need?” I asked, thinking I could manage since I didn’t have to pay for shelter as that was included.

Zach looked appalled. “No. Rio will work here at the manor with a regular salary. You’ll feed him just like we feed everyone living here. In the spring, after the snow thaws, he can decide if he wants to repair or replace his trailer. For now, he’ll stay here.”

That lightened my heart. “He can stay with me.”

“If that’s what he wants,” Zach agreed.

“He worries he’ll hurt me.”

“We were worried too. But his wolf seems attached to you.”

I really liked that idea. Rio protecting me, as a wolf or human. It felt sort of archaic, but made me happy at the same time. “I guess it’s a good trade-off. I feed him and he protects me?”

“Leave it to you to fall in love with a werewolf,” Zach grumbled. “Like this is some romance novel and you’re the swooning damsel.”

“You said he wasn’t a werewolf,” I teased. I put my hand to my forehead, “Well, I declare. Bless your heart.”

He laughed. “Brat. Close enough. Go cook. You have a wolf to feed.”

“You just want more sticky buns,” I said unable to keep the grin off my face.

“Yes. And damn you for getting me hooked on those. I do not need the sugar,” Zach growled as he headed back to his chores.

“Tell Sean to help you work it off,” I called as I made my way back into the kitchen, at home in my space with a huge need to cook. At least I had people to feed. Not much else could make me that happy. Having people to feed and Rio, who paused each time he passed through the kitchen to give me a hug or kiss my cheek, or even nuzzle my hair. It was a bit like he was marking me, but I thought of it as him finding peace in my presence and took to feeding him snacks each time he popped in.

It wasn’t until after dark, when the final meal had long been put away, that Rio had insisted on going outside alone.

He asked me to wait. To give him an hour before stepping outside to look for him. And I had. Bundling up and finally finding my way to the back door of the garage with a pan full of fresh, hot sticky buns.

I heard the howl first. Close and a bit chilling as it made goosebumps rise on my arms. When he appeared, it was at the edge of the woods in the distance, moving carefully and slowly, as though not to be seen. But I popped up a small crate and put the buns on top, taking a few steps back to give him space. In the darkness he slunk toward me, dangerous and exciting all at once. Yet I didn’t fear for my safety. He was too hesitant for that.

Instead, he found his way to the pan and began to slurp out the sticky buns, seeming to make happy noises as he ate. My heart swelled when he finished and licked his lips. He made his way to my side, sitting down and pressing into me like he needed me to hold him up. No aggression, though he did award me with a wolfish grin.

“This is real,” I said, still incredulous. “I’m dating a werewolf.” It wasn’t at all like I imagined a romance novel would be, lots less fangs and claws and more slobber and dog hair. But that was okay. I could see us with a future together, and that’s all that really mattered.