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He will ask my father and…I don’t know what my father will agree to.
A chill flows down my body and my legs weaken. I will have no say. Women do not choose their husbands. I can’t control my expression in front of Ara; I don’t try to, either. A look of shock and then worry crosses her face. “Elle, dear, are you all right?”
At her concern, I shake my head. “I feel faint.” I don’t want to tell her about Lord Crawe. It’s one thing for me to hint at my distaste for him, it’s another to speak ill of a lord. “I think I need to go home.”
“Of course, of course.” Her voice is gentle as she pats my shoulders while her eyes linger on the silver and then dart to the door. Her lips purse and anger storms her eyes. As I said, she’s the epitome of motherly strength, but she knows just as well as I do that there’s nothing she can do if Lord Crawe can persuade my father.
THE PRINCE AND THE BEAST
As I near the edge of the enchanted forest, the thump in my chest rages and adrenaline races through my veins. Every movement is slow and calculated, although the beast inside of me is barely contained. The fallen branches crunch beneath my heavy feet making me pause my advance.
It’s dark enough that my cloaked body mostly blends in with the night, but I’m all too aware that the mist surrounding me would give away my identity if my presence is noticed. Even though the night is cold, heat covers every inch of me as I slowly make my way around the last few trees obstructing my view of the dirt road. My calloused hands brush along the rough bark as I quietly step beyond the enchanted woods. The first step since I took refuge in the castle. I still my body and close my eyes to heighten my hearing. There’s a faint chirping of crickets that inhabit the creek and the splashing of water most likely from toads and fish coming to the surface. The night life surrounds me, but I concentrate toward the village in the distance. Tilting my head in an attempt to hear better, I faintly hear a dog bark but after a moment everything is silent. Not a thing to hear from the sleeping village. It’s roughly two miles ahead and the path is speckled with light from fireplaces and candles in the windows of some homes. There are darkened buildings set before the cottages and I know those surround the market. They should be vacant, but even still, I will be careful.
I cannot fail. She is my reward and I’ve waited far too long as it is.
My blunt nails dig into my palm as I clench my hand to form a fist. A very large part of me craves vengeance. I crave the taste of Gavin’s blood. He could’ve saved me but instead he condemned me. A snarl rips through my chest as the beast fights for command. My step back is heavy and reckless as I attempt to contain him. I regret my thoughts of revenge. Now is not the time to tempt the beast.
I hold him back and concentrate on the object of our conquest. Her curves, her soft moans. The beast paces within me. He’s impatient for her touch as well. I relax my shoulders and calm myself by picturing her lips on mine. I’ll let the beast take over to find her, my beauty, but I need to concentrate on the desire to have her in order to distract the beast and control him. He can’t wander. His lust for blood would lead to a massacre. And I’m not certain we would survive it.
It doesn’t escape me that I am risking my life to steal her away.
With a deep breath, I slacken my massive body, feeling the beast’s desire to come forward. He brushes against my chest and I don’t push back. I feel my lip curl and my eyes focus. He violently breathes in the air, taking in the scents that surround us although he only seeks out one. There’s no way he could scent her from here. I push forward toward the village. The beast happily obliges as an asymmetrical grin pulls at my lips. I know this is dangerous, but the risk is worth the reward. My heart pumps loudly in my chest, not in fear but from a rush of adrenaline.
Tonight we will find our beauty.
We will take her back to castle.
She will be ours.
THE PRINCE AND THE BEAST
It’s a rare day I give up so much control. It’s unsettling to say the least. The beast has us barreling with an unstoppable speed through the barren field with only our beauty in mind, and he’s loud as fuck. Anger bristles with his recklessness, but I don’t dare take over. He’s far faster than I could ever be.
There are no shadows to hide in, no place to seek shelter. Only a large open field of dead, dried-up wheat that separates the dirt road and the village. The beast decided to sprint through as fast as he could, not giving a damn about the noise and not caring about my desire to be cautious. Gritting my teeth, I bite down the protest, eager to move as quickly as possible. Late into the night, the village sleeps, and we hunt down our sole desire.
He’s fast and the black cloak aids in blending us into the dark night. The mist that surrounds us will give away our identity if we’re seen. But the beast doesn’t seem to give a single thought to what would transpire if we’re seen. I pound my fist against him, gripping onto the fur I’ve loathed for years, urging the beast to go faster and to seek cover behind the buildings in the market as soon as possible. He snarls his protest, and I resist the urge to fight for control or to make even less of a disturbance.
The animal side of me, driven by primitive need, truly doesn’t give a fuck. His desire to reach our beauty is the only thing he can focus on. The image of her, just as she was, is a steady focus for me as well. I’m desperate to get her in our grasp, but we can’t risk being discovered. I don’t hunger for bloodshed…I only hunger for her beneath me. Wanting and writhing for more.
Anxiousness takes over and my blood rushes in my ears. It’s so damn loud I can hardly hear anything else. Adrenaline surges through my veins.
If a single soul sees me and tries to attack, or if they only scream, the beast will kill them without hesitation. He’s practically salivating at the idea of conflict.
As my heart rages with every sharp pounding against the hard and unforgiving ground, I second-guess my decision. I gave him full control so he could lead us to my beauty. But now I’m worried that I’ve relented too much power. He’s surrounded by those he considers enemies and he’s more than willing to rip their throats out if challenged. One scream will lead to the next and the beast won’t resist the temptation. It’ll be a massacre until we’re forced to retreat. It’s a war we can’t win and one I’m uninterested in pursuing.
If any conflict occurred, I could try to fight him back and force us to run away from the village, behind the wall and into the enchanted forest, but that would mean leaving her behind. A prick runs down my spine as I grit my teeth, vying for control, as the beast releases a snarl. I may not want a bloodbath, but I’m willing to risk it for my own selfish desire to have her. If I see former foes I want to destroy, my anger will only fuel the beast’s rage, giving him more power to disregard my requests. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want revenge as well. I’m not nearly as bloodthirsty as the beast though; it’s my only redeeming quality at this point. I only want to kill a select few— those who deserve to be slowly slaughtered by the beast for betrayal of the upmost kind.
Shoving the memories down in the depths of what’s left of me, the rage boils inside as we push through the field, ignoring the dim lights of the houses on the far right side of us. They’re only candles in the windows. Narrowing our gaze, we push forward with one thought in mind.
My beauty. Mine. Mine to take and mark as I wish.
Now is not the time for my bloodlust. I can’t afford to entice the beast with retaliation. I need to focus only on the temptation that’s led us to this endeavor. A warmth flows through my blood. My beauty. I concentrate on my plan and on her curves. The flowers in my inner pocket will keep her calm when I place them against her cheeks for her to inhale the intoxicating aroma. She’ll dream of the enchanted forest, the magic that lured her to me, and us—our touch and her pleasure.
The beast lets out a low growl of approval at the image I conjure. His thoughts obsess with her as well, biting her neck and claiming her under the moonlight. I despise that I shared my first touch of her soft curves with him, but without his desire for her, I’d never be able to have her. When she wakes after dreaming of us, she may imagine she came back to the castle of her own accord. Who am I to correct her? The beast grins wickedly and chortles. He’s in agreement with our plan. When we get her back to the castle we may be in disagreement, but for now, we’ll work together to capture our beauty.
Mine to tease and fuck, and his to claim.
It feels as if an eternity of torment has passed, but finally, we break through the field and the beast stalks around the first building. My heart pounds in anticipation and suspense. There’s no light inside, but I recognize the structure as the trader’s shop from long ago. He takes in a large breath and focuses his eyes across the dirt path to a smaller building and jogs to it, making far too much commotion, then circling it. Thank fuck it’s nearly midnight and there’s no one in sight. I focus on the structure and take in the smells with the beast. The bakery. Hmmm. Our little beauty is a baker?
