Beauty's Beast

Four

The ride back to Zulo's kingdom was a long one. After a long day Raina was beyond tired. The scenery out side was an unchanging picture of mountains and trees. Raina eyelid grew heavy. She would feel herself falling asleep only to be woken by a jolt from the carriage. The fourth time it happened she sat up feeling more than a little annoyed.

"How much longer." Raina asked the prince who sat silently watching her.

Zulo smirked "That is the second time you've asked me that with a three minute time span."

"Oh." Was all Raina could say. It was hard to keep track of time when she was constantly drifting in and out of sleep.

Zulo leaned forward his light brown eyes focused in on her. "Tell me princess, are you really so egger to make it to my bed?" he asked with a raised brow.

Raina felt a tingle run down her stomach. His eyes were almost too beautiful to look at. She swallowed back the lump in her throat and smiled back at the prince. She would not let him get the better of her.

"No, I just find your presence to be suffocating. So if you don't mind it would be greatly appreciated if you moved back."

Zulo didn't listen to a word she said. Instead of moving back he shifted forward. "Do I make you uncomfortable, princess? Perhaps I should get a little closer so that you may get use to being around me."

Raina tried to move back but she had no place to go. His scent surrounded her. He smelled of mountain air and some other wild scent. She tried to put her finger on what it was but it escaped her. Whatever it was the two mixed for a rather intoxicating sent that made something inside of her want to move closer. Just as she was about to lean in the carriage came to a hard stop.

Raina went flying forward. Zulo reached forward and pulled her close to his body. His arms locked protectively around her. Raina looked up at him. His eyes were bright yellow and focused on the window.

"What's going on out there?" Zulo asked.

There was no reply. Raina held her breath. She'd head stories of bandits and other unsavory characters attacking lonely travelers on road. In a mater of seconds a group of them would surround unprepared person stealing more than just jewels. But it didn't make since. No bandit would be stupid enough to attack them now. They were traveling with over forty armed men and the prince's banners flew proudly.

"Alexsander?" Zulo called. Raina assumed he was talking to the coachman.

Instead of an answer there was the sound of a high peach scream followed by a loud thumping noise from the top of the carriage.

Raina jumped. Her hands clutched tighter to Zulo's rob. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the door. Something was very wrong. Raina felt something drip down on her sleeve. She looked up to see were it was coming from. There was a big dark red stain at the top of the carriage that seemed to be spreading out. Another red drop fell down and splattered on the bridge of her nose. Raina flinched back.

"Zulo, honey." A woman's voice called from outside of the carriage.

Zulo growled. Raina turned her attention back towards her husband. She stared at him with wide eyes, but he was not looking at her. His glare was focused on the outside window.

"Amytha." Zulo hissed.

Raina was still struggling to process the situation. She reached up to wipe the blood from her nose. She held her hand up to see that it was in fact blood that coated her fingertips.

"Honey, can you please leave that Soni whore and come out here and talk to me." The voice wined.

Zulo's hands tightened around Raina. She figured since she was the only Soni here the woman must be talking about her. Raina tightened her grip around Zulo. She didn't completely understand the situation but she knew she did not want to be left alone. It was probably safe to assume the blood on the ceiling was not a good sign. The air around them felt colder.

"Honey!" The woman called again. "I'm not going anywhere until you come out here to talk to me, but the longer you keep me waiting the more people will die."

Raina listened with horror as another cry ripped through the air. Her body trembled as she listened to there pain cries. It sounded like a wounded animal. Fear twisted at her stomach. She wanted to go home. Why did she ever leave? All the horrible tails of the Anthos kingdom came back to her. The stories of the wolf king was by far the most famous but his story was not the only one. Anthos was full of all types of terrible creatures.

"Enough." Zulo's loud voice commanded. The air around them stilled. His grip on Raina loosened. He tried to stand but Raina quickly pulled him back down. She was not about to let this idiot get killed by the mad woman waiting outside. She was too young to be a widow.

It's alright, little one. The voice said in Raina head.

Raina glared back at Zulo. The hell it is, Raina thought back. Crazy monster woman plus possible dead people did not equal alright. She didn't care what he said/thought she was not letting him go.

"Honey. I'm going to be very upset if one of your men get blood on my dress." The woman called again.

Stay here. Whatever you do don't leave this carriage. Zulo voice ordered before he pried Raina's hand off of him.

Raina reached for him but he was out of the door before she could catch him. The door slammed behind him. Raina stared at the door. Her idiot of a husband had actually gone out there to face the crazy person. Now they were both sure to die.

Great, Raina thought, I married a idiot wolf prince and I'm still going to die a virgin.