The Beauty and the Beast (1st book of Fantasy Series)

Chapter 31- Belle

"Grandfather!" the male exclaimed, shocked. He pointed the gun at my head and the others followed, but for some reason, they didn't shoot like I thought they would. "Let him go, now."

"Put down your guns," Conner grunted, not phased about having a gun pressed to the side of his head. "Do what she says, and everything will be fine."

"Ya right," the same male scoffed and rolled his eyes. "If it would be all right, then she wouldn't have a gun to the side of your head. So drop your weapon, Girl. You're outnumbered."

I lifted my chin in defiance and didn't say a word about me being outnumbered. I knew that I was, but I didn't care.

At that moment, my focus was on trying to save the king for his pack and family because I had a feeling that it'd be difficult for them to find a new king if he died.

"Just put down your weapons," Conner said. "I am fine." He didn't move a muscle, and I wondered if he was nervous that I'd shoot his brains out in front of them or not. "Go into your vehicles. We are done here."

The grandson scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Says the man with a gun pointed at his head. What if she shoots you with our backs turned away from you?"

"What if I give you my word?" I asked and gripped the gun tighter, making sure that my finger wasn't over the trigger. "Get into your vehicle and start driving away, and I will release him. Just let me have the wolf-man, and that's it. He'll stay alive if you do that. You have my word."

"Do as she says," Conner said. "Go, and I will catch up." He hoped that what I said was true; I could tell. However, it didn't have that much hope, especially since I wanted to protect the king more than my own "family."

However, I must protect the king for his people; his family.

"What about him?" the grandson asked and pointed his gun at the king, and I pushed the gun closer to Conner's head and tightened my grip around his throat.

"Leave him," Conner gasped and grabbed my arm tighter. "Just go. Now."

The male looked at Conner before he glared at me. He narrowed his eyes and dared me to hurt Conner, and I pressed the gun tighter to his head, daring him to not do what Conner had said.

Finally, the male signalled for the others to leave, and he left too, leaving a car running for Conner. He stayed silent while they left, and I watched them leave, not knowing if they were going to stay and see if I would let him go or whatever.

"Is there anyone in the car?" I asked, keeping the gun pressed to Conner's head. I looked at the car before I looked at the king, wanting to get to him and make sure that he was still alive.

"No," Conner gasped, and I had a feeling that he was telling the truth. "Everyone else is gone besides us."

I set my jaw and nodded before I released him and half ran/half waked to the king, not caring that Conner was still there. I knelt down beside him before I hesitated and reached out to touch him, not knowing if he was alive or not.

The king groaned, and I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out in relief. He shifted a little and furrowed his brows but didn't open his eyes.

I hesitated before I licked my lips and shook his shoulder. "Your Majesty?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper and trembling. "Please, open your eyes."

The king furrowed his brows again before he opened his eyes and stared at me with guarded brown eyes that were filled with pain and worry, and I almost sobbed with relief. He blinked and blinked again but didn't say a word.

I licked my lips before I broke eye contact first and looked at his body with multiple gunshot wounds, worried. "Can you stand?" I asked. "Riser, come here." I looked at my horse, and my horse moved to my side.

My horse snorted and nuzzled my shoulder while I took off my cloak and placed it on the king, even though I knew that it wouldn't do anything to protect him from the wind or the rain.

The king stayed silent and stared at me with an unblinking gaze. He didn't say a word while I moved a hand through his fur, checking to see where the bullets hit and if I could get him on my horse without any help.

Conner walked over to us and stepped on a branch, breaking the king's gaze and having it landing on him. He held his hands up in surrender when the king growled and tried to lunge at him but couldn't because of his wounds.

"Don't, Your Majesty," I said and gently pushed him down, worried for his safety. "You are injured, and he hasn't attacked us. He's been trying to get them to leave me alone but wasn't able to."

"The bullets have wolfsbane in them," Conner said. "I believe they have an antidote to help get it out of his system?" he asked, for some reason worried.

"I-I don't know," I said, nervous.

Was I too late before I even began helping him?

"Yes," the king said and closed his eyes through the pain while he nodded. "The pack knows where and what it is."

I licked my lips, and my bottom lip trembled. I knew that I had to go back; I had to help them make sure that the king would survive this, but I couldn't go back with the pack banned from being in the same room as me. "Take off the order," I said, my voice firm and void of any emotion. "Let me interact with them and not have them get punished."

The king set his jaw, and I couldn't tell if this was from being stubborn, from him not wanting to do it or from being in pain.

"Please," I begged, and my voice cracked before it quivered. "I cannot do this alone, Your Majesty. I don't know how to take care of you. I'm not a Schmit, and I don't have their training. All I share with them is their last name, and even then, it's my mother's name that I carry. So please, I beg you, take it off."

Finally, the king relented and bowed his head with a soft sigh. "Ok," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, and I bit back a small sigh of relief. He cleared his throat and took another deep breath before he called this power that I didn't know he had.

I bit back a gasp and looked at Conner, silently asking him if he felt it.

Conner gave me a small grim smile and slowly nodded, indicating that he did. He didn't say a word while he looked at the king before he looked at me again.

His eyes said, 'you have a lot to learn,' and I knew that I did; I had a lot to learn about the world that my father tried to make sure I was not a part of in any shape or form but had been thrust into it no matter what.

"I rescind my order about you all not speaking, be in the same room, make contact, or look at Belle. You may do as you please and make her feel as welcome as you all can, for she will be our guest until she decides to leave, if she decides to leave." He opened his eyes and looked at me with an unknown emotion in them, and for a moment, I thought I saw the man inside the beast, wanting to break out but couldn't. "This order starts now and shall be followed as such. Is that understood?""

The wind howled as if it was the pack howling in happiness, and there was this small pop as if something in my chest burst, and I could finally breathe.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said through a sigh of relief before I grew serious and started to assess a way to get him onto Riser so that I could get him back to the kingdom. "Now, come, let's get you on Riser and get you back to the kingdom so that we can get you help. Ok?"

The king nodded and stayed silent. He closed his eyes and grimaced in pain before he opened his eyes and stared at me

"Rest," I said and moved a hand across his face, gently, not afraid of him. "You will be fine. I promise."

And with that, the king relaxed and finally let himself pass out.

Goddess, please make sure that I am telling the truth, I silently prayed. Please. I can't lose him too.