Beastly Desires

Chapter Twenty

His lips twisted into a sneer before he sat the knife back down. "I sleep down here you see. Where I can be close to a knife if I need one." He slid his hand up his neck, a cloud of a memory surfacing his dark brown eyes.

Colette noted the bed of hay nestled in the corner of the room beside her. It looked to have been slept in. Multiple blankets were gathered on top of it and a small candelabra sat beside the single pillow.

"What is he?" She whispered and glanced over her shoulder. She wondered if he could somehow hear them with the wondrous, animalistic features he had.

The man spit onto the floor, wiping at his mouth with the back of his forearm. "A stupid fool is what he is. Was. Now he's a raging beast who'd take you right here on this kitchen table in a moment's heartbeat without blinking twice."

There was such venom and disdain in his voice and Colette wasn't sure what to make of the vulgar answer he gave her or the image that appeared in her head. A hot blush worked its way up her neck and cheeks.

"W- why would you say that?" She stuttered, fisting her skirt in her hands.

The man looked her straight into her eyes and said, "You wouldn't be the first."

Fear sized her and she stumbled away from the table, nearly tripping over the last step of the staircase as she scrambled to regain her balance. "I- I don't understand."

A deep chuckle rose out of the man as he shook his head in disbelief. "Of course no one has told you. How could they? That damn curse," he muttered to himself.

Curse? What curse, Colette thought. Is that why no one would speak to her? Could speak to her. She didn't believe in witches or magic. Yet, Sébastien was something completely outside the natural realm.

The man pulled open a small drawer from the side of the table where he stood and reached in. His hand came up and he was holding a small paring knife. "Here." He held the knife out towards her. "Take it. Put it somewhere on your body, somewhere you can easily obtain it if need be."

He was serious. Not a note of farceness in his voice. Colette tentatively walked over to the table and took the small knife he offered her. She slid it between her stay and skirt. She would need to find a more secure spot later but this would do.

"Thank you."

The man huffed and went to stoke the fire in the hearth. "His Lord wasn't always a beast."

Lord. So it was Lord Sébastien.

"It's been twelve years now since that old witch cursed him with that body. She stole his of course right after he stole hers."

Colette puzzled at the bit of information he offered her. Stole hers. How could one steal another's body?
He continued on, setting the iron poker down and leaning against the mantle. Sweat glistened across his forehead as he looked beyond her into the past.

"The day he took her was the day that changed his life completely. It wasn't just his life but his servants' lives as well and everyone who resided in the castle. He was cursed to become a hideous beast, while his servants lost their ability to speak. Not only that, if he or anyone dared to step outside the castle's outer walls... death. They would be met with immediate death."