Beastly Desires

Chapter Fourty

Here lies Ayra. She was seven and twenty years old when she came to the castle. She was a spinster and a peasant. Lord Sébastien took her in and gave her respite as her brother had been slain by wolves on their travels. She was fearless, stubborn and enjoyed reading. Lord Sébastien read to her almost everyday and soon their acquaintance blossomed into an unspoken desire towards one another. She did not know the power she could have wielded towards the curse placed on us. On Sébastien. She did not know that she flirted with death. Lord Sébastien fell to her pursuit and they both divulged in their desires toward one another one night. The Lord knew the consequences that would follow. Ayra did not live to see another day as her desires were wasted on a curse she could not break. For she did not love him when she gave herself to him. And after their consummation, Ayra passed away because of it and Lord Sébastien remained a beast. It is not a woman who will set Lord Sébastien free of this curse. It will be him who sets himself free by living to be better than who he was when he took Celeste against her will. He swore not to take another's life but to cherish the life he now has.

Colette stared at the hedgestone and now understood why Sébastien urged her to leave. If he fell prey to his desires and took her she would die.

She looked up to see Niel making his way back towards her through the gravestones. She handed him the letter and he tucked it away, offering his arm to her and a reassuring tilt of his head. He had known Sébastien desired her and was protecting her by sharing this personal information. Was this the reason Sébastien had refrain from telling her how to break the curse the time she asked him in the library.

"Thank you." She murmured and linked her arm through his. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I'm sorry about Ayra."

He gave her a small smile but it did not reach his eyes. There was sadness behind them and she wondered if he and Ayra developed a close friendship with one another for the length of time she had been here.

...

Colette found herself in the kitchen, leaning against the table with a half eaten apple in her hand. Aarav busied himself with preparing lunch. He seemed less himself today and Colette knew he was saddened to hear about her leaving tomorrow.

"Your sulking is going to ruin the food," she mused. She hoped a little humor would pull him out of his deep focus on dicing vegetables.

He gave her a half smile but quickly dropped it. "It's him, isn't it?"

Colette looked at Aarav and debated telling him the truth.

"Damn him." He breathed, plunging the knife into the table. "Every time a maiden comes to the door he winds up fucking them, then killing them."

Colette reeled back at the vulgar and somewhat violent retort. There was bitterness and hurt in his voice.

"I'm sorry." He exhaled, gripping the edges of the table.

She knew he was losing a friend. A companion. That was what he had become to her the week that she had been here. She knew he felt the same towards her.

"I am not leaving because of him." Liar. " I'm leaving because my father is well enough to travel and because..." say it. "I am to be betrothed when I arrive home."

Aarav looked up with wide eyes. His bitter frown slowly morphed and turned into a wide devilish grin. His teeth gleamed with saliva as he smiled deviously at her. "Oh. Betrothed you say? Well then. It sounds more like you're running to hop into bed with your betrothed." He purred.