"Belle?!" Peter asked, shocked and afraid when I ran into the castle without Reif by my side. He watched me run towards my room and didn't follow me. "Wh-"
"I'm free," I said, interrupting him. I grabbed my skirt and started to run up the stairs, and Peter followed me without me telling him to, and I couldn't help but feel grateful that he was there. "I'm free, Peter."
"Free?" Peter asked, and I nodded in confirmation. There was a small bit of hesitance in his voice while he asked that as if he was scared as to what I would reveal. "What do you mean by "free," Belle? What's going on? Why are you running?"
"I'm free," I said, kicking off one of my shoes and then another on the steps because I couldn't get up the steps fast enough. I grabbed my skirt tighter in my hands before I started to try and run faster, my heart pounding just as fast as I was going. "I mean, I can leave the kingdom."
"Wait, what?" Peter asked. He tried to grab me, but I was able to dodge his grab before he could stop me, and he cussed and stumbled just a tad before he was able to catch himself again. "Damn it, Belle!" he exclaimed, and I knew that he was scowling and narrowing his eyes at me. "What was that for?"
"That was for you trying to grab me," I said and glanced at him from the corner of my eye before I looked forward again because I didn't want to stumble and fall up the steps when I didn't have time to do so. "We can talk on the run to my room and then me getting out of this dress."
"Bu-"
"No, Peter," I said, interrupting my cousin, shaking my head. "No buts. We're running."
Peter bit back an annoyed sigh, and I had a feeling that he nodded, even though I didn't turn around to look at him. "Ok," he said, sounding defeated before he cleared his throat. "Are you going to leave the kingdom?"
"Yes," I confirmed and nodded in confirmation.
"Why?"
"Because I want to find my father," I replied. "I want to make sure that he is safe."
"But what about us?" Peter asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I paused and looked at him to see that he looked sullen and forlorn. His ears were set close to the back of his head, and his eyes were filled with unshed tears that he was trying to hold in. "What about us?" he asked again.
My heart ached, and I set my jaw because I knew what he meant and knew that he wanted me to fall in love with Reif and get them turned back into humans and not just this halfway form that they were stuck in. "I'll be back," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, making a promise that I hoped I could keep.
Peter hesitated before he slowly nodded. There was a look of doubt in his eyes, and I had a feeling that he had no idea if I would have time left or if my father would let me come back.
I bit the inside of my lip and kept making my way to my room with him coming beside me. "Do you know how much time I have left?" I asked, my voice barely above, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
My cousin smiled grimly and shook his head. "I don't know," he said, his voice also barely above a whisper. "It could be hours or days at this point, but I don't know."
I hesitated before I slowly nodded. "Then I will try to be as fast as I can," I promised. "All I want to do is make sure that he is alive and then come back."
If I am able to come back...
That thought crossed my mind, and I knew that it crossed my cousin's mind as well because he set his jaw and cleared his throat, flicking his tail back and forth.
"What if your father doesn't want you to come back?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he raised an eyebrow in question.
I ran to my room and opened the door, shaking my head while I stepped in with him following me. "Don't say something like that, Peter," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, too, "especially when the door is opened."
Peter bit back a small snort and rolled his eyes. He closed the door and went over to me as if he knew that I was going to need help getting out of this dress. "Fine," he said and started to help as gently and quickly as he could. "What if your father doesn't want you to come back?" he asked again, this time louder. "You know that there is a c-"
"I will leave and come back even if he doesn't want me to," I said, interrupting him. "Also, didn't I tell you not to say something like that?" I turned my head so that I could look at him, and he playfully growled and moved my head back the way it was so that he could work on getting the dress loose enough so that I could take it off.
"Don't move, Belle," he said, "unless you want me to rip this dress by accident."
I held back an eye roll but did what he said to do and stopped moving. "Answer my question, though," I said. "Didn't I tell you not to say something like that? Even if Papa doesn't want me to come back, I am going to."
"Why?" He continued to take the dress off, and I bit back a small sigh of relief when I could finally breathe.
Thank, Goddess...
My cheeks turned slightly red, and I looked down, not able to meet his gaze. "Because I think I have feelings for him," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, and my cheeks turned another shade of red.
My cousin stopped taking off my dress, and his heart skipped a beat before it started to pound faster in his chest. "W-W-What?" he asked, stuttering. "What did you say?"
"I will tell you if you can continue to take off my dress, Peterica," I said, and he scowled and rolled his eyes but did what I said and started to take my dress off again. "Hurry up. I'm running out of time."
Peter rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. However, he did what I told him to do and picked up his pace, still being as gentle as ever so that he wouldn't rip the dress.
My cheeks turned another shade of red, and I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "I think I have feelings for him," I said again, my voice barely above a whisper. "He's shown me the man that he could be and has let love enter his heart again."
"You helped, Belle," Peter said softly. "You've helped him a lot." He cleared his throat and stopped undoing the dress, and I was about to say something when he beat me to it by saying something else. "Now, grab the dress in the front so it doesn't fall down and reveal your boobs. I don't want the king to have my head."
I bit back a small laugh and did what he said, grabbing the dress in the front so that it wouldn't fall down. "I have an under slip under the actual dress, Peter," I said, the laugh still in my voice. "Now go ahead and take it off. I have my hands over it."
Peter did what I said and took it off. He didn't say a word before he moved into a corner, and I had a feeling that he was still going to stay while I got ready to leave.
"Besides, you have already seen me naked before," I said and shimmied out of the dress as well as the under slip dress that Elenor helped me put on. "Many times."
"But we were young, then, Belle," Peter said. "We were young and didn't have mates that cared about us."
"Well, we had mates, but we haven't met them yet," I said and gave him a pointed look. I ran to my dresser where I still had clothes and started to pull something out to change into, not caring what it was. "I am sure that we had mates then, too."
Peter shrugged, and I had a feeling that he grimaced. "True," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "Are you taking, Pippa?" he asked, changing the subject.
"No," I said and shook my head while I continued to get dressed. "Like I said, I'm going to come back. I don't want Pippa to get in the way of anything if something happens."
He paused and slowly nodded. "Does His Majesty know?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I hesitated before I shook my head, and I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "I don't think so," I said, my voice at the same level as his. "I am not sure if he knows or not. We didn't talk about it."
"Why not?" Peter asked, and I shrugged and grimaced, not saying a word. "Did you think that he wants you to come back?"
I was putting on my shoes at this time and paused, my heart aching at the thought of him not wanting me back. "I hope so," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I continued to put them on. "Please, tell me that he won't be expecting me back," I pleaded and looked at him with wide eyes.
Peter sighed and shook his head, moving a hand through fur on his head before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "I think he is hoping that you will come back after you find your father and make sure that he stays safe, but..." He trailed off and shifted on his feet some more.
But he doesn't know if you will have enough time...
I bit my lip and bowed my head, finishing tying up my boots. Please, let me have the time to do this, I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess and closed my eyes.
My whole body grew warm, and I shivered while my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound faster and harder in my chest, and I had a feeling that the Moon Goddess was answering my prayers.
I had time...
I breathed a small sigh of relief before I nodded and stood, making my way toward where I had kept my weapons with Peter turning around to watch me.
"Why did you nod?" Peter asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"The Moon Goddess gave me a sign that I was going to have time," I said and took my gun from where I had hid it and made sure that there were some bullets in it before I stuffed it into one of my boots, wanting to at least have one hidden before I placed the other on my side.
"Are you sure?" Peter asked, trying to hide the hope that he was feeling. "I mean, why would she contact you?"
I shrugged and grimaced, not knowing that answer. "I do not know why, but she did," I said. I grabbed my dagger with its sheath and started to put it on my belt before I sighed and shook my head, again. "However, let's not talk about that, at least for right now. Ok?"
My cousin pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. "Do you think that she knows you like him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he pricked his ears toward me in interest. "Do you think that will be enough?"
I bit back a small sigh and shook my head. "I don't think so," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, and tightened the dagger around my waist, making sure that both the gun and dagger were on either side. "I think that she might want me to actually say it."
"Like in front of him?" Peter asked, and I nodded in confirmation. He sighed before he slowly nodded. "Be careful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, and I bit back snort before I slowly nodded.
"I will," I said and walked over to my cloak before I stopped in front of it, grabbed it, swung it around my shoulders, and started to tie the ribbons around my neck.
There was a scratching sound at my door and then a small bark, and I paused and looked at the door before I looked at Peter and started to do it again.
"Can you open the door and let Pippa in, please?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
Peter nodded in confirmation before he walked over to the door and opened it for my dog to come in.
My dog walked into the room wagging her tail but stopped when she saw that I was dressed and ready to go. She whined and cocked her head, staring at me, and I could tell that she wanted to know if she was coming with me.
"You're staying here, Pip," I said apologetically with a small smile on my face, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, Girlie, but I need you to stay here. Peter and the king will look after you." I paused and looked at my cousin with a raised eyebrow. "Right?"
"We will," he promised and nodded. He held out his arms, and I walked into his arms and hugged him tight just like him hugging me tighter, too. "You just have to get back to us safe and sound. Please?" His voice shook a little when he said that, and my throat closed.
I nodded in confirmation and cleared my throat. "I will," I promised and squeezed him tighter, my voice cracking. 'I love you, Peter."
My cousin snorted and nodded. "I love you, too, Belle," he said. He cleared his throat and let me go after he placed a small kiss on my forehead. "I'll see you when you get back?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
I nodded and looked around my room to make sure that I had everything before I looked at him again. "I will see you when I get back, with or without my father," I promised before I partially ran to the still open bedroom door.
"Wait!" Peter exclaimed, and I paused and looked at him, annoyed.
"What?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. I narrowed my eyes and scowled while I stared at him. "What do you want?"
Peter bit back a small smile and gestured to my quiver and bow that I had kept near the door. "Don't forget them," he said. "You might need them even if you have a dagger and two guns."
I held back an eye roll but sighed and nodded, relenting. "Fine," I grumbled and went over to grab it. "Now, can I go?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question being sarcastic, making sure that I placed the quiver around my back and slung the arrow across my shoulder.
"Yes," Peter confirmed and nodded. "You can go. Be careful. Please?"
"Of course," I said. "I love you, and I will see you soon."
And with that, I twisted around, told Pippa to stay, and ran out of the room, praying that I wasn't too late to make sure that my father was safe.
I didn't know what I would do if something bad happened to him while I was away from him, but I knew that I wouldn't forgive myself if something bad did happen to him...
He was all that I had left...