"There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart."-- John Cooper
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I don't know what I expected.
Maybe a sick and dying twenty-some-year-old. Maybe a healthy teen.
What I got was neither.
She was beautiful. A scrawny little thing, but beautiful. She walked into the castle and stopped, her hands shaking in fear.
The king certainly made her up fancily.
She was probably just some poor soul that they grabbed off the street and forced to do this. Her stance gave a lot of it away.
Why did I want this in the first place?
Silly. You wanted this for...amusement.
The girl opened and closed her mouth, convincing herself to say something. She was terrified.
But she needs to be afraid.
Her brown curls were pinned up in a high bun with a few strands falling out, framing her tanned face. She wore a crimson dress with gold trimming the edges that her hands gripped unknowingly as she looked around, her dark green eyes wide and searching the room. Her shoes were covered in mud, as if she walked through the forest to get here.
Come to think of it, her whole dress was muddy. She must have been attacked earlier.
My mind wandered to the vespers that roamed the area outside of my castle grounds. Part of me hoped fervently that the girl wasn't harmed, but another part didn't care.
I shouldn't worry about her. She is only here to seal a deal that the king and I made. And end the--
I didn't even allow myself to finish the thought. A sly grin pulled at my lips.
Foolish king. The vespers are animals, not soldiers. He must have been very frightened of being uprooted from his throne that he saw a whole army when he looked at one.
I turned my attention back to the quivering girl standing in the room.
Time to have some fun.
"Name?" I said the word harshly, trying to scare her. She shivered. Good. She should have been afraid.
"Zara."
She spoke softly. Zara. Another name surfaced to my lips, one I hadn't spoken in years. Pain shot through my head like a stab. I roared, wanting to push it down. I didn't wish to talk to the girl longer than I had to.
A small gasp came from her. I didn't even know if she knew she had gasped, it was so tiny.
"Full name?" I didn't know why I cared. I saw her hesitate, thinking it through.
"Lizaveta Zara Tribeka."
The muscles in her face barely twitched when she said her first name. Not much, but I noticed it.
Lizaveta. That's not a horrible name.
I felt myself relaxing. I was scared to know her name for some reason, afraid that it would be the same as hers. An image of a smiling face of a laughing woman surfaced to the top of my mind, but the memory wouldn't allow itself to be recalled.
I focused on the girl again. A deep part of my mind decided to call her what she said. Lizaveta.
No! I shook my head. I shouldn't call her anything but girl, and only that if I must address her.
"You are the daughter of the king?" I growled. I wanted to see her reaction. The curiosity of if she could keep her face straight was killing me.
The girl gulped. "No, sir. I am a..."
She fell silent. I waited for her answer. Nothing came.
"Answer me!" I roared.
She jumped. "I am the daughter of a knight."
Huh, I mused, surprised. She kept her nerves in.
Bravery is not lost on her.
She was silent, probably waiting for me to ask her more questions. I opened my mouth to tell her where she would stay and who would answer to her.
"Where are you?" came blurted out from the girl. An urge to run over and snap her mouth shut came over me.
Aggravation. Watch it, boy.
I closed my mouth and slowly, took a deep breath. I did not like to be interrupted.
Besides, she mustn't see me. Not yet.
"Where I am is of no concern to you. Raul will take you to your room where you will stay until I summon you. Understood?" I hadn't meant to raise my voice again, but I did anyway.
I saw her flinch. Then, she jumped as Raul suddenly appeared beside her, his name having been called. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. As I turned to leave the room, she spoke once more.
"Wait!"
It's as if she knew I was about to leave.
"You know my name now. Shouldn't I also know yours?"
Names. What is the big deal with names? Why does she--
I froze, hand on the doorway. The prickling sensation of the beginning of the change came over me.
Why is this happening now? I willed it to stop, panicked. I let out a harsh laugh and answered the girl's question as quickly as I could. I couldn't tell her who I was.
Not then.
Head pounding, I left with a swish of my cloak.
Outside. I need outside. I can't turn in here.
I ran across the hall, clenching my jaws shut. That little bit of emotion hurt me. Just one sliver.
I can't get near her. She'll die.
Die by my hand.
I threw away my cloak as I ran. I knew that the castle would fix the mess before the girl got into the hallway. Every step I took was painful, jarring me as I held back the creature wanting to burst from my chest.
I grasped the handle of the first door to the outside that I reached. Flinging it open, I ran into the woods behind the castle and allowed myself to relax my hold on the change.
Pain ripped through me, down my spine, and in my chest. I watched my claws grow longer and dark fur protrude from my skin, turning me into a gigantic thing. I felt my teeth sharpen in my mouth, biting my lips and drawing blood.
The repetitive pulsing in my head I had felt during the change faded. I looked down into the shape that I had become.
I was a monster, like I told her to call me.
I am a monster.
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Like I said last chapter, a different POV( you know, it took me forever to realize that POV meant point of view? *facepalm) How do you like it being from the beast's perspective?
Noa
Please, remember to VOTE. I really love hearing from everybody, so comments are greatly appreciated.
Discussion starter: Thoughts on the Beast?