Chpt 2

2.

How many years had he spent locked away in the darkness?

How long had it been since he last saw the light? Since he last felt the warm rays of the sun against his face?

Beast couldn’t remember. Loneliness had become a solemn companion, a bittersweet sorrow. Every time he thought about his life and trying to reclaim a small remnant of the joy he once felt, his gaze would go to the glass-encased rose that sat on the stained-glass table. A beautiful yet ugly reminder of his past life and what lay before him.

“B***h,” he angrily whispered. After the countless years that had passed, his rage hadn’t subsided. In fact, with each passing day, every time he was forced to look at his monstrous reflection in the mirror, his fury doubled. There had been a number of times he had thought about eating the witch b***h.

Beast licked one of his obscenely long fangs but then thought better of eating her. No doubt she would leave an everlasting bitter taste in his mouth. He would much rather strangle her, wrap his claws around her neck and squeeze until all the light drained from her eyes. Then he would toss her body out one of the many windows that overlooked the jagged rocks behind the castle. The sight of her broken form lying in a dark pool of her own blood would give a small part of his broken soul some peace. As for the rest of his soul, it would just have to remain shattered because there was no way he was going break the spell she had put him under.

It was a pity really. If it hadn’t been for her needful and clingy actions, maybe they could’ve had another little fling or two as the years went on. But no, like any other woman, she had to ruin a perfectly good and convenient relationship by adding complex emotions into the equation and instantly ruin the bond they had created over the years.

“Women,” Beast huffed and took his gaze away from the enchanted rose. Turning his attention back out the window of his bedroom and towards the bright glowing moon, he once again lost himself to his thoughts.

“Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them,” he heard a voice say behind him. With a side glance, he found the one person who had stuck with him through it all.

“A pain in the a*s,” Beast responded. Once again, his gaze went back to the moon, and he thought about a story he heard a long time ago. It was an old story about the moon, its love for the sun and how it would sacrifice itself every night so the sun could live.

Love itself was a concept that eluded him, but to have the type of love that would cause you to sacrifice yourself just for the happiness of the one you loved was an even more foreign concept for him.

Beast looked at his claws resting in his lap and growled. Truly, who could love a monster like him? What woman’s love was so strong that she would look past the creature he was and see what was inside his heart?

Yeah right. Beast snorted, aware that his brother had walked into the room and taken a seat in the chair across from him.

“There is nothing in my heart,” Beast said aloud. As much as he might have wished things were different, it was too late for him to change his ways. The mere thought of falling in love with any woman didn’t appeal to him. In fact, he felt nothing as he thought about it.

“Is that what you think?” Camren asked.

Without looking away from the window, Beast responded, “Camren, it is what I know. Any love I had inside of me was ripped out when I was young… and you know this. You were there.” Beast gave a pointed stare at his brother, yellow eyes locking with Camren’s cool gray stare.

“I was.” Camren paused. “But I also suffered beside you. Yet, we’ve had two different outcomes with our lives.”

“That’s because you were smart enough to stay away from a jealous witch.”

Camren didn’t respond, creating an awkward silence between them.

“So…” Beast said, breaking the silence.

Finally turning to face his brother, Beast shifted his large body in his chair. “What brings you to my end of the world? I’m sure it’s not just to shoot the s**t with your beloved brother.”

“We have a visitor,” Camren said, getting to the point.

“Who is it?” Beast asked. For a reason he couldn’t explain, a dark sensation shot down his spine. Judging by the way his heart started racing and the heated anger that suddenly started bubbling beneath the surface of his skin, his day was about to go from bad to s**t in the next few moments.

“You won�"”

Before Camren could finish his sentence, the doors of the bedroom burst open. In a whirl of wind that could only be conjured up by magic, the one being Beast never wanted to see again strolled into his room as if she owned the place.

“Still sitting around whining I see.” She smiled as she spoke.

The longer he was forced to look at her, the more his mouth watered for a taste of vengeance.

“Aw, come on, don’t look at me like that. We used to have such a great relationship. We really shouldn’t let the past ruin things any further.”

“F**k you,” Beast growled as he watched her saunter her way into his room. Wearing a pair of casual gray dress pants that hugged her slim hips, a loose-fitting black top that hinted at the full beasts that he was more than familiar with, and a pair of black dress shoes, she looked like the owner of a Fortune 500 company rather than the destructive parasite she was.

“Been there, done that.” She waved her hand dismissively, and it took everything he had to remain sitting in place as she walked over to him and his brother. “Hello, darling.”

“Darling?” Caught between his rage and shock, Beast watched as the woman who was responsible for his torment smiled and climbed into his brother’s lap. Wrapping her arms around him, she snuggled close like some domesticated house cat and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

What the hell have I missed? Beast locked gazes with his brother, and the apology reflected in his gaze sent Beast’s fury over the top. It spilled out in a massive wave that had him on his feet and reaching the short distance for his brother. Ignoring the witch that sat in his lap, Beast grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. Not caring that the tips of his claws cut into Camren’s neck, or about the way his “darling” witch fell to the floor.

“What the f**k is going on?” Beast growled lowly at his brother. With steam literally coming from his snout, he waited for Camren to respond. When his brother said nothing, simply stared at him with that same apologetic look, Beast rose to his full height, casting his disfigured shadow across the room.

Jerking Camren so close that his snout touched his brother’s nose, Beast said, “I said, what are you doing letting this deceitful b***h sit on your lap and call you darling?” No longer in control of his feelings, there was nothing his brother could say that would justify what he had just seen.

“Now, now, there’s no need to fight over me.”

He felt the light touch of her hand against his arm. Before he knew it, Beast had tossed his brother into a nearby chair and turned his attention to the female behind him. Snarling, he reached for her. Just as his hand came close to touching her it stopped, suddenly frozen in place as a wide smile appeared on her face.

He knew she enjoyed his anger, relished in his rage, and yearned for his pain. As much as he tried to control his anger when he saw her, her curse had turned him into a violent creature whose temper was a hair trigger that continuously sent him over the edge.

“How many times must we go through this?” She gave a bored sigh and waved her hand.

Instantly, Beast found himself unable to move, his hands forced to his sides and his legs stuck in place. No matter how hard he struggled to free himself, it was useless.

“You, my dear, cannot do anything to me.” She shook her head and gave an amused chuckle as she walked up to him. So much shorter than him in his current form, she barley reached his chest. “After all these years…” She touched him, one of her hands patting the fur that covered his body.

Beast inwardly cringed.

“You still haven’t learned that there’s nothing you can do to hurt me.” She continued to pet him. With each stroke, the need to bend down and bite her head off consumed him. Yet, he couldn’t move. All he could do was growl his anger and frustration at her.

“I must say that every time I see you I marvel more and more at my creation.” She looked up at him and outright laughed. “I’ve outdone myself. You are by far my favorite pet.” She laughed again, and his eyes narrowed dangerously on her. “Don’t look at me like that. You should have just loved me when you had the chance. But now”, her voice lowered to a whisper that traveled all the way up to his ear, as if she was standing beside him. “I have a new toy. Let’s hope his future is much brighter than yours.”

“Cassandra,” Camren’s voice drew their attention.

Beast turned to his brother who was limping his way over to them. Left with no choice but to watch, he forced himself to calm down. Meeting his brother’s gaze, Beast frowned at the rage reflected in Camren’s stare. At first, Beast thought it was directed at him for causing the limp he now had. Beast offered his brother an apology that Beast could only reflect through his stare. When Camren’s gaze locked with Beast’s, his brother nodded and turned his attention back to Cassandra.

What exactly is going on between those two?

“Are you hurt, my love?” The concern in her voice would have made Beast laugh if he could. Such a display she was putting on when everyone in the room knew there was only one thing Cassandra cared about, and it wasn’t either of them.

“I’ll be fine. But let’s go. We have some place we have to be.” Camren extended his hand to her. “Have you had enough fun? Do you want to come with me or continue to torture my brother in front of me?”

Beast’s gaze went to Cassandra.

She must have felt his stare because she turned her head and looked up at him and then turned her attention back to Camren.

“Fine.” She pouted as she took Camren’s hand, and he pulled her to his side. “I guess I’m finished for today.” She gave another wave of her hand.

 Beast suddenly felt twenty pounds heavier as she released her hold over him. His large arms hung limply at his sides while his legs suddenly struggled to support his weight. If he hadn’t braced himself against his chair, he would have fallen to the floor.

I’ll be back once I get rid of her. Camren’s voice echoed in Beast’s head as his brother proceeded to escort Cassandra away and towards the doors of the room.

“See you later, handsome,” she said with a wink, blowing a kiss just before she and Camren disappeared from the room.

With Cassandra and Camren gone, Beast allowed his exhaustion to overtake him, and he fell to his knees. His yellow gaze went to the enchanted rose that had yet to bloom, and he let out a deep and sorrow-filled howl.

How long would it be before he was released from his torment, before death overtook him and he could be at peace?

He chuckled at his own stupidity. Thanks to his own foolish actions and playing with powers he should have left alone, he was an immortal with or without this curse. It was something Cassandra had known very well when she had condemned him. Same as she knew that, besides her, there was no one who would find the hideous beast he had become attractive, let alone love him.

Depression and a bleak acceptance washed over him. There was no hope. He would forever be this�"he lifted his claws and stared at them�"ugly creature. Condemned to a life of darkness because he simply told the truth to the one person he thought understood him.

With that thought in mind, the rest of Beast’s energy left him, and he collapsed to the floor as darkness overtook him, hopefully taking him to a place much brighter than the cold cage he currently lived in.

Author's Note

Enjoy