44. Belle

"Belle!"

I hear their voices in the distance, but no matter how much I want to return to them, I fight my instincts and remain by Francis" side.

He is just as plain as I remember.

Yet something about him is a little different.

His hair is unkempt, and a desperate, acrid scent seeps from his pores.

That is the scent of fear.

"Belle!"

He chuckles when they call my name again, his fingers digging into my upper arm as he drags me through the forest.

My feet stumble on a rock.

"You really thought you could get away from me…"

I don"t reply. I just continue to resist their calls.

"You"re mine, Belle. You always will be…"

Finally, I glare at his face.

He falters when he spies my expression.

The Beta is so used to me being a mouse. He didn"t expect a lioness to glare right back at him.

I beat him once before, and I will do it again.

I just have to find a way where he won"t take out his anger on the pack.

"I can walk myself."

The Beta peers at his fingers around my upper arm. Then he shakes his head, hauling me through the forest again.

"You have no autonomy, Belle. No free will. You are merely a product. A weapon…"

My heart seizes at the word weapon.

It"s the main reason why I won"t run back to them.

Because I know he will ring that little bell and make me hurt them.

The bastard.

"I am not your weapon!"

He tightens his grip around my arm, pulling me closer to his face, and now I stare into his watery eyes.

I don"t back away from his challenge.

I"m not afraid of him anymore...

His eyes trail over my red nightdress, and he grinds his teeth.

"Vile color. I told you to always wear white."

"No. It"s a boring color, like you, Francis…"

His eyes flash in warning, but I stand my ground.

Then with a slimy smirk, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his bell, and I close my eyes.

It"s over.

From here on out, I will be his weapon.

The moment it jingles, my world grows dark, and then the last thing I recall is Rian"s distant voice.

He is out there somewhere looking for me.

But I can"t return.

There"s no telling what Francis will make me do to him.

***

When I awake, it"s morning.

Birdsong trills everywhere, and the air smells soft like rain.

For a moment, I think the scent belongs to Jeremy, and I open my eyes, searching for him.

But all I find are trees.

I am alone, and Francis is nowhere to be seen.

When I gaze down at my hands, my body shakes.

I"m covered in blood.

No. Not again…

But when I look a second time, I realize it was just my imagination and breathe a sigh.

Shouts echo in the distance, and for a split second, I think it"s the pack.

But I soon realize that those shouts belong to someone else.

Men in uniform jump out from the trees, pointing guns at me. "Hands in the air!"

I raise my arms as I have no choice but to submit to them.

Francis handed me over to the government…

His sweet little weapon.

They have every right to point those guns at me.

Because I am a danger to this world.

And I will never know another day of freedom again.

But I swear I will find them one day.

My pack.

And now I hold on to an image of his moss-green eyes as I think, I will find you again, Rian.

END