2. The Prince and the Beast

THE PRINCE AND THE BEAST

T he feminine shriek beyond the wall alerted me to the trespasser. I anticipated the vines bringing me my prisoner and I waited. And waited. The only thrill that brings life to the surface turned to annoyance as I waited longer than I ever have before. The beast in me huffed in frustration and clawed to come to the surface.

It wanted to maim and kill whoever dared threaten us. Whoever had the stupidity or the ego to step foot on our land.

As my fists clenched and a low growl settled in my chest, I was all too aware I had no choice but to desire the same.

The damn curse forced me to obey the will of the beast. Gritting my teeth, I held back the disdain, only because I knew I would only hear howls. I haven't heard my own voice in years.

"Only the beast will be shown." A low, menacing growl escaped my lips as I remembered that cruel enchantress and her hissed curse.

It's not the magic I held accountable for my anger, though. It's the people who turned their backs on me. Pacing, I snarled, unsure of whether the sound had come from me or the beast.

Patience, I demanded to myself. Patience would be rewarded. I stretched my arms over my head and cracked my back and then my neck. Waiting for prey was far better than waiting for the rose to die, I reminded myself, only to be met with protest from my lesser half.

The beast howled impatiently and I silently scolded him. We would have our chance to see who the magic has captured soon enough.

My gaze slipped to the wall, and I resisted the urge to scale it in an attempt to see what happened to my prey. The magic had no mercy. If there was a trespasser, I was sure to see them soon. The faint memory of the cry begged for my mercy. Compassion pulsed inside of me and it was a feeling I'd almost forgotten entirely. I would instill a little fear into the children if the magic had not already scared them off. But the adults, well…they knew what they were doing. I couldn't let that disrespect go unpunished.

The beast whined, fearing for its life. Even after all these years, he was still scarred by the memory. I shook my head. No one had come to try to destroy us in many years. It was most likely a thief that had come. Someone to pilfer the gold and silver that still resided in the castle. I've seen the village's lack of wealth, and the people slowly disintegrate as corruption bled into politics. Again I snarled. If only I was still ruling. The beast clawed at me once again, the sharp claws demanding attention as anger took over. I let the outrage pulse through my veins. Anger was such an easy emotion to be consumed with, and at this point, I enjoyed it.

Every few months, another pillager attempted to climb the wall. They had hopes that I was gone or dead or that they would get by me and ransack the castle. I smirked at their stupidity. Poverty and desperation will make a man do many foolish things. They should choose a different path, because I'm far from dead and even further from merciful. They'd risk their lives coming to steal from me. I may have had mercy on them if I had control. But I do not. And the beast is ruthless. To the beast, it is us or them. It is war.

I turned toward the front of the property as I heard the creaking of the gate. My brow furrowed in curiosity as my blood rushed in my ears.

The gates let no one in. So why did they part?

A heat slicked across the back of my neck as I took a hesitant and careful step to the side to disguise myself within the shadows. Hope rose in my chest for the first time in years. Had the sorceress returned to break the spell? I walked quickly but silently along the edge of the path to the gate, hiding in the mist.

I caught the intoxicating scent of a woman, and the smell aroused me in a way that I hadn't felt in years. It was quickly diminished by anger. Whoever she was, she was no sorceress and momentarily I was enraged that I wasted energy on hope.

This woman who trespassed had taken what little hope remained and crushed it with her presence. I clenched my fists and silently approached. A snarl rose within me, but my breath did not let it leave my lips as I caught sight of her.

A different feeling entirely took over.

Her hazel eyes shone bright and longingly toward the garden. My heart thumped as desire rose and I attempted to swallow. Her small hands wrapped along her shoulders as a chill swept by. The cold forced her skin to flush; the color rose from her chest to her cheeks. It took everything in me to hold back the primitive groan that the sight of her elicited.

Her long lashes fluttered and she released a faint gasp, parting her lush red lips. Her brunette hair, ruffled by the wind, made my fingers twitch and ache to run through her locks. My eyes traveled down her curves and lingered at her wide hips and narrow waist. Perfect for gripping. My mind played tricks on me, imagining her on her hands and knees gasping for breath with those swollen cherry lips. I would take hold of those hips and thrust into her easily and deeply. She had the body to take a punishing fuck.

My dick hardened at the thought, and I stifled my groan yet again. The beast roared his approval inside of me. With one step forward, I dared to move closer.

The last thing I desired was to startle her or alert her to my presence. I can't let her see me. Thump. A pang of fear gripped me, but only for a moment. The beast lifted its head in curiosity at the thought. I'd never cared before whether or not I was seen. It's not like I was ever going to let the trespassers leave and if they were children, they should certainly see the beast to tell the village he lived beyond the castle walls.

So why did I care about this girl? I palmed my dick in answer. I wanted her. I let out a low groan remembering the vision of me fucking her mercilessly on the ground right before me. I wanted her more than my next breath. But I knew I couldn't have her. The beast reared back and slammed through me, fighting for dominance at the thought that I wouldn't take her.

Her breasts rose as she breathed deep and glanced to her left. The small action caught the attention of the beast and we both focused on our prey. I followed her gaze. I was momentarily shocked. The magic offered her comfort. But why?

The sight of the shawl broke my desire for her, and I again questioned her presence. Why had the magic let her in? She walked quickly to the shawl and huddled beneath it, making her look even more fragile and delicate. Her lips released a pleasing sound that made my cock that much harder. I waited for her to head toward the castle. Or toward the garden. Did she plan on stealing food? That would be forgivable. The beast huffed in disagreement. For her, it would be forgivable. My chest rumbled as the beast agreed, thinking of ways her insolence could be used against her.

I eyed her curves as her body gently trembled beneath the shawl. I wouldn't mind taking payment from her body. I'd give her anything she wanted within these walls to have her begging me for her release. I wanted her submissive and obedient. I grinned wickedly, waiting for her to make her move.

A small smile played at her lips as she sat on the swing. Nestled in the shawl, she laid her head against the rope as her thumb ran up and down the natural fibers. My beast panted, wanting her to run her fingers through his fur. He rubbed up against me, urging me to move toward her. My feet obliged. My gaze transfixed on the beautiful woman who seemed to want nothing more than to enjoy herself. I longed to give her pleasure. The beast howled in agreement.

We would give her pleasure and then take ours in return. My muscles relaxed as I stepped forward as quietly as I could and gave way as the beast fought for control. It was a rarity that we ever wanted the same thing. I won't waste my energy fighting him on this. She trespassed and now she's ours. The magic kept her here for us. Content and fragile. The beast's steps were not as stealth-like as mine. But his speed made up for the noise. The second she heard us approaching, I was already on her.

Her gasp was riddled with fear and shock as my hands graced her neck. The beast wanted to feel her hair. And I pined to wrap it around my wrist to gain control of her.

I needed her weak for me. More than that, I wanted to make sure she would not see me.

As my hands gathered her hair, she went rigid beneath me. Her hands grasped the rope in a way that looked slightly painful. My dick throbbed at the thought. I would give her pleasure so excruciating she would beg for more. Testing that theory, I fisted the remaining hair at the base of her neck and tugged just enough to elicit a soft whimper. My breathing quickened and I grinned as she clenched her thighs tighter, knowing she was warming for me.

The beast scented her, breathing in deep, and smelled her desire. His need to taste her overwhelmed me and he ran his tongue from just below her ear to her shoulder. She gasped with lust at the feel of him on her and a spike of jealousy drove through me. She desired his touch.

The beast bucked against me and I allowed him to scent her again. Taking in the scent of her sweet arousal. I moaned in unison with his low growl, making my chest rumble with approval.

He nipped her neck and I smiled knowing that he would have me take her. I pushed against him, needing to touch her. He allowed it, too concerned with her exposed neck, a submissive pose. He pulled her fisted hair to the right, forcing her to expose more of her neck to him. My dick hardened watching her submission to him. I needed to touch her, to reward her. My fingers slipped into the waist of her skirt, searching for her slit. I groaned deep in my chest at finding her hot and wet. She wanted this just as much as we did. There's no doubt that I would be buried deep inside her wanting pussy in only a few seconds. I circled her clit and watched as she writhed beneath me. As soon as she came undone, I promised myself I would take her just as roughly as I'd imagined. I groaned at the thought of her tight, hot pussy clenching around my throbbing dick. Soon.

Those soft moans brought me to my knees, but as her body shook with the rise of her orgasm, I saw her eyes open. Before I could even begin to worry that she would see me, I recognized the daze in her hazel eyes. She was entranced. My heart froze and fell flat.

The magic had spoiled her. She did not submit to me. She was victim to the magic.

With a disgusted swallow, I attempted to gain control of the beast. Stop! I would not allow this to continue knowing that she was under a spell. The magic made you weak, made you do things you would hate yourself for afterward.

I loathed the witch, but the magic was my enemy. My heart pounded in agony, tortured and tormented. It brought her here to tease me, to prove to me what a beast I really am. I won't let the magic take her as it has taken me.

The beast growled, "Mine" and I pushed back in defiance, but he'd already clamped my teeth onto her shoulder breaking the skin while pinching her clit.

I saw what he wanted. He wanted her writhing beneath me as I fucked her to the ground. Holding her down by her nape with one hand while the other gripped her hips and forced her onto his dick over and over again. He wanted me to rut into her dripping cunt and make her scream in pleasure until she was limp and sated. All the while keeping his fangs pressed into her shoulder. Forcing her to submit to him. To me. To who I truly am. The beast.

But I couldn't let that happen. As much as the beast and my dick protested, I would loathe myself afterward. She was under the enchantment. I raged against the beast as he growled with satisfaction at the mark on her shoulder. His focus on his mark gave me the power to take over. I willed my body to turn from her and when it complied, I used all of my strength to run from her. I pumped my legs hard, fighting against the pull from the beast as he roared in anger at being taken away from her.

It's only when we could no longer see her that he fought me for dominance. His only motive was to fuck her with primal need. I'd taken him from her, and he beat against me with a desire to kill. I took his wrath. After all, he may want to kill me, but he cannot. Had that been possible, I would have ended us long ago.

Only the sounds of the gates closing parted us from our rage. My spirit, weak from the fight, submitted to the beast's will with the knowledge that she was gone. He whined in agony as we watched her take a hopeful glance in our direction before leaving with sadness clouding her eyes.

Two months of fantasizing. Two months of remembering. Two months of longing to relive that one small moment…

Alone in the castle, time tempts me to a craze.

I can still taste her on my tongue. The beast lets out a soft growl of approval at the memory. I wish I hadn't let her go. If only I'd been strong enough to overtake the beast. I could've kept her until the magic gave her a clear mind once again.

With a clear mind though, she wouldn't want us.

My fist strikes the table, splitting the wood in half. The crack echoes through the vast walls of the castle. There's no doubt she only allowed me to give her pleasure because she was not of sound mind.

The beast snarls in protest. If she'd caught sight of my appearance, she would have run. She would have fought.

My dick hardens at the thought of her fighting me. A deep groan of desire leaves me, and my perversion threatens to get the best of me. Fuck. I want that fight willingly. I want her to know that I will take her when she pushes me. I want her to want to fight me so I'll fuck her ruthlessly.

I want it. I want her. I always get what I want.

My anger subsides as I realize I can offer her whatever she'd like. I may be a beast, but there are certain amenities I can offer. She can be available to me. Subservient and willing. I'll have to train her, but I can have her. The thought brings back my hope. I don't need the curse to be broken to have her. I simply need to find out what she desires most. I need to know what brought her here. The beast's chest rumbles in agreement, and he begs me to search her out and bring her back here for us.

It's been months since I've had her and I'm tired of fighting the beast. I need her just as much as he does. I will find her and lure her back here. I grin as I realize it will be easy to find her. After all, the beast has marked her and his magic pumps through her veins. The beast may have claimed her as his, but this time she's mine.