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    The Beast
    The Beast
    The Beast
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    The Beast

    By Alianne Donnelly

    ()

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    About this ebook

    There are hard lessons to take from the story of Beauty and the Beast, which tend to be forgotten. Knowing there is a happy ending to be had, we tend to overlook and forgive the Beast’s flaws. But what if they’re not so easy to dismiss? A gentle man trapped in the body of a beast is one thing. But what if the beast is the gentle one, and the man is the monster? What if to save one, the other must be sacrificed?

    Approximately 23,780 words in length. Some adult content. Sequel novella to "Bastien", now with a new, rewritten ending. This is not your classic fairy tale.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlianne Donnelly
    Release dateJan 14, 2012
    ISBN9781465921581
    The Beast
    Author

    Alianne Donnelly

    Alianne Donnelly is an avid lover of stories of all kinds. Raised on a healthy diet of fairy tales in a place where they almost seemed real, she grew into a writer who seeks magic in the modern age and enjoys sharing a little bit of it with the world through every story she writes. Her books span the spectrum from fantasy to science fiction with varying degrees of romance sprinkled throughout. Alianne now lives in California, where she spends her free time reading, writing, and daydreaming. To find out more about her books and works in progress, visit her website at aliannedonnelly.com.

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      Book preview

      The Beast - Alianne Donnelly

      The Beast

      By Alianne Donnelly

      Copyright 2012 Alianne Donnelly

      Smashwords Edition

      Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although it is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com. Thank you for your support.

      This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Epilogue

      About The Author

      Connect With Alianne

      Chapter One

      Don’t go past the anteroom, he warned me, claws worrying his tattered shirt. You cannot trust anything that comes out of his mouth. Promise me, Lysette, promise you’ll remember it’s not me.

      I promised.

      I remember my vow as I lay a shaky hand on the door’s handle. The guard is in the nook, in place of one of the armors. He nods to me in encouragement, but I know he is wary. He knows what is inside that room, and, like his master, he does not want me to see it.

      But I must.

      I worry, but not enough to turn back. I have seen this man, my Beast, in the midst of a rage, terrible fangs flashing as he roared to the skies. I have seen his vicious strength as he brought down wild animals in defense of me. I can look upon his monstrous visage now and see the gentle soul that dwells inside.

      If I can do that, I need to do this, too.

      I wish you would reconsider.

      I didn’t. I cannot.

      I have already accepted everything else about my Beast. Though his claws frightened me at first, they have never harmed me, nor have his fangs. Though he is giant, in height and strength, he takes such care when he moves that I no longer worry walking beside him. I have come to love everything he thought would scare me away.

      Why should this be any different?

      My lady? the guard says and I realize I haven’t moved.

      I am all right, I tell him. He is here to keep me safe, and I can see by the look in his eyes that he is prepared to do his duty. He has orders to put my life above his master’s and, though it will pain him, he will do what he must if it should come to that.

      It worries me far more than the monster waiting beyond this closed door.

      I do not let it show.

      The handle is rusty and sticks as I unlatch the door. It is heavy, but I manage to push it open enough to pass through. I should close it behind me, I know, but cannot seem to bring myself to do it; the anteroom is fully dark and I crave the light of the hallway to guide me.

      I hear breathing farther in the chamber, by the window. My heart throbs and I am unsteady in the pitch black room. I pick my way carefully, move slowly, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

      I can see faint shadows of forms now. The windows I walk toward are giant, but covered with drapes. Even so I can make out the full moon’s glow.

      A rustle of movement makes me hesitate.

      Chains rattle, and I know. I know he senses me near. My palms are moist. I clutch my skirts tight and make myself move forward.

      A sharp inhale. Ah, he breathes. Company. I scarcely recognize the voice.

      The chains tumble to the floor and I hear him moving, dragging them behind, to one side of the room. The spark he makes to light a candle cracks like lightning in the room and makes me flinch. One candle lights another, and another, and still another, until the entire room is aglow. I am at the edge of the anteroom now. This is as far as I am to go.

      His back is to me, a ragged shirt hanging on a frame that looks deceptively sparse in it. But where the neck gapes to his shoulder I can see muscle. The massive manacles encircling his wrists and ankles were each too heavy for me to lift when my Beast showed them to me yesterday. But this creature is not hindered by them in the least. Indeed, he adjusts them as I would a delicate bracelet.

      My mouth is dry, I am far more nervous than I expected to be.

      He stoops to the fireplace, flicks his arm sideways to move the heavy chains out of his way so he can light a fire. So you finally got the courage, he says.

      Y-you know who I am?

      He chuckles, more of a scoff. Oh, I know. He turns and I see his profile, backlit by the fire. He has long wooden stick in his hand to tend the fire; there are no iron pokers in this room. Nothing he could use to free himself. You think I don’t hear your sniveling voice every month? You think I don’t smell that disgusting sewer water you call perfume all over my home? He shoves to his feet and I flinch.

      Worse, he notices. Though I cannot see his face clearly, I … sense his amusement.

      I hear the servants talk about you like some goddamned salvation. They all think you’re a saint come to do battle with the Devil himself. Well? He snaps the chains like a silken train and comes around the massive bed, into the light. What do you think of him?

      Dark golden strands of hair fall over the face of a fallen angel. Strong jaw, proud nose, dark brows and a hard, twisted mouth. But his eyes… They aren’t what I expected to see. They are empty. Cold. Eyes of a true monster.

      Promise me.

      I promised. And I can see it now. This is not my Beast.

      He sneers. You’re no savior. I know exactly what you are. You’re the bitch that thinks to banish me. From my own house, no less. Harridan, he accuses, his fury rising with each word. My Beast could never be so cruel. "Trespasser. Interloper. Whore!" No, this is not my Beast.

      But this was my Beast.

      Before he became cursed.

      Chapter Two

      I ran. His roar followed me all the way to the opposite wing. I could still hear him when I locked myself in my room. Or perhaps I merely imagined that.

      Now, in the harsh light of day, I stand before a mirror and behold a coward. My gown is blue today, to bring out my eyes, but all I see is the dark tinge beneath them and the sallow paleness of my skin. Sylvie did all she could to make my auburn curls shine, but none of it can hide the truth.

      No matter how many times I pinch my cheeks, I cannot bring colour into them. My lips feel dry as dust. I am weary, and ashamed.

      My Beast is no doubt waiting for me, but I cannot bear to face him.

      Oh, Lyssette, why are you here?

      I make myself walk down the grand staircase, past the whispering servants with their pitying gazes, into the small solarium where I usually break fast with my host. Today, it is empty.

      Lady Lyssette.

      I face Jacques, about to tell him yet again not to address me as a lady, but the look on his

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