Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
I knew enough about Gaston, the big and bulky human, to know he used the villagers’ weaknesses against them. And that was what he had been doing with Maurice for a very long time.
Taking advantage.
But that would change tonight. I would make Gaston an offer he could not refuse. And that was to pay off Maurice’s debt and then some, which would make the human bastard rich beyond words.
And would give me the only thing I had coveted. Belle.
When Pierre walked up to them and presented the leather coin purse from his satchel, showing Gaston, I could see the greedy gleam in his eyes.
It would be more riches than Gaston had or would ever see in his miserable life, so when he reached out for it and held the heft of it in his palm, I knew she would be mine.
I focused on my reflection, at my grisly appearance, and knew winning over Belle would be a feat in and of itself, but I would try until the end of time.
It was not like she had a choice in the matter because she was already mine, and nothing and no one would ever change that.
Chapter
One
Belle
My father had just sold me off. Bartered my body to erase his debt to the very devil himself.
A Beast of a man. Literally.
A creature whispered about amongst the villagers, feared by all, and known to have immense wealth and power that no one could ever conceivably stand up against.
I knew only a handful had ever seen him, but I heard the rumors of his appearance.
A beastly visage at three times the size of a man, and his monstrously huge body covered in fur. His eyes held an unearthly red glow, and his pawlike hands were tipped with claws. Then there were his fangs, ones that I wondered if he used to tear into flesh.
I visibly shivered at the image my mind conjured up.
I held in my tears as I clenched my hands tightly into fists. Anger, fear, and shock waged war in me.
“Don’t look at me like that, Belle. I didn’t have a choice.”
I had to give my father credit… he at least looked heartbroken.
“You always have a choice. How could you just give me away like that? And to him?” I hissed out the last part.
His shoulders sagged and he dropped his head, exhaling as if it were his life that was being ruined.
“We would have lost everything. The little land we own, our home, the livestock…” He looked at me. “We would have been penniless and out in the streets.”
“It would have been better than marrying that… that Beast.” I turned from my father, unable to look at him anymore.
It was no secret in the village that my father had a gambling addiction. He owed too many people money. He had far too many debts to ever be repaid in our lifetime.
And it finally caught up with him.
“Gaston wouldn’t wait for me to pay him back this time, Belle,” my father pleaded, trying to pull on my heartstrings.
Not this time. There had been too many instances where I’d had to bend over backward to fix his mistakes, where I had to use the little savings I had to pay off the debtors who’d come by.
I’d had to work extra at the village seamstress to make a few additional coins for food because he’d spent all our money gambling. My fingers had bled because I’d worked and tried so hard.
“We would have lost everything,” he whispered pitifully again.
I was done with it all. Because I don’t have a choice anymore.
“Instead, I’m losing my freedom.”
I turned from him and told myself a proper lady didn’t act this way. But I’d never been so hurt and angry in my life.
“They were going to take everything, and then they were going to kill me, Belle. Kill me right in the tavern last night with a handful of villagers as witnesses if I didn’t pay up.”
I looked at him with what I knew was a horrified expression. The silence stretched out, neither one of us able to speak after those heavy words were spoken and hung in the air between us.
“You dug yourself too deep this time.” I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger and exhaled. I was tired. So tired.
“I’m sorry.”
I knew he was, but then again, he was always sorry when the journey was too hard to take.
“I don’t even understand how you were propositioned for something like this.”
“One of his men was at the tavern. He overheard what was happening and said he’d pay the debt, wipe the slate clean if I agreed to what he wanted in return.” My father had the nerve to glance away, his shame surrounding him. “I agreed wholeheartedly before I knew what he wanted.”
I wasn’t embarrassed to admit I thought about running, slipping out in the night and escaping. But as I looked at my father, knowing they’d kill him slowly because I wasn’t here to once again clean up his mess, any thoughts of leaving him to the proverbial wolves flew out the door.