Page 9 of Of Curses and Beauty

Alainedidn’trememberpassingout or being carried into the cottage. Even though she woke to the calming crackle and warmth of a fire in the hearth, her body shook uncontrollably. Somehow, she had still believed she would wake to find it had all been some bizarre dream resulting from her blow to the head or the stress of her potential engagement.

Shaking off the last remnants of unconsciousness, she pushed herself up to sitting. Her head throbbed in protest, but she welcomed the distraction. She didn’t want to think about what the beast had told her. If she’d wanted to change her circumstances, she had certainly succeeded. At least now she couldn’t marry that brute, Baxter. He wouldn’t want her anyway, not now she was stripped of the one thing he prized. The thought was a small consolation, but it brought a smile to her lips nonetheless.

“Feeling better, then?”

Alaine jumped at the sound of his voice. For such a large man, the beast was remarkably quiet. She imagined that it was a result of all the years of solitude; there would be no reason to make any noise if all he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps.

“As good as can be expected,” she responded meekly, pressing back into the plush sofa like she could disappear into it.

The beast had donned his shirt, but the thin material did little to disguise his sculpted chest and wide shoulders. His dark blond hair had been pulled back as well, accentuating a square jaw that was dusted with stubble. Somehow, she had failed to notice the startling amber shade of his eyes. Now with his focus intently on her, it seemed impossible to ignore.

Though this man had shown her no interest, the memory of Baxter’s possessive hands was still too raw for her to be completely at ease being alone with him in such close quarters. She knew a woman didn’t have to be beautiful for a man to take her to his bed. It had to be doubly true for a man who had spent over three hundred years alone.

He stepped forward and she flinched away. Once again, his eyes narrowed at her reaction, but he only lifted his hands toward her. It was then that she noticed the steaming teacup he was offering. She felt like the worst kind of person as she nodded in acceptance, silently berating herself for making hasty judgments against this man who, so far, had only helped her.

She took a tentative sip of the tea and was pleased to discover her favorite; lemongrass and lavender, sweetened with just a touch of honey.

“It’s delicious. Thank you,” she said in an attempt to recover from her earlier blunder.

He settled himself into a large, wingback armchair across from her and leaned back, filling the space with his impressive frame.

Alaine took the time to study her new housemate. He appeared more at ease than he had upon their first meeting. Between his brows, a small crease had formed, but his jaw held none of the tension from earlier. A large, gold ring glinted off one finger as he spun it absently. Alaine thought it a remarkable treasure for such a humble life. Perhaps it was a clue to his past, but she tucked the information away for now.

She guessed that he had as much to wrap his mind around as she did. After so long alone, taking in a permanent guest must be a huge change.

“I’m Alaine.” She figured she should be the one to start introductions given she had more recently spent time in social settings. “Alaine Martan.”

In response, he heaved out a sigh and scrubbed his hand down his face. “Daric. Just Daric.”

She had no intention of pestering him about his family name since it was clear he didn’t want to share it, or perhaps couldn’t remember.

“I’m terribly sorry for intruding on your solitude. I can assure you it was not my intent,Just Daric.”

One corner of his mouth twitched towards a smile. “You’ll have to forgive my lack of social graces, Ms. Martan. I assure you I harbor no ill will toward you. It will be refreshing to have some company after all this time.”

His words bespoke a familiarity with social etiquette, one she did not expect to find in a man who appeared so undomesticated, but she knew better than to judge a book for its cover.

“Just Alaine would be fine.”

She smiled kindly and sipped her tea, at a loss for how to continue in this awkward situation. She’d been trying to escape what would be a loveless marriage, and now here she was, forced tolivewith a complete stranger. The irony was not lost on her.

“The cottage is enchanted.” His voice was warmer than it had been earlier. Though it still retained a rough, gravelly edge that suggested disuse, she found the deep timbre calming.

She followed his gaze around the room, noting the details she’d missed when she’d first awoken. The space was clean, though sparse. Gray stone walls were offset by warm wooden timbers. A sink and cupboard stood along the wall by a small dining table, the extent of the furniture in that room. There were no personal effects, though the herbs hanging to dry along the hearth helped it feel more lived-in. A large rug covered much of the floor, its color faded from apparent age. In fact, every textile in the room—the armchair, the sofa, the curtains—seemed a pale reminder of what Alaine imagined it had once been.

The same might be said of the man that resided there, she thought, bringing her focus back to him.

“You need only ask for something and it shall be done. Food, hot water, firewood, clothing. It has already added a bedroom for you there,” he said, gesturing to one of the doors that branched off the main living space.

He seemed fit to leave it at that, but she had endless questions threatening to burst from her lips. She settled for the most pressing.

“Is there truly no way to escape?”

“Are you so eager to return to your provincial life? Or is it yourbeautythat you desperately want returned?”

The bite in his words startled her. “Actually, I’d be happy to return to my life as you see me,” she responded with equal venom. For all the reasons she had to return to her life, her beauty was the least of her concerns.

His gaze didn’t burn as he considered her, but she felt it nonetheless like he was trying to pull back all her layers and uncover what lay beneath. Though she wore another face, Alaine felt more seen under his scrutiny than she ever had. She hugged her arms tight to her body to counter her discomfort.

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