Page 103 of Fated Obsessions

I only stood there for a second, but then he turned back around and growled. He took a step forward, his head lowering, his gaze still trained on me. A part of me wanted to stay right where I was, to see how far I could push him.

But I wasn’t a fool. I couldn’t do this right now. No matter how much I desired to see how beastly my new husband was.

Chapter 8

Belle

The sun was barely starting to set over the horizon when the Beast helped me up on a massive steed and climbed up behind me.

He’d tried getting me to stay back again, but I’d insisted, too worried about what my father was going through if he was in that much trouble. I knew enough about Gaston that the man was evil to the bone, and I had no doubt he would torture my father just for the hell of it. I had to do everything in my power to help, even if this was foolish of me.

The stallion huffed and stomped as I gripped the reins. I blew out a slow stream of breath when the Beast placed a paw over my belly, pulling me back against the hardness of his chest.

I felt so dainty against him, his palm nearly covering me from breast to pelvic bone, his thighs as thick as my torso and framing either side of me. I’d never felt safer.

I glanced over my shoulder and tipped my head back so I could look into his face. He was already watching me. I hardlyknew the Beast, had only been here for such a short time, yet inexplicably I trusted him.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t told me not to come. I didn’t listen, so I had to take responsibility for my own actions. And that meant I needed to be strong in the face of my fear of the uncertainty of what we were about to ride into.

“I would prefer you stayed.” When I didn’t respond, he gave me a semblance of a smile. “As I thought,” he murmured. “I will protect you,” he said and tightened his hand against my belly.

I faced forward, nodding even though I wasn’t looking at him anymore. And then we were off, the stallion picking up speed the farther we got from the castle.

We were a couple of miles away, deep into the woods, the sun already having fully set when the wind decided to pick up.

I tightened my cloak, securing the hood over my face better, but I worried about the Beast. I glanced over at him and saw he was focused in front of us, his expression fierce and powerful. He didn’t seem like he cared at all about the inclement weather.

He was also wholly desirable.

When did my fear for his unusual physique shift and change into something erotic and beautiful?

I had to face forward and close my eyes, taking a deep breath so I didn’t get aroused all over again.

The last thing I needed was to tempt him because he would be able to smell me.

But maybe he did sense my desire because I felt something along my leg and glanced down to see the Beast’s tail wrapped around my calf. It wasn’t tight, but it was secure, and strangely enough, I felt like it was an act of possessiveness.

I stared at his tail, at the sleek, silky fur that covered it and the tuft of darker fur at the end. My thoughts turned loud as I imagined him running it along my naked body.

I lowered my head and gritted my teeth, trying to act like I had control of myself. I heard the sound of a wolf howling, knew we were getting close to the village border, and my anxiety rose.

I hadn’t questioned why my father wanted to meet there instead of at our cottage. I just assumed he needed ambiguity, his shame too strong to let anyone else see him begging for help, especially from the Beast.

I saw the wall of the village, an imposing structure of wooden planks and pointed tops with burning torches on each end.

The closer we got, the clearer I spotted my father standing out to the side, his short, stout figure cloaked in heavy wool, the hood up, his movements antsy as he paced back and forth.

The Beast pulled the steed to a stop a short distance away from where my father paced. I could feel how tense my new husband was behind me, his paw like a vise around my abdomen.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered, feeling my own anxiousness rise at his response to the situation.

He growled and I looked around, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something felt off but I couldn’t place it. I didn’t see or hear anything aside from my father slowly making his way toward us, the leaves and twigs cracking under his boots.

But when the Beast started growling louder, I held my breath and braced myself.

“Belle?” my father said, and I was about to get off the saddle when the Beast made a low sound of disapproval and pulled me harder against his chest.

“I didn’t think you would come,” my father said softly, and now that he was close enough I could see him eyeing the Beast warily although I found it strange seeing as he asked for my husband to come with me.

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