Page 41 of The Beast Between Us
“Worry not,” Thorne says beside me, voice calm but edged like a drawn blade. “He won’t touch you.”
Oswin shifts, squaring his shoulders. “You’ve been told to leave, sir.”
My father scoffs. “And yet, here I am. I’ve traveled all this way for a conversation, not a confrontation. Surely your master isn’t so far gone he can’t entertain a guest.”
I feel Thorne tense beside me.
“You’re not a guest,” Thorne says coldly, stepping forward. He opens the door further, and I get my first glimpse of Father in weeks. He looks…different. “You’re a man who sold his daughter to cover his debt. You have no place here.”
My father’s expression tightens, but only briefly.
“She was mine to give,” he says. “And I gave her to someone who could provide far better than I ever could.” He glances at where I stand. “She should be thanking me.”
“Ella is not a possession,” Thorne growls. “And she is not yours.”
My father lifts his hands, mockingly innocent. “Peace, peace. I’ve come with a generous offer, that’s all.”
Thorne doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. The air between them says enough.
“I’ll speak,” my father continues, “and then I’ll go.”
Oswin looks to Thorne for guidance, tension radiating from every line of his frame.
After a long moment, Thorne gives the smallest of nods. “Speak.”
My father straightens his coat like he’s preparing to speak in court, not at the threshold of a manor that wants him gone.
“There’s been interest,” he says. “From a merchant family in the north. Wealthy. Reputable. Their son is of marrying age and has taken quite the liking to Ella’s… portrait.”
I flinch.
“There is no portrait,” I say sharply.
“There is now,” he replies, tone flippant. “I described you to an artist and paid for a sketch. It was quite flattering. You’re welcome.”
“You’ve already sold me once,” I snap. “You don’t get to auction me off again.”
He clicks his tongue. “Don’t be dramatic, girl. It’s not an auction. It’s a marriage proposal. I’d think you’d be grateful for options. Unless…” His eyes flick to Thorne. “You’ve grown attached to this creature?”
Thorne’s claws twitch at his sides.
Oswin clears his throat sharply, a warning.
But Thorne doesn’t move. Doesn’t growl. Doesn’t lunge.
Instead, he speaks…calm, cold, final.
“If you value your life,” Thorne adds quietly, “you’ll leave before I decide your next breath isn’t worth my mercy.”
My father’s eyes narrow, but even he isn’t foolish enough to miss the warning in Thorne’s tone.
“I’ll give you time to consider the proposal,” he says, stepping back. “They’ve offered to pay twice the debt I owed you for the girl. And I get a handsome stipend besides. We all win.”
Thorne steps forward, slow and deliberate, until the shadows gather around him like a second skin.
“You dare to put a price on her again?” His voice is low and lethal. “Twice the debt. Ten times. It wouldn’t matter. She is not for sale.”
My father’s smirk twitches. “Everyone has a price, Beast.”
