Page 38 of Bella and Her Beast
“Hola, Zelda,” I interject, placing a kiss on the back of her hand, and she curtsies before me.
“Ah, mi bisnieto (Great-grandson). So good to see you again.”
I look to Bella for an explanation, and she whispers in my ear, “Great-grandson.”
Understanding strikes me and I nod but look at her with a smirk. One step at a time, but I will make her Mrs. Devereaux before too long. Taking Zelda's hand, I lead her to the kitchen where Bella is putting away the things from earlier. Needless to say, we didn’t do much eating... well, I did.
“Zelda, would you like something to snack on or drink?” Russ offers.
“No, no. I think the hour is approaching and I know you all are anxiously awaiting.”
She’s right. The tension is building and I know I can’t wait to see the curse has met its doom.
“Russ is everything prepared?” I ask. The looks around the room grow somber before he speaks.
“Yes, sir. As you requested, everything is prepared and waiting downstairs.
“Well, I guess, there is no time like the present. Shall we?”
“No!” Bella exclaims. Tears are streaming from her eyes, and I don’t want her to feel this pain. Not right now, and not after the afternoon we shared.
I instruct Russ to take Zelda on to the cave and advise we will be there soon. “Bella, it’s okay. I promise.” This is the most emotional I’ve seen her in the past week. She’s always been the one to cheer me up and bring me out of the dumps, but the script has flipped.
“Greyson, I don’t want to lose you. If we stay up here, maybe you won’t change.”
“If only it were that easy, but we have to find out. Come on. Remember, no matter what, I am yours forever.” I kiss her, giving her a level of assurance.
She places her hands in mine and agrees in silence.
We walk down the stairs and the enclosure door is open, waiting on my arrival. The cuffs hang ready for the monthly cycle of withholding me from the public so I won’t harm anyone. The table next to it has an envelope with Bella’s name on it. I take it and hand it to her.
“Bella, should anything happen that we don’t want, read this, please.”
“If nothing happens, do I still read it?”
“No. You won’t need to.”
Her tears will not stop falling and I try to kiss each one but it is a failing effort.
“It will be alright,” I say to her.
“Come child, the moon is near its peak,” Zelda says. “Let him get into his box so we can witness this new day.” She pulls Bella away from me, but she breaks away.
“No, bisabuela. Let me lock him up. He’s mine after all.”
I take her hand and we step into the closure. Holding her close in my arms, I hum the tune of the song we shared our first dance to a few weeks back, and we sway as she croons the lyrics. I gaze deeply into her eyes, forgetting all that is around us for just a few seconds. One last time, perhaps the last time, I kiss her. The salt of her tears run between our lips and I taste them, remembering how deep she feels for me and how I never want to taste them again.
She pushes me to the wall, places my wrist into the apparatus, closing the wide cuffs, and locks them. She repeats the action for my remaining wrist and my ankles.
When she rises to her feet, she extends her reach by lifting up on her tip-toes and places another kiss on my lips. “I love you, Greyson Devereaux.” She exits, and Russ closes and locks the door behind her.
The alarm we have set up for the moon cycles and their peak times, sounds off and all eyes are on me.
Zelda speaks in Spanish, not sure what the words are and what they mean, but Bella joins her, reciting the words over and over.
The sweat drips from my forehead, onto my shirt, and then onto the floor.
“I love you all,” I say, as I prepare for the transformation. My body shakes and I growl loudly. I pull and tug and my binds and the chain extends, allowing me to bend over in pain. A few seconds later, I stop.
