Page 23 of Beast
And in the silence of the room, he made a promise he didn’t dare say out loud.I’ll kill for you.Burn the world if I have to.But I won’t ever lose you.
****
Pixie stirred slowlybeneath the soft weight of the blanket, the scent of cedar and smoke still clinging to the sheets.Warmth cocooned her—strong arms wrapped around her waist, the steady rhythm of a heartbeat beneath her ear.
Beast.
She blinked sleepily and lifted her head to look at him.He was still asleep, his features unguarded in the early morning light filtering through the curtains.He looked different like this—softer, younger.Vulnerable in a way he never showed when he was awake.
Her heart squeezed.
She reached up without thinking, brushing her fingers gently over his brow, sweeping a dark strand of hair off his face.He didn’t stir.
A breath escaped her, shaky and tender, as she stared at the man who had every right to keep his heart locked up, but had somehow given a piece of it to her.He’d let her in.
He’d held her, kissed her like she mattered.Whispered truths into the dark.That he’d built this home for another woman.That he’d thought he’d never feel anything again.Until her.
Pixie swallowed hard, the lump in her throat thick.She wasn’t good at this—being cared for, being someone’s person.But with Beast, the thought didn’t terrify her the way it once had.It warmed her, even as fear curled at the edges.Because what if she lost this?
No.Not today.She decided, right then, that she wanted to do something for him.Something small.Something real.Breakfast, she thought.Simple but thoughtful.
She could already imagine the amused, surprised look he’d give her when he woke up to the smell of bacon or pancakes.
Carefully, she eased herself out of bed.Beast muttered something low in his sleep but didn’t wake.Pixie smiled softly, pulled on one of his flannels from the floor, and tiptoed to the kitchen.
She opened the fridge and paused.Nothing.A half-empty bottle of beer, some takeout containers probably older than they should be, and a sad-looking jar of mustard.
She checked the cupboards.Cans.Condiments.A box of cereal with dust on top.Of course.Beast lived at the clubhouse half the time.It made sense he didn’t stock up here.She tapped her fingers anxiously on the edge of the counter.
She didn’t want to wake him, and she didn’t want to go back empty-handed.Just something small, she told herself.Just a few sandwiches or biscuits from the diner.She’d be back in fifteen minutes, tops.
Grabbing a pen, she scrawled a quick note on a scrap of paper:Be right back.Breakfast run.Don’t worry.- Pix
She folded it in half and left it on the pillow beside him.The morning was chilly as she stepped outside, the sun barely cresting the treetops.Beast’s house was tucked away, surrounded by woods and gravel roads.
The diner was only a few blocks off the main drag of town.She kept her head down as she walked, not wanting to draw attention in just boots, leggings, and his oversized flannel.
She never saw the van.Not until it was too late.She’d just passed the alleyway behind the bakery when the world tilted.A shadow moved fast.A hand clamped over her mouth.Pixie tried to scream, but the grip was brutal.Her body twisted, flailed, fought—but the figure was already dragging her backward, yanking her into the narrow alley with terrifying strength.
“Shhh,” came the voice in her ear.Smooth.Cold.Familiar.Brad.
Pixie’s heart slammed against her ribs.No.No, no, no.
She kicked, elbowed, tried to fight, but he was ready.His arm locked around her waist, hauling her against him, and she caught a glimpse of the van’s side door swinging open.No plates.No markings.Her breath stuttered.
“You thought you could hide?”he hissed, shoving her inside.
Her head slammed against the van’s floor, pain sparking bright behind her eyes.The door slammed shut.Darkness swallowed her.
She heard his voice again—taunting, low.“Took me a while to find you, sweetheart.But I always do.”
Pixie’s fingers clawed at the floor.She tried to rise, but something sharp pricked her neck—needle?No.No!
Her limbs felt heavy.The van’s engine roared to life.The world blurred.Her last thought was of Beast.His arms around her.The sound of his heart.The promise in his voice when he’d said she was his.I’m sorry, she thought, as her eyes fluttered closed.Then everything went black.
