Belle And Beast

Ch1: What the...?

Thump, thump, thump. My lungs begged for a reprieve as my bare feet slapped against the forest floor. My head spun as I searched for the creature that pursued me. I looked down to my compass, it's small red arrow spun in search of its north. As I came into a small clearing the growls of my pursuer grew louder.

I looked over my shoulder, fear lodged itself into my throat and dread tingled my body. My breaths were shallow as my lungs tried to catch up with the adrenaline. The darkness became consuming, smothering. I felt the eyes everywhere, watching me. And then, a single rustle came from the circle of bushes surrounding me. I turned my head and picked up a fallen branch to protect myself. Though, my attempts were in vain when my eyes connected with the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

My mouth drew agape while my body shook from pure terror and awe. A giant wolf stood within touching distance of me, and my hand itched to do so. Its coat was a beautiful gray color that appeared to reflect the very moon. Its gigantic head loomed over mine as it stared me down. I wanted to crawl up into a ball, to hide, to cower, but I did no such thing.I straightened my back and squared my shoulders, a newly found energy pumping through my veins. That's when my eyes bore into the creature's own.

 A gasp escaped my mouth, never had I seen such beautiful eyes.They shone like the stars above; cold, distant, wise. The large creature neared me, its head cocked as though I intrigued it. My chest gripped in anticipation. I closed my eyes as my body stilled, sweat trickling down my face and stinging my eyes.I had no sane reason, but I didn't fear the beast in front of me. It calmed me and relaxed the butterflies within my stomach. A gush of hot air blew against my face, almost in impatience. I opened my eyes to find the Beast gazing into my soul, as though he was reading it like a devoted man would his bible. 

The Beasts snout came to the crook of my neck and inhaled , only to face me once again. But this time, his eyes were different. They were green, but not any old green. They weren't the green of the grass in the spring, nor were they the same green of sparkling emeralds. No, his eyes reminded me of the forest; mysterious, deep, gorgeous, wise, and most of all... Wild. Full of life, yet hidden and weaved between so many obstacles. The ability to give life and sustain it. 

That's when I heard the sickening crack of bones. I cringed but kept my brown eyes trained in on his. Fur the color of the moon melted away to show sun-kissed skin. I began to envy the sun, for it had seen him many times before and graced his skin with her kiss. His green eyes masked by thick, dark lashes. His straight bridged nose and strong jawline. And then, finally, his lips.I looked back into his eyes and felt as though he was what held me to this earth, not gravity. In this moment, gravity was a petty concept compared to this feeling of exhilaration.

I felt two strong arms snake around my waist and lift me off of the ground. He rested his nose in the crook of my neck, inhaling . I shivered, twisting my hands into his short black locks. He kissed my collarbone, and a rumble came from his chest as he spoke one word. 

"Mine." His lips came crashing upon mine.

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I awoke with a gasp. "Dang it!" I groaned into my blue blankets and pillows. "That one felt so real!" I mumbled, letting my disappointment show. Ugh! If only dreams meant something. If only Cinderella was true when she said, "If you keep dreaming, it's bound to come true!" Well, that was a load of bull!

In anger, I spun my head around to look at the alarm clock on my bedside table. It read 5:17 and I let out another groan. I quickly took the cheesy romance novel off my bedside table to read the horribly corny cover and chuck it across the room. "Blood Moon, my big fat butt!"