Beauty of the Beast

#10

Recap:

Just in time to see Blue ambling to come stand by her side. Casting a glance at Sadie, Blue placed her finger on her lips. Her eyes telling Sadie to keep quiet or face her wrath. "I'll go check it out, you don't move."

Nodding in agreement, Sadie whispered a "Yes." And came to stand a few feet away from Blue who had her left hand placed on the door handle and a wicked looking knife in the other. Blue yanked open the door, revealing the massive figure filling the doorway. Water pooled at his feet, the sound of rain drowning out Sadie's gasp of surprise.

A low growl rumbled through the room, shaking Sadie to her core.

"Where is she?"

Chapter 10

Balthazar hummed an old favourite song under his breath as he shuffled about the kitchen making food for his woman. He knew this would be a long and rocky road to happiness, but he was willing to take the bull by the horns and get it over with as soon as possible.

After the opportunity to calm down in the absence of her heady scent, he was able to analyze the situation in a new light. He knew he was being irrational. But his instincts were too strong for him to ignore. Sure he found great pleasure in keeping the defiant woman by his side at all times, but there was an underlying sense of emergency in this need to do so. He could feel his animal instincts telling him to keep a close watch on the woman of his dreams. She was sure to pull some sort of a stunt merely for the sadistic pleasure of thwarting his plans and schemes.

Sadie was by no means a dimwit, and he knew he would have to tread carefully and tactfully when it came to her. Scaring her into submission wouldn't get him anywhere, and he wasn't going to risk alienating her so early on in the relationship.

Balthazar was aware that he was getting ahead of himself. There was no relationship. But he was going to take as much as he could, and if he could manipulate her into thinking there was one, then he'd rather cut his tongue off than correct the assumption. Whatever worked in his favour.

A while later, with breakfast plated and ready to eat, he walked up to his bedroom. Manoeuvring the door open, a smile lit his face as he turned around, excited to see the approval on her face.

An empty room greeted him, dampening his high spirits. Shrugging it off, he set the tray down on the bed, and began to search for his Sadie in the house. Minutes later, he could feel the rage taking hold of him, Sadie was nowhere to be found. Her scent was stale and the last traces of it were in the bathroom. She must have used the window to escape.

Gritting his teeth in fury, Balthazar smashed his fist against the wall. Leaving a large, gaping hole in the concrete outer wall. He had to act fast, she was somewhere out there and it was all his doing. If he'd kept a tighter leash on his instincts they wouldn't have been in this predicament. She was a human female all by her lonesome, prey to the harsh and hostile environment outside. With not a moment to waste, Balthazar ran out into the forest, stopping only to undress and shift. Grabbing his clothing in his mouth.

Clouds had gathered overhead and a steady onslaught of rain was showing no signs of stopping. He'd lose her scent in this downpour. Helpless and at the mercy of the elements, Balthazar tried desperately to ignore the sinking feeling in his heart. He wouldn't lose her today, he just wouldn't allow it.

Seconds flowed into minutes which bled into hours as Balthazar scoured the forest, leaving no rock unturned, he pushed himself to his limit. Both mentally and physically. He'd searched through every nook and cranny of the forest in the valley, now he'd have to search on the other side of the stream, in the mountains that rightly qualified as Blue's territory. Willing himself to go on, he set off for the stream. Knowing that it had been raining without pause, the stream would most definitely be swollen and dangerous to cross. He just hoped that Sadie hadn't been foolhardy enough to injure herself while crossing. With that terrifying thought in mind, he set out rejuvenated by the thought of anything happening to his precious Sadie.