Her Beast

“Did you ask your uncle about this?”

“Please, Beast won’t mind. He never does. You’ve got to learn to live a little. Besides, we both know he’s got a thing for you.” He winked at her, and she just stared at him. Neither of them spoke about the fact she was screwing his uncle. Most of the time she didn’t give Dwayne much of a thought unless she was tutoring him. It wasn’t because she was being rude, but neither of them had anything in common. Like now, she didn’t want to upset Beast. “If he’s mad I’ll just push you in front of him. It’ll take away all of his killer instincts and I’ll be safe.”

She didn’t like that. “Don’t, Dwayne.”

“Don’t what? Come on, Miss Prissy. Lighten up. I know you two are screwing. I’ve known for some time now, and you don’t think I caught you both eye-fucking each other. Just have some fun. Beast’s not home, and you know what? Good. It means I get to make you have a good time.” He grabbed a cup of beer, handing it to her. “Now, take a sip and loosen up. This is a party. You’re safe here.”

She took a sip of the beer and wrinkled her nose. It was cheap, nasty, and horrible. The music filled the air, and she took a seat beside the pool, staring at the scantily clad girls. Some of them she didn’t even remember their names, but they were screaming for Dwayne to join them.

They removed their bikinis, throwing the wet fabric toward him. Within seconds his shirt was off, and he dived into the pool.

She chuckled and looked away as he began to kiss one girl, then the other, before going for the third girl.

“Leave it to Dwayne to have all the fun.”

Hope turned to see one of Dwayne’s friends, Micah, take a seat. “He seems to know how to throw a party.”

“I’ve not seen you around here before.”

“First party,” she said, taking another sip. She missed Beast, his warmth and his passion, but she didn’t say anything.

“You’re the girl that has moved in here, right? The one the uncle controls.”

She frowned. “No, I just live here.”

“Haven’t you heard what Dwayne’s uncle is all about? He loves to take young women, virgins, and show them a thing or two. Rumor has it that like a real beast, he eats them up, and buries them in a secret plot he has on the land.”

She stared at him and burst out laughing. “Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Of course he doesn’t eat them. He just kills them.”

“No young girl has disappeared,” she said. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, but what about in towns and cities, huh? They go missing all the time.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve got to head back inside.”

There was no way she was sitting and listening to horror stories about the man she was falling in love with.

Yeah, the deadly words that ended all magical flings. She didn’t mean anything to Beast, she was aware of that.

He didn’t want to keep her. They had a few moments of madness. That was all she could think of what their actual relationship was about.

Entering the main kitchen, she was about to close the door when Micah charged inside.

“Hey, you’re not allowed to be here.”

“And you are?” Micah pulled the door from her grip and she glared at him, moving away and stepping around the counter, putting some distance between them. She preferred when the party was outside, so she could stay inside.

“This is my home.”

“Yeah, and I’ve heard how you earn that. Beast is very … protective of you. I’ve heard Dwayne tell me all about it.” Micah stood, and she didn’t like the evil glint that came into his gaze. “No one’s home. Beast is usually home to take care of the parties, but you and I both know this is not one of those occasions.”

He advanced toward her, and she took a step back, wanting to put as much distance between the two of them as was physically possible. When he moved around the island within the kitchen, she took his spot on the opposite side.

Her heart pounded, and she knew the threat that he posed.

“You know, a lot of women are asking for it. You just got to rub them the right way to get what you want. No one will believe you. You’re a no one. A freak who watched her parents get killed. Me, I’m someone important.”

She just stared at him. “Leave.”

“Nah, you don’t get to boss me around, baby. In here, I’m the one that calls the shots. You should have stayed out there. I’d have picked someone else.”

“You’re disgusting.” She wondered how many other women he’d preyed on, forced into a corner, and it scared her.

He was the secret no one spoke about, and yet she’d seen girls around high school who people whispered about.