Chapter 4
FOUR
BEAST
We fly long and hard.
It feels incredible to use my wings like this. I’ve been forced to hunt only beneath the tree line lately to avoid detection, which means I haven’t been able to fully extend them and soar. But now, carrying precious cargo, I can stretch my wings to their full span, and it feels—
I let out a bellow of pure satisfaction as I slice through the air with powerful strokes.
I’m not flying as fast as I could because of the treasure cradled against my chest. But at least she’s stopped her frightened cries. I healed her with my divine light, and I can sense she feels the change within her body.
Once we arrive, it will be time for her to discover what being my consort truly means. To begin her forever with me.
I won’t be alone any longer.
It was foolish to hope for a willing partner to share this cursed existence. With a face that even my Creator-Father couldn’t love...
Even a reluctant companion is more than I ever dared dream possible.
She gave her consent freely, though, and I have honored my part of our bargain.
And if she proves disappointing—as every other creature I’ve encountered inevitably does—then I suppose I could return to my solitary existence. Though the thought of being alone again after holding her warmth against my chest...
I frown and beat my wings faster, pushing us toward our destination.
She weighs almost nothing in my arms. Her illness had kept her delicate and small. Now she feels like spun glass that might shatter if I’m not careful with her.
A smile tugs at my mouth despite myself.
I’ll need to ensure she eats properly now. Build her strength back up. Care for her as she’s probably never been cared for before.
My grin widens at the thought of providing for her, protecting her.
She may be tiny, but she is exquisitely female. What little curves she possesses are perfectly distributed—slender hips that would fit perfectly in my large hands, sweet breasts rising and falling with each breath, secured by some ingenious contraption mortal women favor.
And for the first time in decades, I feel that part of me that often lies dormant stirring to life at the sensation of this woman in my arms.
She agreed to be my consort.
Forever.
Tonight will be the first of countless nights together. Tomorrow, the first of endless days where I won’t wake to crushing solitude. Finally, there will be someone to—
Heat pools low in my belly as I harden.
I swoop lower, finally having reached our destination and praising whatever force finally showed me mercy.
Her distressed sounds start again. We’re moving fast now that home is in sight, my consort’s warm, precious form pressed directly against my aroused body.
I want to worship her properly, I think. Show her what it means to be cherished.
We speed toward the snow-covered ground below. Dawn will break soon; I can sense it approaching on the wind after our long flight.
I aim for the pristine white expanse that sparkles in the pre-dawn light.
My consort’s cries escalate to a fever pitch. My hearing is far more acute than any mortal’s, but I’m too focused on executing a perfect landing to reassure her just yet. I pull her closer against me, hoping the secure embrace will comfort her.
Apparently not, or perhaps my touch overwhelms her, because her sounds grow even more distressed.
I adjust my hold as we approach the ground, ensuring she’s completely protected.
After a few quick hops to absorb our momentum, we’re safely earthbound.
Her crying doesn’t cease.
I rumble gently near her ear. “We’ve landed safely, little one. You’re perfectly fine.”
“Let go of me!” she demands. “Put me down!”
I can’t help but be charmed by her spirit, even as I carefully lower her to the soft snow.
She immediately scrambles away from me on unsteady legs. “My crutches,” she says, looking around frantically. “Where are my crutches?”
“You no longer require them.”
Behind us, the sun crests the horizon in a blaze of gold.
And in those first precious rays of light, my consort finally looks down at her own body instead of up at my monstrous face.
I recognize the hope blooming in her eyes. I’ve lived with hope and its crushing disappointment long enough. I watch understanding dawn, then confusion that clouds her features.
Only then do her eyes snap to mine, blazing with accusation. “You didn’t heal me!”
She astounds me. Even though she’s now seeing my full monster’s visage clearly in the morning light—though perhaps I’m still partially shadowed with the sun behind me—she doesn’t cower in terror.
Pure fury and righteous indignation radiate from her small frame.
She struggles to her feet and marches right up to point her delicate finger at my face, fearless despite the dramatic size difference between us. “You said you’d heal me! We made a deal.”
I smile down at this magnificent little spitfire, and she only retreats slightly at the sight of my sharp teeth.
Fascinating. Is it courage or foolishness driving her now? Most creatures possess enough survival instinct to recognize a predator, but she continues to surprise me at every turn.
“And yet,” I murmur, voice gentle despite my fearsome appearance, “you are standing strong on your own legs. Tell me, where is your constant pain?”
She opens her mouth with what’s surely a sharp retort ready. But at my words, she freezes and looks down at herself in wonder.
“But—but—” She stares up at me, then down at her body again, confusion replacing anger. “I don’t understand. I look exactly the same.”
When those beautiful eyes return to mine, I allow myself a small, genuine smile. “Did I misunderstand your request? I believed you asked to be healed of your suffering. Not to be made conventionally beautiful for others’ approval.”
Her mouth falls open, and she stammers. “But how can you—Everything’s connected! The bones and the—”
“According to whom?” I ask gently, crouching down so we’re closer to eye level.
She jerks back, though I suspect it’s from my overwhelmingly wild scent rather than fear.
“Wait here,” I command, though my tone is softer now. “Don’t wander off.”
“What?” she starts. “Where are you—”
I launch skyward before she can finish, though I don’t travel far. I want to remain visible to her, and her sight should be perfect now, along with everything else I’ve restored within her body.
I’ve brought us to my castle, which sits beside a pristine mountain lake.
The lake has frozen solid for winter, but that’s never stopped me before.
I climb high into the morning sky, then invert and dive with claws extended toward the ice below.
There’s only a moment of sharp impact before I crash through the frozen surface into shockingly cold water.
The divine spark in my chest flares to life, warming me as I spread my wings wide in the crystalline depths. I beat them rhythmically, washing away the accumulated grime from months spent in that bear cave.
I scrub thoroughly—my skin, my mane, even between my feathers—then head back toward the circle of sunlight marking my entry point.
When I explode through the surface with a triumphant bellow, my eyes immediately seek my consort on the shore.
And there she is.
Attempting to flee across the endless snow, moving away from the lake with determined but unsteady steps.
Oh, my brave little consort.
I rumble with something that might be laughter—a sound I haven’t made in centuries. The noise echoes across the water and bounces back from the surrounding mountains. I surge from the freezing lake to retrieve what belongs to me.
Not to punish her for trying to escape.
But to show her that running from me is impossible. And that she’s far safer in my care than alone in this wilderness.