Chapter 8 Belle
Eight
Belle
For a beat, nothing happens. Then, the world explodes with light.
I’m thrown backward, landing hard on the ground as magic erupts from the rose. White light floods everything…blinding, burning, beautiful. It pours from the pedestal, from the castle, from the very ground under me.
The air crackles with power.
I scramble back to Pierre, throwing myself over him as the magic swirls around us like a storm. His body is still unmoving, and panic claws at my throat.
“Pierre!” I shake him. “Pierre, stay with me!”
The light intensifies, and I squeeze my eyes shut against its brightness. The bond in my chest flares hot and bright, pulsing with energy.
Then, as suddenly as it started, everything goes quiet.
The light fades.
I blink glaring spots from my vision and look down. Pierre is still under me. Still massive. Still covered in fur. Still my Beast.
For a moment, fear crashes over me… I’m terrified the curse didn’t break, that I was too late, that I lost him…
“My lady!”
I spin around. A man is standing there. He has Gideon’s voice, but he’s human, not a sword.
“I have hands,” he says with wonder in his voice. “I have actual fucking hands!”
“Gideon?” I breathe.
“The one and only. And look at you, my lady. Still gorgeous. Still…holy shit, is he dead?”
“He’s not dead!” I turn back to Pierre, pressing my ear to his massive chest. His heart is beating. It’s faint, but it’s there. “He’s alive. He’s just…”
“Unconscious from the curse breaking,” another voice explains.
I look up to find a woman approaching. She’s wearing a gown that looks like it’s from decades ago, slightly faded but still beautiful.
“Rosalie?” I ask, once again recognizing the voice.
“Yes, my lady.” She curtsies gracefully even after years as a mirror. “The curse has broken. We’re free.”
“But Pierre…he’s still…”
“Still Beast,” she finishes gently. “Yes.”
My heart sinks. “The curse didn’t fully break?”
“Oh, it broke.” Gideon is still flexing his fingers, grinning like a madman. “Trust me. We can feel it. The weight of it is gone. But the physical transformation… that was never the real curse.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The curse wasn’t just about him being a Beast,” Rosalie explains, kneeling next to me. “It was about him being unloved. Unlovable. The enchantress turned him into a Beast to punish his heart. His arrogance. His inability to see past the surface.”
“But he’s still…”
“He’s still Beast because that’s not a curse anymore.” She smiles tenderly, tears filling her gentle eyes. “You chose him in his beast form. You love him covered in fur. As he is. The curse is broken, my lady. He’s free.”
I look down at Pierre…at all that my giant monster is…and something in my chest relaxes.
She’s right. I love him. Exactly like this. I wouldn’t change a single thing.
“Come on, sire,” Gideon says, dropping to his knees next to us. His voice, turning rough. “You’ve been resting for a while. That’s enough now.”
“Is he going to be okay?” My voice cracks.
“He’s going to be fine,” Rosalie assures me. “The magic was intense. He needs time to recover; that’s all. But he’ll wake.” She slings a comforting arm around my shoulders.
More footsteps approach. I look up to see others coming our way.
A woman who must be Louise…plump and cheerful-looking, with rosy cheeks and kind eyes. A thin, nervous-looking man who keeps checking a pocket watch…Felix. And a younger man with messy red hair and an easy smile… probably Adrien.
All of them are human again. All of them, free.
“The castle,” Louise breathes, staring up at the building. “Look at the castle!”
I follow her gaze and gasp. The castle is… alive. Where before it was dim and cold, now it’s radiant. The stone looks clean and bright. Even the gardens around us are different…the roses are blooming in beautiful colors, the grass is green and lush, and in the distance, I can hear birds singing.
“The forest,” Adrien says with wonder in his voice. “The enchantment is gone.”
“We’re free,” Felix whispers. “We’re finally free.”
They all turn to look at me.
“Thank you, my lady,” Rosalie says, wiping her eyes. “Thank you for saving him. For saving all of us.”
“I didn’t…I just…” I look down at Pierre, and my throat tightens. “I just love him.”
“That’s everything, my lady,” she replies.
Gideon clears his throat. “We should probably get him inside. Adrien, help me carry the master.”
But when they lift him, Pierre doesn’t even stir.
I follow as they take him inside the castle, and it’s like walking through a completely different building.
The entrance hall is bright and warm. Tapestries that were faded before now radiate with color.
The marble floors are gleaming. Even the air smells different…
fresh and alive instead of stale and cursed.
They take Pierre to our room and lay him carefully on the bed.
“He’ll wake soon,” Rosalie says, touching my shoulder. “He just needs rest.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
“We wouldn’t dream of asking you to.” She smiles. “We’ll bring food and water. And fresh clothes, since yours are…” She gestures at my dress, which is torn and dirty from my journey.
“Thank you.”
They all file out, leaving me alone with Pierre.
I climb on the bed next to him, curling into his warmth. His chest rises and falls steadily, and the bond in my chest has finally stopped aching. Instead, it hums peacefully.
“You scared me,” I whisper against his fur. “Don’t do that again.”
He doesn’t answer, but I feel his heartbeat under my palm, strong and steady.
I must doze off, because when I open my eyes again, the sun is setting. Golden light streams through the windows, painting everything in warm colors.
And Pierre is watching me.
His golden eyes are open, focused on my face with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
“Belle,” he rasps.
“Beast!” I throw my arms around his neck. “You’re awake! I was so worried…”
“You came back.” His voice comes out croaky, but also filled with wonder. “You came back for me.”
“Of course I came back. I love you, you stupid Beast.”
His arms come around me, holding me tight. “I thought I lost you. Thought you chose…”
“I choose you.” I pull back to look at him. “I will always choose you, Pierre. Always.”
He cups my face with one massive paw. “The curse…”
“Is broken. The servants are human again. The castle is beautiful. Everything is perfect.”
“But I’m still…” He looks at his furred hands, his claws. Disappointment crosses his features. “I’m still a Beast.”
“Yes,” I say firmly. “My Beast”
He blinks. “What?”
“I fell in love with you as you are, Pierre. I don’t need you to change.”
“You… you want me to stay like this?”
“I want you to be whoever makes you happy, my love.” I lean in and kiss him.
“I love you,” he says roughly. “My perfect little omega. My Belle.”
“I love you too. My Beast.”
“Your Beast,” he agrees. “Forever.”
“Forever,” I echo.
Then he’s kissing me again, deeper this time, and I’m melting into him with a sigh of mixed pleasure and happiness.
My Pierre is alive. He’s mine. And we’re free.
A knock at the door interrupts us.
“Sire?” Gideon’s voice calls. “My lady? We’ve prepared dinner in the dining hall.”
Pierre growls. “Go away, Gideon.”
“Our lady needs to eat, Sire. She hasn’t had anything since she got back.”
I realize he’s right.
Pierre looks like he wants to argue, but finally sighs. “After that, we’re not leaving this bed for days,” he promises with a wicked show of his sharp fangs.
I nod vigorously, feeling my pussy spasm. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“Good,” he rumbles through a deep chuckle.
* * *
The dining hall is transformed. Candles blaze in every chandelier. The table is set with sparkling china. And at the far end, our staff is gathered. All human and smiling.
They break into applause when we enter the vast room.
“My lady!” Louise rushes over. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. Come, come, sit. I prepared a feast.”
Pierre guides me to a seat, then settles next to me. His hand finds mine under the table, squeezing it gently.
Dinner is incredible. Roasted meats, fresh vegetables, bread that’s still warm from the oven. And after days of barely eating, I’m ravenous.
The service is not formal at all. Our friends come in and out of the dining hall, bringing dishes and drinks, chatting away.
“We should throw a ball,” Rosalie suggests. “Announce the curse is broken. Reopen the castle to the kingdom.”
Pierre tenses next to me.
“A ball sounds fun,” I say carefully. “But maybe… not right away? We’ve all been through a lot. Maybe we should take some time to adjust first?”
“Wise words, my lady,” Rosalie replies with a nod. “There’s no rush. We have all the time in the world now.”
“To freedom,” Gideon raises a glass. “And to our mistress, who broke the curse.”
“To Lady Belle!” the others chime in.
“I didn’t…”
“You did,” Pierre says quietly, holding my gaze. “You saved us all.”
“You saved yourself,” I counter. “By letting me go. By choosing my happiness over yours.”
* * *
When dinner ends, Pierre practically drags me back to our room.
“Days,” he reminds me as he kicks the door shut. “I promised you days in bed.”
“You’re supposed to be recovering…” I fake-protest.
“I’m fine.” He’s already pulling off my dress. “Never been better. And I haven’t had you in forever, Belle. All those days thinking I lost you…”
I kiss him, cutting off the words. “You didn’t lose me. I’m here.”
“Mine,” he growls against my mouth. “Say it.”
“Yours. Always yours, my Beast.”