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CHAPTER TEN

Author: Megan Rae
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Although I now have an answer as to why exactly he is keeping me here; he has chosen me as some kind of mate, I am grossly unsatisfied with the situation. The manner in which he makes it clear that it is beyond my control makes me uncomfortable. I want to be able to make my own choices. I want to stay only because I want to. And knowing that that will be impossible on Alden’s terms means that there is only one thing I have to do. I have to find a way to escape this place.

I don’t bother myself with undressing or sitting anywhere. Not when a million and one thoughts about how to break out of this prison rush through my mind. Most of the scenarios I come up with are scenes from horror and thriller movies flashing through my mind in quick succession. This does not surprise me much as I have never been in a situation like this where I had to plot my own escape from prison. Besides, they don’t exactly teach ‘How to Break Out of Prison 101’ where I went to college.

Usually, in moments like
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    As we walk down the hallway, I take note of all the doors I have been through so far. There’s the one that leads to Alden’s study. I imagine that he is there right now, writing or reading something, his smell and presence thick in the air like fumes. There’s the other door that leads to the dining hall which I am sure I will soon go through again to eat while Alden watches me. And then, there’s the uncanny one that leads to the dungeon, behind which lies only darkness, fear and loneliness.I realize that I have seen and know so little of this place. There are about fifteen other doors leading to rooms or possibly other areas that I have yet to be led through. Surely, one of these other doors has to lead outside this place. In a perfect situation, all I would have to do is open each door and try it out until I find the one that I am looking for. But as I have been shown multiple times already, this is not a perfect situation and nothing is being done according to my terms or wishes. T

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER TWELVE

    I dip my right foot in the water, starting with the big toe. The water is the same exact warm it was the last time I was here. How exactly these people keep the water at a steady temperature is beyond me. I have so many questions that I fear may remain unanswered. I submerge the rest of my body in the water and turn to face the servants. Knox’s right-hand falls to his side at my swift turn. Was he touching himself watching me? I smile at him and then I look away. “I haven’t seen the sun in days,” I say as the three servants start to make their way into the pool. Knox fetches the soap while the other two position themselves on either side of me. “That cannot be normal. Humans need the sun or we get depressed. What do you think, Knox?”At the mention of his name, Knox stumbles and the jar of soap he has in his hand falls back to the edge of the pool. Thankfully, the jar has a very tight lid so nothing spills. If Herb and Teon notice the awkwardness of our interaction or the effect that

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    The dress Herb and Teon bring to me has a similar style to the one I just took off except that it is in yellow. Yellow has been my favorite color since I was a child so seeing it puts a little smile on my face and I say a little thanks to the universe for small mercies. Once again, I am unable to fasten the lace of the dress completely by myself. This makes me a little worried because Alden will have to do it for me and I know how weak I become when he is that close to me. Still, I am determined to not let anything derail my newfound determination to get myself out of here. My plan is simple and easy. I will go to this dinner with Alden and eat enough to give myself strength but not too much that I feel full. I will behave as nicely as I can and maybe even engage Alden in conversation. It will be a ploy to convince him that I am liking this place and am on board with his breeding plan so that he does not suspect a thing and maybe even lets his guard down concerning keeping me secured.

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER FOURTEEN

    “Sit,” he says. “This meal is yours.”I sit in the exact same spot I sat in the last time and take a quick glance at all the food spread on the table. “I made sure that they prepared more of the things you liked from the last time and less of those you did not touch,” he says as I begin to put some food on my plate. “I also added a few new things so that we may properly determine your taste.”“What?” is the only thing that manages to escape my lips. Is Alden really changing the food he serves me based on my preferences? What is this monster doing when even my own ex-boyfriend could not have bothered to try to learn what I liked while we were going out? I remember once, right before our third anniversary, he decided that he was going to make me dinner, which in itself, was a surprise and gift enough because Brad never did anything for someone else. Unfortunately, the evening took a downward turn when I realized that he’d made something with fish when I’d told him so many times before

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    I don’t know when it happens exactly but at some point, while Alden is carrying me back into the castle on his shoulder, I stop fighting. Around the same time, I notice that I have stopped hitting or biting him, I also notice that his hand is on the small of my back, stroking me gently. My brain makes a quick connection between these two actions; his soothing stroking on my back is possibly the reason I have become calm and stopped fighting. Or maybe I am just exhausted and it has nothing to do with him.When we get back to the room, Alden places me on the chair on the right side of the wall and then he leaves. I remain in my completely soaked dress, shivering like a leaf with my arms wrapped around me and just staring into nothingness. How could he just leave me like this, soaking wet and so fucking cold? Granted, I did run into the storm with my own two legs but I would not have had to do that if he would just give me my freedom. This is all Alden’s fault.The door bursts open and A

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    I sit up immediately on the bench. That was definitely what I was expecting. I am ashamed to say but I have not, for once, imagined Alden, this monster sitting in front of me, as anyone who could have ever had relatives, especially female ones in whose memories he would have vases made. “What happened to them?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.“There was a time when this mountain was our home and all around it was teeming with our kind. My family ruled around this mountain and we faced no trouble for several millennia. Then two centuries ago, I ran into a woman, very much like you,” he says and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “My family did not approve of her but I trusted her so much, I was willing to leave this mountain and go somewhere far away to be with her.” He remained quiet after that and I feared that that was the end of the story but when I looked at him and I saw the anger welling in his eyes, I knew that there was more. More than I probably did not want to hear but als

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE

    The sun rays filtered in through the large window, casting a soft glow over the room. Charlotte and Eleanor flanked my sides, adjusting and readjusting different parts of my dress. We were gathered in front of a large mirror in the largest room in Alden's castle. I could hardly believe this day had come- my wedding day. It had been three months since the chaos with Lachlan and Lena. Three months since we returned home and had settled into a peaceful routine. But even with the calm, I still found it hard not to look over my shoulders. The weight of the past months still clung heavily to me. “I can't believe it's really happening,” I say gently, almost to myself. “I'm getting married in a few hours.”Charlotte, who had been focused on arranging my hair in the right bun, paused and smiled at me gently. “Neither can I,” she admitted, her voice soft but steady. “It all still feels like a really long dream.”We both turned our attention to Eleanor, who was fussing with the lace of my gown

  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER EIGHTY EIGHT

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER EIGHTY SEVEN

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER EIGHTY FIVE

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  • Cathy And The Beast    CHAPTER EIGHTY FOUR

    Alden stared at Lorin, his mind reeling. The sorcerer's words had caused a heavy silence to hang in the air. His actions were no doubt justifiable but they had only his word to support his claims. “Enough about ancient grudges, Beast King,” Lorin rasped, regaining his composure. “I believe you have more pressing concerns.” He added, staring intently at Alden, his yellow eyes gleaming in the torchlit meeting hall. “The whereabouts of your queen, no doubt?”Alden's ears perked up as he shifted in his seat. His gaze flickered to Charlotte, whose knuckles had turned white as she firmly gripped her seat.“She lives,” Lorin said, his voice taking on a strange sympathy. “For now.”Charlotte gasped, her grip tightening on the chair. The words “for now” dripped with an ominous weight. “What do you mean ‘for now?” She demanded, her eyes widening. Lorin finally shifted his gaze from Alden to her, a flicker of something akin to pity crossing his face. “Her life is…in grave danger.” He said slow

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