The Beast

4

HAZEL

I broke another rule by sneaking out to walk the halls at night. I couldn't sleep. I was tense all day, waiting to be banished from the estate. No one came for me yesterday, but I felt it was only a matter of time.

As I laid on my bed, I decided to get as many answers before I get kicked out.

I must admit that I'm disappointed. I spent months waiting and plotting but couldn't survive in the real world for even one day. I nearly got drugged and snatched within minutes.

Then there's my mom. How will I tell her that I'm being sent away? I spent months thinking about what it would be like to lose her. I spent my entire life beside her, and although it pained me, I came to terms with the idea of moving on. I can't be locked in this mansion forever, living a repetitive life.

All that curiosity, acceptance, and rebellion led me here: under the shadow of another giant. His voice is deep, similar to the hooded stranger I met, but it's raspier.

(A/N: they are the same man, but he's changing his voice to sound different)

I think I found the Lord. I think I discovered why we're not allowed to walk the halls at night—because he prowls them.

My heart thunders in my chest, and my tongue is heavy in my mouth. I stare at the darkness, not seeing much. But I heard moans and ruffling of clothes. I saw the passionate collision of hungry bodies. Their silhouettes pressed together, bringing a performance to the halls I grew bored of.

They were about to fuck. The depravity of it is shocking. I've mopped and dusted these halls so many times, but I never imagined it getting dirty this way. Misted with sweat and other bodily fluids.

The Lord's anger is palpable. I lick my lips and force myself to say, "I—I got lost." A sad excuse. I've lived in the estate for so long that I know every nook and cranny. There's no way I could get lost, even in the darkness.

Right now, I find myself hating the darkness. Not because it's disorienting but because it masks the Lord. The man that has captured my imagination is so close but untouchable.

"Return to your fucking room!" His voice is harsh and loud. Uncaring about who hears him. This is his estate, after all.

I flinch, terrified and mesmerized by the powerful man before me. He's real. A young man, not an elder like I had imagined. He was about to have sex with the maid in the darkness, about to paint his estate with sin and thrill. I realize that no matter how much I clean and study the details of this place, I will never know all its secrets.

When I remain frozen in my spot, he growls in frustration. I watch closely. If he gets angrier, he might just start glowing and reveal his face.

His giant hand squeezes my hip. "Go unless you want to lift your skirt and get fucked so hard you'll lay on the floor until another maid finds you in the morning."

That does it. I shudder in fear and jerk away, rushing down the hall and trying to not make noise.

His threat was... alarming. The maid's moans proved he knows his way around a woman's skirt, but sex is unknown territory to me.

The Lord is nothing like I expected. Not old or feeble. I might not have gone looking for him if I knew he was so lewd and blunt. How could the Lord of an elegant, regal estate be so barbaric?

I quickly make it to my room. Surprisingly, no guards are walking the halls. All servants except me follow the rules and don't walk at night. The guards likely figured there was no point in patrolling. Or maybe it has something to do with the Lord turning the halls into his bedroom, fucking maids wherever he pleases.

I remember the Lord's large hand swallowing my hip. Making me fear and respect him. He's real. It has to be him. No male servant would be as authoritative and bold.

I sink into bed, realizing I'm unskilled at sneaking out. I keep getting caught, but I can't stop. I'm closer to finding answers. The estate is not as boring as I thought it was. So much happens in the dark halls. I know next to nothing about my home.

I need to complete the mission. Although I met the Lord of the Estate, I still have questions.

Maybe you should have stayed to test his threat.

My breath hitches. Hearing the sound, my roommate, Gwen stirs in her bed.

I consider the invasive, dangerous thought. It makes my heart race. What would the Lord have done if I stayed?

My fingers brush over my long braid. My free hand slides down to my hip, remembering the Lord's hold. So tight and warm. His touch burned through my cotton dress and branded my skin. I swear I can still feel the heat.

I know what sex is. Males have offered it to me since I was a teenager, but I was never intrigued. Now, though... I can't stop thinking about it. I'm ashamed of the turn my curiosity has made. This was a man that offered me sex. Not a blushing servant boy offering a quick romp inside the laundry room.

The past two days have shown me that many powerful giants are walking the Earth—like the hooded man and the Lord of Darkness. I need to see more. My curiosity has caught fire like never before, spreading wildly.

I won't be satisfied until I know more about the Lord and I know where to look. The hooded man knew I was from the estate. If I don't get banished in the next few days, that means he protected me. He didn't report me. I will go see him, and I'll bring him payment for his information. He must know something about the estate and its secrets.

I'm not sure what payment to give him. I live humbly in my bedroom; my most precious possessions are the dresses I sewed myself. What could a man like that possibly want from me? A hoodie?

I chuckle at the thought, the sound shaky as my body still reels with an adrenaline rush.

– • –

It takes me a while to fall asleep. But when I hear a knock at the door and my mother's voice, I shoot up.

My roommate has already left. She has an early shift today.

I clear my throat and rise, the floor cold under my bare feet. I hesitate before turning the doorknob and opening the door.

"Hi, mom."

Why is she here? Am I in trouble?

She scans me. I don't hold her gaze in fear she'll find something. She has always been able to read people like a book. If she ran into the Lord at night, she would learn everything about him at a glance. If only I had inherited the skill.

I rub my eyes to feign fatigue and avoid looking at her.

"Hi, sweetheart. I've been busy and haven't seen you much. Why don't you join me later in the sewing room?"

I smile, amused by the opportunity. My shoulders relax. "That's a great idea. I wanted to sew an oversized sweater for the winter."

I'm not sure there will be enough fabric in the entire estate to make a hoodie for the guy. He had been massive. I might have to tear down a curtain or two.

She nods, unaware of what I've been scheming. I feel guilty but alive. I've never been so excited in my life. After living in this maze of secrets for so long, I finally own some secrets of my own.