The Beast

11

HAZEL

Terror grips my throat, and I'm frozen in my tracks as this stranger with an evil grin hovers over me, filling my small room with trepidation.

I never saw this coming.

Yes, I knew that getting caught was a possibility, but I figured the worst thing that could happen was banishment. Coercion? That never crossed my mind.

You stupid, stupid girl.

My lips tremble. Do I cry for help? Do I try to negotiate? There's nothing I could offer this man.

Except your body. Just like the hooded man warned you. That's the only thing men in this world want from you. The only thing you can offer.

I've never felt this helpless, but reality has doused the small flame of excitement that I had. I should have kept my head down. Should have stopped looking for trouble.

He takes a step forward right as there's a click coming from the door. It opens, and Gwen steps inside.

I break from my trance, reaching for one of the potted plants by the window and slamming it into the back of the guard's head right as he turns to Gwen.

Gwen gasps and falls backward, hitting the door frame and shutting the door with her weight. The hardwood floors tremble as the huge man collapses, and I clutch onto my bleeding, trembling hand.

"What... what..." Gwen wheezes.

I look at her with wide eyes. I turned into an animal. The anguish of being trapped and controlled by the estate rules has overboiled. I refuse to be trapped by a guard, too. Refuse to become his whore.

Refuse to run to Lord Ronan and abide by his terms in exchange for his help. I'm sure he'll want something.

"I can explain," I whisper to Gwen as I reach for the man's wrist for a pulse.

Gwen looks at me like I've set the estate on fire. I don't recognize myself, either. But it feels good to prove that I'm not fucking helpless. Although I'm an idiot that quickly caught feelings for two men, I'm not a damsel in distress. I don't want to give either of them more power by running to them and begging for help.

"Is he dead?" Gwen whimpers, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No! But he wanted to... to..."

He wanted to take advantage of me.

I could tell her the partial truth, but that wouldn't be fair. I have dragged her into my shit. Escaped our bedroom to break the rules as she innocently slept. She considers me a friend although we don't spend much time together, and I've only brought danger to our doorstep.

I need to tell her the truth. I need to get this secret off my chest.

"Gwen, I've been skipping the wall. I've been going outside."

She shakes her head, her tears erratically painting her cheeks. "Impossible. Once you go out, you're banned."

I nod. "I got away with it for a while, but this guard caught me and wanted payment for his silence." I reach for my bedsheet and tear a strip off with all my strength. I tie his wrists together first.

"This is bad, Hazel. This is bad. I don't want to get in trouble. I don't want to be banned to the outside!"

I nod and rip another strip from the sheet. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get caught up in this!"

"And what about your mom? Your mom. Does she know?"

I sigh. "Of course not. She would have tied me to the bed if she even suspected I was planning to jump."

I gag the guard, triple-tying my knots.

"What not?" She grits. "We can't keep him here forever. It's only a matter of time before you're discovered and take me down with you."

I groan and rub my temples. "I just need to find some blackmail for him so that he can't threaten me. Some dirt that will keep him quiet." I pat down his pants and find an identification card for the estate.

Peter Lukeson. That's his name.

"Just give me until tonight, okay? I'll take a sick day and go looking."

Her eyes are stuck on my bleeding hand. On the mess I've created. I don't know what the hell I'm saying. I've got no powerful connections in the estate. No one owes me favors. How will I learn about Peter Lukeson in 24 hours?

I secure him to my bedpost and then bandage my hand.

Gwen stands up on shaky legs. With a lick to her lips, she says, "Clean this up, Hazel. For both our sakes. I'm not getting involved."

I can't blame her.

— —

I report myself sick and dive right into my investigation. The first place I go to is the kitchen that prepares morning meals. There's a girl there that's known for dating around. With any luck, she knows Peter. I can pay her for information by picking up a few of her shifts.

What was her name again? I wish I kept track, but there are too many people in the estate and I've never had interest in the popular crowd. After-work parties and dating never took my attention. I've always been an introvert.

"Hazel? I thought you were sick today?" Dakota crosses my path. She frowns and scans me.

I wear my uniform, but the thick bandage around my hand sticks out. "I'm not sick, just had a small injury." I lift my hand to show her, and her eyes narrow on my bandage. She almost looks displeased that I wasn't caught in a lie. I'm sure she would have loved to reprimand me. The woman is still convinced I'm trying to earn stripes on my sleeve by becoming a mistress.

She taps her foot impatiently. "I see. Then you should be resting."

"I will, but first I came to see..."

What is the maid's name? For the life of me, I can't remember.

We both turn around when we hear rapid footsteps approaching. That's not normal. Running down the halls is forbidden. A panicked maid runs with her skirts clutched in her fists, her head

ware almost falling off. She comes like a horseman of the apocalypse.

I take a step backward.

"Stop running! Are you crazy?" Dakota yells.

The maid keeps coming, her eyes locked on mine. I know her. She's Lydia, a part of my kitchen. When she finally stops, she bends at the waist and struggles to catch her breath. The servants in the kitchen behind us pour outside, about a dozen of them.

"A guard..." she gasps. "Found injured in Hazel's room." She points at me, and it feels like she shot a bullet through my chest. "He says that she skipped the wall and went outside!"

There are a dozen simultaneous gasps, and Dakota looks at me in shock.

No. No. No! He couldn't have escaped so quickly! I didn't get a chance to fix this!

"Inform the Lord!" Dakota roars and reaches for me, grabbing my wrists and making pain erupt in my injured hand. I cry out, but no one stops her. She's above them in rank.

"Tell him there's a maid in need of a banishment!"

Lydia nods eagerly, not even looking at me again as she takes off. Chaotic chatter fills the halls, and the impenetrable estate that I spent a decade in crumbles one brick at a time.