The Beast Inside. New Version ✔

Chapter 18.

Austin stared at the woman, not knowing what to say. His mother? "I don't have a mother." He growled feeling himself get angry. The woman's eyes went sad for a moment before she sent him a small smile.

"Let me tell you a story." Her voice was light with a heavy undertone and he growled again.

"I dont want to hear a fucking story." He just wanted her gone.

"Austin." He tensed as he felt the hand on his arm. He looked beside him to see Natalie had moved from behind him. She now stood at his side. "Look at her." She spoke softly, only looking at him. "Really look at her, then listen to her story." He watched her a moment longer before looking back at the woman who claimed was his nonexistent mother.

He noticed that her eyes were black and she had fangs. He looked her over, saw she was wearing a white dress and wore no shoes. "Look closer." Natalie whispered in his ear once more. At that moment, the woman shifted to the side a little and he caught a glimpse of her back. Wings. She had wings. The dress didn't seal them in like his shirts did his. No, hers was made around them, accommodated them. They were so white that they almost blended in. He looked at Natalie and watched as she nodded. "Listen to her." She spoke again and then turned to face the woman with her hand still on his arm. With a quick decision he pulled her hand off him before quickly grabbing it with his own. She didn't turn and look at him but he saw her smile grow.

"I'm listening." He spoke in a clipped tone as he faced the woman again. She smiled at him before she began.

"They say it started at the beginning of time, but I am not sure since I was not alive then. A man by the name of Malici George ruled the land. He was ruthless. Evil. He took whatever he wanted without a care or consequences. He believed it was his right to own everything. He was king, so why shouldn't he?

He took people lands and made them slaves. He took both willing and unwilling to bed. He used them, then destroyed their reputation, and discarded them as if they were trash.

The reason people followed him was because he ruled by fear, instead of trust and loyalty. If you disobeyed his orders or laws, you were hung or beheaded. If you did not pay his high amount in taxed, you would either become a slave or die. It was his way or no way."

The woman paused as she looked both him and Natalie over.

"One day a beautiful girl moved to town with her family. Her name was Isabel Claire. He was bewitched by her beauty. He knew he had to have her. He did not want her in just his bed though. He wanted her as his wife. He wanted someone who looked enchanting by his side. She rejected him. He did not take a liking to that, so he decided he would try something different. He didn't want to make her be with him. It wouldn't be fun for him. So he played a game, to see how long it would take her to accept him. He acted as a man that was not himself. He became sweet. He would let the townspeople off if they messed up here and there. He smiled instead of sneered. He brought flowers to her house everyday. He even asked to court her.

After a few months passed, she realized that maybe he had changed. The kingdom was no longer fearful of their king. They were all joyous. Every time Isabel went to town she was congratulated for changing their king into a better man. She decided to give him a chance. He courted her for three months. He played the doting boyfriend who cared. He escorted her to every magnificent ball. He bought her beautiful jewelry. He had her wrapped around his finger.

Once the three months ended, he knew he had her under his spell. He took her out to the middle of his kingdom and proposed. She was so happy, she threw her arms around him screaming, 'Yes,' at the top of her lungs. The townspeople cheered Excited that she would be their queen. For she was the only woman who had ever changed him."

The woman paused again and looked at Natalie. He scrunched his eyes as he wondered where she was going with this dumb ass sotry. He looked towards Natalie, to see she was leaning heavily on him. She was too damn nice to interrupt and say she was in pain. Damn her. He should've been paying more attention to her. He quickly picked her up and laid her out on the bed. She thanked him with her eyes before turning to face their visitor. The woman watched them with keen eyes and a smile on her face. After he got her situatied, he sat down beside her and turned back towards the woman.

"They got married a month later. That night he took his wife to bed. The next morning Isabel woke up to a nightmare. Malici had kept track of everyone who disobeyed him in that year, and they were sentenced to death. He laughed as they were either hung or beheaded. Isabel tried to get him to stop, but he slapped her across the face, and told her to go to the room. That he would be taking her to bed again once he finished with the townspeople.

Isabel was furious. She had been tricked. He had palyed her for a full year all so he could have her as his wife. Isabel was forced to bed her husband and king that night. That broke her. After he left her, he had dragged another woman in and done the same to her. Isabel decided she was done. Malaci had messed with the wrong person this time. The thing he didn't know about her was that she was a witch. If anyone found out her or her families true identities they would have been burned alive. She knew at that instatnt though that she would rather burn then live her life with him. The next night, she snuck out of the castle and went to see her family. They had been very worried about her. She explained to them her plan, and they wholeheartedly agreed. They would happily burn too. Together her and her family thought of a spell."

The woman paused again, as Natalie started to sit up beside him. He whipped around and tried to help her, but she quickly help her hand up.

"I've heard this story before." She whispered almost to herself.

"What?" He asked. Ignoring her hand, and helping her anyways. When she got situated against the headboard, she leaned her head back and sighed. He shook his head. She was in too much pain.

"I've heard this story before." She said again. She opened her eyes and looked at Austin and then turned to look at the woman claiming to be his mother.

"It's a story thats been passed down from my family. One that was told as a bedtime story. As a young child, it was told in a less gruesome way. But as all the kids grew older, it would change. The woman, Isabel, she cursed him for the man that he was. He was a monster. So she made him look one in appearances. Her and her family took hours to get the spell exactly how they wanted it. And when she returned home to find her man sleeping with yet another woman she knew she couldn't wait any longer and that she would never regret her decision. She started to chant words over and over again until Malaci finally woke. He had demanded to know what she was doing. And she had told him that she was giving him what he deserved. She was turning him into what he truly was, a monster." Natalies eyes never left his as she spoke of the story. He was beginning to get really confused. Not understanding anything. He watched as she glanced to the almost forgotten woman in the room.

"You are very correct young lady. Though I don't know how you know of the story." He watched the woman study Natalie for a little longer before looking at him and sending him a smile before telling the story once more.

"'This is what you will forever be. A monster of the night. For only true love can break the curse. You will be a beast, but you will also be man. Your inner beast knows your true love. If you do not accept her by the end of the year you meet her, then your beast will fully take over. He will then take his love and make her one of him. They will forever be happy. They will give birth to a child, and that child will be exactly as you are. Then the process will begin again. The process will never break unless they both truly love each other. They must both say it in order to complete it. Farewell.'

Those were Isabel's words before she turned around to walk out the door.

She didn't reach the outside of the castle before Malici had torn her to shreds then went for her family. He never broke the curse, no one did."

She stopped telling the story and stared straight in his eyes.

"Until you."