A Rose for the Beast

A Dangerous Pursuit

The crickets and nightbirds stopped their symphony, the sound of her feet stomping through the forest disrupting the creatures' routines. Various critters dashed away at her swift approach, terrified of the intrusion to their home. Tree branches swayed toward Rosalie, moved by an omnious breeze.

The crisp air burned her lungs, but she didn't stop running. She could hear the hunter following close behind, his joyful laughter taunting her. The chase seemed to thrill him. She should have known he'd be too confident to stay away from the dark forest at night.

The eerie howl of a wolf pierced the air. Though it had come from a distance, she stopped in her tracks to observe her surroundings. The trees and shrubs were all similar. The branches overhead blocked all, but the smallest beams of moonlight.

As she tried to catch her breath, the wolf howled again. This time, another wolf responded. Then, another. Soon, there was an orchestra of nature's song as the wolves signaled each other's locations.

Rosalie whimpered at the realization that she was being hunted by both man and wolf. The crunch of leaves nearby spurred her on. She took off in a random direction away from whoever or whatever was chasing her. If she didn't keep running she would either be assaulted by Bastien or killed by a pack of wolves. Either way, she was trapped, lost in the densely wooded forest.

Glancing back, Rosalie made the mistake of not paying attention as she ran. She tripped over a fallen log, rolling through the fallen leaves and branches on the forest floor. As she lay there, she attempted to steady her racing heart and labored breathing. Mentally checking her body for injuries, she noticed only slight bruising on her foot when she tried to move it.

Rosalie lifted herself up, intending to continue fleeing. As she gazed over the log that had so rudely jumped into her path and made her fall, her hope slipped away. Bastien stood a few feet from her with smug satisfaction.

"You didn't honestly think you could escape the greatest hunter in all of France, did you?"

She ignored his question and glanced around for any sign of the wolves. She saw and heard nothing, though knowing where one predator was gave her some comfort.

"We need to get out of here, now," she warned as he strolled toward her.

"And why is that, chère?," he asked with a patronizing tone.

She glared up at him when he crossed his arms as if he needed patience to deal with her. Rosalie wanted to punch that arrogant face of his.

"I heard wolves. We should get back--," she started to say.

"I think not. You see, you've run pretty deep into the forest. There's no chance of you finding the way out. Just like there's no chance anyone will hear your screams out here."

She gaped at the hunter. His lips thinned into a tight smirk and he kneeled in front of her.

"Oh, and I promise, you're going to scream," he threatened.

Bastien shoved her back to the ground and climbed over her, trapping her beneath him. She struggled against him, twisting her hips and kicking her legs to no avail. His hot breath fanned over her neck and into her ear, crawling over her skin like vermin. She cried out for help, screaming at the top of her lungs. He brought his palm down across her face, slapping her with such force, her head jerked to the side. He'd shocked her into silence.

"Don't scream, yet. I haven't even started," he said.

Rosalie's hand covered her mouth to muffle her sobs, though she secretly hoped the wolves would hear her. If they thought she was a wounded animal, they'd come, hunger driving them. As Bastien tore her apron away and tried to pull her dress down,  she instinctively pulled it back up to cover herself.

Bastien raised his hand and she prepared for another harsh punishment for denying him. Before he could hurt her again, a might roar shook the forest, freezing the hunter's actions.

"What was that?!," he yelled as he jumped up.

He withdrew a short blade from his person and swiveled in place, searching the forest for the source of the petrifying sound. Making use of the distraction, Rosalie fixed her clothing and tried to stand. Bastien elbowed her in the ribs, pushing her back down. She gasped at the pain.

The roar echoed through the forest again. Only, it was much closer than before.