Content To Be Claimed (Beauty And The Beast #1)

Chapter 1

I sat at my desk, staring at my book bag.

I still had a problem with grasping the fact that I wasn't going to see Connor again. I guess the move had helped a little, though: I was feeling better about becoming someone else, someone new, a separate entity from the Annabelle who'd been with Connor.

My door opened, but I didn't look up. I hadn't had such automatic reactions in eight months.

"Ready, Ann?"

I looked up at my dad's voice and saw him standing in the doorway. Keith Burton's dark hair was a mirror of my own. His was short, though, as opposed to mine, which flowed down almost to my waist. His muddy brown eyes - a contrast to my own hazel ones - were slightly dark with worry. I stood up. I was now living with Keith after two years. He'd barely recovered from losing my mother by now, mainly because he'd moved here, Los Gatos, and made a name for himself as a forest ranger. Meanwhile, I'd been living with aunt Lily in Denver until my boyfriend, Connor Jacks, died in a car accident.

They said he'd been reckless, of course, but I knew better. So a part of me had died with Connor that night so many months ago, leaving only a shadow of me.

The dead part was called Anna.

They'd moved me here so I could start a new life, independent of Connor or reminders. And I'd decided new me, new name.

"Dad, we talked about this," I said softly.

I saw the dim pain in his eyes and bit my lip. We had indeed talked about this, but I'd always been his little Anna. He recognised the name change for what it was.

A different person.

"It's a little difficult to switch to Belle."

"You'll adjust," I said, still in a soft voice.

"Cut him some slack," my brother called from the kitchen downstairs.

Keith frowned and turned in the doorway. "How did you hear her?"

There was a very short silence, then he called up, "We're running late!"

"He's right," Keith said and sighed.

I made to go past him.

"Will you be okay, hon?"

I nodded. He kissed my forehead and stepped aside, letting me by.

I descended unhurriedly, as always. Dane stood in the middle of the room, looking a bit bulky as usual. He's been working out again, I thought. Dane looked a little big for his twenty years, yet his face looked young. His ash blond hair was courtesy of my mother. It framed his face and, coupled with his deep blue eyes, made him simply irresistible. That is, if all the girls falling over his feet were anything to go by.

"Ready?" he smiled, draping an arm around my shoulders. "I see you're going to another Goth convention."

"Cut it out."

I knew Dane had a problem with the way I dressed now, but I simply could hardly stand clothes. All black was my compromise. Still, due to Dane's cajoling and in deference to Keith's nerves, I was dressed more or less normally. My jeans were blue.

The moment we stepped outside, the blast of cold air greeted me and I was glad I'd zippered up. As I approached Dane's car, I decided to tie my hair back, keep it out of my face. Dane snatched the hair band out of my hand. I sighed and got into the car.

"Ready?"

I nodded.

He started driving. "So I was talking to this guy, and he said the best way to cheer you up is music, so - "