Page 22 of Beast and Remedy (The Last of the Heirs #2)

Keep Going

S unlight beams between the trees as we ride through Biala Forest, the wind chilling my skin. Marian slumps the closer we get to Torgem’s castle, and I tell her to keep her arm as elevated as possible.

We are so close.

I click my tongue, hastening the steed.

Pine and oak tree branches hit me more than I care for, irritation permeating and fueling the power barely containable.

I beg the Makers to let us reach the palace before the beast takes control. But as the sun sets, more creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting for twilight and the opportunity to seek out prey.

A pack of wolves howl, and I gasp.

“What is it?” Marian asks faintly.

Sweet Makers, even her voice is fleeting.

“It’s nothing,” I dismiss, clicking at the horse, needing it to go faster .

The beasts of the night, my nightmares, and my problems howl again.

Marian hisses. “Vi.”

The fear in her voice stirs my protectiveness, my instincts—the magic .

A searing pain forces air from my lungs, and I wince. “We’re almost there,” I whisper more to myself than Marian.

Once she’s gotten to safety, I can hurry into the woods and shift. I can’t be around anyone, let alone Beau and my old friends.

My family and I have done everything to ensure my gifts remain a secret. But if Marian and I set foot into enemy territory… Fuck, I hope I’m right in trusting my heart.

The hoofbeats echo as we inch closer, the urge to transform multiplying.

We break through a small clearing, and the old castle ruins covered in frozen branches and dead leaves come into view. Barely passing under it, a snarl comes from my left as my right forearm snaps.

I scream, leaning into my sister.

“VI!” Marian yelps.

A pull of magic swells against my chest, and a pack of wolves chases after us as the palace emerges through the lush green foliage.

Light hazes of periwinkle and rose gold fill the sky as the sun sets past Lake Torden and Whispering Bay. Matching cream bricks line the walls of the towers, the roof, and pointed spikes faded black. The arrow slits and parapet are visible as we inch nearer, guardsmen lined up and patrolling.

My heart pleads for peace as the unbearable weight of magic stifles my human form, the nausea and dizziness returning in full force.

Hollering comes from the roof and the gates open as the creatures hunting us gain traction.

I raise my voice, but a growl seeps out instead, the transformation demanding and blasting through me.

Shit, shit, shit.

Marian feels lighter in my hold.

No. No. No. No. NO!

I pull her back as the searing pain pops a rib out of place. “Marian!” I gasp.

Her head falls against my chest, eyes shut and a grayness to her features.

I pass through the gates, a guttural plea escaping. “HELP!”

But it’s more a roar than my own voice.

Arrows whoosh past, and animals yelp behind me as I tug on the reins to come to a full stop.

Hold out a little longer, Vi. Just get Marian into his arms.

Guards rush out from the keep, armed and prepared, but lowering their swords as I cry out. “ Please , help!”

A man sprints forward as my world spins, colors altering. Everything feels distant.

The sights, the sounds, and the smells. Sweet Makers the smells.

Mold, dirt, and cedar mix with the dried blood, flooding my senses as I struggle to dismount.

The man holds the reins and steadies my sister as I grit through the pain, choosing my words carefully. “Injured. Princess Vivienne and Marian. Help .”

CRACK !

Another bone breaks and I hiss, my head rocking up to the sky.

My hip alters, and I slink off the horse. More agonizing fractures stream through me. Much worse than the brunt of the fall.

More men surround me, and I remove my weapons and take off my pack, needing it undamaged as I beg them again. “My sister, help her. Please . Stay away from me. Please .”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I never wanted it to happen this way. More bones split, men still standing and not doing anything.

They aren’t listening and helping Marian!

Screw it, I’ll do it myself if I have to. I need to get to her. I need to tell her I tried .

Through squinted eyes, I see my sister, and thank the Makers, someone must have helped her off the horse when I fell.

Crawling toward her, I will help my twin until my last dying breath. I stretch, reaching for—

SNAP !

My hand jerks, another bone fracturing.

“Miss! Let us help you!” says a guard’s high-pitched voice, and I growl.

My magic thrashes, wanting the full surrender to happen. It’s going to be painful regardless of how much I fight against it.

My saliva dries as my own teeth grind into the other, my jaw locking as my leg shatters, and then another rib pops, and my foot twists.

I yelp.

“ Vi .”

Marian’s croaked voice has me meeting her droopy brown eyes.

She’s too far away.

We both reach for each other, but a snarl escapes my throat, a muffled mixture of bear and human as I warn the people.

“ GO !”

I hold on to my human thoughts, emotions, and functionality for as long as I can, needing to see Marian get help.

My vision blackens near the edges as claws carve themselves out from my knuckles.

Fur pokes out from my pores, stretching out my tunic and trousers and ripping them apart as my mahogany coat covers my exposed flesh. Muscles grow and thicken, cushioning the new skeleton of beast versus human.

But my magic twitches— freezes .

Its takeover hangs in the balance when the scent of home mixed with pine and a sweet, sugary citrus dances along my senses.

Fuck. My. Life.

He is so close I can smell him.

Searing pain pulses in my head, my limbs, my nerves—my magic quickening again. I lose focus, my blood and my heartbeat changing, thumping loud against my skull.

The world blurs.

More footsteps. They’re coming.

He’s coming.

Shit.

Everyone here is going to witness this.

I have to get out of here. But Marian…

The palpitations turn hot and molten, everything burning as I try to catch sight of my sister one more time. A growl rumbles deep in my throat as I formulate a plan of escape.

What if he sees this? What would he think? Deities… what if he turns us away—

CRACK !

My vision dims.

The Protector of Beasts takes hold.

A loud roar bellows out, the world shifting. I sneer at the men surrounding me and stop on a limp figure.

Recognition stirs as I scan the body. It’s differently shaped from the others. Dark-red tresses are barely visible under the dusk sky, and I try pinpointing this recollection.

Remember yourself, Vi!

Wood and moss flood my senses, but more soldiers linger at my back. I snarl and clamp my jaw shut in warning, their swords pointed in defense.

I will kill them all if I have to.

They take a step backward, farther away but still blocking the path out.

The overwhelming sensation steers my paws toward the wild, my home and dominion calling me— needing me.

But sweetness and pine fill the air again, a fragment of nature alluring to my beast, my magic. A piece of wilderness I’ve missed.

Directing my attention toward the keep, a familiar face appears.

There, in all his glory, all his beauty—I finally see him.

His tall, muscular build and presence stands out amongst his guards, enough for me to depict the small hints of bronze in his complexion from the countless hunting trips he’s taken since he was a child.

Even in the crisp early signs of night, sunlight comes off him in waves, emphasizing yellow-blond hair.

And his eyes… Fuck, how they are resplendent, golden, and heated as they pierce through my very soul.

But I break his stare, twisting to the person on the ground.

He follows my line of sight, immediate recognition catching him off guard, and he lunges into action toward her. The woman.

Marian.

He lowers in a flash, light encasing them. Brightness illuminates the entire keep.

Pebbles dig into my paws, a new need to have my feet rubbing against dried leaves and damp cold soil prickling an urge up my spine. A low rumble builds in the depths of my chest, magic summoning the bear to its sanctum.

“Bow to the Protector of Beasts, you fools,” the king orders, still hovering over my sister, light dimming around them.

Soldiers surrounding me lower their swords and take another step back. Their humming heartbeats fill my ears before the sultry voice speaks again.

“And open those damned gates.”

Metal scrapes against the hinges of the barriers.

I should turn my focus there, but instead, I beg the magic to let me linger on him . I still struggle to utter his name, disbelieving he is really here.

His scent tantalizes my senses, a lure for my beast and a trap for my heart.

My mouth salivates, drool dripping down my snout.

And when his eyes find mine again, time ceases. His golden honey irises sparkle, and my soul abandons my body.

A coy smile, one I’ve known and loved my whole life, grows as a barely audible whisper leaves his lips. “Hello, Rosebud.”

More footsteps sound, and I veer toward the keep, my old friends halting and blanching at me. A beast.

I huff, satisfaction whirling and feeding my magic, kindling a need to strike fear. To enforce rule.

The temperature drops with the darkening sky, and a chilling breeze seeps into my fur, lingering as everyone waits with still breath.

I brave another glance at the love of my life. He cradles my sister, color returning to her cheeks.

Beau’s eyes never leave mine as he offers me a subtle nod, and I hope it means he’ll watch over my sister so I can escape.

Drifting backward, I assess everyone as they remain unmovable. A united force to be reckoned with should I attack.

Rocks dig into my paws as I shuffle on all fours, never giving my full back to any of the humans as I pass through the archway.

Torches in the gateway light the forest, and when the wind picks up, I let it carry me and my power through the full charge I break into.

I turn into the shadows and dark depths of the woods, relying on them to veil me from sight.