Page 4 of The Beast Between Us (Once Upon A Forever #2)

Thorne

“Sorry for the intrusion, Sire, but Mr. Holloway is here to see you.”

I sigh and turn from the window, my gaze settling on Oswin.

“Unless Mr. Holloway has come bearing payment, I’ve no interest in entertaining him.”

“He’s being rather… persistent, Sire,” Oswin replies carefully.

From here, I can hear his heartbeat quicken. Not that I blame him. Being half man, half beast means my temper is rarely predictable.

Oswin is the only one who stayed after I took back the house. Brave enough to stand before the creature I’ve become, loyal enough to call me Sire even when I barely feel human.

One day, he’ll be rewarded.

If I ever win this war inside me.

“Persistent in what way, Oswin?” I ask.

“He’s throwing stones at the door, Sire,” Oswin replies, a hint of dry disapproval in his tone. “Says he won’t leave until he’s spoken with the Lord of the house.”

I sigh and cross the room, settling into the high-backed chair in the shadowed corner. From here, the light won’t touch my face. He won’t see what I’ve become.

Not until I want him to.

“Very well. Bring him in.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Years ago, before I lost control to the beast within, Mr. Holloway came to my family seeking a loan. He wanted to purchase a stretch of land that bordered the Evermere estate…land that technically still belongs to me. My father agreed, so long as he paid a monthly stipend for the privilege.

Lately, Mr. Holloway has stopped making his payments.

And that simply won’t do.

“Sire…Mr. Holloway.”

“Don’t come any closer,” I say, and the man halts halfway across the room. “What brings you to my estate, Mr. Holloway?”

“I came…”

“There really is only one acceptable answer,” I cut in, my voice cold.

“I’ve come to return the land,” he says, his words slightly slurred.

“Is that so?” I lean forward just enough. He can’t see me clearly from where I sit in shadow, but if he looks hard enough, he’ll see the outline not of the man, but of the Beast.

I wait.

His heart stutters, then quickens.

I smile.

Good.

“Y–yes,” he stammers. “Nothing grows there. Not even grass. The ground’s gone sour, and no one will work it for fear the curse will spread. I…I can’t afford it anymore. So I’m returning it.”

“Interesting,” I say, folding my hands. “I accept the return of my property. However, I must insist upon full repayment of the monthly stipends you’ve missed over the past two years.”

“What… I-I can’t afford that, your Lordship.”

“Then I’m afraid we have a problem, Mr. Holloway.”

It’s moments like this when the Beast and I are in perfect harmony.

I rise slowly, stepping out of the shadows and nearly laugh at the fright that contorts the old man’s face.

“I’ll do a-anything,” he stammers, dropping to his knees. “P-please, don’t kill me.”

I don’t move closer.

I don’t have to.

He’s already broken.

“Stand up,” I say, voice low. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”

He scrambles upright, trembling. His coat hangs off one shoulder, his collar stained with sweat. I can smell the fear on him…thick, sharp, desperate.

“You came here to settle a debt,” I remind him. “You’ll do anything , you say. I wonder… do you even remember what honor tastes like?”

His mouth works open, then shuts again. “Please… there must be something I can offer.”

“There was. Your agreed-upon payments. You failed.”

He wrings his hands, darting a glance toward the window as if escape were still an option.

Then he says, “I-I have a daughter.”

The words are quiet. Meant to sound tragic, maybe. They aren’t.

I go still.

“A daughter,” I repeat.

He nods, eyes wide with false sincerity. “She’s strong. Works hard. Knows how to cook, clean, tend to a garden. She’s… well-behaved. I could send her in place of the money. A servant. Until the debt’s paid.”

He says it so simply. So easily. Like offering a goat. Or a sack of flour.

The Beast inside me shifts…not with rage. Not yet.

But something stirs.

“And what does your daughter think of this arrangement?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

He hesitates. “She’s… obedient.”

Of course she is.

I take a slow step forward. “You would sell your own blood to settle a debt?”

He says nothing.

But his silence is answer enough.

I should rip the contract in two and kill him for not honoring his agreement.

But I don’t.

Because something about the offer…about her …pulls at me.

What kind of woman must she be, to belong to a man so eager to be rid of her?

“Very well,” I say with a slow nod. “But your debt is vast, Mr. Holloway. It would take a lifetime…two, perhaps…for a servant to repay what you owe.”

I pause.

“Are you prepared to wash your hands of your daughter?”

He doesn’t answer right away. Just stares at the floor as though it might save him.

Finally, he nods. “If it clears the debt, then yes.”

Not a flicker of remorse. No hesitation. No fatherly concern.

Only relief.

I almost pity the girl.

Almost.