Bella – The reveal
I lay there in blissful comfort with the man who had only just saved me and a man I just fucked. I thought in that moment he was going to let me fall asleep in his arms, but instead he got himself up and sat up at the edge of the bed with a face full of concern. I was wondering what was wrong with the man who just before was so full of joy, but before I had the chance to ask he started speaking.
“If you’re staying here tonight, I need to tell you something” he said in a sombre tone, I was nervous in anticipation about what terrible thing he was just about to say.
“Have you heard about the beast that roams the dark wood?” he asked. My mind was racing with a million possibilities about where this conversation was going. Is that what attacked me last night? Will it come to attack us tonight? I’d always thought it was a local myth, but the expression on Adam’s face quickly made me realise that it was no myth. Of all the possibilities that my mind was trying to come up with, I wasn’t prepared for what he was just about to say after I replied with a simple yes.
“Well, I am the beast” he said. I laughed, almost in shock more than anything. I mean, here was a man sitting in front of me. Was he crazy? He must have anticipated I was just about to have a multitude of questions so he carried on speaking.
“About 10 years ago, I was struck down with a curse that can only be released through an act of true love. As soon as the sun sets, I turn into the beast. At sunrise the next morning, I am transformed back. It’s why I am only ever see you at the castle during the day. And it’s why I have to live out here on my own so that no-one sees the beast that I become” as soon as he explained it, it made sense. It also sparked a memory from the night before, my brain must have repressed it as being a semi-conscious delusion.
“Last night . . . it was you” I said, recalling my patchy thoughts. “The beast who fought the bear last night before it could kill me, that was you.” I could hardly believe it, but the memory that had come back to me made me think that it must be true.
“Yes, that was me” he said, almost looking happier at the fact I wasn’t terrified. “I followed you as soon as you entered the dark wood to make sure you were safe, but I knew I had to make sure you didn’t see me. As soon as you ran away from the bear, I knew I had to act. I thought you’d remember this morning, but you hit your head very hard.”
He told me that I could stay here for as long as I needed too. The telling of his secret seemed to relax him, although he said that he would sleep alone in his room tonight and lock the door behind him. He assured me that I was safe and that becoming the beast doesn’t change his personality. I still felt safe in his company, perhaps even more so after finding out this was the man that saved me last night from the ravenous bear. Even if he wasn’t recognisable as a man when he did so. He was obviously following me in the forest for a while; it felt nice to be protected.
Adam made me something to eat, he was contemplating riding into town to see what the situation was, but didn’t want to leave me alone. We decided it was for the best to wait it out for the day, I wondered if the castle I had called home all my life was still under attack. I wondered how Josh was doing after the split, wondering if he had calmed down. I wondered about George, was he and his father behind the attack? I knew that they didn’t get on, but surely it would have never come to this? I thought about Max, I wondered if he was safe and if he managed to keep under-the-radar and away from the fighting. I wondered if Isaac and Ralph and if they were involved in the fighting, I wouldn’t have to wait a long time for that answer.
Adam was clearly tired, I talked to him more about the curse and how it came to be. He was hesitant, but told me a few details. We then moved on to the more mundane talk, our childhoods and interests. The type of thing you talk about on a first date, it was nice to discuss those things in comfort and away from prying eyes. I lay on Adam as we talked, stroking his bare chest. He was tired and his eyes were getting heavier and heavier, on the verge of falling asleep. I knew it was late, and I knew he would have wanted me to wake him so that I didn’t see the beast he’d become. The curiosity got the better of me however, and I couldn’t help but let him fall into a deep sleep.
As soon as the sun set, I could see the transformation happen before my eyes. The chest I had been resting on grew larger and larger, as the arms started to grow thicker and hairier. The claws grew out from his fingers, and the fangs grew large from his teeth. The horns grew out of his head and everything became bigger and thicker until with a flash of light, the transformation was complete.
This 6ft tall, beautiful man was now this 8ft beast stood before me. The transformation naturally woke him up and we was horrified about the fact that I could see him. I was just stood there in wonder at what just happed.
“Don’t be scared” said Adam, strangely I wasn’t. He had talked me through it and clearly it was him behind the mask of the beast. I approached in cautiously and touched him, almost to confirm it was real.
“It’s fine, I’m not scared, let’s go back to bed” we were both tired.
“Thank you” said Adam, who was obviously apprehensive about someone seeing him in the beast form for the first time whilst knowing who the human was behind it.
“Nothing to thank me for” I said back to him, as my heartbeat returned to normal following the shock of the transformation.
He lay down on the bed and a lay there with him; I put my head on his chest as we both fell asleep. He seemed peaceful that I had reacted so well to his secret; it was obvious now why he didn’t want me to stay. I could have laid there all night, but my world was once again about to be rudely awakened.