"You must kill her," Garren read, his voice soft so that he wouldn't wake Brenna, "that's all there is to it," the man's voice said, his face indistinct in the harsh darkness of the stables.
"I can't," the other man protested, his voice outraged. "Giving him a drug is one thing, but murdering her...well, that is something I just cannot do."
****
"Ahh, the plot thickens. But who would want to kill my mother? What was this drug they were talking about?" Garren turned to the next page of the book, the rustling of pages sounding almost unnaturally loud in the quiet of the room.
"Chapter Five: Confusion and Confessions..."
****
Nathaniel woke, his head barely turning on the pillow before Melissa straddled him, her naked breasts a glorious thing to see in greeting the morning. "Good morning, love. You slept well," he said. His hands, wondrously human hands, rose to her waist.
"I slept wonderfully, though I will admit to missing my fur blanket," she teased, giggling when he grabbed her ribs, tickling the sensitive flesh with his furless fingers. She squirmed and wiggled, finally falling to her back on the bed where he leaned over her, his hand gently pushing the hair from her face.
"You are so beautiful, Melissa. Promise you won't leave me now that the change has taken place. We can stay here just as I do when I am the beast."
The words were rushed, as if he feared her response.
There was a pounding upon the door, interrupting their play and his quiet plea, leaving him cursing his frustration to the room at large, grabbing his robe and striding to the door to pull it open. "What?" he growled, though without the inhumanity of the beast in his voice.
"S-sir, you've...the change...it occurred so soon?" Jeffrey stuttered, stepping back in surprise. The tray he held in his hands slipped and Nathaniel caught it before it could fall, spilling the food that was on it.
"Last night, Jeffrey. Isn't it marvelous? Perhaps it means that I'm growing out of the curse?"
"Perhaps so, Master Nathaniel. You should rest the day, perhaps send the girl back to the village and spend the day in bed." He let the younger man take the tray and followed him into the room. "I can escort her there and return her to you tomorrow, sir."
"But why would I want Melissa gone, Jeffrey? That makes no sense. She is perhaps the reason that this marvelous thing has happened." He smiled over toward the bed to where he could see her tousled golden head above the bedclothes.
"I'm just saying that you should rest the day, Master. That is all," Jeffrey hastened to add. "Perhaps eat, for I'm sure you are not completely yourself as of yet." He indicated the tray upon which were two platters, one which contained his normal fare of half cooked beef coated with herbs. The smell had Nathaniel wrinkling his thin nose in disgust.
"I'd rather have normal food now, please Jeffrey. I doubt that even the dogs would eat that fare. Please return with another breakfast. I think I'm in the mood for eggs this morning." He lifted the other platter, taking it with him to the bed. "Leave it outside the door, would you Jeffrey? That's a good man."
The dismissal was obvious, but for a moment Jeffrey stood, watching Nathaniel, the man, as he fussed over the young maid. It was obvious that he cared for her and just as obvious that she felt for him as well. He sighed, lifting the platter and carrying the drugged food out of the room. He must not have eaten his dinner the night before; the herbs that brought on the change were very fragile, losing potency if not eaten immediately.
Melissa was the cause of this. She distracted the master, kept him from his routine. She had to be removed from the home and taken from the master's sight so that Jeffrey might get him back on that routine. But how? Killing her now would be impossible. Since the master wasn't in his beast form, he would be suspicious of any reason to take Melissa from his sight.
****
Drugs caused this. Garren's eyes grew wide, his breath short as he wondered, if drugs had made his father the way he was, then what was keeping him like this? He trusted his people; he'd had to, for his survival and to keep the secret of his true form. None had ever betrayed him, for he paid a hefty salary that inspired their loyalty. Was he being secretly drugged also?
His eyes scanned down the pages, almost too excited to read the words until one passage caught his attention.
****
<.i>Nathaniel grabbed Jeffrey by the throat, the plate of drugged food falling to the floor at his feet and spattering over the old musty carpeting. "What is this?" he roared.
****
Garren closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm. His mother's note said to read the entire book, and he would obey that. He trailed his finger back to the page, searching for the passage he'd left off at.
****
He had to get the drugs into the master somehow.
His thoughts heavy, his heart even heavier, for his task was not to his liking, Jeffrey hurried to the kitchen to prepare more food.
Nathaniel's heart had never seemed fuller, for being with Melissa brought him nothing but joy. He tipped the small cake he held in his hand to her lips, urging her to take a bite even as her hand caressed his face, bemused by the fine features and handsome mien that now reposed there. She opened
her mouth obediently, tiny crumbs sprinkling from her lips as her sharp white teeth bit into the cake.
The crumbs fell to her naked breasts and she lifted her hand to rid herself of them, only to be stopped by Nathaniel's throaty growl.
"No, let me," he ordered, dropping the cake back to the plate and pushing it to the side. His lips found her skin, his hand trailing over the satiny flesh, turning over to brush the back of his fingers, now gloriously free of fur, against her breast. He nibbled on her skin, his tongue coming out to lick up the tiny crumbs, before moving lower.
Melissa moaned, lying back against the sheets as he found the pearled pink tip of her breast, his lips opening to claim their prize with a relishing growl.
He suckled hungrily upon the taut tip, teasing her with flicks of his tongue and tiny nibbling bites of his teeth. He felt her arch under him, a cry of pleasure wrenched from her lips as his mouth became more demanding.
"I want you," he moaned, staring up into her face now flushed with the passionate needs he aroused within her. "I need you, Melissa. Promise to never leave me," he ordered. "Promise to stay by my side until we are both gone to meet our maker. Promise it," he said harshly, shaking her in his need to hear her say the words.
"I...I will never leave unless you send me from you, Nathaniel," she whispered, her hands coming up to caress his face. "I...I couldn't even if I wanted to, for my heart resides within you now," she admitted, her expression anxious. It was too soon, she knew, for her to admit her feelings.
Would he think her nothing but a frivolous girl to grant her love to any handsome boy that looked her way?
The smile that lit his handsome face stole her breath and he rose above her, finding her mouth with his own. "We shall marry," he decided, whispering it between kisses.
Her hands pressed against his chest, holding him back not by her own strength but by his desire to please her. "What?" he asked, staring into the cherished blue of her eyes.
"You cannot marry a commoner such as me, Nathaniel," she whispered though her words were firm. "You are an earl, a peer of the realm. Your blood runs blue, my lord. Mine is the red of peasants no matter the culture of my words. It is enough that you love one, you do not have to cause the scandal of marrying a commoner."
"It is because I love you that I do not care if there is a scandal." He sat up, feeling the anger that her words caused eating at him. "You are no more common than I, Melissa. Your heart is true and pure, as pure as your body until I stole your maiden's veil away from you. I wish but to make an honest woman of you and any child you might bear me, so how can you lie there and tell me nay?"
"It is because of how I feel, because of my feelings for you that I must, my love." She sat also, hazel eyes gazing into soft amber, seeing the hurt and anger reflected there and in the stubborn set of his jaw. "Do you think to ruin our day by pouting?" Her hands reached out, finding his sides and tickling them.
Nathaniel gave a disgruntled grunt, grabbing her hands and pinning her to the bed. "I am not pouting," he groused, though his lower lip stuck out. "I am angry that you do not realize your worth, nor do you understand my wish to make you mine in the eyes of our Lord, as well as in the eyes of man."
"Then say them to me now, for is not our Lord everywhere? Speak the words of joining to me; let me speak them to you. It will be enough." She searched his eyes, hers filled with hope.
"Now?" he asked, staring down at their naked bodies.
"We came into this world as such, why not?"
