Read Online Beast (The Submissively Ever After Series Book 1) by Kim Faulks - Free Book Online
Authors: Kim Faulks
Tags: fairy tale romance, horror thriller, Paranormal dark werewolves & shifters romance, ghost suspense thriller, dominant and submissive dark fantasy, gothic forced fairytale romance captive ghost
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in his hand. The need to understand his actions raged a battle with the desire to find a way out of here. If I let this chance go, will I have another?
The clink of glasses drew the attention of everyone in the kitchen. The two young women peered at him from the corner of their eyes. The old woman whispered something under her breath, then tut-tutted the girls back to their duties.
Mark shut the cupboard doors and stood upright. He carried the glasses upside down, the long stems between his fingers, making himself at home—a little too at home.
I followed him out of the kitchen and through the door. The hinges snapped back, cutting through me like a knife to close with a thud behind me. Belle and the others were already seated. There were smiles all round, the catty argument in the sitting room long forgotten. What was a squabble among sisters anyway?
I’d never know wealth, not like the display I saw here. Silverware, polished to perfection, glinted on each side of the elegant porcelain settings. White lace doilies separated each seat from the next. Everything about this house radiated opulence. If only I’d known this place under another circumstance, I might grow to love it here.
But now, danger lurked behind every corner. As I stared at the smiles, I knew evil hid behind every mask. The butler stepped into the dining room and cleared his throat, commanding their attention. The chatter stopped. Laughter died.
"Please remain seated for our gracious host, Lord Bête."
There was movement at the doorway. I shift my gaze and felt the room’s occupants follow suit. The man who entered nodded at each guest. He was dressed in a black and white suit. The collar was turned down, the top two buttons undone, showing just a touch of the body underneath. He strode into the dining room, nodded to each of his guest, leaving Belle for last.
Three long steps and he was by her side, taking her hand faster than any of us could follow. "You are just as stunning as I imagined you would be. Your father never missed an opportunity to tell me about his beautiful Belle."
Belle gave him a weak smile. "Thank you for your kind words. I assumed he would be here to greet us. Where is my Father?"
His gaze never left hers. The air buzzed with the dark current of truth. I shifted my gaze from Belle to Mark, wanting to see the moment of pain, needing to see the first blow hit home.
Mark’s steady voice gaze nothing away. "The truth is, I’m not sure. We met briefly last night to discuss the arrangements, and then he was gone. I assumed he’d returned home to you."
Belle shook her head and turned to each of her sisters, then finally to Mark. "No. We checked on him first thing this morning. His bed was cold and still made. I thought, after receiving the letter, that this was some ploy to get us all here together." She waved her hand around the room, then whispered. "I thought Father finally gave us his blessing."
Lord Bête nodded, his voice turning soft. "And by ‘us’, I’m assuming you mean you and someone else?"
She locked her gaze on Mark. But I couldn’t turn away from this mysterious host. I knew his voice. I felt each word slam through my barriers. Here was my ghost, my voice in the shadow, and though all eyes were on the unhappy couple, my eyes were on him.
I moved closer, just a whisper of my bare feet along the wooden floor, taking in the powerful way he held his body. His shoulders curved forward, hands still, giving the impression of a relaxed manner, but I felt tension underneath that calm exterior. There was something about this man, something I hadn’t expected. A sense of danger plucked a string deep in my soul.
He reached up, shoving an unruly lock of dark hair off his forehead. I followed the sweep of his hand, lingering on those perfect lips. I need. Those words reverberated through my mind.
The chatter around the table shifted an octave, still, I couldn’t look away. Mesmerized, I reached out with shaking
The clink of glasses drew the attention of everyone in the kitchen. The two young women peered at him from the corner of their eyes. The old woman whispered something under her breath, then tut-tutted the girls back to their duties.
Mark shut the cupboard doors and stood upright. He carried the glasses upside down, the long stems between his fingers, making himself at home—a little too at home.
I followed him out of the kitchen and through the door. The hinges snapped back, cutting through me like a knife to close with a thud behind me. Belle and the others were already seated. There were smiles all round, the catty argument in the sitting room long forgotten. What was a squabble among sisters anyway?
I’d never know wealth, not like the display I saw here. Silverware, polished to perfection, glinted on each side of the elegant porcelain settings. White lace doilies separated each seat from the next. Everything about this house radiated opulence. If only I’d known this place under another circumstance, I might grow to love it here.
But now, danger lurked behind every corner. As I stared at the smiles, I knew evil hid behind every mask. The butler stepped into the dining room and cleared his throat, commanding their attention. The chatter stopped. Laughter died.
"Please remain seated for our gracious host, Lord Bête."
There was movement at the doorway. I shift my gaze and felt the room’s occupants follow suit. The man who entered nodded at each guest. He was dressed in a black and white suit. The collar was turned down, the top two buttons undone, showing just a touch of the body underneath. He strode into the dining room, nodded to each of his guest, leaving Belle for last.
Three long steps and he was by her side, taking her hand faster than any of us could follow. "You are just as stunning as I imagined you would be. Your father never missed an opportunity to tell me about his beautiful Belle."
Belle gave him a weak smile. "Thank you for your kind words. I assumed he would be here to greet us. Where is my Father?"
His gaze never left hers. The air buzzed with the dark current of truth. I shifted my gaze from Belle to Mark, wanting to see the moment of pain, needing to see the first blow hit home.
Mark’s steady voice gaze nothing away. "The truth is, I’m not sure. We met briefly last night to discuss the arrangements, and then he was gone. I assumed he’d returned home to you."
Belle shook her head and turned to each of her sisters, then finally to Mark. "No. We checked on him first thing this morning. His bed was cold and still made. I thought, after receiving the letter, that this was some ploy to get us all here together." She waved her hand around the room, then whispered. "I thought Father finally gave us his blessing."
Lord Bête nodded, his voice turning soft. "And by ‘us’, I’m assuming you mean you and someone else?"
She locked her gaze on Mark. But I couldn’t turn away from this mysterious host. I knew his voice. I felt each word slam through my barriers. Here was my ghost, my voice in the shadow, and though all eyes were on the unhappy couple, my eyes were on him.
I moved closer, just a whisper of my bare feet along the wooden floor, taking in the powerful way he held his body. His shoulders curved forward, hands still, giving the impression of a relaxed manner, but I felt tension underneath that calm exterior. There was something about this man, something I hadn’t expected. A sense of danger plucked a string deep in my soul.
He reached up, shoving an unruly lock of dark hair off his forehead. I followed the sweep of his hand, lingering on those perfect lips. I need. Those words reverberated through my mind.
The chatter around the table shifted an octave, still, I couldn’t look away. Mesmerized, I reached out with shaking
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