“The curse wasn’t just about him being a Beast,” Rosalie explains, kneeling next to me. “It was about him being unloved. Unlovable. The enchantress turned him into a Beast to punish his heart. His arrogance. His inability to see past the surface.”
“But he’s still…”
“He’s still Beast because that’s not a curse anymore.” She smiles tenderly, tears filling her gentle eyes. “You chose him in his beast form. You love him covered in fur. As he is. The curse is broken, my lady. He’s free.”
I look down at Pierre…at all that my giant monster is…and something in my chest relaxes.
She’s right. I love him. Exactly like this. I wouldn’t change a single thing.
“Come on, sire,” Gideon says, dropping to his knees next to us. His voice, turning rough. “You’ve been resting for a while. That’s enough now.”
“Is he going to be okay?” My voice cracks.
“He’s going to be fine,” Rosalie assures me. “The magic was intense. He needs time to recover; that’s all. But he’ll wake.” She slings a comforting arm around my shoulders.
More footsteps approach. I look up to see others coming our way.
A woman who must be Louise…plump and cheerful-looking, with rosy cheeks and kind eyes. A thin, nervous-looking man who keeps checking a pocket watch…Felix. And a younger man with messy red hair and an easy smile… probably Adrien.
All of them are human again. All of them, free.
“The castle,” Louise breathes, staring up at the building. “Look at the castle!”
I follow her gaze and gasp. The castle is… alive. Where before it was dim and cold, now it’s radiant. The stone looks clean and bright. Even the gardens around us are different…the roses are blooming in beautiful colors, the grass is green and lush, and in the distance, I can hear birds singing.
“The forest,” Adrien says with wonder in his voice. “The enchantment is gone.”
“We’re free,” Felix whispers. “We’re finally free.”
They all turn to look at me.
“Thank you, my lady,” Rosalie says, wiping her eyes. “Thank you for saving him. For saving all of us.”
“I didn’t…I just…” I look down at Pierre, and my throat tightens. “I just love him.”
“That’s everything, my lady,” she replies.
Gideon clears his throat. “We should probably get him inside. Adrien, help me carry the master.”
But when they lift him, Pierre doesn’t even stir. I follow as they take him inside the castle, and it’s like walking through a completely different building. The entrance hall is bright and warm. Tapestries that were faded before now radiate with color. The marble floors are gleaming. Even the air smells different…fresh and alive instead of stale and cursed.
They take Pierre to our room and lay him carefully on the bed.
“He’ll wake soon,” Rosalie says, touching my shoulder. “He just needs rest.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
“We wouldn’t dream of asking you to.” She smiles. “We’ll bring food and water. And fresh clothes, since yours are…” She gestures at my dress, which is torn and dirty from my journey.
“Thank you.”
They all file out, leaving me alone with Pierre.
I climb on the bed next to him, curling into his warmth. His chest rises and falls steadily, and the bond in my chest has finally stopped aching. Instead, it hums peacefully.
“You scared me,” I whisper against his fur. “Don’t do that again.”
He doesn’t answer, but I feel his heartbeat under my palm, strong and steady.
