Chapter 29 CHAPTER 29
“I hate you,” I muttered.
The beast snorted softly. “No, you don’t.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re very confident for someone I stabbed in the eyes.”
A rough chuckle left him as he grabbed the tray from the table beside the fireplace and walked toward me. The smell of warm food hit me instantly, making my stomach twist painfully. I hated that he noticed.
“You’re hungry,” he said.
“I’m not.”
His glowing eyes dropped to my stomach right as it growled loudly.
Traitor.
Heat rushed to my cheeks while his mouth twitched slightly, clearly amused with himself.
“I’m going to start thinking your mouth is only brave when you’re not starving.”
I glared at him while he placed the tray beside me on the fur rug. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“You nearly died running across a frozen lake to get away from me.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest. “I deserve a little enjoyment.”
I hated that he had a point.
Still, I wasn’t about to let him know that.
My eyes dropped to the food again. Fresh bread. Meat,and some kind of stew. My stomach hurt from how hungry I was, but my pride was fighting for its life.
The beast sighed heavily. “For fuck sake, little hunter. Eat the damn food.”
Hearing that nickname from him made something strange twist in my chest.
It sounded different when he said it. Softer somehow.
I quickly grabbed the bread before he could notice the effect he had on me. He watched closely while I tore off a piece and shoved it into my mouth.
“There,” I muttered while chewing. “Happy now?”
“Yes.”
The answer came so fast it caught me off guard.
I looked up at him, surprised, but he had already turned away toward the fireplace again.
Weirdly, the room didn’t feel as cold anymore.
The beast stayed near the fireplace while I ate, though I could still feel his eyes drifting toward me every few seconds like he was making sure I actually swallowed the food this time. It was annoying.
Mostly because I liked the food.
I tore off another piece of bread and tried ignoring him. “Are you going to keep staring at me like that?”
“Yes.”
I frowned. “That’s creepy.”
“You tried to starve yourself yesterday.”
“I was making a point.”
“You nearly froze to death making your point.”
I opened my mouth to argue again, but honestly… he had me there.
I huffed and shoved another bite into my mouth instead. The beast looked strangely satisfied by that before finally turning away from me completely.
Silence settled over the room for a minute before he suddenly spoke again.
“You may leave the chamber today.”
I blinked. “What?”
His glowing eyes shifted toward me. “You heard me.”
Suspicion instantly crawled into my chest. “Why?”
“Because if I keep you locked in here any longer, little hunter, you’ll probably stab me again.”
My lips twitched before I could stop them.
The beast noticed.
A low rumble of amusement came from his chest before his expression hardened again.
“But there are rules.” Of course there were.
I sighed dramatically. “Here we go.”
“You stay inside the castle.” My expression fell immediately.
“You do not go near the lower halls.” That caught my attention.
“The lower halls?” I repeated.
His jaw tightened slightly. “And you do not go near the west wing.”
“Why?” His eyes locked onto mine.
“Because there are things in this castle far worse than me.”
The way he said it made my stomach tighten.
He wasn’t joking.
For the first time since meeting him, I heard something close to warning in his voice. Real warning. Not anger. Not control, but fear.
The thought unsettled me more than it should have.
I slowly lowered the bread in my hand. “What things?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you answer none of them.”
A growl rumbled from his chest, but weaker this time, more tired than threatening.
“Stay out of those parts of the castle,” he said firmly. “Or next time I may not reach you in time.”
The words hung heavily in the room.
Next time.
Meaning something really was down there.
Something dangerous enough that even he sounded serious about it.
I swallowed slowly and looked away from him, trying not to show how uneasy I suddenly felt.
Freedom sounded a lot less exciting now.
It didn’t take long for the beast to leave after that.
He muttered something about needing to deal with “castle matters,” whatever that meant, before heading toward the door. Before leaving, he paused and looked back at me one last time.
“Stay away from the lower halls.”
I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Yes, your beastliness.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Little hunter…”
“Relax,” I muttered. “I heard you.”
He stared at me for another second like he didn’t trust me at all.
Honestly?
Fair enough.
Then he finally left, the heavy door shutting behind him.
The second he was gone, the room felt strangely empty.
I hated noticing that.
Shaking the thought away, I quickly grabbed the clothes folded on the chair nearby and changed. Thankfully these were normal clothes this time. Dark pants, thick socks, boots, and a soft long sleeved shirt that was way too big on me but warm.
Definitely his clothes.
The sleeves swallowed my hands completely.
I stared at myself for a second before groaning softly. “Great. Now I look like a child wearing her father’s clothes.”
Still… they smelled like him. Like winter woods.
Smoke, and something warm.
I immediately pushed that thought out of my head before my brain betrayed me again.
Once dressed, I slowly walked toward the chamber doors. My hand rested on the handle for a second while nervousness twisted in my stomach.
This was the first time I was leaving the room without chains.
Without being dragged somewhere.
Without him.
I pulled the door open carefully.
The hallway outside was huge and strangely quiet. Tall windows lined the walls, letting pale winter light spill across the stone floors.
Everything looked old but beautiful in a sad sort of way, like this place had once been alive before something terrible happened to it.
I stepped out slowly and noticed that there were no guards, no servants.
Nothing. Only silence.
My boots echoed softly against the floor while I wandered carefully through the halls. Giant paintings covered the walls, though most were damaged. Some had claw marks through them. Others looked burned.
One painting caught my attention.
A man stood beside a woman wearing a crown, both dressed in expensive royal clothing. Between them stood a young boy around ten years old with dark hair and sharp eyes.
My steps slowed.
Something about the boy felt familiar.
Before I could think too hard about it, a sudden screech echoed somewhere far below me.
I froze.
The sound didn’t sound human.
Another screech followed, louder this time, mixed with something that sounded wet and wrong.
My stomach tightened instantly.
Lower halls. The beast’s warning slammed back into my head.
I should go back. Immediately.
But then I heard it again.
A soft whimper. Not from below, but nearby.
The whimper came again, softer this time.
I frowned slightly and slowly followed the sound down the hallway. My boots echoed against the stone floor while I walked past old paintings and broken armor stands covered in dust. The castle was quiet again, but not peaceful quiet.
The kind of quiet that made you feel like something was watching.
I should turn back.
The beast’s warning kept repeating in my head, but curiosity pushed harder. Besides, the sound didn’t seem dangerous. It sounded scared.
I turned around another corner and finally saw movement.