20 17 (part1)

His temper finally cooling, Beast walked into his rose room. Looking at the wilting rose, he was tempted to toss it across the room and into the nearest wall. As if his curse wasn’t enough, the rose was a constant reminder of his never-ending suffering. His claws tightened around the glass cover. The sound of his nails scratching the glass echoed through the room while sending a shiver down his spine.

Through the noise, a sudden burst of laughter had his ears twitching. Full and beautiful, it was a sound that lifted his heart and pulled him in. He had heard Camren’s laugh enough to know that he could never create such a magical sound. There was only one person that could make that type of sound.

Beauty…

His name was a soft caress along the walls of his mind as he walked over to the window that overlooked his rose garden. Below him, he saw her strolling with his brother. While they weren’t walking arm in arm, they were close enough to make Beast uncomfortable.