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The Beast Within - A Tale of Bea - Serena Valentino
The Beast Within - A Tale of Bea - Serena Valentino
ATTENTION, READER
This is an uncorrected galley proof. It is not a finished book
and it is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling,
page length, format, etc. will be corrected when this book is
published several months from now. Direct quotes should be
checked against the final printed book.
By Serena Valentino
The Witches in
the Rose Garden
1
The Beast Within
2
The Witches in the Rose Garden
3
The Beast Within
4
The Witches in the Rose Garden
5
The Beast Within
6
The Witches in the Rose Garden
7
The Beast Within
8
The Witches in the Rose Garden
9
The Beast Within
10
The Witches in the Rose Garden
11
The Beast Within
12
Chapter II
The Refusal
13
The Beast Within
14
The Refusal
15
The Beast Within
16
The Refusal
17
The Beast Within
18
The Refusal
19
The Beast Within
20
Chapter III
T he Prince
21
The Beast Within
22
The Prince
23
The Beast Within
24
The Prince
25
The Beast Within
26
The Prince
27
The Beast Within
28
The Prince
29
The Beast Within
30
The Prince
31
The Beast Within
32
Chapter IV
T he Witches’
Little Sister
33
The Beast Within
34
The Witches’ Little Sister
35
The Beast Within
36
The Witches’ Little Sister
37
The Beast Within
38
The Witches’ Little Sister
39
The Beast Within
40
The Witches’ Little Sister
41
The Beast Within
42
The Witches’ Little Sister
43
The Beast Within
44
The Witches’ Little Sister
45
The Beast Within
46
Chapter V
The Portrait in
the West Wing
47
The Beast Within
48
The Portrait in the West Wing
49
The Beast Within
50
The Portrait in the West Wing
51
The Beast Within
52
The Portrait in the West Wing
53
The Beast Within
54
The Portrait in the West Wing
55
The Beast Within
56
The Portrait in the West Wing
Impossible.
His heart started to pound like thunder. It was
pounding so violently that he felt as if it would
burst within his chest.
Then came the laughter. It surrounded him,
cacophonous. The wicked cackling seemed to be
coming from lands unseen; their voices, their vin-
dictive words entrapped him, causing his anxieties
to overwhelm him. His vision became narrowed,
and soon all he saw were the cat’s yellow eyes staring
at him from the mantel. Then everything closed in
on him and his world became black.
Nothingness.
He was alone in the darkness with only the
sisters’ laughter and his own dread to keep him
company.
He woke what seemed like some days later, feel-
ing as if he’d been beaten by a gang of blackguards.
His entire body ached and he could barely move.
The sisters had ensured his misery and compounded
it with their laughter and taunting, leaving him ill
and suffering.
57
The Beast Within
58
The Portrait in the West Wing
59
The Beast Within
60
The Portrait in the West Wing
61
Chapter VI
62
Gaston’s Grand Idea
63
The Beast Within
64
Gaston’s Grand Idea
her way down the hall to ask him this or that about
what he’d like served. Meanwhile, the maids were
polishing silver in the dining room, the grooms
were readying the stables for the guests’ horses, and
the parlor maids were perched precariously on tall
ladders, dusting the chandeliers and replacing the
old candles with new. The house was a-bustle and he
wanted nothing more than to get out of doors and
do some hunting. But Gaston was out traversing
his lands, dealing with one thing or another, and
couldn’t be bothered with trivial sport.
The Prince chimed the bell for Cogsworth.
“Yes, sir, you rang?” asked Cogsworth, knowing
full well he had. The Prince always detested all this
ceremony, but he let Cogsworth have his way. He
remembered what his father—rest his soul—had
said to him many years ago. He said everyone in the
house, upstairs and down, had their places and their
roles to play. To deny a man like Cogsworth his
duty and remove him from his place was like taking
away his sense of self and dignity. Cogsworth had
treated him well for many years; he couldn’t shatter
65
The Beast Within
66
Gaston’s Grand Idea
67
The Beast Within
68
Gaston’s Grand Idea
69
The Beast Within
70
Gaston’s Grand Idea
71
The Beast Within
72
Gaston’s Grand Idea
73
Chapter VII
74
The Princess and the Portrait
75
The Beast Within
76
The Princess and the Portrait
77
The Beast Within
78
The Princess and the Portrait
79
The Beast Within
80
The Princess and the Portrait
81
The Beast Within
82
Chapter VIII
83
The Beast Within
84
Chapter VIII
85
The Beast Within
86
Chapter VIII
87
The Beast Within
88
Chapter VIII
89
The Beast Within
90
Chapter VIII
91
The Beast Within
92
Chapter ix
The Statue in
the Observatory
93
The Beast Within
94
The Statue in the Observatory
95
The Beast Within
96
The Statue in the Observatory
97
The Beast Within
98
Chapter X
99
The Beast Within
100
Chapter X
101
The Beast Within
102
Chapter X
103
The Beast Within
104
Chapter X
105
The Beast Within
106
Chapter X
107
The Beast Within
108
Chapter XI
109
The Beast Within
110
Chapter XI
111
The Beast Within
112
Chapter XI
113
The Beast Within
114
Chapter XI
115
The Beast Within
116
Chapter XI
117
The Beast Within
118
Chapter XI
119
Chapter XII
120
Chapter XII
121
The Beast Within
122
Chapter XIII
The B ounder
123
The Beast Within
124
The Bounder
125
The Beast Within
126
The Bounder
127
The Beast Within
128
The Bounder
129
The Beast Within
130
Chapter XIV
131
The Beast Within
The Prince did his level best not to slip into one
of the fits of rage that seemed to seize him so easily
these days.
“I am quite sure, my friend. It’s the only way.
You’re to ride out to Morningstar Castle to officially
break off the engagement.”
“And what of the marriage settlement? The
king will be destitute without your promised
arrangement.”
The Prince smiled. “I’m sure he will. But that is
what he deserves for flinging his stupid daughter at
me! She never loved me, Gaston! Never! It was all
lies! All a means to get to my money, for herself and
her father’s kingdom!”
Gaston saw he was getting worked up. He didn’t
bother arguing that he thought Tulip actually did
love him. He had tried convincing him of that in
the first few weeks of his breakdown. But nothing
Gaston said convinced him. Something must have
happened that day in the hedge maze to make the
Prince believe Tulip didn’t love him, and there was
nothing anyone could say to convince him of the
132
Chapter XIV
133
Chapter XV
The Hunt
134
The Hunt
135
The Beast Within
his heart and break the curse; they all did. In the
meantime, it was up to Lumiere to take care of him
as long as he could.
“Won’t you please go outside, Prince? You are
withering within doors. You need to see the sun and
breathe fresh air!”
The Prince dreaded the idea of anyone seeing
him as he was. After the ruin of Tulip’s family, his
malformation progressed beyond his wildest fears.
He looked like a monster.
Like a beast.
Clearly there was nothing he could do to break
the curse; the sisters had lied. They had never
intended for him to be able to break the curse; all
his efforts with Tulip were in vain.
Lumiere was still standing there, waiting for his
answer. The Prince was only reminded of that when
he heard the man clear his throat.
“Yes, man, I heard you! I will go outside but not
until nightfall! And I don’t want anyone lurking
in the halls to catch sight of me, do you understand?
I don’t want to see a single soul! If someone is
136
The Hunt
137
The Beast Within
138
Chapter XVI
139
The Beast Within
140
Chapter XVI
141
The Beast Within
142
Chapter XVII
143
The Beast Within
144
The Prince in Exile
145
The Beast Within
146
Chapter XVIII
147
The Beast Within
148
The Odd Sisters’ Spy
149
The Beast Within
150
The Odd Sisters’ Spy
151
The Beast Within
152
The Odd Sisters’ Spy
153
The Beast Within
154
The Odd Sisters’ Spy
155
The Beast Within
156
The Odd Sisters’ Spy
157
The Beast Within
158
Chapter XIX
The Wolves in
the Woods
159
The Beast Within
160
The Wolves in the Woods
161
The Beast Within
162
The Wolves in the Woods
163
The Beast Within
164
The Wolves in the Woods
165
The Beast Within
166
Chapter XX
The Beauty in
the Library
167
The Beast Within
168
The Beauty in the Library
169
The Beast Within
170
The Beauty in the Library
171
The Beast Within
172
The Beauty in the Library
173
Chapter XXI
174
Beauty and the Beast
175
The Beast Within
176
Beauty and the Beast
177
The Beast Within
178
Beauty and the Beast
179
Chapter XXII
180
The Enchanted Mirror
181
The Beast Within
182
The Enchanted Mirror
183
The Beast Within
184
Chapter XXIII
185
The Beast Within
186
The Witches’ Plot
187
The Beast Within
188
Chapter XXIV
Belle’s Betrayal
189
The Beast Within
190
Belle’s Betrayal
191
The Beast Within
192
Belle’s Betrayal
193
Chapter XXV
194
The Witches’ Party
195
The Beast Within
196
The Witches’ Party
197
The Beast Within
198
Chapter XXVI
The Enchantress
199
The Beast Within
200
The Enchantress
201
The Beast Within
202
Chapter XXVII
203
The Beast Within
The End
204