No.

She shuffled back, putting space between them with a shake of her head. His face shadowed disappointment.

It was unthinkable what he was asking! That she, an unwed woman, lay with a man she had barely known but a fortnight. Yet, a small voice rationed, the other girls seemed to have little issues uncrossing their legs in the name of survival.

Perhaps, to survive, this is what she must do. She could not deny that she found his personality endearing and that the sight of his human visage ignited sinful thoughts and urges.

"I won't force you," he added. "I confess, though, that I have thought of you often. You are the light of hope that brought me out of despair. I did not think it was possible such warmth still existed in this world. Or that you could accept me-a beast-as a friend. If we had met under different circumstances...I would have liked to court you properly for your hand."

Her stomach fluttered wildly at his bold confession and she swallowed hard to keep the butterflies from climbing up into her throat. But she was already choked for words.

She gathered a breath of courage.

"I doubt I would have met you under different circumstances," she answered. As a fallen noble she would have no opportunity to visit the palace. Upon seeing his crestfallen face, she added, "but I am glad that I met you, Adam. Even under these conditions." She took another breath of nerve. "I too have enjoyed our time together this past while and you're human- I mean..." Her face was too hot to think straight. "And I-I find you beautiful as well. Both body and soul," she whispered, dropping her gaze, hoping his human ears did not pick up the last part. She was beyond embarrassed, her heart thundering in her chest as the knot started to spool tighter in her belly.

"Isabelle," Adam reached for her hand bringing it up to his lips and placed a long tender kiss. The feel of soft lips on her skin caused a shudder to skitter down her spine. Honey brown eyes hypnotically drawing her in with an unwavering gaze.

He shuffled closer, till there was nothing but a sliver of space between them. His mouth hovered inches from her face as fingers came up, tracing the curve of her jaw, her cheek, before brushing the bow of her lips, leaving a trail of liquid fire where he touched.

"So beautiful," he murmured, as if committing her very existence to memory. The heat was building faster, loudly begging for release.

She had seen a kiss, known what it was supposed to look like. And so she leaned in, closing the gap between their lips.

His mouth was ‌soft against her own, eyes fluttering shut, as she pressed firmly into him. Warm and inviting. She felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, gently drawing her closer till her body was flush with his. The other ran up to fist in her hair. Her arms were caged to his chest. Cloth covered breasts pressed against hard muscle under the rough fabric of his tunic. The ache grew between her legs.

She could feel her nipples harden under the fabric, the sensation parting a breathless moan from her lips.

"Is that an invitation?" Adam leaned back, studying her face. His gaze molten and she shuddered, finding the beast lying behind his eyes.

"That was-" she searched for the right word, "incredible." Isabelle's eyes fluttered again, leaning forward. Instead of a kiss, she found his lips hot on her ear.

"I can show you more. Would you like that, Isabelle?"

She nodded, and he captured her mouth once more. She leaned into the sensation with a greed she didn't know she possessed as her hands rose to comb through his thick dark hair.

He nibbled on her lower lip. She gasped at the sensation, lips parting for a moment, as his tongue slid in to explore the warm cavern of her mouth.

Isabelle mewed at the sensation of his tongue brushing against hers, his hands roaming down to paw at her waist. Tentatively, she moved her tongue out to mimic his ministrations.

"Damn," he swore, breaking the kiss. He brushed back her tousled locks. The ends of her long mane cascading in a ring around her back and hips. "The devil could not have devised a more perfect temptation."

Her eyes closed once more at the touch of his hands moving down to cup one of her covered breasts. The other resting on the nape of her neck. She leaned her head back, submissive, as he nibbled and planted kisses down her slender throat, to her collarbone.

The other hand moved from her breast to the back of her head, guiding her backward. She reached her arms behind her, moving her legs out from underneath till she was lying on the flat of her back. His arms braced, hovering above her.

He touched his forehead to hers, forcing her to focus on those honey pools of warmth once more. "Are you sure this is what you desire?"

"Yes," she breathed, never having wanted more in her life than the release from this sweet torture.

He sat up on his knees, shimmying her undergarment down her torso and legs and tossing it behind him. Her lower half bare, she squirmed, legs crossing at his heated gaze. The gray light was dimming to black through the dome and she was grateful for the shade of dark to help hide her imperfections.

He leaned over her once more, hands parting her legs as a finger slowly slid in between her folds. The world tilted at the feel of him stroking her innermost place.

Her body clamped around his finger reflexively. "A-Adam, Oh..." Isabelle's back arched, her body pressing against him tighter. He groaned out.

"I don't know if I can be a gentleman about this," he confessed.

"I trust you."

They stared at one another for a long moment, both committing each line and curve to memory. No more words needed to be spoken between them as his head dipped down once more, and he captured her lips in a searing kiss.

Slow. Gentle. Passionate. She could feel his earnest heart with every brush of his fingers, every flick of his tongue. She moaned and withered beneath him as he took time exploring her virgin flesh with hand and mouth before settling at the heat between her legs.

He parted her legs open further, and she complied, her embarrassment flushed across her face as she wondered what his head was doing down there. That is, until his tongue curled out to lap at the wetness dripping from her slit.

She bit on to a fisted hand, trying to muffle her screams of delight. Fingers winding into his hair as she dug her nails with her other hand into his scalp, thrusting her hips to draw him deeper. He came up for air, licking his lips as he did.

"Your cunt tastes delicious," he smirked, and Isabelle's face went red at his crude language. Though she would be a liar to say it didn't excite her further. He crawled up her body once again, giving her a taste of herself as he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"This might hurt," he warned. Isabelle nodded in understanding as he stood to remove his brown britches. He wore no under-cloth and his manhood stood proudly erect. Isabelle's eyes widened at the sight. She did not think it would be so... large and she worried her bottom lip through her teeth, fear filling her.

He bent back down, crawling on top of her. Arms braced on either side of her head he dropped to his elbows steadying himself at her entrance, and she gasped as he teased her slowly pushing in and out of her entrance. Her eyes hooded with lust and want as her hips rose to greet his swollen cock.

"Isabelle," he breathed her name, before quickly sheathing himself inside. The pain was sharp and she cried out as her walls stretched to accommodate him and the pain of her womanhood broken. His head dipped to the crook of her neck planting sweet kisses up to her cheek and finally her lips.

"Relax," he commanded.

Adam stayed still for a while. Letting her get accustomed to his length before slowly starting to rock his hips back and forth, in and out.

It was still painful as he slowly slid inside her tight walls. Isabelle forced herself to breathe, to relax, as he had instructed, and slowly the pain started to fade as a new sensation built inside her.

She rolled her hips with him, setting the pace faster, and he readily complied. Pumping in and out as he stroked over her sensitive bundle of flesh, the heat built up like a wave, higher and higher... She screamed out her release camping around him.

Adam nipped at her neck, groaning as he too rode the wave of ecstasy, spilling his seed inside her. He stayed still there for a moment. Both basking in the afterglow of nirvana, before rolling over to lie on his back beside her on the blanket.

Adam drew her close into his arms, her head on his muscular chest. She could hear the thrumming of his rapid heart beat as they curled into one another.

"If I had known it would be like that..." Isabelle trailed off and he chuckled, the sound vibrating in her ear, rich and warm and all of a sudden she was tired again. Her eyes dropped, heavy with exhaustion.

"I am honored to be your first," Adam murmured into her hair, kissing her forehead, "And I wish to be your last. If you would have me." Her heart tickled at what he was proposing.

"Yes," she whispered, fighting the sleep that dragged her eyes down.

He hummed into her hair, kissing her forehead once more. "Isabelle. My Isabelle."

Thoughts of tomorrow, far away in their minds as both fell into the warm embrace of sleep, cradle in each other's arms under a solarium of twinkling stars.

🌙

When Isabelle's eyes cracked open, it was still an inky dark. Her fingers sliding across the coarse blanket to the empty space where Adam had been. The spot, still warm.

She heard a groan from down the path. A shadow contorting and moaning under the setting moon as the gray peaked over the tree-line, outside the glass dome. She saw a deluge of fur and horns as Adam growled out in pain. The sound of bones popping echoed across the open space. No.

Isabelle stood up. Her legs were shaky, as the flesh between them throbbed painfully. A small dark stain splotched the sheets where she had laid. Blood. Her blood.

She brought a finger tentatively between her legs. They came out wet. Was she still bleeding? Isabelle grabbed the blanket, wiping herself quickly, staining the cream colored fabric with a light rusted shade.

It didn't seem fresh. Hopefully, his bloodlust did not come on right after the transformation. Isabelle spotted her discarded tattered dress on the floor and shrugged it on. The fabric swallowed her slight frame and she had to pick up the front of it, so as to not trip.

"Adam?" she called into the darkness. When she peered in he had already changed. Paws where feet had been and large fangs that jutted from where she had kissed soft lips.

When he looked up at her again, his gaze hardened once more with the layer of fur that coated him. And just like that, the magic was gone.

He still reached a clawed hand to stroke her face, though it was more reserved, fleeting, and she knew he was struggling once more with the darkness of the beast. It's hunger.

"It's okay. I'm not afraid. You are the same in my eyes in both forms."

He dipped his large head, nuzzling into her neck. His fur tickled. "Please. I want you to run. Now," he rasped.

"I can't-"

The door creaked, a flicker of hand-held torches entering like flaming eyes.

Searching.

Closer.

Adam dragged her into a crouch behind a wide spread fern.

The clicking of armored boots marched down the path.

"I'll distract them. You run for the door. Head to the stables, Phillipe is there."

"But I-"

The lights came upon them, illuminating their startled faces.

"The black-eyed lizard's head bobbed with surprise, stepping back as Adam rose shielding Isabelle from view.

"Cap-Capitan," he stuttered.

"Leave." Adams' voice was cold, commanding and left no room for retort.

"Th-that...She's the king's prisoner. Please, Sire, he will be furious," the lizard tried to reason.

Adams' hand shot out with a growl, gripping the lizard's throat tightly above his armored breastplate as the creature choked out a warning, "Here, she's over hee-eak!" Adam squeezed tighter.

"Adam, you'll kill him!" Isabelle reasoned, placing a hand gently on his arm and his head turned for a moment her way.

The sound of bone snapping at the entrance caught her attention. It seemed one of the guards had not shifted back yet, his torch dropping on the path with a clunk.

Adam saw the opening and so did she. They locked eyes. "Go now! I will meet you there."

Barefoot, she padded lightly on the stone passing by the doubled over guard, his skin seeming to pop raised scales from beneath his flesh. A set of stubby horns growing between his brown hair.

Isabelle was almost at the entrance. She opened the door, turning round to take one last look at Adam, who had tossed the lizard to the ground and picked up his sword, pointing it at the creature who cowered at his feet.

Isabelle turned back, running into a face-full of golden fur.

"I was wondering where my little sparrow had escaped to," the king smiled a toothy grin.

"No." Isabelle breathed, stepping back, but the King was faster, his clawed paw wrapping around her slender wrist with bone crushing strength.

"HENRY!" Adam roared, ruby eyes glowing with fire as he dashed toward them, sword in hand. The king's other hand reached up to grip Isabelle's throat. She stiffened like a mouse in the jaws of her captor.

"I wouldn't play the hero if I were you right now, little brother."

"You're too late," Adam spat, his sword dropping to his side. "She is not fit to be a sacrifice for the Sabbot anymore."

The King's lion-like muzzle scrunched into a snarling grin. "Finally put that prick of yours to use, did you?" he taunted. "But it does not exempt her from suffering the punishment for insulting the king. She will be an excellent participant for the hunt. Too bad you won't be there to partake."

"How dare you!" Adam roared, lunging forward. And the King gripped tighter on her throat. "Be careful, I might just draw blood and then we could see how fast she can run right now?

Adam stiffened, the sword at his side dropping to the ground. "Don't do it."

"Oh, but your face is just begging me to...but I suppose that chatty mouse would never let me hear the end of it," he chuckled to himself.

The other guard rose from the ground fully shifted into his scales; sword pointed at Adam's back.

"No!" Isabelle cried.

"Captain, please," the lizard reasoned behind Adam.

"Listen to your troops, Adam. It would be so sad if they were ordered to execute their leader, wouldn't it?"

"Don't! I will go back to my cell of your highness. Please, don't harm him."

"How cute, the little rabbit protecting the big wolf."

The king grinned and Adam looked to her, eyes filled with defeat.

"I'll find a way," he whispered.

The other guard came up, rubbing his throat as he passed Adam. Henry handed her roughly over to him. "Make sure she doesn't get out this time, hum?"

The guard nodded, dragging her along. She caught one final glimpse before they rounded the corner of the long hall.

"Put him under watch," she heard the king's command before she was dragged back through the door, down into the belly of the castle.

He shoved her roughly and she fell face first into the dirt. The cell door grating shut with a vibrating boom and a click of the lock. She was alone in her damp four walls once more.

PROCEED TO CHAPTER 23