I strode out past the glare of the torches just as a clawed hand reached for my father. I launched myself at the thing before me, the one about to attack my father, but was grabbed from behind. As I flailed against my captor, my father was dragged away by something that looked...
“Half man and half beast,” I whispered in wonder.
I swiveled my head around to peer at the man who held me and found something similar. Shaggy hair framed a fur-covered face. The fur was sleek and flowed over a muscular body. Large, liquid eyes stared at me, full of sorrow and pain. They were set above a wide, flat nose that would have looked right at home on a lion. This nose flowed down into an upper lip that was thick like an animal's muzzle, but then it transformed into human-shaped lips. The beast opened his odd mouth, showcasing sharp canines, and spoke.
“Be at ease; we will not hurt you.”
“I'm more concerned about my father,” I said calmly.
His eyes widened, and he carefully put me down on my feet.
“Your father will be escorted off the property,” he murmured. “My brother will not harm him either. We're notcompletelyanimals.”
“Animals behave better than humans anyway.” I crossed my arms and considered him. “It's true, isn't it? The story of the beastly princes. And you're one of them.”
“There's a story about us?” He crossed his own arms to mirror my stance, and I noticed that he was dressed in fine clothing.
“So, you need to make a woman fall in love with you, huh?” I asked.
“Dear God, you are a blunt one.”
“And you're a furry one.”
“Fair enough.” He smiled, then looked shocked. “You're amusing, and I'm not easily amused.”
“Well, it's probably this whole having to find a woman to want you thing,” I suggested. “What happens if you don't, by the way? I stopped reading before I found out. Honestly, I thought it was a load of rubbish.”
“If only it were. If we don't find love, we stay like this forever,” he waved a paw over his body.
“That's not so bad.”
“Not so bad?” He snarled. “I'm hideous.”
“You kind of look like a loup garou,” I pointed out. “With a little predator cat thrown in. Interesting.”
“A loup garou?”
“A werewolf.”
“You believe in werewolves?” He asked.
“And you don't?” I looked him over pointedly.
“Yes, well spotted,” he huffed.
“The man has been escorted to his horse,” one of the other two beasts said as they both returned. “She isn't fighting?”
“She's quite reasonable,” the first one said. “And she knows about the curse.”
“She knows about it?” The third beast asked, coming forward to face me. “Youknow?”
“Yeah, but I'm not your girl,” I said. “I'm not into the idea of having multiple lovers. I'm looking for the one, my true mate.”
The third beast choked and started to cough.
“Perhaps we could change your mind.” The second one smiled, and it appeared to be very wicked, though that could have just been his face.
Chapter Three
