Page 3 of Her Dark Promise

“I don’t need to look too hard. You’re never too far away.”

I ran my eyes over Callum’s body as he walked away. Desire for his hard cock had my insides turning to liquid, but I had one thing to do before I could give myself over to it.

I turned back to the couple who had made quick work in grabbing most of my possessions near the entrance. I gripped the railing in an attempt to calm the raging storm inside of me, not wanting to make my presence known until their bags were completely filled. It had been so long since anyone had found my castle, much less done something to deserve my punishment.

I was itching to get my hands on them, my shadows begging to be released.

The looks on the faces of humans when I appeared were comical. I never tired of the confidence humans had before they realized their mistake. They were always confused that a living soul would ever reside here. Cold. Desolate. Isolated. And for a woman to be here was even more unusual, to say the least.

They looked around, and Claude said, “Merrill, we can disappear with this loot. Let’s go.”

She sighed, caving into his paranoia. “Fine. At least we know this is here if we ever need to come back.”

Claude nodded enthusiastically at her. The pride he felt for finally succeeding in something was almost laughable. They really were pathetic. I knew they wouldn’t be challenging for me—no one was.

They were making their way out of the castle as I walked around and descended the staircase leading to the South Wing.

I called out to them, “Please Merrill, help yourself to my things. Like this ornate egg that you forgot.” I picked it up from a nearby table and turned it in my hands. “It isn’t like I am getting any use out of them.”

She dropped the items that she was holding and screamed, “What’re doing here?”

I sighed, still looking at the egg in my hand. “I don’t think you have a moral reason to ask me what I am doing in my own home,” I stopped and looked at her, “though I do know exactly what you are doing.”

Her face had gotten red from what I could only assume was utter shock at my sudden appearance. Merrill quickly grabbed a blade from beneath her tattered shirt and held it up, pointing it directly at me. “If you know what’s good fer ya, you’ll leave us be!”

I put a finger against my lips and whispered while looking all around the main entrance, “Merrill dear, you must be quiet. You wouldn’t want to wake the beast, would you?”

She cocked her head and looked at me in disbelief, “Have you lost your mind?”

I widened my eyes dramatically. “Oh, have you not heard of the stories?”

Claude had approached his wife, staring at me with his mouth agape. “La bête? So, the rumors are true?”

I turned my attention to him, giving him a most sincere expression, “Of course they are. The beast has held me prisoner here for so long. It lurks in the shadows, waiting for any unsuspecting person to walk into its territory. Waiting so patiently to allow their prey to relax, make them think they were safe, and then…”

Claude had moved his arm around his robust wife and leaned closer to me, wanting to hear the rest. “And then?”

“The beast attacks, leaving nothing left for anyone to find,” I said, barely above a whisper.

Merrill laughed, “Good story, but none of that is true!”

“Oh? How would you know?” I tapped my finger to my chin. “Isn’t it true that long ago, a group of hunters entered the woods, but only one returned with all the pieces of his friends? He told the story of the beast, the hungry creature of the forest.”

Merrill scoffed. “There are rumors, but if there were such a mighty beast then someone would have seen it by now. You are spewing nothing but lies, wanting to scare us off so you can have this all to yourself!”

“I told you that this is my home. All of these belongings are mine.”

Merrill huffed a short laugh while her husband had not moved his eyes once from my body. He gulped. “And your here all by yourself?”

I wrapped my arms around my body, feigning sadness, “Unfortunately, I am trapped here. All alone…” I dipped my head so that I could look at him through my lashes.

I could see that he had licked his lips and as I looked down, his trousers had started to become engorged. Merrill followed where my eyes were looking and then looked back at me with disgust filling her sunken eyes. “How dare you stand in front of my husband and force us to see your near naked body! You’re vile! Whore!”

I contemplated that for a moment before I shrugged, the fabric of my thin robe falling off my bare shoulder, “I have been called worse.”

Merrill turned to Claude and slapped him, and yelled, “Stop starin’ at her, you damn fool. Let’s kill her and then leave this godforsaken place.” He snapped to attention as he nodded quickly at her. I took a step forward and she turned her blade on me once again. “Stay away, wench! Actually come here and stand still while I gut you like cattle.”

The look in her eyes was wild; she was determined to do as she promised. I looked over at Claude, who hugged both bags tightly to his chest, making sure not to drop anything. With the items securely in place around one arm, he used the other to grab a blade from his waistband and pointed it at me. He slowly stepped in my direction, thinking that I would back up at the threat of the both of them. “You heard my wife! Get out of here before I—”

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