A/N - I posted this story a while ago, under a different name and under a different account, but it was removed when I deleted my account for a while, so I decided to repost it, because I've changed some things, and I've written more chapters for it, too! So hope you enjoy!
Belle was sitting in a quiet part of the woods, reading as usual. The sun was shining softly through the trees, the stream gushing and bubbling, the birds tweeting happily and the leaves waving gently. She was lost in a book about a knight in shining armour, an evil witch, a beautiful princess and an evil curse.
"The prince raced through the castle, checking every room for his love. He climbed the tower stairs quickly and quietly. He reached the top and was taken aback. An eerie green light was escaping from the crack under the door. He opened it and there, inside, was..."
She felt something tap her shoulder and screamed. Instantly, she heard a voice reassuring her. "Belle, it's only me! Are you alright?"
She knew who was speaking before she had even opened her eyes.
"I'm fine, thank you Gaston. I was simply reading, and as my father always says, my imagination took over. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scream at you!"
He replied with an infuriating "That's fine 'ma belle petite fleur', I'm here to protect you now."
She sighed up at him, giving him a glare that he hated.
"All right then. No more of that!" he thought.
"Why doesn't my charm work on her? It works on the triplets! It works on every other darn girl in town, apart from the one I want it to work on!"
While he was pondering all this, he didn't notice that Belle was watching him carefully, a small blush forming on her small porcelain-like cheeks. When he eventually snapped out of his daydream, he caught her, just before she turned away. Taking this in, he smirked and rested his arms on her shoulders.
"How are you? Did you miss me?"
Belle wondered what he was talking about, and realizing that he had been away on a hunt, asked him, "What do you think?" Turning her head over her shoulder and smiling that little flirtatious smile that only she could pull off, Gaston tried to resist picking her up and smothering her with kisses. She smiled when she realized this and, as if she read his mind, shrugged in answer. He stared at her and chuckled.
"How different she was now to when she first came to town", he thought.
He picked her up, placed her quite high in a nearby tree, and whispered softly, his breath tickling her neck, "Wait a moment. You'll be impressed, I promise."
He walked away from the tree, and then taking a running jump, landed, on his feet, in the tree next to her. The tree shook from the impact, shaking Belle, who slipped. With his lightning quick reflexes, he grabbed her, then, wrapping his strong arms around her slim waist, pulled her easily up and in close to his chest. He sighed in delight when she didn't pull away, but instead snuggled to him, relaxing.
"I like you like this 'ma belle petite fleur.'
"Like what?" she asked him.
"I don't know. Just like this."
"Yours?" she giggled into his large, toned chest.
"Yes, Mine."
He tilted her head up gently, and leaned in towards her, waiting for her. She reached up and his lips touched hers, sending a shock through his body. He cupped her face gently, pulling her closer. When they eventually broke apart, they sat quietly together, each enjoying the others company.
When he could see the sun beginning to set, Gaston looked to the girl lying on his chest. She was sleeping peacefully, her face looking purely angelic, with her beautiful, shining, brown locks framing her face. He gathered her close to him, keeping one arm free to get her safely from the tree onto his horse, which had been waiting patiently the entire afternoon.
"He's getting a dozen apples when we get back!" he thought. He carefully mounted the horse with Belle still in his arms. He rode slowly at first, so as not to wake her.
In the middle of the woods, after the sun had set, with Belle still asleep, Gaston noticed something amiss. The woods were quiet.
Too quiet.
Suddenly, he heard the low growl that he was afraid of hearing, for Belle's sake. Wolves. With his hunting skills, he quickly worked out what he was up against. There was a pack, of thirty or more, surrounding them.
He shifted Belle to his other side so he could reach his crossbow. She stirred, almost falling off the horse. Gaston led his horse over to a relatively safe spot, and tied him to a tree trunk. He crept off quietly, being careful not to lead the wolves towards his Belle. Drawing closer to the beasts, he fired an arrow straight at the first beast to dare face him, Gaston. He defeated the next four with ease. When the wolves stopped coming, he was puzzled.
"There was a full pack of them", he thought.
In agony, he realized why. The beasts were all going for the horse, the thing with the most meat. And when they got close enough, they would smell Belle's sweet, succulent, feminine flesh. The thought turned his blood cold. He sprinted back to his horse, but he was too late.
The horse and the sleeping Belle were surrounded, just as he had feared. His attempts to keep the horse calm were painfully pointless. As soon as the horse grasped he was surrounded, he stood up, throwing Belle off, then ran off, deeper into the woods She landed heavily and awoke immediately. When she saw the wolves surrounding her, she screamed out in complete terror.
Petrified, she turned to Gaston and mouthed, "Help me, please!"
Gaston was already on the job, shooting any beast that dared move what he deemed, too close. One, however, avoiding the arrow by the hair on his tail, moved in on Belle, preparing to attack. Going un-noticed, he crept closer and closer to Belle, until he was close enough to bite, and bite he did. Belle screamed in sheer agony, clutched her arms to her stomach and collapsed.
"That's it! No-one hurts my Belle and lives to tell the tale."
Gaston shot at every beast he saw, almost all of them falling. Any others were grasped by the throat and flung them deep into the woods. He raced back to Belle, who was lying unconscious, her abdomen gushing blood. He undid his hair tie and tied it gently but firmly around the wound, causing her to start. He held her close, talking to her, his jet-black hair falling in her face. She was confused, wondering what was happening and where she was.
Belle woke up with a start, and grimaced with the pain in her stomach. She sat up slowly and looked around.
"Where am I?" She thought..