I'm excited that I'm able to update this story already! This short chapter layout is working out pretty well so far. Thank you, teardrop456, jadey, poloplaya4e, and shortstef for your support and reviews! As I move forward with this story, I feel it pulling out numerous action scenes out of me, as you'll see with this current chapter.
Thanks to all who have read and given this story a chance!
Disclaimer: I do not own the story of Beauty and the Beast. However, all original ideas and characters found in Heal The Heart are mine.
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Chapter 2 – Struggle
Ariana narrowed her eyes and wordlessly reached into the pouch hanging off her belt. With a swift flick of her wrist, she slashed through the net and broke free of its hold. Placing the knife back in her hiding spot, Ariana raced out of the water with both the fish and the net in hand.
Hearing the patter of feet against the shoreline, Caleb raised his head, only to see his quarry running away. Damn that girl! Why doesn't she ever stay put? She's got more lives than a cat! Refusing to waste any more time by climbing down the tree, his hands released the branches they were gripping and he jumped down to meet the earth.
The impact upon contact left a resounding rumble reverberating through the forest, causing Ariana to jerk her head back toward the noise and inadvertently drop the fish she held in her left hand. No! How did he climb down so fast? She met his eyes and saw a feral luminosity radiating from them. She needed to somehow slow him down; they both knew she couldn't outrun him. Then I will outsmart him, Ariana thought with newfound resolve. For the first time, she realized that she still held the net that had originally been intended to trap her in her hand. Raising it over her head, she spun it in the air, took a step forward and heaved it toward his legs. Ariana took a precious second to check that her target hit its mark and saw the net wrap around Caleb's feet; within moments, his steps were tangled and he plummeted to the ground as she picked her fish up and darted forward.
"Argh!" Caleb cried as he collided with the soil. Instantly his hands groped the lattice and tore it apart, breaking free of its grasp. No more games, he thought angrily as he rose to his feet, running after her and quickly closing the gap between them.
He was close. Ariana could feel his breath on her back; frantic, she tried to think of her next move. However, Caleb never gave her the chance, for at that moment, he threw his body forward and tackled her, bringing them both abruptly to the ground. Caleb's muscular body crushed Ariana and she found it hard to breathe; she thrashed under him, desperately trying to bring her hands in reach of the knife by her belt. Caleb had anticipated her reaction and grasped both of her wrists tightly, pulling them up and pinning her arms above her head. "Uh uh, dear, Ariana," he said in an eerie calm voice as his blonde hair fell forward, framing his face, and his amber eyes locked onto hers. "No more of that now; you have already been a very naughty girl. It's time I taught you a lesson in obedience."
Thunderstorms raged in Ariana's eyes and she tried to kick him in defiance. "Ha ha ha!" Caleb laughed with bravado. "I was going to wait until we got back to my lands; but, since you are willing and eager, I think we should start your training right now. If nothing else, you will certainly prove to be entertaining." He began to lower his face down to hers, seeking to devour her lips; he had waited too long for this.
"No," Ariana said softly but with conviction; it was the first time she had spoken to him since he confronted her by the river.
That one short word left Caleb frozen in mid-pucker. He opened his eyes and stared at the girl underneath him. "What did you say?" he demanded.
"I said no," she replied forcefully. I need more time to figure out a way out of this! I need to stall and keep him talking for as long as possible.
Caleb answered with a malicious laugh. "For a twenty-one year old woman, you really are an innocent, Ariana. Oh, how I will enjoy taming you!" With that, he pushed his face into hers.
Instantly, Ariana turned her head to the right, successfully moving her lips away from his; but, simultaneously giving Caleb access to her neck, in which he pushed the amethyst charm she always wore off to the side and slobbered over her. Eew. Gross! Caleb didn't seem to mind, however, and continued with his spit parade. Ariana didn't waste her energy crying or whimpering; instead, she tried to push him off her body. When that act proved fruitless, she looked up at the sky and prayed for an answer or help of any kind. Her survival skills had been tested to the max; she simply didn't know what else to do. As she brought her eyes back down, she stared forward into the brush, wracking her brain for an answer before Caleb tired of her neck and decided to take things further. After a few moments, she caught sight of something shiny a few feet away from where she was fastened to the earth. What is that? She focused on the piece and deciphered that it was a metal object. What kind of metal would be left unattended in the middle of the forest? Could it be a sword? She craned her neck forward a little, hoping to get a better view. No; it's not a sword. Ariana swallowed a gasp. Hope surged through her heart as she thought of a possibility; this was her last chance for escape.
Immediately, she stopped trying to push Caleb's body away and instead she embraced it. Caleb cried out in satisfaction and victory. "I knew you would succumb once you'd had a taste of me, Ariana." He ran his hands through her hair. "Your stubbornness is unacceptable, my darling. You will obey me from now on; you will see that I know what's best for you."
In response, she held on to him and tried to roll both of their bodies to the right. Caleb willingly obliged, excited with this transformation from a prude to a temptress. "You are a fast learner, I see," he said with approval. He released her wrists and moved his hands to encircle her waist as he held her above him. Ariana seized that moment to risk a glance toward her goal and was rewarded with the sight that she wanted to see. One more roll; I have to judge this right or else I'll be in more trouble than I'm currently in! Ariana pushed her weight to the right once more, pulling Caleb back on top of her. He rolled a little further to the side as his right hand pawed over her stomach and chest; Caleb then started to place his left arm down on the ground to leverage his body at a better angle and allow his other hand free reign over the unexplored terrain lying in front of him. Suddenly, Ariana heard a faint click and she held her breath. Caleb's wandering hand abruptly stopped its assault; he arched his back and his agonizing scream filled the meadow as metal jaws sunk their vicious teeth into his arm.
Ariana pushed herself away from him and reeled in the opposite direction, jumping to her feet. She turned to look at him. Caleb's left arm was caught between two jagged razor blades normally used by hunters to trap game. Blood was oozing out of slashes in his arm. The look of pure, cold hatred he rewarded her with could freeze water in the desert. "You conniving little, bitch! You set me up; you knew that was there!"
Ariana slowly backed away from him; she knew he was strong enough to pry the trap open with his good arm. "And you should know that 'no' means no! I will never be your wife and you will never have me – willingly or unwillingly!" she yelled with vehemence.
"Mark my words, Ariana, you have made a perilous mistake." The remark seethed out of Caleb's mouth. "From this day forward, all rules are broken and I am no longer obligated to act like a gentleman. I will strike you down in a way so unfathomable, you will rue the day you ever crossed me. There is no escape; ultimately, you will be mine!"
No sound seeped through Ariana's lips. Silently, she found her fish, picked them up and ran, never looking back. Finally, when she knew she was out of his range, she let the fear that was building up inside consume her. Shaking uncontrollably, she collapsed on a rock to catch her breath.