That night at half past ten, Lumière knocked on the door before opening it. He shut it and saw Belle in a robe. Her eyes were dangerous again.
"Are you alright, chérie?"
"Yes. It's getting closer to the full moon."
"Ah, so ze legends are true? You must change during a full moon?"
"I am very powerful for my kind. I don't have to per se, but…I usually want to."
"Oh? Care to…show me?" He hated that his voice wavered.
She snickered. "It's okay to be scared of a monster."
Belle stood and the robe slid to the floor. Lumière couldn't help but stare at the pale flesh that was revealed. He was male after all, and he used to be human. He dropped his gaze when he met her silver one.
"My apologies."
"I figured you would stare. Anybody would. After all, I am beautiful," she said bitterly.
Lumière frowned. "True beauty is much more zan skin deep, chérie."
"Yeah, but beneath my skin is a monster. Now, look at me."
She changed slowly for him, and he was fascinated. She shook hard when it was over, and he found himself staring at a sleek, silver wolf. The eyes told him that it was indeed Belle.
"Can you still understand me?"
The wolf nodded.
"Can you talk?"
She growled the negative as she shook her head.
"I see. Can you communicate in any way?"
She nodded again.
"Teach me."
Her face turned toward the window.
"Outside? But it is very cold."
The look on her face was irritation. It said, 'Think about it, stupid.'
"Alright. Let me see…You want nobody else to know what you are." A nod. "You are a wolf, so you need to be outside because if you are caught in ze castle, it would be…unfavorable." A 'You think?' look. "So you would like to be in ze forest so zey don't discover your secret." The wolf grinned, a rather harrowing experience for the candelabra, but he shakily smiled back. "I believe I could get you out. Zere is a secret passageway near here. It is down two unused 'allways. You might 'ave to dig a little. Would you mind?"
Belle shook her head. The digging, it turned out, was minimal, and the tunnel led them to the back gate, which Lumière opened. They went along, the candelabra hopping, Belle trotting. When they were far enough out, another howl burst from her lips, and Lumière screamed as wolves surrounded them. Her tail grabbed him, flinging him aside. A battle was taking place in seconds between her and a very large male wolf. She was bitten only once, blood staining the snow, but he was torn to pieces. She didn't stop until his belly was bared. Another howl followed then she trotted back and nudged the candelabra forward. He shook his head.
"B-Belle, zey will tear me to shreds!" he moaned, tears slipping from his eyes.
She shook her head then barked and snarled and growled. Lumière realized something as he stared at the other wolves. Their ears were up, and they were attentively looking at her. She had just become their alpha. And she was telling them to never hurt him. Or else. And they nodded. He was still scared when she pushed him forward, but he wasn't as scared. Their noses ticked, and he chuckled, stroking one wolf gently. He was growled at, and his flames shot up defensively. There were yelping whines and they shot backwards. There was a noise from Belle, and he realized she was laughing. He smiled as well.
"Chérie? We must get to bed," he said an hour later.
She nodded, and she hurried away with him on her back, holding onto her scruff. Half an hour later, she was bathed and dressed for bed a bandage wrapped around her midriff, the left side slightly red. Lumière frowned unhappily when he looked at himself.
"I am all spotted."
"Do you have a buffing cloth?"
He retrieved it, and she picked him up. Oh! Her hands were warm! She set him on her lap and gently began to clean. He enjoyed it. But…not in a wrong way, he noticed analytically. It was very personal, and quite intimate, all things considering, but after what she'd told him, shown him…They were friends. Close friends. Closer than anybody else. Even himself and Cogsworth. He allowed her to finish buffing him, before he turned and lightly kissed her cheek.
"Merci, mon amie. I appreciate it. Now, I do believe zat we both should snuff our lights for ze night. It is past midnight."
"Very well. I hope you know, I need less sleep than other people. So I'll be fine in the morning."
"I did not know zat. But I shall keep zat in mind. Bonne nuit, Belle."
As Lumière settled in one of his secluded resting places, he thought over the information. He finally smiled.
"Zis is going to be interesting." He frowned. "But it will come out eventually. And I will be in deep merde."
He fell asleep conflicted and spent the night moaning in good turned bad dreams.