-The Beast-

The sight the beast came upon in the forest wasn't one that he expected. There were three wolfmen who had surrounded a human.

The Beast dropped to the ground curiously, watching the wolfmen circle from afar. The human was big and weilding a massive sword, but it wouldn't be big enough for three opponents.

The first wolfman lunged at the human, who defended himself well enough, slashing and jabbing. He kept himself safe, but he did not inflict any wounds. There was no chance this man could stand up to three wolfmen. Survival of the fittest was the nature of the forest. Letting him die would be his perferred option, but he had a plan with Belle and he didn't want to let her down. The Beast entered the clearing and roared threateningly.

The three wolfmen stopped their advancing attacks, and turned their backs to the human. The wolfmen stalled a moment, but they were already in the middle of a blood-lust. They weren't thinking with their heads anymore. The human stood forgotten as the wolfmen spread out and slowly crept towards the King.

Every step forward was in slowmotion until they decided they were in perfect position to strike. One went foe his throat and another for his leg. He beat away the one who came at his neck and while he kicked at the one at his feet, the third lunged into his chest and dug his hooked claws deep into his chest.

He flinched back in pain and roared. The wolman was terrified as he grabbed his paw and ripped it out of his chest. The wolfmen were not fools. They knew how easy it was for him to kill, and so it shreiked in horror as he was thrown into a tree trunk and no longer moved.

The last two seemed more hesitant, but with adrenaline coursing through him and bood now seeping through his open wound, he lunged at one of them and use his claws to cut into his throat.

The second wolfman fell to the ground with a gurgling sound and the thirst turned tail and ran. He didn't care to pursue him, especially not while blood pursed down his chest.

It was the sort of wound that would force him to crawl back home to be stitched up by Vandy, but the beast didn't have time for that tonight. Not with their plan now in motion.

The human stood stupidly with his sword still erect. When the Beast approached him, the human's sword was now pointed at the Beast's chest.

The human was breathing heavily, a wild glint in his eyes, but oddly enough, the human's eyes lit with recognition and he lowered his sword slightly.

"It's you!" The human said triumphantly.

The beast chose not to answer. He sized up the human, wondering if he was the best they had to offer. If this was going to be Belle's rescuer, he had to make sure that it was a man who was worthy of Belle.

-Gaston-

After nearly a week of suffering through this hellish forest, he had finally done it. He'd found the King Beast.

His whole body shook with exhaustion and triumph. The day had taken a wildly different turn than he had thought. He'd been done for. Fighting for his life every day until those monsters that hed been tracking him finally caught up, and right when he was just about forced to give up and die he was saved by the very being he came here to kill.

His Brother's wife had told him exactly what to look for, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The King Beast, tall as a bear, covered in dark brown, near black fur, he had every type of predatory trait, horns, claws, fangs, and massive bat-like wings. The monster was glorious and would look quite the sight stuffed in his trophy room.

"Who are you?" The beast asked and Gaston couldn't hold back a shudder

"This is surreal. Amazing. She said you could talk, but I didn't believe it till just now." Gaston marveled. He took a confident step forward, pressing the sword into the Beast King's open wound.

"I will kill you were you stand if you do not tell me where you've got the fair maiden."

"Who are you?" the beast asked again, unflinching.

Gaston frowned, he'd have to teach the monster a lesson of who was in charge.

"I am Gaston Legume, Prince of Levony, and I have come here, King beast, to kill you and take everything you possess."

The beast then dared to laugh at him and Gaston brought his sword up to the monster's throat.

"You will take me to the girl, and then you will die a noble death at my hand." Gaston said evenly, looking into the animal eyes of the hideous creature before him. A creature so vile and unatural needed to be destroyed off the face of the earth, but Gaston was really after the idea of becoming King of the forest of monsters. The one place his Father was unable to gain control over.

"Speak beast, before I cut out your tongue and force you to lead me to the girl anyway."

The beast took a big deep breath and opened his mouth then closed it and shook his head.

"Have it your way then Beast." Gaston said before taking a step to slash the sword into the beast, when suddenly the beast was not at his sword point anymore.

He was fast. Faster than Gaston could quite comprehend. In one fell swoop Gaston's sword was ripped from his grip and slid across the forest floor, and Gaston was thrown onto his back. The Beast was on him in a moment and picked him up slowly by the collar of his shirt. Gaston could hear nothing but his own heart beat while he grasped in vain at the Beast's grip on his tunic. Coughing and sputtering, Gaston panicked and realized that he was going to die, when suddenly he was thrown soundly from the grasp of the Beast.

"Leave. Now. Do not return or I will destroy you." The beast said in a low gutteral voice and Gaston stood swiftly, abandoning his sword and his pride he ran off into the forest going any direction away from the beast.

-The Beast-

He stared after the man fleeing in complete shock at what he had done. He could still hear the fool running blindly through the forest. Her Prince. The one that was supposed to take her home.

He scratched absentmindedly at the wound that was still oozing blood on his chest, but it didn't do anything to relieve the itch that had gotten underneath his skin. The real thing that was bothering him was Belle.

They had made a plan together. He was supposed to let the champions follow him back to the castle, instead he had beat the man and scared him away. He had let her down.

He couldn't have lead that man to Belle. Belle deserved more than this man. That's what he told himself to make up for his behavior. He wasn't good enough. She deserved the best of everything as long as that everything was with him.

That's when the Beast realized that it didn't matter who that man was. He'd never be able to hand Belle over to anyone.

The beast stood in the clearing helplessly for a few more minutes and he began to feel woozy. His wound was beginning to get to him. The best thing for Belle would be to let that man rescue her, but that was the one thing he couldn't do. He thought of returning home and locking all the castle doors forever, keeping her permanently, and killing anyone who dared try to separate them.

That's what he wanted most in the world was her. That's when he realized what he had to do.

Belle was looking for him when he returned home. That's the message he got from Vandy when he went to him to get stitched back up.

"She's been worried about you."

"I'm sure she's been praying I never come back." the beast said, bitterly.

"It's more than that." Vandy said, annoyed at his young master for being so blind.

The beast wasn't really listening to what Vandy had to say to him. No, his mind was on what he was about to do next, and how if he didn't do it now then he'd never be able to. The second Vandy finished sewing it and bandaged it unevenly, the beast stood with such force it sent Vandy sprawling backwards.

"Where are you going?" Vandy asked.

"I am going to be pay Belle a visit."

"You will not! The poor girl is worried enough without having you limping over bleeding everywhere. Stay here. I'll tell her how you're faring, and I'll bring dinner up soon!"

The beast mumbled in false agreement and waited a whole sixty seconds after Vandy left before he was out of his bed walking towards Belle's rooms.

He knocked on her door and before he could even finish knocking, the door flew open.

"You made it back!" She said, launching herself into his arms.

"Belle!" He said, struggling to keep her from falling on the ground while feeling his stitches begin to tear.

"I'm sorry!" She said, stepping back quickly, "I was just worried about you." She stepped back and then claspsed her hands together, blushing a deep red. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said roughly, loving the way her dark hair looked against her flushed face. "It was nothing."

She folded her arms at that and then raised an eyebrow. It was a small movement, but he wanted to know what she had to say. "What?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Only, I know you're lying."

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows at that. "Do you now?"

"Yes." She leaned in closer and whispered in a low voice, "you're bleeding. I can smell it."

He looked down at his barely bandaged wound to see blood seeping from it and he sighed. Vandy would be mad at him for going against his strict orders to stay in his room.

"I can't sneak anything past you can I?" He asked.

"No, so you might as well stop trying. Was it the wolfmen again?"

"yes." was all he said, his jaw working painfully trying to figure out what to say to her.

"What are you going to do about them?"

"Nothing. I'll do what I do every year. Keep them from crossing the line and protect every one else along the way."

"Adam, you can't go on like this. Vandy told me you barely come out on top by the end of the month."

The Beast grabbed Belle's arm and led her through her room and through her balcony doors, effectively shutting her up the moment he laid his hands on her.

He figured she was scared of him. He didn't even notice the effect that his touch had on her.

"Where are we out here?" she asked, but he put both his hands on his arms. Careful not to touch her with his claws. This was the closest he'd ever allowed himself to get with Belle while he was still the Beast.

"Why are you here Belle?" He asked, and his entire world waited for an answer that he already knew.

"Why? Are you sure you're fine?" She asked in a quiet voice, trying to move away from him, but he wouldn't give her an inch.

"Just a simple answer, Belle. Why are you here?" He asked.

It seemed like she was staring straight at him when she replied, "you took pity on me while I was out in the forest, You brought me here and saved me."

The Beast couldn't help himself at that moment. He pulled her into his arms where she felt so small and vulnerable. She was wrong. When he brought her here he wasn't saving her. He condemned her. He brought her straight into the heart of his lair, and as long as she was here she wouldn't be safe from him. He wasn't saving her before, but he wanted to set that straight. He was going to take her home.

In that very moment he held onto her tight, stretching out his wings, and leapt into the air to do the only selfless thing that he'd ever done before.