Slay Belles & Mayhem: A Medley of Dark Tales

by Dani René

  Wrong. This was so wrong. Why couldn’t I stop though?

  “Don’t mess with me, Little Snow,” Duncan rasped.

  He swiveled around and started walking once again, leaving me. I almost whimpered. My legs trembled and I rubbed my thighs together, trying to alleviate the ache at my center.

  “Hurry up,” his voice boomed over the hill.

  Taking a few deep breaths, I waited until my heart was settled before I ran down the hills, following after him.

  We walked silently, through the humongous garden and then going behind the mansion, where the barn was.

  The moment we stepped inside the barrier; I heard a howl. Wait, not one. Several different howls.

  Duncan wasn’t fazed. He whistled, once. Loud and clear. The howls stopped and then…

  Oh. My. God.

  I stumbled back a few steps, hiding behind Duncan. Using him as my shield as seven huge beasts came running toward us.

  They all came to a halt in front of Duncan, jumping excitedly at his sides. Dogs?

  Wait… no, they were too big. Were those… wolves?

  Seven huge wolves. Duncan bent down and rubbed the smaller one behind his ears. It howled, a near peaceful look on its beastly face.

  Duncan looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. “They won’t hurt you.”

  “Is this my surprise?” I asked shakily. “Because I don’t want it.”

  “They can smell you on me, so they won’t hurt you,” he explained slowly. “They are used to your scent now. I made sure of it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  His corner of his lips curled up but he didn’t answer.

  “Do they bite?” I asked, keeping an eye on the wolves.

  “They do, sometimes. But they like you… see, they are rubbing against you,” he responded, his voice gravelly and pleased.

  The smaller wolf out of the seven, the one Duncan had been petting was now rubbing against my legs. It made little sounds, as if it was trying to comfort me. Okay, it was kinda… cute.

  I slowly squatted down to its level and extended an arm toward it, palm out. “What are their names?”

  Duncan pointed at the wolves, introducing each one to me. “The biggest one is Doc. Then you have Happy and Sneezy next to him. They are the lighter gray wolves. Those three are the oldest and from the first litter. Then you have Sleepy – the one who is lying down on his belly. Bashful – the smaller one. Grumpy and Dopey – the two darker wolves.”

  Bashful bumped his snout against my palm. He made what I believed was a happy sound before licking my fingers. There was something odd about his eyes. “Is Bashful blind?”

  “Yes. He was born with some complications and almost died,” Duncan paused, eyeing me and Bashful together. “He likes you.”

  “I never imagined you were a pet person,” I said casually. Not that wolves were actual pets, but they looked very domesticated. Dangerous and beastly, yes. But quite gentle.

  “I’m not,” he shot back.

  I smiled. Two of the wolves curled around at his side. Sleepy had his huge head on Duncan’s lap. Oh, he was so a pet person.

  Bashful laid next to me and I petted him, rubbing my fingers through his thick fur. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “Your mother said you liked animals since you were a little girl. I know it’s boring to be stuck in your room all day. So, I thought you’d like to spend some time with these beasts.”

  That was actually sweet.

  I eyed Duncan suspiciously. “It’s been four days since we’ve known each other and I know there has to be something you want in return. You never do anything for the sake of being nice.”

  He smiled, but there was nothing warm about it. It chilled me. “You judge me too hard, Little Snow.”

  “But am I wrong?” I asked quietly, hoping he’d say I was.

  “No, you’re not,” he said, his voice low. “I do want something in return.”

  “What is it?”

  His face darkened for a moment, but I blinked and the expression was gone too quickly for me to be alarmed. “I’ll tell you when I’m ready to take it,” he grunted.

  Arrogant, pompous jerk!

  “Always with the suspense and your stupid riddles. Just say it,” I snapped.

  Duncan shook his head. “Patience, Little Snow. Count down the days and when the clock strikes, I will take what I want.”

  I wanted to snap, but I chose to ignore him instead and went back to petting Bashful. Dopey and Doc came to my sides, bumping their snout against my arm. Soon enough, all seven wolves were at my side, asking to be petted.

  Okay, they were not so scary anymore.

  These big, beastly wolves were actually littles babies who just wanted attention.

  Duncan stood up and I peered up at him, waiting to see if he’d say anything else. He didn’t.

  There was a moment.

  Our eyes met.

  His were just as cold as ever.

  There was a single heartbeat. One shuddering breath.

  And then he was gone.

  Chapter Six

  Snow

  Today marked two weeks and one day since I had been living at the King’s Estate. And it was my birthday. I honestly didn’t expect anything big. Didn’t expect a birthday celebration. I didn’t even think I’d get a cake.

  In fact, I thought my mother would forget.

  But I was wrong.

  For my eighteenth birthday, everything was different than the last five birthdays I celebrated alone and without any family.

  Mother took me out for lunch and then to the theatre. She said Duncan had booked the restaurant for us and had gotten the tickets to the movie. So, I quickly figured that my mother actually forgot it was my birthday and it was Duncan who remembered and wanted to make it special.

  When we came back from the movie, I didn’t see Duncan. So, I went to take a nap. Only to be woken up now by a knock on my door. “Miss White,” George called. “Please come downstairs. Your mother and step-father are waiting for you.”

  “Give me ten minutes, I’ll be right there!”

  After brushing my teeth and quickly putting my hair into a messy braid, I went down to see what other surprises was awaiting me for my birthday.

  What I didn’t expect was a path of red roses…

  Leading down the stairs and to the dining hall.

  Candles were lit alongside the path and I blinked, once and twice, to take everything in. Mother and Duncan were both waiting for me by the dining table. Duncan wore his usual black suit, but this time, he was missing his tie. Mother wore an emerald gown, a shiny necklace around her neck and her hair was twisted up into a perfect bun. They both looked like they had just walked out of a vogue magazine. The perfect, filthy rich couple. For a brief moment, I noticed how well they complimented each other.

  They were closer in age. Both held themselves up like the rest of the world was beneath them. They were both gorgeous.

  And I was… just me. Plain Snow White who spent the last five years in boarding school. I wasn’t even dressed for the occasion. No one told me to dress up. I was wearing a simple, midi-length pink dress.

  If I didn’t realize how much I didn’t belong here before, this was the moment that made me see clearly.

  And I didn’t know why I felt so bad.

  Like I had wanted to belong here.

  With Duncan King.

  But reality slammed in the face and I took a shuddering breath, walking up to my mother and Duncan.

  “Happy Birthday, Snow,” Duncan said, smiling. “You look beautiful.”

  This version of Duncan was sweet and tender. I should have liked him more. But there was just something about the other Duncan, the one who was only reserved for me.

  The cold and arrogant Duncan.

  The one who wore jeans and shirts.

  The one who didn’t smile with his eyes.

  The one who whispered crude, dirty things in my ears.

  In the
last two weeks, I quickly realized that my mother never got to see that version of Duncan. No.

  He belonged to me.

  I was his Little Snow.

  And it was our secret.

  “Thank you, Duncan – er, I mean, Mr. King,” I replied, just as sweetly. I expected to see his smirk or the knowing look on his face, but he gave me neither.

  Confused at his lack of reaction, I turned to my mother when she clapped, bringing our attention to her. “Dear, what are you wearing? Couldn’t you change into something nicer?”

  “I didn’t know… I mean…”

  “She looks fine, Hilda,” Duncan cut in.

  Mother sputtered. “Oh, I mean… we will be taking a family photo. Mother, daughter and step-father.”

  It was the way she said ‘step-father’ that had me pausing. I noticed her tight smile and the way her eyes were frosty. There was something bitter on her face before she quicky masked it.

  Did she know? About Duncan and I?

  About our secret meetings under the tree and all the times we’d play with the wolves?

  I swallowed, feeling my palms grow sweaty. “Um, that’s a pretty cake,” I said, changing the direction of the conversation.

  “Duncan ordered it,” Mother said, without any warmth. “He really wanted you to feel special on your birthday since it’s your first with us.”

  Duncan placed a hand on my lower back, giving me a gentle push toward the table. “Cut your cake, Snow. It’s chocolate, your favorite.”

  Call me Little Snow, I almost begged.

  He didn’t.

  Where was my Duncan King? I wanted him on my birthday. Not this…fake version of him.

  I cut the cake; they sang me happy birthday. Mother and Duncan handed me a small, velvet box. “A gift from us,” Mother said.

  I gave her a tight smile and opened the jewelry to find a shiny bracelet. “It’s a diamond,” she explained. “Duncan chose it.”

  “Um, thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say. This wasn’t my style at all. And I didn’t want any diamond from Duncan. I just wanted us to go back to the barn and play with the wolves.

  We were enveloped with an awkward silence as we ate our slice of cake. The texture was velvety in my mouth, but I could barely appreciate the taste. My stomach was in knots.

  A few minutes later, I excused myself and practically ran back to my room. To my sanctuary. I paced the room, back and forth. Tension crawled up my spine and I felt myself trembling with nerves.

  I just didn’t know what to do.

  I didn’t know what to expect anymore.

  Duncan was hot and cold. What did he want from me?

  No, the question was… what did I want from him?

  It was simple.

  I just wanted him.

  My Duncan.

  I wanted him in ways that I should never want a man – a man who didn’t belong to me, a married man, my step-father.

  It was wrong and sinful to even want these things with Duncan. I was scared of ruining my mother’s marriage. But in the last two weeks, it was clear that Duncan and my Mother barely even had a married life. There was no romantic bond, no love, no passion and nothing remotely husbandly and wifely between them.

  “You’re thinking very hard, Little Snow.”

  My breathing stuttered and my heart practically slammed into my chest, I thought it’d leave a bruise. Swiveling around, I faced the man who had taken over my thoughts… and my life. How did he sneak into my room without me noticing? I didn’t even hear the door open.

  “Oh, now you call me Little Snow,” I snapped.

  Duncan blinked, a shadow crossing his face. “I can’t call you that in front of you mother and you know it very well.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me today? You’re late,” I stomped my foot. “It’s my birthday!”

  His expression turned almost shameful. “I wanted to, but I couldn’t. Not until now.”

  “I waited for you,” I whispered, my voice cracking with emotions.

  He crossed the room and came to stand in front of me. Duncan tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my jaw. “It’s your birthday. Tell me what you want.”

  My heart galloped and warmth spread through my body. He brushed his thumb across my cheek, before it whispered over my lips with the most tender touch. “Tell me, Little Snow,” he urged.

  We both knew what we wanted.

  My palms landed on his chest. His head lowered, his breath feathering over my lips but not touching. Yet.

  “Kiss me.”

  I barely even finished my sentence when his lips slammed onto mine, sucking my words down his throat and stealing my breath. My eyes fluttered closed. The kiss was just as savage as him.

  Duncan ravaged me.

  Took what he had been waiting for.

  Devoured my lips and swallowed my whimpers.

  My lips were hesitant, uncertain and without practice. It was my first kiss and I barely knew what to do, how to move. But Duncan was there, coaxing my lips apart, sliding his tongue into my mouth. Tasting me, licking me from the inside, like he couldn’t have enough of my taste.

  I experimentally met his tongue with me and he groaned, his hands going to my hips and tugging me hard into his body. His fingers dug into my flesh, bruising me but I found that I didn’t care.

  His body shifted, crowding into mine and it was then I felt it. A hardness against my stomach. Was that his...?

  He plunged his tongued repeatedly into my mouth and I sucked on his, feeling suddenly bold. The sound of us kissing filled the silent room. It sounded so… dirty. And I liked it.

  I gasped into his lips but he didn’t let breathe. It was as if he couldn’t bare to separate his mouth from mine. My head swam and I felt unstable on my feet. My fingers clenched his shirt, my nails digging through the fabric and into his chest.

  “Fuck,” he grunted, ripping his mouth away from mine. My eyes snapped open, sucking in a long breath. His chest rattled with each deep breath he took.

  My gaze slid down to his hips… and lower. Oh, sweet Lord.

  Duncan must have noticed where my attention was because he crudely cupped himself there.

  My jaw nearly dropped. The bulge was enormous and it looked almost uncomfortable in the jeans. “Does it hurt?” I breathed, feeling my lungs collapsing.

  “It only hurts because I’m not deep in your cunt yet,” Duncan practically growled.

  My eyes widened and I sputtered wordlessly. My thighs clenched and I ached so bad, I almost cried from it. It hurt.

  My body was so hyperaware of Duncan that my skin felt too tight. My nipples tingled. And my core pulsed with a maddening rhythm. I felt so… empty.

  The need to be filled was strong.

  But I didn’t know how, without sinning and going against all that the Headmistress had taught me.

  “You shouldn’t say things like this to me,” I said. For the thousandth time since we met. It was a weak attempt and he knew that. I lifted my eyes to meet him, wanting to both cry at how helpless I felt and wanting to jump into his arms and beg for another kiss.

  Duncan stepped closer, so close our chests brushed against each other. My breasts were heavy and sensitive with need. The smallest touch had me almost whimpering.

  His thumb feathered over my swollen lips. “There’s no going back now, Little Snow.”

  Tears filled my eyes. “It won’t work out. This will only end up in a tragedy, I know it. My mother is your wife and–”

  “Your mother is none of your concern,” he said.

  “But–”

  “Little Snow,” he cut me off, his voice filled with warning. “Do as your told and just focus on pleasing me.”

  My lips trembled and I slammed my fist into his chest. It barely even fazed him. “Stop that!”

  Duncan gripped my jaw and held my eyes, his stare dark. “Do you trust me?”

  “No,” I snapped.

  He smirked. “Liar. Bad girls get
punished, remember that.”

  “Ugh!”

  “I’ve spoiled you.” He let me go and took a step back.

  “Where are you going?” I asked. Why did I sound so needy?

  “Good night,” he said without responding to my question.

  My eyes burned as I held back my tears and watched him leave. He paused at the door and spared me a quick glance over my shoulder.

  “Happy Birthday, Little Snow.”

  And then he was gone. Again.

  Chapter Seven

  Snow

  Two weeks later

  I found myself in the library, looking for my favorite Harlequin book. It was my fifth time reading this week. At the boarding school, we were not allowed romance books. But in the King’s library, it was filled with romance. It was a new genre to me but I found that I quite enjoyed it. And I did learn a lot from them.

  About romance… love…

  And sex.

  I went to the shelf where I knew I had kept my paperback. My lips widened with a happy smile as I grabbed my book, excitement coursing through me. It didn’t matter how many times I read it, I still got excited every time I started chapter one.

  My eyes caught something out of place and I paused, squinting up at the self. Hmm, this wasn’t here before. Or did I not notice it until now?

  I reached up on my toes and grabbed, what looked like to be an old photo. It was badly wrinkled and half of it was ripped. I stared closely at picture, trying to figure out why it appeared so familiar. It was a couple. The man was standing up and the woman was sitting down on an antique chair. They looked like royalty.

  The man was young, probably in his early twenties and the woman was younger, who I assumed was anywhere between fifteen to eighteen. The man was suited and the girl wore a gorgeous blue gown. But it was the man who caught my attention.

  The familiar way he was standing and his face…

  I gasped quietly as realization dawned to me. Duncan?

  The man in the picture had to be a younger Duncan. There was no beard, his face was fresh and young. But he was definitely him.