Tale As Old As Time: An After Hours FairyTale (Beauty and The Beast) (Gods Series Book 1)

by Elisabeth -

  Without looking, Alcide backed up a bit and threw his knife to his right. A scream came out from that dark corner that John couldn’t see but now as the light illuminated the dungeon, a young man was chained to the wall. He looked big in size and muscle with pale blue eyes that were filled with fear mirroring John’s eyes.

  Alcide abruptly let go of John’s throat and stood up. He ignored John’s theatrics at deeply breathing in air as he made his way to the nameless young man. Alcide cracked his knuckles as he wasted no time talking. His fists went flying as the young man yelled out as the power behind each blow increased. After a minute, Alcide relaxed and moved back a bit. He reached out for the man’s jaw tightening his hold of it in his hand. He stared into those pale blue eyes as he said all he needed to.

  “You will die here. Weak little boys like you don’t deserve to live. Even death is too good for you but I know you will suffer there. I will make sure of it.”

  The young man cried not understanding what was going on or what he did.

  “You’ve got the wrong person!” He cried out.

  Alcide asked him.

  “Now, now… I’m never wrong. The fact that you put it out if your mind, I’ll remind you!” Alcide growled and headbutted him. Alcide pulled out a hunting knife from his back pocket and stabbed him.

  The young man started to scream as Alcide twisted and turned the knife in every which angle. Alcide lunged for his throat and tightened his long-calloused fingers around his throat. The memory of Arabella was screaming for him to stop. For him to let her go plagued Alcide. Alcide lost it for a moment as he withdrew the knife and plunged it back in the same spot. He didn’t care as he continued to do so a couple more times.

  Alcide’s fingers got tighter and tighter until he felt the young man’s windpipe crush against his fingers. A sob escaped Alcide’s mouth as the knife made a clink sound on the cement floor. Alcide sniffed as he let go of the man’s throat and bent down to pick up the knife. He turned to face a terrified John who couldn’t stop shaking.

  Alcide wiped his tears as he made his way towards John. He sat back down in the seat in front of John. He heard Arabella’s pleading voice again as the young man forced himself on her. I am a monster. No one will ever want me. No one will love me. Another sob escaped him. He had never cried for another person in his life. Not even when he was left all alone on this earth, he didn’t cry but the thought of Arabella being helpless and being forced to be a monster did him in.

  He released a guttural sound that made him sound more of animal origin than human. He held John’s jaw in his hand again as he lifted it upwards giving himself access to John’s neck. He stuck the knife there nicking him. A whimper escaped John’s lips as he uncontrollably tried shaking his neck. As Alcide was about to continue, the piercing sound of Arabella screaming for him to stop made him turn his head.

  “Alci! Alcide stop! Please. This isn’t right.” She cried out as she stood in the doorway afraid to get closer.

  ~E~

  Alcide released a battle cry sending fear from Arabella’s toes all the way to the top of her head. She instinctively took a step back when Alcide stood up from his position letting go of her dad. She froze when Alcide faced her. There was a look in his eyes, he looked hurt. He looked lost as tears continued to flow down his face. He looked much more broken than she was. Was he always this broken? She thought.

  Alcide stared at her for a minute before speaking.

  “Choose.” Was all he said to her.

  “What?” Arabella asked not understanding his question.

  “Choose!” He yelled. “Me or him.”

  “Alcide. Please. Just let my dad go, we can fix this. This isn’t the way. Please.” Arabella begged him.

  Alcide shocked her by throwing his head back and releasing a laugh that sounded like he was on the verge of losing his mind. He turned around and grabbed the rose on the little table stalking over to Arabella who started walking back out into the hallway terrified of what he would do to her.

  Bumping into the wall, Arabella had nowhere to go as he stood in front of her. She shut her eyes not wanting to see the pained look in his sorrow filled eyes. She felt the piercing on her skin and when she opened her eyes, he handed her the rose.

  “You chose him over me?” He asked her.

  Without another word, Alcide walked off. Arabella dropped the rose and ran after him.

  “No, no, no, no. I choose you Alcide. I’ll always choose you.” She said as his strides became wider and faster.

  Her flips flop click-clacked as she ran after him. He stopped when he reached the front door and she placed her hand on his back. He knew she was crying. God! he loved the hell out of this woman.

  “Alci…” She called him the name he loved to hear. “Please. You know I choose you.”

  He spun around,

  “then you don’t mind me taking his life.” He said as he started back to the dungeon.

  Arabella stepped in front of him.

  “No! Don’t kill him! Please, I’m begging you.”

  Alcide moved so fast and growled in her face causing everything in Arabella to freeze. Alcide looked at her face; her big brown eyes that he got lost in, her beautiful scar that complimented her. Her smile that he would always love. Oh! That laughter that made his world freeze but everything got plagued by someone taking advantage of her and her father being a catalyst. He whispered against her lips,

  “I’m. done.” Was all he said as he turned around and walked out the door.

  Arabella couldn’t cry. Nothing was released from her mouth it was as if when he left out the door, he took her voice with her. Arabella shook uncontrollably, and her knees couldn’t support it as she dropped to the marble floor. She watched the door feeling like her heart was ripped out of her chest and she was left to deal with the gaping hole. After that moment, realization hit her and she broke down.

  “Oh, God. Oh god. Oh god. What have I done?” She cried out to no one. She rocked herself back and forth knowing that although her mouth said she chose Alcide, her actions had chosen her father.

  Chapter 13

  Arabella’s eyes opened, and she looked around her room. She sighed as she felt the roughness of her bed back in her father’s house. Her body had gotten used to not only waking up in Alcide’s arms but in his bed too. She groaned as she thought of Alcide. It had been two whole months as she tried to get in contact with him but nothing. He either blocked her number or changed his. Arabella ran her hand over her face and tried to get out of bed but a sharp, uncomfortable pain shot out of her back from the way she tried to stand.

  Arabella whimpered and plopped back down for a moment. She had forgotten once again that she was now six months pregnant with Alcide’s baby. This baby was part of the reason why she blew up his phone, but till now, he never answered her, not even her emails were answered. She placed her palm on her growing belly. She was now showing, it wasn’t too big of a belly, but she was content even with just knowing she had a part of Alcide. She cleared her throat not wanting to tear up again for the umpteenth time.

  “Baby, please give mommy a break today okay? I have to work this morning and we need to save up to move out.” After a moment, she slowly stood up and was ecstatic that there was no sudden pain.

  Arabella scared herself when she looked in the mirror. She chuckled for the first time in a month,

  “Damn little Herk.” She smiled at the nickname for her baby knowing Alcide would’ve corrected her on the how to say his name. “You could’ve told mama that she looked a hot mess. Lord.” She looked at her hair that was done in single braids.

  She sighed and knew it was time to take them out. She knew her hair was going to fall into waves, and maybe this would be better for her performance later tonight.

  ~E~

  Arabella made sure she looked decent as she walked out of her room with her keys and bag in tow. She sighed as she had to bend over to put on her shoes. She felt defeated first thing in the morni
ng, and as if it couldn’t get worse, her father came up behind her,

  “Let me help you.” He suggested.

  Everything in Arabella froze.

  “Don’t touch me.” She said as she moved her body away from him. She barely spoke to her father after she left Alcide’s house. There was nothing for them to discuss. She had lost the one and only man that loved her all for keeping him alive.

  Arabella looked at her father as he watched her back. The hate that she felt towards him multiplied much more than he was towards her. She placed her hand on her stomach feeling protective of her baby.

  “You will never touch this child. Do you understand me?” She said.

  Her father’s face became pale. He didn’t understand what she was saying.

  “What are you talking about Belle?”

  “You know what I mean. You will never put your hands on this baby as you did me. You will never make her out to look like a monster. You are a sick human being, and I wished I didn’t stop Alcide from killing you. He should’ve killed you, and I made a mistake.”

  “Killed me? You don’t mean that.” He tried to caress her arm.

  Arabella fumed as she yelled,

  “I said DON’T TOUCH ME! You know what, don’t expect to see me again. I will never come back to this house again.”

  “Wait no! Please, Belle.”

  “You don’t get to beg me. You don’t get to receive sympathy. You sold your daughter to a man for something you did wrong.” Arabella finally broke down. “What if he raped me? What if he did the same thing you did to me? All of that because you’re sick in the head! I will never be as perfect as MOM! Never! So, don’t ever look for me again. You don’t love me honestly, you’ve never loved me. You didn’t even deserve me as a daughter. You disgust me, and I hope you burn in hell. I hope your soul is picked at one by one until you can feel how I’ve felt all my life.”

  Arabella harshly wiped at her tears and walked out not bothering with putting her shoes on. She walked barefoot on the pavement feeling the heat creep into the soles of her feet.

  “Arabella! Wait, please. What about your clothes and necessities? Please take them so that you will have something.”

  Arabella felt a deadly calm come over her as she turned around and faced her dad once again. She smirked at him with tears in her eyes,

  “Burn them.” She calmly said. “Burn.Them.ALL!” She screamed and walked off in the direction of her car.

  ~E~

  Arabella didn't think as she sped out of the driveway, she was sobbing uncontrollably. She didn’t know where she was headed. She sobbed out loud once again and pulled over not knowing where she was stopping. When her car was in park, she reached for her phone and dialed Alcide. This time, it rang twice, and then a female picked up,

  “Hello, my darling’s phone. How may I help you?”

  Arabella sniffed,

  “Hello?” She pulled her phone from her ear and looked at the caller ID then placed it back on her ear. “Where’s Alcide?” Arabella asked.

  “He’s busy.”

  Arabella’s sadness turned into rage,

  “Where is Alcide? I’m not going to ask you again.”

  The female on the phone cackled and then Arabella heard Alcide yelling,

  “What are you doing answering my calls Megara. Move!” He yelled at her and then came to the phone. “Alcide Dios speaking.”

  Arabella choked and was at a loss for words. She heard his soothing voice as it traveled in her ear and reached out tugging at her heart.

  “Hello! If you’re going to talk then you have a minute before I hang up.” He yelled sounding even more irritated.

  Arabella trembled as she spoke,

  “Alci…” Was all she could manage to say before she broke down crying again.

  Alcide shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew it was her. He knew he should’ve hung up after taking the phone from Megara, but he wanted to hear her. He had to hear her voice just once, and now that he had, he remembered that she didn’t choose him. She chose her abuser.

  “You shouldn’t call me again Arabella.” Intending on sounding harsh but his emotions betrayed him as it came out softly.

  “Alci, please. Listen to me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being such an idiot. I’m sorry for everything. I hurt you in a way that you shouldn’t be hurt. I did that, and I deserve how you’re not talking to me but Alci, I can’t.”

  “You can’t what?”

  “I can’t do this without you. I can’t live without you. I should’ve known the moment you took me into your arms; I wouldn’t be the same. I should’ve known that. I should’ve shown with my actions and not my words that I chose you. I will always choose you Alci. I don’t love anyone else.”

  “You love me?” He inquired.

  Arabella sobbed,

  “Yes. I love you with all my heart. I think I loved you from the moment your gray eyes locked into mine.”

  “If you truly loved me, you would’ve understood why I did what I did.”

  “I do understand.”

  “It’s too late. I have to go.”

  Arabella didn’t know what to do,

  “Alci wait! Please… Please don’t hang up.”

  “Goodbye Ari.”

  Before she could say anything else, he hung up.

  Arabella slammed her palms on the wheel repeatedly.

  “Dammit, dammit, dammit!” She ran her fingers through her hair and laid her head on the wheel. She knew that he meant that goodbye and that was what hurt her even more than anything else. She didn’t know what else to do. Her phone rang again, and she looked over at it seeing that it was Bernice calling.

  Arabella cleared her throat before picking up,

  “Hey Bee.”

  “Hey. You coming into work?”

  “Yeah. Had a slight issue but I’m alright. I’m alright.” Arabella repeated that more to herself than anything. She wiped her tears.

  “Okay. Well, are you excited to be singing again tonight?”

  “Yeah, I am.” She answered trying to sound ecstatic.

  “What is it, Ari?”

  Arabella quickly dismissed it as she pressed the speaker option on her phone and began to drive off in the direction of her job.

  “Nothing. Nothing.” She said as she put the phone on loud speaker so she could drive to work. “It’s just the baby’s in a mood, and I also miss my sister.”

  “Aww, our little Herk. Is it okay?”

  Arabella chuckled,

  “Stop calling my baby an It.”

  “Well, if you told me the sex of the baby then I would call it by its proper gender.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll tell you tonight.”

  Bernice squealed.

  “Yes! Speaking of sex, did you speak to Alcide?”

  Arabella didn’t want to talk about him, so she answered simply,

  “No, but I’m almost at work. Can I borrow some sneakers?”

  “What? Uh yes?”

  “Okay good.”

  “Don’t think I didn’t realize your change of subject even if I was momentarily confused.”

  “See you inside. Bye Bee.”

  “Bye Weirdo.”

  Arabella sighed and got out the car. Today was going to be a long day even her baby was silent probably mad at her for not fixing it with Alcide.

  Chapter 14

  Alcide walked into the restaurant that Apollo told him to meet him at. He didn’t want to be out and about, too much had happened, and he needed time to process. Time to understand and process Arabella’s betrayal. He needed to understand why she chose her father, who didn’t love her over him. He shook his head knowing he would never open his heart to anyone else. He didn’t need to feel this much pain at betrayal and her calling him earlier didn’t help. To hear her in so much pain made him want to drop everything and go to her but he resisted.

  The maitre’d indicated for him to follow which he did. When he sat down, he eyed Apollo
wondering why he was bringing him here and then his question was answered before he could even ask. He heard her before he turned to look at her. He heard the only woman who he loved more than his whole being. The woman he would have given up his immortality for and now, here she was possessing him again with her angelic voice.

  Arabella began singing Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson, and all her emotions were on display. She sang to her heart’s content, and when Alcide turned to face her, he realized why his brother called him out here. As Arabella sang, she held her growing belly. She looked tired, but that didn’t stop her from giving her all as she sang. The way she sang the song, it seemed like she was dedicating it to the growing baby in her belly.

  Everything in Alcide froze. In that moment, everything else was gone as the spotlight was on Arabella. He didn’t feel himself as he stood up and walked towards the stage. It was as if everyone parted and made way for him to walk towards Arabella. She had her eyes shut as she was enchanting everyone around her including Alcide. Arabella opened her eyes as she began to sing the song and tears flowed down her face. She looked at Alcide who watched her as she sang the lyrics meant for him.

  “Piece by piece, I fell far from the tree. I will never leave her as you left me. And she will never have to wonder her worth. Because unlike you, I’m gonna put her first. And you know, he’ll never walk away. He’ll never break her heart. He’ll take care of things; he’ll love her.

  Arabella meant every word she sang as she was accompanied by another singer as they continued to sing. The next set of lyrics flowed into Alcide’s ears and shot straight to his heart gripping it tightly.

  “And piece by piece, he’ll restore my faith. That a man can be kind and a father should be great. Piece by piece.”

  Arabella begged Alcide with this song to look at her like he had. To forgive her and give her another chance but she could see he hadn’t budged. She wanted him to reach out to her and grab her from that stage, but as she was finishing the song, it was as if he had enough. Alcide turned his back on her and headed straight out of the door. Arabella clutched the microphone and sobbed not caring who was watching her. Her Heart tore into two as people clapped at her perform thinking it was part of an act.