The Beauty and the Beast (1st book of Fantasy Series)

Chapter 40- Reif's POV

I flicked my ears when I heard my mate's laughter, and a small smile appeared on my lips because I loved the way that she sounded so happy and so carefree without a care in the world.

"Come on, Stupid," she called out, teasingly, and I had a feeling that she was talking to her cousin. "You can do better than that. Put those poles higher."

"Put those poles higher," I heard him say, mocking her. "I can jump so high on Riser that you don't have to worry about it. I trust him so much that I don't even need to use a bridle on him while I ride."

There was a pause beside the occasional snort and shuffle of her horse, and I had a feeling that she was staring at him through narrowed eyes while she scowled.

"Your girl voice sucks, Peter," she said. "Never do that again." There was a bit of warning in her tone, and I couldn't help but bite a small smirk while I continued to walk over there.

Peter gulped, and I had a feeling that he bowed to her. "Yes, Your Highness," he said, and she groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Stop, Peter," she said with a groan in her voice, "Why are you calling me "Your Highness?" That's not me."

"But it is," I said and entered the indoor arena to see them standing there with Belle on her horse without a bridle over his head, and they flinched and looked at me with wide eyes.

Belle's cheeks turned red as she blushed, and she instantly bowed with Peter following her lead, clutching a pole in his grasp. "Your M-"

"Please," I said, interrupting her, amused. "What did I tell you to call me instead of that?" I asked while I raised an eyebrow in question.

Belle's cheeks turned redder, and she looked away from me. "You told me to call you, Reif," she said softly while she looked at me again. "You don't want me to call you "Your Majesty" but your real name."

I bit back a small chuckle while I nodded. "But you keep trying to call me "Your Majesty," instead," I said and raised my eyebrow higher in question. "May I ask why?"

Belle didn't respond and her cheeks turned a darker shade of red before she shrugged. She fiddled with her horse's mane, not able to meet my gaze.

"Belle?" I asked again, feeling slightly concerned and worried about my mate. "Why do you keep insisting on calling me "Your Majesty?""

She hesitated before she cleared her throat and shrugged again, not looking at me. "I don't know," she said softly. "I feel nervous about doing it..."

My heart filled with guilt, and I tucked my tail under my legs while I looked away from her. "I am sorry," I said and bowed my head while I looked at her from the corner of my eyes. "I hope that you can forgive me."

Belle bit back a small sigh before she slowly nodded and looked at me. "I will," she promised and offered me a small smile. "I will swap between the two of them, if that is ok?" Her cheeks turned red while she raised an eyebrow in question, and I bit back a small chuckle while I nodded.

"That will be fine," I said before I cleared my throat and gestured for her to come over to me. "I do have a question for you before you ride some more," I said hesitantly. "If that is ok?"

I paused and cleared my throat, grateful that the fur hid my human's red cheeks while he blushed. "So, can you come here, please?"

Belle and Peter looked at each other before they looked at me. She hesitated, and her cheeks turned a darker shade of red, taking my breath away. "Ok," she said and nodded. "Peter, put the pole up higher. I am going to jump it without a bridle."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Peter said with a grunt while he did what she told him to do. "What if you fall?"

"Then I will get back up again and get on his back," she said and shrugged. "It's not the first time I did this, and it's not like I have the saddle off of his back as well as the bridle."

"Yet," I said and gave her a pointed look, and she smiled while she looked at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You don't have the saddle off of his back yet."

"I am sure that it will come off while I continue to ride him," she said while she shrugged, and I could hear a small teasing tone in her voice while she cocked her head toward her cousin that was acting like her older brother.

"No," he said after he finished with what she wanted him to do. He scowled and narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "You will not do it. I forbid it."

She rolled her eyes and flashed him a small smirk, and I could feel the challenge coming of her in waves.

'I want to see this,' Steven said. 'I want to see the bond between horse and rider where there is nothing connecting them to each other but her sheer strength and will.'

I mentally nodded, silently agreeing with him because I wanted to see that as well. I could tell that my mate was a strong rider, but I wanted to see the whole thing, no matter how much her cousin didn't want her to.

"Annie," he groaned, and I had a feeling that he didn't want it to happen but knew that he didn't have a choice if she made up her mind. "Please, for my sake?"

"But, Pet," she groaned, mockingly, and I bit back a small smirk at that nickname. "I know what I am doing. I will be able to stay on no matter what he tries to throw my way. Isn't that right, Boy?" she asked and rubbed Riser's neck.

Riser snorted and flicked his tail. He shook his head as if to disagree with her, and she laughed and patted his neck some more.

Belle stopped in front of me and smiled, and I smiled at her. "What is it that you wanted?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you ok?" She furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she studied me.

I nodded, feeling slightly nervous. "I am," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Thank you for asking."

She smiled and nodded before she cleared her throat and grew serious. "Now, what is it that you wanted to ask me?" she asked while she raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh," I said, and flicked my ears a little. I cleared my throat before I shifted on my feet and cleared my throat again, getting very nervous.

Belle furrowed her brows and cocked her head further while she studied me, nervous. "Are you ok?" she asked again. "What is it?"

'Ask her,' Steven said. 'Why are you being so nervous about this?'

'I don't know,' I replied. 'What if she says no?'

'She won't say no,' Steven replied, even though I could hear him being a little hesitant as if he wasn't so sure himself. 'She can't.'

Belle frowned and got off Riser. She walked over to me and stopped in front of the fence, her blue eyes filled with concern while she stared at me. "Reif?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle while it was filled with concern. "Are you ok? What is it? What is your question?"

I bit back a small sigh before I slowly nodded, looking away from her. "I am," I said before I cleared my throat and looked at her again. "But I was wondering if you wanted to go out on a date with me." My voice was barely above a whisper when I said that, and I had no idea if she heard it.

Belle blinked and blinked again. Her cheeks turned red, and she looked at Peter, not saying a word.

Peter shrugged and looked happy and amused, but he didn't tell her that he heard what I said.

Belle narrowed her eyes and set her jaw. She didn't say a word to him but cleared her throat and looked at me again. "I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks turning another shade of red. "What is it that you said? I couldn't hear you."

I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck, sheepishly while I shifted on my feet. "Umm, I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me, so would you like to go out on a date with me?"