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

Chapter 47- Belle's POV

"Belle?!" Peter asked, shocked and afraid when I ran into the castle without Reif by my side. He watched me run towards my room and didn't follow me. "Wh-"

"I'm free," I said, interrupting him. I grabbed my skirt and started to run up the stairs, and Peter followed me without me telling him to, and I couldn't help but feel grateful that he was there. "I'm free, Peter."

"Free?" Peter asked, and I nodded in confirmation. There was a small bit of hesitance in his voice while he asked that as if he was scared as to what I would reveal. "What do you mean by "free," Belle? What's going on? Why are you running?"

"I'm free," I said, kicking off one of my shoes and then another on the steps because I couldn't get up the steps fast enough. I grabbed my skirt tighter in my hands before I started to try and run faster, my heart pounding just as fast as I was going. "I mean, I can leave the kingdom."

"Wait, what?" Peter asked. He tried to grab me, but I was able to dodge his grab before he could stop me, and he cussed and stumbled just a tad before he was able to catch himself again. "Damn it, Belle!" he exclaimed, and I knew that he was scowling and narrowing his eyes at me. "What was that for?"

"That was for you trying to grab me," I said and glanced at him from the corner of my eye before I looked forward again because I didn't want to stumble and fall up the steps when I didn't have time to do so. "We can talk on the run to my room and then me getting out of this dress."

"Bu-"

"No, Peter," I said, interrupting my cousin, shaking my head. "No buts. We're running."

Peter bit back an annoyed sigh, and I had a feeling that he nodded, even though I didn't turn around to look at him. "Ok," he said, sounding defeated before he cleared his throat. "Are you going to leave the kingdom?"

"Yes," I confirmed and nodded in confirmation.

"Why?"

"Because I want to find my father," I replied. "I want to make sure that he is safe."

"But what about us?" Peter asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I paused and looked at him to see that he looked sullen and forlorn. His ears were set close to the back of his head, and his eyes were filled with unshed tears that he was trying to hold in. "What about us?" he asked again.

My heart ached, and I set my jaw because I knew what he meant and knew that he wanted me to fall in love with Reif and get them turned back into humans and not just this halfway form that they were stuck in. "I'll be back," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, making a promise that I hoped I could keep.

Peter hesitated before he slowly nodded. There was a look of doubt in his eyes, and I had a feeling that he had no idea if I would have time left or if my father would let me come back.

I bit the inside of my lip and kept making my way to my room with him coming beside me. "Do you know how much time I have left?" I asked, my voice barely above, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

My cousin smiled grimly and shook his head. "I don't know," he said, his voice also barely above a whisper. "It could be hours or days at this point, but I don't know."

I hesitated before I slowly nodded. "Then I will try to be as fast as I can," I promised. "All I want to do is make sure that he is alive and then come back."

If I am able to come back...

That thought crossed my mind, and I knew that it crossed my cousin's mind as well because he set his jaw and cleared his throat, flicking his tail back and forth.