CHAPTER 4
AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP
Maurice trudged back to his village through thorny, overgrown pathways.
This cannot be happening. It must just be a bad dream.
He was in denial. He stumbled over a tree root protruding into the path that he could barely make out. He yelped in anger more than pain. Why is everything going wrong? I'm so old and weak, I can't protect myself let alone my precious child.
He mumbled to himself for the next hour as he struggled to find his way home. He hoped the Beast would have mercy on his angel girl.
He traipsed off the trail into muddy uncharted wilderness and could hear the scurrying of small animals, and the coo of an owl. He added to these white noises with soft depressive sobs of his own.
He finally made it back to his safe and calm village just as dawn lit the ground with dappled light. He fell to his knees with joy and released sobs of hope.
They will help me get her back to safety!
He knew he couldn't defeat the Beast himself, but with his townspeople they would have to be unstoppable.
He had no choice but to go home, since no one else in his quiet village was awake yet.
Maurice collapsed on his couch and didn't wake up until late that afternoon. Groggily, he blinked his eyes open. Disoriented, it took him a moment to understand where he was. He shot up and started pacing to the thoughts that flooded his mind.
"Belle! Belle!" He called fruitlessly for his daughter.
He dashed out his front door and hurried into town. He burst through the doors of the local pub and shouted, "Help!" hoping to cause a scene. The dozen soused people at the bar top looked at him with inquisitive eyes as they continued to sip their liquor.
Disheveled and malnourished, Maurice limped inward. "He's got my daughter! He's got Belle!"
At the mention of Belle's name, Baxter turned from throwing darts to see what all the commotion was about. The dart he'd been holding whizzed centimeters past Berny's head before landing in Pete's leg. His yelp refocused most of the drunken crowd's attention, leaving Baxter and a few other bystanders interested in what Maurice had to say. For the brilliant and innovative man that he was, this small town didn't understand or care much for Maurice or his currently urgent plea.
"Who has Belle?" Baxter asked jealousy.
"A BEAST!" Maurice was dwarfed by Baxter's hulking body. His murky blue eyes were huge as he gaped up at him and threw his arm above his own head before he opened them wide.
Baxter scoffed. "A beast? Please, the only beast of a man worthy of Belle's beauty is moi!" He caught his reflection in a mirror on the wall and grinned. Then he went back to the dart board, stopping to retrieve the dart from Pete's leg where it was still lodged.
At that Maurice considered Baxter in a way he never had before. He watched his toned body walk away from him, rippling muscles bulging under his tight-fitting clothes. He didn't feel intimidated by Baxter but knew Baxter could protect him and his gentle daughter. He squared his shoulders and approached the dart board.
“There is a monster out there in the woods who has Belle,” his voice in a hushed tone directly to Baxter. “But you could protect her.” He continued to flatter him with compliments on his strength and size and courage. “You are physically equal to Belle’s intellect and kindness. You complete each other.”
Baxter, intrigued and pleased that he'd won her father's approval, grinned a sly smile, “So you're giving me your daughter's hand if I rescue her from this beast?”
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