It took Cage precisely thirty more seconds to go from smiling to a grimace of pain. His hand covered the curse and he leaned forward, his eyes tightly shut.

"Um, Cage, should I--"

"The opiates are wearing off," he said, his voice low and raspy.

Kat's worry morphed into fear, but she managed not to step back. Instead, she pushed her chest out and moved closer to him to offer a bit of support.

"Can you help me to my room?"

The request was a little odd seeing as it implied touching him, but she didn't mind. She trusted that he wouldn't hurt her. So she snuck under his arm and the two of them walked out of the west wing and down the stairs towards his room.

Kat focused on her steps, trying her best to ignore the heat of his body, his weight on her. It was harder than it should be. She could feel his muscles, hear his heartbeat, his breathing. He was so real.

Much too fast, they reached his room. It was much bigger than Kat had thought. The vanity was close to the door, the wolf mask still on it. The bed was much further back and the walls were filled with more paintings, including and empty frame, and shelves filled with books. He also had a hearth and a sofa and armchairs in front of it, making it look like a combination of sitting area and bed chamber.

He groaned when she lay him on the bed and took off the cloak. She began folding it, forcing herself not to stare at him again. But she still analyzed the wound on his shoulder. It didn't look any better.

"I should go get the potion," she said.

"That's a good idea." He let out a pained moan as he eased himself higher up the pillows.

Kat gave him a short smile and hurried down the stairs. Her heartbeat was uneven, and she realized she was afraid. But not of him and what he could become, but because he was hurting. Because he was still poisoned and could die.

What's wrong with me?

She was a decent person. Of course she didn't wish for him to die. But this felt like much more than that. A type of worry she'd never felt for anyone before in her life.

Driving away the confusing thoughts, she hurried into the study, took the potion and headed back upstairs. The moment she entered his bed chamber, she knew something was wrong.

Cage writhed in bed, his forehead drenched in sweat, his fingers curled around the sheets.

"Cage--"

"Leave it and go," he barely managed to say.

She hesitated for a second. He looked bad. But if he was fighting the beast instead of the poison, her stubbornness could get her killed. So she decided that just this time, she should obey.

She placed the potion on the table next to the bed and stepped back.

"I'll come check on you--"

"No." The word was barely intelligible. "I'll have Joey fetch you if I need you."

"Oh." Only if he needed her. "Okay."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. The pain in them had her shuddering.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry." The last word made him twitch, as if it hurt him in some way.

"That's okay. Just let me know if I can do anything for you."

There was something in his eyes she couldn't identify this time, but she knew she should go.

The moment she stepped out and went down the stairs, she realized what it was.

It was hope.

Cage didn't call her that day and Kat could barely focus on anything.

She tried to go about her daily business, so she did some cooking and cleaning, then retreated to her room to read. The first thing she did was check the variety of books in her room for anything on magic, on understanding the curse.

As expected,  there was nothing, so she returned to kingdom policy.

From time to time, she visited the portrait hall and the study in hope of finding Joey. He wasn't there, so she assumed he was watching over Cage as he should.

By the time the next morning rolled around, Kat was determined to go check on him on her own. Even if no news was good news, she wanted to see him. Make sure she hadn't imagined him and everything else that had happened.

She was convinced  that he would be better, maybe still in enough pain to warrant more potion and opiates, and they could have another conversation. She had so many things to ask. About the castle, about the curse, about his life before it.

As she pulled on a dress with a white camisole and red skirt, she could already see this day playing out. She'd go make breakfast and maybe they could eat together. Then she would do some cleaning, then lunch, then reading, then dinner.

And for once, it was the meals she mostly looked forward to because it was time she got to spend with him.

She stopped in the process of braiding her hair. Why was she even excited about seeing him? When had her plan to escape change into voluntary servitude, into tending for a man who was seconds away from turning into a beast and killing her every time he saw her? She was no one's servant. No one's slave.

And yet, taking care of him gave her a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. It wasn't imprisonment anymore, but a choice she'd made to stay and help him break the curse. The cooking and cleaning were just a small part of it. A disguise she wore to fool the curse. Fool the beast. But she was so much more than that and she knew it. He knew it.

He liked her.

The thought made her shiver.

Should I be worried about it? Was it natural?

Her eyes lingered on her notebook. She hadn't written to K in a long while, but she was mad at him for failing to answer her questions. Yet, she felt she couldn't trust herself with this, that her judgement was impaired by all the fluttering happening inside her chest.

So she picked up the notebook and penned down her concern.

I enjoy looking after my captor. He can't let me go and I've accepted that. I have also forfeit my chance to escape. Am I a slave? Is something wrong with me? Now that I know my father is well, I don't want to leave.

She wanted to stay with him, talk. She wanted him to hold her like he had that night when she'd almost fallen off her feet.

Biting her lower lip she dropped the pen, closed the booklet and left the room. She dreaded K's answer, but at the same time hoped it would be reassuring. Being someone's servant was the last thing she wanted, even if this was far more complicated than that. She wondered what K would say if he knew the whole story.

Would he admit to being one of the men in the portraits? And if he wasn't and her suspicion was ungrounded, would this be the trigger that would get him to finally seek her out?

The thought of K coming face to face with Cage was frightening.

"Kat, thank the gods!" Joey exclaimed the moment she cleared the last step of the staircase. "You have to get to him."

"Would that be wise?" Sir William asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes!" the young Dustin yelled.

All the portraits began to rumble and Kat just started at them for a second. Then Joey's words finally registered and she turned tail and hurried back up the stairs.

"I'll be right there," he yelled in her wake.

For a moment, she wondered if the beast was out, but she was convinced Joey would never send her to her death. The moment she reached the landing, she could hear muffled screaming and all thoughts of the beast rushed out of her mind.

Cage was in pain.

She reached the door to his bedroom and pushed it open without knocking. He was lying in bed, groaning, twisting and turning. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face and his fingers clutched the wet sheets, twisting them.

Joey appeared in the empty frame overlooking the room, a frenzied look on his face.

"What happened?" Kat asked, rushing to the side of the bed.

The scars on his chest had disappeared completely and all that was left was the bite mark on his shoulder. It didn't look any better. If anything, it looked as if his flesh was rotting.

"He didn't apply the potion after you left."

"What?" Her eyes widened in shock as they took in his bedside table. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The vial was there, the liquid filling more than half of it. The same as when she'd brought it to his room. Which meant he'd gone all of yesterday and last night without it. She immediately strode to the head of the bed, took one bandage off the table and poured potion over it.

Cage didn't open his eyes. His head lolled from left to right, his teeth gritted as he tried to keep in any screams. He probably had no idea she was there. She'd fix that.

She put the bandage on his shoulder, over the wound.

The moment the cloth touched his shoulder, his entire body jerked. She had expected it, so she pressed harder, hating the pain she was causing him, knowing it was necessary.

He lifted his hands and swatted her away. Biting back a string of curses, she avoided his flailing arms and pressed the bandage over his wound again. He slapped her hand away.

"Hold still," she said between her teeth, trying to avoid his hands and apply the potion again.

"Get out," he growled in return.

"To hell with it!" She climbed on the bed, on top of his chest, and tightened her knees against his elbows, finally pinning his arms down.

She pushed the cloth on his wound hard, making sure the potion rubbed the right spot. He stopped bucking and his eyes finally opened.

A shiver ran down her spine.

They were yellow, the pupil slit like a cat's, and there was a terrifying haziness in his gaze.

And at that moment, she realized she had straddled the beast.

Fear scampered through her veins, freezing her on top of him as she waited for death. But either from the potion or the wound, his attempts to escape her grip were weak. A growl rumbled deep in his chest, but it was hesitant.

"Kat," Joey said carefully, as if he could feel the chill in the room. "Whatever you do, don't take the bandage off. Keep it there and wait for the effects to take hold."

Even if Joey didn't outright say it, she heard what he meant. Wait for the beast to be knocked out. Pray that Cage would come back.

So she nodded, her eyes never leaving the beast, that familiar face which now proved that beauty could be terrifying. The way he looked at her made her head spin, because even with the yellow eyes, it fascinated and unsettled her at the same time. A big part of her wanted to run, but an even bigger part was very aware that her bare knees were touching his arms, that his hands were under her skirt, even if not touching her.

His hands rose and touched her thighs. The heat of the touch had her drawing a sharp breath. Then she could feel the claws sinking into her skin.

Before she could pull away, with unexpected strength, he rolled and caught her under him, still between her knees. The pressure was painful and the growl louder.

His grip moved to her arms, digging curved claws into her skin, and when he sneered, he had fangs. His features looked sharper, deadly, but with the fangs, the claws or the weird eyes, he was terrifying in his beauty.

Her mouth opened, but she didn't know if she wanted to scream or say something, beg for her life. All she knew was that she had to keep the bandage on his shoulder. Fortunately, he didn't pull away but instead leaned closer, making her task much easier, pushing himself into that which was supposed to vanquish him.

Her heart beat like a war drum and her breaths came out in shallow gasps as she watched him bending lower. Then the color of his eyes shifted and his pupils returned to normal. The haze lifted, the claws retracted and dark blue eyes stared back at her, filled with pain and confusion.

"Wha--?" When he spoke, his fangs were gone.

Before she could utter a word, his arms gave out and he propped himself on his forearms, stopping inches from her. If she would lift her head just a little, their noses would touch. And at that moment, when she realized the beast had gone and she stood face to face with Cage, the fear turned into something else entirely.

"Don't save me," he whispered. "This is my only chance to end it. To make sure no one ever suffers because of my curse again."

"That's a stupid idea," she retorted. "It might be easy and tempting for you to give up, but what about those poor girls in your tower? Did you ever consider that breaking the curse could bring them back?"

He blinked in confusion and she wondered whether he really hadn't thought about it or the potion made his brain hazy again.

"Don't take the easy way out. Don't kill yourself," she said on a much softer tone. "That's the worse alternative. Fight for what is right."

He shook his head and winced. "No. You saw what I am, you-- What I'm still doing-- I shouldn't--"

She put her hands on his cheeks. He was burning up, probably with fever as his body tried to expel the poison inside him.

"It's okay. Everything will be fine."

"No, it won't. You're in danger. You should leave." Each word was lower, until his last thoughts remained and undiscernible movement of his lips.

"You won't hurt me."

"I will," he whispered. "Just like everyone and everything I've ever loved."

His sadness broke her. In the back of her mind, she knew he was right, that he was probably sharing a horrid truth, but she chose to fight it.

"You can do this. You can beat it. Are you going to let a sea siren win?"

He blinked at her words, his gaze still hazy. "What have I done to deserve you? You're right. Stupid moment of weakness." He spent a moment just watching her, sending her heart into a psychedelic dance. "I can't get off you." He swayed even closer, their chests brushing together. His forehead propped against her shoulder and his body shook with the effort of not falling over her. "Not that I want to."

His voice was so low, she barely heard it. Heat rushed to her cheeks and to the pit of her stomach. She was sure he had a fever because his body was like a furnace and she strangely liked it.

"Sorry," he mumbled a second before his body leaned completely over her.

The weight was not new since she'd practically dragged him inside the castle, but this time, it was different. She could push him off, roll him over, but she didn't want to either.

"Are you still with me?"

He let out a groan that sounded like a yes. The warmth of it made her shiver. He mumbled something else and his lips touched her collarbone. Her entire body arched, coming closer, melting into him. What was she doing?

"Cage, get off her," Joey said, his voice so quiet, Kat wasn't sure he wanted Cage to hear. "Seriously, man, I don't want to face the consequences of this. You're not all there."

His words didn't seem to do much for Cage, but they worked on Kat. He was weak, both because of the wound and the potion. Maybe he didn't even want to do this, so it wasn't fair towards him. So, gently, she pushed him to the side and turned him with his back on the bed. He let her do it, groaning slightly when his back hit the mattress. The cold the absence of his body brought was unnerving.

"Annoying Ashley is right," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'm just afraid..." He swallowed heavily. "I'm just afraid I'll get better and then being with you like this will be impossible."

His words warmed her back up. "What exactly would be impossible?"

He opened his eyes and a smirk lifted the corner of his lips. "Did I misjudge you? Because that sounded like a challenge, fair lady."

She had no idea what exactly was happening, but she did know what missing out on something meant. And she was so curious what he meant, what he'd like to do, or say.

"Maybe I'm trying to understand what you mean."

"What I mean would get you killed."

She bit her lip, aware that as tempting as this game was, it would probably lead her somewhere she'd never been before. Somewhere the beast wanted her to get so he could snuff her out.

"Don't do that," he said.

"Do what?"

"Bite your lip."

"Why not?"

He just groaned instead of an answer. "You should really go. I'm feeling a bit dizzy and thinking is becoming increasingly difficult because of this potion."

"Sure, blame to potion," Joey retorted from his frame.

Cage rolled his eyes, but shut them and hissed in pain.

"Okay." She climbed out of bed and pulled the covers over him. "But I'm still curious, you know. About what you wanted to do."

"Don't be," he said. "I doubt it was something you would enjoy."

Kat honestly doubted it was something she wouldn't. Touching him gave her a strange type of thrill, so he was right. They'd already gone past the line of propriety, both as far as seeing and touching went. She'd never touched a man like she'd touched him, never felt like she wanted more.

She liked it there, across that line, into sinful territory. Maybe he wasn't the only one who'd misjudged her. Maybe she'd misjudged herself.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

His eyelids dropped a little and his gaze darkened for the fraction of a second before he gave her a pained smile. "I'm on the verge of passing out. Let's try dinner, shall we?"

She nodded, wondering what he was really thinking. "I'll still be checking on you to make sure the bandage is still there and to apply more potion."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. You were right anyway. This is a coward's way out."

Satisfied with his answer, she made to leave, but he unexpectedly grabbed her hand to stop her. Her stomach fluttered and it started to become annoying how easily he affected her.

"If I get better, this might be the last time I can tell you this. I will return to being rude and insufferable. Do take offense, do show your displeasure. Do try to put me in my place. Because as long as you despise me, as long as you fear me, you will live."

She understood completely and until she figured a way around the curse that didn't imply mortally wounding him, they had to be enemies of sorts.

"I understand," she said, her head held high. "I shall see you later, sir."

His hold on her hand tightened and he pulled her closer. "Don't ever call me sir."

"What would you like me to call you?"

The smirk was back, but he didn't follow it with a witty remark. Instead, he let go of her hand and hummed.

She took it as her cue to leave him, so she turned around and left the room. A sense of peace overwhelmed her once she was out, and only then did she truly realize how tense she'd been inside that room. Her stomach rumbled loudly, so she headed down the stairs, her mind buzzing.

She had to pretend not to like him, to fear him. Not sure how she would pull that off when he knew she didn't, but she would follow the plan.

As soon as she reached the landing, a flurry of applause greeted her. All the portraits were clapping and cheering.

"Well done!" Sir William boomed.

Joey watched her with a sheepish smile. "I told them you saved our master's life."

Heat rushed to Kat's cheeks and she just smiled, not knowing what to say. Seeing that she'd come to know Cage a tiny bit over the last few days, she could now see why these people put up with him, chose to return even when he was so unpleasant.

"You would all come back, wouldn't you?" she asked. "Should the curse be lifted, you would be knocking on the palace doors."

"Too right we would!" Dustin said with a grin. "And we're hoping you'll break the curse somehow."

The affirmation drew a beam out of her. Even if she didn't know how, she hoped she would, too.

I'm curious what you think? The story takes another bit of a turn here, but nothing too spectacular.

Who do you think will break the curse? Is it even breakable? Is this all turning out very predictable?

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode! And hit the star!