The mist snuck between the iron bars in heavy clouds that turned into frost on Kat's eyelashes. She stepped back and raised the lantern higher, trying to take in as much of her surroundings as possible. Her heart thumped like a captive bird against her rib cage.

The gate was very tall, connected to a stone wall the same shade of grey-white as the mist which was probably why she had missed it. The iron was rough and aged, just straight bars disappearing into the night. She reached out a shaking hand and touched the metal. Iron was rare, depleted in the war against magic. It was so odd to see it here, in the middle of the forest.

But then again, the wealthiest families always used it to protect their homes. This was no different. Even if both the wall and gate looked old, they didn't show the signs of decay most abandoned structures did.

A heavy weight plunged into her stomach and the urge to be sick returned. The fog was a problem, yet the building in front of her was not what one would consider creepy. It was that aspect precisely which gave her a sense of unease. Because she knew only too well where she had ended up. At the gates of the cursed castle.

A fight started inside of her as she both wished that her father was and wasn't inside. A quick inspection of the gate gave her an answer. It was open the tiniest bit, just enough for a man to squeeze through.

Sophie pawed the ground, bringing Kat back into the present and the decision she had to make.

"We have to go in," she whispered.

The horse neighed and shook her head, hitting the ground fiercely with her heavy hooves.

"I don't want to go in there either, girl, but I don't see another choice."

The horse reared and pulled back in a clear refusal to walk past the creepy gate.

"Fine, you stay out. I'll leave the gate open in case wolves come out. Just run in and kick it closed."

Sophie blew air through her nostrils in a clear show of understanding. Honestly, that horse had more sense than her father.

With her mind made up, Kat eased herself through the opening in the gate and stepped inside the yard. A paved stone path led into the darkness. With careful, silent steps, she followed the path, keeping the lantern low and half pressed against her, both for warmth and to hide her approach. 

Darkness shrouded her surroundings, so she only picked up on a few things. Like the row of rose bushes to her left, displaying perfect blood-red blooms so close to winter and the polished stone fountain that stood where the path bent and started backward.

The fountain was empty, but there was no moss inside it and the edges were not chipped, nor was the carved rose in the middle of it. Even among the fog, Kat could tell the flower was the work of a master.

"The wolf-man has a love for roses," she whispered to herself before focusing on the tall dark door in front of her. This one was not open. "If it's locked, I'll just turn around and keep searching." It was maybe silly, but hearing her own voice brought her comfort and strengthened her resolve.

She wished the door was locked. Then again, she wished it wasn't, because as frightening as this place was, she had no clue where to start searching for her father if he wasn't here.

With a shaking hand, she reached out and grabbed the metal handle. This one wasn't iron, but they seldom were. A push later, the door opened without a creak. She'd expected it to squeal like death itself, but it proved to be just a harmless, well-oiled door. The corridor in front of her, however, got lost in darkness, looking anything but harmless.

"I have to do this. I have to." Even her whisper echoed in the cavernous hall. She couldn't see the ceiling or the walls.

Swallowing her bitter fear, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The lantern shone on dusty stone floors and walls and she refused to look beyond that. Head down, she moved forward, until she reached an arched entrance into what appeared to be a reception hall. The cavernous room also seemed empty at a first glance, so she decided to press on and focus on the dusty, red strip of carpet at her feet.

"Papa?" she whispered into the darkness. "Papa, are you here?"

She should look around, maybe search for more doors, but the fear inside her made every breath labored and shook her very core.

Her words seemed to echo off the tall walls, come back and dance around her like the mutterings of an unseen crowd. She hugged her cloak tighter around herself and walked, wondering why the echo didn't fade, why the mutterings were indiscernible, yet loud enough to cover the sound of her footsteps.

Her fear grew, poisoned each beat of her heart, but she refused to stop, refused to look around her. Yet she couldn't ignore the broken chair at her feet.

She stopped and crouched next to it. A leg was torn off and the seat was split open by what looked very much like long, sharp claws. Bile rose to her mouth, but she swallowed it down and lifted the lantern to get a quick look around. The muttering made sure she wouldn't hear anything hidden in the shadows, waiting to attack. Was there a spell on these walls meant to drive anyone insane? The mere thought of magic shattered any form of bravery she had left.

Still crouching in front of the destroyed furniture, she left the lantern on the floor and put her hands over her ears. The muttering didn't stop. Kat gritted her teeth. This wouldn't make her quit, run screaming. She would find her papa.

"Shush already," she said, annoyed.

The muttering suddenly stopped. She straightened, surprised that the simple command had done the trick.

"Don't care, I'm saying something," a male voice said from her left.

Kat jumped and swung around, bringing her lantern in the direction of the voice. There was no one there except a portrait on the wall. As she looked closer, she realized the entire wall was filled with portraits, all of them of men, young and old, wearing military uniforms, clothes of the wealthy or normal, servant clothes like hers.

Surprised by the diversity of the people in the portraits, she came closer, stopping to analyze the frame closest to her. The painting showed a handsome young man with rich brown hair which curled around his ears even if it was also caught up according to the fashion of the time. His brown eyes seemed to be laughing at her and he wore a crooked smile.

Kat caught herself before she touched the canvas. Whoever the artist was, they were brilliant. She'd never seen such a life - like portrait.

"I think that's a wise choice," the portrait said. "We are not familiar enough to be touching."

Kat yelped and jumped back. Her hand tightened against the handle of the lantern, afraid she'd drop it out of shock.

"Good job, Joseph, you scared the poor girl half to death," a voice said from further to the left.

She instinctively shone the light that way to see a dark haired man with an impressive mustache and the beginning of a beard giving the first portrait a chastising look.

"Look at her," the portrait of Joseph argued. "She's taking it like a champion. Not like that silly old man from earlier who soiled himself."

"She should go. Have you seen him? Is it him after...?"

"I'm not sure."

Kat was half a second from fainting, but even if the current conversation made no sense, their first words stirred something in her panicked brain. Silly old man. "Have you seen my father?"

The two portraits stopped their conversation to look at her. She had a feeling all the men were, but she was too overwhelmed to check.

"Balding walrus mustache is your father?" Joseph asked, one eyebrow quirking in disbelief. "He looked more like your father, William," he added, nodding towards the dark-haired man.

William either didn't hear or didn't care to answer while he kept staring at her. "Raise the lantern, girl."

Kat obeyed because the kindness in his tone gave her a sense of safety.

"Whoa," Joseph said, then let out a low whistle. "You're so beautiful."

All the voices on the wall agreed with his statement and despite the strange situation, Kat found herself blushing. The feeling was tainted by Donnie's latest remark about her worth, but him and the village felt so far away, it was easy to push back.

"Thank you," she said.

There was a small pause and in it, Kat noticed Joseph and William stiffen in their frames. She straightened too, wondering if they'd heard anything and tried to listen.

"You have to get out of here," William said abruptly. "He can't find you here."

She jumped. "Excuse me?"

"The old man is right," Joseph interjected, his gaze drifting to his left. "You need to run and you need to run now."

"I can't leave without my father!" she protested.

"Yes, you can and you will," Joseph insisted, his tone even more urgent. "Trust us, beautiful, you're in mortal danger. You have to leave."

"He'll find you!" another voice cried off the wall.

"Be quiet, Dustin!" William growled.

Though her knees were shaking and the entire conversation drilled into her head, there was one thing she was certain of. "I'm not leaving without my father. So he, whoever he is, can let him go and we'll be on our way."

"You don't understand," Joseph said, his painted eyes searching the darkness behind her. "He can't let your father go. And if he catches you here, at night, one of two things will happen. Either you turn into a very pretty statue, or you don't leave here whole."

"Statue? What is he, Medusa?"

All portraits fell silent. Kat knew, by the freezing air that suddenly filled the room, that they weren't struck dumb by the brilliance of her answer. She could hear a low growl from behind her and it sounded more dangerous than any animal she'd ever heard. Because it was human.

Though she wished she didn't have to, she turned around, her knees knocking against each other. A door stood ajar opposite to the wall filled with portraits, but only a sliver of light from what seemed to be a window could sneak past the massive silhouette filling the entrance.

Despite her better judgement, she raised the lantern. White eyes bored into hers from the face of a giant grey-white wolf. She bit back her scream, but the lantern slipped out of her sweaty hand. She couldn't even hear the crash through the pounding in her ears.

The portraits yelled something from behind her, but she couldn't focus, couldn't pull out of her terror bubble as she took in the creature before her.

The wolf face, the sheer mass of it wrapped in a black cloak. The gossips in town had been right. There was a wolf-man living in the castle and it was about to kill her.

It pounded towards her, the sound of its boots almost as loud as the thumping of the heart battling to escape her chest and desert her. Her vision hazed and for a moment, she was sure she'd faint.

"What are you doing here?" the thing growled, its voice low and raspy.

The question knocked some of her fear away. Because the creature spoke which meant it could be reasoned with. And because she was reminded why she was there and why she couldn't give up.

"I'm here for my father." Her voice shook and she cringed. It wasn't like being submissive would change the situation. He wasn't an animal. "I demand you release him so that we can be on our way."

A very loud silence followed her statement. Then there was a light sniggering from some of the portraits on the wall behind her.

"You demand?" the Beast asked. His voice changed. Some of the roughness in it was gone and he seemed a little amused, even if it hid well behind a mask of perpetual anger. "You're in no position to demand anything, miss."

He called her miss. What the heck? And he was right. She was in the worst position possible. So she cleared her throat and tried again. "Would you please release him so that we may be on our way?"

He was silent some more, not rushing to hurt her, not screaming, and for a second, she had hope.

"No," the thing finally growled.

Her jaw dropped. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean I won't let you just walk out."

"Please. What use could you have for us?" she begged, hoping he wouldn't say he wanted to eat them. Who knew what that thing fed on?

"This place is a mess," the Beast said on a surprising matter-of-fact tone. "And as you can see, it isn't crawling with willing servants."

"Please," Kat scoffed. "My father wouldn't know the right side of a broom if it hit him in the face."

The Beast twitched, one of his shoulders lifting, his hands curling against his chest.

"Then you will stay." His voice was strained, more frightening than ever.

There was a muttering of approval from the portraits. Traitors. But the sarcastic thought was followed by the realization of what the Beast had actually said. Trade her freedom for her father's. The thought sent a chill down her spine that managed to chase away all the bravery she'd displayed.

She couldn't stay here as a servant for this creature for who knew how long. She needed to go home with her father and figure out a way to survive the winter.

"My father will starve without me," she whispered.

She wasn't sure if she'd imagined it, but the tension in the Beast's shoulders seemed to ease the tiniest bit.

"Perfect," he growled.

"How can you say that, you monster?" she cried. "How can you take joy in the misery of others?"

"Blah, blah, blah," the Beast said with a yawn.

"Did... did you just yawn at me?" Kat clenched her fists and some of the fear left her. "Are you patronizing me?"

"Oh, I like her," Joseph said from behind her.

"If you want your father out of the dungeon, you'll have to take his place," the Beast said, stressing every word as if to make it more painful. "And you should consider yourselves lucky that I'm not killing you both."

He was right. She should be grateful she was still alive, that her papa was apparently still alive. Anger was replaced by a desperate need to bargain, but that step had come and passed. All that was left was acceptance. She had to at least see her father before she angered the Beast more. So she bowed her head in defeat.

The Beast didn't seem to approve because he growled again from somewhere deep in his chest. He turned away and nodded for her to follow.

"Go, miss," the portrait of William said. "Go and don't anger him."

Kat nodded and heaved a deep sigh. At least the portraits inside this castle were nice for some unfathomable reason. She had so many question for them, about them, but as it was, she wasn't sure she would ever see them again. Or the light of day. She had no choice but to hurry after the thing, somewhere to her left, and then down some stairs.

They went lower and lower, guided by no light. The wolf-man seemed to know exactly where he was going and while she stumbled a little, her eyes adjusted fast and she could keep up fairly well.

After the pacing became rhythmic, she entertained the possibility of taking her sword out and stuffing it between his shoulder blades. But she couldn't stab a man in the back, no matter how cruel he was. Plus, she had a vague suspicion that he knew she had a sword and would be ready for any potential attack. The thing was huge. There was no way she could overpower him.

"Well," he said once they reached the bottom of the staircase. "I'm a little disappointed you didn't fall and break your neck."

"And I'm a little disappointed I decided against stabbing you in the back with my sword."

"Heh, yeah, about that. I was a little disappointed, too. Thought you had more of a fight in you."

She gritted her teeth. "I would never stab a man in the back."

"Wow, you're stupid. I'm not a man." He bowed low and indicated that she should go first.

She raised her chin and strode past him. The moment she turned her back on him, he yanked the sword off her back.

"Hey, return that at once! That sword belongs to my father!" She wanted to turn, but he clasped her shoulder with a heavy hand and nudged her forward. She expected to feel claws digging into her skin, but it was just a normal, hot hand.

"Keep walking, beautiful," he growled. "We're almost there."

She swallowed the string of insults she wanted to fire at him, but obeyed and kept walking. In a matter of seconds, they reached a heavy wooden door with iron crossbars and more bars in front of the small window carved into it.

There was a shuffling sound as they approached and Joshua's frightened face peeped from the other side.

"Katherine! Run! There's a beast in the castle!"

"No shit, old man," the Beast snarled. "You're lucky she's here." He paused as he seemed to assess his expression as well as hers, reveling on their pain. "It means you're free to go." The words seemed to cause him pain, and Kat hoped he'd choke on them and die.

Joshua turned his frightened eyes from the Beast to her. And from that one look, she realized he wasn't alright. His forehead was covered in sweat and his cheeks were flushed. When he reached out between the bars, his skin was clammy.

"Is this true?" he asked.

Kat couldn't answer. Her eyes had filled with tears, but she nodded. She had to get him out of there. He was sick and needed care and treatment. He would die in that dungeon.

"I'm going to stay instead," she whispered.

"No," he whispered back. "No!" he yelled at the Beast. "You can't do this. Keep me instead!"

The Beast yawned again. "As lovely and tormenting for you as this is, the lady and I made a deal. Her incarceration for yours." He took a key ring out of his cloak and with quick moves, opened the cell door. "You're free, old man. And have precisely ten minutes to get out of my castle. When time is up, I start hunting. And I'd better not find you or the punishment will no longer be imprisonment."

Joshua hesitated, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug. She'd been right. He burned with fever and his breathing was raspy and labored.

"You need to go home and get well," she whispered. "Then come save me."

"You're right," Joshua panted. "You're completely right."

"Sophie's right outside the gate. She'll take you home."

"I'm so sorry Kathy," he wailed. "I didn't want to leave you like that but I thought it was for the best. And then I was attacked by wolves. The forest is crawling with them."

"It's alright, Papa. Everything will be alright."

He pulled away and squeezed her hands. "Yes, it will," he assured her with crazy confidence. Then he turned his eyes to the Beast. "Don't you dare harm my daughter, monster."

"Are you really trying to get me to slap your head off?" the Beast inquired on a bored voice. "Because I'm this close, old man."

"Go!" Kat nudged Joshua away before he got himself killed.

He gave her another pleading look, but stumbled up the stairs leaving her alone with the Beast in front of the open prison door. Her heart ached to see him go out into the night, sick and alone, and a sob escaped her.

"In you go," the Beast said, sounding just as bored, as if taking away someone's freedom meant nothing to him.

"You most likely signed his death sentence," she whispered.

"And it's the only reason he's not already dead. You're not already dead."

She turned a curious eye to him, but he shoved her shoulder and she stumbled inside the cell. Anger flaring inside her, she turned in the threshold and faced down her captor.

"I wish upon you what you bestow upon others. I wish you the fear and the helplessness. I wish you to be someday prisoner in a cage."

He stared at her for a second then knocked his wolf head back and laughed a bitter laugh. "Prisoner in a cage? Sweetheart, I am a cage." And with those words, he slammed the door in her face, leaving her a prisoner to his words.



Here it is! Aren't you excited? I'm super excited! I really want your every thought on this chapter. What do you think about the changes to the story?

Also... The beast! Isn't he glorious?

Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed it!