Free Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James Page B

the forest at a much faster rate than he could have imagined.
    When Frederick got to the place where his cousin had changed, the necklace was nowhere to be found. Alexander had to have picked it up and taken it with him. At the rate he left, instead of falling to the ground in agony, meant the transformation was expected, this was something that was normal. Perhaps even a daily occurrence.
    Prince Alexander had to have been halfway to the gel by now.
    With hasty steps Frederick began to track the animal, just the same way he’d learned as a boy to track the hounds that had gone off to chase the fox during hunting season.
    By the time he came upon them both, he was tired and weary and seething mad. His feet were burning within his boots and he’d wandered over two hours down dead ends and useless tracks until he finally stumbled upon them. It was clearly obvious his cousin had been over every square inch of the land as a wolf, his tracks were everywhere.
    So when he overheard her speaking and then quieted his breathing enough to determine where the sound was coming from, it was only a matter of a few steps to his left, following the path of the stream that led him to the little clearing that held them both. The exact same place Alexander had been earlier and collected the flower.
    This was their meeting spot. The rose must have been some sort of sign to meet her.
    She was indeed very pretty, but even Lord Bellemount did not expect Miss Hammerstein-Smythe to be the object of his cousin’s desires. He knew his tastes and knew his feelings about the girl. So why her? Why now after all this time was it she who captured his heart?
    And capture it she did.
    Frederick watched them for a few minutes, enough to see the imaginary glow that seemed to come from them both. But when she walked in front of the beast and held his wolfly face in her hands and uttered that nonsense about Alexander’s inner beauty, Frederick knew he was in danger.
    No man, no matter how much he claimed otherwise, could resist an attractive woman telling him his worst fears were for naught, and she truly believed he was worth more than he supposed.
    There were several confusing questions to this riddle that would only be solved by staying a bit longer and gleaning as much information as possible. Did Miss Hammerstein-Smythe know who the wolf was? If she did, how could she tolerate it? Had not his cousin been despicable toward her for years? And if she did not know he was the prince, then how could she be so calm and cheerful around a wolf?
    Lord Bellemount silently sat down against a tree, hidden behind bushes that allowed enough space between them to see and hear what was going on.
    “Cecelia?”
    “Yes?” She looked down into the wolf’s gaze and gently rubbed above his left eyebrow.
    “How does a man win your affection? I’m sure you have many men vying for you.”
    She laughed. “Have you forgotten my misfortunes? The ones that forced you to reveal all to Prince Alexander on my behalf?” She looked away and briefly winced. “There aren’t many men; there isn’t even one thanks to Lord Willington’s disapproval of me.”
    “Well, there is one, but you do not approve of him.”
    She glanced back. “Who? Prince Alexander?”
    “Yes.”
    She shook her head and grinned, dropping her hands. “But he does not count.”
    “You don’t consider him man enough? Is it because of his past actions toward you?—he told me everything.” Alexander quickly added.
    “Yes, perhaps. His actions do weigh heavily on my mind, but that is not what I am thinking of now—it has nothing to do with our history.”
    “Then what?”
    “Well, he was at my home because you asked him to go. He was not there because he cares for me. And even though he feels he is doing good by seeming to court me publicly, there can only be harm that comes of it.” She shifted her weight and leaned against one arm, with her legs tucked under her. “For eventually he will leave me,