That Beauty is The Beast

Lycans are a race of half human and half werewolf. When they shift, they become rabid and powerful beasts that could easily tear you limb from limb. They stand on their two legs like a human, but their overall appearance is that of a wolf. They are beautiful and magnificent creatures - well, unless you are the recipient of their attack. Their human forms are even more magnificent because it is their human side that prevails.

"Belle," Ingrid, my father, gently pats my shoulder to snap me out of my daydream. My father, unlike me, has auburn hair with a series of white streaks from old age. His right eye is blind, which makes others view him as a weak link in the Lycan pack. He isn't, at least from before he lost one of his eyes.

He was one of the strongest warriors in the Lycan pack, attacking the hunters head on to save the Alpha's son a long time ago. "Are you nervous?"

"Kind of." I answer him. The leather dress that I'm wearing suddenly felt a little cold underneath the ceremonial fur coat that I am wearing. "Not everyone will respect me. Do I even deserve this?" Doubt is starting to cloud my mind. I turn to my father, probably the only man in the pack that I trust the most aside from our alpha.

"Of course, you do. After saving our pack from the hunters, you have proven your worth as the most powerful warrior in the pack. And if they ever try to challenge you, you show them what you can do." He places his hands on my shoulders and smiles. Wrinkles appear on the side of his cheeks from the brewing emotions in his grin. "For what it is worth, I am already proud of you."

A horn blew outside of the tent that we are in, signaling that it is time for me to enter. My father parted the curtains made of snake bones so I could exit. I smile at my father before heading outside.

The soft beating of the ceremonial drums echoes in the secret cave where our pack resides. I walk barefoot on the gravel sand to head to where Alpha Lupert Gastoven stands waiting for me in the circular arena where most of the duels and ceremonies are held. His son, Maxwell, stands beside his father, wearing a fur vest and leather pants that were as fancy as the alpha. His tanned skin only made his silver hair stand out more, and the way that he cut his hair short only made his pointed ear more visible.

One thing about Lycan wolves is that even if they become humans, their race's distinctive characteristics are still visible, from their pointed ears to their brightly glowing predator eyes. Like I said before, they are beautiful, whereas I, who don't have the features of a lycan, look so plain.

So...human.

"Belle Lycansten." When the alpha called for my name, I immediately headed over to kneel before him. "Do you solemnly swear your loyalty to the pack and its people?"

"Yes." I answer without raising my head.

"Do you swear that you would use your position not for personal benefits but for your Alpha and your people?"

"I swear."

"Rise." I got to my feet as he commanded and lifted my head towards my Alpha. He beckoned me to face the crowd, which I did without hesitation. I see all the faces of the other lycans painted in blue and red just for this celebration. "If anyone is opposed to the idea, speak up now. As tradition, anyone is welcome to challenge her for the position."

I already expected that there would be someone who would not be happy with having a round eared girl like me to become their protector and their second in command.

"Me! I would like to challenge her." Alex, Max's best friend, raises his hand. I am not that surprise to see him opposing. He never really liked me and would constantly bully me when I was a kid. I bet seeing the girl that he once picked on to become his Beta probably struck a nerve with him.

When our eyes met, Alex smirked, as if I should be bothered or intimidated by him. I can only give him a blank look. I don't want him to think that I'm scared or bothered by his challenge.

I am not the same weak little girl that he once thought I was. Besides, I think that this might be a pretty good opportunity for me to display my skills.

Alpha Lupert nods in acknowledgement of his challenge and gestures for him to enter the ring.

"A challenger wishes to take over Belle's position as my beta. Belle, do you accept this challenge?"

"Yes, I accept." It's not like I have a choice. If I don't, I automatically forfeit the match. It doesn't matter; this match is just going to be quick. "I'll be putting my position on the line."

"Step on the ring, both of you." The alpha commands.

The drums started to thunder while Alex and I stepped inside the circle drawn on the stage. I remain as calm as I can while Alex is already smiling like he knows that he is going to win.

"The first one to push the other off of the ring or whoever shall forfeit first will be the winner. Understood?" We nod our heads, letting them know that we acknowledge the rules. "Good. You may begin when the horn blows." He says this before exiting the stage.

Alex and I look at each other while waiting for the signal. He takes off his fur vest and throws it to the side before he begins to morph. He starts to grow taller and his chest gets wider. Fur starts to grow all over his body, covering the bare skin that he once has when he is at his human dominant form. His nose elongates into a snout while his teeth and nails turn sharp that would allow him to cut me in half if I am not careful. Soon, a six foot tall lycan werewolf stands before me, howling aggressively in the air, which was soon followed by the others as they cheered for him.

I bet they all can't wait until I am lying lifelessly on the ground at the hands of the werewolf before me.

When the horn started to blow, Alex wasted no time charging for me.

One negative thing about a shifted lycan is their speed. With their added size, it only slows them down, which made it easier for me to jump up and dodge his advances. I avoided his attack by jumping on his shoulder, then going into a sammersault to get behind him. As soon as I landed on the ground, I covered my entire body with my hood before I start to shift.

Unlike Alex's morphed form, I did not stay on my two feet. I began to hunch until my hands and feet were on the ground. White fur emerged from my body and I let out a howl when I developed a snout and claws. I shook off my clothes just as Alex swiped at me. Compared to Alex, my shifted form is smaller, but it is not lacking when it comes to strength and speed-especially when it comes to speed.

I run to the side, my claws extending to stop myself from skidding out of the ring while I plan my next move. Adrenaline is coursing through my entire body while I hunch on the ground to ready myself to strike.

My wolf is not as strong as a lycan, but it is strong enough to take him down.

I did jump on his back and bit his shoulder, yanking hard to pull his muscles and bone. Not only did I make him bleed, but I also managed to dislocate his shoulder.

I heard him howl in pain and moved away immediately before his other hand could reach me. He's already out of balance, so I take that opportunity to bite his achilles tendon, making him fall head first to the ground with a scream of pain.

I know that I was doing it overboard by attacking the tendon, but it is the only way for me to show to everyone that my wolf is not as weak as they thought it would be. Besides, he is a lycan. He should heal in about a month and a half.

He tried to get up and attempted to bite my neck, but I pulled his other leg, making him fall over again with a loud cry. I jump on his back, growling menacingly in his ear as my mouth opens to linger on his head. He begins to whimper and appear to be in a lot of pain, especially when my sharps claws are digging themselves into his skin. I can already smell his blood starting to taint my wolf's white fur.

If I was really planning on killing Alex, I could have done it on the first blow of the horn. But I figured that I should give him that choice. He tried to fight me off and roll, but I stopped him by further digging my claws into his back and putting pressure on his neck with my teeth without breaking the skin.

This guy is making it mark for me to show him mercy!

He knows that it is a warning and that I am giving him a choice. Whatever he does now could either save his life or make me end it. I am just waiting for him to give me a signal.

Alex begins to whimper, I feel him growing smaller as he returns to his human form.

"I-I surrender." He gasped. He could barely make out the words from the pain I inflicted on him. I could even smell a little bit of piss coming from him while the weight of my wolf was crushing him.

When the horn blew once more, signaling the end of the challenge, that's when I got off of his back. Conflicted applause erupted from the crowd while the alpha entered the ring once again to announce the victor of this match.

Despite the bloody ring and the whimpering lycan behind him, the alpha appears to be smiling while he faces the crowd. He gestured for me to stand by his side, and I did, leaving Alex to be carried away by the medics in our pack. As I got to our Alpha's side, I stood tall and proud in my wolf form, letting everyone see my blood coated fur to prove that I am the victor of this challenge.

"The winner of the tournament is... Belle Lycansten! Our pack's new beta!" The alpha was announced and the applause only got stronger. From the crowd, I can see my father cheering and smiling. It appears that he was the only one who is genuinely happy about the news.

This is it. My life is finally going to change. Everyone has seen that I am strong and that the alpha has recognized my strength.

No longer will they laugh behind my back for being small and different. No longer will they think of me as the weak link for being an abnormal wolf - an abnormal beauty, as they used to call me.

I am strong and I am cruel, like a true lycan.

My name is Belle, and starting today, I am the Lycan's new beta.

"That was a good match. It's a little brutal for a girl, but hey, it is your debut as a beta. You just have to show the crowd who's boss." I have just finished arranging my clothes back on when I heard Max approaching. I fight the urge to roll my eyes when Max comes over to make a comment about my match with Alex. The ceremony for my debut as the pack's beta finally ended with me emerging as the victor. I know that there will always be lycans who would be opposed to having me as their new beta, but they will just have to get used to it.

Max knows this as well, which I guess is probably the reason why he's here in the first place-to once again give me his offer of 'assistance'.

"Thanks, young lord Max." I uttered my respect and lowered my gaze so as not to meet his.

"What's with the strict formality?" He sounds amused when he asks me this. "You used to call me Max."

"I am now the beta of this pack." I tell him strictly, raising my head to see his expression. He wears a smirk on his face, and his arms are crossed over his broad, muscular chest. Seeing that expression gives me a sense of weird feelings inside my chest. Even though I dislike him, there's no denying that he's attractive. And with him being the next alpha in line, it only made him more popular with the female lycans. "I should naturally address you with respect unless you tell me otherwise."

Max raises a hand to his chin like he is in thought. "Poor Belle. You're still trying to prove your worth to the pack for being different."

I did not answer him because it is true. I am the only lycan here who can't merge myself with my wolf.

This makes me the black sheep of the pack, and that is one thing I am willing to change. I will make them acknowledge me, even if I am an abnormal lycan.

"I won't be trying for much longer." I lift my head up and said it with confidence. That made Max throw his head back in a cackle.

"But until when?" He snorts. He places a finger below my chin and forces me to meet his yellow predetorial eyes. "You know that there are other ways for the pack to respect you."

I feel disgusted and repulsed, but I know that I must not swat his hand away because that would be disrespectful. I am now the beta of the pack, which means that I have to respect my leaders, even if it includes Max.

"This is highly inapppropritate, young lord." I take a step back and move my chin away from his hands carefully. "You are the soon to be alpha. Your partner should be one that fits you."

Max sighs and shakes his head. "Belle, Belle, Belle. That's exactly why I am asking you to be mine. Your beauty can't be compared to the rest of the female lycans. You're strong and also the newly appointed beta of the pack. Who else is more fit to be at my side?"

I want to frown. I want him to know how much his words disgust me. I want to punch him so hard that it would make him rethink about his proposal.

There was once a time when I used to like and admire Max. We were friends when we were little, and he would always protect me from other kids because I was different. He was my protector and my only friend at that time.

When we reached our teenage years, that's when he started to change. The change started after I rejected him when he first offered me to be his mate. I did not think that I was worthy of being by his side at that time, so I decided to reject him. I was only thinking of him when I cast that decision. I did not even think of how it would affect him emotionally.

I honestly felt bad the first time I rejected him, but what he did after that only confirmed that I made the right decision. He became one of my bully's enablers.

Being bullied was nothing new to me, but it hurts much more when a friend you once trusted joins them than it does when strangers make fun of you for being different.

But soon, all those feelings were washed away with anger when he offered me that he would make all the bullying stop if I agreed to become his mate.

At least that was one thing that remained the same for him.

"Belle Lycansten." Koffer, the Alpha's assistant, calls me from a distance. He starts to beckon me over, and I cannot help but feel relieved at the opportunity to get away from here. "The alpha wishes to speak with you."

"I'll be right there." I tell Koffer before facing Max. "Excuse me," I bowed my head, refusing to look at him before following Koffer.

It should have been resolved after that, but then I hear Max calling out to me.

"You know that I will be alpha soon enough. When that happens, you're going to be mine either way. I want you to remember that, Belle."

I feel so pissed off that he needed to say that out loud. I can still feel his gaze on me while I follow Koffer. All that I could do at that moment was to ball my hands into fists. I felt really embarrassed, especially when I caught Koffer giving me a weird stare after he heard Max.

Fortunately, everyone left right after I was declared the beta. I can smell all the bitterness in the air while we continue to walk.

"You should mind flirting with the young lord out in public. Your title as the pack's beta does not warrant the alpha's approval for you to become his son's mate. You should know your place." Koffer gives me a backward glance, like he is making sure that I am listening to him.

I want to tell him that it is not the case-that it is Max who is chasing after me, but would it make a difference?

I don't think so.

"It won't happen again." Is all I say to make him stop staring at me. Thankfully, he does not say anything more and continues to walk straight to the massive tent built for the Alpha.

Koffer pauses by the entrance and lifts up the tent's partition to allow me to enter. "The Alpha is waiting for you inside."

I give him a small nod before entering. It is my first time heading into the Alpha's quarters. It's decorated with paintings of blood, skin, and heads of the most dangerous prey that he has hunted. Bows, swords, and other weapons of the hunters are displayed in one corner of the room.

Alpha Lupert stands at the center of the room, admiring his newly skinned bear carpet that I offered him before my ceremony as his beta.

"This gift that you have given me is quite exquisite. Do you think that it would look good as a coat or a carpet?"

"Pardon?" His question caught me off guard, so it took me a while to process what he meant. "I-I mean, the decision is entirely up to you."

"It is rare for bears to wander into our territory these days. Where did you hunt this splendid beast?"

"It just happens to cross into our territory. I believe that it got spooked by the hunters during their latest attack." I answer him.

"Hunters." Alpha Lupert says in disgust. "If we don't get rid of them soon, our resources are going to dwindle and our people will starve."

Hunters are humans who are trained to kill beings like us. They are the only barrier that keeps us from conquering other lands. They have built walls to keep us separated from the humans. That would have been fine, but it was an unfair that they locked us in the other half of the land that was dying.

"Alpha, if there's anything that I can do, just let me know." I tell the Alpha while I bow my head in submission.

"Well, there may be one thing that only you can do." I lift my head up to see that Alpha Lupert is indeed serious, making me stare at him curiously. When he starts to smile, that's when I figured out that he isn't kidding. "For the only abnormal wolf in the pack, this is a job that's perfectly suited for you. As my newly appointed beta, I am assigning you with a very important task where our pack's future could depend on it. Belle, I want you to interrogate a human prisoner."

"I beg your pardon, Alpha, but what do you mean by interrogating a prisoner? Do we have one?" I try to catch up with him as he heads out of his tent without even giving me a proper explanation of his plan. All I can do is follow him at the moment and hope that he will answer me.

I caught glimpses of other lycans when they saw me following a few paces behind the alpha. Everyone is always busy in this pack, bringing along food, cooking, making garments, and cleaning. Training is done outside and at the far end of the territory where they can move freely.

When we were nearing the pond, I paused, looking at the alpha in wonder.

He notices me stopping and turns to my direction. "Come." He beckons me to follow him. Soon, he starts to jump into the pond. I quickly run to follow him, plunging myself deep into the pond.

I see my alpha underwater and follow him when he starts to swin under and behind the stone wall that hides our territory from the hunters. When we emerged once more, the roar of the waterfall before us almost distracted me from hearing Alpha Lupert.

"Belle, over here." He is already standing on puddle stones while he awaits for me to get off of the water. I do not wish for him to lose his patience with me, so I quickly head over to swim to shore.

We stick our backs against the moss covered walls as we pass through the giant waterfall and finally into the outside world of the territory. What met us out in the woods was silence. There is not a single trace of life around us aside from the inedible plants that our pack planted both to hide our scent and to poison intruders if they are not careful.

When we hunt, we have to head for the farthest side of the territory that's almost near the borders of humans. Usually, one of our own would venture too far and would get caught by the hunters. If not caught, then they are killed and their corpses would be displayed outside of their gates to serve as a warning to us.

Despite the rapid course of the water, our land was slowly dying. There are no bees or butterflies to pollinate the plants. I say that in about a year and a half, our resources will soon dwindle and our pack will soon die of starvation if we cannot transfer soon.

We could head north, but we are not entirely built for the cold. The south is too hot for us, especially the lycans. The east is where the hunters are, while the west leads to a forbidden domain. Our pack tried to send some lycans to investigate the area, but none of them would come back. If they do, they will come out in pieces. It sounds gruesome, but we can only assume that there's a stronger creature there than the lycans. Because of it, Alpha Lupert forbids us from heading west in fear that we might somehow upset the creature living there, which only leads us to one place to linger-the East.

"Alpha, where are we going?" My curiosity is killing me the longer that my question remains unanswered. What's more is that we are still on the move with no fixed location in mind.

The alpha sighs. "While one of our men was hunting for food, he happened to see this...human."

"Is it a hunter?"

The alpha starts to climb uphill at a very swift rate. I had to act quickly so I wouldn't lose him. I guess that he isn't just called an alpha for nothing. He is still strong and agile despite his growing age.

"Sort of like that." He confirms after we make it to the top of the mountain, overlooking the pack's territory. All we see are greens and blacks down there. They are a combination of rot and greens. "Look at this. It is all almost gone. Soon, we are going to die of starvation if we cannot look for a new place for our people."

"But we still have water. Maybe we can still salvage the lands."

The alpha laughs at my futile and weak suggestion. "Who do you think we are? Gardeners? We are carnivores! We hunt preys. It is not our job to nurture nature!"

"Yes, alpha. I understand, but don't you think that we should try to do something? By prolonging the life of our home, we can offer more-"

"Is my beta telling me what to do?!" His eyes are piercing, making me afraid to even make eye contact with him.

"No, alpha. I'm sorry." I immediately lower my gaze.

It was a bad idea for me to even think that he would welcome my opinion. What was I even doing? I just got this job and I am suddenly getting way ahead of myself. The alpha was never known to be the forgiving type, which is what made me surprised when he did not scold me and instead placed a hand on my shoulder as if to comfort me.

"It's alright. You were only thinking about the sake of the people. But you are right at some point. We are doing something, or at least, you will have to." He starts to climb down to the other side of the mountain to a place that I recall as the cave where we keep prisoners or lycans who are disobeying the law.

Why did the alpha bring me here? Did I do something wrong to be locked up?

I knew it. He is irritated about what I said a while ago. He's probably going to keep me in here for at least a few hours.

"Relax." The alpha laughs at me upon seeing my face. "I am not going to lock you up in here. I am here to show you the human."

"It is here?" I dusted the back of my dress as I continued to follow him to the cave where we keep our prisoners.

A few lycan guards comes to greet us - and when I mean us, I just really mean the alpha.

Like I said before, it is going to take a while for me to be respected in the pack.

"Greetings, Alpha Lupert." They say in unison, bowing at him in respect. About four guards are standing by the entrance of the cave prison, making me wonder just how valuable this human is.

I mean, four guards just for a cub? This is insane.

"Is she eating?" The alpha asks.

"No. We even cooked her food and offered her clean water. Nothing worked. She's just too afraid of the lycans. She won't even look at us."

"Typical of these humans. Always so afraid. They don't even know that we are afraid of them more than we are afraid of us." He starts to look back to be. "Give the beta her food. She will deliver it to the girl."

"What? Why me? I'm also one of you. I doubt that she would even-"

"But you are not like us, are you? At least not physically." He quickly adds the last part, as if he is afraid that I might be offended. "Belle, among all the other lycans out there, I can only assume that she would trust you because of your...lack of lycan physical qualities."

"Yes, alpha." I quickly submitted to his words. One of the lycan guards heads over to me to hand me a coconut bowl of cooked fowl and a clay woven cup filled with water. I took them wordlessly while feeling the Alpha's gaze on me.

I turned back and began heading towards the cave, not sure of what he expected me to do after I delivered the food to the said hostage.

I am doing this for the pack. That's all that matters, right? I kept these thoughts playing at the back of my head over and over, especially when I happened to finally enter the cave. Everything is dimly lit by torches at the walls of the cave, and I am grateful that I do not have to borrow the eyes of my wolf for it.

The cave has multiple channels which all lead to different chambers that separate the prisoners. I arrive a fork end and one of the guards posted there starts to give me instructions as to which prisoner I am supposed to deliver that food to.

"Head straight. The prisoner is just at the end of this cave." The lycan guard instructs me. I give him my thanks before I follow the path that he suggested me to take.

As I got closer, my ears happened to pick up a soft whimper, and soon I heard a cry. As I got to the end, I realized that the cub that the alpha was talking about was, in fact, a human child.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just a human girl.

I have run countless times around the boarders of the hunters to scout and observe their movements. I have seen their leader's face when he barks an order at them to kill my people.

Some nights, I would look through one of the windows and look for the man that I loathed so much for being responsible for the deaths of many lycans. Sometimes, he is at a meeting, talking and planning about easier ways to kill us. Other times, I see him playing with a young girl, who I assume is his daughter.

And that daughter of his is now here, being held as our prisoner.