Beast Lord: (Beauty and the Beast) (Tangled Tales Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

ground. His brothers jumped out of the way.
    “That table usually takes several men to move,” MacKay pointed out.
    “What’s happening to you?” asked Lucio.
    “Mayhap I’m stronger of a warrior than any of you think,” Stefan retorted. “Now I’ll tell you again – this is my castle, and I’ll make the decisions. And the first decision I’ve made is for all of you to leave!” He reached out and kicked the chair and it slid across the floor.
    “Boys, mayhap it would be better to give him some time alone,” said Lucio. “I’ll go if that’s what you want, Stefan, but I will be back with the healer to tend to your wounds.”
    “Nay! Trumble will stay to do that.”
    “I will?” asked Trumble, his voice sounding shaky. “I mean – I will, my lord.”
    “I don’t have a castle to go to,” said MacKay. “I’ll stay too, and when you’re healed, we’ll continue our search for our sister.”
    “Both your sisters,” said Lucio. “Ella has been away too long and we should have gone after her as well.”
    “MacKay can stay. For now,” said Stefan. Now the rest of you – take your men and leave.”
    “I’ll leave a dozen of my warriors here – for protection,” said Lucio.
    “Nay. I’ll not be blamed for the deaths of any more borrowed soldiers. I have a castle now and I’ll acquire my own soldiers.”
    “Hah!” laughed Arnon. “No respectable knight would step foot in his crumbling, broken down castle.”
    “Then I’ll hire mercenaries,” said Stefan.
    “Then let me give you some gold to pay them,” said Lucio, his hand going to the pouch at his waist.
    It was all Stefan could do not to explode at this moment. He felt as if he were being patronized, and he didn’t like it.
    “I told you – I can take care of it all myself. Now leave!” he shouted so loud, that it echoed off the walls of the great hall.
    “Come on, let’s leave him in his misery,” said Arnon, heading for the door.
    “I wouldn’t leave any more of my soldiers here now if you begged me,” said Wolf, following right behind him. “And I’m taking back the ones that lived through this ordeal.”
    “I’ll be transporting back to Tavistock,” Lucio told his sons. “Stefan – beware. Not only for those who attacked here, but for Hecuba as well. You’re not ladled with one of her curses yet, but since you’re now vulnerable, she’ll probably strike.”
    “I’m not vulnerable, and if you don’t leave now, I’ll be the one to strike.”
    “You always did have the temper of your late mother,” said Lucio with a shake of the head. Then he raised a hand in the air and was surrounded by a bluish fog and quickly disappeared.
    “Did you want us to do anything special?” asked Trumble once the others had gone.
    “See to the livestock in the courtyard and get some of the servants to cook us a meal,” said Stefan. “Question them all as to what they saw with the attack and ask them if they know who the attackers were or why they came.”
    “Aye milord,” said Trumble with a quick bow of his head before he took off at a run to do as ordered.
    “What about me?” asked MacKay. “Surely there’s something I can do as well.”
    “Scour the surrounding area for possible mercenaries I can recruit. If they look worthy, bring them back with you. I’ll need at least a dozen good warriors to start out with. If we can secure the castle, we will have a defense against anyone who tries to get inside the walls.”
    “Stefan, you had all the warriors you needed but you sent them away.”
    “This is my castle now, MacKay, and I don’t need my father or my brothers’ pity. Do you understand?”
    MacKay’s gaze scanned down Stefan’s stitched-up face and Stefan could see it in his brother’s eyes that he held pity as well. Then MacKay silently nodded.
    “Get out!” Stefan picked up a stool and in anger smashed it down atop the trestle table that was already on the floor. The stool broke to pieces.
    “Mayhap