They call me a beast, though I was a prince, once. I still am, even if I’ve spent the last four years shutting myself away from the world because of the darkness inside of me.
But royal duty has left me no choice but to attend a “suitor’s ball” in a neighboring kingdom. Finding a wife is the very last thing on my mind, until the moment I lay eyes on her - the far too sweet, far too innocent, far too untouchable Princess Isla.
One look at those big dark eyes and luscious curves, and I need to possess her.
One taste of those lips, and I lose control of the beast inside.
One touch of her soft, untouched body against mine, and she belongs to me.
Forget that she’s off-limits. Forget that she’s never been touched. Forget the darkness hanging over my head and clawing at my past. I’m claiming this princess tonight.
First, I’ll take her as my queen. Then, I’ll take her in my bed.
Princess Isla’s unchained the beast, and I won’t rest until I’ve claimed her in every way I can.
*Please note that each of the Possessing Beauty books are completely standalone stories centered around one couple, with no cliffhangers.
Beasting Beauty is a quick and filthy modern twist on a fairytale involving a dark, utterly obsessed alpha hero and enough insta-love, kindle-melting steam, and sugary-sweetness to give you the vapors. If you love over-the-top, slightly unrealistic, and wildly dirty stories, this one’s for you! HEA with NO CHEATING!
Copyright ? 2017 Madison Faye All rights reserved.
Editing: Sennah Tate Cover: Coverlüv
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status of products referred to in this book and acknowledges that trademarks have been used without permission.
This book is intended for mature, adult audiences only. It contains extremely sexually explicit and graphic scenes and language which may be considered offensive by some readers. This book is strictly intended for those over the age of 18.
All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older. All acts of a sexual nature are completely consensual.
Chapter 1
Isla
I gasped as the corset top tightened, glaring at my sister in the mirror.
“You did that on purpose.”
Ilana grinned at me, her big blue eyes twinkling mischievously as she finished pulling at the back of the dress.
“A little.”
I stuck my tongue out at my oldest sister as she finished lacing up the back and stood back, appraising her handiwork.
“Well, you can thank me now, because you look hot.”
I made a face in the mirror, glancing at the pile of dark blonde hair balanced on top of my head, the perfectly applied makeup around my dark eyes and full lips, and the — admittedly — gorgeous gown that now flowed down from my exposed shoulders like a yellow and gold chiffon waterfall.
Okay, yes, I looked fantastic. I looked beautiful. I looked poised. I looked put together, and regal, and like a perfect porcelain doll ready to be placed on a shelf. I looked exactly how a princess should look.
Which is exactly why I frowned at what I saw in that mirror.
I hated having to “look the part,” and I definitely hated having to go to things like the ball tonight.
Our father, the reigning King of Avlion, finally acquiescing to our mother’s complaints, had finally agreed that it was high time for Ilana, Imogen, and I to start finding suitable matches for marriage.
High time indeed.
I was eighteen already, Ilana was three years my senior, Imogen two, and we’d never even been on a normal date. Because no, chaperoned, forty-person dinners, lawn parties, and balls don’t count as dates.
But that was changing. King Lucian, our father and lord of our kingdom, was finally looking for eligible men of the right means and pedigree to marry his daughters, and tonight’s ball was our grand unveiling. And not just us, either. There were a number of eligible princesses that were now at marrying age who’d be joining us in this ridiculously antiquated function. It was silly. I mean, we did live in a kingdom, in a castle and all of that, but that didn’t mean we had to pretend we were in King Arthur’s time or something.
Well, tonight we did, apparently. Tonight, we’d pretend we didn’t live in the age of the internet, and dating apps, and Facebook, and instead we’d spend the evening dancing with eligible princes, to a string quartet, in gowns.
Welcome to the 21st century, right?
And the other thing of it was, this whole princess thing was all lost on me. On Ilana though? Well on my older sister, it fit like a freaking glove. She had the long blonde tangles, the big blue eyes, the perfect waist-to-hips ratio, the dainty demeanor — all of it. She knew when to curtsey, when to “demure” her eyes, when to use the right titles, or the right serving forks.
In short, she was the ideal princess. I mean, honestly, the fact that I’d never walked in on her having a singalong with woodland creatures actually shocked me.
But me? Well, let’s just say I’d never mastered the curtsey and I had no idea which fork to use, for anything. Ilana fit the part — she played the role perfectly. But I’d known young the whole “princess” thing was going to be a sticking point with me. I preferred the library to the ballroom. I preferred bare feet to heels, jeans to gowns, and a quiet night curled up with a book to one spent twirling around with handsy, rich, pompous windbags trying to marry their way into my father’s titles. Not to mention my bed.
Yeah, no thanks.
“You two ready to go yet?”
Imogen stuck her head into my room. God, that dress looked amazing on her. Chartreuse green with gold trim which played off her fire-red hair perfectly and made her emerald green eyes pop.
“Oh, c’mon, Isla, maybe try smiling tonight?”
I rolled my eyes at both of my sisters, doing my best to hide the grin. In spite of both of them being “perfect” princesses, I knew neither of them was thrilled about all this either. It wasn’t Ilana’s fault that she’d been born blonde, and and blue eyed, and knowing when to say the right things. Just like it wasn’t Imogen’s for being born taller than either of us, with crazy long legs, perfect cheekbones, and killer wavy hair. They just both fell into the role we all had to play a little more naturally than I did.
“Can’t we just skip this, go lock ourselves in the media room, and watch movies and stuff our faces with ice cream all night?”
“I am so down for that,” Imogen groaned, sinking onto the corner of my bed. “Tonight is going to blow.”
Ilana groaned. “Don’t tempt me, cause I would totally blow this off if I didn’t think mom and dad would kill us if we did.”