Feral by Sheri Whitefeather Page A

aroused, too, especially when she discovered that the undergarments were a corset and petticoat. Nothing had been provided to serve as panties, so she assumed that she was supposed to go bare underneath.
    Before she got dressed, she sat at the vanity to do her hair. Because she wasn’t skilled in that regard, she redid it several times, trying to get it right. Finally she managed to pin it up in a softly creative way. She added a jeweled comb to one side.
    Her makeup required a light touch-up, so she applied a bit of blush and the pink lipstick she’d become accustomed to wearing.
    Climbing into the clothing was a chore. She wasn’t used to tiny hooks and poufy fabrics, but at least everything fastened in front.
    Jenny gazed at her reflection in a full-length mirror. It had taken almost two hours to complete the look, but this was the prettiest she’d ever been. She’d never felt so ladylike.
    She noticed an antique perfume bottle on the vanity and tested the fragrance. It was sweet and genteel. She sprayed a bit of it on her neck and wrists.
    She exited her suite and stood in the hallway, unsure of which direction to go.
    Beauty didn’t have a clue how to find Beast.

Nine
    W hat should she do first? Check the wing she was in? Head over to the other side of the castle? Or go upstairs?
    She chose the stairs and took them to the second floor. Roaming the hallway, she tried every door and discovered all of the rooms were locked.
    The third floor proved more complicated, as it was a maze of hallways and connecting corridors. But again, every door was locked.
    What if Noah wasn’t even here? What if she was all alone in this place? No, she told herself. That wouldn’t make sense. Whatever he had in store, it involved the two of them.
    Jenny returned to the lower level and came upon a door with a sign that read, “Beast.”
    Her pulse pounded in her ears. This was it. She’d found him.
    Anxious, she turned the doorknob and crossed the threshold, which opened into a parlor, similar to the sitting room in her suite, only bigger and with masculine furnishings.
    Since the parlor and kitchenette were empty, she proceeded to the bedroom, which was also vacant of Noah’s presence. So was the adjoining bathroom.
    Now what?
    Befuddled, Jenny exited Beast’s suite and continued her quest, heading for yet another wing.
    On and on she went, like a storybook heroine in distress. The more time that passed, the more nervous she got. Then an eerie thought crossed her mind. Was Noah watching her? Had he set up spy equipment to track her throughout the castle?
    Soon she found another door, actually a set of double doors, which were labeled, “Ballroom.”
    Was this her final destination?
    She tried the handles, but they wouldn’t open. Damn it. How was she supposed to find him if he was one step ahead of her the entire time?
    Jenny was tempted to return to her room and pout, but that would make her look weak. No way was she going to give him that kind of victory.
    A few minutes later, she saw a glass door with a sign that read, “Rose Garden.” She tried the door and it opened. But since the path wasn’t lit and dusk had long since fallen, she hesitated. Surely, he didn’t expect her to go stumbling outside in the dark.
    No, apparently he didn’t. Because as she stood there, gazing out at the night, a sprinkling of lights appeared. Now she knew for sure that he was watching her.
    Would Beast appear among the flowers, like he did in the story when he’d caught the merchant plucking a rose for Beauty?
    Cautious, Jenny ventured onto the path, looking to and fro. Color bloomed all around her, but there was no sign of Noah. At the end of the stone walkway was a greenhouse.
    She approached the building, which had a sign on the door with instructions: “Wait here.”
    For the heck of it, she tried the handle. It was locked. Clearly, she was meant to wait outside. She prayed the lights didn’t go off.
    Luckily, they stayed on, and much