AN: This one is linked to Still A Beast. It will obviously have some similarities to Back to Beast but there are some differences as well. Hope you enjoy.

With these Paws, I'll Protect You

Chapter One

Adam sighed as he heard the sound of the carriage arriving at the castle again. He had been visiting his parents who, it seemed, couldn't care less about him other than the fact that since the death of his brother he was next in line for the throne. This winter they had wanted him to meet with two rulers from neighboring kingdoms who he would want to have solid diplomatic relationships with. Eight years ago, when he was covered in fur with large fangs, he wouldn't have been able to do that.

He felt tired but as he saw his wife standing in front of the castle, he felt the energy in him again and ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her as she kissed him a few times. "I'm home," he said and heard Belle sniff. "I told you that I'd try my best to be home before Christmas," he commented and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

Over the years, his relationship with Belle had deepened and they were more than best friends, more than spouses, and more than parents to their one-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. They were bonded so well that their bodies seemed to go into withdrawal upon separation. "I missed you," Adam told Belle who took a step back and placed a gloved hand on his cheek.

"I missed you more," Belle argued and he smiled. He would have never believed he could be this lucky after he had been cursed but Belle had proven him wrong. "Come in," she said as she took his hand and her eyes caught with a haggard woman for a moment. Her heartbeat stopped and she placed a hand on Adam's chest and a kiss on his cheek. "Hold on for a moment?" she asked but as she looked again the older woman had left.

"Belle," Adam called as he turned to her, "What is it?" he asked as he came to put a hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. Belle looked ahead of her but shook her head. She was just happy that he was home. For four solid years after his transformation, Adam had schooled himself on everything he had missed out on especially about diplomacy. He would have studied about seven hours a day, sometimes staying up late in the night. He had missed out on education as a child and had done his best for the township by becoming the prince that they deserved.

Of course, his rule extended further than the town and that had led to Belle visiting new towns and villages that she hadn't thought about going to. They had married one year after he had transformed and their first child, Riva, had been conceived during that second year of marriage, Charlotte had been born to them only a year ago creating the four-person-family.

"It's nothing," Belle attempted to reassure him. She saw his driver getting the bags and she wrapped her arms around Adam again. What people didn't know was of the lack of confidence he carried after having been a beast for ten years. She tried to help him with that. "I thought that I saw something."

Belle entered the castle before feeling an icy cold and she could see that Adam was sensing it too. She heard a sound from near the kitchen and something made her feel that her gut was going to fall out of her stomach. She saw Adam look up in fear before he went towards the sound. As Belle followed him she could hear the sound of a baby crying and she picked up the speed.

Adam was the first to enter the room and scanned the area. There were two servants on the floor, one of them a maid and the other a guard. They appeared unconscious. He could also see Riva holding Charlotte in his arms and trying to hide from two masked figures. He felt something strange about them but without a moment of hesitation, he ran forwards and stood in front of his offspring.

"What are you doing here!?" he growled and one of the people, a man with a voice that he couldn't place, laughed at this. Adam didn't give a damn about his backstory. He needed to protect his children. "Get the hell out of here!" he roared and Belle ran to stand beside him. "Protect the children," he told her and Belle looked between him and the two hooded figures.

"Adam…" she tried to reason but he shot her a look saying that he wasn't playing and that there was no room for negotiating. Belle nodded and ran over to their babies. She held them both in her arms and then tried to slowly move back as Adam faced them.

"You shouldn't have done that," a woman said and Adam felt the pain within him. These were his children. He would defend his children with his life. The man seemed to see how his attention had changed and approached Belle. Adam grabbed his wrist, throwing a couple of punches at him and trying to reach across for a knife. This was an intrusion and he wanted to avoid killing them but they were aiming to hurt his family.

"Get the hell out before I kill you," he threatened, his eyes narrowing. "You will never go near my children!"

The man attempted to fight back and Adam quickly got him to the ground but before he could see who the man was, he felt a sharp pain in his side that kept stinging and throbbing. He tried to get the woman too but his body felt heavy and he sank to the ground. He heard Belle screaming and weeping and as the two intruders seemed to vanish into thin air, she was at his side.

"Adam," she sobbed before grabbing his jacket and placing it against the wound. She didn't know who these people were but the fact that they had left after immobilizing him meant that they wanted his death and were using their children as bait.

"Papa?" Riva asked as he saw his father struggling to keep his eyes open. Belle gently turned him over, doing her best to stop the bleeding.

"Stay with us, my love" she begged reminded of that time with Gaston all of those years ago. She gently touched his forehead and saw the blood loss appearing in the color of his skin, he was shaking and his breaths were getting shorter and harder to control. Belle saw the servants regain consciousness and turned to them. "We need help, tell them that Adam has been stabbed!" she yelled through tears.

"Promise me that you'll fight," she told him before closing her eyes and kissing his lips. She needed to know that he was still here. However as she closed her eyes, his mouth seemed to change. It was growing larger and there were fangs and bigger teeth. She felt something pushing against her knees and stood up immediately. She grabbed Riva and pulled him back carefully so he didn't drop Charlotte.

In front of her eyes, Adam was changing into the form she had met him as. He was getting those familiar horns and tail back, his hands were becoming paws and his breathing seemed more steady. She heard the rip of his clothes and saw the fur on his chest as he regained the form of a beast. She heard Riva starting to panic and held him close to her.

"It's okay," she tried to tell him. "It's okay. It'll be okay."

As the transformation ended, Belle saw Adam's gorgeous blue eyes open and he turned to her. Belle smiled in relief as he watched her. He coughed but his body didn't feel in pain any longer. It felt warmer as if he were under a heavy blanket.

"Belle?" he growled, "How am I alive?" he asked before reaching out a paw for her and his eyes widened as he saw the familiar paw instead of his human hand. He looked to his other hand before sitting up, taking a look at his tail.

"Slowly," Belle said as she moved over to him, as she removed her arms from Riva, he seemed to run from her, hiding from his own father. "My love, please be careful," she sobbed before noticing that the wound wasn't there any longer. She knelt beside him and kissed the side of his head just underneath his horn. "Please try to go slow," she begged him and heard him cough as he wore the rags that he had made from the clothes that had been too small for him in this form.

"Should I have died?" Adam asked and Belle paused, she didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm here," she attempted to reassure him as Adam caught a glimpse of his reflection. He had truly believed that he would never look this way again and that Belle had saved him from his isolation. Belle looked up to see Cogsworth there in human form.

"What is happening?" he asked slowly as he took in Adam's form. "Sire?"

"Please take care of my children," Adam pleaded as his eyes went over to Riva who was still staring at him as if he was a monster sent to hurt him. Belle gently let her hand go through his fur and snuggled into his side.

"We need to make accommodations for him," she told Cogsworth who nodded. Once the children were taken out of the room, Belle moved forwards until she was positioned over Adam's legs. She had tears in her eyes as she faced him but kissed him again, not caring about the size or shape of either his jaw or his teeth. "Can you stand?" she asked making sure to make direct eye contact with him.

Adam nervously stood, feeling the weight of this returned form.

"I'll ask the guards to do more surveillance," she promised him. "but let's go to bed," she told him and Adam watched her. "I love you," she told him and when he was able to stand fully she ran into his chest, wrapping her arms around him as far as they could go. "I love you," she repeated and Adam turned to her.

"I don't think we should be in the bed together, you don't deserve to be with a hideous beast," he said and Belle placed her hands on his cheeks.

"You don't deserve this form but I want to stay with the man who loves and respects me and dotes on me whilst at the same time giving me independence. I want to be with my husband," she told him and Adam looked away.

"Some kind of man," he scoffed and Belle kissed him again causing him to look at her nervously.

"You will always be my Prince Adam no matter what," she assured him before leading him back to their room. He needed rest and she needed to be with him. Hopefully all of that good wouldn't unravel in just one day.

End of Chapter One

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