Awakening The Beast

Seducing the Priest Chapter One: The Disobedient Girl Addison Rin had a talent for getting into trouble. At nineteen, she was rebellious, outspoken, and entirely uninterested in pleasing anyone but herself. With long red hair, emerald-green eyes, and a sharp tongue, she had spent years challenging her wealthy parents' rules. Now, they had finally had enough. "You're sending me to a church camp?" Addison stared at her mother in disbelief from the passenger seat of her father's Mercedes. "Saint Catherine's will teach you discipline," Vivienne replied coldly. "Wonderful. Will they teach you how to be a decent parent, too?" "Addison!" her father snapped. She rolled her eyes and looked out the window. The enormous stone building stood behind towering iron gates, its dark windows and religious statues making it look more like a prison than a retreat. Saint Catherine's Retreat. A place for disobedient girls. Apparently, she was about to become their most challenging student. Her father opened the boot and handed her suitcase to a stern-looking woman waiting at the entrance. "Your phone stays with us," he announced. Addison spun around. "Excuse me? I'm nineteen!" "Then start acting like an adult." She stared at him, hurt flashing briefly across her face. "You know what? Don't bother visiting." Neither parent answered. The Mercedes drove away, leaving Addison standing in the cold with her suitcase and a burning resentment in her chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She would not cry over people who had chosen to send her away rather than understand her. Not here. Not ever. "Miss Rin?" A tall woman wearing a grey religious habit stood in the doorway. "I'm Sister Margaret, the director of Saint Catherine's." Addison forced a smile. "Lovely. I'm Addison, the disappointment." Sister Margaret didn't laugh. "You will follow our rules, attend every service, and show respect to the staff." "Anything else? Should I surrender my soul at reception?" "Your sense of humour will not save you here." "Shame. It's my best quality." Sister Margaret led her upstairs to a small bedroom where a brunette girl sat reading. "I'm Charlotte," the girl said with a hesitant smile. "Addison. Professional troublemaker." Charlotte laughed. "You'll fit in perfectly." "Somehow, I doubt that." Before Addison could unpack, a bell rang through the building. "Evening service," Charlotte explained. "Come on." Addison sighed dramatically. "Fine. Let's go disappoint God." --- The chapel was lit by candles, and the air smelled of incense and old wood. Addison followed Charlotte into the last row, already wishing she could be anywhere else. Then the chapel doors opened. A man dressed in black clerical clothing walked towards the altar. Addison stopped breathing for a moment. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and devastatingly handsome. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his grey eyes carried a quiet intensity that made the room fall silent without a word. "Good evening," he said. His voice was deep, calm, and unmistakably authoritative. "I'm Father Lucien Moreau." Addison stared. A priest. Of course. Because apparently even her punishment came with an unexpected complication. Lucien began speaking about discipline, responsibility, and the courage to change. Addison tried to listen, but she found herself studying his face instead. Then his gaze landed on her. "Miss Rin?" She sat up. "Present." A few girls giggled. Lucien regarded her calmly. "Do you have something to add?" "Not yet, Father. I'm giving your sermon a chance." Sister Margaret looked horrified. Lucien didn't smile. "Perhaps you would like to move to the front row." Addison raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me closer, Father?" The chapel fell silent. "Now, Miss Rin." For the first time that evening, Addison obeyed without another word. After the service, Lucien approached her. "Your behaviour was disrespectful." "Your sermon was about understanding people. I thought I'd help you practise." "Understanding someone doesn't mean tolerating every action." "Fair enough." He studied her for a moment. "You seem determined to make everyone believe you don't care what they think." Addison's smile faltered. "And you seem determined to believe you know everything about me." "No," he replied quietly. "I don't." Something about his answer unsettled her more than an argument would have. She lifted her chin. "Well, Father, perhaps you'll have to get to know me." Lucien's expression grew serious. "Don't mistake my responsibility for personal interest, Miss Rin." "Wouldn't dream of it." She walked away before he could see how much his words had affected her. But halfway down the corridor, she stopped. She had spent her entire life chasing excitement, challenging rules, and winning arguments. Now, for the first time, she had encountered a man who refused to play her game. And that bothered her. More than it should have. --- That night, Addison lay awake beneath the unfamiliar blankets, staring at the ceiling. She thought about her parents. The locked drawer containing her phone. The endless rules she would be expected to follow. Then she thought about Lucien's grey eyes and the way he had looked at her as if he could see through every sarcastic remark. "He's a priest," she whispered to herself. "Get a grip, Addison." He was forbidden territory. And she had known him for less than an hour. She turned onto her side, determined to forget him. Across the grounds, Lucien sat alone in his office, reviewing Addison's admission file. Something about the circumstances of her arrival seemed unusual, but he couldn't yet explain why. He closed the folder and switched off his lamp. Tomorrow, he would keep his distance. He had a life, a calling, and a past he had no intention of reopening. One rebellious girl would not change that. At least, that was what Father Lucien Moreau believed. End of Chapter One.