#fantasy fanfic

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Thranduil and Josie Pt. 161- Cat Scratch Fever

Summary: A black cat crosses Josie's path bringing more bad luck to the Dorwinion castle. Narcisse is off kilter. Charles and Francis unite but not in agreement over their mother. Mary feels deep guilt of her knowledge. Francis gets under Josie's skin. She and Lola speak more about Narcisse's past. A cut won't heal. Bash has a scary story to tell. Josie panics over a possible resurrection.

*Chapter Warnings* language, angst, censored gif, sexual references, murder mentions

Chapter characters: Josie, Narcisse, Charles, Francis, Mary, Lola, Bash

Chapter word count: 8,447

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

When you got to Stephane's chambers, all was quiet after you knocked well over three times and called to him. Odd it seemed, considering the guard had told you Narcisse said it was urgent, so now you became concerned.

"Stephane?!" you loudly called to him one more time and wriggled the locked door handle.

Suddenly, you saw a shadow moving rapidly pacing about under the door and heard Stephane's charcoal gray magical Maine Coon cat Merlin, crying and clawing at the door. The crying swiftly then turned into a low emitted growl as if something were frightening him.

"Merlin sweety? What's wrong?" you asked as you bent down and placed your fingers under the door so you could scratch his chin, but he wanted no part of it. Instead, he began to hiss.

Something was wrong. Merlin was no "pussy" per se. In fact, he was quite the bad ass like all cats believed they were, so the scaredy cat persona was completely out of character for the long locked beauty of a beast.

"Alright honey. I'm coming in." you warned and gave the door handle an electric zap with a single twirl of your finger.

The latch made a loud click and then you cautiously pushed the creaking door open.

"MROWWW!!!" Merlin screeched and sped out of the room so fast, you almost tripped over him.

The room was dimly lit with all the curtains closed and on the sofa laid a sprawled out sleeping Stephane with one hand clutching an empty goblet over his stomach and the other hand grazing the floor with dried blood all over it.

Gasping, you quickly made your way to him, finding yourself crunching over a broken and bloodied shards of a mirror upon the floor. Kneeling down beside him, your widened eyes studied his chest to make sure he was breathing, which he was but it had a low raspy sound to it that reminded you of a....tiger's growl?? and he reeked of whiskey. Believing he was just snoring and intoxicated, you studied him over some more, especially his injured hand as you gently picked it up by his wrist so that you wouldn't shock him.

Angling his hand about to assess it, you noticed his gold ring, the one he always fidgeted with when he was anxious or lying. You had never paid much attention to the details of the ring before but now you could see it bore two gemstones, side by side as one piece that reminded you of the yin and yang symbol, for one stone was a black onyx and the other was a white moonstone. You knew that yin was of darkness and yang was of light. Could that be what the ring symbolized?

Moving your eyes on to his knuckles, they were all tore up so it was apparent that he had punched the mirror, but why was the question? Your hunch was the combination of the booze and his anger at you stemming from Haldir's spontaneous lip lock that he witnessed and possibly even something to do with Catherine's eldest son making an unannounced arrival that Stephane had clearly been upset about.

In that moment, Stephane had been dreaming. It was the day you first came to Dorwinion and he found you his red clover field searching for Haldir's gifted dreamcatcher you had dropped in the colossal cluster. At least he thought it was you as he viewed your long wavy scarlet strands from behind. Upon the woman's turning around, he found himself uttering the same words of shock that exited his lips that day and it wasn't the only shock he got.

"It is....you."

"Here kitty kitty kitty. Miss me? I've sure missed you. It's time to wake up once again, just as I had awoken the beast once before." Caroline cackled, forming her wicked grin and then clutched his hand, sending a burning jolt of juice through him, much like the one you and he experienced that day when your hands touched.

Feeling bad about his hand, you softly laid your hand over his wounds to heal him and in doing so, the electric current that you and he shared when your hands touched, shot right through both of you, startling him awake. But it wasn't Narcisse that you awakened.

Towering over your cowered body as you laid upon the floor in sheer terror, was a snarling and salivating beastly black panther with razor fangs as white as pearls and eyes that burned of the sun...and gusting from his roaring lungs was a fiery breath not of peppermint, but of black pepper.

"AHHH CHOOO!" you uncontrollably sneezed, spraying out a mist of sparkling silver water droplets into the ferocious feline's face.

He roared in pain and swung his paws in a frenzy at his eyes, giving you enough time to run and hide behind Stephane's liquor bar to try and rationally think of what to do, for this colossal cat was Narcisse and you didn't want to hurt him with your magic if you didn't have to, although it seemed you accidentally already had.

You were planted in a panic against the wooden bar, holding as still as you could as your frantic eyes scoured the darkness for movement and your ears searched for sound. Surely the beast would find you by sniffing you out, especially now that you noticed the palm of your hand had been scratched by the creature's claws and was bleeding. What in the hell was happening?? You knew nothing of his shapeshifting power. How the fuck did Narcisse transform into a giant fucking black cat before your very eyes and WHY?????

Your shallow breaths ceased as you heard grunting and groaning and then all went quiet again. As you prepared to counter attack in the least harmful way possible, you were grabbed by the arm and swiftly pulled to your feet by a sweating Stephane.

"Are you alright Jo???" he panted, steadying himself on the bar as you gaped at him in a frightful confusion.

"I...I...uh...umm...yes. I..think I should be asking YOU that??"

Narcisse glanced around, seemingly disoriented. "I...I don't feel so well."

He began to lean and fall, but you caught him and assisted him back to the sofa.

"What...what did you do to me??" he groaned and plopped onto his back, rubbing his eyes similarly to how the elephantine ebony cat had done.

"I...I don't..know?? I..I didn't mean to do anything. Lie still. I'll get you a wet rag soaked in healing water."

You cleaned your hand in the water which seemed to have ceased the bleeding, then quickly came back and sat beside him, forcing his rebelling hands away by his wrists in order not to shock him again and then laid the cool cloth over his inflamed eyes.

Narcisse made a frown as he licked his lips. "Silverbane. I can taste it. You sprayed me with fucking silverbane."

"W..what? I..how? and...I thought you were immune to poison??"

"Well apparently I am not to yours which you seem to have as a built in defense mechanism. I really wish you'd get your magical shit together Jo." he blindly griped with gritted teeth as he held the rag firmly over his eyes.

"But...even I can be hurt by Silverbane?? So how do I...oh wait..." you gasped. "It's just like Garrett. He can be hurt by fire, but yet he has fire power inside of him....and at Lestat's...I....I almost forgot....I had somehow conjured up Silverbane from thin air and blew it at my mother when she had almost depleted all of Garrett's blood."

"And yet once again, we are back to the vicious vampire." Stephane snarled as he snapped the rag to the floor with a huff and sat up.

He was somewhat right, you supposed. There you were, referencing Garrett after what you could describe as a cruel and vicious vision he sent you only moments earlier in your chambers. Even so, what you recalled was all still very relevant which would never matter to Stephane.

"You speak to me about being vicious after I just watched you turn into a very large vicious cat???? No wonder Merlin hightailed his ass out of here. Even he was afraid....and...so were you, for my safety. I can only assume that this is what was so urgent? What the hell is going on Stephane???"

"What's going on is that I'm a bit incapacitated at the moment which you seemed to have forgotten." he defensively deflected in which you immediately pointed out.

"Stop deflecting. Here. Let me heal you and...."

"No! Do not touch me Jo. A bath in the healing waters will do just fine." Narcisse barked as he abruptly scooted away from your extended hand.

"Ok, then at least let me help you."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking a bath...alone. Don't you have some place better to be? Like say...Mirkwood?"

Narcisse rose and headed for his bar to pour another drink, for his nerves were now unbearable after what had happened.

You flung to your feet and followed him. "YOU asked me to come here to your room...and now you want me to leave...and...for good?? What, kicking Haldir out wasn't pleasurable enough for you??? You want me to travel with my child when Harker is stalking all of us???" you reeled with stinging wet eyes.

Stephane's eyes refrained from yours as he knocked his drink back and poured another. Of course he didn't want you to go but his pride wasn't about to let you know that.

"Oh it was quite pleasurable to send the Lorien sprite packing. You have Legolas now since I see I now have more unwanted guests in my castle. He will keep you and Leean safe on your travels."

Narcisse turned without so much of a glance at you and walked to the other side of the sitting room with you once again following.

"You heartless son of a bitch! Have you forgotten why I am even here???! I need that book to stop Jareth!!"

An angry tear jetted down your cheek as you sharply blinked from Stephane's aggressive advance into your face.

"Heartless??!!!!! After ALL I have done for you and your company! All of the kindness I have offered you that I have never given to anyone else! Sleeping in my bed right after I confessed I was in love with you and I even pathetically allowed myself to shed tears at your feet over the fear of losing you. You also allowed me to love that little girl. YOU are the one who has forgotten! ALL you care about are the elves and that fucking vampire. You played me well Josephine. Beat me at my own past games of using someone for pleasures of the flesh. I can see I was right when I had once told you that you were a worthy opponent because no other has ever possessed the ability to make me feel less than I was and I can see no possible means of recovery from it. But I guess I have no one to blame except myself for letting my defenses down and letting you in, allowing you to see me bare in more ways than just my skin. Do you remember when I told you that?? That if you and I were to dive into those waters, that is what you would see? But the thing is...you don't see me! And you never will. I will never make that mistake again. I opened my heart to you. I told you things I would never tell a single soul. I threw you the grandest of birthday parties to make you feel better and because you hadn't had one since you were a child. I risked my life and men for you! I have even saved you from yourself! And for what?? To watch you kiss both Haldir and Garrett. Maybe, instead of standing here tearing my own self worth to shreds, I need to realize that I am not less just because I was much more than your inexperienced little hands could handle."

"Please...please stop Stephane. This was never about who you are. I know I hurt you and I am so very sorry, but I swear I never used you. I genuinely care for you, ALL of you and appreciate all you have done for me and Leann, or I would already be running after what I had just witnessed. I don't want to lose you too. Why can't we just please sit down and talk about this...really talk and listen and stop trying to hurt each other?? Let me try to fix this."

Narcisse knew that he had already scraped the bottom of the barrel with all he had just said and now he knew he must go even lower. You just weren't safe with him anymore.

"Because I have come to see it is no longer worth it. You...are not worth it and never were. It IS very much about who I am. It's about who everyone is because no one is your precious King or even Garrett, for they are all you speak of. No one else is good enough for you. I will not let you have me without the madness that makes me. If our demons cannot dance, neither can we." he growled with cold eyes and walked away again.

This time you did not follow, but stood there with a gaping mouth as many tears now fell.

Pouring himself more of the liquid courage to help him proceed in ripping both of your hearts out some more in order to push you away, Stephane drank it down, hesitating to turn and face you, for he could feel your tears and to see it would break him, so he remained a coward and faced the bar, then reluctantly began to continue on about Catherine.

"I called you here to inform you in person about Catherine so you wouldn't be blindsided by her release. Is that what a heartless person would do?"

"Catherine's....re...lease??" you stammered. "Wh...why on earth would you do such a thing????"

"I do believe that is none of your business. My castle, my rules and it's about time people start respecting that. I told you what you needed to know, now what you need to do is pack up your daughter and go back home with Legolas after this night."

"Are...are you insane??? Not only is Harker out there but so are Jareth's orcs! They attacked Legolas and Aragorn and almost killed the man who is travelling with them!"

"Insane? I have been called much worse, although I am sure many would be inclined to agree with you. Now, you can take your opinion and run along. I have a much needed bath awaiting before entertaining the enemies."

Narcisse gulped down the last of his bottle, then grabbed a robe and stormed out of the room, leaving you not only reeling at his lack of giving a shit but also wondering where he was even going since his bath was right there in his chambers, so once again, you followed him.

The room you entered consisted of a sizeable stone pool surrounded by dim candlelight and the air scented of floral fragrance, for upon the opaque water floated multiple flower petals. Pink roses if you were to guess.

Stephane stared at you with a scowl and undressed right before your stunned eyes, then scoffed when you promptly turned away upon the removal of his leather pants.

"As if you have never viewed my cock before. Why are you still here??" he griped as he yanked his ring off, then threw that and his robe to the floor.

The Yin and Yang gemstone clanked it's way to your feet. Keeping your back to the very nude Narcisse, you snatched it up.

"Oh stop with the infantile theatrics for once. You know why I'm here. You don't get to drop a bomb on me like that about Catherine and just walk away. I demand to know why you would set her free!!"

You trembled as you could feel him creeping up behind you. It wasn't because you feared him but because of how intimidated you were by his bare form. Not only had you laid your eyes upon the splendid sight of sculpted beauty a few times before, but you had also laid your body on it as well, so why were you so damn nervous??

"YOU will demand nothing of me." he snarled into your ear as he reached around you and swiftly snatched the ring right back out of your hand, but not fast enough to avoid the electrifying current. Gasping in unison with you, Narcisse quickly made his way into the vat of sparkling liquid and sat down to conceal his waxing wood, for the shock had greatly aroused him.

Slowly, you turned to face him once you heard the slosh of his descent beneath the water.

"Well then, I guess Catherine being on the loose is the lesser of two evils with what else has been released!"

"Alright, I'll bite. What do you mean?" he firmly asked while sitting stiffer than the stiffness below him.

"It's what I have been trying to tell you and why I need to find Ashmole. Jareth has done it. He has risen the dead, just like that psychic woman told me at my party or...I should say, like Peter told me in that vision I saw of him and now...he will come for me! I cannot leave here Stephane! Or you would be handing me right to him."

"And just how is it that you know this?"

"How do you not?? You know he has the three page spell to do it, no thanks to my mind altered father and just before I came to you today, I...I had another vision. It was...it was the vampire Kate. I saw her, with a head and all and...with Garrett. My visions are just like my dreams, both of the present and future and they are increasing and if I saw Kate, then many more are out there somewhere, waiting for something, something that I fear will change our lives forever. I fear a war is coming for the winter solstice. An army of the dead. I feel it. Even Legolas senses something sinister in the air."

Narcisse's bright blues gaped at the water in realization that your words were true. Jareth was the reason Rahl had resurrected and in that moment, he saw his denounced dark half reflecting back at him in the ripples, clawing at his soul to fully emerge from the grave...a box bound by 7 iron chains buried deep inside of Stephane's mind where he had cast him out to, but he could feel the chains breaking, one by one as if it were the rapture.

"Ahhh, I see now. That is what has your panties all in a bunch. Once again, it is because of Garrett. You're jealous."

"W...what??? What the hell is wrong with you??!! THAT is all you can speak of after what I just told you?? Not to mention AGAIN that you are releasing Catherine and having some party tonight as if Harker and the dead are not upon us! Oh, and there's the fact that you shapeshifted into a wild cat larger than Blaze! Seriously, what is happening? WHO are you and what have you done with Stephane???"

Stephane's expression was sullen and his gaze soulless, much like the soulless orbs of the animal that preyed upon you moments earlier. A soulless animal he once told you he was not and his words were as icy and cold as his dilated blues.

"The man you speak of no longer exists."

As you stood frozen by his words, he rose from the water. It was a shimmering sight that you now could not remove your eyes from no matter how hard you tried, almost as if magic were being used upon you, breaching your shield.

Narcisse slowly approached you in a most tantalizing manner, the water dripping and glistening over every inch of his masculine form as if he had been slathered in baby oil as his cock gave you it's undivided and full attention.

"I'm a monster. Refume by unfortunate events and given breath by necessity."

You took a staggering step back, unable to breathe. Unable to break the animal magnetism radiating between your bodies until his pupils glowed of the sun once more, followed by a low emitted growl that vibrated through his adam's apple.

Gasping, you stumbled back and found yourself racing out the door and down the hall, constantly glancing behind you, expecting to once again see the melanistic monster with paws measuring the size of both your hands combined, charging after you, but instead, you ran smack dab into Charles as you turned the corner.

"My lady?!! You...you look a fright." the young warlock exclaimed as his arms clutched tightly around your waist.

"I..." you panted and swung your head around to see an empty quiet hall behind you. "I...oh gosh. Well now I am just embarrassed." you softly said as you released Charles while a handful of people he had been speaking with, all stared at you.

"I was just...in a hurry...that's all. I apologize for my clumsiness." you explained, glancing behind you once more.

"Are you sure that is all it is? It would seem as if you believed something were...chasing you?"

His eyes were concerned and confused and you had to wonder if Charles knew of his father's "condition", but you certainly were not going to ask in front of the all the eyes still upon you.

"Oh no, no. I just need to go refresh for this evening's gathering, so I...I will just be on my way now. I'll see you then."

You awkwardly smiled and quickly resumed your path but once you came to the end of the hall, Francis and Mary rounded the corner. As the King and Queen of Lake Town passed you, Francis had slowed his pace to lock his baby blues with yours once again. He also offered you a slight head bow and a subtle smile, then continued on his way to call out to his half brother Charles.

Out of curiosity, you stood by the exit to watch as Charles turned with a sizeable smile.

"Francis." he raved and gave a hand swaying bow to the golden haired King.

Francis skipped the formal greeting altogether and went straight to embrace his little brother as Mary kept her distance and watched as well.

You knew nothing really about Francis but from what you could see, he truly cared for Charles and vice versa.

The two stood and conversed, but not loud enough for you to hear, so after a moment, you turned to leave, only to be startled by Mary.

"Oh..my!" you halted and gasped as your hand planted onto your chest.

"Oh dear, my apologies. Forgive me. I did not mean to frighten you. I am Mary. And you are Queen Josephine of Mirkwood?"

"Y..yes...I.."

"I am sorry we did not have the chance to meet when you and your King were in Lake Town. My King and I were away on business. Luckily I suppose, considering the dragon's destruction. I would like to thank you for your aid in ridding of the foul creature and I...I offer you my...condolences over King Thranduil."

"Thank you." you simply and softly replied as your eyes fell.

Her eyes fell too as she fidgeted with her clasped fingers that laid upon the beaded bodice of her golden gown, that from the waist down, looked as if a thousand ducks had been plucked to assemble it. The girl was most likely no older than you with long waves of dark chocolate hair coordinating with her coffee hues and in them was a pool of true sorrow. Mary knew of the breath that Thranduil still took and may have been aiding her own King in Narcisse's blackmailing, but she was far from content with it. She did it only for the happiness of Francis so his mother could be free, even when she herself knew what Catherine was, for the two always clashed. No one was good enough for Catherine's son, whom Mary deeply loved. And because of that love, she couldn't even imagine what you must be going through.

"A...penny for your thoughts?" you asked the suddenly distant girl who you just realized probably did not even know what a penny was. "Oh...sorry. It's just...modern day currency where I'm from."

Mary's rosy lipped smile grew wide as she giggled. "Oh, I know what it is. My late father-in-law was the greediest man in all of middle earth. He traveled far and wide and had quite the colossal collection of riches, even pennies, which he had mounds of."

Well, that explained to you why Peter ended up there in his search for you and bought the emerald pendant from the abhorrent Alfrid just before Thranduil had captured him. If anyone was a greedy bastard, it was piggish Peter.

"I just...I feel terrible for what you have been through. Word travels far." she continued, then smiled again. "I'll take my penny now."

"Well." you smiled back. "If I come across one again, I will give it to you."

"That would be nice. I know they are not worth much, but to be gifted one from a beautiful Queen would be quite the treasure. It is nice to meet you Josephine. I hope we will see more of each other. I better tend to my husband. He and Charles seem to be in a disagreement of sorts."

You smiled and turned to see and hear the two young men quarreling and you knew exactly what it pertained to. Catherine being released, for Charles was greatly opposed to it and it was quite apparent that Charles had the better head upon his youthful shoulders when it came to her true colors.

"Just ask Josie! She'll tell you!" Charles shouted and motioned for you to come over.

"I do not need to hear her side, for it is not her decision." Francis firmly stated.

"And it is yours?? This is not your castle. It is my father's!"

"And he has agreed to free her. She is our mother Charles. She will not be treated like an animal! Why on earth would you side with the man who destroyed our family??"

Charles scoffed at his brother and quickly turned to you, where you stood hiding slightly behind Mary.

"Is this true?? Did my father agree to release her???" he asked in desperation.

"I...Charles...I'm..sorry. He...has and.."

"Unbelievable!" he snapped and spun back to Francis. "She coerced our sister into using black magic to kill a King vampire, which could have brought a war to our lands that we would surely lose and she also forced her into helping to poison a Lorien elf! And now our sister faces being banished from here with a newborn child!"

"Claude is a grown woman and made her own choices. She was not forced. She will be better off away from here anyways and to return with me to Lake Town, our home Charles! Where you should be as well."

"THIS is my home. I will go nowhere with you, nor will my sister!! You're as mad as our mother! I am going to go have words with my father!"

Charles stormed past you, but you grasped his arm. "Charles, no! I...umm, Narcisse...he's...he's in a bad way at the moment and I would not advise a confrontation. Trust me...please." you pleaded with worried but stern eyes which Charles seemed to understand.

He stiffened up straight and sighed as he lifted his chin to glare at Francis.

"I don't know what you have done to my father, but know this. This is far from over...brother."

Your heart was racing as Charles marched off, for you were praying he would heed your warning about Narcisse. Charles may have been merely 19 years old, but he was hot headed and certainly no push over, just like his father.

Francis turned to you with a smile, showing no sign of shame or regret over the dispute. It was as if it had not even happened.

"My lady. We have not been properly introduced. I am King Francis of Lake Town and I am honored to be in the presence of such beauty."

The audacious blonde bowed down, then took your hand and kissed it right on front of Mary, making you feel terribly awkward and bad for her.

You gently and politely as possible, slipped your hand out of his and forced a smile, when really, all you wanted to do was slap him.

"I...I am Josephine."

"Oh I know exactly who you are. A queen as well. It is such a shame to hear about your King. I suppose now I will have to confer with Legolas for our trades. Or maybe...I shall speak with you instead? I would greatly prefer that. Maybe over some dinner and wine?"

The words going through your mind at that moment were far from queen like. The nerve of this jackass...oh god, Josie, calm down. Breathe. You glanced at Mary, who remained silent with her head hung low, fidgeting again with her hands.

"It is King Legolas and he would be the one to speak business with is usually not discussed over dinner and wine."

The look in his blue eyes told you he was turned on by the way you shut him down.

"We can always skip the business then and just enjoy each other's company. In the meantime, I'll let you ponder on that. Mary...come. I must go see my mother now."

Francis walked off, not even waiting for Mary, so you quickly stopped her.

"I...I am so sorry for that. Please know, I..I would never..."

She softly smiled and took your hand. "It is alright. You are not his first conquest and certainly will not be his last. I..I must go."

As you watched her catch up to Francis, you wondered the same thing that Charles had asked...how did he get Narcisse to free Catherine? Off you then went as well, for you needed to speak to Lola about Stephane's past once more.

Lola was rocking Leean's cradle and singing softly to her when you arrived and you noticed her tears before she quickly turned away to wipe them.

"Lola?? Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes." she proclaimed as she turned with a smile. "Don't mind me. I was just thinking of my mother after we had spoke of her earlier. She used to sing to me and Leean really likes it. Even more so when you do it."

"I am so sorry Lola. I never meant to upset you. I...I miss my mother too. Well, the one I used to know as a child wearing rose colored glasses. Lola, I don't mean to change the subject but...when we spoke of Narcisse earlier, you said there was a time when he was different? Could you elaborate a little more on that because...something is very wrong with him. It's like....it's like there are two of him."

"Yes, that is kind of how he was from what my mother told me. Not kind at all and he dressed much differently. Robes and such, mostly of a scarlet red. Longer hair, dark as coal and his scent was different as well...kind of like..."

"Pepper??" you abruptly interrupted.

"Y...yes? I believe so."

You paced about for a moment in deep thought, fidgeting with your own hand, for it was itching something awful, then you stopped to look at her.

"You're certain it was Narcisse and not a...twin? I know you said before that you did not believe him to have any other brother but Bash, but you were just a child. It's just that... he told me something once that is not adding up now."

"I suppose I cannot be certain. I never saw or knew the Narcisse my mother described and he..."

"He what?" you asked when Lola had paused in thought.

"Well, he...he went by some other name too, I...suppose there could be a twin? If so, he surely never speaks of him. There's only one other person that would most likely know. His brother...Bash."

"Was the name...Lord Rahl??"

"I...yes. Yes, that sounds right. I think it was?"

That is where you would head next, to Bash, for now you were worried that if there was an evil dark twin like Stephane had told you there was, was he the one you had just encountered?? Had he done something with the real Narcisse and taken his place?? Because Lola confirmed the scent of pepper and that is exactly what you smelled. Although Stephane told you that he killed Rahl, it was certainly possible he was brought back by Jareth. OR...were Narcisse and Rahl the same entity? Holy shit.

"Lola..I...I have to go. I..I will see you and Leean tonight for the dinner party and I want you both to stay at Legolas' side. I will find him and send him back here to get you."

As you turned to go refresh, Lola gasped.

"Josie?? Your hand...it's bleeding!"

You also gasped as your eyes gaped at the blood trickling down your fingers.

"Owww, god." you groaned as you quickly squeezed a cloth into your fist, then sat down, for you suddenly felt dizzy and overheated.

"What happened?" Lola asked as she promptly brought you a pitcher of healing water, then sat beside you to help clean the wound.

Not wanting to tell her the whole story just yet until you spoke to Bash, you decided to fib...just a little.

"I..uh...broke a mirror earlier and...cut my hand when I was cleaning it up."

Lola pried open your clenched fist and removed the cloth.

"Oh my. Josie, that's pretty deep and looks...possibly infected."

It did. The gash was slightly blackened around the edges and it burned, and strangely, even more so when Lola patted it with the water soaked cloth.

"Mmmmph." you flinched. "I'm sure it will be fine after I soak it for awhile."

"Maybe you should have the healers look at it? You...you seem a bit pale."

If only Thranduil were here, you thought as tears stung your eyes. He would heal you right up with one touch of his soft magical hand.

"I'm alright. The sight of blood has always made me feel queasy."

The dizziness seemed to have passed, so you took the pitcher into the wash room and filled the sink basin, then held your breath as you submersed your hand. Five seconds was all you could withstand before you had to abruptly withdraw.

"Jesus!" you cringed and then noticed a sizzling effect on the cut of both sight and sound.

"It's like it's fucking holy water. I should be asking YOU Narcisse or whomever you are, what YOU did to me??" you complained under your breath while you angrily wrapped and secured a clean dry cloth around your hand.

"Lola, if Leggy comes back while I'm gone, tell him I went to speak to Bash and that I will be back soon. We can all go to the dinner together. Keep this door locked until then. it is to only be opened for myself or Legolas. If Narcisse happens to show up, you tell him, through the door, that I am not here and that Leean is sleeping so he'll go away."

"Through...the door? Josie...what is going...."

You were out the door and rushing down the hall before she could finish. One way or another, you had to find out the truth because it now seemed that danger not only lurked outside of the castle walls, but still remained inside of them as well.

"Bash!" you loudly whispered against his chamber door as you briskly tapped upon it. "I need to speak to you again. It's urgent."

"It's open." he called to you.

Upon your swift entry, you found Sebastian leaning against the wall by the open balcony doors, looking as if he had seen a ghost. Had he?

"Bash?? Is something wro...."

You froze solid as you came into view of the dead blackbirds scattered about the terrace floor. Slowly, you walked past him with wide eyes to get a better look, praying one of them was not your Freddy, the ridiculous name Garrett had given your crow over his Scooby Doo fetish.

As you visually searched through the feathered carcasses, you soon sighed heavily in relief because they were all too small to be your faithful friend.

"Bash...w..what caused this??"

"Mayhem and death. Birds fall from the sky when evil witches like him are near."

"Him?? Are you speaking of Harker?"

You had only known Bash for merely 2 months, but in that short time, you could tell he was a warlock warrior who feared nothing, not even Harker who had almost killed him...but in that moment, he looked absolutely terrified. And he was, for he had all the answers you sought and although it was a secret to have never escaped his lips, Bash knew this time, he had to tell you and later face the consequences.

"No...my..brother."

"Narcisse...did this?"

"Rahl." he simply stated with a horrified stare into your eyes.

"So....Narcisse does have a twin." you whispered as you clutched your burning hand. "Bash...I...he told me he was dead but...I think this Rahl was one of the many Jareth has conjured back from the dead with that spell and I think he has done something with Stephane!!"

"Twin? There is no twin. My brother Stephane and Rahl are very much one and the same." Bash verified and then glanced at the dead birds. "The only difference is that everything Stephane is, Rahl is the opposite of."

You had to sit down. You knew this was a possibility, but to have it be validated was overwhelming. Stephane had what you would know as...D.I.D. Dissociative Identity Disorder, otherwise known as a split personality or an alter...but who was the true identity? At least now you knew Stephane wasn't being held captive somewhere...or dead.

"So...he...he lied to me..."

"Wouldn't you? Lie about it? It's not something he is proud of, nor did he want it. Rahl has done evil things, like Harker and Jareth. Some he recalls, some he does not and Stephane is ashamed and certainly would not want you of all people to know, in fear of what you would think of him. My brother was never perfect. He had his own bad side when he was crossed. You've seen it. He punishes the evil, but he is not a cold blooded killer like Rahl."

"I...I suppose I understand that, for I was able to talk him out of doing some horrible things and I don't feel I would have succeeded if he did not have goodness in him. I..I'm just trying to process all of this. Referring to one body by two different names. I know it's a real thing, I just have never encountered it."

"Rahl is his second given name, after our father. Our father, who I believed caused the split by making him do despicable things as an adolescent. Stephane wanted to be good...of light. Not dark like our father, but our father expected more from him, being the oldest and he placed a very heavy weight on him to follow in his footsteps and that's exactly what Rahl did."

"He...he told me Rahl had your father killed, by that man Stephane fought and killed in the gambling tournament to the death."

"Yes, but it didn't quite go as planned. That man, Theodore, was his good friend whom he met because of Catherine. He was her husband, King Henry's brother. Rahl tricked Theodore by morphing into Stephane's image and offered him a very large sum of money to kill our father. He was full of greed just like Theo, so he knew he could get him to do it and not have to get his own hands dirty, possibly due to his subconscious, which I think was Stephane trying to fight him. But that quickly changed. Before Theo arrived that night, an argument revealed the our father had killed our mother and despite his blackened heart, Rahl loved our mother, so he killed our father first. Stephane didn't remember it right away. I think the trauma caused the memory lapse and when he did recall the events years later, that's when he set out to kill Theodore and end Rahl himself. As I said, our father did terrible things and made him do the same, but to Stephane, he was still our father whom he did everything to please....and he hated himself for what he had done, although sometimes I wonder if Stephane possibly wanted our father dead too. It would be a lie if I said I did not have similar feelings. I still stood by my brother though, because I knew of the things our father made him do. I tried to help him but I could never get through to him. There was nothing I could do. Rahl was too strong and powerful, even more so than Stephane. I never blamed Stephane for the things he had done. It wasn't his fault. I believed his hand was forced and his mind was ill."

"And he did all this for the crown? Stephane said his father didn't want Rahl to have it."

"He did at one time, but that was before he noticed the new change in him, the good side, the real Stephane, the one before our father's dark influence consumed him at a young age, altering his mind and that's when things went sour. Two others knew about his condition. One being your father Julian who tried to help him. That book you seek, the one Julian has hidden, it has the spell to lock the alter away in his mind and it also has the power to release him. Your father banished Rahl before he hid the book away to keep it out of Jareth's and other evil one's hands....including your mother's....because your mother, Caroline, who was the other with the knowledge of my brother's illness...she's the reason our father was killed."

"Wait...w..wh..what????"

"When Julian took Ashmole from his mother Jadis to undo Jareth's death, Caroline got her hands on it temporarily. When your father unknowingly slept with her twin Carrie, she punished all who knew and kept it from her and that included my brother. She brought the darkness of Rahl out of Stephane to a diabolical head... in a way no one had ever seen and hence, Darken Rahl was born. More wicked than our father could perceive. More wicked than he. Our father believed he would destroy all he had built and he denied him his right to the throne, so Rahl chose to take it, which is why Stephane has never called himself a King. In Rahl's short years of reign, even then he strangely was addressed as Lord Rahl, for again, I believe Stephane was somewhere inside of him, very much aware."

"God...my mother, even dead, still destroys people's lives. I've always known there are many things I don't know about that she's done and I'm sure this is only a fraction of it and...."

It just hit you. Something that you should have realized long before.

"Oh dear god Bash."

He tilted his head and stepped towards you with questioning furrowed brows.

"My lady?"

"My mother! What if Jareth....could he have brought her back as well?? And could she have awoken Rahl again?? She wouldn't need the book, for I am certain she would remember the spell...or...or did Jareth wake him up???"

"I suppose either or both are possible, but I hope for your sake, your mother was not one of the resurrected. I have never met her but her wicked reputation certainly precedes her in all of middle earth."

"Damn it. Why did my father have to go back for those pages?? Harker would never have gotten his hands on them if it weren't for that and my father would not have been converted to darkness. So now, what do we do about all of this without the book?? Because if you know about Rahl, then surely you must know about his animal form, the fucking gigantic jaguar I encountered earlier."

"You saw that?? That means....he is closer to surfacing than I realized."

"I not only saw it, I was scratched and it burns like hell. I tried the healing water, but it intensified the burn." you explained as you held your bandaged and trembling hand out.

Bash tried to hide his growing concern as he took your hand to look it over, but the light tremors in his fingers told on him.

"The water won't help it. It's like adding fuel to the fire. His claws are poisonous and his bite is venomous, both like no other. As I said, Rahl and Stephane are opposites even if they share the same body. Rahl propels poison, Stephane repels it. The Rahl that Stephane created is not the Rahl your mother conjured in the past and the one brought forth now will only be 3 times worse. It's like a pain scale of mild, moderate and severe."

"Third time is definitely not a charm. So what is it going to do to me?? And how do I get rid of it...and is that even possible?? Stephane, he repels poison yes, well, except mine for some reason, possibly because it was not him I cast the silverbane upon??...and his peppermint scent...it heals poison. He healed me from the dark forest and from wolfbane, so can he not heal me??"

"The question is...will he? Unless you can get Stephane to resurface, there is not much time before you will suffer vivid hallucinations and pain, and your powers will be completely useless. You will also be at Rahl's mercy. You will need Delphine, a witch doctor, for she has the only known antidote. She resides near the city. After the party tonight, I will go and try to locate her. She doesn't trust anyone but me."

"Stephane...he...he was still himself...right after he shifted back and realized what happened and what he had done. He was extremely worried for me...but then...his personality quickly began to change and when I last saw him, well...he was definitely not himself."

"The rapid change...It's because of the shift. After the cat appears, he is all Darken Rahl."

"It's my fault. I...I accidentally brought the beast out by shocking him...god...I need Garrett!! He can heal me, I know it. BUT...he is off doing who knows what with his former mate that Jareth revived. Bash, you must be very careful. Her shock is far worse than mine and let's not forget Harker and what he has already done to you. And I know Aragorn, Bard and Gimli went looking for Haldir, but please, if you see him, tell him I'm so sorry and that I miss him."

"I will...Josie...It's not your fault. You couldn't have possibly known. I will find Delphine and I will even be on the lookout for Garrett and the newly remodeled Kate. I will tell him you need him. I do not fear her nor Harker. Stay close to Legolas this evening and I will keep my eye on my brother. You should go now, before he finds you in here again."

After you left, you went back to your room to find a note from Lola on the vanity stating she, Legolas and Leean went to the dining hall to wait for you and that Boromir was anxious to speak with you. You had forgotten all about him and that he had come all the way there to inform you of something quite urgent, almost dying in the process.

You then went to the dresser to find some lace gloves to conceal your hand and as you did so, you caught your reflection in the mirror. Tears instantly formed at the mess you had become. Not on the outside, but the inside. It was a moment when you had felt more alone than you ever had.

You had to turn away, for you feared you would see Garrett again and you didn't need to be reminded, as if you'd ever forget, that he abandoned you and chose to be with a demon summoned from hell. All you had now were Leggy and Lola. All were gone, even Narcisse...even your letter to Thranduil that mysteriously vanished and you really wanted to read it again to feel close to him.

You sat on the bed, lost in the thought of your King, for he is all you truly wanted...and that's when the full blown tears came.

"Thranduil?? My love.." you squeaked. "I...I don't feel you anymore and I'm scared. I'm so scared and I'm lost and...I'm in trouble and I...I just need you...please...somehow, please come back to me...please my King, come ba...."

You loudly gasped and sprung to your feet and your heart paused and dove into your gut when you realized something else. Something horrifying, yet miraculous. Something even you wanted to do once.

Your words then came flooding out of you, choking away your air.

"Oh my god...could Jareth have done it?? Is...Thranduil alive too????"

@redeemer46

[soubi122]

Sweet Dreams - PT 3 End

It took me forever to finish this and I apologize, I had to scrap and redo this story line so many times because I wasn't happy with it. Finally, I'm happy with it.

Happy Halloween my loves! I hope you enjoy.

Mini series featuring our OG Tenjiku men. All characters are aged up. Our Tenjiku men are...INCUBI!

NO MINORS - MDNI!

Warnings: smut, m!oral, fingering, unprotected sex, thigh riding, monster fucking (kind of....maybe...), slight angst at the end, death. Sorry if I missed anything!

PT 1, PT 2

Dinner Is Served

You were scrambling around the grocery store trying to look for something to put together for dinner tonight. Izana asked you to surprise him, so there really wasn’t any indication of what he wanted to eat. While standing in the aisle, you were scrolling down a list of recipes. A large hand was placed over your shoulder and you squeaked in surprise almost dropping your phone. Spinning around to face a tall figure, you see Mucho behind you. His large frame and threatening presence would have anyone else quivering but you relaxed and smiled at him. “Ready for tonight?” His smirk was poking fun at you, you looked flustered - he saw a distracted female figure when he was passing by the aisle. He knew it was you by your scent - it was imprinted on him. 

“I um-no.” You sigh in defeat as your shoulders hung low. It was hard, you wanted to make something delicious, you wanted him to like your cooking, you wanted him to be satisfied and not force himself to eat something he doesn’t like. “Help me.” You say in almost a plea, you clung on to his arm - he was thrown off by your sudden actions. He had to make sure that he didn’t accidently lure you. Nope, it was all you. “What the hell are you doing?” Another voice questioned you two from down the aisle. It was Mochizuki - he was concerned that Izana might pop out of nowhere and see this little private moment. You turned to look at him and ran to cling on to his arm as well while dragging Mucho behind you. “Help me Mochi, please!” It was the funniest thing to see a tiny little thing haul two of the tallest Tenjiku members around like they were ragdolls. “I don’t know what to make for him tonight, what does he like? What does he eat? IS there something I need to steer clear from?” You were going on and on with questions that you hardly notice Shion now in the mix. Well, that is until you felt a hand on your lower back. Now you had three men being dragged around with you at the grocery store. They ended up carrying your groceries and accompanying you back home. 

You thanked them and promised them a dinner or favor in return for their help today. The coy smirks on their faces hinted at taking you up on that favor. 

You began prepping and decided to take a risk - it was something foreign and yet it was a comfort food that reminded you of a trip abroad. By 18:30, Izana was already at your doorstep and proceeded to ring the doorbell. “Coming!” He could hear you yell from the other side of the door. When you opened the door, you were taken back by the small bouquet of flowers that he held in his hands. “Couldn’t come empty handed…” He said with a playful tone on his tongue. They were beautiful, red azaleas (rhododendrons) - their color stood out against the black button up he was wearing and oldly matched his earrings. “Thank you, they are gorgeous.” You said and smiled, he could almost see the hearts in your eyes when you took them. It made him chuckle, some women really do like the simpler things in life - all his past playthings usually looked disappointed to receive flowers, they wanted extravagant gifts. After stepping inside, you set the flowers in a glass vase with water and guided him to the kitchen. 

“I hope you don’t mind eating something rather light for tonight.” You say while setting the table. Izana’s eyes trailed up and down your figure as you walked back and forth between the kitchen and the table. The midi skirt and button up blouse made you look so innocent, a stark difference to how you are in your dreams. “Need help?” His voice was almost in your ear and made you gasp. He was leaning over you to take a look inside the pan and smiled when you looked up at him. Those cute little doe eyes of yours were making it hard for him to keep his composure. How could you stay so calm around them? Was it that you were already used to their presence? “Sure, wanna get the drinks? I have wine, water and soft drinks.” Oh you just sealed your fate, he opted for wine and he knew just which bottle to grab when he opened your cabinet. The bottle of Barrel X Riesling paired well with tonight’s dinner. 

Finally, it was time to eat. Izana had already poured the wine and took a seat at the table, he smirked at you when you set his plate down - you were in for it. There was a slight nervousness that bubbled up, you were confident of your cooking skills but cooking for someone else was rare. “I hope you’re ok with it, please let me know if you don’t and I can try making something else or we can go out for dinner instead-” He cut you off with a chuckle, “This is fine, I’m sure it will taste great.” You were waiting for him to take the first bite, you wanted to see his facial expression - would he like it? It was as if everything was going in slow motion, your eyes were focused on his lips. The moment his mouth wrapped around the utensil you braced yourself for impact. There was almost a glow in his eyes, he took a second bite and then a third. Izana was eating your food.

“Where did you learn to cook like this? It tastes amazing.” He says with a cheeky smile. The stress melted away, you were glad he liked it. “I watched a lot of cooking shows as a kid and fell in love with food - please try it with the wine.” You suggested and began to eat. Small conversations about work and life made their way to the table. Things were going smoothly, well that is until you felt the warmth of the wine creeping up your cheeks. After dinner, you began to set the plates in the sink and Izana offered to wash the dishes for you but you refused - that’s why you have a dishwasher. Leaving them in the sink was just to avoid spending time arranging the dishes, you wanted to spend time with him. 

Throughout the night there were subtle hints, you both took a seat on the couch while sipping on the rest of the wine. For some background noise, you turned on the TV and just let it run on a random channel. Curiosity began to gnaw at you, his scent was intoxicating and made you feel rather lightheaded. “So, how do you like living in this cozy little neighborhood?” You ask while taking a sip. Izana smiled and leaned back into the couch. “I like it, it's nice, not too far from public transportation, I have a really amazing neighbor…” Wait, what? Was he referring to the woman who was all over their place when they first moved in? There is a woman on the opposite side of Izana's place that loves to…well, be more than just a neighbor. You don't blame her, the men next door are handsome, it's not like they are yours. “Ah, are you referring to the lady in 311?” You ask, there was a tinge of disappointment on your tongue. He chuckled. “Yeah, she's nice.” Oof, did that sound rather sarcastic? 

“You idiot, I’m talking about you.” Izana said and leaned in close to you. The sudden action made your heart pound. “(Y/N), I don’t know what you are but you…draw us in.” He said and cupped your cheek. There was a glow in his eyes that made warmth pool between your legs. His breath fanned your lips and the light scent of alcohol made you slowly lean in. Both of you had shaky breathing, the anticipation was killing you both - as your lashes fluttered and your eyes closed…

“Breaking news this evening! Two women’s bodies were found in an abandoned building. Police say that this is a growing problem in the area of Yokohama.” The sound of the TV caught your attention, making you pull away from Izana. Fuck, he was so close! “(Y/N)...” He said and tried to catch your attention. “Did you hear that? I think this is the fourth body this week.” You say and raise the volume. Damn, did you just…ignore his lure? “The women have been identified as (x female) and (y female).” The announcement made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. However, Izana looked just as concerned as you did. Something wasn’t right. “Oh my god.” You say and clasp your hands over your face. Izana turned to look at you, the look of pure shock and fear plagued your beautiful features. 

They were women that worked in the same office building as you. “(Y/N)...did you know them?” Izana asks carefully. Turning to look at him, the look in his eyes was sincere with a glint of concern. You shook your head, they were only people you would say good morning to when you caught the elevator together. “No, but they worked in the same building as me. I would see them every day...how awful.” As the news broadcast continued, they revealed that they were last seen with two men. The description was vague but something didn’t sit right. Something…something just sounded a little too familiar. Trying to ease your mind Izana lowered the volume and cupped your hands in his. Bringing them up to his lips, he kissed them and spoke softly. “If you want, one of us can meet you at the station or even at work.” He was being genuine, the increasing amount of violence in the downtown areas were concerning, not even Tenjiku could control the outer borders despite their size and strength. New gangs were beginning to pop up to try and take over Yokohama and the Shibuya areas. Though he could give two shits about Shibuya or Shinjuku - it would eventually become an issue for Yokohama if those gangs bleed on Tenjiku turf. 

For a moment you felt your heart skip, Izana just made you realize that he kissed your hands and was oh so close. Blush dusted your face and heat began to spread through your body. Looking up to meet his eyes, you felt it… That uncontrollable desire to lean in and close the distance. His lips curved into a smile, his eyes seemed to drown you in anticipation and his touch felt like fire. “I won’t let anyone hurt you…” He whispered and slowly closed the distance between your faces. The closer he got, the more warmth pooled in places that yearned to be touched. Izana’s orbs seemed to glow the more you looked into his eyes. You hardly noticed his hands caressing your cheek, it only became apparent when he pulled you in to place a kiss on your plush lips. He tasted like sweet wine and sin. 

His kiss felt like electricity, the single spark lured you like a moth to a flame. Izana nibbled on your bottom lip, he wanted for you to give him permission to taste you. With a soft moan, you parted your lips and granted him access. Even though he’s kissed you in your dreams, it didn’t feel the same as it did now - this was truly heaven. Soft moans bled through the passionate kisses, you could barely breathe. His arms were snaking their way around your body and left trails of fire. 

Trying to speak between kisses you end up moaning for him. “Izana… Mhn…” His tongue kept overwhelming yours - he was giving you goosebumps. Your hands made haste and quickly undid the buttons of his shirt. He was just too hard to resist right now. What am I doing? I can't stop myself. You think to yourself as you run your hands along his chest. He was toned and the moment you lowered yourself to place kisses on his chest you were hit with his scent. It was like a neurotoxin that kept altering your train of thought. That rich grapefruit, tuberose and cedarwood had you under a spell. “(y/n), if we go any further… you might not live to see tomorrow.” Izana's tone was heavy as he pants and cups your face, tilting your head upwards to meet his eyes. The only things reflected in your orbs were lust, hunger and just a tinge of fear. The fear stemmed not from what he said but from what you're feeling. You’ve never felt like this before, you wanted him… Bad. 

“Izana… I want you.” You manage to say while dipping your hands south to his zipper. The glow in his eyes seemed to get brighter as you unzipped his pants and reached for his member. His breath hitches at the warmth of your hands, his member was twitching and throbbing as you gaze upon it. Hungry eyes were devouring every vein, every inch and every drop of precum that leaked from his tip. It's as if you were hypnotized, the hearts in your eyes only grew bigger as your hand stroked him and his essence dripped down his slit. It was heavy in your hands, everything that a girl could ask for - length, girth, a red flushed tip. Without even asking him, your tongue took one long and slow swipe from the base of his cock to the very tip. Tasting him and basking at the sweetness that coated your tongue you moaned softly, Izana didn't want you to stop. “Oh fuck, (y/n)...” He moaned out your name and lightly bucked his hips. Who would have known that the sweet and shy girl next door was a minx? 

The moment you took his length in your mouth he threw his head back in pleasure. You could feel your panties sticking to your folds. Without warning you took him deeper into your mouth, his tip was hitting the back of your throat and he let out the sweetest moan. You had no control of yourself, the intoxication was beyond your understating - desire kept burning the threads of self-control. To be honest, if someone were to walk in on you two now - it would look like you were holding him hostage. 

Izana’s hand ran through your hair, stopping at the base of your neck and gripped it. His moans were getting louder as you bobbed your head, tasting him nice and slow. “Ngh…such a good girl…” He barely manages to say when you swirl your tongue over his tip. His chest heaved and his heart was pounding nonstop, the love and attention you were giving his cock was making him fall in love. Who would have known that you were hiding such…talents. As you gazed up at him, you could see his eyes were at half mast, glossy and filled with lust. 

Stroking his member as you sucked had his thighs quivering. He’s always been the one to break the other person but here he was on the verge of making you swallow his seed. Locking eyes with him only made you go faster, his gorgeous expressions and reactions made you almost melt. Silver strands were sticking to his face and his hips were beginning to thrust into you. There was just no way to stop yourself, Izana just tasted so good and you had no intention of stopping just here. “Ahn…fuck.” Izana moans out loud as he feels your tongue massaging his length. His stomach would flex each time you hit a sensitive spot and you wanted to see him finish. You needed him to finish in your mouth, to feed you everything he’s got. 

Each time his tip hit the back of your throat, you’d moan and clench instinctively. Izana’s lewd whimpers were making fire in your belly. To see him in this state was priceless. Those beautiful long white lashes were fluttering, his eyes were glossy, his lips parted - he looked so gorgeous that you thought it was all a dream. “Just like that (Y/N), just like that…oh fuck” He moans, you could feel the rumbling in his chest when your hand kept him pinned down on the couch. Picking up the pace, you hollow your cheeks and stroke him - adding more pleasure to his already sensitive cock. The vibrations from your moans had Izana lightly bucking his hips, he wanted you to devour him whole. For once a human was making him see stars. 

“(Y/N)...I’m gonna cum…” Izana says while pulling you impossibly close to him. He threw his head back and his vision went white as his coil snapped and feral moans were escaping his pretty lips while his essence was going down your throat. Never have you tasted anyone so sweet. There was so much that his cum was dripping down the corners of your mouth. Thick white ropes dripped down your chin to the floor. After draining him, he released you and his member came out of your mouth with a ‘pop’. Licking your lips, you indulged in his taste - he was addicting. 

His chest was heaving as he was coming down from his high. You remained on your knees waiting for him like a good girl to be given praise or instructions on what to do next. Izana slowly opened his eyes, he was in a daze. Without a second thought, he pulled up off the floor and sat you on his lap. “I warned you…” He said in a low and heavy tone. He was making you puddy in his hands. His hands slipped under your skirt and in between your thighs. Izana could feel lace and oh how the slick dripped down his knuckles when he thrusted two fingers inside you. All this excitement from just giving him head? He loved it, you were different from other women, you were burning with desire. Your hands wrapped themselves around his neck and your lips crashed into his. The kiss was hungry and rough, biting his lip only made him thrust quicker and deeper. Beads of sweat were rolling down the sides of your faces, the heat created in this space fogged up the windows and the room was thick with sin. 

A jolt of pleasure was felt when he pressed his palm against your clit. The sweetest moan escaped your throat. “You wanna cum, my little dove?” Izana’s tone was low and coy, he was sending shivers down your spine and making your thighs quiver. With a shameless nod you proceeded to grind your hips into his palm. His left arm pulled you closer and held you in place so that you couldn’t move your hips. You tried to move your hips but he did not budge, making you whimper and pout. “Answer me, (Y/N).” His menacing tone and piercing eyes made a knot in your stomach, you were about to cum just from hearing him talk to you like this. “Y-Yes! I want to cum!” You answer him pathetically and whine. Desperation was clawing at you, you needed release, you needed to satisfy the urge…you needed him. 

Izana withdrew his fingers from your dripping cunt and popped them into your mouth. “Suck…” He demands and tears begin to line your waterline, you looked upset - you wanted his fingers inside you. When you proceeded to clean his digits, he forced your hips down onto his thigh. That glow in his eyes returned and he began to move your hips, grinding your heat against his thigh. “What’s wrong, love? You wanted my fingers to make you cum?” He says teasingly and smirks at you. Izana’s demeanor changed, he was being cruel but you couldn’t help but savor it. You hum in response, a subtle yes. “Or maybe… you wanted something more?” He teases you. Quickening the pace of your hips, your eyes gloss over and drool begins to drip down your chin. He chuckles coyly and drinks in your expressions, you were caught between no - out of shame and yes out of desire. 

Riding his thigh, you could feel your coil tighten and knots in your stomach - you were desperate. The hand that was on your hips moved north to your chest and popped the buttons of your blouse. To see the lacey bra you had on gave him an idea that you were looking forward to this more than he was. “Aww, for me? You shouldn’t have.” His brazen tone had stars forming in your vision. When he pulled the cup down, he toyed with the pebbled nub and licked his lips. Barely being able to keep it together, your hips couldn’t stop - he felt the slick seep through the cloth. Just a little more and you’d make a mess all over him. “Tell me… are these the types of dreams you’ve been having with them? Hmm?” Oh he hit the nail on the head. These were in fact the types of dreams you’ve been having with each Tenjiku member. Whether it was the Haitani Brothers, Shion, Mucho, Mochi or Kakucho - your body craved their touch. Some dreams were innocent with kisses and light groping - others were a little more illicit. However, the thing was that to you they were innocent wet dreams. For them, it was as real as the sun and moon. 

Your blush deepened. The moment you were to shake your head no, Izana stuck his fingers further down your throat, making you gag around them. “No? You haven’t been having wet dreams about us?” He was humiliating you and putting you on the spot. The tears streaming down your face only further lit the fire inside him. The arm that pulled the lace cup down, returned to its original position and wrapped itself around your waist. Pushing you down harder against his thigh, he shifted a little on the couch - raising his knee. It’s at that moment that you felt a jolt of electricity. He leaned in to kiss your chest and traced his tongue around your nipple, the cool air gave you goosebumps. When he began to suck and lightly bite down, your vision went white and your moans got louder and louder, they were almost screams of pure bliss and pleasure. Izana had you cumming like never before, your body felt ecstasy for the first time. 

His whole thigh was soaked in your juices. Your body slowed it pace and then stopped, Izana had to help steady you - you were so close to collapsing. The pounding in your chest was so loud that you couldn’t hear him, his muffled voice slowly got louder and louder. “(Y/N)?” You could barely respond to him, he noticed how dazed you were and nuzzled his face into your chest to listen to the sound of your heart beating. “We should stop…” He pouted and held you close. Knowing that he could end your life if he keeps going, Izana decided it was best not to go any further. As much as he wanted to feel your tight cunt clench around his length, he didn’t wanna hurt you and wanted to keep seeing you. 

Weakly pouting, you beg him to fuck you. You beg him to put his length inside you. "N-no! Please, Izana…." You almost cry pathetically for him. What was wrong with you? You've never felt so needy for someone before, you were desperate for him and hearing him say those words made your chest hurt. The fire in your eyes only made it harder to resist the urge, Izana had to fight himself just to stand his ground. "We can't…" His whisper ended up pushing you to the edge. You cupped his chin and leaned in to place an ardent kiss on his lips. It was slow, sensual and full of desire. "Take me…" You say between kisses and move hips over him - you were no longer straddling his thigh. Feeling his member harden between your folds sent a shiver down your spine. The slow grind of your hips had his member  throbbing, it needed attention now too. 

Izana couldn't fight it anymore. He picked you up and took you to your bedroom, through the darkness he navigated your home as if he’s been here before. The moment he laid you down, he backed away into the darkness to close the door while removing his clothes. He looked like an angel, the moonlight from outside made his white hair stand out. When he was out of the light, you began to remove your clothing, excitement clinged on your every fiber. "I will miss you, (Y/N)... You're the one I didn't want to kill…" Being spellbound was no joke, you were too dazed to even comprehend what he said. As he emerges from the dark and into the moonlight, curved horns, fangs and wings now adorned his body. This was a first, showing his true form to you, even in dreams they remained in human form so that you wouldn’t fear them. However it only made you crave him even more. Izana crawls on top of you and hovers over you, he leans in, letting you gaze upon him, he was indeed still as beautiful as ever. "Are you afraid?" He asked and nuzzled his nose into your cheek. There was a small sense of dread inside him, he didn't want you to fear him, he wanted you to love him in his true form. 

Caressing his face, your hands slowly make their way up to touch his horns, Izana flinches and closes his eyes in fear. Their texture was a little rough, you’ve never in your wildest dreams thought that fairytales and folklore like this would be true. Then it hit you. Your internet search for an explanation of the bruise like spots on your body came up with Incubi as one of the reasons. Your giggle made him open his eyes, the look on your face wasn’t of fear it was euphoric. The smile on your face confused him, did he break you or was this a moment before tragedy? “This explains the bruises on my skin when you first moved in.” Relief washed over him, this wasn’t the reaction he was expecting but he welcomed it. “Izana…you're beautiful.” Your confession made his heart skip a beat - for the first time in his life, he was called beautiful in his true form. “Are the others also…” You ask shyly. He hums a yes and begins to kiss your neck, his length would twitch and throb between your legs with each open mouthed kiss. There was no hesitation, no fear - only love and desire.

The moment his tip prodded your entrance, you felt the air snatched from your lungs, he was a lot to take in. “Ah…too big…” You whimper and clench the sheets. His hands searched for yours and he laced his fingers with yours, pinning them above you. Instinctively, your legs wrapped themselves around his waist and you braced yourself. “You can take me, right (Y/N)?” He says and hovers his face just above yours, those violet eyes were eating up your vulnerable expression. He knew he was going to put you in a word of pain with his next move. Izana reeled his hips back and thrusted his entire length inside your velvet walls. The immense pressure had tears welling in your eyes and you let out a loud moan. Trying to adjust to him was hard, he filled up your pretty cunt to the brim, you could feel the vein on his length and how it pulsed. Your walls clenched around him, wanting to spit him out but oh how it loved his cock bullying its way in. 

His right hand brought your wrists together and kept them pinned down while his left hand snaked its way down your waist and hips. He was going to keep your hips in place as he thrusted slow and hard. “Come on my little dove, you can handle it - it’s what you wanted, yeah?” Izana’s sultry tone had your mind muddled with sweet sin and pain. A string of curses escapes your lips as you moan and bite your lip, trying to hold in the scream that was building up - fuck he was making your legs shake already. Nothing could have prepared you for the wave of pleasure that was setting in. When you pouted and lifted your head to ask for a kiss, he smirked and pulled away, “Answer me, (Y/N).” Your needy whimper and shaky ‘yes’ made him smirk and he crashed his lips on yours. Your spine was tingling and your chest was filled with warmth, his affectionate kiss and movements were an express ticket to heaven. 

While distracted by the taste of his lips, you didn’t notice how his palm was now touching your lower abdomen. Well, that is until he pressed on it and you felt it, his cock was so deep that it was making belly bulge - you could hear him chuckle. When he pulled away so that you could catch your breath, he released your wrists and sat up on his knees. Izana looked like a prince - no, a king - who were you kidding? He looked like a fucking god. Being in such a heavy daze, you barely managed to hear him tell you to look down. Leaning up on your elbows, you take in the view and moonlight cascaded perfectly on your bodies. You could see his cock move in and out and how it created a belly bulge worthy of envy. 

Your eyes widened and he could tell it excited you, your cunt clenched around him the moment your eyes landed on your lower belly. Drool started to slip from the corner of your mouth, he was fucking you stupid and your body couldn’t handle it. Seeing you all fucked out, he couldn’t help but pick up his pace. He wanted to see you break. Izana’s rough pace, had you throwing your head back in ecstasy and bliss - you were no longer able to control it. Your moans grew louder and your chest was heaving, you were struggling to breathe. It felt as if the energy was being drained from you. “I-Izana! I’m gonna cum…oh god.” You moan and pant. The next thing you knew his lips were on yours, he was devouring you - he too became a moaning mess. You caressed his face and brought him in closer. “I’m gonna miss you my little dove…” He says between kisses and ferally grunts, his release as close. 

The unmistakable sensation ran down your spine and your vision went white. Your hands released him and gripped the bedsheets, you needed something, anything to hold on to. His hips stuttered as he painted your walls white. Both of you were left breathless and in a daze, your breathing slowed and he felt tears prick his eyes when he came down from his high. Your body stopped moving and felt limp. “...fuck.” Izana said as he pulled out and struggled to look up at you. “I’m sorry, (Y/N).” He said and rested his head into your chest and listened to the last beats of your heart. Izana realized that he had tears streaming down his face, this was a first - he’s never heard of any other incubi shedding tears after a meal. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at your lifeless body. It just looked like you were peacefully sleeping but he knew full well that you were gone. Even in death you remained beautiful. He brushed the hair away from your face and placed a kiss on your forehead. “Goodnight my love…” Izana says and leaves - he had to prepare his alibi and get the rest of Tenjiku to help him wash away all evidence that he was here. Nothing could prepare them for the aftermath of your death. 

END

Tags: @reiners-milkbiddies @anxious-chick

[vanfleeter]

In collaboration with @losfacedevil, comes a fantasy fan fiction story full of royalty, magic, the elements and seasons, brother bonds and turmoil amongst it all..

A kingdom made of four seasons seems to be thriving.. for now. After one of the princes is crowned king of the Spring realm, one prince loses his life. The turmoil between two brothers grow immensely larger while the four seasons try to work together to repair what the kingdom once was.

Disclaimers:

Only for 18 years and older. Warnings: Strong language. War. Battle. Death. Sexual activities. Blood. Intense situations. Hand-to-hand combat. Weapons--you name it, it's most likely going to be in there. Specific warnings will precede each part. Readers are encouraged to proceed at their own discretion. And as always, we do not own Greta Van Fleet. Every thing is pure fiction, anything written does not reflect each member.

Photo credit to owner, (Broken Bells video that we were never given..sadly). Graphics made by myself.

To be added to the general tag list, please comment or reblog!

🏹⚔️

Part 1 - Sam

Part 2 - Josh

Part 3- Jake

Part 4 - Danny

Part 5 - Danny

Part 6 - Josh

Part 7 - Jake

Part 8 - Sam

[greenandsorrow]

Headcanons for Samwise and Rosie meeting for the first time

I giggled when I saw this. I hope you'll like what I came up with for our sweethearts! 💛

Rosie lived with her family on South Lane, in a farm near Bywater. Her family had always been close to the Gamgees.

Sam was the youngest son of Hamfast Gamgee. He was the gardener of Frodo Baggins.

Everyone knows everybody in a place like Hobbiton. Consequently, Sam and Rosie were familiar with each other's faces long before they exchanged even a simple "good morning".

But that fact didn't make their first encounter any less exciting and nerve wracking.

Sam had always been in pure admiration of Rose Cotton. Her extremely curly hair, her extra puffy dresses... and not to mention the cheerfulness that she emitted while dancing, during the occasional event in the Shire.

He had a huge crash on her and the teasing jokes coming from Merry and Pippin -sometimes even from Mr.Frodo- only fueled his feelings for the young lass.

Unbeknownst to Sam but simultaneously luckily for him, Rosie saw in him a hardworking gentlehobbit. She was always kinder and faster to serve him when he would visit the Green Dragon.

But even with all that in mind, they had never actually met on a personal level.

It happened on a bright spring morning.

Rosie was out to fetch some fresh fish from the market. Sam was on his way to Bilbo's hobbit hole.

Sam's palms began sweating the moment she came in his field of vision.

Rosie's cheeks took a bright pink shade when she laid her eyes on him. One of her hands immediately went to fix her hair a bit.

Sam stuttered a greeting that was thankfully returned.

Rosie knew that the young hobbit was shy, something she found truly adorable, so she decided to take the initiative to ask him about his plans for the day.

Sam took this chance to talk to her with great enthusiasm.

He didn't want to admit it, but he always got jealous when other men talked to her at her work. It would make him feel insecure about his lack of courage to be the one to court her.

Not to insinuate that this was the only reason which made Samwise be so interested in miss Cotton.

Rosie was so lively and she liked flowers... just like he did. She could be a great company, a sun ray to warm up the coldest days of winter. Maybe she was the whole sun, at least in his eyes.

Their small talk wasn't of any importance if you were to view it as an outsider. To them however, it meant the whole world.

They were able to give permission to refer to each other more casually.

Samwise became Sam and Rose became Rosie.

The gardener even mastered up the courage to tell her she dances very gracefully.

Her giggle had made his knees go wobbly.

She returned the compliment in the best way possible...

"I saw how beautiful your peonies have gotten Sam. The whole village is talking about them!"

The goodbye that inevitably followed was awkward, but still sweet. Caution, shyness and eagerness all mixed together in a colourful haze.

A smile so wide it made their cheeks hurt was stuck with them for the rest of that day.

They just had to see each other again...

💛 tips are highly appreciated || masterlist

[swordgrace]

— 𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. 𐬾

→ I do not allow any translations of my work. I also do not allow redistribution onto other platforms, even if they're credited. My only other account is my AO3, slothinsocks.

→ If you want to be notified of my scenarios, I am no longer doing taglists. They are a lot of work and most of the people who asked to be tagged rarely interact with my stories. I now have a new sideblog ( @ — ) which will have updates and act as an archive for all of my works.

⚔️ 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬: 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 / 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

— LINKS ;

🛡️ rules & portrayals.

🛡️ requesting guidelines.

🛡️ archive of our own.

🛡️ other writing blog.

🛡️ ko-fi.

[bookish-rival]

Kiss under the gevran Mistletoe

Art by the amazing @gessueter and commissioned by the lovely @StardustSteph(Twitter) aka @leiaamidala

A short fanfic of Wren x Alarik from the books Twin Crowns, Cursed Crowns and Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber

Pairing/Ship: Queen Wren Greenrock, King Alarik Felsing

Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Rivals To Lovers, Fluff, Angst

Warning: Mention of characters death, cursing

Summary:

Queen Wren needed some fresh air during festivities held at Grinstad Palace, hosted by Royal Family of Gevra. While taking a stroll through the quiet hallways together, Wren and Alarik noticed a Mistletoe hanging above them. Wren is given a choice. To either kiss her mortal enemy (once again) or walk away, ignoring her growing feelings for him.

WARNING! This story takes place after the second book, so HUGE SPOILER ALERT FOR BOTH BOOKS!

———————————————————————————————————————

Hi!

This is my first EVER story I’ve written and posted here. The Twin Crowns series has captured my heart for some time now, and only after reading the second one did I start imagining my own stories for these characters.

The books are absolutely amazing! I cannot wait for the third and final book of this trilogy.

I therefore tried to come up with my own little scenario.

A few things in advance: This is my first fanfic I wrote and English is only my second language, so there might be a lot of mistake in there. I also used exact parts from the books to fill in the flashbacks, so if some parts sound familiar than that’s because it’s 100% copied from the books hahaha.

I also didn’t know how to set the scene and mood correctly, so it starts of with a fast summary of the books (so big spoilers) as it explains why Wren happened to be in Gevra once again. There’s a big jump into the story as the two were already walking together. I didn’t know how to start off, so if it feels a bit rushed I’m sorry.

Please show more support to the authors of this series and I hope that you will enjoy this little oneshot.

Have fun!

———————————————————————————————————————

The Christmas season is coming to a close and every year the royal family of Gevra holds a huge feast at Grinstad Palace to celebrate.

This year however, the Twin Queens of Eana, Rose Valhart and Wren Greenrock, as well as their best friend and strongest ally King Shen Lo of the Sunkissed Kingdom, have been invited as honorary guests by King Alarik Felsing of Gevra himself.

The cold hearted King of Beasts invited them after a long exchange of letters with the Queens.

Their last meeting included the second death of the King’s younger sibling, Prince Ansel.

After he died in Eana, Wren was forced to bring him back with forbidden blood magic which caused him to return as a living corpse more than a real resurrected human being.

After multiple attempts of warning King Alarik and his sister, Princess Anika Felsing, about the dangerous outcome, they later agreed on letting their brother rest in peace.

The Felsing siblings asked Wren to perform her healing magic to send Prince Ansel’s body in a peaceful slumber, but it didn’t work when she tried.

Later, her sister Queen Rose took on the task and gave the Prince the peace he wanted, and his family the peace they needed.

The exchange of letters with the Gevran King also involved a specific evil witch, that holds a dangerous threat to both their kingdoms. The festivities are a perfect chance to talk about forming an alliance to fight this threat together.

That’s why, even though the twin Queens feel a chill running down their spines just thinking about traveling to Gevra, they still accepted the invitation. Hoping to officially bury the hatchet with the icy realm and additionally, build an alliance between Gevra and Eana, as a gift to their people.

*End of Summary*

The King of Gevra, and the Queen of Eana left the noisy ballroom behind, as they walked through the hallways of Grinstad Palace.

Alarik suddenly stopped under a door arch, as he noticed something on the ceiling. He looked up amused.

“What’s so funny?” Wren said as she looked up suspiciously, trying to see what got the frost-hearted King’s attention.

At first she didn’t realize what she saw, but then she remembered the Gevran tradition, Princess Anika told her about. The so called ”Mistletoe”, saying two souls whom stand beneath one, will have to peck their lips or be cursed for life.

Wren mumbled swear words while nervously looking around if anyone can see them, hoping, even a tiny bit, that their privacy will be interrupted and her complicated flame of desire for the ice cold king wouldn’t develop and confuse her any further. Dammit. That’s exactly the reason, why she was avoiding private moments with him.

Suddenly, her head got clouded in the memory of the first and last kiss they shared.

The time they made out in the middle of her self made blizzard, outside of Grinstad Palace.

She remembers the moment Alarik smiled into the kiss, not being afraid of the witch in his arms or the blizzard at his back. Both trying to find release from their own grief, and finding it, in each others embrace.

She shock her head, trying to get rid of those memories before they overtake her actions.

Only after gazing back at the King’s face did she realize that she must’ve looked absolutely pathetic, looking around for people, turning all shades of red trying to distract from the mistletoe hovering above them.

“I am not kissing yo-“

“Too bad, it’s tradition.” King Alarik stepped foward, cutting her off. She immediately looked away trying to hide her red face.

Wren couldn’t take it, she was looking like a fool in this moment. Trying to get the upper hand in this, she took a stride towards him, facing him directly.

“Where’s your mother? I’d rather kiss her.”

A chuckle escaped his throat. “That’s very low. Even for-“

“A witch?” Wren crossed her arms.

“-you.” Alarik finished.

“Same thing.”

Another low chuckle. “You may be a witch, having your own kind of spells…”

Alarik glided even closer, making Wren tilt her head to look in his shining blue eyes.

“But……if you break a Gevran tradition, you’ll end up being cursed for life. Is that what you want?”

“….Are you blackmailing me right now?”

“Perhaps.”

“I feel honored, your Majesty.” Wren said while sarcastically curtsying to him.

“But with all my, none existing, respect for you… I will NOT be kissing you.”

A smirk came across her lips, thinking she finally turned the conservation around.

Alarik hummed in response.

”Oh don’t worry, your Highness…” His sarcasm mirrored her own.

”I never said anything about you having to kiss me.” He said while slowly decreasing the distance of their bodies, causing Wren to retreat backwards until her back hits the wall of the arch.

”W-What?” Wren hated how intimidated her voice sounded. Alarik was so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

”What made you think…” His right hand caressed her silvery strand of hair, until he reached her cheek. He wasn’t touching her cheek, his hand was just levitating beside her face. Wren could only feel a light touch, because her trembling would cause her face to slightly brush against his hand.

Her eyes darted to his left hand that had found itself gently placed on her waist, his thumb soothingly drawing circles over her skin, sending even more shivers up her spine.

”…that You will be the one initiating the kiss.” He whispers, almost afraid that someone will hear them, even though it was obvious that they were completely alone.

Wren’s eyes met his, immediately getting trapped in his gaze.

Once again the memory of their past kiss slipped itself into her mind.

She knew Alarik Felsing can kiss. His quiet ferocity to his passion, the way he held her tightly against him, how he angled her head to claim her mouth and the way she let him back then. The moment his lips seizing hers, the spark being ignited and them being consumed in its fire.

The Gevran King closed the distance further, pulling the Queen out of her thoughts. She slammed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the feeling of his soft lips against hers once again. Deep down feelings of uncertainty and guilt creeped up. But the touch of his lips never came.

She opened her eyes again, trying not to let any signs of disappointment from her gaze betray her feelings to him.

Alarik‘s eyes weren’t closed. They were mainly focused on hers, like he never closed them in the first place, making it seem like he never intended on kissing her at all.

Her confusion grew with every millisecond the King wasn’t moving.

The Gevran King, Alarik Felsing, was a powerful, selfish man. He could get everything he wanted, he could’ve captured her lips right then if he so desired and yet, here they were. Not kissing.

Just staring in each others eyes, as his hands continued to ghostly hold her waist and hair, not daring to capture her with more force. And additionally, Alarik didn’t show any interest of wanting to close the remaining distance. He did not move, and he was not going to move.

The Witch was held loosely in the embrace of the Icy King, free to step away from him and leave any building feelings for the King behind, or capture his lips herself, if she so desired.

Wren couldn’t believe it. Was he messing with her?

Was it all just a game? Finding the perfect time and spot to make her vulnerable and then mess with her? Slowly, but surely, the old feelings of anger and disappointment towards the cold-hearted King of beasts returned. Deep down Wren had a feeling that, sooner or later, Alarik would tease her about the heated kiss they shared in the past. It was obvious that he was gonna be the one who’d bring it up again. He enjoyed it, for some sick reason she doesn’t really wanna know.

But she didn’t enjoy it. She never wanted to kiss him. She hated him. They hated each other.

The blizzard of her confused feelings clouded her mind mind that day, she wasn’t thinking straight. The kiss was a mistake.

Her now furious eyes flickered at his gaze, trying to find some truth in his annoyingly shining blue pupils. Then, a sudden thought overtook her mind. The moment she threw herself at him in the heated moment, appeared before her.

It was snowing in the courtyard as they held each other, both screaming at each other, as Wren’s new magic created a snowstorm around them, pushing them closer, due to her emotions raging inside of her. Snowflakes landed all over their clothes, hair and a single one stopping on Alarik´s bottom lip.

“I hate you!“ Wren hissed. “I hate you more than anyone I’ve ever met!“

“And you think i care?“ Alarik sneered. “I hate you too.“

“Tyrant.“

“Brat.“ He shot back.

“Wretch.“

“Witch.“

“So what?!“ Wren’s gaze fell to that single snowflake on his lip.

Alarik held her face in his hands. Trying to hold her still and stop the blizzard going out of control around them.

“Wren.“ He said with a serious tone. “Stop. It.“

“Make. Me.“ And then, they were kissing.

Wren didn’t know why she licked the snowflake from his bottom lip. Or why he opened his mouth to seize the kiss. But it happened.

She initiated the kiss.

SHIT. She kissed him.

If not for that damn snowflake on his impeccable lips, it wouldn’t have happened. But it did. And now it was gonna happen again.

This time, however, she was thinking straight. She’s able to stop the kiss and the forming of any more complicated and uncertain feelings for the man infront of her. Guilt, grief, anger, frustration, disappointment. Those feelings were just a few snowflakes in the blizzard of suffering roaming inside her, at this time. Wren couldn’t stop the blizzard now, nor ever, she feared. But she is able to keep someone else from getting drawn into her storm.

She had to stop this. To protect herself, and him, from more complications between each other. To protect them both from another mistake.

“Too close…” Wren swallowed as she looked into his eyes.

She was sure that deep inside his gaze, was a spark of hurt and disappointment, before his eyes turned to an understanding look, as he slowly retreated his face from hers. Giving her space. When his hands left her body, she trembled from the lost feeling of his closeness.

This happened before.

She was broken. Too broken to see someone else’s feelings. Too broken to see her own feelings.

To see, to feel, what she really wanted, what she needed.

After failing to heal Prince Ansel a few months ago, she ran away, breaking down in her room. She couldn’t do to. She couldn’t heal the Prince’s soul and give him the peace he desired. Wren couldn’t. No matter how much she wanted to. And she did, want to. She wanted to fix her mistakes. By using forbidden magic, she poisoned her own soul.

She cursed herself. She was broken.

”You are not broken, Wren.”

Alarik’s voice reached her memory. She wasn’t alone with her grief, that day. There was someone else next to her.

It was Alarik. He ran after her that day. He saw her in her weakest moments. In her most pathetic moment. And yet, he had no intention of making fun of her.

“You are not broken.” Alarik said.

“Yes, I am! What the hell do you know?!”

“I know that if you can bring yourself to care about something beyond yourself, you are not broken.”

He raised his hand, curling a strand of her hair around his finger.

When he lifted it, Wren saw that it was bright silver.

“See how much you care, Wren.”

Alarik traced the single black strand in his summer wheat hair, which developed after his fathers death.

“My father once told me that to know grieve is to know love, and you cannot love something if you’re irretrievably broken.”

Back then she was staring at the King, trying to figure out where this version of him had come from, or if perhaps it had been there alll along, hiding beneath his icy facade.

“You once told me that love is a horrible business.” Countered Wren sobbing.

“It is.” said Alarik “But why does that have to change anything?”

Her shoulders sagged under the weight of the truth.

“I can’t fix Ansel, I can’t even fix myself.”

“You don’t need to be fixed. You just need time to heal.”

Wren closed her eyes, feeling his grief as her own.

He stepped back.

A small, wayward part of her wanted to reach for him, at that moment.

To curl herself in his embrace and distract herself from the crack in her heart.

“Go home. Find your healing witch.”

She’ll never forget his soft and fleeting smile. The way a moment of peace in a lifetime of war was given to her, by the man she called her enemy.

He stood back then, and the moment slipped away. He stood back now too.

”But…” Wren’s broken and timid voice reached Alarik in a second, as he once again searched for her eyes. She looked at him, her vision slowly decreasing as tears developed in her eyes.

Wren let the last moment to slip away. But she wasn’t gonna let this one slip away.

She grabbed his belt and pulling him closer, his nose inches away from crashing into her forehead. Her hands were trembling while holding onto the fabric of his shirt, almost turning white due to her fierce grip.

”But…” Her eyes slipped a little further down and land on his lips once again. “…not close enough.”

”Wren...” Alarik whispers, softly, before she pressed her lips against his. Immediately, he melted into her.

Different than their past lip debate, this was a different sensation. Sweet, not hasty or needy. Soft, tender, sincere. Things she never expected from the Gevran King.

This time, the kiss didn’t develop into a fierce battle of emotions, it stayed as a diligent touch, lingering long enough for both of them to adapt their breathing until their chests were heaving in synchronization. Alarik gently moved his right hand though her hair, while the one on her waist continued to massage her tender flesh. It made her lightheaded, forming an empty space in her mind with no room for doubt, grieve, or any other feeling other than….this.

Once again, it was the selfish and fierce King with an ice block as heart, that gave her even the tiniest bit of peace in the battle she was fighting, the one in her country and in herself. This second of vulnerability from both her, a witch queen, and the gevran king, made her feel at peace. Even if it didn’t hold long.

Her feelings were just as confusing and complicated as the man she was embracing. Alarik was a complicated man indeed. Last time she discovered new side of him, it that twisted her stomach. Wren didn’t like how it cast Alarik in a different light, not as a brutal king but as an ordinary young man. She didn’t want to think of him like that. Every time she spares a thought for him, good or bad, it gets intertwined with guilt. It would slowly start to eat her from the inside, until she couldn’t tell if it’s right or wrong. She didn’t want to feel too much, she didn’t want things to get mixed up and grow more complicated. After all, the only person who gets more insecure about their own indefinite feelings, is her.

Due to her thoughts, the young Queen unintentionally squirmed in his hold, which caught Alarik‘s attention. As if he could read her mind, and feel her building doubt, he slipped his tongue through her lips, surprising her so much, that a squeal and moan escaped her at the same time.

She broke away from his hold, trembling more with embarrassment than fury.

“You slipped a tongue in there, you fuckin-“

“Well, you were making weird noises so clearly you enjoyed that.” He joked, showing off his canines. She offendedly pushed him backwards, so her back wasn’t pressed against the cold stone wall anymore.

“This changes nothing. I still hate you.”

“Didn’t seem that way a second ago.”

“I-“

“You kissed me.“

“Shut up.”

“That was-“

“That never happened.“

“Wren, I don’t think this ego lift is ever going to fade.“

She attacked him with a punch. Like he saw it coming, Alarik caught her wrist and pulled her into his chest, holding her hand against his heart.

“Still hate me?”

“Definitely.”

“Just as much?”

“Hmm…maybe…” she reached her other hand infront of his face. Her fingers pressed strongly against each other, not leaving a gap between the tips. ”This…less.”

Alarik smirked, distancing himself once again as he lead her hand towards his face.

”I’ll take what I can get.” He pressed his lips to her hand. Wren silently gasped as the feeling of his lips left her skin.

”I need a drink.”

”What’s the magic word?” Alarik said, jokingly.

“Oh, yeah nevermind. I’ll get it myself.” She scooted past him, hearing a faint chuckle erupt from his mouth.

Together, they made their way back to the festivities, shoulders brushing softly with each step, as the sound of their footsteps, just like their feelings of distrust towards one another, slowly quiet down.

The End.

[dolliestfairy]

Lmk if theres a link that doesnt working :) <3

Enjoy my fairies ✧ 𝅄࣪ ׅ ᮫ׅ ๋ 𝆹 ׅ

Call Of Duty 𓋜

Slashers 𓋜

Haikyuu 𓋜

Jujutsu Kaisen 𓋜

Multifandom at Once 𓋜

Yandere Post 𓋜

Scp 𓋜

[yourfavoritebookclub]

The Wolf & The Heir of Fire (Fenrys Moonbeam POV excerpt)

Fenrys sat, his golden fur a shining beacon as he laid next to the Fae-Queen of Doranelle.

Her presence grated. It was a dark venom that flowed in his veins. A side effect of the all consuming sacrifice he’d made in the name of his twin. The brother who had been placed on the other side of the cold stone throne upon which Maeve sat.

Fenrys had become Maeve’s plaything, her entertainment, her pleasure.

Her whore.

On the ground in front of him Rowan, Vaughn, Cairn, and Lorcan kneeled, their foreheads touching the floor in a bow. The submission of high lethal fae warriors bound by the Blood Oath never failed to make Fenrys shudder.

“Rise.” Maeve’s voice was a soft, unearthly command.

In unison the males lifted their bodies off of the floor, but did not move to stand, remaining on their knees before Maeve.

“I have,” She paused briefly, an amused smile on her lips, “Something that needs doing quite badly.”

Her hand dropped over the arm of the throne, and Fenrys lifted his great big head to allow her spindly fingers to twine through his fur.

He let out a low growl of pleasure at her touch.

The dichotomy of the Blood Oath.

Maeve was the bane of his existence, his warden, bought into slavery by her blood and coercion.

But she was also his queen.

His ruler to please, to obey.

She was quiet as she examined the cadre, her index finger and thumb lazily stroking Fenrys’ golden ears.

“Aelin Galathynius has crossed into Wendlyn.”

[foxintheferns]

WILD HEART

Chapter One Release!

a Twilight-Paul Lahote Fanfiction

***Short summary for my antsy gals: this bitch with childhood trauma, no real family and a passion for animals goes to live in the woods outside of La Push beach for her job, and guess who’s not happy she’s there because now they have to worry about this human who’s put herself smack in the middle of bloodsucker city, where they have an instinctual obligation to protect her. And guess who’s even more angry that he suddenly feels an undying and relentless, fiery need to be with her all the time? Angst, tension, passion, anger, love, jealousy, perhaps even some betrayal? This story’s got it all babes (yes, even the smut) - it’s just one of those slow burn, then-suddenly-everything-is-fuckin-crazy-and-the-angst-is-unreal fics, you know? stay tuned ;)

A/N: Finally starting my long-form Paul Lahote fic. Truly I am so JAZZED. I would love suggestions and comments as the story builds. Please enjoy the very first chapter! It’s a lot of character and setting development that’s much heavier than it will be in following chapters, so just bear with me 😫 I’ll be uploading pretty damn regularly, 2nd chapter will be up tonight!

CHAPTER ONE:

“All by yourself?”The grey haired, pinch-faced man tipped his face down to look at me incredulously from above his wire framed glasses, which drooped to the tip of his nose in response to the movement. His rough voice was muffled by the cloudy glass that separated his cubicle from the rest of the Forks Department of Motor Vehicles waiting room. The question was getting all too familiar to me, and it took more of my energy than it should to not roll my eyes at his curiosity, which was clearly laced in disapproval. I decided a soft smile, one that only I would know was almost painfully forced, seemed manageable.

“All by myself!” I responded curtly and with feigned enthusiasm. My eyes squinted as my cheeks were pushed up towards them by the effort of my smile. How many times did I have to have this conversation? Was it really that unheard of for a woman to live in the woods by herself? On second thought, maybe it was. But this was Washington! I expected my job title to be a bit more of the norm here. The man blinked at me, pursed his lips into a thin line, and shifted his sharp eyes back down to the work forms I had provided for him. He cleared his throat, tilting his head back again and holding the pages further from his face to peer down through the square lenses of his glasses at the top sheet. He brought his hand to his mouth and licked his middle fingertip, bringing it back down to the papers and flicking to the next page. I sighed and shifted my weight onto my other hip, trying to not tap my fingers against the linoleum countertop in my impatience. Maybe I was taking his words personally, but I felt his distaste for my plans radiating out from his cubicle, washing over me in judgmental waves. It made me itch to get the hell out of there. I didn’t need any more resistance, having already gone through hell to leave my life in Maine behind for the next year and a half. He hummed a low grumble and proceeded to put the papers down on his desk, bringing his hands over his keyboard and beginning to type. He paused, then, peering up at me again. “Sullivan, Harley? Date of birth October nine-, no, erm,” He squinted down at the computer screen, “eighteenth, that is… of 1999?” His voice was more practiced and formal now, establishing that he had clearly decided to give up on the interrogation and go through the motions of providing me my updated license, one that would state my new residence in Washington. I nodded with an affirming smile, and he went back to typing. After a minute or two of clicking, tapping and sighing, the older man, whose name tag pinned to his blue button down read ‘Tom’, proceeded to stand up with a small groan from his chair. He slowly paced over to the large printer in the corner of the small carpeted room, clicking several buttons on the side of the massive contraption. Moments later, he pulled a shiny rectangular card from the tray of the machine, lifted it up to the light to eye it carefully, then lumbered back to the window where I waited.

“Well, Harley, you’re all set,” he announced, placing my new license along with my work forms down on the counter through the small window under the glass, “I wish you luck, on your… well, whatever it is you’re doing. Stay safe out there, kid.” I nodded, shooting him a final grin. “Thanks.” I grabbed the license and papers out from under the glass divider panel and turned on my heel, heading out through the small gathering of chairs lining the waiting room, and opened the glass door. The frigid air hit the skin of my face in a less than gentle breeze, causing my eyes and nose to scrunch against the sensation. My hair whipped behind me and I gritted my teeth. Welcome to Washington, I supposed. I walked swiftly over to my car, noting how dirty the side was. Scoffing to myself, I wondered if I’d ever again have a clean car in this rainy, muddy state, and then questioned myself as to why I cared so much. My white 1989 Ford Bronco wasn’t exactly the flashiest car around, and to my surprise it fit right in the with the extensive collection of old classic vehicles that called Forks, Washington home. I opened the squeaky door and quickly threw myself onto the driver’s seat, slamming the door closed behind me. I exhaled loudly once I finally sat down, leaning my head back against the headrest. My trip to the Forks DMV didn’t take nearly as long as I’d thought it would, and I knew that was probably due to the ridiculously low population that the town had to its name. However, it wasn’t the last thing on my to-do list for the day. I opened my wallet, placing my new license into the clear display window pocket, and tossed it across the seat next to me. I put the car into first gear and pulled out of the parking lot, eager to get myself situated in my new home. Groceries, gas, firewood, I repeated to myself out loud, knowing that if I didn’t make a list - even a mental one, my obligations would be doomed. Despite my repetition of my to-dos, I almost drove right past the tiny gas station that was settled in next to an old diner. After filling the Bronco up with gas and then buying firewood in the tiny convenience store, I looked up the nearest grocery store on my GPS, and found that Forks Outfitters wasn’t more than five minutes down the road. There was something very satisfying about being in such a small town. I proceeded to spend far too much time and money in the grocery store, not sure if I was over or underestimating the amount of food I would need, and having no idea what I would want to cook for myself for the next few weeks. My new house was quite a bit off the beaten path, and I knew I wouldn’t want to be making the trip to the grocery store in Forks too frequently once I was settled in. With a trunk full of grocery bags and firewood, I slammed the Bronco’s back door with a tired sigh, and walked over to the driver door, opening it with a loud creak. Gonna have to grease those hinges again, I thought to myself with a loud sigh.

“Miss?” I heard a deep voice from behind me. I spun around, one hand still holding my door open, and my eyes met a kind and gentle face. A middle aged man, who sat in a wheelchair and had long black hair that flowed from under a cowboy hat, met my gaze across the small parking lot, a slight smile on his lips. His chair was stopped in front of the automatic doors, off to the left of the entrance, and his eyes were on me. I smiled back timidly and then noticed his right arm was outstretched, his fingers pointing down at the ground leading to my car. I followed his finger and saw the sparkling blue of my debit card on the ground that I must have dropped on my way out to the parking lot.

I felt heat rush to my cheeks, and I glanced back up at the man.

“Oh, thank you!” I stammered and walked swiftly over to my card, laughing awkwardly and bending down to scoop it up. He nodded once, his smile reaching his eyes now, which then flickered to my car. He lifted his hand again, this time gesturing towards the Bronco. “Visiting from Maine?” He questioned, his voice curious and friendly. I glanced over to the rear of my car, which still had a Maine license plate bolted on. Tom from the DMV had let me know during my visit to come back in a week to pick up my new Washington plates.

“Oh, uh. No, actually…moving here!” I said as I looked back over to the man.

“Wow! Don’t see that often,” He grinned, then hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly, “Why exactly? Not that we’re not happy to have ya, there’s just not much here, hey?”

His demeanor was one of genuine interest, and his questions did not provoke me to feel alarmed, as they likely would have from any other strange man in a grocery store parking lot. I didn’t think it was just because of the wheelchair, although I kicked myself internally for making the mental note that he wouldn’t be able to catch me if I had to run away from him. Oh, the joys of being a woman traveling solo. I shrugged, still maintaining the smile on my face. “Have a job out here, actually. Wildlife biologist.” I saw his eyebrows raise slightly in response to my words. For whatever reason, telling this stranger of my plans didn’t feel as tedious as it had throughout the lengthy process of my settling into Washington, when the many questions of ‘why?’ and ‘but won’t you get scared, or lonely?’ had come up too many times to count.

“Impressive…lots of wildlife here, that’s for sure.” He seemed slightly fascinated, which was one of the two reactions I tended to receive. I wondered how he would react to the whole ‘living in a cabin the middle of the woods alone’ part of my plan. I decided it was probably smart to avoid letting the stranger know I’d be dwelling in the forest all by myself. I nodded, my smile unwavering.

“Yea, erm, I’ll be doing a good amount of data collection down at La Push, some of the species I’m focusing on are beach-goers,” I said with a slightly awkward laugh. His expression wavered infinitesimally, his eyes flickering with some expression entirely unreadable to me.

“Ah..,” He mumbled, glancing down to the ground briefly before looking back up to my face, “Well, let me know if you ever need some direction or help. I live down on the Quileute Reservation, La Push is on our land.” He paused again, then continued, “You can come by the main shop on the beach and ask for me, I’m nearby. Billy Black.” I took in the expression on his features once more, giving up at attempting to understand the man’s genuine kindness. It wasn’t often that strangers didn’t have some ulterior motive, but the man’s calm nature brought me a sense of safety and sureness. It almost felt fatherly, as if he knew I’d be out there by myself, despite my not mentioning it. “Thanks, Billy,” I responded, flashing a grin and holding my debit card up briefly as my expression of gratitude, “I’m Harley…it was nice to meet you! Glad I know somebody around here now.”

He nodded again, this time adding in a slight bow of his head that acted as a polite goodbye. I waved and walked back over to my car, starting the engine and getting my debit card situated back in my wallet. I put the car in reverse, and backed out of the parking spot, finally ready to make the drive to what would be my home for the next 18 months as I completed the work mission assigned to me by Washington state’s Wildlife Conservation Department. As I was preparing to pull out of the store’s lot, a glance in my rearview mirror showed a very tall, muscled, and longhaired young man exiting the store, hanging two grocery bags on the handles of Billy’s wheelchair and pushing it towards an old tan pickup truck in the lot. The boy looked around my age, and his features strongly resembled Billy’s. I quickly put together that they were likely father and son. I saw him glance towards my car as I waited at the stop light that swayed slightly in the wind above the small intersection, and quickly tore my eyes away from the mirror when his dark eyes seemed to find mine. I was grateful when the light turned green, and I took a deep breath as I pulled out of the parking lot, starting down the road towards my future.

_________________________________________________

After the 20 minute drive from the town of Forks to La Push, I pulled out the map that my new boss had emailed to me before my trip, pointing out the minimally marked trailhead towards my new home. I would be staying in the observational shelter that was provided by the state of Washington for whatever brave soul decided that conservation work was more important than their social life. I chuckled lightly to myself as I scanned the tree-line along the road, trying to match the trailhead on the map to any visual marker around me. The sun was just starting to come down, and I worried that I wouldn’t make it to the house in time. Then, I saw the small wooden sign, next to a long chain that was strewn between two short posts, that read ‘National Park - Protected Land, Do Not Cross. Washington State Dept of Fish & Wildlife appointed entrance ONLY’

Well, I thought, there’s my new driveway I suppose. My boss had provided me with the key for the chained entrance when I had arrived two days ago in Port Angeles and checked in for the start of my 18 month shift with the National Park center. I put the car in park and got out, key in hand, feeling giddy as I used the key to unlock the heavy rusted padlock. With effort, the heavy chain fell and I pulled it to the side. I got back in the Bronco and pulled it through the entrance, getting out again after I was through to re-lock the chain. I drove for about 5 minutes, my car struggling in only a few places that had an excess of mud, down the dirt path. The path eventually came to an end, where it widened out to a space about the size of three cars. I had been told that this is what it would look like, and felt pride in myself for not screwing any of the directions up yet. I parked the car at the end of the makeshift road, turning off the engine. I peered around me at the massive forest, ferns and moss lining the floor, and massive trees reaching up towards the sky. My eyes found the smaller, narrower footpath that I had been told would lead to my house. Another duplicate chain and sign hung between two trees at the front of this smaller trail, and I took out my next key. Next was the fun part. I pulled my massive hiking pack out from my backseat, unsure if grabbing the groceries as well was a good idea on my first initial hike to the house. I decided against it after feeling the forty pound pack on my shoulders. I began my trek down the path, taking in the greenery around me. I breathed in the cold air, smelling salty sea air mixed in with a fresh and endless scent of dirt and spruce trees. The hike was relatively easy, my excitement and interest in seeing my home for the first time pulling my body along. After a ten minute trek, I saw the outline of a structure begin to take shape in my vision, and almost squealed with anticipation. A few more yards in, and I could see the brown wooden house, an A frame cabin with a chimney that poked from its slanting roof. It had a small porch that wrapped around its perimeter, and a large sign next to it that once again clarified its State-regulated use. I was thankful for the minimal steps up to the porch as I approached the front door, and threw my heavy pack down onto the wooden platform of the porch. I dug into the pocket of my sweats and pulled out my car keys, which had the red key to the house dangling from the round keychain. I gripped the key in my hand, breathing intentionally to calm myself down, and stuffed the key into the lock, turning it until the door allowed me to push it inward. The door creaked just like the Bronco’s, and I smiled as it slowly revealed the interior of the structure. Well, that’s pretty much exactly what you expected, I reminded myself as I took in the small home. The front door opened to a tiny living room on the left that flowed directly into the minimal kitchen on the other side. Between the two sides, a small hallway flowed to the other end of the house, which was only about another 20 feet. I wandered down the hallway slowly, rubbing my hands back and forth on my arms as the icy air that filled the cabin chilled me to my bones. My boss had advised me that they’d left the faucets dripping to prevent the pipes from freezing over completely, and I breathed a sigh of relief to see the kitchen sink leaking ever so slightly. The next room to the right, behind the kitchen, was a small bathroom, and on the left behind the living room was a tiny bedroom with a queen bed. The room had a dresser leaning against one wall and a window that looked out to the forest. I noticed the stack of blankets on the floor that leaned against the bedside table, and knew I’d probably be grateful for those later.

I spent the next hour bringing my groceries, firewood, and supplies from the car to the house. I was told I was allowed to chop felled wood for the wood burning stove in the house, but had known that I wouldn’t have the energy after the long day of traveling and settling in. I was grateful I’d made the decision to buy the firewood, and got the fire started quickly after emptying my car. The small size of the house helped greatly in filling it rapidly with the heat from the stove. I was quick to close the blinds of all the windows, already feeling the reality of my solo isolation settling into my psyche. I locked the door, ensuring to lock in the deadbolt as well, and grabbed my bear spray from my pack, hanging it from one of the coat hooks along the wall by the door. I sighed and got started on dinner, playing music from my phone and swaying around the kitchen as I cooked.

Within a few hours, darkness had fallen on the house, and I was full of Mac and cheese, watching downloaded Netflix episodes on my laptop, strewn across the couch next to the fire. I felt gentle sleep begin to take hold of me, its warm arms wrapping around my body and urging me to close my eyes. I thought I could recall a rustling noise outside the house as sleep pulled me, but it wasn’t enough above the tapping and creaking wind for my brain to register the sound. And with that, I slipped under the immensely heavy blanket of rest, the odd image of a large grey wolf standing among tall pines, and then of Billy Black’s inquisitive expression as he stared at me in the parking lot of Forks grocery store being the last images my brain displayed on the backs of my lids before I was pulled under completely.

…………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: okay, so Harley is literally in the middle of nowhere, yikes, is it crazy to say this is my dream job? Well, maybe if I had a Paul Lahote who was out in those woods somewhere… cough. If you made it to the end of this chapter, you are a warrior. Development for such a niche plot like this is kinda exhausting but really fun! If you’re a romance girlie, I PROMISE this fic is for you, babe. I swear on my LIFE. Just hold on and have faith 😭 I can’t wait to just drive you all CRAZY with the tension and spiciness that will go down in these next chapters. Muahahaha

➡️NEXT CHAPTER

[intothewestwing]

Chapter 1

How foolish it was, for a man to commit a crime and expect no punishment.

Yes, this was the first human The Beast had seen in years, but it wasn’t any human of interest. Only a decaying, naive man.

“Please!” He’d begged. “Let me go! I won’t say a word!” To whom? The Beast had thought. Surely none could outmatch him. Though it was possible the world outside had changed in the time of the spell, it was impossible for anyone to challenge the monster that lurked in the forgotten castle and win. It was his territory, and his alone. Nevermind the physical advantage he’d have over them.

Hours had passed since The Beast left the old man to rot in the dungeon. He sat by the fire, watching the flames as they roared.

“Your highness?” A candelabra appeared beside him, his wicks unlit. The shadow of a man who once resembled The Beast’s closest confidante now only mirrored a fragile figure of wax.

The Beast did not acknowledge him.

“The man in the dungeon, what shall we prepare him for dinner?” Lumiere asked.

Though The Beast’s temper had already been tempted that day, there was still room for more.

“You dare feed the prisoner before me? To fill the mouth of a thief over mine?”

“I just thought-“

“You will feed him nothing. No one is to see him.”

It often was a poor choice to question The Beast. Lumiere knew this, as he’d been on the receiving end of his temper since he was a child. But even so, he knew his breaking points. He knew when too far was too far.

And he knew The Beast wasn’t quite there yet.

“Sire, he is already skin and bones. Must we let him starve-“

“Enough! He will either die in here or die to the wolves!”

The Beast stood and faced his footman. Though he wasn’t that much shorter, Lumiere did his best not to cower. Still, as the man of wax continued to argue, The Beast began to breathe heavier.

“Have you even thought about how the man got through the mist? Do you know what this could mean? One of these days, someone could walk right in and break the-“

“Eugh!”

As Lumiere began to mention the spell, the floors began to shake and The Beast fell to his knees. The dust within the West Wing rose into the air and bits of the ceilings began falling and shattering on the floor. As the castle shook, brick fell from the chimney onto the fire, putting it out completely.

The Beast clutched his abdomen as he writhed in pain for a few moments until it passed. The episodes lasted only thirty seconds to a minute each time, but each one was worse than the last.

Another petal had fallen.

As the dust settled, Lumiere’s wicks lit with their flames as he walked toward The Rose. His face fell as he counted them. Only six remained.

He waited for The Beast to stand before moving back toward him. The pain had subsided, but it would be back with the next petal. It was only a matter of time before the final one killed him, he thought. That was the witch’s promise. That he would learn to live a life of love, or he would not live at all, as penance for the victims of his crude behavior.

If he had known what was to come of her curse, he would’ve chosen for her to strike him down back then. But perhaps she enjoyed his relentless torture. She seemed to, anyway, when she visited. After each petal had fallen, she would turn up to see the results of her curse, to see if he was any closer to breaking it. Each visit, he’d beg her for mercy. And each time, she’d tell him no.

“Mon amis,” Lumiere said cautiously. “We must try to make amends with this human. Perhaps he has a neighbor, or a friend, or family that will come looking for him.” He pleaded with his master to see the possibility of breaking the curse. “There is so little time left.”

With a shaky breath, he recovered his strength and stood to face Lumiere.

“You will feed him nothing.”

—————————

[tehaxo]

The folklore told in the moonlight.

pairing: tighnarixgn!reader

modern-ish au: reader is a fairy.

warnings: might be slight ooc? tighnari.

A/N: a short one shot, hope u enjoy. might be bad as im writing this during midnight.

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

The sight in front of him, it seemed unreal. But there you sat on the rock, twisting and turning your hair- squeezing out the water. You huffed with impatience and your wings fluttered, mirroring your frustration.

Tighnari, a botanist, occasionally visited the forest to observe plants and such. Plants weren’t his passion until he had gone to a forest as a young adult, it was a camping trip with his close friends. The camping trip wasn’t much fun but he enjoyed it, he was fascinated by the nature in the forest.

Despite being one of nature too, he had never really explored out of the city. He grew curious as he saw the bizarre plants in the forest, which lead to his major in college.

He had always heard rumors about the forest, how it was haunted by ghosts which he found ridiculous. Though, he was second-guessing that now as he watched you.

“God, humans and their filthy river water! I thought I’d be able to take a relaxing bath but seems like I was expecting a bit too much.” You grumbled to yourself and used your powers to dry yourself off.

The moonlight shined on you and your eyes closed. Sparkles floated around you as your hair flowed along with the wind. Tighnari was amazed and scared. He blinked and stood frozen, he wasn’t sure what to do. To run away, or approach you.

He gulped down his fear and decided he would approach you, ready to take on any consequence of his actions. He took quiet steps forward while his heart beat out of his chest, his adrenaline was through the roof. But with each step he took closer to you, his nerves calmed down. As if your very own aura soothed him.

He now stood right in front of you, your eyes still closed but you felt his presence. It had already been obvious since he blocked the light from the moon that shined on you. Your eyes opened and you looked right into his eyes with a smile.

Your both stared at each other, and it was now your turn to observe him. You immediately noticed his ears and tail, he was a hybrid of a fennec fox. You felt your heart rate increase, he was a handsome man. Surprisingly better looking than some of the men back in the fairy realm.

Not a word was uttered as you two stared at each other, you both indulged into each other’s beauty. ‘Love at first sight… is this what humans call it?’

After what felt like an eternity, your other fellow fairies came through what seemed to be a spatial portal. They also went to the forest for the river and were returning home, of course not forgetting you as well. “Y/N! C’mon, let’s go!” Your friend called out to you, but you ignored them.

You stood up from the rock and stood right in front of tighnari, he tensed up feeling you so close to him which made you giggle. You closed the tiny gap between you guys and gave a quick peck to his cheek before turning away into the portal.

Tighnari stood there with widened eyes and reached his hand out but the portal was long gone. But his ears didn’t miss the split second of squeals from your friends which put a smile on his face.

He felt he was being irrational, but still, he believed what his heart told him. He was in love.

He didn’t get your name, but it was fine with him. He knew where to come every day so he could get to talk to you.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

The elvenking

The goblinking

[vanfleeter]

Bloodshed: Part 1 - Sam

Welcome to the beginning of Bloodshed in collaboration with @losfacedevil! Here we kick it off with Sam. If you've read Boar's Head Inn and/or The Archer written by Crystal, then you probably have an idea of what this will contain. But if you need a refresher, then keep on reading!

Characters: Sam Kiszka x Serena (oc) Warnings: Mostly fluff. Language. Allusions to killing and death.

Bloodshed Masterlist

Sam was on high alert. 

His eyes scanned through the trees in the forest in which he stood. His ears were perked up, every single one of his senses in overdrive as he ran through the forest he thought was never ending. He knew the beast was hot on his heels having taken off at a run when Sam tripped over its sleeping form. 

He was beginning to regret choosing the bow and arrows as his weapon for this trip, wishing that he had opted for the baldric with his sword instead. The quiver sat comfortably across his shoulder, the tail end of the arrows sitting just in his line of sight as he looked over his shoulder. 

The jaguar he had encountered was coming up on him fast, its amber eyes glistening in the morning light. Sam froze in place, reaching a hand up very slowly to draw an arrow from the quiver as he calculated the movements he would have to make. He swung his bow around from its resting place on his shoulder, slowly nocking the arrow in place. 

The animal slunk forward slowly, nose turned to the wind as he took in Sam’s scent. It bared its teeth, sinking down onto its front paws. Sam lifted his bow, pulling back on the string of it and sent the arrow flying. A growl emanated from the jaguar as the arrow missed him by mere inches. 

“Shit.” 

Sam took off at a run, struggling to toss his bow back over his shoulder in his dash to get away from the angered animal. His breath was held in his chest as he jumped over a prominent tree root in his path. Making quick work of his movements he threw the hood of his tunic up over his head and ducked in between the trees, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. 

He pressed his back to a nearby tree, eyes trained on the path he had just scurried up, watching for any signs of life. His eyes fluttered shut softly as he leaned his head back against the bark, letting his bow slide down his arm as he let his guard down. He slid down the length of the tree and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he laid his cheek against them. He took solace in the quiet and the thought that the wolf had turned its attention elsewhere; that was until —

Crunch.

The sounds of leaves being crushed under somethings feet cause his head to snap up and he reached over to the small knife that was on his belt. He stood slowly, peering in the direction the jaguar had been before slowly spinning in a circle scanning his surroundings. She peered around the tree to her left, bow drawn and arrow nocked as her eyes landed on the hooded figure. He stood with his feet shoulder length apart and his hand wrapped around the handle of a small hunting blade. 

She took another step forward, the sound of her boots against the dry leaves laying on the ground causing his head to snap in her direction. She took cover behind the tree again not wanting him to see her. Pulling his knife off of his belt he held it out in front of him and took a step in the general direction of her hiding place. 

“Who goes there?” His voice was barely a whisper, throwing a glance over his shoulder in the direction he’d last seen the jaguar. She stepped out from behind the tree and drew her bow once more, holding it up in front of her as she put pressure on the string. 

“I should be asking you that, this is not your territory solider.” 

Sam froze in place as she came into view, his eyes growing wide and the grip on his knife tightening as he took a step back. She made no move, keeping pressure on her bow as she assessed him. 

“What business have you here?” She straightened slightly, flipping her hair out of her eyes as she lined up the arrow in his direction. 

He sheathed his blade, swinging his bow around in front of him before quickly pulling an arrow from the quiver and nocked it. Both of them stood in a fighting stance, feet shoulders width apart, back straight and eyes focused solely on the other. 

“I veered off course late last night and was met with a jaguar, one who followed my every move and chased me farther into this uncharted territory.” 

Her eyes flickered to where her jaguar companion now lay, the same one she was sure he was met with in the early morning hours. He watched as her guard began to falter, letting the bow drop slightly before her focus fell back on him. 

“Styx is harmless unless provoked, have you provoked him?” Her voice was soft, fully aware he must have done something to cause Styx to react the way he had. Turning her attention back to the intruder at hand she pulled her bow fully back up into place, but let the arrow fall slack.

Sam dropped his bow fully, removing the arrow from the string and sheathed it into the quiver, deeming her a safe person. A sheepish gaze kissed his eyes as he reached up and removed the hood of his tunic. 

“I may have shot an arrow at him. I’m in unknown territory with an unknown jaguar on my heels, I thought he was viscous.” 

He reached up and pulled his long chestnut brown hair into a faux ponytail, resting his hand on the back of his neck as if soaking up the nervous sweat that lay there. She let her eyes wander briefly, taking in his features; his long chestnut brown hair, strong facial structure and the downturn of his eyes indicating exactly which territory he belonged to.

“You don’t belong here solider, they’ll kill you if they know you’re lurking.” Her tone remained soft, eyes scanning her surroundings. Sam threw his hands up in surrender, the easier way for him to show he meant no harm to her territory. 

“I was misguided in my journey, this is not my home and I’m unsure of the way back. Would you be willing to point me in the right direction?”

Sam stayed glued to the spot where he stood, hands never being lowered for fear she would think he was drawing a weapon. She wracked her brain, knowing the sun would be setting soon and it wouldn’t be safe for him to venture any further into the forest alone. 

An idea popped into her head, a favor an inn owner owed her seemingly being the answer to his situation. She crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to one foot as she looked him over once more. To the naked eye he seemed harmless, but her gut told you otherwise; he was capable of many crude and unspeakable things. 

“Too late to point you anywhere, you’ll be eaten out in these woods at night. Consider yourself lucky the only animal you ran into last night was Styx.”

The jaguars head popped up at the mention of his name, his eyes scanning his surroundings and quickly landing on Sam. The jaguar pounced to his feet, baring his teeth as he slunk forward. She quickly stepped in front of the animal, shielding the solider from an attack that would quickly put him six feet under. 

“It’s okay, Styx, he is friend, not food.” She turned slightly, eyeing the animal as he sunk into a seated position. Turning back to Sam she shook her head, a gentle roll of her eyes sealing the deal. 

“Silly Spring realm townshipper, how have you found yourself here? Tangled up with someone who could have your head on a silver platter if she wanted to?” 

Her feet brought her closer to him of their own accord, slowly sauntering over to him as she slung her bow safely back over her shoulder. Sam began backing up, his hands still within sight as his back crashed into a nearby tree. 

“You’re lucky it’s me you’ve run into, because anyone else here would have sent you flying the moment they spotted you.” 

She was toe to toe with him now, her neck craned backwards as she looked up at the man who towered above her. His whole body shook as he cowered against the tree. 

“Yes ma’am.” He nodded his head slightly, the fear prominent in his gaze. She took one last once over of him, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a step back. 

“What’s your name solider?” 

He swallowed thickly, running a hand back through his now sweat dampened hair. His eyes landed on the jaguar sat just behind her, another wave of fear engulfing his senses before he spoke. 

“Kiszka, Sam.” 

She took a step forward, reaching up and grasping his chin with her index finger and thumb. His eyes quickly found her, fixated solely on how big your pupils had grown. 

“Well Kiszka, you’re in luck. I have someone who owes me a favor that can give you a room for the night — only because I’m asking them nicely. So pull any funny business and I’ll let Styx eat you for breakfast. Follow me.” 

She nodded in the direction she was headed, waiting only for Styx to rise and come up on her flank before setting off. Sam followed at a safe distance behind her, his eyes dancing all around the forest as to not bring any more attention to himself. 

“What business have you here? You never answered my question.” She shot a glance over her shoulder, slowing her walk to a near snails pace as the tall boy caught up to her and comfortably fell into step at her right flank. 

“I have no business here. The forest at night is not a safe place to be and I misjudged the timing of the light. I became lost late into the night and your buddy Styx found me early this morning. He’s been following me ever since. But then I lost sight of him and ended up tripping over him and that’s when he came after me.”

She nodded her head, his timeline made sense, as did the reason Styx charged him. A comfortable silence fell over the both of them as they continued their journey into town, glancing over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure he was still behind her. 

“Now you need to know they’re going to question your motive and will most likely have someone stand guard outside your door. You may be innocent but you’re not from here and worse? You’re from the rival realm. We’re going to be lucky she lets you say under her roof.” 

Sam pondered everything that had happened in the past few hours. He wasn’t sure why she was being nice to him or why she was trying to help him. He was grateful she hadn’t put an arrow through his skull and had deemed him as safe as she could. 

“I don’t want to risk getting you in trouble. Just point me in the direction of the Spring realm and I’ll be on my way.” 

She shook your head as she walked up the steps to the Wild Boars Inn, shooting him a look over her shoulder as she pulled the door open. Inside was warm, lit fully by candles and one singular overhead light. Tables were strewn about the room, long forgotten dinner plates still sat upon them. She made her way over to the room on her right, knocking lightly against the door frame before making her entrance. 

“Mabel my dear, I need you take you up on that favor.” She cooed, twirling her hair around her finger in the most innocent way. 

Old lady Mabel turned slightly in her seat pulling her glasses down her nose and she stared at her over the frames. She gave her a once over, taking in her appearance before her eyes landed on Sam standing sheepishly in the door way. 

“He is not one of us, Serena.” She nodded towards Sam, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, about him.” Mabel shook her head, her eyes never leaving Sam’s face. 

“Absolutely not, you don’t know what he’s capable of. He will not be staying in my inn.” She stomped her foot like that of a toddler, moving her hands in shooing motions as if to make Sam leave. 

“Mabel please, he’s gotten a little lost along his journey, was almost eaten by Styx and I almost put an arrow through his head. He just needs to stay the night and I’ll see him on his way home tomorrow.” 

The older woman mulled over what Serena has said, her eyes never leaving Sam’s forlorn face. She shook her head slightly and threw her hands up in the air as she stood from where she sat. 

“Fine, just one night and only because he looks so pitiful. Take him to your room.” 

She turned on her heel and nodded to Sam, walking towards and brushing past him as Mabel sat back in her desk chair. Sam spun on his heel and jogged after her, taking the stairs two at a time until he met her on the landing. 

“This is my room, just relax and don’t act out. I’ll be back in the morning.” 

Sam nodded his head as she unlocked the door and stepped aside. A soft ‘thank you’ slipped past his lips as she closed the door behind him. 

~*~*~

Sam awoke in a panic, the sound of the bedroom door knob jiggling pulling him out of his slumber. Shooting out of bed he quickly fell to the floor, digging around the pile of his clothes for his knife. He stood to his full height, backing himself into the farthest corner of the room as the door swung open.

A scream escaped him as she walked through the door, clicking it shut softly behind her. He lowered his weapon, throwing his head back as a sigh of relief ripped through his chest. She shook her head at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she took in his appearance. 

“You should have said you weren’t decent.” She mumbled, plopping down on the bed with her back to him. Sam snickered, tossing his knife on the bed before bending down to scoop up his clothing from the floor. 

She turned where she sat, her eyes dancing up his almost fully exposed body as his attention was turned to the just beginning to rise sun outside of his window. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the girth of his arms, how the muscles pulled the skin taut just so. The way his disheveled hair fell over his shoulders but frizzed out in certain areas. How his body moved when he stretched out his sore muscles. The pang she felt in her chest warning her to get him out of her presence and fast. 

“The sun isn’t even up yet, I was still asleep.” He groaned, slowly slipping his tunic on over his head. She sighed, turning so she was facing away from him once more. 

“I told you I’d be back in the morning.” She mumbled, picking at the hem of her dress. Sam chuckled, shaking his head as he slipped effortlessly into his pants. 

“Well yeah but I figured it would be when the sun came up, not at what four am?” He rolled his eyes, falling back into the bed after he was fully dressed. She peeked over her shoulder, shaking her head once more as she watched his eyes flutter shut. 

“What are you doing?” She mumbled, shifting so she could face him better. He threw his arm over his eyes and a contented sigh slipped past his lips. 

“Relaxing until the sun comes up, and I suggest you do too. It’s not safe in the woods until true dawn.”

She shook your head at the boy, his antics something she wasn’t used to. A sigh slipped past her lips as she stood, wrapping her hand around his wrist and tugged. 

“Absolutely not, let’s go.” 

She stalked out of the room and made her way down the stairs quickly, stalking out of the inn. Sam was hot on her heels, jogging to catch up to her as she quickly made her way to the woods. 

“You were really gonna leave me to fend for myself?!” He yelled, struggling with his quiver as he tried to sling it over his shoulder. She shrugged her shoulders, turning and walking backwards as she watched him catch up with her. 

“In all honesty I should have just let Styx eat you.” She chuckled, turning back around and continuing their journey into the woods.  

They both walked in silence for a while with nothing but the crunch of the Earth beneath their feet filling the silence. Sam watched her intently, his eyes dancing up and down the length of her form as she walked, taking in the way her hips swayed just right in the dress she had chosen to wear. He pulled a deep breath in through his nose and shook his head, shaking the sinful thoughts that engulfed his mind away as she spoke up. 

“You’re not far out from your land here, you were close last night but I wasn’t about to be the reason someone got eaten by a wolf out here.” She giggled, shrugging her shoulders as she turned left at a break in the trees. 

“You don’t want me eaten by wolves but would let Styx eat me for breakfast?” She nodded, keeping your head down. 

“You’d deserve it if I was telling Styx to eat you.” 

Sam shook his head, fighting off the primal urges that overtook his senses. She could feel his gaze boring a hole into her backside, shaking her head lightly as she threw a look over her shoulder. 

“So here’s the deal, you continue straight down this path and you’re going to walk straight into the Spring realm town square; and whatever you do? Don’t let me find you lost in these woods again, next time Styx might eat you before I can save you, solider.” 

Sam nodded, slowing to a stop as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He pulled a deep breath in through his nose, taking a tentative step towards her. His eyes bore every single thought in his mind as his lips quirked up. 

“You wouldn’t let Styx eat me or I wouldn’t be standing here now, would I?” She shook her head, reaching a hand out to push against his chest. 

“You heard me, now get going.” She giggled, nodding in the direction of the Spring realm. 

“Will I see you again?” He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest as he began walking backwards slowly. She shrugged her shoulders, waving him off as he got farther away. 

“Who knows, these woods are vast. Maybe we’ll cross paths again.” 

Sam nodded once as he turned on his heel and continued his walk back home. He shot a glance over his shoulder as he went, watching as her figure retreated back the way she had came.

____________________________________________________

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Next Friday, you'll be introduced to Josh and another original character! It's going to be a good one!

[just-some-trans-nobody]

The only time I want to read someone describing someones eyes as orbs is a wizard while he looks into them pondering them. They're on a date, it's candle lit and he can't help but ponder as he stares into his dates glowing orbs.

[chocolatedreamer22]

⚠️CATCF FANFIC IDEA⚠️ Part 5

Ok, so i'm gonna try to keep this short and leave out the less important stuff. Let me just explain some things in a few notes:

1. This is a fanfic idea I came up with. You can use it if you want.

2. This one doesn't need a lot of context other than it takes place in an alternate universe. That should be pretty obvious tho.

THE IDEA:

The three kids decide to go exploring an area of the factory they've never seen before. They come across an area built like a labyrinth where they get separated and eventually lost. As their adventure continues, they get deeper and deeper into the situation. They start to realize what a terrible mistake they've made. Minutes turn into hours as they search for a way out.

Eventually they make it out of the labyrinth, but they're each in a completely different and unfamiliar place.

Violet ends up somewhere pretty and magical. There are sparkling waterfalls and the colors of bubblegum and cotton candy melt together in the sky. Friendly creatures that look like fairies dance amongst the trees. Their glittering wings cast vibrant colors onto the mossy forest floor when the sun shines thru them. They sing sweet melodies to Violet and make a crown of flowers for her to wear. They ask her to stay forever and become the princess of their forest. But Violet tells them about her friends and that she needs to find them again. So they decide to help her. They show her all the right paths to take to hopefully find her way back. But the forest goes on for miles. Even the fairies don't always know the way. But they do their very best to help Violet on her journey back to a familiar place in the factory.

Veruca ends up somewhere dark and disturbing. Dim rooms and narrow tunnels covered in what looks like years worth of filth. This place hasn't seen a human in decades. There's various stinking substances spilled and smeared all over everything. There are fresh hoofprints on the cracked stone floor. There's something living down here. Something that walks on two legs. Something larger than Veruca. Much, much larger. It's covered in sticky fur and leaves deep scratches on the seven foot ceiling. Whatever this thing is, it wants out, and it's probably very hungry. Veruca can only hope that it doesn't already know she's there. She's afraid of what it could be capable of. Can it smell her? How good is its hearing? Can it understand human speech? What matters most is getting out of there before she has to find out.

Mike ends up somewhere weird and confusing. There's lots of bright colors and strange patterns on everything that just doesn't really look right. He can hear what he thinks is supposed to be music, but it sounds warped and unlike anything he's ever heard before. He meets a woman down there. She has blue hair and and her eyes are two different colors. One eye is brown, and the other is a cloudy blue. Her blue eye must be fake because it just rattles around in her head whenever she moves. It reminded Mike of googly eyes or a magic 8 ball. She isn't wearing any shoes, and her dress is always inside out, but changes color every 30-45 minutes. She has a strange accent that Mike isn't able to identify. He figures out that this woman can't really be trusted because she's a liar. But she might be his only chance of finding his way out if she doesn't drive him insane first.

[bookish-rival]

Okay listen....

I'm thinking about writing some more oneshots for Wren & Alarik but I can't decide which one I should do first?

Here are the votes: