Fan Fiction ❯ The Four Lords ❯ Icy Mask ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Alex came inside well after dark as he felt exhaustion begin to consume him. He wearily walked towards his bedroom, by this time everyone else in the castle was already asleep. Alex walked upstairs as he stared at Brittany's room. Maybe I should go make sure she's comfortable. I mean she might have a hard time sleeping in a new place she's never been before. No, it shouldn't even tempt myself like that. I'll see her in the morning, things will be better then.

With that Alex headed to his bedroom. He didn't even bother with the lights as he threw off his clothes. He grabbed only his night pants and threw them hastily on as walked towards his bed. It was then that he stopped suddenly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He suddenly became aware of steady breathing and someone else's presence in his bed. Alex eyes glared as he realized who it was.

"Brittany..." Alex said softly, trying to conceal his anger. Brittany stirred slightly as she looked up at him.

"W-what's going on? Alex...what are you doing in my room?" Brittany asked. She was still slightly asleep and Alex's keen nose could smell the scent of the elven root on her breath. His anger ceased as he realized she was put here unknowingly.

"I could ask you the same thing. You see, you are in my bedroom. Not the other way around." Alex said with a smirk. "Were you really that eager to offer yourself to me."

"N-no...I...I didn't know. I fell asleep, and I'm sorry, I should leave." Brittany said as she tried to grasp what had happened. She then tried to get out of bed but when she stood her knee's buckled and she fell forwards. Alex instinctively caught her as he pulled her close to his bare chest.

"No, you shouldn't be up. I'm not letting you out my sight tonight. Listen, lay back down okay." Alex said softly. He could feel his human emotions resurfacing as he gently laid her back down in the bed. Brittany was already almost asleep when she felt Alex crawl into the bed beside her.

"What...I mean...your going to sleep with me?" Brittany asked sounding worried.

"Heh, listen I'm not about to sleep on the couch, and you obviously can't make it to the couch. Don't worry, I wouldn't take advantage of you like that. I may be a demon, but I'm not a devil." Alex said with a smirk as he smiled at her. Suddenly before he realized what he was doing he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a long passionate kiss. "Goodnight."

Brittany was speechless as he released her and rolled over. What the hell did I just do? Did I really just kiss her? Dammit, why the hell can't I control my emotions? Surely my human side should be subsiding by now. It doesn't make any sense. When I was in the human realm and wanted to love her I didn't have the courage to even kiss her. Here in the demon realm where I don't want to love her I can't keep my hands off of her! Not too mention my servants seem to be taking my love life into their own hands. They will be punished accordingly first thing tomorrow.

This can't be happening! He just kissed me again, and now we're sleeping in the same bed. Did he plan this? No, he was just as shocked as I was when he found me here. But still, he didn't kick me out, and he made a point that I wasn't leaving...so does that mean he wants me to be with him? Could he want to have sex with me? No, he doesn't seem like that type, or at least he doesn't seem to want to if he does. What am I going to do?

Before Brittany could figure out her answer she fell back into a deep sleep. As soon as he was sure she was asleep Alex rolled over to look at her sleeping form. "Why can't I suppress these feelings for you. I can't care about you, that would jeopardize everything I've worked so hard for. If this is just how the first day is going to be, it's going to be a long year. But that just means I'm going to have to work fast, before it comes to where I can no longer try and suppress these emotions of mine. Some demon lord I am. I'm in love with a human girl, and am to afraid to say it. But it is better for both of us, if nothing ever develops between us. Eventually when the time comes we will go our separate ways. You will return to the human realm and find happiness with someone else and I will finally reclaim what is rightfully mine. That is the way things have to be." Alex said solemnly. But even as he said these things he pulled himself closer to her. He knew that she wouldn't wake up that easily, and that was why he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his warm embrace. This will be the only chance I have to be this close to you. I will not let it, or you, escape my grasp.

Brittany smiled as she felt Alex pull her close to him. She felt the warmth of his chest press against her back. She pretended to be asleep just so she could see what he would really do. He does care about me...but what does he mean reclaim what is his? What is making him be so distant and cold to me? I've got to find out, other wise I'll drive myself crazy trying to figure it out!

Alex awoke early the next morning as he struggled to realize why he couldn't move. When he wearily opened up his eyes he realized why. Brittany was laying on top of him. Shit! How in the hell did this happen? Well, I can't exactly say I'm not enjoying this, but still...I don't want her to get used to this.

With that Alex gently rolled Brittany out from under him as he slowly got out of bed. He grabbed a black and red robe out of his closet and wrapped it around himself as he went downstairs. Once down there he immediately headed to the kitchen. "Who in the hell put elven night root into Brittany's meal?" Alex asked his anger rising. The wolf demons in the kitchen stared at one another with horror.

"M-my Lord...we..." one of the wolf demons stuttered as he tried to think of what to tell him.

"Know this, if you do not tell me, the penalty will be death." Alex said as he raised his hands and slowly increased his nail size as he menacingly started towards the wolf demons.

"My Lord, it was Holly. She's the one that slipped it into her drink." another wolf demon replied quickly. Alex glared at all of them before turning around to walk out.

"Those who would betray one of their friends so easily...does not deserve to live." Alex said coldly. With a flick of his wrist the demon that exposed Holly fell into a bloody heap. "Dispose of his body. Next time, I suggest you stop someone if you know what they are doing is wrong. Next time, I won't end it so mercifully."

Alex then walked out of the kitchen, leaving the wolf demons to look at the remains of one of their friends. "So much for our Lord being nicer." one wolf demon said.

"Hell, I'm not complaining. At least he didn't kill all of us! Today's his meeting with the council, he's sure to be on edge, today we need to be out of sight." another argued as they picked up the remains of their friend and carried him outside.

Alex briskly walked to Holly's room and threw open the doors as a feral growl escaped his lips. "How dare you drug her!" Alex roared.

"M-my Lord..."Holly whimpered as she turned pale. "I-I was only trying to help." Before she could finish her excuse Alex backhanded her across the face, which sent her flying into the adjacent wall.

"Help me with what? A servant should never interfere with their lords wishes wether they think it is wrong or not! Get up!" Alex ordered.

"My Lord, I just wanted you to be able to spend some time alone with your mate." Holly said with quiet resolve. Even as blood trickled down the side of her head from where he hit her.

"Don't give me that shit! My love life is none of your concern. I don't give a damn for that girl do you understand? She's nothing to me!" Alex said. Suddenly he grabbed Holly by the throat and lifter her into the air. "I trusted you with her well being and you drug her! You put her in my bed without me knowing! What would've happened if I had..."

"My Lord, she was not the one who put my lady into your bedroom...it was me." Kiba announced as he walked up beside Alex. "I will take full punishment for what happened." In the blink of an eye Alex grabbed Kiba by the throat and lifted him high into the air next to Holly.

"Listen very carefully. Yesterday, I may have been to lax on you. The truth of the matter was, that my emotions from the human realm were clouding my judgement. I can assure you that by now they are gone completely and if I catch you ever disobeying me again. I will kill you." Alex said coldly. He eased his grip on their throats as he set them back down on the floor. Without another word he left the two demons who were gasping for air.

Kiba rubbed his sore throat as he checked the spots where Alex's nails had dug deep into his flesh. "Well, that could've gone better. How are you holding up lass?" Kiba asked concerned about the knot forming on Holly's temple.

"I'll be fine. It will heal in no time. He didn't hit me as hard as I thought he would." Holly admitted as she winced in pain when she touched her forehead. "But still, it hurt."

"Consider yourselves lucky that he didn't kill you. One of the chef's died because he ratted you out." Shadow announced as he walked in. "I was coming to warn you, but I guess he got to you first. Here put this on your wound. It'll help the pain." Shadow kneeled beside Holly and handed her some cream to put on her wound.

"So, here's the real question. Did he like it or not?" Kiba asked with a smirk. "I'm sure glad that he doesn't know I saw him and her earlier this morning when I was going to wake him. He would've killed me then for sure. But alas...I've never seen someone so happy as those two looked when they were sleeping together."

"Yeah, well see if I do him any more favors." Holly grumbled loudly. She stood up and excused herself while she went to her adjacent room and dressed. She returned moments later and already her wound was beginning to heal. "I was thinking about it. The reason he probably didn't do anything to us, would be so that the girl wouldn't get mad at him."

"Hmm, that does seem logical." Shadow agreed. "Normally he would've killed you, but seeing as how the girl knows both of you and has seemed to have grown attached to you he probably felt that if he killed you or harmed you she would be furious. I can't believe our Lord is afraid of a human girl."

"Better not let him hear you say that. He'll rip out your throat for sure. Speaking of which, we'd better get everything ready so that him getting ready for the council meeting will go smoothly. He's on edge as it is, even though he won't admit it." Kiba said solemnly. He then stood up and started to leave. "Come on now, we need to get to work."

* * * * * * * *

Brittany stretched lightly as she rubbed her eyes and felt the space beside her. Was last night all a dream after all? Brittany thought as she realized Alex wasn't beside her. However when she opened her eyes he was standing before her in an elegant armor. It was dark black, with red highlight over the arm, shoulder, and shin guards. Alex stood over her with an icy face.

"Time to get up. Take a bath and get dressed, we will have time to only eat a little before we must leave." Alex said. He went to her closer and pulled out a black and red dress that matched his own armor. "Wear this, I will be in my study so after your bath come to me and I will help you with your dress."

Brittany was speechless at how he was acting towards her, but she did what he said regardless. She took her bath, and after she had gotten the dress on most of the way she went to his study.
"I'm finished, but I need your help with the dress." Brittany said quietly. Alex was starring intently on a book but looked up when he heard her enter.

"Yes of course." Alex replied mechanically as he walked over to her. He quickly tied the back of her dress and returned to his book. "Today, is going to prove to be very interesting. I want you to decide which wolf demons you want to guard over you during the meeting. For I will not be able to protect you if anything should happen. Since bringing you here was forbidden, there's a good chance some demons might try an attack you, understand. So who do you want to go with us?"

"Well that's easy. Kiba, Holly, and Shadow...they're the only ones I really know here." Brittany said.

"As you wish. Now, about last night. The reason I did not remove you from my bed was because you were under the affects of a powerful sleeping potion. Elven night wood, is what its actually called. Do not think however, that this means you can sleep in my bed anymore. I'm sure that you wouldn't want to anyways, but still just to be clear on the matter. Now, let's go down to breakfast." Alex said calmly. Even so he never looked at Brittany while he talked, for he knew that he couldn't maintain his facade around her if he had to look into her eyes. I still can't get rid of my feelings for her! I've tried to act as if nothing has changed, but I can't...not when I'm around her.

"Why would someone try to knock me out?" Brittany asked, still confused about why Alex was acting so cold to her.

"Because, some of my servants thought it would be best if they took my affairs into their own hands. For some odd reason, they believed that I wanted you in my bed, seeing as how you are my mate, they only believed that it was proper for you to sleep with me. Needless to say, I have punished them for their actions so that it shall never happen again."

"What! Why did you punish them for something like that? It was only a mistake on their part...well except for the whole drugging thing. Still you shouldn't have punished them. What did you do?" Brittany asked, furious at the way Alex was acting.

"Simple...I killed them." Alex said coldly. Brittany was shocked by his answer as she backed away from him.

"H-how could you kill your own people?" Brittany asked, horrified by what he had just said.

"First, they are not my people, they are my servants. Second, I cannot allow them do things like that and get away with it. If they would go so far as to drug you, who knows what in the hell they would try next." Alex said as his anger rose. Dammit! It's working...but maybe too well. Why the hell do I care what she thinks? I wanted to make her hate me and its working, but the madder she gets, the worse I feel. "Listen, I was doing it for your own good."

"I didn't ask you to! How do you know if its for my own good? What kind of monster could be so heartless?" Brittany asked as she turned around to keep him from seeing the tear that rolled down her cheek. "I-I guess they were right. Your not the Alex I knew, you aren't the Alex I cared about, you really are a monster."

"I'm not a monster I'm a demon. There's a difference, but regardless of what you may call me, the fact still remains. You are my mate, you are stuck with me for as long as you stay here. Now, go down to breakfast, I will be down there momentarily." Alex said as he turned around and walked back to a far wall and placed the book he had back in it. He didn't turn around as he heard Brittany slowly heading back out the door. As soon as she was gone he turned back around. His face was no longer and icy mask, but one full of inner turmoil. "What have I just done?"