Your Leash - A Cinderella Phenomenon Fanfiction

Shadows of the Forest

Lucette

I awoke to familiar sheets but with an uncomfortable feeling weighing in my gut. Feeling weak and disoriented, I shook my head to clear my mind, intensifying the throbbing that is already there. My brain felt as if it was filled with cotton and I found myself unsure of what, exactly, had happened to me before I found myself in bed.

"She lives."

I startled at the sudden sound of a male voice and looked over to see Varg's eyes flash at me, icy and sharp.

My voice came out a little choked as I glared at him. "Why are you here?"

Varg shrugged. "It was my job to stay here and watch over you."

He sighed loudly, cracking his neck. "So boring, Sleeping Beauty," he complained. "Your book collection is abysmal."

I pointedly ignored his baiting in favor of getting more information. "How long have I been out?" I asked.

Varg rose and took a few steps towards the bed. "About a week," he answered nonchalantly.

"What?!?!" I exclaimed. A whole week! My brain tried to piece together the last time I remembered doing anything. The secret tunnels and Mythros, the- MOTHER!

I jolted up quickly and was rewarded with a wave of nausea before Varg was reaching out to steady me. He gently coaxed me to relax back and be still.

"Slow down Princess, you aren't ready to fight me yet," he murmured.

My eyes met his and they were so genuine and open that I found myself unsure how to process his expression. Then it occurred to me-

"Wait, the sun is up. Is Fritz still not coming out during the day?" I demanded.

Varg stepped back and gazed at me, looking disinterested, but said nothing.

"Is he still in there?" I asked with growing irritation.

Varg sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you Fritz doesn't want to see you?"

Before I could temper my response, I reared back as if his words had physically slapped me.

"But I didn't do anything wrong..." I murmured plaintively.

He frowned at me, almost looking sympathetic before fire sharpened his gaze. "He was too ashamed to see you. I had no idea Fritz would respond to your words like he did. I have most of his memories, at least the strong ones. He doesn't have mine though."

"Oh..."

I looked at Varg before continuing curiously. "What kind of memories?"

A smirk crossed his face, his teeth flashing only for a moment. "In the beginning? Mostly you."

Wow. That was... unexpected.

"Fritz cares for you, Princess," Varg told me it with annoyance, biting the words as they left his mouth. "Take my word for it, if no one else's."

"Will I ever see him again? Or has he lost to you?" I asked, undeterred by his obvious irritation.

"... I can't say."

Varg's face was open but a moment in apparent sympathy before he turned away.

"Can't say or won't say?"

He looked at me with such tenderness I felt my tongue still.

"Princess..." he murmured quietly, almost to himself.

Then it was gone all at once, the tenderness giving way to stone, and his teasing smirk returned.

"Seems you're stuck with me for the time being, Princess."

'Fine,' I thought with aggravation, 'two could play that game.' As Varg pulled on his mask of arrogance and superiority, I also pulled on mine. It was the Ice Princess of many months ago, not my current self, who sneered back.

"You know what, Varg?" I taunted. "You are more like him than you know. He would NEVER harm me."

I looked in his eyes pointedly as I continued. "And neither would you."

Varg's eyes showed a momentary waver, but it was gone so quickly I may have imagined it. His face grimaced with impatience and he snarled. Sadly for him, I am not afraid of him anymore.

"It's always Fritz with you, but I'm the one who has been by your side this whole time!"

He was obviously getting angry, that stone face contorting to something more primal, but so was I. His eyes locked with mine, trying to trap me in the stare of a predator, trying to make me sweat and shake.

"I am a much better man than him," he snarled. "And we both know that I am by far the better protector."

His face had steadily gotten closer to mine and he had me trapped against the wall to the left of my bed. He looked like he would like nothing better than to rip me apart piece by piece, hurt me deeply in places that would not heal, but I was far too enraged to care. I would not give an inch.

"Oh?" I grinned, forcing myself to lean in so my breath tickled his ear. "Then why are you so threatened by him?"

Varg let loose a growl of frustration and wrapped his hand around my throat, pinning me to the wall. His hand was firm and unyielding, not impeding my breathing, but not allowing me any movement to wriggle or try to escape. His face was but a few inches from mine, and we met each other's eyes, both seething with fury, both growling in our chests. Within a moment, Varg closed the space between us and slammed his lips against mine. I have heard first kisses are supposed to be magical, but based on the few fairy tales I have read since becoming cursed, this was far different. First kisses are described as gentle and chaste, butterfly wings fluttering across maiden lips. But this was no gentle kiss and I suppose that was fitting, as I was no helpless sweet maiden. I hadn't an ounce of gentleness within me and that was just fine because the Ice Princess and the Wolf both had little use for gentleness. Instead, Varg's kiss was hot and hungry. He was unyielding and immovable, a force of nature as his teeth bit my lips and his tongue forced its way into my mouth. As I brought my arms up to slam on his chest, I believed that I would push him off of me and demand that he answer for this; find a way to press him under my heel and force him to admit defeat. But when my hands settled on his chest, they curled into his shirt instead, almost ripping the fabric beneath my fingers as they clenched into fists.

That was surprising and disturbing and Varg seemed just as shocked as I was. He broke the kiss with his gasp of surprise and, momentarily coming to my senses, I flung him from me with as much force as I could muster. His body flew back and his eyes opened wide in shock. We panted at one another, neither able to pinpoint the look in the other's eye. I could see the moment that he processed what he had done and he began to look overwhelmingly guilty, a feeling I would have thought quite out of his reach. He reached out a hand to caress my cheek, but I smacked it away, extending my arm towards the door.

"Get. Out." I whispered through clenched teeth. His eyes closed off without warning and he bowed at the waist, sweeping his cane out beside him.

"Then won't you please excuse me, Princess. I have things to do today," he said. And without so much as a glance backward, he strode out of my room.