Beast in Shining Armor (A Kinda Fairy Tale)

by Cassandra Gannon

  He pressed his lips to her temple, guiding her towards release. Getting her used to his touch. She was always responsive and, once True Loves slept together, the need between them grew even stronger. It only took a moment to have her right on the edge. Belle bit down on her lower lip and Avenant pressed even deeper. Belle liked it a little bit hard, which was just fucking adorable. He squeezed another finger into her tight channel and felt her body clench.

  She realized what he was doing a second before she came. Her eyes popped open, but it was too late to stop the inevitable. He kept his gaze locked on hers as he stoked her to completion.

  “Ohhhhh.” It was whimpering moan and then she rippled around his hand.

  Before she had a chance to regain her senses and shove him away, Avenant rolled her on top of him. She made a helpless sound that almost sent him over the edge. Dazed, she let him position her knees on either side of his hips and thrust home. Belle’s mouth parted, her eyes squeezing shut as a second climax tore through her.

  Avenant’s teeth ground together at the sensation. The Beast gave a growl of pure lust. “Ride, my love.” He gripped her waist, guiding her up and down. She was still shivering from the orgasm, intensifying the sensation. “That’s the way.” His head went back as Belle braced her hands on his chest and found her rhythm. Yeah… this wasn’t going to last long.

  “Oh God.” Belle arched in desire. Dark hair fell like veil around her pale skin as she moved. “Avenant.”

  Avenant smiled in wonder at the sound of his name on her lips. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. He would never, ever get enough of this woman.

  His palms came up to cup her pretty little breasts through the lace of her bra. He wanted to see them. To suck her hard nipples into his mouth. From the time he’d figured out girls were different than boys he’d been fascinated with Belle’s delicate curves. He tried to unfasten the damn bra, but she swatted him away. Not wanting to push his luck, he gave up and let the annoying scrap of fabric stay in place. He had so much else to focus on.

  Inside his head, the Beast was fighting for control.

  Avenant’s jaw clenched as Belle rocked against his body, somehow keeping the monster down. He wanted this to last forever, but she was so damn soft. Christ, as many times as he’d dreamed of her, he’d never imagined how soft she’d really feel around him. It was a miracle he was still conscious.

  When Belle convulsed for a third time, Avenant couldn’t hold on any longer. Grasping her hips, he slammed into her as deep as he could go. Belle cried out his name again and Avenant erupted. His eyes nearly crossed as he came long and hard within her hot depths. She milked him dry and it was goddamn beautiful. The Beast and Avenant roared at the same instant, two sounds becoming one in his head. For one perfect second, he felt… whole

  Belle collapsed onto him, her forehead on his shoulder. She was struggling for breath, tremors still traveling through her body and into his. It was like touching magic. Everyone said sex was more meaningful between True Loves, but he’d never understood it until now.

  Still panting, Avenant buried his face in her hair and kissed the top of her head. “That’s why people die for their True Loves.” He whispered.

  “Funny you should say that, because I’m ready to beat you to death.” Belle lifted her head to glare at him. “You’re like a blond, smug Satan.” She jerked away from him and he instantly felt the loss of her warmth. “I can’t believe this!” She grabbed for her clothes and jumped to her feet. “Shit. I can’t believe you did this to me!”

  He stacked his hands behind his head. “Three times is pretty unbelievable.”

  “Shut-up!” She tugged her pants on, which was a crime against nature. “We’re undoing this, you understand me? We can go to a wizard and break the True Love bond. There’s a whole legal process to dissolve disastrous matchups like this.”

  Avenant made a regretful “tsk” of a sound. “I don’t think that will work. I’ve lost my faith in the legal system, I’m afraid.”

  “No, it’ll work.” She insisted. “It’s not complicated. We just have to sign a sacred scroll to make all this go away.”

  “We’d both have to agree to dissolve the bond, though.” He reminded her. “And historically speaking, when’s the last time we’ve agreed on anything?”

  Belle stared at him, realization dawning.

  Avenant slowly smirked. So did the Beast.

  “You’re not going to sign the scroll, are you?” She sounded stunned. “You’re really not.”

  “No.” He sat up, keeping his eyes on her. “I’m really not.”

  She swallowed. “You want to win so badly that you’d trap us like this?”

  He wanted her so badly that he’d do anything. Anything, at all. “Evil princes keep innocent girls trapped all the time. Don’t you watch the news? It’s kind of our thing. Usually, it’s in a tower or something, but…”

  Belle cut him off. “I won’t let you get away with this!”

  “Get away with what?” He shrugged. “I’m not the one who made us True Loves. I haven’t done anything except be happy with the whims of fate.”

  She threw a shoe at him. “You’re not happy, Avenant! You don’t even like me!”

  “Trust me. I’ve spent my morning liking you a lot.”

  “That’s just the connection between us. Sex is always explosive between True Loves. Everyone knows that.” She glowered at him. “But what about the rest of it? We can’t stand each other. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life bickering with me?”

  God yes.

  Probably best not to tell her that, though.

  Belle kept going. “I remember you telling me at prom that you’d pick someone else if you could. Well, you can. You can sign the scroll and be done with me forever.”

  Avenant hesitated, because she had a point. About the prom thing, anyway. When she’d refused to even consider the possibility of being with him, he’d said all kinds of crazy shit. The Beast had been going wild and Avenant had been just as out of control. His heart had shattered into so many pieces that night that it still hadn’t healed.

  “I shouldn’t have told you that. It isn’t true.” He admitted. “I will never be done with you, Bella. I will never marry another woman. And you will never talk me into giving up our bond, so you might as well save your energy. Accept that we’re True Loves.” He met her eyes. “It’s why the Icen Throne didn’t melt when you usurped me. You’re my rightful Princess.”

  Her lips pressed together. “I’m not marrying you.” She decided. “We might be True Loves, but I’m still not tied to you.”

  “I know.” It was why he needed her to surrender. This would never be settled until she gave him everything.

  “I mean it.” Belle insisted. “You were right back at prom. You should go marry some vapid princess and I can go be with,” she faltered, searching for a name, “somebody I’m important to.” She finished decisively, waving a hand to encompass the entire world. “And you have no say in it, because we are not bound.”

  “Go ahead. Date whomever you like.”

  That brought her up short. “…Really?”

  “Absolutely.” Avenant reached for his clothes. “I haven’t killed anyone in weeks. I miss the faces people make when their windpipes freeze over. It’s always good for a laugh.”

  Belle’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  Avenant arched a brow. She knew him better than that. “No one takes what’s mine. I always play gentle with you, but I have limits. If you touch another man, I will solidify the blood in his veins. I promise you.”

  “I’m not yours!”

  “Tell it to fate, my love.” Belle’s temper was blazing out of control, so he tried to think of something that might calm her down. When she was angry, it was impossible to predict what she’d do and he liked all his body parts connected. “It’s not all Bad news, you know. I’ve got a castle and some really expensive horses. When we get married, community property gives yo
u half.”

  She wasn’t appeased. “I’m going to find Excalibur.” Belle said tightly. “I am going to claim the kingdom. And then I’m going to use my power to dissolve the True Love bond without your consent and banish you to Wonderland.”

  Avenant frowned. Sending him to the WUB Club had been one thing, but Wonderland was a pit of anarchy and weirdness. “Let’s not say things we don’t mean, alright?”

  “Like what? Like I wish a house would fall on your head? Like I think you deserve to be pelted with poison apples? Like a giant should mill your bones to make his bread? Because, I mean all of that.”

  “Do giants still do their own bone milling? I think it’s all been outsourced, now.”

  She heaved her other shoe at him and it collided with his shoulder. This could’ve been going better. Of course, it could’ve been going worse, too. At least, she hadn’t blackened his eye this time. When she’d slugged him in that pool, it had fucking hurt. The girl packed a wallop.

  “Bella…”

  “Shut-up. I’m not speaking to you!”

  “…people spend their whole lives looking for their True Love.” Avenant finished, ignoring her interruption. “It’s what we’re all hoping to find. Don’t you want that?”

  “Of course I want it. But, not with you.”

  Avenant had anticipated that response, but the rejection still felt like a knife in the chest. His looked down at the ground, too resigned to even be angry. “And you wonder why I had to trick you into this.” He muttered. “You would never give me a chance, otherwise. If it were up to you, I’d be alone forever.”

  “It’s not my fault you’re sneaky and manipulative and cold!”

  “It’s not my fault, either.” He snapped. “It’s part of being Bad. I can’t become some knight in shining armor, no matter what either of us might want.” When he was in college, Avenant had actually tried to join the Knight Academy to impress her, but his father had laughed at the idea and blocked his entrance. Beasts weren’t welcomed in the hallowed halls. “Bad people do Bad things. It’s who I am.”

  Belle’s lips thinned. “I think Scarlett’s right. I think Good and Bad are just labels. I think you choose to be an amoral jackass. I’ve seen moments when you’ve been as Good as anyone. You saved my life yesterday, without even thinking about it.”

  “That’s different.” What he’d do for Belle was completely different than what he could manage for anyone else in the world. She was the only Good part of him.

  “It’s not different.” She jabbed a finger at his chest. “You’re not some crazed animal. You choose to be Bad, Avenant. You choose it so often, you think it’s your nature.”

  “It is my nature. I’m Bad all the way through. You’ve said so yourself.”

  “Well, explain why I should ever accept you as my True Love, then?” She crossed her arms across her chest. “Why would I want someone who’s wholly Bad?”

  Avenant had no ready answer for that. Why should Belle want him? Nobody could want a beast. His mind raced for a plausible argument to trick her into this.

  “You’re the one who created this mess.” She pressed when he remained silent. “You must have some idea as to why it’s a good plan for me to be with you, when you can’t even be nice.”

  Goddamn it. What was he supposed to say? Whatever it was, he needed to think of it fast. Belle was right on the edge of walking away. And without Belle, he might as well be locked in that cell, again.

  Avenant went with the obvious sales pitch. “I told you, I have a castle and…”

  “So help me, do not mention those horses, again! I don’t even ride, you idiot. Tell me a real reason I should give you a chance.”

  He was forever asking Belle to give him a reason. Having the tables turned was disconcerting. “A reason you should be with me?” He echoed. “Because… I can take care of you better than anyone else could.” That was true. No other man would guard her half as ferociously.

  She snorted. “I don’t need somebody to take care of me. I just need somebody who needs me back.”

  God, the woman really did drive him insane. “Who the fuck could need you more than I do? Look at me! Everyone hates me, I’m barely holding it together in this tiny little space, and I’ve just escaped from a mental institution! Obviously, I’m a very needful guy.”

  “But…”

  He cut her off. “Why would I even be doing this if I didn’t need you? Don’t you think there are easier ways to get a woman into bed? I’m lost in a goddamn tomb, because it was the only way I could get you.”

  Belle frowned at him, still not convinced.

  Avenant scraped a hand through his hair. “And it’s not that I don’t want to be nice, it’s that I don’t know how.” He belatedly admitted. “My parents weren’t exactly role models on how it works. They hated everyone. Especially me.”

  Belle blinked at him in surprise. Avenant had never said anything like that to her before. He’d never said anything like that to anyone before. Talking about his parents made him think about his parents and he never wanted to think about those assholes, again.

  Avenant cleared his throat and glanced away. He didn’t like feeling so exposed. “Look, I know you’re not happy about this. Why would you be? But, I can’t help what I am. The Beast is inside of me and it won’t go away. Believe me, I’ve investigated every spell and potion you can imagine trying to get rid of it.”

  “Inside of you?” She repeated, looking as confused as he felt. “You mean literally?”

  “Yes!” Avenant nodded. “So, if you want a logical reason why you should accept me as your True Love, this is it: Without you in my life, the Beast will take control and people will suffer. I promise you. You are all that anchors me. You care about the Northlands. You’re a better ruler than I ever was. You should stick around to make sure the Beast doesn’t flatten the whole kingdom.”

  “You think this thing inside of you is another whole… being?”

  “Of course it is. I know you’ve seen flashes of it. Its eyes glow and its voice gets darker. It’s a monster I have to keep chained. My parents knew I was an animal at heart. It’s why they were so hard on me.” He couldn’t believe he was defending the fuckers. “They wanted me to have discipline.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You can instill discipline without torturing a child.”

  “The doctors didn’t think so. They told my parents to keep me locked up as much as possible. But it wasn’t the cages that kept me in control. It was knowing that you were out there. It’s always been you.” He shook his head. “The Beast and I both know you’re ours. We’re not going to give up our True Love. You can call it selfish, but it’s just our nature. We need you.”

  Belle hesitated, looking skeptical. “How could there be an actual monster inside of you? Two separate beings in one body? I’ve never heard of anything like that happening before.”

  “I don’t know, but it’s there.”

  “What would happen if you let it loose?”

  Avenant frowned. “Something Bad.”

  “You’ve never tried unchaining it to find out?”

  “No!” Was she kidding? “Pieces of it come out, but never all at once. All my life the doctors have said it would be a disaster to lose control over it. My parents would beat me whenever they saw even a flash of it. I wouldn’t…”

  Belle cut him off. “You’re better than your parents, Avenant.” Most of her anger seemed to fade. “And you can be much better than they gave you credit for --Better than you give yourself credit for-- if you try. If that Beast is in you, I don’t think it’s all Bad.”

  Avenant had no idea what to say to something so… idiotic.

  Belle was brilliant. Truly brilliant. How could she possibly say something so dumb? “You really believe that?” He asked after a long moment.

  “Yes.” Her voice was firm. “I have seen flashes of him and he isn’t some crazed monster. He’s never tried to harm me, even when you and I were arguing. I don’t think
the Beast is the problem, I think you are.

  The Beast preened under her words, wanting to get closer to her. It hated it when Belle was upset, usually blaming Avenant for their disagreements. Avenant wasn’t surprised that somehow he was the villain in Belle’s mind, too. The two of them were the biggest headaches in his life, so of course they’d be on the same side.

  “You like pushing people away, Avenant.” Belle continued. “You don’t want to be close to anyone. I spent my whole childhood being ignored and not fitting in with my family. I won’t do that again.”

  Avenant had always disliked Belle’s flighty, self-involved parents. They hadn’t known what to do with their oddball daughter, so they’d ignored her. It was one of the reasons he and Belle had forged such a strange bond. The two of them had been the kids whose parents didn’t care enough to walk them to school, or put their drawings on the fridge, or tuck them in at night. Underneath everything, their isolation had always linked them.

  “You say you need me,” she swept her hair behind her ears, “but I’ve reached out to you again and again and you were a total asshole.”

  “I just wanted you to pay attention.”

  “You just wanted to be an asshole.” She jabbed a finger at him. “I won’t be Trues Loves with someone who’s cold to me. If there’s a chance in a million of this working, you need to let me in. You need to be honest and unguarded and not an asshole.”

  Belle wanted him to surrender.

  No, no, no, no, no. Avenant actually shook his head at the idea. He wasn’t doing that. She had to be the one to give in. Anything else would be failure. It would be weakness. Belle wouldn’t even want him if he broke down and told her everything that was in his heart. She would laugh at him. The only way this would work is if he won. If he showed her he was strong. Then, she’d looked at him and just… know.

  The labyrinth began to move again and cutting off his frantic thoughts.

  Belle scrambled backwards to watch the shrubbery reposition itself. A new pathway opened up, which meant they were no longer trapped. Unfortunately the new passage led directly to Lancelot.