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Beauty and The Beast (TheSilentProtagonist x Goddess)

Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Alexander King had been a powerful, rich, and handsome man. Oh, his wealth and power had remained intact for the most part, but he lost the beauty five long years ago. It had only run skin deep anyways, as those who got to know him quickly realized. The man had been a vain, greedy, and selfish person his entire life. He knew the right things to say to end up in a powerful position, and uncaring enough to not be bothered about who he stepped on to get there. Years of playing the stocks, and a large inheritance from his deceased parents, left him semiretired. Now he mostly sits back, going to the occasional meeting to make sure his companies were still doing well. Anything he wants, he can get.

On that night five years ago though, his callous disregard for others finally paid its price. A fierce storm was brewing. There were flash flood warnings all over the area, not that they bothered Alex. His large manor sitting on top of a hill would be unaffected, and he could handle all his business through phone or email. He was ready to settle in for the night when a knock at the door disturbs him. Answering it angrily, he finds an old woman with a hideous wart covered nose dressed in soaked through rags. She begs for shelter for the night, but the response is a derisive laugh from Alex. "Get the hell out of my sight, you ugly bitch." Is his reply and he goes to slam the door shut in the hag’s face.

To his shock and horror though, she transformed before his eyes into a beautiful woman with an odd aura around her. The words she spoke that night still ring through in his head. “A sight to frighten, you shall be, for now the monster they shall see. Cursed to show the horror within, this is the price of your vile sin. If you wish to break this bind, then true love you must find!"

From that night, Alex was changed. He kept himself out of sight, refusing to let anyone see his new appearance. His wealth made staying at home easy, and even his servants only got glimpses at best. He despises the, and wants it to change so he can step out into the world again. The opportunity arises when it comes to his attention that a man in his company may have attempted to embezzle from him. The man swears it's an accounting error. This is true, of course. The error was found pretty quickly, and could have been easily resolved. Having looked into the man though, and learning that he had a daughter, an idea formed in Mr. King’s head. His lawyers would destroy the aging employee financially, if not get him thrown in jail. In a closed door meeting though, he offers the man a single opportunity to have this all go away quietly. He brings his daughter over to be a live in employee for Alex. When the man asks what her duties will be, Mr. King responds simply by showing the man who he's talking to, and telling him that wouldn't be his concern. The look of shock and horror brings a vicious smile to the CEO’s face. With that, he lets the former employee run off, giving him until the end of the week to make his decision.
 
Back at her home, Lacey Beaumont watched her father spiral downwards from a loving, hard-working man to an alcoholic who talked to himself all day and cried all night in a matter of days. Whenever she tried approaching him or calming him down, it only seemed to make matters worse. He wouldn't talk to her, or try to explain it, and the only coherent things he would say to her in those days were comments like "I had no choice", and "It wasn't my fault." Needless to say, this had the young woman on edge.

Normally too engulfed with the latest book of her collection or re-reading one of her favorites, the change in her household had to be marked for this young overachiever to notice anything in her household, with two older sisters already at college. The youngest of the house, Lacey was a 17 year old young woman of long, brown, bushy hair often in a bun or ponytail, whose bright brown eyes hid behind glasses, allegedly from reading too much. She was, more often than not, in jeans and converse shoes, reading books past her age range in baggy, layered t-shirts. But try as she might to ignore the mess with her father, she couldn't help but wonder what it was.

On the last day of the week, her father seems genuinely better, even talking about getting her a job for her absurd reading habits, which delights her. Her father, Maurice, told her it was a job for her employer, at his place, and she guessed it was a maid or something, not giving it too much thought as she was driven to there. There probably wasn't that big of a difference in paying a teenager and a minority worker, she thought. She had not, however, noticed the packed case of luggage in the trunk of the car, or how off her father was, so full of sedatives in order to make the delivery. With an empty smile on his face he dropped Lacey off, along with her luggage, leaving the perplexed young lady in the front of the huge mansion all on her own, still trying to figure out what was going on.
 
The week seemed to drag on leading to the last day of the deadline that Alex had set. By the end of it, he was sure that Mr. Beaumont had foolishly decided to not accept the offer. It didn’t matter to the beast one way or another. If it was declined, then he’d proceed forward with his threat as planned. His lawyers would serve the papers, and the courts would tie up the aging man until he likely died of the stress. From there, Mr. King could just wait for the next opportunity to make the offer again. Either that, or he’d create his own, of course.

It doesn’t come to that in the end. The call he gets the night before the deadline allows him to lay out the exact details. Maurice was to bring his daughter to Mr. King’s door. She could bring along any incidentals, though they likely wouldn’t be needed. The man was to tell Lacey nothing of his employer’s appearance. If she was there any later than 9 AM sharp, then the offer was void. Finally, and most importantly, Mr. Beaumont could not stay. He is to drop his daughter off and leave. Mr. King has no use for the old man anyways.

Alex stands at a window overlooking the road. He hears the car approaching long before it actually arrives. As it pulls in front of his large, two story manor, the beast pays close attention. His home is surrounded by woods, and overlooks a lake further down the other side of the path. Its serene beauty is likely why his father had it built. Its isolation is why Alex had kept it. He takes the time to examine Lacey as she steps out of the car. She is acceptable, he thinks to himself. He could choose far worse women to fall in love with him. Her outfit wouldn’t do though. No, not at all. Those baggy shirts and pants would be discarded. If she was going to remain in his manor, then she would dress like a lady or go naked.

“Jeffries!” The beast roars out. The servant had been with his family since before he was born, and had been one of the few to remain out of some sense of loyalty to his job and the people he served. He answers the call right away, knowing how little patience the beast had. “Bring her inside.” Alex instructs him. “Take her to her room. Tell her to change into something appropriate. Then see that breakfast is ready.” The butler nods before running off to do as he is told.
 
Pushing up her glasses, Lacey admired the mansion, looking over the long road and catching a glimpse of the forest that surrounded it. The elegance of the two-story manor was marked, and, while she could have sworn she saw glimpses of someone or something from down below, she certainly didn't see her employer and future love or she probably would have made a run for it.

Soon, she Lacey Beaumont was directed inside, and into what the butler called her room, for some reason, to change for breakfast. Inside, she looked at the hallways, not at all surprised that she needed to change for breakfast, but she certainly didn't have any idea of what would be proper for her to be working in. The servant, who had introduced himself as Jeffries and seemed like a kind, older man, instructed a dress would be most suitable. Lacey sighed, hating the confines of female beauty, looking through her luggage to find anything like a dress, and now wondering what her father had gotten her into.

After wondering why her father had jammed half her wardrobe, a stuffed toy, and most of her personal items into the luggage, and rummaging for a while, she finally found a dress. It was something she tended to only wear for church, blue with a white collar and belt, which shaped her body nicely and gave no emphasis to her modest chest, but to her wider hips and ass, reaching only mid thigh. How she hated it...

Wondering if she was actually offered the job of secretary or maybe personal assistant instead of what she thought might have been a cleaning job, she also changed into plain white flats and wore a rosary around her neck, her hair still tied on a ponytail and her face free of any makeup but a bit of lipgloss. As soon as she was ready, she would be directed to the dinning table, hopefully to see her new boss. The fact that she was forced to dress like this, with her false expectations, made her excited for her new job, though it hadn't quite sank in she was expected to stay there, much less the true role she would play at the mansion.
 
The beast has ordered his remaining servants to prepare for the breakfast meeting quickly. That last term was hardly needed. He had not been a patient man, and that impatience only grew worse after the change. The dining hall is prepared exactly how he requests it. The room is darkened, with the only light illuminating where Lacey would be sitting. The long table would mean that she would not be able to see him until he wanted her to. Alex wasn’t sure how much the girl had been told, but he was always one to go for a bit of a dramatic flair when possible.

When he is told that breakfast is ready, the beast makes his way down to the dining hall and takes his seat at the head of the table. An assortment of food is brought out, mostly eggs and meat. His taste buds had become significantly more sensitive following the transformation, and even the smell of fruit was particularly strong to him. Once he’s seated, he orders Jeffries to bring the girl to him right away. “I’m tired of waiting!” He snaps. The butler runs off quickly to fetch Lacey, leading her through the doors. “Leave us!” He instructs the man, who once again runs off and closes the door behind him. The beast takes a moment to examine the girl, looking her up and down, his silhouette the only thing visible of him giving a large and imposing sight. Yes, she looked much more suitable in that outfit. She would do quite nicely. That rosary she had on made him scoff though. “It won’t protect you.” He remarks before pointing to the chair opposite of him. “Sit, I hunger.” He orders her.
 
Lacey was more than a bit confused by the situation. After being hurried to an almost dark dining room and locked inside with whoever was there, she felt her heart quicken and not out of excitement. Needless to say his words didn't make the matter any better either, making her look down at the cross around her neck and back at the man before her. Nervously and hesitantly, clutching the cross, she made her way to sit at the table, too nervous to take any of the food into her plate.

Scanning the man before her nervously, her mind began to wonder. All she could tell was a huge, hulking figure, more so than most men. The first thing that popped into her mind because of the cross comment was vampire, but the build was wrong. Werewolves weren't affected by crosses, so that couldn't be it. Clearly her imagination, faced with one too many fantastical worlds, was overpowering her sense of logic.

"So..." she hesitated to say, "What exactly is my job here, sir? My father didn't inform me..."
 
Alex lets out a harsh laugh, the sound filling the hall. It came out low, with a natural growl to it that sent a shiver down most people's spines. The girl clutching her cross tight was almost cute. He'd given up on faith a long time ago, and it would be fun breaking her out of the habit of having it. A second laugh follows when he learns that Mr. Beaumont had seen no need to educate his daughter on who she would be serving. "Oh, this is just too rich. I figured that man had no spine, but to send his daughter here without any knowledge of what would be happening, I didn't know he lacked a heart too!" He remarks.

"Tell me, Ms. Beaumont. Do you believe in monsters?" He asks her, the amusement never leaving his gravely voice. "Things that live in the dark and go bump at night? Do you believe in witches and curses and all those other stories you were always told as a child?"
 
Clutching her cross tighter and leaning back slightly, shoulders raised betraying her nerves, Lacey could feel her spine shudder at the sound of that booming laughter. Still, even as she swallowed and took an breath, her eyes remained on the silhouette before her, still getting used to the dim light. She could see the things in front of her more clearly now, the food, the shine on the table, but he was still too far away to distinguish. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice soft, small. "My father told me he got a job for me here... To pay for my hobbies... Is... It that not it?"

The next question took her by surprised, almost feeling invaded in her thoughts. It did, however, calm her down a bit. making her tilt her head and flash him a smile. "Most of them are nothing but folklore, tales with some meaning to remember or to pass on, some of them are exaggerations of real things, like werewolves exaggerating the effects of drunkards and witches signifying people's fear of the sciences and the unknown." You could tell from her matter-of-fact tone she believed what she said, pushing up her glasses. "So I guess yes, I believe them. All tales have to start somewhere."
 
Alex gives out yet another laugh. He'd blamed the girl's own hobbies on why she would be here? Oh, this was just getting to be too much. If he'd actually felt bad for the man bedore, that sentiment would be completely lost now. "No, that's not it at all." He answer's Lacey simply, not going further in detail about it just yet. The beast listens to the explanation of the stories with some amusement. Her answer was so... clinical. That's all he can think. "Yes, yes, all have some start somewhere. That isn't what I asked though and you know it." He tells her, a bit annoyed at the answer.

"Fine then." Alex says suddenly. "Let's try things by your definition." He taps his finger on the table, the sound of the long nail echoing out through the hall. "One day, a man is about to turn in for the night. It's raining out, even close to flooding. A knock at the door calls his attention though. When he opens it, what he finds waiting for him is a disfigured hag dressed in ragged clothing. She demands shelter for the night, but the man, having some semblance of common sense, refuses to endanger his home by letting in the stranger. From there she reveals her true self. A powerful witch emerges and curses the man to become a horrible beast." After sharing his version of the events, Alex pauses and studies Lacey carefully. "What would you think about that story?" He asks her.
 
Lacey's eyes light up as she's given a chance to talk more, not even the sound of his fingernail unsettling her now. If this was not about a job to pay for her hobbies, it could be just genuine interest, right? Her father knew she wanted to be a writer, so maybe this was a chance? Some sort of interview? Whatever the case, she wasn't as unsettled as she was earlier.

"Do you mean the tale of Beauty and the Beast? There are so many versions of that, so many tales derived from it, like the princess and the frog, telling us not to judge on appearances!" Her hands had left the cross by now, her palms flat on the table. "Then again, that story has been told so many times, in so many shapes! Its been told with evil sisters and fairies, and even in its origin it meant to deal with love overcoming appearances, though the tale of Cupid and Psyche sounded very little like the story today! But it was love that made the story, and its because its the one thing all humans can relate to, right? So the beast is only ugly because he hasn't found love, or if we go by the Roman version, because he isn't revealing his true self." She smiled to herself, looking up. "That was my favorite movie, growing up."
 
“Oh, dammit…” Alex mutters under his breath, rolling his eyes when Lacey mentions the story. “Yes, yes, tale as old as time and all that.” He tells her, trying to hurry it along. She was certainly articulate and well learned. It was actually annoying him more than anything else at this point. The movie angered him more than anything else about the whole thing. None of his staff was punished and cursed, only the beast himself. Though fortunately, at least he doesn’t have some stupid rose to watch as a lifeline, and modern technology means that it’s much harder to get by without being in public.

“So then would you believe it?” Alex finally decides to ask her. “If I told you I have been cursed, and the only cure was for you to love me, would you believe such a story?” Now Alex stands up. “What if it was the only way to make me a man again? Tell me, Ms. Beaumont…” Alex King steps out from the shadows, showing himself to the girl. His skin, originally slightly bronzed was now tinted red. The coarse black hair on his head and that made up his beard had become rougher and thicker, almost fur like. The man’s ears jutted up into points. Alex’s hazel eyes became a shade of red to match his skin, the pupils growing to take more space. His pearly white teeth have sets of fangs growing from the top and bottom. The beast’s large and imposing form barely fits in the suit he wears, and he towers over any normal man, let alone the girl in front of him. Holding up one of his clawed hands, he waves it along his body. “Do you believe in monsters?” He asks the girl, letting her take in the full sight of the man her father sold her to.
 
While Lacey was hesitating to come up with an answer, a puzzled look on her face, the Beast got closer, finally into view in the darkness. Moving back in her own seat, her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. As the imposing man towered over her, she couldn't help but stare, shaking slightly, her mouth staying agape. It took her a few seconds to compose herself. Forcing her mouth to close, but still staring, she swallowed, giving a slow but understanding nod.

This brought a sense of disbelief in her. It was almost an unnatural feeling of dissociation, feeling herself become the protagonist of one of the very tales she loved. "I..." she hesitated to make the question, looking up at him nervously. "I have to fall in love with you...? Will... will that break the curse?"
 
Alex can hear the quickened heartbeat. He can practically smell the fear radiating off the girl. It was one little advantage brought on by his transformation, giving him senses to match his bestial look. More than that though, a part of him likes the fear he feels in other people. It brings a wicked smile to his face knowing that he can scare them so easily. Stepping closer still, he stands right in front of Lacie, keeping her within arm’s reach. He doesn’t expect her to try and run, but he didn’t feel up for a chase at the moment.

The girl’s question has his face contorting in anger, baring his teeth at her. The way she phrased it, that she had to fall in love with him. Well if that was the term she chose to use, then he would work with it. “Yes, you do!” He snaps at her, leaning in closer so that Lacie can feel his hot on her face. “You’ve seen the movie, so you know exactly how this works, don’t you?” He asks her. “You fall in love with me, I become my handsome self again.” He stands back straight and shrugs his shoulders. “Or you can decide not to and your father will go to jail.” Alex says, now knowing the girl isn’t aware of why her father brought her here. “The choice is yours, really. I can always find some other girl. You should count yourself lucky.”
 
Finally she looked down again, feeling that she'd called too much attention to herself, clutching once more to the rosary around her neck. While she wasn't overly religious, moments like this made her wonder of a cynic existence above watching over all they did. Her nostrils flared as she attempted to control her breath. Suddenly she felt alone, betrayed, but also understood why she was in such a position. It had been her favorite story for ages, and to now be in its midst.

"I'll... I'll do it..." Lacey's voice was soft, hesitant, but in her still naive heart was the illusions of a dreamer. Belle had managed to fall in love in the Disney version, and she only needed to find the kindness already in his heart, right? It couldn't be impossible. If her father had already abandoned her here, maybe it wouldn't be too bad, right? "I'll try to fall in love with you..."
 
“I told you that won’t protect you.” Alex snaps at the girl, grabbing her wrist to pull it away from the rosary. His skin was rough, but still clearly human. When Lacey agrees, the beast huffs, nodding at her before turning to return to his seat. “You will do, not try. How impossible do you think this task is?” He asks in annoyance. “All you have to do is care for me. Don’t fail and don’t waste my time.”

Reaching his chair, Alex sits back down to finish his breakfast. He watches Lacey closely as he eats, trying to gauge how sincere she was about seeing this through. It should be simple enough, he reasons. She just had to listen to him, make sure he had everything he wanted, and otherwise act as a proper wife or girlfriend of sorts. Simple enough tasks to accomplish, but should he decide she is just stalling so she can live off his wealth, then he would always be able to send her off and punish her dad with the charge.
 
Lacey's heart was racing, a soft whimper escaping her as he pulled her hand away from the rosary, his angry temper surprising her and scaring her. She hesitated to give him a response, her pulse too quick, her eyes wide with fear and taking her a few seconds to escape from that moment. Finally, she told him, "That's not how love works, you know...?" She'd let go of the rosary, her hands now wrapped between themselves in an effort to calm down, but her postured slouched, defensive. "Beauty and the Beast was my favorite book growing up... And I always hoped that I would find a kind, even if..." she struggled in her word choice, "... unconventional prince to have the life I'd always dreamed of."

As Alex sat down and ate, Lacey reached out for some of the fruit, still looking at the Beast with wary eyes. She'd lost most of her appetite to her nerves, but still took an eye of the apple. Her eyes seemed sincere, wondering what he'd done to be driven to this, and wondering if he felt truly lonely. In her mind, and in the books, it was never about pleasing each other, but about discovering each other that made them fall in love, which was admitedly a far healthier perspective. Trying to put a bit of her part, she flashed him a timid smile. She really did want to try.
 
"Don't tell me how love is supposed to work!" Alex snaps at the girl. He doesn't particularly care about that at this point. If his way failed to work, then he'd look into other means, but for now, this was the best course of action. Lacey would act as a wife to him. "Just do what you have to do to fall in love with me. Remember, your father's freedom counts on it." The beast says as he eats. This will work, he's sure of it. Somehow, the girl would fall in love, he'd become his handsome self again, and who knows, from there the world is his oyster.

He watches Lacey closely, seeing her hesitation in eating and the small smile she offers. "Good, smile more." He says. Happy and loving people smiled. It was a good sign. "And eat." The beast adds after. It wouldn't do if the woman who fell in love with him became sick. What good would she be to him then? He quickly finishes his own meal before standing up and calling out for the butler. "Get this mess cleaned up now." He says to the man before looking at Lacey. "Come on then, I'm going to show you my manor." He stands and walks out of the room, not waiting for Lacey to catch up.
 
The Beast's comments about love and how it should be almost her duty or her job made Lacey's smile falter, making her cast down her gaze. She was pretty sure that wasn't how things worked, you couldn't will yourself to fall in love! If that was the case, there would be no more divorces! Still, she distracted herself by eating an apple, albeit slowly. Her eyes were at the table, downcast, unfocused, her mind still racing at the situation. Was he really kind underneath it all? Underneath all that bitterness? He had to be, right? That's what all the stories led her to believe.

She'd barely finished her apple when Alex had finished his meal, mostly due to her own lack of appetite. Soon, the servant was taking everything away and as he got up and called to her, she nervously shuffled behind him. It didn't even seem like he waited for her. "Excuse me... What's your name?"
 
The beast has left the dining room and has already started making his way down the main hall when he hears Lacey calling out to him. Alex scoffs at the girl, barely turning to glance at her. Had she agreed to come work for him without knowing even that, someone so important, so powerful, and she didn’t know his name? He stops and scowls at her, growling low. “I thought you might be a smart one.” He says, tapping her glasses hard with a clawed finger before answering her question. “My name is Alexander King. See that you don’t forget that.” He tells her before turning and continuing to walk.

Alex decides a tour of the manor might help Lacey find the motivation she needed to love him. Seeing everything she would get would certainly make him more appealing, after all. The first stop he makes is his large library. The room takes up most of the space on the bottom floor, and every wall is taken up by shelves filled with every type of book, including some very rare first editions. There is a desk set up with a computer, and more comfortable seats around the room for when he just wants to sit and read. “You are not to touch any book in here without my express permission.” He warns Lacey straight away. “Some of them are probably worth more than you are.”
 
Lacey couldn't help but lean back in place, moving away from the sudden invasion of her personal space. The mark on her glasses was distracting, so she took of the pair, lowering her head and huffing at his words. "Lack of information is hardly a measure of intelligence I'll have you know," she pouted, lagging a bit behind as she cleaned up her specs. "How is it my fault you never introduced yourself? Or that my father never mentioned you by name?" Even as she returned to walk after him, she lagged a few steps behind.

As she followed him into the library, her eyes shone in awe of the place and, finally, she was feeling that this was going as it should have been, as a fairy tale. She'd always wished she could have a library so big that it was almost possible for her to get lost in it. She marveled at the many books, at the furniture, at the smell of the place that was always her comfort. At his words, however, she turned her attention to him again with an incredulous look on her. "You can't possibly be serious! How do you expect anyone to fall in love with you when you value a book more than them?"
 
“It is your fault for never asking.” Alex answers simple as he walks on. He was used to these situations as it was. There was always someone to blame, he found though, and their excuses always seemed so pathetic to him. In the library, he is walking along the shelves, moving a clawed finger slowly along the books as he looks them over. Lacey actually seems impressed by it all, which rather surprises him. The beast had chosen the room he thought would be the most underwhelming for a woman first, but unless she was an overly excitable girl, he starts to think he may have shown her favorite room to her first.

Alex stops and glares at the girl when she once again talks back to him. In two large, fast steps, he’s in front of her face. Instead of leaning down to Lacey’s height this time though, he instead grabs her shirt with one hand and pulls the girl up so hard that she’s forced to be eye to eye with him. “The amount of time and money I have put into acquiring this collection makes it invaluable. Some of the books here are priceless and irreplaceable. The same can’t be said about people.” His voice comes out low, accompanied by a seemingly constant growl. “I expect that if a girl is going to love and care for me, then she would understand how important these books are and take all the necessary precautions to prevent any damage from coming to them.”
 
When Alex disregarded her words, Lacey scoffed, wondering if that hadn't been exactly what she'd done just now. Why would she care beforehand what her father's boss was. Now that she thought of it, had he even bothered to ask her name? I mean, sure, he had to know because of his situation, but he was being awfully rude for someone demanding to be loved.

A small yelp escaped her as he lifted her up, making her instinctively grab on to his arm. Her face scrunched up in disbelief at his words, mixed with confusion and fear. "Books aren't even alive! How can you place more value in an object than in someone's life?" she asked, horrified that she was in this situation. Did she really have to love someone who had just said that books were more valuable than she was? Was this a ruse of some kind? "This is why you got cursed, you know!"
 
Alex scoffs at Lacey’s comment. As far as he was concerned, human life wasn’t that important. When it came down to it, he was valuing one object against another, a book against a human life, and the book had actually served him some purpose in his life. What she says next though earns a flash of anger from the beast, and he drops the girl onto the floor before roaring out. “Don’t you dare say that!” He yells at Lacey, baring his teeth and growling as he clenches his claws into powerful fists. The man had always had a temper, which has only become exacerbated by his change.

He leans down, holding his claws up in front of Lacey’s face. “I was cursed because a vengeful old hag decided that she deserved what she hadn’t owned. I was cursed because she was cruel and vindictive. I did not deserve this! I worked hard to be where I am. I have earned every penny. What makes her think she had any right to just waltz in here and demand me to give her shelter?” Alex asks, the idea of just being hospitable to someone who didn’t benefit him in any way being more a foreign concept than anything else.
 
Lacey was scared and trembling, her eyes wide and her shoulders raised, but even despite that, she stood firm in place. With a trembling lower lip and difficulty swallowing before she spoke, she still stood up to him. "You are missing the whole point of the story!" she told him. "The point of it was love! It wasn't just the romance that made Prince Adam return to normal! It was the empathy, the self sacrifice! He didn't just get Belle to fall in love with him, he loved her!"

Despite the glassy eyes and the fear and the anger, Lacey felt she had to do this. It was her chance to get her fairy tale, and it was this man's chance to return to a normal life. She had to push past her fear, past her own needs. There was a heart of gold, a scared man that just wanted to be loved beneath the red skin and the fans and the fur. That was why she was here! That's how the fairy take always went.
 
Growling, Alex lowers himself down to look Lacey in the eyes, a snarl on his face as he bares his teeth at the girl. That tongue on her, that defiance, he can't sand it. He hates being talked back to, especially by someone so far beneath him. The beast considers having Lacey's father arrested, just to teach the girl a lesson. A thought crosses his head and he pulls back, considering what she said. The story in the fairy tale did require that the beast love in return. The witch had said that love was needed to break the curse, after all, so it only made sense that he would need to care for her.

Looking around, Alex lets out a scoff. "Fine then, you can have free reign of the manor, including the library unless you show I shouldn't trust you with this privledge." He tells Lacey, starting to walk to the door. "We have to care for each other equally, right? Become two people in love, that's how my curse breaks, isn't it?" Opening the door, he calls out loudly for his butler, who comes running to the door immediately. "Move all of her things to my bedroom, and be quick about it." He snaps at the man, sending him off before turning to face Lacey again.
 
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