Beauty and the Beast

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek had been a boor but as usual he took a while to acknowledge it. By the time he had, he'd heard that Christine had found herself an apartment. He had rather enjoyed her visit, for the most part, but was pleased to no longer have to worry that she'd show up on his doorstep looking for shelter. He had too many irons in the fire to worry about, he didn't need her interrupting and questioning him.

Still, he recognized his error and he wanted to make it up to her. He sent an owl to her new apartment inviting her over for dinner to celebrate. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

[Christine Montgomery]

She missed him. The asshat. Maybe she was just doomed to fall for asshats. But unlike Dorian Alek had apologized and wanted to see her.

She contemplated refusing his invitation, but the truth was she was lonely, and more than a little scared living by herself - though she wouldn't admit that to anyone.

In the end she decided a home cooked meal and Alek's charming company was a better way to spend her evening than holed up in her apartment practicing spells, but she wasn't dressing up. And she wasn't being pleasant.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

They used the formal dining room this time and Alek had lit candles to create an atmosphere. He wore a handsome button down and tie, and quite literally laughed when Christine appeared in her most casual outfit.

"Laundry day, already?" he asked with a child-like grin. "It is amazing how you manage to look stunning in everything."

[Christine Montgomery]

She had the decency to blush and second guess her clothing when she saw him. He looked devastatingly handsome, and her opinion of him showed all over her face before she schooled her features to annoyance.

"I haven't unpacked." she lied.

She strolled in the room casually and almost pushed the bottle of wine she had brought into Alek's gut for his laundry comment.

"Here." she said maintaining her displeasure. She rolled her eyes then and smiled irritated that she couldn't stay irritated with him.

"You look obnoxiously perfect yourself."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek grunted as she shoved the wine into him, then gave her a slightly irritated look which faded as soon as she turned around and complimented him. He smiled against and shut the door, walking to the dining room as he inspected the wine she had brought.

"I hope you like pasta," he said as he pulled out a chair for her.

[Christine Montgomery]

She felt even more flushed and self conscious when she was led to the formal dining room. She fidgeted with the hem of the shirt she wore.

"Um. I can change...I..." she pressed her lips together. It was hard to be angry, self conscious, and infatuated all at the same time. She didn't quite know which emotion to follow, but she felt severely under-dressed and therefore at a disadvantage.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"Nonsense, love. You look perfect. And now that I don't have to wear this bloody thing," he said with a grin as he pulled off his tie and tossed on a neighboring chair.

He uncorked the wine she had brought and poured them each a glass. He raised his wine in a toast. "To setting forth on your next adventure," he said with a tilt of his head.

[Christine Montgomery]

She laughed as he undid the tie. While he could wear one as well as any dandy Christine had ever seen - which was quite a few - he looked more at ease without one.

"To burying the hatchet." she said in return with a small shrug. She didn't like being angry with him, she didn't like carrying anger for anyone.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"Now," he said as they began their meal. "Tell me about your flat and what it is that you'll be needing as a housewarming gift. I loathe the traditional potted plant."

Alek kept his expression light, but he watched Christine's reaction to the meal he had prepared. He'd spent a good portion of the day attempting to get it just right, becoming frustrated with himself several times in the process. She had responded so enthusiastically to the breakfast he had made her, he wanted to ensure this dinner didn't disappoint.

[Christine Montgomery]

She took a forkful of the pasta he had prepared, but he asked a question before she could taste the meal.

"Bourbon." she answered teasingly and took a bite.

She hadn't forgotten his affection for cooking, but with their argument and her moving into her new place, she wasn't thinking about it. So her reaction was completely genuine as she closed her eyes and savored the various layers of tastes that completely took her by surprise.

"Oh my god, nevermind." she said with feeling preparing another forkful, "Just send me leftovers." bite, "And cook for me on Fridays." bite, "Wow."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek hid his smile in his wine glass and made a mental note to buy her a nice bottle of bourbon. Her enthusiasm over the meal made him uncomfortable and simultaneously appreciative. He opened his mouth to comment on her reaction when the doorbell chimed.

"Excuse me," he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. When he opened the door, his polite facade vanished. He was greeted by a wolf from his pack, doubled over and breathing heavily as if he had run there. Alek stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind him. "What it is?"

A group of lone wolves who were awaiting the upcoming Raun had taken it upon themselves to start a little uprising; citing the archaic nature of an Alpha-led pack. Hippies. Alek needed to put a stop to this before it got out of control. He dismissed the messenger and headed back inside to Christine.

"Terribly sorry, love. Something's come up that requires my immediate attention. You're more than welcome to finish eating and stick around if you'd like. I'm not sure when I'll be back but I'd look the other way if you break into the bar. Had to restock the bourbon after you left."

[Christine Montgomery]

Alek had a gift for cooking, and it was odd to see him uncomfortable or uneasy with anything, particularly praise. He was usually so confident and secure.

She was content to stuff herself silly when the bell rang. She paused, the forkful of pasta half way to her open mouth as he looked between Alek and the direction the door would have been.

She took the bite quickly and then covered her mouth, "Of course." she said with a smile as he left to answer it.

When he returned half of her plate was finished, she didn't bother to look guilty.

As he explained that there was an urgent matter to be taken care of, she contemplated her options. She was over their spat, but she wasn't sure if she still felt comfortable just idling by herself in his home, until he mentioned the bar and she did blush prettily.

"I'm sure I can entertain myself for a few minutes."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek smiled at her, then noticed her half empty plate. "Have as much as you'd like," he said sincerely. "And don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it when I get back."

He hoped it wouldn't take too long, but with outsiders it was hard to tell. Particularly if those outsiders were currently in a defiant mood. Although, he was somewhat looking forward to a bit of a fight, hlhaving felt rather docile lately. Alek grabbed his jacket from the coat closet and headed out to avert the potential crisis.

[Christine Montgomery]

She gifted him with a smile before he left. Once he was gone however her light mood also dissipated. She had wanted to move out because of the restrictions and uneasy feeling of eyes on her at all times, and yet she found living alone to be terribly lonely.

Sitting at an elaborate dining table by herself only magnified the feeling, and despite how truly delicious the food was, she quickly lost her appetite.

She did manage to finish her plate in the first few minutes of him being gone. She then went to the bourbon as he had suggested. She didn't over indulge however, knowing that it was partially the alcohol's fault they had argued the other day.

She tugged on her ear unsure what to do and suddenly remembered that she had left a pair of earrings in what had been 'her' room. Naturally she didn't feel the least bit obtrusive in going to get them, but at the stairs she came to a cross roads. One path would take her to her room and her earrings, the other was politely 'forbidden' and housed Alek's secrets.

She had thought it rather melodramatic at the time, but now she found herself beyond curious. He had been so reluctant to share any part of himself, so sure that she wouldn't accept him, and yet she had shared practically everything with him.

What could one little snoop hurt?

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek headed into the woods, in the opposite direction he had taken when he and Christine went for their morning stroll not long ago. He had purposefully steered her clear of the small village that rested on the edge of the property, hidden in the dense trees.

Many werewolves struggled to keep steady employment due to their condition and the stigma that came along with the affliction, so it was all too common for werewolves to die of starvation, homeless and poor. The Eiriksen pack had always taken in worthy werewolves and given them a sense of community and the ability to find food, shelter, and happiness among their own kind. As the pack's territories increased, so too did the number of secret werewolf villages. They were able to not only claim the land and all its bounty for themselves, but also take in more stray wolves as they grew. Alek was rather proud of his success in expanding his pack's territories more quickly than his father had, which meant more wolves could be saved from the cruel streets of the wizarding world that loathed them so.

But these villages did not run smoothly on their own. A leader was needed to keep order. Alek understood this all too well as he found out the hard way when he tried to set up a village in a newly acquired bit of land in Sweden without leaving one of his Betas in charge. The lazier wolves took without working and the hard working wolves revolted. Nearly every life had been lost in the ensuing battle, save for a few children who had since become orphans.

Order and hierarchy were required to keep everyone safe. So this nonsense with the Raun participants thinking an Alpha-free pack was the way to go was simply ludicrous. 

[Christine Montgomery]

She chewed on her lip a little longer before her feet, and the bourbon she had consumed, led her to the door of the basement. She didn't hesitate. If she wanted to snoop at all she would have to be quick about it, although a part of her indeed felt horrible for violating Alek's privacy, another part of her was simply too curious.

Her hand reached out for the handle and she smiled when she found the door unlocked. One quick push and the well oiled hinge was silent as the door swung inward.

"Lumos." Christine said withdrawing her wand and using it as a light as she descended the stairs.

She didn't expect anything of consequence, and yet she was stunned after taking only a few steps.

"What the..."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek was met with what closely resembled a mob. The lanterns around the village's buildings were lit, casting long, shifting shadows over the roughly two dozen men and women standing in a circle. At the center of the circle was a large, muscular man, no more than 28 giving an impassioned speech about the evils of a single leader. A dictatorship, he called it.

"I'd hardly call myself a dictator," Alek said boldly as he stepped forward. All the heads turned in his direction and a few of the people from the crowd dispersed, evidently only curious about the man's speech and not wanting to be part of the impending battle.

"Here he is now. Aleksander Eiriksen, the evil wolf that would have you believe living in secret is all you are capable of. All he will permit you to have. While he lives in a mansion with his witch sister and fraternizes with wizards. He doesn't know the plight of the common werewolf! We cannot allow him to decide our fate when he does not even live among us!"

Alek let the man talk, trusting in the loyalty of his pack and knowing that anyone weak enough to be swayed would find fault at him shutting down the mutineer.

"Everyone here has chosen to stay of their own free will, mate. There are no prisoners, only fools who seek to upset the status quo."

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine sobered pretty quickly at the sight of jail cells with chains and cuffs lining the walls and heavy beams to lock the prisoners into place.

Further into the 'dungeon' as the word 'basement' didn't quite fit the room, Christine's fears began to grow. Why did Alek have a prison in his basement? Who were the prisoners?

Her heart sped up, she had never actually seen M's true face, and the first person she had seen after escaping had been Alek. What if she never truly escaped? What if Alek was M and had been toying with her this entire time? But what about Lex? Was Lex in on it? No of course not that was absurd. But so was the idea that Alek would have his own personal prison in the basement of his home.

She honestly wanted to flee, but she couldn't without further proof. She couldn't go on not knowing who Alek really was.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

The mutineer was joined by three of his friends, each bigger than the last. Their eyes narrowed on Alek as the crowd around them splintered. Some backed away while others moved in. Alek was currently outnumbered.

"So this is it? The evil Eiriksen leader had gone too far. He must be punished before the Raun, before any more worthy wolves join him. Your great plan is to unseat me with this?" he asked in challenge as he gestured to the ring leader and his three friends.

“That’s the thing about speaking the truth,” the man continued as more wolves joined behind him. “People are eager to listen.”

"Then listen all of you," Alek said, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Do recall how it is that you came to live among your kind here. Remember what your life was like before, when you were starved and cast out from the homes you once cherished, and remember how this pack saved you. How I saved you. Anyone who stands with these buffoons will no longer be welcome in this pack or to compete in the Raun. Choose wisely my friends, for a lifetime is much shorter when you are a werewolf without a pack to protect you."

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine stumbled in the dark a little more before summoning fire to light the torches on the walls which only added to the dungeon-esque ambiance.

Now that she could see her surroundings easier the room wasn't quite as frightening. There were cells and chains, and a few red stains that might have been blood, but further back it appeared more like an ornate office. On a large table to the side was what looked like a map of Europe. Small figurines were laid out across the maps surface, upon closer inspection the figurines were wolves one side was black and the other was red.

Christine reached out to touch one and just before her finger would touch one of the wolf's figures it began to glow, and she pulled her hand back, she didn't want to disturb the scene for when Alek came back.

Near the back of the basement was an ornate black desk with various files and papers scattered about. Christine had no power over her curiosity as it led her to the beautiful piece of furniture.