Chapter 13: Desperate Lies

The very next morning Loki didn't bother to go to his room to change his clothes. He instead went to the source of his newest problem. He slammed his hand down on Shay's door and when she opened it she had been clearly still sleeping. Her hair tousled and her nightgown askew. "Loki?!" She said surprised. Loki ignored her surprised expression and entered her room pushing passed her.

"You do her no favours by encouraging her to preform acts she'd otherwise never bothered with." Loki warned her his voice somewhat menacing.

Shay looked at him for a second before she seemed to realized what he meant. "She...?" Shay said and Loki resented the proud look that crossed his once lovers face.

"You think I wouldn't know it was you behind it. You think I haven't noticed you both talking together or the fact she's been coming here to this room. You bring her hope that I've expressed not wanting her to have. You give her courage toward deeds that will not sway me." Loki growled. "You were once my friend...MINE! Since when did you turn your back on me completely to push at me the one thing I so desperately want gone from my life." He seethed.

"I am still your friend and I was helping you. You refuse to open your eyes to something worth while. I've had little time to get to know her but already I see great things and I know that in the end she would be good for you. She has good intentions and a loving heart and she can help you forget your pains and your sorrows." Shay insisted. Loki looked away from her before turning to her again.

"Nothing good will come of this. I will not bed her, I will not love her. She will not be the kind of wife she dreams of being and I will never accept her as such." Loki narrowed his eyes at Shay. "Interfere again and I will have you removed from this place." He threatened and Shay just shook her head at him with a frustrated sigh.

XxX

Loki left Shay's room with the intentions of catching his wife before the morning meal. If she was still a creature of habit she should just be getting herself dressed. He got to his room and entered. He could hear her humming softly within the closet and so he waited setting a dark look upon his features. When she emerged she stopped to look at him her face turning a soft pink hue as she no doubt was thinking back to the night before.

"Are you proud of yourself wife?" He asked her stepping forward. She seemed to be confused on how to react to the question and his movements.

"I ah..." She started.

"You surprised me." He said coming forward some more. He watched her breathing change as the curiosity of the unknown struck her.

"I just want us to work." Cephera said a deep longing in her voice and her stance slackening. Loki turned on his poker face. In two long strides he seized Cephera by the neck but not to harshly. He inclined his face low so his nose was almost touching hers. "You think your actions in the bathroom will sway me? Any whore can suck a mans cock." He sneered hoping if he hurt her feelings enough he would deter her from future actions regarding his body. "Shay believes she's done you a favour for showing you those things. Yet when you did those things she had shown you, that only she knows about me, I thought of her sucking me and how much better it would have been had it still been her." Loki pushed Cephera back and away from him. "I've been kind to you by giving you nothing to look forward to but as that hasn't gotten through your thick skull maybe the truth about how I feel might." He glowered at her a she stood wide eyed looking at him. "You lay your hands on me again without my permission and I will strike you." He threatened trying to look as serious as he could.

"I don't believe you." Cephera said straightening her posture in defiance. Loki took a step toward her.

"Do you test me on purpose. Perhaps you're the kind of woman who enjoys pain." Cephera looked at him incredulously her mouth open slightly. "I've killed your kind, or have you forgotten?" Loki took another step and to his relief she stepped back a step. Loki had no intentions of actually hitting her. In fact he felt guilty for saying the things he was saying but he was the god of lies and lies is what he did best.

"Why are you being like this?" She asked the twang to her voice told him she was becoming upset. In a way it was what he wanted. He needed to separate her from him and his pervious ways just didn't seem to work. Loki was acting out of desperation to regain his control over the emotions he had begun to feel.

"Being like what? I'm sure when you first came here you knew I held a distaste for your kind. You're pitiful and weak. You think little things such as selflessly throwing your life away to save mine will change how I view you mortals. It only proves to me how naive you are. And to think that pleasing me in the bedroom would change anything is just pure desperation. Nothing you will do will change how I feel." Loki held his sharp gaze but inside he felt those little pangs of guilt and the tugging of hurt by the look her face had now changed to. The girl had gotten under his skin and this was the only way Loki knew to end it.

He watched his wife try to hold her composure as she made for the door. She attempted to speak when she opened it but the only sound that escaped was a choked sob. She retreated quickly after that and Loki allowed himself to move backward and fall back to sit on the very edge of the bed and put a hand to his forehead. Over and over again he tried to convince himself he'd done the right thing.

Deep down he knew he was acting out of hate for Odin not hate for the girl. The girl had done nothing to him to deserve hate. In fact she'd only done things to help cloud his mind and had he not intervened how he did she might have actually swayed him completely. Loki hated losing face to Odin. He felt his pride was wounded enough than to give in. He didn't need this marriage, or at least that's what he was trying to convince himself but in reality coming to a room to lie next to someone and not being alone was nice.

He was sure Shay was right and Cephera would allow him to open up and she would still accept him. For these reasons he cursed under his breath to the lies he'd just spun but there was no turning back. He would not grovel at her feet or ask forgiveness. Her very presence clouded his judgement. Trying to keep up his act had been hard when he had first taken hold of her. So tempted by those soft lips that had been wrapped around his cock the night before.

She was a different sort of temptress. The forbidden kind. She didn't know that and of course didn't try to be but she was. She was something Loki desired deep down but knew he shouldn't have. He wondered after his display in the bedroom today if she would come to sleep next to him tonight or would she take a hint and stay away?

(Shay)

The banging on her door alerted Shay to someone else's presence and the continuos banging until she reached it frightened and worried her. She opened the door to reveal a very red wet face. Cephera was stood in the doorway sobbing and tears streaming to drip off her chin. Shay pulled her inside and Cephera was instantly attached to her. Her small arms wrapping around Shay's waist and her tear filled face buried into the chest of her dress.

Shay maneuvered around the distraught girl to close the door and then put soothing arms around her trying to calm her. What had Loki done? Shay knew it had to be him. Nothing in the world seemed to effect Cephera aside from her husband. Shay was aware of what had happened between him and Cephera and if he had still been in that mood she could only imagine what he might have said to her to cause her to cry like this.

"Calm yourself. Tell me what's happened." Shay said her voice soft and moving with Cephera to sit on the windows cushioned seat. Cephera's face fell in her hands when she was forced to let Shay go. Her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Shay waited speaking in kind words and trying to be encouraging. When Cephera finally did calm down however she passed out into a emotional sleep.

Shay placed Cephera along the seat and covered her. She stayed within the confines of her room waiting for the princess to awaken. It was a few hours before she finally stirred. Shay was at her side quickly smoothing her bangs back from her face. "Cephera." She said.

"It's no use." She said her voice carrying such sadness it actually cut through Shay. "He'll never accept me for his wife." She added.

"Tell me what happened." Shay said keeping her eyes on Cephera's. It took a moment but she was able to tell Shay what had transpired between herself and Loki before she'd shown up at Shay's door. Shay was dumbfounded. He'd threatened her?

Shay had held her tongue thinking about what she'd been told. She was afraid to jump to any conclusions until she fit the right picture of the Loki she knew in her mind. It didn't add up. Loki wasn't cruel, not like this. He was usually the type of person to show his displeasure through mischief and deceit...deceit. Shay sighed heavily. "He doesn't mean it." She said. "He's pushing you away. Lying to you. Last night in the bathroom effected him more than I think he ever thought it would and now he's grown desperate maybe even a little afraid that he's losing control. That he's growing attached to you when he's been working so hard for that not to happen." Shay said. She knew Loki well enough. She was sure her reasoning for his current behaviour was sound.

Cephera was playing her hands in her skirts her breathing shaking. "You didn't hear how he spoke. The conviction in his eyes." She replied.

"He's know as the god of trickery and lies for a reason. He's best at those things so of course it looked like he meant everyone word. Cephera trust me when I say he's fighting an inner battle with himself over what he's starting to feel about you. I'm not talking about love mind you but he's at least coming to like you maybe even respect you. Those kinds of feelings would only lead to him spending time with you, getting to know you. We both know if he begins to do any of that he views it like Odin is winning this game Loki feels is in play." Shay sighed.

"This is not a game." Cephera said almost bitterly.

"You're right, it's not. But we need to show Loki that. You need to prove to him it's ok to like you and ok to pursue you. That whatever Odin wants or thinks doesn't count. If Loki is feeling it then it's not wrong." Shay starting biting her thumb and began pacing the floor. "We need a new strategy."

"No." Cephera said. "I'm exhausted in my efforts. What's the use." Cephera curled up closer to herself and Shay frowned. She was beginning to become extremely angry with the man Loki was becoming. He needed an attitude change but currently Shay was at a loss on how to proceed.

"You can stay here for a few night." She told the princess. "But eventually you'll need to return to your own room." Shay reminded her.

"His. It's always been his room. This place is his home. I don't belong here." It was clear that Cephera was still feeling emotionally distraught and Shay hoped that given a few days she'd cheer up enough to pull herself from this negative rut.

Phew! That chapter killed me a little emotionally! Thanks for the reviews.

Keep the reviews coming! Please and thank you!

- Vulcaniumx: why end it there...because I'm evil. Bwhahahaha!

- Twifan 1987: yeah she managed to get the courage! As for Shiaji I am taking your interest in him into consideration.

- Female Wraith: haha. Cephera will never touch another man. Vows mean something to her like promises. As for Loki...well he's still fighting a losing battle.

- Novexus Prime: haha. A pen and pad. OMG! You're awesome. As for the potion it's likely that at first she would take it unless they've really gotten to know one another by then...and right now only I know when that will happen. Lol

- Loki's Dreamer: it is indeed.

- Kate Skates: haha. The end usually is.

- Akera Writer of the Night: yay. I'm so glad you got your tablet back!

- Lightning and Ice: Loki does not feel love for her...not yet. As for better than twilight...why thank you.

- Shattered Soul 37: maybe...

- Doctor Loki Love: walking out was his only option without losing it all together...and by losing it I mean throwing her down on the floor and fucking her raw. Haha.

- 88 Dragon 06: Loki will be Loki...

- Nightmare of Cat: Loki's leaving was more to stop him from doing anything rash while sexual thoughts were still in his head. Haha. And trust me we haven't seen Cephera's backbone just yet.

- Poodle Warriors: the lessons did pay off.

- Reneemm: she did indeed. I'm proud too. Had to give you guys some smut. Hehe