Part 1 in a series of one-shots.
For kicks and giggles.
Enjoy.

Ariella loved her little house in the middle of nowhere. Far off the road in the thick of the woods and far away from the mind numbingly loud city. Far away from animals and humans alike. Humans were no big thrill. They were still animals, just with a slightly higher intellect—and some might argue that.

Humans were children to her and with that came a tiny inkling to protect them. Weak things needed to be protected, and to protect them she usually made a habit of staying very far away. It was the easiest way for the huntress to keep them safe. Safe from her at least.

As old as she was she didn't have many of those concerns anymore. Humans weren't her problem, even if she could take the form herself. It was a guise to keep others away and remain off any intelligent radar's, and her house was because she saw no reason not to have one. A pretty bed of feathers was better then one of dirt.

Tonight though, she cursed it. Cursed the four stairs it took to get unto the porch. Cursed the locked door she had to ram hard to open. Panting she crawled inside, leaving a blood trail behind her. She needed meat. Heat. Sleep. The safety of her home.

"Work you forsaken limbs." She hissed, using her remaining strength to heave herself up onto her knees. Her home had been breached and it wasn't really safe for her anymore, but there was no where else for her to hide.

There was no way she would make it upstairs so she opted for the first room she could crawl to. The room decorated as a living room, complete with television and shelf full of movies. If she couldn't heal over night while she tried to sleep then she wouldn't make it to sun up.

Her back, neck, and legs were all bleeding heavily. Deep gashes refused to heal quickly and lesser claw marks made her flesh feel as if it were being burned. Had she had the energy she would have reverted back into her lioness form, but she wouldn't have had the blood to sustain it now. It would have hindered her rather then assisting her.

Collapsing on the carpet she winced from the pain. She couldn't even reach up to push her short locks of light blond hair away. It clung annoyingly to her face from sweat and it was almost as painful as her wounds.

This wasn't supposed to be happening to her. Not to her. She was Ariella, the alpha lioness. She had been for well over two centuries. No other female of her kind or any other could best her. None ever had. She was queen and it had been that way since she was born. She had the knack, the ability, the skill and the confidence to be dominant. Males fought for her in hopes for her passing glance. The cubs looked up to her. This defeat couldn't be happening.

Helplessly, she lay on her side, licking slowly at the blood on her fingertips. The taste and the smell twisted her insides into knots. She needed meat. The need for the hunt was pressing, but her pain and inability to move was so great she finally screamed. Her cries turning into a wailing growl that carried her suffering.

She needed to eat. Needed energy and sleep if she was ever going to recover. This sort of pain should never have reached her. She was older, yes, but still in her prime. Still the same as the day she hit her adulthood.

Ariella howled once more, the growling sound closer to a roar of pain. It didn't matter though with no one to hear her. Not unless her pursuers decided to follow her home, and if that truly was the case it didn't matter how much noise she made. They would only have to follow the blood.

"Blast." She muttered softly, cursing more when she felt tears sting her eyes. A lioness of her stature shouldn't cry. Not even when so badly injured. There was no honor in that, but then, there was no honor in her attack either.

She pressed her uninjured cheek into the carpet and bit her lip until it bled. There was no way she would give them the satisfaction of sobbing because of pain. She would grit her teeth and bare it.

She hadn't cried since the night Leander died, and even then it was only a few tears to mourn his loss. Never had a lioness had such a mate as he, to that she was sure. He had pride in her as well as a type of love that had her cherished above all others in his eyes. All others he took to bed were simply to pass the time. It's what she chose to believe no matter how naïve.

"You are my soul, Ella." He would whisper, stroking his clawed hand through her hair and down her body.

He was a good mate, and a good lion, but he was a weak one. He got to where he was because of her. But in the end he showed his promising loyalty by dying as he tried to protect her like a mate should. In a way it was beautiful, but he should have fought instead. Should have fought against the drunken cubs seeking dominance.

They gutted him. The up coming cubs only wanted the title alpha and the opportunity to mount her, nothing more.

Ariella stared hazily at the blood on her hand. For a moment she thought of her fallen mate. The blood on her hand looked so much like his. Maybe she would see him soon, but those thoughts didn't matter now.

The night he had been killed the cubs howled in triumph and turned quickly on each other to see who the real winner would be. Foolishly, none of them suspected that the winner would be her.

With a shattering growl she defeated each of the cubs. She was more cunning and swift then any of them. Their power lied in brunt force but their hunting skills were terrible. She picked them off one by one and in the end she was still the alpha female, and one without a mate.

The ones she didn't kill outright scurried on home and none of them had the balls to face her wrath again. It was almost enough to make her fear for the future of her species. She would have worried had she not had grown cubs of her own, waiting for the day their presence was necessary, or for her to hand down her title and legacy.

If nothing else while she lay in her pooling blood she thought of how her cubs would have come to her aid had they known. They were loyal cubs like their father.

It was lucky she even had that thought. She couldn't stand most of the other alpha's—or the cubs either to be honest. The others as old as she was or older thinking they knew everything, and the cubs were no better with their acts of superiority. It was enough to have her preferring human company. Perhaps this time was her time to lay down and die. She wouldn't need to worry about who would succeed her then. For so long she needed no protection and had no protector that it didn't matter.

"Would it be so hard to take one of the cubs as your mate?" Rook had asked with a teasing smile. Rook was one of the few she associated with. He was a master in his own right, and the alpha Crow in his flock. His black hair was always a mess and his black eyes always held a large amount of humor especially when talking with her.

"It would. They would try to rule me, try to be the boss when really they would just be a child with a title. I refuse to let that happen." Ariella shook her head

Rook chuckled and grinned. "Then an older lion that. One that perhaps can sedate you."

"No." Ariella frowned at him.

"Awe, poor girl. The felines will start to have their fit when you don't roll over for one of them. You know how male felines get. Anxious with their tails up high in the air—"

"Chose your words carefully, Rook." Ariella interrupted quickly. "You know how easily I could eat you."

He laughed again. His laughter she heard ringing in her ears. There were times the two of them spent many hours together, but it was usually ruined by the annoying Monkey alpha Vala or the Snake bitch Tanis. Ariella really would have liked to eat the two of them while she had the chance.

"Pathetic!" she hissed at herself. "I can not be laying her reminiscing. Pathetic!"

Pathetic was something she was not. She refused out right to ever be called such a thing. She was the alpha lioness. There were those who feared her. Rightfully so.

But it all seemed to be a moot point. She couldn't live in solitude and keep her status, and that was her problem now. Was status worth it?

As alpha lioness she should have kept those inferior to her away, but if that didn't work what was the point of having the title. She could easily pass the title down to one of her cubs and live on her own the same way she lived with it.

She inhaled softly; feeling nauseous and light headed. Without food or sleep she didn't have the energy to heal anymore. Odds were better that she'd bleed out now.

Ariella breathed softly, waiting for darkness to consume her completely. It would be so easy to let it take her body over and to sleep eternally. It would have been nice to see her cubs once more. Her cubs and maybe one or two others.

She felt the bile rise in her throat and the list of people that came to mind. She let out the weakest of growls at the number one name that shouldn't have meant a thing to her.

Calder.

Their first meeting had been fully unexpected, at least fully on her part. She had been hunting. It was a successful hunt and her hunger was fully sated. She loved the woods, loved the silence and smell of the kill.

Even in human form she could fully appreciate it. Nature was where she was happiest. The huntress in her was alert always and every sound caught her attention. It was why being snuck up on made things so much worse for her.

"A kitty cat in my midst's. Charming."

She swung around quickly to the voice, her hair standing on end and her claws out in preparation. She hadn't heard footsteps or breathing. It was impossible for someone to get so close to her without her knowing right where they were and for how long they had been there.

"Angry kitty cat." She heard the voice chuckle and her eyes landing on him instantly.

Reclined back against the rocks in knee deep water was the most gorgeous naked man. He was built like a swimmer and had the appearance of a lovely man but the predator in her took him in, noting the muscle he wore which signified that of a fighter. His shoulder length dark brown hair was strangely dry where as the rest of him appeared to have just resurfaced from the water. His eyes were like water themselves. Slowly changing and shifting in color from shades of blue, gray white and crystal.

A naked man wasn't a rare treat for her but one so delectable was hard to come by. Definitely hard to come by and it had been several decades since Leander's death. She was so hard to satisfy since then.

Normally the thought would have never crossed her mind but this wasn't a mortal man, even she could tell that. She might only be a lesser deity but she knew her place and knew when someone on a high level was in her presence.

"River." She stared. "Am I correct?"

He laughed softly, watching her. "Yes, little lioness. I'm the river. Charmed to make your acquaintance."

Ariella scoffed. "I very much doubt that. Now if you don't mind." She turned to leave.

"What's your hurry, Ari?" he asked, giving her an amused look.

She frowned. It didn't matter how he knew her name. The man was an element and therefore probably did know things she had no desire to know. But even still, she was under the impression that they didn't like to be bothered.

"You've a problem with my hunting here?" She turned to him.

"No problems in particular." He said, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. She did her part not to focus that hard on him.

"Then I will hunt till my hunger is sated." She gave a nonchalant shrug.

He laughed softly. "I've watched you make several kills and eat your fill little lioness. Are you sure there's nothing else you seek? A different hunger that's begging to be gorged."

She turned and hissed. "Mind your own."

He laughed. "You know, I've known you for a long time, Ari, and I must say, I can't stand to see you suffer anymore."

"River. I assure you, I am not your concern." Ariella glared, baring her fangs in his direction in an obvious threat.

River smiled. "Maybe so, but I don't mind."

She rolled her eyes and took off walking again. She had enough of males thinking that knew the key to dominate their woman.

A shiver ran down her spine when she heard him stand. It was no wonder she hadn't heard him before. All she could hear was the sound of water moving. A normal sound for her to hear here.

"Ari." She heard the amusement in his tone before an arm snaked around her waist. She twisted suddenly in his grasp, a deep growl in her throat as she went for his throat. No one had earned the right to touch her so casually.

River grabbed a hold of her arm and flipped her back into the water with minimal effort and smiled at her stunned reaction.

She could swim just fine when prepared for it, but thrown in water, even such a shallow amount left her in shock. She coughed and gagged, making her way to the edge as quickly as she could manage.

"It isn't often one such as myself finds someone such as yourself. It's interesting to me and as I have said, I wouldn't mind acting upon it." River said, sitting by her side as she coughed still.

"Bastard." She hissed. "You keep away from me."

His smile grew. "You need to be appeased little lioness. I can help you with that."

The water felt good rushing around her skin, and his hands on her. Had it been any other male she'd have been fighting tooth and nail but he was an odd combination of rough and gentle. The kiss he had her in suddenly was tender and sweet, light enough to have her wanting more. His hands were another story moving fast and rough, teasing until she was twitching and arching.

There was a barrier over her predator skills and it was replaced with mind numbing pleasure. She hadn't let herself be touched since Leander had died. It had dampened her spirit. She refused to replace her mate so easily but it backfired and caused her need to increase.

He whispered to her, teasing her until she couldn't stand it anymore.

"River." She hissed as he dragged her back a little into the water. The water did nothing for the fire that set across her skin.

"You call me Calder." He murmured against her ear as seductively as if he himself had been the one purring. "Pretty kitty cat. You call me by my given name and I'll show you stars."

The beast in her refused, such a request was to close to begging and she wouldn't. She didn't want to at least but his every touch put her on edge.

Her eyes shot open once she realized she was whimpering for his touch. Arching for him to continue. Even being half in water didn't spoil her mood. He succeeded in turning her on when all others had failed.

"Calder." She whispered softly, her mouth moving of it's own accord. Her whimpers and moans turned into a thrilled roar when he slid into her fully. With his mouth back on hers he gave her little time to breathe.

She arched and clawed at his sides and it pulled groans from him the way it would have with any dominate alpha male that was worth their salt in bed.

"There's my Ari." He cooed.

Every time she tried to arch her way out of the water he would drag her back and pound himself deeper until she was screaming both his name and obscenities. He would give her affectionate nips and squeezes and by the time they were nearly done he had her blushing a dark shade of red.

She should have been able to throw him off and every time she tried he would push her back with a playful kiss and have her shaking from an ongoing orgasm. He promised stars and he delivered them in full with her demanding more. As much as she hated him on control, it gained her pleasure she hadn't had in decades. It was hard to argue when she was on the winning side.

"Calder." She said softly, his lips were on her throat and she had never before felt so vulnerable. With her final climax he held her tightly against himself until her body was heavy and limp with warmed satisfaction.

She remembered the encounter well. The man was deadly and powerful and he showed her nothing but pleasure and tenderness. It left her beast confused an oddly delighted.

He had teased her gently until she found sleep curled up at his side. Since then it had been their way to greet one another. A playful banter and sarcastic façade until they fell against each other once more. It got to the point where he would wait for her on certain days, and others she would seek him out to pound out her frustrations that she had in one way or another.

Always there and always easy to find. She hadn't seen him in weeks now. Not since she'd come back to her new home here. She'd explored the city as a human and now she would explore the woods. Time didn't matter to them, but now that she lay dying she regretted it. She would have liked to see him once more.

She sniffed and tasted blood on her tongue. This wasn't how she expected to die. And for what? Because she wouldn't put out.

She had barely started her hunt before she realized she was being the hunted. It was a large group hunting her like amateurs. They weren't alphas but they were dominant all the same. She expected it to be a group of lion cubs like before but it wasn't just them. The Jaguars, cougars, red tigers, and panthers were hunting together with her as the prize. They had demanded she allow them to fight for her. If she didn't want a lion she would choose another.

Ariella turned them down with a snarl and the hunt continued. One on one she could have torn them apart, but assaulted by so many males at once was far too much for her to handle. They pounced and she was no match for them.

Now she lay on her living room floor, readying herself to die because she refused to take one of those ignorant cubs as her mate.

She'd hoped for a more dignified end then this, but nothing was going to change now.

When she woke up confusion consumed her. She could smell sunshine, the smell the trees got in midday when the sun hits them. She could hear birds even but it didn't make any sense. Well, not unless she was dead.

Humans believed in something like that.

She opened her eyes with a frown, her pillows and blankets were curled up around her and the windows to her room were wide open. She tried to sit up and winced. Her body ached was felt ripped apart though she could no longer smell blood or taste it in her mouth.

Inhaling the scents in her room she couldn't smell anything that shouldn't be there. Her things were covered in her scent and she could smell everything outside. There were no signs of how she got put to bed. There was no way she made it there herself.

Her gashes were scabbed over though her skin still felt raw. After all this she thought she should have been dead, not waking up in her own bed.

"Get back in bed." She heard the moment she leaned forward to try and get up herself. She felt her face heat despite herself in part of her stunned reaction.

"Calder?"

He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe to her bedroom in nothing but a pair of low cut jeans. He hated clothes and only liked them off.

"Don't you even think about getting up, kitty cat." He smiled, watching her for a moment before moving towards her.

"I don't understand." She muttered softly, almost entranced with the sight of him in her home moving towards her in such a way. "You're out of water."

Never had she seen him so far from water. It was always around him in some fashion and he loved sex in water in particular. She had assumed it was his Achilles heel—assumed he needed it to survive.

He laughed, cupping her face and kissing her longingly. The second her back arched she winced and he pulled away.

"You're out of water." She repeated.

He nodded. "Yes I am."

She frowned. He was the River. He was water.

"I'm immortal kitty cat. I merely run my life on personal preference." He smiled sweetly, pushing her back down onto her stomach to rest.

"You can do that?" she muttered softly, having no idea.

"I can do many things, kitty cat." He smiled softly, kneeling on the bed next to her and kissing her shoulder lightly. "I can heal you slowly, faster then you could yourself though."

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the flow of emotion threatening to free itself. She had expected to die and instead was saved by an unlikely source.

"You shouldn't see me like this." She muttered, looking away from him.

"Ari." He nipped at her ear, moving carefully behind her. His skin was as cool as water and felt good against her wounds. "I very nearly could have dropped dead when Autty told me about the state you were in. I wouldn't leave you like that. Push that pride of yours aside until you're feisty enough to fight me on it again."

She frowned. "Autty?"

"The immortal Autumn." He elaborated. "He knows of my fondness for you. I didn't believe him at first, I never thought you could be taken down by any odds but he described you to me perfectly."

She let out a soft growl. "Then I am a disappointment. Lovely."

"Tense kitty cat." He sighed, squeezing her closer to his body and she melted against him easily, the feel of water rushing over her skin. "You were out numbered is all."

Ariella pouted finally, he knew her well enough that she didn't have to put on a face. "I was taken down by cubs."

"Fourteen cubs." He muttered, nipping at her ear teasingly again. "And I am going to make them suffer."

She felt the sudden heat in her face that she hated as she looked up at him. "You would do that for me?"

"I would, Ari, and I will." He smiled, curling up behind her until he was spooning her. "And I will enjoy it."

She smiled faintly, shutting her eyes to rest. She was still hungry but she would take the safety in his hold before food. Just because she didn't want a mate didn't mean she couldn't have a lover. This man was a far cry from Leander. He was better, too good to lay down and die like a martyr.

Calder pressed his lips to her neck and she erupted in a loud satisfied purr. She would heal and hunt again, this time with a devastatingly strong ally.

End.

Look for part 2- The Illusive Wind

Thanks to all who reviewed.