Supplied with two bottles of tequila between the three of them Paris sat around the back porch this time around a small traditional English garden table, Paris smiled with wry amusement, no scones and tea here. The tequila couldn't get them drunk but each enjoyed the harshness of the burn on the back of their throat.

Theo fiddled with his glass and smiled as Faraa shot her own glass and laid it on the table with a grimace. "That's my girl," he murmured before turning his solemn eyes on Paris.

"Where to begin .." he sighed.

"At the beginning, where else?" Paris said, eager to find out all about Ariel, some part of him he acknowledged liked the thought of knowing all her intimate details, knowing it would piss her off, it was beneath him but he was still angry at her. Besides what could precious little human wannabe like Ariel have in her past that was so bad.

Everyone has pain, an unbiased, reasonable voice in his head said but he ignored it and pushed Theo to carry on.

"When Ariel was young, Paris, and understand she was very young, practically just out of puberty she was sent out with her sisters of the pride on a hunt."

Theo sighed and Faraa hiccupped and her eyes were a little weepy, Theo rubbed her cheek and then laced his fingers together, staring at Paris who felt a sense of foreboding creeping along the back of his neck.

"It was just a routine hunt. You know how it was back in the days, all the girls were sent out just to learn the ways. Ariel was always rather fiery … rambunctious perhaps would be a better word."

Paris found it hard to reconcile the image they painted of a young Ariel with the woman he met but he let it go in silence. Against his will he imagined her as a young girl, her hair falling wild about her and the image of the two of them entwined on her bed, making love in the dappled sunlight of her bedroom.

"Anyway … Ariel got lost from the group and she stumbled into a pride of Katagaria lions. Back in those days we lived out in the Savannah, it was more isolated from civilisation there … no tourists."

Paris smiled slightly, many of the were-hunter lions had escaped from Africa because the sudden popularity of safaris.

"They lived on the other side of our grassland, they never bothered us and we never bothered them. We avoided each other so much that some of our kind believed that the Katagaria rumour to be nothing more then a myth to keep the children from wondering and meeting any real lions before they were full grown. But Ariel found them."

Theo looked so sad, Faraa sniffed delicately and patted his forearm, he sighed heavily and resumed speaking in low dead tones, not meeting Paris's eyes anymore.

"We have no idea what went on, she says they did not rape her and we believe her. For when they allowed her back she was mated, she was ecstatic. At first we refused to allow her to live with him, but she ran away to him. For one whole month we heard nothing from her. You're a lion, Paris, you know what it does to a pride to have one of our number unaccounted for, it threw us into chaos.'

"The leader of the pride then was Ariel's foster father, he was her father's best friend and vowed to care for her after her father died, Ariel's mother was bonded to her father so she had no choice really. Anyway .. I'm going off track, Roken the leader of our pride went out to look for her. He came back saying that she looked a little pale and thin but very happy … but he was worried. On his questioning her he found that her mate was not teaching her how to adequately control her magic. He went back one last time to try and persuade Ariel to come home and that time he didn't come back. Roken was killed trying to kidnap Ariel."

"If she wanted to stay with her mate -" Paris began heatedly but Theo cut him off.

"It wasn't because he was Katagaria, idiot! Roken over heard Ramirez talking to Ariel, he was shouting at her and he heard the sound of a slap and he went berserk."

"How do you know this?" Paris asked skeptically.

"People like to believe they won't talk under torture but its never the case," Theo replied insidiously, Paris inclined his head.

"Ariel never knew of Roken's murder until after she came home. That only happened when one night she lay sleeping, believing her mate was outside talking to his brother, she woke up just as Ramirez and his brother stood over her, his brother holding her down while Ramirez was about to slash her throat with a blade. It is miraculous to believe that she fought them and won. At such a young age, she killed her mate and his brother, or so she thought, then came home to us. To this day she hates herself for leaving us for her mate, blames herself, her guilt is all-consuming."

Theo frowned at the table as if trying to find answers from it. "She is so changed."

"The woman you know is not the girl we remember," Faraa said touching the napkin under her eyes.

Paris scrubbed his hands through his hair, shit! He could now understand her reluctance, he just hoped he hadn't understood too late, perhaps he could still repair the damage. He was burning with anger at the injustice done to his mate, what kind of lion had she mated with that would treat her like that?

He could see now why she was so scared and so scarred, she had been betrayed by someone she was blindly in love with.

"Why did he try to kill her? Ramirez, why did he hate her so much?"

Theo smiled sadly and sighed. "As always the way, he hated her because she was Arcadian."

Paris felt a little sick, the urge to groan and bury his head in his arms nearly overwhelmed him, he had accused her of being prejudice, of hating him for being Katagaria when she had suffered so much at the hands of one. Then to be mated to one again … Gods of Olympus how was he going to work this one out.

"So did you take over from Roken?"

Theo blinked as if coming out of a stupor then shook his head. "Don't you know? Ariel is leader."

It was Paris's time to blink with surprise. "How? She's female!"

"At the time of Roken's death people both condemned her and revered her, someone so young killing her full grown Katagaria mate is no easy feat. And she had changed, she was cold now and calculating. She had given up everyone once for love and her own life, she came back and her life was the pride. She strove to protect it in anyway she could. She lives not for herself but for her pride, she's too young for that kind of responsibility. When we went to war with the Katagaria we lost many of our males, I had no desire to be leader and Sher and Lev were to young, Ariel took over."

Head spinning Paris was able to stutter out one more question. "You said she killed her mate and his brother 'or so she thought'?"

"Ah yes, that's rather troubling indeed. It seems that Ramirez's brother survived and went on to convict his daughter at the Omegrion, though Ariel saved her."

"What!"

"Yes, rather dramatic really that after all these years she comes face to face with Aldo Fernandez, her once brother in-law and almost murderer, and saves his daughter. I suppose Ariel felt like Aiyanna is in someway her niece."

"This is beyond screwed up …" Paris mumbled and knocked back another shot.

"What are you still doing here?"

Paris froze as Ariel spoke form behind him, he twisted around still holding his shot glass in his hand. It struck him suddenly and very profoundly how proud he was of his mate. She had suffered so much yet was still kind and compassionate, so what if she didn't want to mate with him … okay, so perhaps that was the drink talking but who cares …

Paris looked down from her outraged face, flushed with anger to the her feet where her niece cub sat. She had taken in the daughter of the man who attempted to have her killed, she was going for sainthood. Paris smiled, not grinned or smirked but smiled warmly at her.

"I like your family, Ari," Paris said, lowering his voice to a friendly, pleasant tone. Hell, he could be the master of seduction if this is what it called for. "Just wanted to get to know them."

"I don't see why! Your not going to be around long enough to get to know them any better!"

"Now, Ari, that's kinda rude. I know Faraa raised you better then that," he grinned then, boyishly and he saw out the corner of his eye Faraa cover her own smile with her hand. Theo and she silently got up from the table and moved towards the house, though they did not escape Ariel's deadly glare.

Paris raised the bottle of tequila and used it to indicate the vacant chair next to him, Ariel warred with herself for a moment then unable to resist the challenge he presented sat down opposite him. Aiyanna followed and laid down with her head on Ariel's feet.

"Can you drink?" Paris asked pouring two shots out and slid one over to her but Ariel gave it a disdainful look and focused back on him.

"Not with you," she sniffed and Paris tried not to smile, instead he gave a long suffering sigh.

"I understand, someone like you probably shouldn't drink this stuff anyway …"

There was a heartbeat of silence then -

"A person like me?" Her voice low and rather chilling, "what the hell does that mean!"

"Oh nothing horrible. I just meant," Paris gave a mock thoughtful look and made noises as if he were trying to say something, his mouth opening and closing in a theatrical deliberation of how best to say it to her. "I just meant, that a person so elegant and graceful and delicate -"

"Delicate! You piece of -"

"I just didn't think you've ever tried anything as lowly and common as tequila, I'm sure we could have Cristal champagne somewhere round here."

Bated beyond her limit Ariel picked up the glass and knocked it back, she did not grimace or hiss when it hit the back of her throat. She slapped the glass back down on the table and then stood up.

"Let's do this the right way," she said before walking off into the house, Paris sat alone for a minute, he rubbed his stubbled chin then huffed a laugh to himself, seducing Ariel would be sweet. He could ruffle her feather up the wrong way, that was fun but smoothing them down would feel a whole lot better. Feeling Ariel's presence he watched her return with a tray, on it was a bowl of quartered limes, salt and a bottle of what looked like tequila but it had no label. She put the tray down and gave him a half smug half taunting look, eyebrow raised she took the seat opposite.

"What's this?" Paris asked picking up the bottle and lightly tossing it in his hand watching the potent looking liquid whirlpool through the glass.

"Its tequila without the human hair," Ariel answered using the Were phrase that meant the alcohol could get a Were-hunter drunk, Paris flashed her a grin.

"Home brew?" Her lips twitched and she nodded.

"I call it Freakquila."

Paris poured them shots then looked uncertainly at the limes, Ariel laughed at his frown of confusion, her laugh was like warm honey sliding down his throat. She took a quarter of lime from the bowl and placed it by her glass, Paris watched lustily whilst she moistened the area between her forefinger and thumb, sprinkle salt on it and lick it off, she downed her 'freakquila' and sucked quickly on the lime. Paris laughed at her screwed up face and when she spoke it was in a voice not quite her own. He tsked, "typical woman, Can't handle her drink."

"Your turn," she coughed, Paris went to down it but she stopped him.

"Salt, shot then lime," she moved closer and grabbed his hand and positioned it in front of his face, "lick it."

Paris did so but before she could move her hand his tongue caught her fingertips and he sucked one into his mouth, she tasted of the limes she had been handling. Paris expected her to hit him or shove him away at least, but she didn't and when he looked up she was just staring at him, her lips slightly parted.

He moved back and salted his hand all the while watching her, he was about to lick it off when he stopped and cocked his head. Ariel felt heat flash through her whole body, while his tongue swirled around her fingertip it made her want to pant, she should have told him no but it was impossible.

"Take your hair down," he demanded though his voice still had a soft timbre that was not threatening, Ariel gave him a quizzical look.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"I want to see it down," Paris mutter and reached up with his free hand to touch a loosened strand from her plait. "I want to see it hanging like a soft blanket over your shoulders and smell its scent when the breeze blows just right."

Ariel was hypnotised by the way he spoke, the way he looked at her as if he desired nothing more then to feast on her, his touched was more like a ghost of a caress, barely creating movement yet producing a quivering feeling in her stomach. Suddenly she snapped her head back.

"What do you think your doing?"

"Touching you," he replied simply.

"I don't want you to."

"Well you might as well get used to it because I'm not leaving," Ariel opened her mouth to tell him she was prepared to kick his ass all the way down the road to get him out of her life, but he interrupted her.

"I'm not leaving until I get a fair chance with you. You won't mate with me, I got that, but this is the first time in my life I've been mated … I want these next three weeks to feel what its like even if its not complete or real. I'll never have it again so let me just be with you for now."

The raw emotion in his voice robbed her of air, but Ariel refused to let him know he moved her and she shook her head at him.

"Well, I'm staying anyway, whether you like it or not. If you didn't know, I'm on the most wanted slayers list, nearly every sentinel would give their right arm to take me out. And while you wear the mating mark you have my scent - you need my protection."

Ariel hissed at him. "I can do that myself -"

"No doubt," Paris said casually, enjoying watching her face flush red and her eyes flash angrily, he had smarted that streak of pride and independence in her that ran a mild wide and he loved watching the effect. It was very arousing.

Paris licked his hand and shot his glass, his throat began to burn the instant it touched his tongue, his mouth exploded, the only thing that kept from spitting it out was Ariel watching with satisfaction. Swallowing it was like torture but it went down, his throat raw and tender he didn't dare speak, Ariel laughed heartily and grabbed a quarter of lime.

"Open your mouth," she was able to say around her laughter while watching his eyes water, he did as he was told and she squeezed in the lime juice, instantly the harsh burn was dulled slightly and he felt like some of the skin may have remained on the inside of his throat. He cut a glare at Ariel who was still laughing, holding her side.

"You could have warned me," he rasped as she wiped her own eyes that were streaming with mirth.

"What? And miss all that fun, hell no!"

"I hate you," Paris muttered without any real conviction and Ariel shrugged, he watched in amazement as she repeated his actions with a lot more refinement and only mild grimacing. He poured himself another glass and looked up to meet Ariel's wide eyed stare.

"We're going keep drinking until I can take it as well as you can," Paris shook his head as he applied the salt, "damn, Trey is going to rib me raw that my mate can handle drink better then I can."

He hadn't meant to say that but he smoothly carried on, not faltering in his actions and Ariel did not say anything in protest of his statement which was heartening.

She should have told him they weren't mates, she should nip this in the bud while it was just at the beginning. But the way he said it, so lovingly and easily, she doubted even he knew how soft his voice got when he said it. It was a tender, affectionate look in his eyes that was her undoing and she couldn't blame it on the drink, even though it was making her head buzz, she knew she should have said something. But the truth was she had liked hearing it, liked being looked at as someone's mate again. And in hindsight, she saw what she had been blind to in youth when she had been mated to Ramirez, she had let him manipulate her into thinking everything had been her fault, the reasons he had hit her - her fault. But she none of that in Paris, he was a true animal because he was all that he seemed, no hidden agenda or motivation, he was open and honest and that would be her downfall.

Still Ariel allowed them to carry on drinking together, like a couple they sat and saw in the twilight, Paris pointed out to her the first evening star. If she could have nothing else in the future she would always have this memory to look back on, and she would forever be grateful to Paris for it.

They were both a little buzzed by the time twilight came upon them Aiyanna had slinked off in to the house and her family had not come to check up on them, they had been blissfully alone for hours. Paris rolled his head on his neck and looked over at Ariel, he lifted his hand and tugged at her plait laying over her shoulder, he plucked the band from the bottom and tossed it in to the shadows of the garden. Ariel gave a tipsy giggle.

"I don't like my hair down!" she cried out laughing, Paris staggered out of his seat and stood behind her gently pulling the strands apart until it was unbound and flowing like silken sunshine through his fingers.

"How can you not like it," Paris muttered, not expecting any type of answer but Ariel sighed happily, her inhibitions lost to the night like her hair band.

"I always wore my hair down when I was young, I don't like being reminded of that time."

Without thinking Paris wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leant his chin on her head, she leant back into his embrace and sighed dreamily then smiled when she felt his lips at her temple. In her drunken state everything felt natural and perfect, fears that should have her jumping out of the chair and running for cover were pushed to the back of her mind as petty annoyances that she'll think of tomorrow.

"Run with me tonight," Paris whispered in her ear, making chills tingle her skin, moaning aloud she stood up and faced him, her eyes deepening then flashing like cats eye in the cresting moonlight. She walked backwards from him, biting her lip seductively, she whipped around and flashed into her lioness form.

Paris sucked in his breath as he watched her lithe, athletic form race into the night, he tracked her with his eyes and senses into the darkness, she was a white lion and her pale form turned silver under the moonlight. They had the whole of the ranch open to them tonight, the night was their's to command. Paris gave a triumphant roar and flashed into his lion form and raced after Ariel.