(Thank you to everyone that's reviewed this fanfic for me, I really do appreciate it and only ask you review more. Of course criticism is welcome because even I spot the mistakes in my work sometimes, so I'm sure you do to.)

Paris and Ariel ran for hours side by side, their animal forms staggering and rolling through the long grass that grew at the farthest point of Ariel's ranch, it reminded Ariel of her time in Africa when she was growing up, when she had met Ramirez. She slid her gaze to the lion next to her, golden and magnificent, he wasn't Ramirez, he was Paris. With a happy growl she tackled him to the ground and they fell, hidden in the grass under the only tree in the vicinity. It spread its leafy canopy overhead concealing them from the heavens, Paris lay under, her his lion eyes still glassy and dazed looking. Had the alcohol been of the human variety they would have burned it out of their system within minutes, however they were still wired from a whole evening of drinking. Ariel leant down and licked Paris's muzzle.

Ariel flashed into her human form and buried her face in Paris's thick mane and gave a pleasurable 'mmm' before pulling back to look at him. She should be skittish around him but she wasn't, she felt free for the first time in years. Paris's animal eyes grinned at her before he flashed into his delicious human form and he was naked!

"I want you so much," he slurred and leant up to nuzzle her ear, he grinned lecherously before making Ariel's clothes disappear, instead of shoving him back as he expected she let him roll over with her until he was positioned atop her between her thighs.

"Your nothing like my other mate," she said distractedly with her hand playing in his hair, wrapping it around her fingers.

"I'm your only mate," Paris growled and crushed his mouth to hers to halt all other talk of the kind, when he pulled back her eyes were alight with passion, her lips parted on a pant.

"Are you jealous?" she teased, her mocking laughter had him nipping her ear hard in reprimand, which only excited her more.

"I don't want you ever speaking of him again," Paris snarled and sucked hard on her neck, he moved his lips to her breast and bit on her nipple, Ariel moaned and arched, her hand tightening almost painfully in his hair. "Not speaking - not thinking of him - ever again!" With each demand his suckles became more forceful. He lifted his head to pierce her with a gaze that, for his words looked completely sober.

"Know this, little mate. Had you not killed Ramirez Fernandez I would have!"

Ariel froze under him but drink made him bolder and he continued his path with his tongue from one breast to another.

"How do you know about that?" she whispered, her voice hitched slightly with anxiety.

"Theo and Faraa told me," Paris replied simply swirling his tongue around her pink peak, Ariel tried not to let her brain fill with a fog, lustful and intense she tried to break Paris's spell. She struggled under his weight, Paris just stretched himself flush with her body and caught her wrists, pinning them beside her head.

"I shouldn't be here with you," she whimpered weakly, something she would hate when she was sober.

"Yes you should," Paris murmured and buried his face in her unbound hair, he nuzzled and petted, his fingers twining with hers, gripping tightly. He purred loudly from deep in his chest and it reverberated through his skin to the valley between her breasts, she bit her lip while she moaned. Oh, the pleasure!

"We should be together always, little lion lady. My little lion woman." Paris pressed his forehead hard against Ariel's, his eyes bore into hers and when he next spoke it with a depth of emotion that was immeasurable. "Give to me forever, Ariel, its all I want. But if you can't… just touch me now, touch me deep … pure and true. Okay?"

Ariel felt her throat tighten and she nodded realising now that she gripped his hands a lot tighter then he hers, she pushed her body up to meet his. Paris captured her lips with his once more in a sweet, lingering kiss while he shifted his body and slipped inside her slowly, inch by glorious inch, as hard and thick as he was it wasn't uncomfortable, in fact Ariel felt her body stretch and accommodate him so willingly that it was if he were made to be locked into her body, in to her mind and heart.

Instead of the rough fast tempo she expected he set a slow, leisurely pace that created a firestorm in her just as hot as anything harder could have done, it didn't feel like simple sex as she lay below him and stared not at the leafy ceiling but into his golden eyes, he was making love to her. Even if they did not love each other they were mates and that created a certain bond between people, gave the physical act more meaning then a simple scratching of an itch.

Paris bit his lip and thrust hard and deep, he worked her until she writhed beneath him, until he watched her pant and cry out as she broke free in a shattering release that had her core tightening around so his eyes crossed. Her second release was more potent to him then the first and he could no longer hold back, she arched as she came for him and with a rumbling growl he let himself join her.

****

Ariel's mouth tasted like she had run it over a furry carpet, her head was pounding and so was every other part of her body for that matter. Err … and she realised with annoyance someone was shining a light in her face. Ariel prepared herself to meet the beam of a flashlight, a very bright flashlight might she add, squinting open her eyes she saw blazing blue, an expanse of azure that was so flawless and fathomless it hurt her eyes. It was only when Ariel realised her ceiling was white did her heart quicken its beat, her eyes flickered to her right and a burning sun blinded her. A sunburst of searing white light radiated scorching heat, even though from its position she deduced it was only mid morning. What the hell was she doing -

A warm weight over her stomach froze her in the actions of wiping her streaming eyes, angling her head Ariel looked down and barely suppressed a groan. Paris's huge lion's head lay over her stomach, because it was impossible for him to sleep in his human form the position he lay in was aggressively protective from an animal perspective.

These actions should have warmed her but they didn't, in fact she felt sick when she remembered what they had done. It was complicating and wrong in so many different ways. As they had the mating mark he could actually impregnate her, she could be carrying his young after last night and contraception didn't work on were's. Pregnancy aside, she didn't want to complicate her feelings for him further or his for her.

Why did she have to get drunk last night?! Why did she have to show-off and try and drink him under the table?

Feeling suddenly claustrophobic Ariel rolled a still sleeping Paris off of her and began to stride back through the grass back to her home, remembering to clothe herself while she marched her way over her land.

By the time she got to the house she was sweating, panting and aching, quite like the aftermath of sex and yet not at all. Swiping her brow with the back of her hand, Ariel used the back entrance to come up over the porch Paris and she had drunk themselves silly last night on and walked through the kitchen. Stamping hard on each step as promised herself to sell half the land so she would never have to do that trek again and thought longingly of a cold glass of iced - Paris!

He was sitting up the breakfast bar with Theo and Ly while Faraa served them pancakes, they all stopped and looked up as she walked in, all tried not to smile except Paris who grinned openly. Trying to be dignified she met none of their eyes while asking loftily, "where's Aiyanna?"

"She's playing in the nursery with Leona and the kids," Theo answered, his voice had a definite trace of laughter in it.

"With Leona?" Ariel asked sternly, momentarily forgetting her mortification, but Ly shook her head and quickly swallowed a mouthful of milk.

"Don't worry about it. She only hates Paris -" who shrugged good-naturedly, "besides Faraa threatened her on penalty of death should Aiyanna come to any harm. Though I think she's missing you."

Ariel nodded, "ok then. Well, I'm going for a shower then I'll go see her -"

"No breakfast?" Faraa said, holding the frying pan up hopefully, Ariel felt her stomach rumble but put it to the back of her mind so she shook her head, Faraa looked crestfallen.

"So," Ly said breaking the sudden silence, "how was the walk back?"

Everyone in the room snorted into their plates, Ariel threw Paris a filthy look and walked from the room.

Paris grimaced when he heard her slam the bathroom door from all the way upstairs then past an exasperated look to Ly who shrugged.

"Who cares?" she said around a mouthful of pancake, "its about time someone took the stick out of her butt. This is the only time I get to make fun of her and I am so taking it while its here."

"Don't make this more awkward for her then it already is," Faraa said, she had little patience with the young lioness. "Or for Paris for that matter."

Paris just shrugged but at the same time was glad that Faraa pulled the reins on Ly, he had a feeling with her constant taunting she could end up driving Ariel further away from him then before. Faraa put another plate in front of him and he picked up a fork, it was really weird from him to be in human form at this time. Usually both he and Trey were either asleep or camping out in a secluded wild area so they could take their animal forms.

"Thinking of … how come your in human form?" Ly asked, adding so much syrup to her pancakes Paris actually cringed. "Most Katagaria don't play human in the daytime."

"Normally I don't, but it doesn't mean I can't. The daylight doesn't really bother me, most Katagaria train themselves to be able to be human in the day so they can blend with the world their in."

"Yeah but only the really powerful can pull it off, right?" Ly said her eyes rather awe-struck, Paris just shrugged again.

"Its weird, isn't it, Faraa?" Ly said, "didn't I hear that Ariel said Ramirez only ever changed in to human form to do the deed?"

She wagged her eyebrows suggestively and Paris felt rage explode in the pit of his gut, his hands actually shook at Ly's words. Theo saw this and told Ly sternly to shut her mouth. Ly covered her wide grin with her hand and said sorry. Though she sounded anything but apologetic.

If Ariel could hear Ly not only would she rip the unthinking lioness's head off but she would be hurt that her family would talk about her in such a way. Paris levelled a glare at Ly.

"You should never make light of people's pain," he growled and Ly looked sullen.

"It was like centuries ago -"

"And when you live to feel what real pain is, I'm very certain you'll think twice about mocking other people for remembering it years afterwards."

Ly gave a half shrug and slid from her chair and moved out the door Ariel had, Paris sighed and looked down at his hands. He had seen Ariel leave him this morning, watched her walk for those few long miles and had been angry that she had left him. In effort to teach her a lesson and piss her off he had flashed himself back here and made enough noise as to rouse Faraa and Theo. They had all been in the kitchen when Ariel had walked in looking shabby and unkempt, though to Paris she looked fantastic. Her long hair unbound and windswept, her clothes stuck tight to her body, gifting him with curves he had been too drunk to appreciate the night before.

He had known what it would do to her pride to have her family see her looking so flustered and out of control and now he was sickened at himself. He had no right to lecture Ly when he had caused her just as much humiliation if not more.

He shoved the plate from him and rubbed a hand over his eyes, when he looked up he realised Theo and Faraa had both left the room.

Paris grabbed a plate a piled it up and went upstairs.

****

Ariel opened her wardrobe and stared at the expanse of black and grey and … black. Oh there was a little bit of white there too. She sighed, she didn't particularly like dark and boring colours - though black was slimming - those colours and her office executive type of dress made her feel like she could take on the world. It added a layer of gloss to her that she needed in effort to retain her compact and cool exterior. She walked further in to her closet and looked at the shoes, sensible pumps, high heeled shows but still rather sedate looking, some open toes - all black.

She moved on a little further and ran her hand over her jeans, soft and torn at the knee and baggy, they were her favourite article of clothing and also her least worn. She gave them a small smile and was about to turn her back on them when she pictured this morning walking in, her family had never seen her in such a state since her pre-puberty days and it was hard for them to think of her as anything other then an ice maiden without cracking jokes.

But Aiyanna wouldn't say anything, she was a clean slate, a way to start over without being look at as if a pod person had given her a personality transplant. With a determined grunt Ariel yanked on the jeans, the sudden rush of rebellion and freedom they gave her made her giggle. She pushed her feet into old sneakers, the round toes barely poking out from under the jean and a self-styled tank top from back when she was young that had the legend 'Roar For Me!" over the breasts. Ariel had fitted her walk in closet with a full length mirror, even though strictly speaking she didn't have to have clothes or even make the effort to get dressed each morning, the act of putting on clothes, applying make-up and doing her hair always relaxed her, it made her feel feminine in a time when she was very unsure about herself.

Being almost killed by your husband can do that to a person, her mind said comfortingly.

Ariel stepped out of her closet and her eyes immediately went to her bed on it was a silver tray, one of Faraa's best, and on that was dainty china plates, on one was bacon and eggs, another pancakes, syrup, strawberries, a rack of toast. Ariel walked over to it, very unsure of herself, it had been a long time since someone had ever done such a thing, in fact she couldn't recall a time when she had ever been waited on like this. As a young cub she was given lots of attention but back in those days it was as common for humans to teach their young how to fend for themselves as it was for were's. Times were harder, most children had to care for themselves as their parents were usually killed in wars or died of the plague or starvation. Post-Martial-Murder stage as Ariel had termed it, people tried not to come near her, she was too angry, too calm, too everything … plus people blamed her for the death of Roken. Rightly so.

Ariel picked up a carefully folded note, she opened it and read.

Friends?

"What the hell?" Ariel muttered then she heard a knock and looked up, at her bedroom door Paris leant his arm against the door jamb and gave her a sheepish yet utterly sexy grin.

"Was this down to you?" She gestured to the tray and he nodded, it made her feel like the butter dripping from the slice of toast, she cleared her throat then gave him a tentative smile.

That smile heated his blood making it lava and he took a step into the room, when she didn't object he moved to her side.

"I thought you deserved it after my thoughtless actions this morning," he said softly his fingers brushing the bottom tendrils of her waist length hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Turning up here the way I did, I didn't say anything but when they guessed I didn't put them off the scent. It was wrong of me."

Ariel waved a careless hand as if washing away his words.

"That's okay, you weren't to know, besides it was light hearted and if you can't take it from your family who can you take a good ribbing off of, eh?"

Paris was amazed that she should be so accepting and understanding, he wasn't so sure that he would agree with the light-hearted statement, he saw again the rather malicious glint in Ly's eyes when she spoke of Ariel.

Ariel looked up at Paris who was watching her and felt heat infuse her cheeks, she cleared her throat but was saved the necessity of speaking because Paris spoke first.

"I know you probably blame me for last night -"

"Of course I don't," she snapped, she was irritated that he danced about her so gently as if she would break under the least bit of responsibility. "If anything it was my fault and even then none of us were responsible for our actions. I'm angry at myself for letting it go so far," she added quietly.

"Was it so bad then?"

Ariel sighed. "Of course not. I just think it could complicate things for us."

It was Paris's turn to sigh, his eyes never leaving her. "Can't you just give me a chance. I'm not asking you to mate with me but I am asking for a chance, let me share your life for three weeks. Three weeks out of eternity and then you'll never see me again if you wish."

Paris realised he was pleading but he had no choice, the more he thought of being mated, the more he wanted it, wanted her, wanted what she had here with her family. He had never had a family before and as much as he loved Trey, they were both a couple of loners - which was a weird paradox in itself. Paris watched, holding his breath as his eyes searched her down turned face for some sort of reaction. When she looked up her eyes were unreadable, she took his hand gently into hers and turned it over, she ran her thumb over his knuckles. He wondered what she saw, what she looked for?

"I -," her voice faltered, she cleared her throat, "I can't eat all this breakfast on my own, would you like to help me."

Paris smiled, he was in fact still hungry, were-lions usually ate five times more then the average human on each meal so he was only half full.

"I'd love to."

They sat together for almost an hour on her bed and Paris felt a sense of peace he had never known before steal into his soul. Paris looked up and saw her buttering a slice of toast and grinned, he was clumsy with the dainty butter knife and had almost dropped it on her duvet, she had threatened him with castration and proceeded to butter it for him, it was a strange thing to watch her prepare his food. Not unpleasant though. Ariel looked up.

"Jam?"

"No, thank you." He took the toast off of her then cocked his head, she smiled cheekily and imitated him.

"Your thinking something," she said and bit into her scrambled eggs.

"I was just thinking I like your style today."

She grinned in such a cute way it was all Paris could do not to lean over and kiss her, "I guess we're dressed alike today."

Paris looked down at himself, he had dressed for the hot weather with a pair of long shorts and a white vest, he glanced up to see her giving his abs a heated look and gave a stretch so that he flexed them more then needed. He saw her lick her lips and he wanted to purr.

"I think I already roared for you last night," he teased then wanted to kick himself, way to go mentioning about last night when she probably wanted to forget about it. To his amazement she smiled and gave a nonchalant shrug.

"You did good."

Paris grinned, she was never what he expected, he always expected her to be cold and uptight when the truth was she was so down-to-earth and ready to laugh. How could have misjudged her so badly. Then he knew, she was good at showing the world what she wanted them to see and in doing so she had fooled them all, even him.

Once breakfast finished Paris flashed himself and the tray downstairs and when he came up again Ariel was trying to tie her hair up in a bun, she made a noise of frustration and let the mass of silk tumble down her back.

"What's up?" Paris asked.

"Ah nothin', just my hair. Its got so long now its aches my arms to work it into a style every morning. It needs to be cut."

Paris actually whimpered at the thought of someone taking the scissors to her beautiful hair, yeah right, he would maim anyone who dared cut it. He moved behind her and pushed her on to a stool in front of her vanity table, he picked up the brush and began to stroke it through her hair. Ariel titled her head back slightly and gave a small purr, Paris laughed lightly.

"Like that?"

"No one's ever brushed my hair before," she murmured her eyes closed. Paris clenched his teeth to keep himself from telling her that should she let him stay, he would take pleasure in brushing it for her one hundred times each morning and night, that he would gently kiss and nip the wispy thin curls growing under the heavy fall of hair. Ariel opened her eyes and giggled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Its just your hands are so manly, you don't look as if you should be doing something like this."

Paris looked down at his calloused palms and placed the brush back on the dressing table, he grimaced at her reflection.

"Sorry, did they catch at your hair?"

Ariel smiled and turned in her seat, she reached up and slid her forefinger under his front curls, "not a bit."

Paris smiled rather shyly before kissing her hand and turning her to face the mirror again, she was turning him inside out, she couldn't look at him like that and not expect him to want her, to kiss her.

Paris pulled the front of her hair back and secured it with clips, Ariel wrinkled her nose at her reflection and Paris leant down to kiss her shoulder, her expression changed to one of desire and when she stood up and turned to face him the only thing that stopped her forcing him back towards her bed was a loud, ferocious growl from the nursery.