Ariel huffed, annoyed that Paris hadn't returned yet, she couldn't help but wonder what in the world he was doing. Unable to stand it any longer and because she was getting cold and achy, laying exposed in the night like she was, not to mention the teeniest bit jumpy. Ariel flashed clothes on her body then flashed to her house. Appearing inside the house rather then at the porch, Ariel systematically searched him in the rooms upstairs first, he wasn't there and she noticed that neither was Ly and Aiyana. What had been annoyance and a feeling of incongruity now became unease and finding Ly's and Aiyana's beds empty only heightened that alarming feeling. Ariel worked her way downstairs in record time and made a quick detour off into the rooms there before going out to the back porch where she caught all three scents strongly. Unease turned to fear, something was wrong, Ariel paused a moment letting he senses flare out, tracking her mate. With a sigh of relief that she had found him Ariel flashed herself to him, terrified of what may confront her. She knew he wasn't dead because she was still alive and kicking, but that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt … badly.

A split second of disorientation blinded Ariel and in that brief moment she felt her body being seized roughly by the arms and pulled against someone. Ariel looked up and saw the face of Aldo Fernandez. A mesh-mash of memories collided in her mind and even if Aldo's hand had not been wound tightly around her throat she would have had trouble breathing. He looked so much like Ramirez Fernandez that Ariel thought there was a possibility that he had come back from the dead, until she drew her eyes from him and saw Paris. Relief so potent that it weakened her knees lifted her spirits high until she heard the cries of her cousin, Ariel flicked her eyes to Ly who was sobbing and reaching for her from behind the bars of a large cage.

"Paris brought me here, Ariel!" Ly shouted, her face red and soaked with watery tracks. "He said he'd kill me if I didn't call you. But I wouldn't betray you, Ariel, you know I wouldn't!"

"You bitch!" Paris snarled at her, a look of hatred and disgust in his eyes, he brought his eyes back to Ariel who had gone sickly white, her face was shocked and fearful as she searched Paris's desperately, her brain clouded with memories of the past and present, of what was and what is.

Paris's own features reflected his own turmoil, a look of utter dejection and disbelief transformed his handsome face into a mask of pain.

"You can't believe that?" he said, his voice shaking with repressed feeling, "surely? Ariel?"

Ariel felt Aldo's body shake behind her with silent laughter, her eyes tears and she let them roam the camp, taking in the scattered debris and slain bodies of Aldo's warriors. No doubt Paris had taken them down. Paris, her mate, her love, bonded with her this very night because in his words he didn't want to live without her. Ariel threw her head back and let out a primal lions roar, in rebounded off every surface and reverberated through the ground. Ariel turned swiftly, surprising Aldo into stumbling back and losing his grip, Ariel swiped her hand, that in a split second morphed into a heavy paw with lethal claws, across Aldo's face laying open his flesh. He stumbled back cursing and swearing violently while doubled over holding his face. Ariel ran to Paris, who tensed not knowing if she were about to attack him also, her face had a blazing look about it, in the throes of mindless passionate bloodlust could she possibly think reasonably? She stopped before him and lifted herself on her tiptoes to give him a brief but hard kiss on his mouth, smoothing away all doubt and insecurity.

"You know me, lion lady," Paris breathed with relief.

"I know you and love you with all of me," she turned to see Aldo, straightening, spitting blood away from his mangled mouth. "Now stay put while I kill him."

Ariel was about to march back into battle when Paris caught her arm and halted her, she turned to him, her face puzzled.

"What -"

"Shush," Paris whispered softly, his words and breath fluttering over her face, "you've fought too long with no one at your back. I'm your mate now, it is my duty and my right - no, its my privilege - to be able to say I have fought for you, my lion lady."

Ariel felt her throat tighten and she nodded, Paris kissed her forehead and walked, or more precisely, swaggered over to face Aldo, who looked faint.

"Prepare to die," Paris grinned cockily before launching himself at Aldo and landing on him in the form of a fully mature lion. Aldo transformed but was still dwarfed under Paris's massive weight and strength and power, the lesser lion struggled and Paris did not toy, he raised his powerful paw, unsheathed his claws and struck a deadly blow. Laying open Aldo's throat Paris roughly and with no respect for the body gripped Aldo between his jaws and dragged it over to Ariel where he lay it at her feet. It was primitive and animalistic but then that was what they were. Her Paris was the epitome of a male Katagaria lion and he had just fought and killed for his mate, in her lion's mind this body before her was his honouring her status as his love, his willingness to fight for her and should it come to it die for her. Paris bowed his majestic head with its huge mane before transforming back to human form still on his knees, naked.

"Rise my lion king," Ariel said with a grin and pulled him to his feet and into her arms, Ariel inhaled deeply in his hair and kissed him through the golden curls. Paris shivered with pleasure, the quickness of the kill and the honour of being able to kill Ariel's enemy had adrenaline coursing through his body, his skin felt sensitised and tingly. The thought of taking Ariel home to bed tried to scramble to the forefront of his mind but he pushed it back, and clothed himself before he turned his gaze to Ly. He'd never been sloppy, when it came to the kill, he never left any enemy alive. Taking Ariel's hand Paris drew her towards the cage where Ly had been left unnoticed, she was cowering in the corner, trying to make her petite frame even smaller. Ariel looked confused. And Paris's heart ached at what he had to tell her, there was a snake in the lions den, a traitor within.

Ariel watched Paris's face harden as he looked at Ly, and he deliberately kept his eyes on her shaking cousin rather then look at her. Ariel felt her stomach churn.

"No," she said on a disbelieving laugh, then sobered rapidly, "no!" She denied it vehemently, wanting to say it enough times until Paris agreed with her, wanting it to be a cruel joke. But she knew, in her heart and she couldn't hide from her heart, Paris would never be so cruel to her, just as he would never lie to her, mock or make fun of her.

"I really should have known, shouldn't I?" She growled with disgust and Ly flinched as if she'd been struck.

"Forgive me -" she began in a small whispering voice.

"Forgive you!" Ariel barked, growling louder to keep the shakiness out of her voice and the tears from her eyes. "Your treachery has wounded me more deeply then any other I've ever had to bear. Death can be the only punishment for such an offence!"

Ariel stalked away only to come back, her eyes orbs of glowing light.

"You betrayed our whole Pride! Because of what? Why, Ly? Explain to me so I can understand this!"

Ly shook her head, tears streaming down her face, she tried to hide behind her hands, her head bowed, the shame dragging her down.

"She wanted your place in the Pride," Paris said darkly, baring his fangs as he spoke. "She wanted you dead and she wanted the Pride."

If there was a pain in this world that could rival that which Paris's words had caused Ariel had not yet experienced it.

Ly was the baby, the cousin that she'd told stories to, that she'd danced with and laughed with and caused havoc with. Ly was the life and soul of a party, the joker of the pack - how could she have turned out to be so malicious and twisted? So cunning and conniving?

Ariel jumped out of her skin when she felt the soft brushing of hair on her leg and looked down to see Aiyana, looking shaky and frightened, but unhurt and, best of all, alive.

"Your cruelty knows no bounds does it, Little one?"

"I know you can never forgive me -"

"Damn right!" Paris snarled, Ariel could feel the violence radiating from him, the urge to wrap his hands around Ly's throat and choke the life along with her treachery right out of her, was overwhelming. Ariel, admitted that only because it were Ly that she restrained herself. Now the question was what to do? The decision and answer lied solely on Ariel's shoulders, could she kill her cousin? A cousin that had sold out her clan, consorted with Ariel's worst enemy and also plotted to kill her? Could she do it? Damn right she could!

But would she? Ly seemed to pull herself together slightly, long enough for her to look up into Ariel's face, Ariel didn't flinch the way she wanted to when she saw raw sorrow in her cousin's eyes.

"For what I have done to you forgiveness is beyond asking for," she began, "I have lost my honour, and tarnished that of my Pride through my jealousy and selfishness. I've brought shame upon my race and upon myself. I fear death and the wrath of Hades, but I would gladly take my own life to assuage the pain I have caused you and atone for my sins."

Ariel didn't want to be fooled by the heart felt words but she was and Paris knew it, he pulled Ariel behind him, his eyes flinty and cold. With his powers he unlocked the cage and manifested a dagger in his hand.

"Then atone for your sins, little sister," Paris said and he quirked a scathing eyebrow at Ly, flicking the knife over and offering her the handle. Ly looked shocked and scared. Her teary, pleading eyes locked on to Ariel's, but Paris noticed this and shifted between them, breaking their line of vision. "We're you Katagaria, you would not have drawn one more breath. You've offered to take your life in lieu of living with your disgrace."

The dagger Paris held disappeared and his lip curled in disgust. "It is obvious that that was just another one of your lies."

Paris clicked his fingers and heavy manacles wrapped themselves around Ly's wrists and ankles. Ly gasped and began to hyperventilate.

"I'm your cousin!" she pleaded with Ariel hysterically, trying to struggle from Paris's fierce grip, he gave her a violent shake and lent close to her face.

"And I'm her mate!" he growled menacingly, Ly's legs gave way under her.

Ariel pressed her fingers to her temples, she couldn't breathe let alone think. One of her most trusted friends, a member of her family no less, had betrayed her. Everything crumbles when there is a traitor within, Ariel truly believed it, but she was inclined to think that it was not simply because of the acts of the traitor. Ariel suspected that it was the acts of that person that caused the mighty power to break, the wounds so deep they can only be caused by a loved one is what destroys the whole. When the leader can no longer trust, when her centre cannot hold. Ariel looked up at Paris, so strong and powerful, her warrior would have fought tooth and nail, marched into hell itself simply to prove his loyalty to her, he was her strength. He was her centre that would hold strong through all trials.

Ariel took a deep breath and approached Ly, she raised a hand and Ly flinched but Ariel simply brushed Ly's dark hair gently from her eyes. Ly's eyes flashed with relief before Ariel drew her fist back and punched the lioness so hard that she fell limp in Paris's arms. Paris caught her weight, but only just, and even then he wasn't careful or considerate when lugging her body up upon his shoulder.

"Way to go, champ," he murmured and Ariel gave him a wan smile, Paris felt his heart clench and making sure Ly was secure on his shoulder, Paris ran his knuckles down Ariel's cheek. "Everything will be alright in the end."

"Only if your with me."

"Always, baby. Always."

Ariel inhaled deeply before stepping away and turning to look at Aiyana. Aiyana padded cautiously up to her and nuzzled hesitantly at Ariel's hand, Ariel leaned down and kissed the top of Aiyana's flat head, the little cat purred.

"Come on, kitten, we best get home."

( Sorry if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. As a friend of mine knows I am terrible at proof reading my work so apologies people)