Warning!!! I have not proof read any of the final part so I beg forgiveness on bended knee and all the rest of that nonsense. Seriously though, if the spelling and stuff is really bad, just drop me a line and I will remedy the situation asap.
Ariel found Paris in her bedroom later that day, he was laying flat out on her bed, staring moodily up at the ceiling. She closed the door quietly and slipped on to the bed beside him, resting her cheek on his pec.
"Are you okay?" She asked, angling her head so she could stare up at him. She studied the prominent, strong angle of his jaw, his stubborn chin, his whole face so proud and regal looking.
"Fine," he whispered, not taking his eyes off the ceiling, he lifted a hand to absently play in Ariel's hair. The silence stretched out for longer then she liked and Ariel began to get worried, what could possibly make him so distant from her? Was she just imagining it? Ariel raised her head from his chest and made to leave the bed, unable to take this tension, but Paris tightened his arm.
"Where are you going?"
Ariel shrugged coolly and Paris quirked an eyebrow at the definite chill he felt, his temper that was balancing very precariously rocked dangerously on its ledge.
"You look like you need some alone time."
Then it clicked and Paris smiled, he couldn't quite get his head round the fact that his mate; his miraculously talented and stunningly beautiful mate had such charming insecurities. Paris liked how well he could read her. He tugged her back into bed, wrapping his arms around her upper body and throwing his leg over her lower half, effectively trapping her and barring any escape. He snuggled close so he could inhale her scent and breathe in her ear at the same time.
"Don't be an ass," he kissed her ear. "I was just thinking."
"You?"
Paris bit back a grin. "I'm not incapable of it."
Ariel smiled, feeling a little silly and irritated at herself. She was not a needy person, she didn't want to cling to Paris like a burr. Unconsciously she began to frown darkly and Paris kissed her to get her attention.
"Now who's thinking," he murmured, Ariel shifted slightly, working her legs so they tangled tighter with his, making Paris smile in a self-satisfied way.
"I think we're both going to have to get used to sharing ourselves with another person, huh?" she said thoughtfully, Paris made a pensive noise.
"I don't think that will be much of a problem for me. I like the thought of sharing my life with you. If that means that I then have to share, my mind, body, heart, soul and all worldly goods, then so be it. It was all in the job description as far as I was concerned and, if you'll remember, I battled with my last breath to get said job."
Ariel gave a warm, little laugh and rubbed her face against the side of his neck.
"What we're you thinking then?" she asked.
"I was thinking that I don't like this Arcadian justice system of yours. Ly did not deserve a second chance!"
"She didn't, she -"
"Exile to me is as good as inviting her back into your Pride. The threat of her will always be out there, and I can't rest thinking that you and our family will be in danger."
"Our family?" There was a definite laugh in Ariel's voice.
"Well, you, Aiyana and all the little Paris's we'll be making," Paris amended seriously. Ariel laughed again.
"Oh, Paris I do love you. I have every confidence that you'll protect me. You'd never let anything happen to me. Ly is gone from our lives now, far away. She's lucky that those in the Pride who wanted her dead were out voted."
Paris stiffened. "Don't you dare tell me you were one of those who help out vote them!"
Ariel couldn't contain a giggle at his domineering ways, he was so easy going and gentle most of the time, that it was quite unusual. Though that authoritative voice of his was a little sexy.
"No love, I wasn't."
"Good."
"Aiyana tells me something interesting though."
"Oh?" sounding a little uninterested.
"Ly was apparently nursing a burning desire for one handsome Katagaria lion."
"What!"
"She planned to overthrow me and have you as her personal sex toy," Ariel enjoyed watching Paris grimace in disgust, even though she knew he wasn't sure she was watching his face. Paris untangled himself from Ariel's limbs so he could lay his body over hers.
"Only one lioness I wish to serve and she is my match in everyway."
Ariel bit her lip to stop it trembling, but her heart was already dripping away like melting butter. Paris kissed gentle kisses over her mouth and neck, her breasts and stomach, he left no place untouched. He gave attention to every spot, finding the most erogenous zones on her body and making them sing. They made love slowly and without hurry, savouring the time they had together, the love they shared for one another and the future, whatever it held.
Later they lay in bed and this time Ariel stared up at the ceiling lost in her mind.
"What?" Paris asked, Ariel turned her head, her eyes oddly bright.
"What is so wrong with me that even my own family would turn on me?"
Paris hated Ly in that moment, more then ever. He sat up and pulled Ariel into his lap to cuddle, crossing his legs beneath her bottom.
"There is nothing wrong with you, Ariel and everything wrong with her. She's defected and twisted. She is a human with those complex emotions, with an animals ferocity and intensity. Her jealously and ambition was magnified and she became a prime example of why Arcadians are thought of as untrustworthy.'
"Until I met you I thought that to be true but having met you. Seeing beauty and strength and honour personified, I know I was wrong."
"I keep thinking what if she'd gotten me out the way? What if Fernandez had killed me?" Ariel shivered, "I wonder how the Pride would have survived."
"They wouldn't. It would have broken them."
"Faraa could have led them … or perhaps Theo or Shar," Ariel suggested, recent events had worried her into thinking about alternative leadership in the case of her death.
"No. Your too depended upon, too loved and needed. Ly went for the strongest link thinking to replace herself there, but she isn't you. In taking out that strongest link she would have crumbled the chain. The Pride would not have survived such a loss. Neither would I."
Ariel licked at his lips like a cat and grinned.
"Well, of course you wouldn't, we're bonded."
Paris laughed evilly. "True that."
"You have a strange, naughty look about you, Katagaria," Ariel said, Paris lay quite motionless before suddenly springing into action. Ariel was trapped underneath him once more, laughing hysterically.
"If you wanted to play why didn't you just?"
"More fun this way," he laughed, licking and sucking on her neck, "besides who said anything about playing?"
Ariel's eyes sobered, though a smile still graced her lips. "Thank you, love."
Her voice was so serious and sincere that Paris felt his throat tighten.
"For what?"
"Oh, you know," she tried to be nonchalant, "making me believe in love again, giving me unspeakable pleasure and not betraying me."
"That all?" Paris joked.
"I'll buy you roses tomorrow," Ariel muttered busying herself with moving her lips as far down Paris's chest as she could reach while still trapped beneath him.
"Women are heartless," he sighed. Ariel pushed him over on to his back and knelt between his knees,.
"Yes, I am."
Paris's laugh turned into a groan in his throat when wet hear covered him, Ariel laughed evilly, casing the vibration in her throat to ripple up his shaft. Paris gripped a hand in her hair, and made noises of encouragement. Lust and love caused one of the best releases of his life, he lay as weak and limp as a babe the smell of Ariel in his hair and on his skin. It was one of the most blissful, peaceful moments of his life and he sent up a silent pray to the fates, thanking them for his happiness.
************************
Paris, Ariel and Aiyana appeared at the Omegrion together and while Ariel and Paris took their seats together, Aiyana lay quietly behind their chairs.
Paris looked up and caught the eye of Dante, Vane and Fury all sitting together with shit-eating grins on their faces. Paris grinned back and stood up, Ariel looked at him quizzically.
"The meeting won't start for a few minutes yet. I'll be back. You okay on your own?"
Ariel threw him a disgusted look and Paris held up his hands in surrender and rounded the table to the men.
"Panther, Wolves," Paris inclined his head to them in turn.
"How was the week of chaperoning the cub and -" Dante looked round Paris to where Ariel was sat and whistled low.
"It was fine," Paris remarked with a casual shrug, they all eyed him suspiciously.
"I think you owe me twenty," Fury held his hand out to Vane and Dante, who slapped at the hand as if it were diseased. Fury pulled back offended. "Come on, I won fair and square!"
"Betting on my resistance, were we?"
"I had more faith in your resilience," Fury said and Paris gave him a nod of mocking appreciation.
"Well, I think he's taken my advice," Dante remarked casually and nodded behind Paris. "He's going in for the kill."
Paris looked around and felt his body tightened painfully fast, his jealousy and possessiveness rose swiftly and deadly. Within seconds he was standing in front of Ariel's chair blocking Darion's view of his mate.
"Back off, Drakos," Paris growled, feeling admirably reasonable considering the fire in his blood at that moment. "She's mine."
Darion looked as if he were about to say something when Paris raised his hand and showed the mating mark, the dragon's eyes grew wide and he backed away respectfully. Waiting until he put a fair distance between them before turning around and giving Ariel a flirtatious grin and wink. Paris growled and stepped forward only to have Ariel placing her hand on his forearm, he looked down at it and instantly calmed. He sat beside her and was aware of the eyes of the whole room upon him.
Ariel handled it splendidly, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair, as if letting everyone have a good look at her. Her face and eyes were aloof and cool, though there was now an amusement behind them, as if she were mocking those around her and daring them to approach her. There was a brief flash of white light from behind them all and Savitar kitted out in his diving gear sauntered past. He tipped a wink to Paris and bowed his head to Ariel, who smiled back benignly. On ascending his throne he smiled darkly and raised his arms.
"Shall we commence, kids?"
Everyone sat and eyes looked towards Paris and Ariel, Ariel took her lead from them, she rose regally and spoke in a voice that had first captured Paris. It felt like a century ago when really it had only been two months, but like everyone else in the room she held him enthralled.
"I think after two months it has been long enough for the council to deliberate and come to a permanent conclusion."
Paris unglued his eyes from his mate and looked around the room, he could see that most of the animals and humans there had forgotten the existence of Aiyana and her family. They hadn't however forgotten his mate, Paris felt a strong surge of emotion that was part pride and part possessiveness when he saw how many males were staring at her wonderful figure. Cased in a sexy red summer dress and heels, she had let her long hair flow freely over her shoulders, the curls falling provocatively over the rise of her breasts.
"Mr. Chaperone, what do you have to add to this riveting occasion?" Savitar said and Paris cleared his throat and got to his feet.
"Well, from my observations of Mrs. Soph -" Paris stopped in mid-sentence and looked abck at Ariel who was watching with an eyebrow cocked in amusement. He smiled before he amended. "Forgive me, Mrs. Sebastienne's Pride, she has suitable accommodations for a young lion cub."
A gasp had gone around the room when he had called her by her 'married' name, Paris flicked a glance back to Dante and the wolves who were catching flies, Paris gave a gruff laugh and Ariel grinned back at them mischievously.
"How would you say her conduct towards the cub reflects her attitude to the Katagaria heritage?" That was the Katagaria jackal, again with that mocking amusement Ariel looked over at Paris and waited with mocking anticipation, fighting down a smile, he answered.
"It is my personal opinion that the fact that the cub is Katagaria while Ariel is Arcadian is irrelevant. She has been accepted as one of the Pride."
The jackal seemed to fight with himself, searching desperately for anything to foul up Ariel's plans.
"How can you be so sure?"
Paris rubbed his nose thoughtfully and shrugged.
"Well, the fact that the cub is related to her by marriage does present some legitimate right over the cub, doesn't it? And seeing as you nor I could prove that there is any reason to doubt her sincerity for the cubs well-being. I would say that is evidence enough."
"And," Ariel raised her voice slightly, her eyes fixed determinedly on the jackal. "As my mate is Katagaria, I think that qualifies me as …" she pretended to think hard and looked at Paris for help, who was grinning a shit-eating grin. "What's that word, love?"
"Unbiased?"
"Of course," she turned back to the Jackal, "unbiased."
The room was buzzing with electric tension, the silence was crude and painful to the ear, Paris was watching his mate as she motioned Aiyana forward, so Aiyana could give her testimony. Ariel wanted there to be no doubt that Aiyana belonged with her and wanted to be there.
Paris looked over at Curly, Larry and Moe, who were laughing silently at him. Fury whacked the side of his head and mouthed 'what's the matter with you?'
While Vane and Dante imitated zombies, Paris gave a nonchalant shrug and Dante shook his head.
'Pussy-whipped!" Dante mouthed at him and Vane made a whipping motion with his hand.
"Tell that to your mates boys," all three stopped their antics to look up at Savitar who was watching them like an amused adult studying three precocious children. All three squirmed like said children and Ariel looked over her shoulder at them and laughed, making Fury wave like an idiot, Vane almost blush and Dante tip his imaginary hat to her. Paris shook his head and lounded back in his seat, life was fun sometimes …
"Carry on, sugar, the three retardeers are listening now," Paris calledback at her and was pretty sure he was given the finger by his pals.
Savitar gave an exasperated shake of the head and held up his hand.
"This is gone on long enough and I got a wave to catch. Now I don't think anyone has any objections. Any real objections -" he growled dangerously when Anelise Romano looked like she was ready to start running her mouth. "Well then, the cubs yours, lion lady. And so is that -"
Savitar pointed at Paris like he were a stray mongrel, fresh in from the street, flea ridden and rain soaked. "If you think its worth the effort to teach it how to use a toilet, rather then a tree."
Paris growled at him and Savitar shrugged.
"I'm at home in any walk of life, me!" Paris cried back indignantly.
"Yeah, right. You thought caviar was a new breed of Lamborghini," Fury shouted over to him, this time Paris was the one flipping him off. Ariel walked over to Paris and winked at him.
"He's worth it," she said quietly, smiling indulgently at him, Paris knew that look in her eye and couldn't wait for the councils session to end so he could get her home.
Ariel laughed and leant closer and whispered, "soon, love."
Uncaring who was watching or what they thought Paris pulled her closer, so she was almost on his lap.
"We finished here?"
Savitar shrugged and Paris flashed all three of them home plopping Aiyana in the playroom. Ariel cradled his head to her when he began pulling her buttons apart with his teeth.
"We have to meet Trey soon."
"Later."
"And you supposed to be helping Theo with -"
"Later."
"If you say so," Ariel acquiesced on a moan.
"I do," Paris looked up, his eyes intense. "You will always come first. The world can wait, they all come later but you."
"As you do for me, Paris, as you do for me."
The End.