The next morning, Aliya found herself waking up to the sound of her cell phone in her jeans pocket. It was ringing, but it wasn't her alarm. She groaned and shuffled a little bit closer to Vane, curled in against his chest. He was so warm, she didn't want to leave him. She decided that whoever it was could leave a voicemail. It was still fairly early in the morning and she was exhausted after their few rounds of sex last night. The phone eventually fell silent, but it wasn't five seconds later that it began to ring again shrilly. She groaned. The only person to call her like that was her boss. She reluctantly pulled herself from the warmth and security of Vane's arms and slid to the edge of the bed. She leaned over it on her stomach and rummaged into her pockets for her phone. She eventually found it, and answered on the last ring just before voicemail would pick it up. "H'llo"? She mumbled sleepily into the phone. A voice began to speak, loud, fast, and commanding.

The shrill noise of the phone woke Vane up but much like Aliya he was just going to ignore it. That is until she pulled away to grab it up. He groaned softly, wanting to have her close the instant she was gone. After she answered he sounded like the person on the other end was yelling and angry. Vane growled deeply, not like the tone the voise was taking. "Aliya..."

"Yes..." Aliya said, but into the phone and not to Vane. She raised a hand to Vane gently, a motion to calm down, that everything was okay. The voice on the other end continued to yell and Aliya said a quiet, "okay," before the line abruptly hung up. She waited until she had hung up as well before she sighed softly and stood from the bed, gathering up her clothes. She moved with exhaustion, but moved quickly. "Work." she explained vaguely, grabbing her underwear from the night before. She would need to go home and shower, her clean clothes on and head in as soon as possible.

Vane stared at her for a moment, trying to keep himself calm and go about this in a civil manner. "Aliya... I would appreciate it if you didn't go back to the strip club." He hoped that sounded nice and not commanding to her. Sitting up, he kept the sheets around his waist to watch her. "If you insist on working, I'll help you find something. Here or wherever but... I'm not okay with you showing your body to other men."

Aliya hated her job, and she was looking for any excuse to quit. But she just needed the money for her apartment and other expenses. "No other job pays so well... I don't know how to do anything else." she admitted with a guilty blush, looking down and away from him. She fidgeted with the clothes in her arms for a moment before looking back at him. "This can be my last shift... boss says it's an emergency. Okay?"

Vane didn't want to be controlling so he'd agree to her compromise. "Fine. But I'm coming with you." He got to his feet and crossed the room, pulling her into his arms. "You're mine now so I don't want you to worry about money. And... if you're okay with it, we should search for somewhere to live together. Because we're not living with my siblings."

Because her arms were full of her clothes, she couldn't quite hug him the way she wanted to, but she leaned into him as he hugged her. She nodded and smiled up at him slightly. "We could stay at my place... until the rent runs out." she said with a shrug. She still had a month or two on her lease. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him lightly, then pulled away to get dressed.

A smile crack his lips as he tilted his head to look at her. "That sounds great. And in the mean time you can look at house listings." As she pulled away he moved to get dressed himself. He pulled on fresh jeans and a tight black shirt that showed off just about every muscle he had. He slipped his feet into socks and his boots then moved to out on deodorant and cologne.

She decided to go commando for now. She dressed in her jeans and t-shirt from the night before, pulling her sweater on over it, and then pulled on her fur-lined boots. She ran her fingers through her white hair and smiled at him again. "Have to stop at home to shower." she said and moved to him, hugging him from behind. "Meet you at the club? Or..."

"Or... I could just follow you home and to work. Or ride with you." He wasn't sure how she'd feel about riding his bike. He came over to her and grabbed her hips. "Or you could ride my bike with me." He leaned down and nuzzled her neck possessively.

She giggled, flinching away from him as he nuzzled her neck's ticklish spot, but her hands looped around his neck in return and she kissed him just beneath his earlobe. "Bike." she whispered. She had never ridden a motorcycle before. The air would be cold, but she wondered if it would feel at all like flying.

"Really?" Vane pulled back enough to look at her excitedly. "Great!" He grinned like she'd just given him the best gift in the world. He picked his keys up from the near by dresser. Ravyn must have dropped them off for him. "You just tell me how to get there." He quietly led her out into the club. Kyle was still behind the bar and he gave Vane a funny look as he ushered Aliya out the front door. Leading her over to the bike he climbed on so she could get on behind him.

Aliya tried to mimic him as she climbed onto the bike, throwing one leg over the seat. She was shorter than him, so when sitting on the bike completely, her toes only just barely touched the ground on either side. She wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged herself to his back, smiling up at him with her chin on his shoulder.

Vane made sure her feet were up before starting the bike and pulling out of the parking lot. Any time she directed him he did as she said until they pulled up in front of her apartment. He looked over his shoulders at her wind swept hair and grinned. She was beautiful and he wasn't sure when, if ever, he'd get used to her startling good looks.

Aside from gesturing and calling to direct him to her apartment, Aliya had not said anything during the ride. She had gripped to him hard, but she wasn't afraid. She had been smiling the entire ride, watching the world whip by. Aside from the loud rumbling beneath them, she swore it was almost like when she flew. When they finally pulled up in front of her apartment, she giggled and tried to contain her windswept hair, combing it down with her fingers and then climbing off of the bike carefully with only a small stumble. The vibrations of the engine had left her legs feeling a bit tingly. She pulled her keys from her pocket and headed up the stairs to her apartment, motioning for him to follow.

Vane cut the engine to the bike and hopped off after her, pocketing his keys as he jogged up the stairs after her. With their bond he knew she had enjoyed the ride but he wanted to hear her say it. "So... did you like it? I promise you get used to the vibrating." His lips curved in a cheshire cat type smile, his mind thinking of others things that may vibrate. He wondered how adventurous she would get in the bedroom. There were definitely some things the needed to learn about each other.

She smirked back at him over her shoulder as she unlocked her front door. She pushed it in and motioned for him to follow her. Her apartment was small. It was a one-bedroom, big enough for the two of them, but not much else. She had nice furniture, modern and mostly in light blues and grays. Naturally, the general motif of her apartment was owls. She had owl-shaped candle burners and a white owl pillow on her blue couch. She even had a dream catcher on her wall decorated with a few of her very own feathers. The apartment itself had decent machines--a dishwasher, laundry machines, a microwave, and a new stove and fridge. She even had a nice television on the wall. It seemed that her job as a stripper paid well enough for her to live rather comfortably.

Once inside the apartment Vane took a good look around. He moved about the main area, his hand gliding over her dream catcher with a smile. "We may have to add some bear decorations." He turned and winked at her as he took a deep breath. Of course her scent was everywhere but he loved it, it relaxed him and put him at ease, for the most part. He knew what had paid for everything in the apartment which angered his bear, making him pace. "I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner. I would have taken you away from that life."

She had vanished into her bedroom to begin her shower, and while the water heated up she heard him speaking. She appeared in the doorway, already half naked again, preparing to get into the shower. She shook her head. "I have you now." she said and smiled. She turned and vanished into her room again, peeling out of her jeans. They landed in a heap on the floor where he would see them through her bedroom door, and a shifting of curtains and splashing water could be heard, suggesting she'd finally stepped under the shower.

He instantly hardened at the sight of her, half naked and delicious body. "Fuck..." He groaned as she slipped back into the bathroom to shower. He shook her head gently as he moved to the kitchen and snooped through the cupboards and fridge. Checking to see if he needed to buy anything or stock up on food.

Her kitchen was pretty well-stocked, despite being a little low on things like milk and bread. It seemed she had a pretty broad range of tastes, especially where meat and other proteins were concerned. As he was looking through the kitchen, he would start to hear a soft crooning sound from her bathroom, which grew into a lilting melody. Aliya was singing. The girl hardly ever spoke, but it seemed she had a rather beautiful singing voice, and singing in the shower was something she just loved to do.

Vane's heart rate kicked up a notch as he heard her start to sing. She had the voice of an angel, at least to his ears. Closing the last cabinet he made his way through the apartment and to the bathroom. He leaned gently against the door frame, his head resting against the wood as he crossed his arms over his chest. He let his eyes drift closed as he listened to her. Damn, our girl can sing. "Hell yeah she can." They both agreed, his bear sitting at attention to listen to her.

"I will stay by you, even when we fall... I will be the rock that holds you up so you stand tall..." she sang, slowly, her head tilted back under the water so her shampoo washed out. She quickly ran her razor over her legs and arms, and on her bikini area, and rinsed the conditioner from her hair as well. By the time the song was finished, so was her shower. She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to grab her towel, and only then noticed Vane in the doorway. She froze and blinked at him, then blushed and quickly grabbed her towel, starting to dry herself off. She hadn't realized he'd been listening to her sing and now she felt anxious.

Vane stepped forward once most of her body was dry and scooped her up against his chest. "You have the voice of an angel... and I know just what to do as far as a new job." He smiled softly before leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her lips. Once he pulled away he stared down into her eyes for a moment. "I'm going to have a hard time controlling my anger tonight..."

She blinked up at him after his kiss, curious and confused about his comment of a job. When he mentioned being able to control his anger tonight, she bit her lip and dropped her gaze, almost as if he'd scolded her. She nodded and whispered, "You don't have to come..." It probably would be better if he didn't. Her boss would not be happy to have him there. An important club rule for the dancers was "no significant others in the club." Fights tended to break out that way.

"There's only two ways this is going love. Either I'm going or neither of us are. I prefer the last one to be honest but if MUST go then that's how it's going to be." He cupped her cheek gently with one hand and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I don't want you to have to go through what you did at the Club, guys gawking and touching you..." He froze as those last words came out of his mouth. "Aliya... will men be touching you?"

She bit her lip slightly, not looking him in the eyes. "They're not supposed to..." she said, very quietly. It was the truth. They weren't supposed to touch the dancers, but it wasn't exactly a rule that their boss upheld. Occasionally the bouncers would get involved if it became too aggressive, or if one of them was a decent guy, but that wasn't always the case. The nicer bouncers never tended to stay long at that job. She shrugged meekly. "I need to get ready." she said and stepped away from him, finishing drying off and moving back into her room to find something to wear.

Vane turned and stared after her. "Why are you doing this to me?" His voice was full of pain as he tried to hold back his emotions. "You're quitting anyway so why go in... especially after mating with me. I don't care if it is an emergency, it's not your responsibility if you're quitting."

Aliya paused at her dresser, the drawer open and some frilly and lacy piece of underthings in her hands. She kept her back to him for a moment and then slowly turned to look at him, her hazel eyes big and apologetic. She set the underthings back in the drawer and closed it, then moved to him, still naked and her white hair wet and brushed back from her face. She slid her hands around his middle, under his shirt so she could feel his skin, and looked up at him. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "You're right. But I'm afraid of what he'll do if I don't go... I'm being... demanded... by customers. If I don't go, he'll lose a lot of money."

"So what if he loses money. I don't give a fuck..." Vane inhaled deeply to try and calm himself. "Baby... I will protect you, the pack will protect you. And if he comes after you, I tear him to pieces." He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his forehead against hers. "Please don't do this." He was trying his damnedest to make her stay. Tie her up to the bed so she couldn't leave. "Please." His voice cracked softly as he looked into her eyes, pain radiated off of him.

Her eyes looked sad as she stared at him. He was so sad... so hurt. She finally gave him a sympathetic smile and nodded. "Okay." she whispered, soothingly, and reached her hands up to his face, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. She kissed him lightly, then hugged him. After a few moments, she said, "Let's go outside." She wanted to fly. She wanted to feel far away from this place with him.

His entire body relax because of that one word. Okay. Thank god she had agreed not to go. He didn't think Dev would be too thrilled if he tore apart some human for touching her. "Baby... you're a little under dressed to be outside, don't you think?" He tilted his head to the side. "Unless you have more... animalistic ideas in mind."

She smiled up at him, and this time it was more mischievous. She tugged on his shirt playfully, then moved towards her bedroom window. Her window opened over an empty field that sat against the back of her building, separated by a chain link fence. She opened the window, letting in the cool Denver air, and then looked at him over her shoulder, giving her hips a wiggle before climbing up onto the sill and leaning out. The screen had been removed long ago. Her breasts perked at the chilly air and she gave a shiver. Her eyes were already glowing yellow and feathers began to poke through the flesh of her arms and shoulders.

"Fuck woman... I only have so much self control." Her ass wiggling was doing him in but he understood what she wanted. He quickly stripped of his clothes, leaving them on her bed. He made his way over to the window, his hand trailing up the back of her thigh to grasp her ass cheek. "After you, love." He looked out the window, it wasn't too bad of a drop, it would jar him but not injure him.

She leaned back inside only to kiss him, hot and passionate, her tongue slipping between his lips. She blinked yellow birds eyes up at him when it broke and then dropped out of the window. In a smooth motion as she was falling, she shifted, and the giant owl she became swooped just above the ground and glided over the empty field. She landed on the chain link fence and turned back to face him, shrieking at him and waiting for him to join her.

"You have any idea how hard it is to shift with an erection!" He gritted his teeth as he climbed out of the window. When he was barely holding on he jumped, the ground meeting him fast until he shift and landed with a loud thud. He shook his body out and glanced up at her. He hurried after her, heading towards the fence. He gave a deep huff as he looked for an opening. "Fuck this..." He said as he shifted back into human form and quickly scaled the fence. Once on the other side he shifted again. He gave a soft roar as he bounded through the field.

Aliya chirped a laugh at him as she watched him shift, change back into a human to scale the fence--naked--and then shift back once he was over. She took off after him, her massive wings flapping above him. She loved this feeling of absolute freedom, soaring above everything. When she looked down, she saw Vane galloping beneath her, and it made her heart flutter.

Once they were far enough into the field he tilted his head up at her and roared gently. He stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground. Rolling over onto his back and flailed around in the grass, much like a dog would. He gave a loud groan as the sensation washed over him, clearly he was enjoying himself.

She glided to a stop on the ground beside him, chirping her laughter at his goofy behavior. She ruffled her feathers, stretching out her wings to their full, six-foot span, and shook them, then fluttered them, misting him with snow from the ground. She chirped some more laughs at him and hopped about a few spaces.

He gave a huff as snow began to spray against him. Looking to the direction it was coming from, he roared with laughter. Rolling onto his stomach he watched her carefully, being this close to her he could see every detail in her feathers. She truly was the most beautiful creature he's ever seen.

Her head swiveled this way and that on her shoulders, nearly all the way around. She chirped at him and ruffled her feathers again, then hopped towards him and with a small flutter of her wings, had bounded up and onto his head. She gripped to his thick fur with her claws without hurting him, and peered down at him upside down playfully. He's so funny! And such a big bear... Her feathers shuddered again, powdering him with more snow from her wings.

Vane gave a snort of his nose as she hopped up onto his head. It was such a funny sight and if any human were to walk by they'd think they were crazy. For one a bear was rolling around in the snow next to the city and all that with an owl on it's head! Carefully he got to his feet and started bounding around in the snow with her perched on his head, just to make it that much more comical.

She managed to hold onto his fur and fluttered her wings to keep her balance as he bounded around and kicked the snow about. She shrieked and chirped with more laughter. As they were playing around with one another, some humans just happened to be passing by. Ironically, the humans who were witnessing this were the same group of men from the strip club the night before--the ones who had tried to torment and scare Aliya away from her car, and drunk off their asses. They were drinking already, even this early in the morning, and had been driving out to hunt in the mountains when they'd seen Aliya and Vane prancing about and playing in the field. At first glance, it looked like the owl and bear were fighting. But after sitting there in the truck and watching, they realized they were playing. A couple of them laughed, one filming it on his phone, before one said, "Hey, that's the big fuckin' bird from last night! Man, that's a beautiful owl... Can you imagine that taxidermied in my office?"

"Dude, aren't snowy owls like... endangered or something? I think it's against the law to kill one." said one of his friends.

"Fuck if I care, who the hell is gonna know? I'll just tell the taxidermist I found it dead in the woods." he grumbled, taking another swig from his beer. "Besides, we should shoot the bear, too. It's within city limits, so it's considered self defense." he smirked. "Hand me my rifle." He took the gun from his friend in the back seat and climbed out of the truck. He walked as close to the open field as he felt safe to without either the bird or the bear spotting him. His friends remained in the car. He took aim, though it took him a few long moments to get a good shot. He was already buzzed and the world was shifting even when he tried to focus. He finally took a breath and squeezed off a shot.

Aliya had noticed the hunter just a second too late. She had dropped off of Vane's head to warn him and shield him, and then the recoil of the gun cracked through the air like sharp thunder, and suddenly her wing was on fire. She shrieked and fell to the side, fluttering and rolling in the snow in a panic. Blood dotted the snow.

Vane heard the loud crack of the gunshot before he saw Aliya fall to the ground. His entire body shook with rage as he turned to the offender with a loud roar and bounded towards him. All thoughts of protecting himself were gone and he never once thought about being shot. He watched as the man fumbled with the gun as he charged towards him. It was one of the same men from the night before! Vane picked up his speed and ran head first into the man at the exact moment the gun went off. He felt his fir dampen but was so full of rage he didn't stop. He tore the gun from the mans hand with his mouth and tossed it aside. Turning back he roared into the man's face, spittle covering his terrified face. The man moved his hands up to his face to protect it. Vane clamped down on one of the wrists until he heard a sickening snap and the man cry out in pain. Vane pushed off of the guy, causing him great pain due to his weight and quickly ran back towards his love. In this form he couldn't just scoop her up and carry her so once he got to her he gently nudged her cheek with his nose.

She was in a lot of pain. She was on her back in the snow, breathing fast, her eyes watching him wide and terrified. The man's friends who had come with him and witnessed the attack had gotten out of the car the instant they felt it safe to do so, and dragged the screaming man back into the truck. With a screech of the tires on the icy road, they drove off towards the hospital, leaving the bear and bird alone. She gave a whimpering little chirp and tried not to move her wing. Were their attackers gone? She couldn't hear the truck anymore. Sure the coast was clear, she shifted back into her human form slowly, crying out as her injured arm changed back into a human one. The bullet had torn through her bicep, in one side and clean out the other. It was bleeding heavily but was not life threatening. She whimpered and grabbed a handful of snow, pressing it to the wound to try to numb it. She looked at Vane with big eyes. It was only then that she noticed blood on his fur. She gasped and reached for him.

As she began to reach for him he shifted, a loud groan slipping from his lips. "No... Aliya, don't." He struggled to his feet he hand pressed against his lower abdomen. He knew it wasn't just a flesh wound. He had felt the bullet pierce and most likely lodge itself in his lowest rib. Carefully he bent down and scooped her up into his arms bridal style. "We've got to get to Sanctuary." He grumbled as he started running for the fence. He saw a gate a few yards to his left and headed for it. There was no way he could climb it now. Flipping the gate open he dashed to the building, not caring if anyone saw. He stumbled his way up the stairs as his vision started to blur. Once back in her apartment he set her down just moments before he collapsed. "Baby... get my phone... call Ravyn..." With that he blacked out on her living room floor.

Aliya watched him collapse with a small yelp of panic. Hot tears stung her eyes. She shook him, trying to get him to wake up, but he had told her to do something... yes, call Ravyn! She ran into her bedroom where his pants were on her bed and dug into his pockets to find his phone, crying out at the pain in her arm. She pulled open the screen and found Ravyn's phone number, dialing for it as she went back to Vane on the living room floor. He was bleeding everywhere. She quickly went to get towels while the phone was ringing and pressed them against the wound tightly with a whimper. The instant she heard someone answer the line, she cried out as loud as she could, "It's Vane! He's hurt! Please Help us!" She coughed a sob and managed to spill out the address of her apartment.

Ravyn was awoken by blaring music as her phone rang. Grumbling she picked it up and answered. "What!" She wiped at her eyes at the hysterical female voice on the other end. "I'll be right there." She hung up and climbed out of bed. She pulled on panties and a bra, the first ones she could grab so they didn't match. A pair of skinny jeans was quickly pulled up her waist and then on went a tight fitting tank top followed by her boots. One her way out the door she grabbed her medical bag and keys to the building. She stumbled into the hall, slamming against Jecob's door. "Fuck! Sorry!" She said as if speaking to him. Reaching out she locked her door and shut it as she stumbled blindly down the hall. She rubbed at her eyes, willing the sleep away. Once in the main club area she saw Kyle and Quinn at the bar. Two of the Quadruplets. "Vane's hurt, I'll be back."

Jecob, who had been awake before her, was sitting in the bar with the two, drinking from a glass of water and reading something off of his phone. A reported bear attack near them just this morning. He watched her hurry out and rose from the table, taking off after her with a smooth and collected sense of urgency.

Ravyn slid her arms into her medic bag which was just a military bag that she filled with whatever supplies she may need for shifters. She looked down at the phone where she'd typed in the address to GPS is and cringed. "Fuck..." it would be faster to run in wolf form but that obviously wasn't an option. So instead she took off running on foot, not her idea of a great morning run but she didn't have time to get a cab. She came to a stop about a block down from her apartment and sniffed the air. "Jesus christ..." she could smell the blood but it wasn't just his. Gritting her teeth she hurried into the building and up the stairs. The door was still wide open so she hurried inside. There on the floor laid one of her best friends, covered in blood. "Oh my gods... what happened?" She dropped to her knees beside them and got to work. She unzipped her bag and pulled out a large pair of shears and cut off his shirt.

"H-hunter... Sh-shot him..." Aliya hiccuped as she watched Ravyn work, her face streaked with tears. She was trembling, hanging onto Vane's hand tightly against her chest with her good arm. The other hurt too much to move and was still bleeding heavily.

Jecob followed Ravyn into the apartment, though honestly he didn't need to see her to know where she was. He could smell the blood from a mile away. He blinked at all the blood and wrinkled his nose with a cough of "shit..." He moved to Ravyn's side and dropped to his knees, starting to help her.

Ravyn looked up at Aliya to give her a reassuring smile, catching site of her arm. "Damnit..." Moving slightly she looked at the wound to make sure it hadn't hit an artery. "I think you'll be okay." With that she turned back to Vane. She felt him before she heard him, her entire body stiffened. She looked up as he knelt beside her. "What are you doing here?" She asked softly as she pulled a syringe from her back. Just then Vane's eyes fluttered open, catching her attention. "Vane, can you hear me?"

"No Tranq... Ray... no tranq..." Was all Vane muttered as he stared at her.

"But, sweetie, I'm going to hurt you. I can't have you shifting and taking my head off." She watched as Vane lifted his bloody, trembling hand to her cheek.

"I trust you, puppy dog..." And with that he succumbed to the darkness again.

"Well shit..." Sighing she stuffed the needle back in the bag and grabbed for some surgical tweezers to dig the bullet out.

Jecob didn't answer her. Instead, he helped make sure she had everything she needed, then moved to Aliya with some extra supplies. "C'mon, birdie. Let's fix day arm. You don't wanna see dis." he said, helping her to her feet. Aliya fought him, but only briefly before she became very dizzy. She let him lead her away, but sobbing and telling Vane that she was still there.

Once Aliya was out of the room Ravyn got to work. Her tweezers dug around in Vane's side causing him to come back from consciousness. He growled softly in pain as she manuvered around. "I know it hurts, I know it does, I'm sorry." She whispered. Once she had the bullet pinched she tugged it free causing him to cry out in pain. "ARRG!!!" She carefully pinned his arm down with her knee as she set the bullet in a small dish. "There we go, all done. Now to stitch you up..."

Aliya could hear him waking and in pain in the living room. Jecob had taken her into her bedroom and closed the door, to give Ravyn and Vane some privacy while she fixed him up. In the meantime, Jecob gently washed, stitched, and bandaged Aliya's bicep. "Doesn't look too bad..." he said softly. "You might have a scah, but it will heal nicely." He finished bandaging her up, and as soon as he was done, Aliya was on her feet and running back out into the living room, falling to her knees at Vane's side. She took up his hand again and whimpered softly down at him.

Ravyn gently washed his wound and was in the process of stitching him up when Aliya came back out. Ravyn looked her wound over and gave it an appraising smile. He had done good as far as she could tell. As she continued to move her needle through his skin she heard him speak up. "Hey there beautiful... Aren't you glad you didn't go to work?" He gave her a weak smile, wincing as the needle his a particularly sensitive spot. "That hunter is lucky to be alive..." He grumbled, Ravyn nodding her head in agreement. She knew how dangerous Vane could be, any bear really, was stupid to be messed with.

"I'm so s-sorry, Vane...." Aliya gasped through her tears, clutching his hand. She clearly blamed herself for this. She was the one who suggested they go outside and play, she was the one those guys were after, and it ended up nearly getting her One mate killed. Jecob emerged from the bedroom after cleaning up his tools and things from the bed, and after putting everything away, he stood aside and watched Ravyn work, ready to jump in when needed.

With his free hand, Vane reached up and cupped her cheek. "Hey you're pulling on the stitches!" Ravyn scolded. Vane sighed gently and let his hand fall back down. Gently slipping his hand from hers he cupped her cheek once again. "You listen to me... Mmnn... This is not your fault. You are the only thing that kept... Nnn... That man alive. Understand me?" Carefully he pulled her in so their foreheads were resting against each other. "I would do it all over in a heart beat if it meant you're safe." Ravyn tied her knot at the end of the stitches and snipped off the excess. "Done... We'll give you two a few moments before we move you and clean up." Ravyn got to her feet and motioned for Jecob to follow her outside.

Jecob followed her outside without argument, leaving the pair alone. Aliya didn't pay attention to their exit, her eyes focused only on Vane. "You could have died..." she whispered painfully with a sniffle. "And I would have only had you a day."

Vane gently pulled her down against his chest and cradled her. "Shhh... baby I'm not going to let anything happen to us. You hear me? You are stuck with me." Vane rocked them, trying to soothe her in anyway he could. "I love you..." he whispered into her hair.

Aliya breathed in a surprised sob against his chest. She had not been expecting that... After a day? She wasn't sure she could say it back and mean it just yet. She knew they were meant to be together, but some mates found each other and hated who the other person was. She sniffled and instead clutched tighter to him.

Vane nuzzled her hair, inhaling her sweet scent and letting it wash over him. Part of him feared he'd said it too soon and he knew his heart rate was dangerously fast in his chest. He cleared his throat, trying to calm his nerves.

She had to feel something like love for him, right? She had to... Or else she would not have feared for his life to the point of panic attacks. She sniffled. She could hear his heart racing against her ear. She smiled a little and lifted her head to look down at him. "I love you too." she whispered. She could say it this once, she supposed. She kissed his lips.

Vane shook his head gently. "Don't say it unless you mean it. Just because I feel it, doesn't mean you have too." His thumb caressed her cheek as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Come on... let's get cleaning so we can get back to the club." Carefully he set her aside so he could climb to his feet. His took a step forward to steady himself and took a deep breath, bracing through the pain.

Aliya tried to support him, but he was so tall and too heavy. All she could really do was hold him and shush him, trying to make him feel better. She helped him into the bedroom and let him lie down on her bed, making sure he was comfortable before going back out into the kitchen to clean the bloody mess. He wasn't going anywhere as far as she was concerned.

Vane argued the entire way into the bedroom. He didn't want to lay down, he wanted to help clean. He finally relented, at least until she left the room. He made sure she was busy out in the living room for a few minutes before coming back out to assist. He knew she wouldn't be happy so he held a finger to his lips. "Shh..."

Aliya still didn't look happy, no matter how cute he tried to act. She put her hands on her hips and for the first time since they'd met, she looked rather angry. Her face was a tad expressionless, but her eyes were where the anger sat. "Go back to bed." she said once, firmly, even though her voice was still quiet. "Now."

Vane frowned slightly and with a sigh he turned back around and headed to bed. With a groan, he crawled up the comforter, making sure not to rub his stitches against it. "Stubborn woman..."

"Silly man," Aliya mumbled to herself quietly once she was sure Vane was laying back down. But the words were full of affection. She went about finishing up the cleaning and once all signs of blood were washed away, she went to her kitchen to make him tea and food. He would need it if he was going to heal.

---

Meanwhile outside Ravyn leaned against the door frame of the apartment building, eyeing Jecob. "Jecob... why did you follow me?" Her words were soft, holding no malice as she watched him. She'd run out on him last night, unable to control her emotions.

"You were stressed... Some'ting was wrong. So I followed." Jecob explained simply. Watching her with calm but sincere eyes. "I figured you could use de help."

Cocking her head to the side she chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. He surprised her around every corner. He wasn't the ferocious beast she saw most Katagaria as. "Thank you..." she said softly, just loud enough for him to make out the words.

"Don't mention it." Jecob said and his lips curled up at the corners slightly. It obviously made him happy to be needed. He gave a big yawn though and stretched. "I need a nap after all dat excitement, dough."

Ravyn giggled softly, looking at him through her eyelashes. "A cat nap?" She bit down on her lip, her eyes twinkling with amusement. He had literally walked into that line so she couldn't not say it. It was just too easy.

He looked at her and his smile broadened. He shrugged easily. He decided to let her have that one; he did walk into it after all. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shivered against the early morning cold.

Ravyn saw his shiver and frowned softly. Damnit... Slowly and with deliberate steps, she made her way over to him. "Come here..." Gently she wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head against his shoulder, pressing her forehead into his neck. Her body heat radiated off of her and through his clothes, seeping into his body.

Jecob raised an arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, hugging her into his side and sighing a little. "I don't need you to keep me warm, puppy dog. We could just go back inside de apartment." he said, but his tone was teasing and his smile was easy.

Ravyn slapped his ass gently muttering against his neck. "Listen here kitty cat. I don't call you that, you don't call me puppy dog. Only reason vane got away with it is because he's injured." She pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. "Come up with something else." Smiling she stepped away, turning to head back into the apartment.

Jecob watched her go, his smile more mischievous now. He unabashedly watched her backside sway, and followed it happily. The inside of the apartment felt much warmer, so he peeled off his coat and took a seat at the small dining table Aliya had set against the wall. He watched her put together a plate of oven baked salmon, seasoned vegetables, and some leftover steak and carry it into her bedroom for Vane.

Ravyn phone began to ring as she heard Vane' s deep, grumbling voice. "Baby you didn't need to do this..." she smiled gently, he wasn't used to someone taking care of him. Usually it was the other way around. Her attention was drawn back to her phone and she answered. "Hey Dev... yeah he's good... No, human hunters... Umhm... wait what? I told the council I didn't want to be a part of it..." she sighed heavily and shook her head as she looked up at Jecob. "Fine but I'm bringing the lion with me." A loud chuckled sounded from the other end before it went dead.

Jecob quirked an eyebrow at Ravyn and tilted his head. "Taking me where?" he asked softly, so as not to disturb Aliya and Vane in the bedroom. Aliya was hushing Vane, setting him up a tray of food and water and watching to make sure he ate it. She didn't say anything else, because she wasn't going to argue with him.

Ravyn stared at her phone for a minute before sighing heavily. "The Shapeshifter council wants to see me. They've been trying to recruit me almost since my parents died. They think I can help end the war." Her fist tightened around the phone in anger. She heard a small cracking noise and set it aside, the phone not being able to withstand much more pressure. "I'm sorry, it just came out. I didn't mean to drag you into it." Meanwhile Vane pulled Aliya down next to him and cuddle her against his side as he ate.

Jecob snorted a little at that. Shapeshifter Council. A neutral party that was trying to end the war between Arcadians and Katagarians. He didn't see much point to them. It seemed that unless there were more couples like Aliya and Vane, and maybe even himself and Ravyn, depending on how she felt about him in a couple of days, there was always going to be a war. "Alright," he relented, "let's go see dem."

Ravyn's eyes widened in surprise. She hurried from the room to where she thought the bedroom was and spoke softly when the couple came into view. "Hey... I've been summons by the council but if you need anything I'll have my phone on me." She smiled at the two of them before hurrying back to Jecob. Swiping her phone off the table, she looked at him hesitantly. "Are you sure you want to go?"

"Might as well," Jecob shrugged, giving her another easy smile. "Dey should know I'm here." He moved towards the door and opened it for her. "But we're taking my cah."

Ravyn snorted as she bent down to pick up her bag. "What? Lions dont like to run?" She teased as she brushed past him. With her free hand she brushed her fingers across his hairy cheek. "Come on, kitty ca-- Sorry sorry... It's hard not to call you that." She frowned as she moved past him down the hallway.

He watched her. Before she reached the front door to go outside, he grabbed her and spun her around. He pinned her back to the door and leaned in close, his hands on either side of her head. He looked her in the eyes and smiled, not saying a word at first. When he did, it was teasing. "I guess you can call me that. But only you. Anyone else dies." he joked, then backed up from her slowly, letting her go.

Ravyn gasped loudly as he grabbed a hold of her a pinned her to the door. She wasn't afraid by his actions but extremely turned on. She blushed deeply as a soft smile spread across her lips. "I'm good with that... but don't ever call me dog, it's degrading to a woman." Before he could get too far she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm beginning to like you..." She whispered into his ear before turning on her heel and exiting the building.

He growled after her playfully and then followed her out. Aliya and Vane seemed fine now. He walked with her back to the club and pushed the unlock button to his truck, motioning to her to climb in. He pulled himself up into the driver's seat and started the engine. It wasn't a new truck, but it wasn't old either. It would get them anywhere they needed to go.

Ravyn eyed the truck for a moment before hauling herself up into it. She buckled her seat belt once inside and relaxed into the seat. "Should have guessed you'd own a truck." She smiled, moving her body around so she was facing him slightly, watching him. "You drive, I'll direct."

"Why wouldn't I own a truck? Dey are practical and tough, and can go over any terrain." Jecob said as he pulled out of the parking lot of the club, following her directions. He relaxed into his seat, his right elbow on the center console and one hand on the wheel.

"Very true... I have nothing against bikes... I think if I was used to a bigger vehicle I would get one but I'm good with my sports bike for now." She looked up at where they were and pointed. "That hotel there. They meet in the conference room. Oh look Dev and Quinn are already here." She saw Dev's Ford Raptor as they pulled up, her nerves starting to get to her. Her throat tightened as bile rose up and she clutched the door. "Oh god..."

Jecob pulled the truck into a parking lot and put the gear in park before looking at her with a frown. "What is wrong?" he asked, his tone serious. He could sense her discomfort almost as clearly as he could see it.

Ravyn took a few deep breaths and shook her head. "I haven't seen these people since the night my parents were murdered..." She jumped out of the truck and closed the door before bending over so her head was between her legs. Just then the doors to the hotel opened and two huge men stepped out. "Ray!" Quinn shouted, jogging over to her side. He knelt down so he could whisper gently to her. "Come up... we need you in there. You of all people have more to gain from this." Ravyn shook her head, "I don't think I can go in there." Quinn looked up at his brother for help but all Dev did was sigh. He had been the one to drag her away from her parents bodies, protecting her for weeks but he knew this choice had to be hers.

Jecob got out of the truck and jogged around it to the other side where she was leaning against the door and listening to Quinn and Dev whisper to her. He waved at the pair and stepped closer to Ravyn, kneeling down beside her so he could look up into her face. "You are okay," he said slowly, "We are here wit you. You have support." His voice was quiet, methodical, and soothing. He reached out and grabbed her arm, squeezing gently. "But if you don't want to go in dere, you don't have to. We can leave."

The moment Jecob's words rushed over her, her entire body began to relax. She closed her eyes and listened to his gorgeous voice as he soothed her. She nodded her head gently and stood up. Licking her nips nervously she stepped into Jecob and wrapped her arms around him for the second time since they'd met. She inhaled his scent deeply, the smell of grass wafting over her, calming her further. "Thank you," She whispered into his ear. Dev and Quinn stood near by in a silent shocked state. They'd never seen her react that way to anyone especially a Katagaria. She took one final, deep breath before taking a step back from Jecob. "Okay... Let's do this."

Jecob nodded with a smile, but held up a finger. He began to strip his clothes, first with his coat, and then with his shoes, socks, jeans and shirt, until he stood nude in front of them all. He didn't seem at all shy about his body--and why would he? He was 180 lbs of lean muscle and thick, blonde hair. He was well-endowed, too. He didn't hover there to be admired, though, and shifted into his more natural state. Within seconds, before them stood a massive lion weighing about half a ton. He had a thick, yellow mane, low-lighted by darker brown tones. The rest of his fur was golden, and his paws were nearly the size of his truck tires. His tail swayed and a big red tongue licked out over his whiskers, briefly showing off sharp teeth. He let out a small growl as he did, stretched, then leaned against Ravyn's leg affectionately.

Ravyn gasped at her first glimpse of him. "Jecob, you are absolutely beautiful..." She whispered, her hand running over the space between his eyes and up into his main. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his for a brief moment. "Alright, let's get inside before someone sees a giant lion in down town Denver." She giggled softly as she followed Dev and Quinn inside, one hand resting on Jecob at all times. She was led down a long hallway and into the open door of a large conference room. Just inside the door she froze as she stared into the faces of men and women she hadn't seen in years. "Ravyn..." Someone said in a hushed voice and she knew it came from the Wolf Council member. He was a distant cousin of her and quickly crossed the room to wrap his arms around her.

Jecob didn't like that someone had approached her so quickly when she was already feeling nervous. He didn't swat at him, but he shifted feet like he was about to, and let out a low warning growl, amber eyes locked on the wolf Arcadian. It was clear he wasn't about to let anyone make Ravyn feel nervous.

Teagan heard the rumbling growl of the lion he hadn't paid much attention too and stepped away from his cousin. He glanced back and forth between the two of them before asking.

"What's going on, Ravyn?" She shifted back and forth on her feet nervously. She hadn't hugged him back but she didn't dislike him either so she worried Jecob may be sending the wrong message.

"I'm extremely nervous... I haven't seen any of you in... what 20 years?" She asked, looking over his shoulder at the others who were watching carefully. "He's here for me." Someone in the back cleared their throat.

"Teagan, let it be... Everyone, come and sit down." Teagan stepped over to his rightful place at the end of the table, left of the man who sat at the head. Ravyn met the bears eyes who sat at the end of the table and nodded her head in respect. Making her way over to the table she took the very end so Jecob could be beside her if he liked. Dev and Quinn flanked her on the end but they all gave the bear at the end their attention.

"I hear there have been a lot of killings recently. Katagaria are getting out of hand and slaughtering innocent Arcadian's. We need a diplomatic solution to this. Any ideas?" But his eyes never left Ravyn as he spoke.

Jecob had followed Ravyn to her seat and plopped to sit beside her. He was as tall as the table, even sitting down, and so rested his chin on the tabletop so he could see everyone, and so Ravyn could put her hand on his mane to keep herself calm. His rounded ears flicked towards whoever was speaking--and every other subtle sound in the room--but at the accusation of Katagaria "slaughtering" Arcadians, a warning growl rumbled through him. He narrowed his eyes on the bear at the head of the table slightly. How dare he accuse Katagaria of mercilessly attacking Arcadians without cause? Who was he to make such an accusation?

Ravyn leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Shh... kitty cat, he's a Katagaria too. He's just as distraught over it." She gently kissed his head causing a growl to escape the lips of a woman midway down the table. Ravyn sat up at the threatening sound, her fist tightening in Jecob's main.

"Quiet... both of you." The bear bellowed his eyes glaring around the long table. "Come on... I don't want to be here longer than we need to."

Ravyn looked down at her companion for a moment before looking back at the bear. "I think... if Katagaria... and Arcadian's could see the mixing of mates... like I'm Arcadian but Jecob is Katagaria... I think that would ease some tension. Like Vane... one of your bears, I believe he recently mated with an Arcadian Owl..."

The entire table erupted into displeased chatter. Jecob glanced up at Ravyn. Did she just call him her mate? He returned his attention to the table to listen to the others as he contemplated this. There were arguments spawning, not only against the mixing of Katagaria and Arcadian, but the mixing of species as well. The fact that a bear and an owl had mated was outrageous! And now a wolf and a lion?! "Preposterous!" one woman shouted. "Obscene!" scoffed an older man. Jecob's tail flicked irritably along the floor.

The bear at the end watched Ravyn carefully, not speaking one way or the other. He was waiting for her to react and boy did she ever. A loud growl ripped from her throat as her fist slammed down onto the table, lifting the opposite end off the ground for a moment. The room grew silent as Ravyn jumped to her feet. "This is what's wrong with our kind! You are all so high and mighty with sticks up your asses you can't see what the Fates are already trying to do! We don't choose our true mates! This is happening with or without your consent. If you want to bring the Katagaria and Arcadian's together then you need to get with the changes. How many of you have mates?" She waited for an answer and knew only one or two of them had mated in the many, many years they'd been alive. "Exactly! You clearly aren't finding them within your own kind. This war is bullshit and shouldn't be going on at all. We're all shifters and we all have family that is on the other side." She looked over at Teagan and frowned. "You're a Katagaria; do you despise me, your cousin, because of who and what I am?" Teagan gave his head a shake but remained quiet. "If this is such a terrible idea then come up with something worthy of fixing our world because so far I sure as hell haven't seen anything!"

The room grew uncomfortably silent then. Jecob watched everyone, but mostly he watched the bear at the head of the table. His ears stayed trained on Ravyn's breathing. For someone who had been sick and nervous prior to coming in here, she sure was a force to be reckoned with now. He glanced at her and let out a quiet mewl, trying to get her attention drawn back, so she could have the opportunity to calm down. She'd made her point, and the others at the table were all the more uncomfortable for it. This, unfortunately, was progress.

Ravyn inhaled deeply as the bear nodded his head. Returning to her seat, she quickly buried her hand in Jecob's main. "The pup's right. We need change and clearly what we've been doing hasn't been working." He glanced around the table, taking in each person's gaze one at a time. "Now if no one else has any ideas I think we should convene and start scouting for mixed raced mates. Put the word out in our own pack's and start from there." Ravyn relaxed visibly beside Jecob, relieved the bear hadn't yelled at her. "All in favor... say 'I'."

There was a bit of a hesitant pause from the collective table. There were a few silent stares from stubborn naysayers, even as a majority of the table said "I." The table convened and everyone stood to leave. Jecob felt several stares on him as they passed them to leave, and met a few of them in challenge. All the while, he stayed leaning against Ravyn and her chair, letting her stroke his mane for comfort.

Ravyn got to her feet as the bear came around to her, Teagan by his side. "I'm very proud of you Ravyn. You got an entire council, full of different races and from opposing sides to settle on an agreement. Though many of them didn't approve they still went along. Not many people can say that." He cupped her cheek gently before placing a fatherly kiss on her forehead. "Don't let it be another 20 years before I see you again, child. Take care of my children." He gave Dev and Quinn, tight hugs before dispersing as well.

Teagan approached Ravyn cautiously, eyeing the lion beside her. "I'm glad to see you out and about and with your potential mate. I expect an invite should it happen." He gave her a quick hug and followed everyone else out of the room.

Ravyn turned to Jecob with a smile and leaned down to pressed her forehead against his own. "Thank you..."

Jecob yowled at her playfully and then licked a pink, raspy tongue up the length of her face, from chin to forehead. His eyes were smiling at her and his tail swayed from side to side happily as he stood off of the floor again. He turned and headed for the door.

"Oh jeez..." Ravyn giggled and wiped his slobber off of her face. "Dork." Dev and Quinn followed behind them with smiles on their faces. "You did good. I'm surprised they went with it though." Dev said gently from behind her. "I'm glad it was you that convinced them though. Life would be easier if there was peace." Dev draped an arm around her shoulders as they pushed open the doors of the hotel and stepped outside. "We'll see you back at home, Sis." He kissed her temple as Quinn picked her up in a literal bear hug. "See ya pipsqueek." He chuckled as he set her down and headed for Dev's truck. Ravyn turned to Jecob and followed him back to his truck. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, it felt good.

Jecob walked alongside her towards his truck, his steps slow and easy, leaving large paw prints in the snow. He began to shift back into his human form, and by the time they reached his truck, he was standing upright and naked again. He turned to Ravyn and grabbed her, pressing her hard against the passenger side door, and without warning, kissed her. And kissed her hotly. His mouth found hers with a passionate firmness and his tongue instantly sought hers out, his hands holding onto either side of her head. His body flushed against hers, nude hips grinding against the groin of her jeans.

Ravyn squealed when he grabbed her and pushed her against the door. Her squeals quickly turned to moans though as he found his way to her lips. It was hot and she didn't just mean his kiss. The way he took charge and pressed her against the door, it set her body on fire. She opened her mouth as he tongue roamed over her lips, more then willing to take him into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around him, one at his neck and the other around his waist. Threading her fingers through his hair, her lips curled upward as her other hand gently grabbed his ass, pushing their groins closer together.

He growled into her mouth, pressing harder as she pulled him forward, his tongue brushing against hers. He loved a woman who took charge. Most lionesses did. He bit at her lip and broke the kiss only to move his mouth to her neck, biting firmly, but not hard enough to hurt her or break skin. His hands groped at her breasts and ass, squeezing with strong grips but still careful not to hurt her. "You were so sexy in dere..." he growled in her ear.

She moaned softly as his hands and lips moved over her body, fueling the fire before her thighs. "Mmm... Jecob..." She hadn't meant to moan his name it had just come out like that. "We need to get off the street. You're naked and... Gods your lips feel good..." She couldn't help grinding her crotch against him as he nibbled and caressed her. "Please... someone could walk by."

He didn't really care. But it sounded like she did, so he reigned himself in and groaned with the effort to control himself. He pulled back enough to stare into her eyes and his nose wrinkled as he said in a husky voice full of need, "Get in de truck." He grabbed his clothes from the passenger seat and pulled them on, but he was too heated to need his coat at the moment. He settled for just his jeans and shirt, blew off his socks and just pulled his boots on. He climbed into the driver's seat in a hurry, took a moment to adjust the crotch of his jeans to they felt less restricting, and then started the truck. Once she was in the passenger seat and buckled in, he pulled out of the hotel parking lot in a hurry.

Ravyn sat in the passenger seat panting for a few long minutes as he drove through town. She pressed her hand to her forehead as emotions filled her. She was aroused beyond belief but she wasn't sure how far she should let this go. Would he still want her when he found out she was a virgin? Did men like that? Did shifters? She figured most men would want someone experienced. She rolled down the passenger window just a hair, letting the wind blow against her cheeks. Her entire body felt like it was on fire but she didn't care as long as she felt his hands on her again and soon.

He felt very similarly to her. He wanted her hands on him. He wanted to hear her moan his name again like she had against his car. He nearly broke the speed limit getting them back to the club, and his truck's tires skidded against the snowy gravel of the parking lot when he pulled into a space. He jerked the car into park and climbed out of the cab, running around to her side and pulling the door open for her. He helped her down out of the truck and pulled her against him again, looping his hand up into her hair and against her scalp to pull her mouth to his again eagerly.

Ravyn giggled as she watched him hurry around the truck and wrench her door open. She let him help her out of the truck but was instantly pulled tight against his chest. Her arms found their way around his neck as he kissed her. She groaned softly, opening her mouth to glide her tongue along his lips. She felt a wetness pool between her thighs as he held her. She made sure every inch of her was touching him in some way. Near by a horn blared, snapping her to her senses for a moment. "Jecob..." She blushed deeply, confused by her raging emotions. She wanted him but she didn't want to screw it up some how.

Jecob snarled at the car that honked at them. He tossed a glare after it, but quickly returned his attention to her and panted out, "Let's get inside." He needed to, before he took her right here in the parking lot. He knew the cold wouldn't bother her, and he was too hot to care. He pulled her into the club, avoided everything and everyone, and together they headed through the black door at the back and up the stairs into the hall of rooms. He found her door, deciding she'd feel more comfortable in her space than in his, and had to fight the urge to pin her back to it. He opened it, thankful she hadn't locked it, and pulled her inside. Once inside, he gave her a gentle but insistent nudge towards the bed while he locked the door and began to peel out of his clothes.

Ravyn giggled as he hauled her through the club, giving a small wave to Kyle behind the bar. The bear gave a loud laugh as they disappeared behind the door. As he entered her room she blushed deeply. It was decorated much the same as his only in hues of blue like the moon would be. She knew it wouldn't be a mess, she usually kept it immaculately clean. She bit down on her bottom lip as she watched him start to peel his clothes off. She'd seen him naked before but this... this was in an entirely new way. Her tongue trailed over her lips as she watched him, sliding backwards until her knees hit the bed.

He had been frantic every step of the way, from the hotel, back to the club, and up to now. But as he turned on her now and saw her backing up towards the bed, he slowed. He dropped his shirt and boots against the wall by the door, his pants undone but still hugging his hips loosely. He closed the distance between them, his eyes lit up amber and the hair on his scalp and face bristled with excitement. He slid his hands along her hips and around to her back, under her shirt so his thumbs brushed over her ribs. His nostrils flared, filling with her scent, and he groaned lowly as he leaned in and kissed her again, this time slower and deeper.

Her eyes held his as he stalked towards her, his movement's no longer hurried. She swallowed nervously but when he got to her, everything about him was perfect. He wasn't forceful or quick but slid his hands over her slowly, his thumbs sending an electrical shock through her body. She placed her hands on his shoulders, linking them together. She watched as he inhaled her evergreen scent, his groan sending another shiver down her spine as she closed her eyes. She was taken by surprise at the gentleness of his kiss but it only made her ache more. The fact that he could be demanding and sweet thrilled her. She felt his facial hair against her cheeks, it tickled slightly but the more he kissed her the more she grew used to it. One of her hands slid from his shoulder, down to his pecs and across his abs. He was pure perfection, all muscly and sexy. She whimpered against his lips as she let her fingers glide through his golden trail that disappeared beneath his jeans.

He took in a sharp breath as her hand trailed lower. He shuddered and grabbed her wrist, but gently, stopping her. He broke their kiss, but only to nuzzle his face against hers and whisper, "Have you ever done this before? Or should I be careful?" He wanted her so badly it physically hurt him. But he could hold off if she demanded it, or go slowly if she asked. "You could be on top... take control. Set your limits." he growled. Being on bottom was not something a male lion, or even a male wolf, ever did. It was vulnerable. It opened their sensitive bellies to danger. It was submissive. But he would do it if it made her feel safe.

Ravyn's cheeks flamed with embarrassment at his question. She gave her head a soft shake, casting her eyes towards the floor. "No..." She whispered softly. "I've never... uh..." Her eyes lifted to his, just enough so she looked at him through her lashes. "I trust you, Jecob... I know you wouldn't hurt me." He had proven that over the last 24 hours. Her eyes flicked over to her clock. They still had several hours until they knew if they were true mates and they couldn't link the bond until then, IF he even wanted that. She swallowed slowly her free hand moving into the hair at the nape of his neck. "We can try that another time... right now I want to feel you on top of me." The crimson stayed on her olive skin as she explained what she wanted from him.

His blood flared at her words. On top of her he would be. He kissed her again, just barely containing his hungry lust. His tongue found hers again and brushed along it before he nipped her lip. As his mouth danced with hers, his fingers undid the buttons of her jeans and tugged at them teasingly, then his hands slid under her shirt and began to peel it up and off, breaking their kiss only long enough to remove it completely. He came back to her mouth again once her shirt was gone and on the floor, and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him so they could feel skin on skin. It was electric. He groaned into her mouth and his fingers fumbled to unhook her bra.

She moaned against his lips, a spark igniting every time she felt his hungry kisses. She whimpered softly as he pulled away to take her shirt off but smiled as he came back. She felt him fumbling with her bra and gently pushed his hands around to the front where the clasp was. "Try here," she whispered huskily as she leaned back, her large breasts practically spilling out of the lace cups. She wiggled her hips around, carefully sliding her pants down until the fell to the floor where she kicked them away. She stood there in all her glory in just her bra and cheeky panties. She'd have to buy more sexy panties if this is how things were going to be with him.

He breathed a hot, heavy sigh of lustful awe. She was absolutely perfect. His hands cupped her breasts over her bra gently, his thumbs running along the padding before they finally hooked under the front latch. With a twist and a push, the latch came undone and she fell free, and he wasted no time in pushing the straps off of her shoulders and leaning into her chest, taking one of her nipples into his mouth. He suckled and tugged on the nipple with his teeth, until it stood stiff and perky in his mouth, then moved on to the other. His arms tightened around her middle and hugged her against him. He was hard enough to hurt in his jeans, and his erection ground against her thigh as he hugged her.

"Fuck..." Ravyn moaned as he took her nipple into his mouth. Her hands were buried into his long locks as he toy with her nipples. He tugged gently with his teeth but it didn't hurt, not really. She felt him grind himself against her and she hurriedly moved her hands to his hips, pushing his jeans down as best as she could. Her breasts heaved with every deep, shaking breath she took. Her panties were drenched as she grabbed a hold of his butt and brought his crotch closer to hers, grinding against him. "Mmff..."

He could both smell and feel how wet she was. Jecob growled and released her other nipple from his mouth, biting the top of her breast gently. He pushed her backwards so they both fell on the bed, him over her, and began to kiss his way back down her body. She was so perfect, and he made a point of telling her so, mumbling it against her skin between tongued kisses. His fingers hooked into the hems of her panties and tugged them down with tender, agonizing slowness.

Ravyn yelped gently as she fell backwards onto the bed. She felt his warm wash over her as he climbed on top of her but it didn't last long as he began kissing his way down her body, causing a violent shiver to run through her. "Jesus..." She groaned. She felt him slowly slide her panties down her body, her breathing picking up its ragged pace. "Jecob..." She whined, need filling her deep blue, almost black eyes, as she watched him. She wanted him, badly. Wanted to feel his body rocking against her, feel his hard cock sliding in and out of her. "Please..." She whispered in the most erotic voice to have ever breached her lips.

He nipped the inside of her thigh next. That voice was absolutely euphoric on his ears. He stood up at the end of the bed between her knees and removed his boxer briefs, letting them slide down his thighs to reveal himself to her for the second time since they had met. He was still painfully stiff and looked bigger now that he was hard and standing straight up. He crawled over her again and leaned down, kissing her hotly, fingers lightly tugging her hair close to her scalp, and ground his cock against her crotch without entering her just yet. But he could feel how wet she was, and she would be able to feel and smell the precum he was leaking in anticipation. 

She stared as he removed his boxer briefs, eyes wide in anticipation. Yes she'd seen him naked before but this seemed different, more intimate. She held his eyes as he crawled up be her body, accepting his kiss with eagerness. She groaned as he felt his hard cock grind against her. She knew he wanted her just as badly, could smell it on him. Breaking their kiss she gently laid her forehead against his shoulder as she ran her hands up and down his arms. Her body was trembling with both arousal and nerves. Turning her head to the side she kissed his neck, flicking her tongue against his skin before nipping him gently. "I trust you, Jecob." She repeated her words from earlier, reassuring him that it was okay and that she wanted this.

Jecob groaned at her nip to his neck and shivered again. "I'll be gentle... but if I hurt you, I want you to tell me. I will stop." he assured her. He captured her lips again hotly and tugged on her hair. He reached between them and positioned himself at her opening. She was so wet it drove him insane. He slid into her easily, but slowly, and groaned at how warm, wet, and tight she was, hiding his face in her neck.

She nodded her head, assuring him that she would speak up if it hurt. She kissed him back, a shiver running through her as he tugged at her hair. She felt him move himself so that he was angled correctly. She breathed heavily against his neck as he slowly slid into her wet, tight pussy. She gasped softly at the foreign sensation, strange but arousing at the same time. She ran her fingers through his long locks as he buried his face in her neck.

He moaned heavily. He felt her virgin resistance only briefly as he pushed forward. He decided it would be best to just push through it, get it over with rather than drag it out. He thrusted his hips forward into her until he couldn't go any deeper, and held himself there, hugging her tightly and nuzzling her, groaning happily at how tightly her body hugged him.

Ravyn winced and cried as he pushed through her virginity. She clutched him close a single tear rolling down her cheek. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she nuzzled into his neck, sniffling softly. Her breath was hot and heavy against his skin as she laid there to get used to his size. After several long minutes the aching pain slipped away and she inhaled deeply. "I think I'm okay..."

That cry of pain and her tears made his chest ache with guilt, but he knew it was for the best. He wiped her tear away and nuzzled her face, kissing her neck, cheek, and lips until she began to relax. When she told him she was okay, he looked down at her. "We go slowly... You talk to me... Tell me what you like and don't like." He whispered, stroking her hair. To start, he leaned down and went back to kissing and suckling on her neck, while one hand slipped down between them and began to toy with her sensitive clit.

His kisses sent a wave of emotion over her. It was such a sweet and tender thing, she really didn't expect it from him. At his words she blushed slightly and nodded her head. Sure... I think I can do that. She knew she liked his kisses, they fueled her fire every time he touched her with his lips. Her body gave a jolt as his hand toyed with her clit, causing her to gasp. "Oh god..." She whispered, burying her face into his shoulder. "Mmmm..."

He smiled at her reaction. It was a positive one for sure. He knew toying with her like this would help her relax and help any remaining pain fade. He stroked her in small, gentle circles, just firing up those nerves in her vulva gradually. As he did, and felt her begin to relax more and more beneath and around him, he began to shift his hips, pulling back slightly first and pushing forward again slowly.

She whimpered as he continued to play with her clit. She felt her body relaxing as pleasure enveloped her. She moaned as he rocked in and out of her. "Oh..." she moaned, almost in surprise at how good it had felt. She licked her lips as she carefully rocked her hips into him, causing his fingers to press harder and his cock to slip in deeper. "God's, Jecob..." she leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Gods, she felt divine. She was tight, hot, smooth velvet. His finger kept its pace, slow and steady circles, but his hips started to go a little faster, withdraw a little farther and drive a little deeper. He growled a moan against her neck, suckling against her skin and resisting the urge to bite. Cats bit, to keep a hold on their mate, to show their dominance. But he wouldn't bite her. She wasn't his, technically. Not yet.

At the sound of his moan a shiver ran through her spine. "Mmmm you make the sexiest noises." She groaned into his ear. As his tempo changed she arched her spine, pressing her breasts into his chest. She attempted to sync with him, failing miserably for a moment until she caught on and they began to move fluidly together. She whimpered softly against his neck, nibbling and licking at his sensitive skin.

He growled again, and moved his mouth to hers with a bruising urgency. She was moving with him now, and it felt amazing. He pulled his hand from between them, leaving his hips to grind against her clit instead as they met again and again. He bit her lip and assaulted her tongue with his, his hands tangled in her dark hair. "Fuck, Ravyn..." he breathed, his eyes lit up amber.

She moaned against his lips, returning his kiss with equal urgency. She loved the feel of his weight on top of hers as he took charge. Her neck tingled as he buried his fingers into her hair. A gasp slipped from her lips at the sounded of her heated name on his lips. It was the most delicious thing she she had ever heard. Her dark blue eyes met his beautiful amber ones as she carefully thrust against him harder. "Jecob... you're so big... mmm... you feel soo g-good." She mewled and moaned as every thrust drove her deeper and deeper towards her climax.

He watched her face. He wanted to watch her orgasm. He thrusted a bit harder, too, to meet her and drive him deeper, and he growled happily at the feeling. "Cum for me, Ravyn..." he panted, rocking into her still. "And keep saying my name." He was close, but he didn't want to cum until he was sure she would.

Her cheeks flamed at his words, both surprising her and igniting her arousal further. She felt the walls of her pussy begin to contract around him as she stared into his gorgeous eyes. "Jecob... I'm so close..." She whispered. She felt him driving into her deeper and deeper until she couldn't stand it anymore. She threw her head back as she cried out his name over and over again. Her walls were like a vice around him as her orgasm took root.

He felt her body clamp down on him and it was all he could take before he lost himself. He swelled and throbbed and then filled her with hot seed as he jerked himself deep inside of her a few more times. He nuzzled his face against her neck as he did, grunting and growling his pleasure. His body stilled after a few seconds, even as his cock continued to throb and pulse deep inside of her. He breathed deeply and slowly, nuzzling her neck some more in lieu of biting her.

She groaned at the feeling of him emptying himself inside her, filling her up. It was so intimate and arousing, she couldn't help the blush that spread over her body. She felt him nuzzling her neck and inhaled sharply. When she didn't feel him trying to bite she relax and kissed his own neck, her chest heaving up and down with her ragged breath. "Is it always that good?" She asked, instantly feeling stupid.

He laughed quietly above her, and whispered back playfully, "If we can help it." He sat up on his elbows and looked down at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He kissed her lips again lightly as he withdrew his hips from her. The instant he was free of her, he groaned and flopped to lay beside her, breathing heavily. "Just a warning... you might feel sore later... and there might be a mess."

Ravyn turned on her side, propping herself up on her hand to watch him. "I think I'll be alright with the soreness. It was totally worth it." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for not hurting me and forcing anything..." She smiled against his cheek before pulling back. She moved to get off the bed and groaned softly. "Jesus..." She moved across the room into her attached bathroom to clean herself up. From where he lay he could hear her say, "Mmm definitely a good soreness..."

He laughed. He stayed on the bed and rested on his back, just letting his breaths slow and his mind stop spinning. She had felt so good... sounded and smelled so good. The entire experience had been euphoric. He couldn't recall ever having cum so hard before in his life. He swallowed thickly and just relaxed there on the bed for a few moments while she cleaned up. By the time she emerged from the bathroom again, however, he was up, his boxer briefs back in place, and was peeling off the blood-stained comforter from her bed.

Ravyn winced at the sight on her comforter and sighed gently. She had heard that woman bleed when they loose their virginity but she hadn't expected so much. She walked over to his side, glad to see the blood hadn't seeped through to her sheets or mattress. "At least that's done and over with and we wont have to worry about it again." The words had slipped out of her mouth without thinking but once she realized what she had said a deep blush spread across her cheeks. Did she want this to happen again? Hell yes! he had been an amazing lover, tender and sweet. Making sure her first time had been as painless as possible.

Jecob didn't say anything, but a tense sort of smile turned up his lips as he nodded. He wasn't sure if she meant losing her virginity or having sex with him in general. He rolled up her comforter so the blood was hidden and took it to her door to be put in the laundry chute. With that done, he began to gather his clothes off the floor.

Ravyn held her head up and sniffed slightly. "What are your plans for the rest of the day, dinner?" She leaned against her dresser, confidant in all her glory like she never had been before. She was clearly becoming quite comfortable around the lion. She just didn't want to get attached to him and then find out they weren't meant to be.

He straightened up and glanced at her with an aloof shrug. "No plans." he said, quietly, focusing on pulling on his clothes. "Probably just sleep." He always had a nap after a good romp. It tired him out in the most pleasant way.

Ravyn nodded her head, feeling a bit awkward around him now. He had seen her at her most vulnerable and now she didn't know how to act. "Oh... okay." She turned her back to him as she rummaged around in her dresser, pulling out various articles of clothing. Carrying them over to the bathroom she stopped just outside the door and sighed. "I guess I'll see you later..." Licking her lips, she entered the bathroom. Moments later he'd be able to hear the showering running and her splashing around beneath it.

He frowned. They were both acting distant now, and he wasn't sure why. Wasn't that what she wanted? She was so convinced that they wouldn't know whether or not they were meant to be until her birthday, even though he had already felt the connection. And what she had said before still confused him. Did she not want to sleep with him again? He finished pulling on his pants and shirt and then pulled his long hair up into its normal half-ponytail. With that done, he sighed and moved to her dresser, pulling over a piece of paper and managing to find a pen. He scribbled out a note and then left her room.

Hope you'll join this kitty cat for dinner tonight, puppy dog. We can talk some more.

It was some time later that Ravyn slipped out of the bathroom, fully clothed and her long hair curling around her. She moved over to her dresser for a pair of socks when she found Jecob's note. She smiled down at it as she picked it up and read it, rolling her eyes at being calling a puppy dog. She carefully folded the note and tucked it into the bottom drawer of her jewelry chest. So he did want to see her more. Grabbing her socks she pulled them on then slipped her knee high boots on over her jeans. She picked up the pen she guess Jecob had used and jotted a note back in her flourishing hand writing. Tucking her phone into her back pocket she grabbed up her leather jacket and left her room. She stepped across the hall and carefully slipped her note under the door for him to find after his nap.

Dinner would be great. I'll be the one trying not to jump your bones.
XOXO

She made her way down the hallway and out into the club. Across the way she could see one of the local bands setting up their instruments. "Howlers are playing tonight. That should bring in a crowd." She said to Dev as he munched on his BLT sandwich at the bar. "I'm going to check on Vane, be back in a few. I've got my phone if anyone needs me." With that she was out the door, waving at her brothers.

Aliya smiled down at Vane as she lay beside him, propped up on a pillow so she could be up near his head. He was so tall. She stroked his long, dark hair soothingly and leaned down to kiss his head. "Did you get enough to eat?" she asked quietly.

"Plenty, thank you." He pulled her down for a soft kiss, moving to nuzzle her neck where he'd bitten her gently. "I'm sorry to have scared you. I never meant for any of that to happen. But I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Aliya subconsciously moved her hand to her injured arm and shrugged with a small smile. "I'm okay," she whispered. She kissed him again with a small sniffle. She still blamed herself for this incident. If she had only insisted on going to work... or maybe agreed to stay inside instead of going out. "We'll have to lay low for a while..." she whispered, sadly. Those hunters would be looking out for the giant snowy owl, and the entire city would be hunting for a bear on the loose.

"If we want to shift we'll have to go to Sanctuary. It'll be safe there and we can roam the basement and stuff." He hugged her tightly as there was a knock at the door. He sniffed the air to try and get a read on whoever it was through the apartment. But with Ravyn and Jecob's lingering scents he couldn't tell what was new or old. "Stay here..." He muttered as he got to his feet and headed for the door. He growled through the door, threatening whoever was on the other side.

"Oh, don't growl at me, you overgrown teddy bear." Ravyn's voice sounded from the other side, eliciting a chuckle from Vane.

He pulled open the door to let Ravyn inside. "Overgrown teddy bear? Really?"

Aliya had gotten up from the bed to wait in the bedroom doorway even though Vane had told her stay put. She leaned against the frame and smiled at Vane and Ravyn, giving her a greeting nod of her head. She was glad to see her back, most likely to check up on Vane. That was a relief. She didn't have even half of the medical items in her entire apartment that Ravyn had in her medical bag.

Ravyn smiled at Vane as he opened the door. "Hey brother." Giving him a gentle hug she waved over at Aliya. "Come on you two... let me see how everythings holding up." She moved into the kitchen Vane following behind her. He was still shirtless so all Ravyn had to do was pulled back his bandage and check. "Good, you aren't irritating it. Keep it that way." She looked up at Aliya and smiled. "We haven't been officially introduced. I was one of the wolves the other night but I'm Ravyn."

"Aliya," she said in return, moving towards her and standing close to Vane. She knew Ravyn was someone to be trusted, but she still preferred to stay close to Vane. She offered her her injured arm though. "Thank you for your help."

Vane stepped behind Aliya and wrapped his arms around her. "Anytime," Ravyn smiled as she lifted Aliya's bandage as well. "All shifters tend to come to me or one of the boys if they are injured. I've seen my fair share or wounds. You both look good though. Jecob did a nice job." Vane sniffed the air again and growled.

"Ravyn... you aren't old enough yet, why do you smell like the lion?" She blushed deeply and stepped away from the couple.

"I'm an adult and old enough for sex, Vane." She crossed her arms over her chest in a frown.

"But you may bond with him and he turns out to not be your mate." Ravyn sighed heavily and nodded her head.

"I know but I feel a connection to him so I don't think that's going to happen."

Aliya looked between them as they spoke to one another, then looked at Ravyn slightly. She was still too young to know her true mate. She hated those Fates' rules. She gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't think so either." she said quietly. She had watched them together and even in her panic over Vane, she could tell there was a connection there.

Ravyn gave Aliya a thankful smile at her confidence. She turned to Vane and gave him a pleading look. "Please just support me here. You all know I've never even looked at the opposite sex. I wouldn't be jumping into this if I wasn't sure. Especially not with a Katagaria." She saw Vane frown at the dig but they both knew what she meant by it so all he did was nod.

"Fine, but if he hurts you... I get to rip his throat out with my fangs." Ravyn smiled and nodded her head.

"Deal. Now I've got to get back but... Dev wants to make sure you're okay and I think you should make an appearance some time soon at the club."

"I will. I hope to be able to get Aliya a job there. You should hear her voice."

"Oh well great! I can't wait to hear it." She gave Vane a kiss on the cheek and hugged Aliya. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you," Aliya said with a returned smile and a light hug. She watched Ravyn go, then looked at Vane and her smile faltered a little. "Y-you want me to sing for the club..?"

"Yes, I do. It's a safe and good environment and like I said before... You have the voice of an Angel." He saw her face fall and gently tugged her against him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Her face grew red and she hid her face against his chest as she hugged him. "I've never..." she trailed off. She had never sung in front of another person ever before in her life. The fact that Vane had heard her singing in the shower had been, for all intents and purposes, an accident. She had merely forgotten he was there--she was so used to being alone. But singing to a whole room of people? People she knew were there? People who were actively listening and judging? Her body began to tremble from the inside out at just the thought.

Vane hugged her tightly, his hands running up and down her spine as she trembled. "Hey hey hey... Okay... well maybe we start out small? Just as a test run? See how you do in front of Ravyn and the boys? They are the last people on earth who will judge you." He buried his face against her shoulder, his entire body engulfing hers. "And if they did, I'd kill them."

She coughed out a small, strained laugh against his chest, and clutched him harder. "O-okay... I guess that would be okay to start..." she mumbled quietly, her cheeks still pink.

Vane kissed her forehead and ushered her back to the bedroom. "Good, now lets get dressed and see what the Peltier's have going on. It's still early so I doubt anyone will be around." Vane moved over to the clothes he left behind many hours ago and pulled them on.

She blinked at him. "W-we're going n-now?" she asked, letting him move around her to start getting dressed. "Y-you were just shot! We should stay inside..." she insisted, hugging herself tightly and wincing at the pain it caused in her arm.

Vane captured her face in one of his hands and smiled gently. "I'll be healed fully soon enough, baby. Besides if we don't go to them, they'll come to us and this apartment isn't big enough for all those bears." He stepped closer, his jean clad body rubbing against her own as he hauled her close. "I promise, I'm okay... sore but alive."

Aliya was still tense in his arms. She also was terrified of going and singing in front of anyone. She shook her head. "W-we should stay here..." she insisted again, her voice trembling. "I-I'm not ready, Vane! Please d-don't make me go..." It wasn't that she was not used to a lot of people paying attention to her. She worked as a stripper, for crying out loud. But singing was something different, to her. Singing was something she enjoyed, something she treasured. And these people meant something to Vane. By extension, they should mean something to her, too. But she didn't know any of them. Her stomach was flopping and her head started to spin. She was trying not to breathe too quickly, but still felt breathless.

"Hey hey... It's alright. Come on." Vane pulled her close, pressing his lips against her temple. "You don't have to sing until you are ready. I'm sorry... How about we just go so they know I'm okay and then we sit around for a bit. Is that acceptable?" He hadn't realized how truly terrified she was of singing in front of people. That was the last thing he wanted.

She sniffled and covered her face, now out of embarrassment for her rather extreme reaction. She was still trembling. "I-I'm sorry... I can't. You can go... You can. I'll stay..." she whispered, her voice tight.

Vane's frowned deepened at her reaction. He was extremely confused. This was the second time she had turned him down when he wanted her to meet his friends... his family. "Aliya... I'm sorry I upset you but... Why don't you want to meet my friends?" He tried to hide the pain in his voice but he knew she'd be able to feel it anyway.

She pulled back from him a little. Feeling his internal pain clearly made her uncomfortable. She looked up at him meekly and hugged herself tightly. "I-I'm scared... what if they don't like me?" she whispered, her cheeks pink with embarrassment and shame. "It would hurt you."

"Why do you think they won't like you?" Vane tilted his head to the side at her and shook his head. "What would hurt me more is you never meeting them. You're my life now and I don't want to have to hide you from them."

"You're not hiding me from them..." she supplied, frowning up at him. "You can talk about me... Ravyn has met me..." He would only be hiding her from them if he never spoke about her, if no one ever met her, if no one knew she existed. She existed. How could she not, with the mark on his shoulder? She reached out a hand to him. "I just... I need more time." she whispered. "We've only been mates a day, Vane. A day, and you've nearly died, and I haven't had you to myself, really. I hardly know you and you want me to meet all these people..." This was probably the most she'd said to him since they'd mated.

Vane frowned deeply and nodded his head. "Okay... I'm sorry I guess I wasn't thinking like that." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, tilting her head up so he could look into her eyes. "We can stay home and get to know one another better. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was rushing I just..." He blushed gently as his thumb caressed her cheek. "I'm proud to have finally found you. You're worth cherishing."

She nuzzled into his cheek with another blush, looking guilty. She didn't say anything else. It seemed she'd said all she wanted to about the matter. She still hugged herself though, curling in a little on herself. She kissed his palm, a silent I love you on his skin.

"Come on, my love. Let's go snuggle on the couch and watch a movie." Vane kissed her forehead gently as he led her into the living room. He sat down on the white couch and pulled her gently down into his arms.

She nodded and let him lead her to the couch and pull her down into his lap. She smiled at him slightly and her eyes were soft on him. She nuzzled into him, her head under his chin of dark hair, and closed her eyes. She gripped to his shirt lightly, being careful of his bullet wound, and curled her legs in against him as well.

Vane reached for the remote and switched on the TV he flipped through a few channels until he settled on some movie that just started. It was really just for the noise as they sat there holding each other. His hands idly running up and down her back and along her thigh.

Meanwhile Ravyn had just walked into the club when Kyle called her over to the bar. "Hey can you take over so I can grab some food? I promise not to keep you long." Ravyn smiled and shoed him away. "Go on, go eat." He gave her a quick hug before running off into the kitchen. It wasn't long before a group of shifts came in being noise and rambunctious. Ravyn rolled her eyes as they took to the bar stools and whistled her over for drinks.

Jecob was coming out of the black door at the back when he heard the shifters whistling for Ravyn. He saw her pass out the drinks and smiled a little. She was good at her job. He felt much more well rested now, and he sauntered over to the bar with his hands in his pockets, then sat himself on a stool not far from the shifters and just watched her work.

One of the shifters decided to be bold with her and when she came near them again he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Ravyn, when are you going to let me take you home and show you what a real man is." Ravyn's entire body stiffened at the jackel's words causing her to growl. None of the boys were out there but she thought she'd seen Jecob come up to the bar. Only problem was her entire focus was on the shifter in front of her. "Get your filthy hands off of me..." She growled deeply, her eyes darkening with rage. "Come on baby, quit playing hard to get. You know you want me to take you home and rock your world."

Jecob's hair bristled. A low rumble started in his throat, and his eyes flared amber. He was a lion--possessive and protective. She was his. How dare that shifter put his hands on her? Talk to her in such a way? Not respect her boundaries, nor her words? He reigned in his expression and cleared his throat quietly, inaudible under the swallow of music, and stood from his stool. He didn't draw attention to himself as he turned on his heel and headed down the bar towards the group of shifters and more specifically the one grabbing Ravyn's wrist. Without warning and with plenty of surprise, his hand closed on the back of the jackal's neck, yanked him backwards, and then jerked him forward again so his head bounced off of the bar with a loud THUNK. He threw the jackal off of his stool and to the ground and rumbled out, "She's taken." He slid to sit on the jackal's stool smoothly, folded his hands in front of himself on the bar and smiled up at Ravyn. "Are we still meeting for dinner?"

Ravyn had been jerked forward when Jecob pulled the jackel away but he'd quickly released her arm. She watched in stunned silence as Jecob slammed the shifters head into the bar. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when he'd said she was taken. As he took the jackels stool the others got up and hurried away, taking their friend with them. Ravyn grasped Jecob's chin, leaned over the bar she gave him a heated kiss before whispering. "You bet your ass we're still meeting for dinner." Meeting his eyes, hers twinkled with laughter. "Kyle just needed a break to get some food and then I'm free."

"Sounds like a plan," Jecob smirked up at her, his own eyes slowly fading back to brown from amber. He reached out with his own hand and more gently grabbed her chin, his thumb running along the curve of her bottom lip. "What are you craving?" he asked. "Take out? Homemade?"

Ravyn quirked an eyebrow at him. "Homemade? Hmmm that sound enticing but baby... I'm a wolf. I'll eat anything." She teased him softly, closing her eyes against his gentle touch. When his thumb brushed against her lip again, on instinct her tongue slipped out and twirled around it playfully. Her cheeks flamed as she realized what she'd done and quickly pulled away. "Sorry... got carried away..."

His smile was gone, but it wasn't because he was displeased. He was watching her with arousal and awe. He withdrew his thumb and hand from her face and stood from his stool, hands flat on the bar. "Kyle better get his happy ass back here soon. I'm hungry." he said, the implication there that he wasn't exactly hungry for food.

"Did I hear my name?" The large bear came out of the kitchen, wiping his face of any crumbs and stepping up behind Ravyn. "Thanks... I really needed that. Now, get out of my bar. It's your night off so git!" He literally shoed her out from behind the bar, chuckling. Once on the other side of the bar, Ravyn stopped to stare at Jecob, a soft blush spread across her cheeks. "So... dinner?"

Jecob nodded and smirked at her, holding out his hand towards her in offering. If she wanted to take it and hold his hand, she could. If not, he would not be offended. But he wanted to hold her hand, or touch her somehow, especially to show the jackal and his friends at the front of the club that Ravyn was his.

Ravyn bit down on her bottom lip, a shy smile spreading across her face as she stepped forward. Sliding her hand into his she felt a tingle run through her spine. There was definitely something between them and if tomorrow came and they weren't mates she knew she would be hugely upset. "Where to, kitty cat?"

"I'm thinking steak," Jecob said, leading her out of the club and past the group of shifters. He flashed a snarling grin at the jackal he had set up with the bar and a bloody nose, and then led Ravyn outside into the chilly night towards his truck.

"Hmmm... someones possessive." Ravyn commented softly as he led her outside. Once they were by his truck she leaned over and whispered into his ear. "I like it." She pulled away, a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Steak sounds delicious."

He grinned back at her. Before she could get too far away, he grabbed her around her waist and pressed her back against the passenger door of his truck and leaned closer to her, his breath warm on her lips. "Good." he growled and kissed her hotly.

A soft moan escaped her lips as his descended on hers. She had never been into being man handled before but the way Jecob took control set her nerves on fire. She wrapped her arms around his neck, on hand burying itself into his long, thick hair. "I still expect steak, mister." She muttered against his lips.

He chuckled and nipped her lip lightly with his teeth. "Of course. Steak first." he growled playfully. He kissed her again, then released her and opened her door for her, smiling at her. "You bettah eat your fill. We'll be very active latah."

Ravyn gave him a playful growl as she crawled up into his truck. She lifted up the center console and slid into the middle seat to be closer to him. When he climbed in beside her she instantly placed her hand on his thigh, snuggling close to him. She inhaled his grassy scent, relaxing as it washed over her. "I love the way you smell..."

He smirked at her as he buckled himself in and started the truck, shifting it into gear before wrapping his arm around her. "I smell like de plains," he said, though it sounded more like a question. "At least I hope I do." He squeezed and massaged her hip through her leather jacket, pulling her snug against his side.

She giggled softly, kissing his neck ever so slightly. "Yes... yes you do. It's not something I've had the pleasure of smelling before but I definitely like it." She shifted next to him, her thigh rubbing against his as he massaged her hip. She'd never been this close to anyone in her life. She felt so open to him, unlike when they first met and she'd wanted to rip his head off.

He growled at her, but not unpleasantly. He was hot for her again, and the more she rubbed her thigh on him and whispered in his ear, the more he wanted to pull the truck over and just have her. So he did. He pulled the truck into an empty lot and put it in park, looking at her hungrily. "Steak may have to be second."

Ravyn looked around confused as he pulled over. That is until he turned to her with hungry eyes and spoke. She pursed her lips together and blushed. "I'm sorry... I promise to behave." She couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her fulls lips. "Or... I'll try at least."

"If you want to wait until after dinner, then move over into your seat and buckle in. Be patient. Or else we may not make it to dinner tonight." Jecob said with a playful growl, smiling a little.

Ravyn pressed her lips against his for a moment before doing as he said. "Yes sir!" She giggled softly as she slid across the seat and buckled up. Once they were moving again she reached out and took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

He smiled at her, but nodded. After she was buckled in and the gear was shifted, he allowed her to hold his hand, their fingers laced together in the center seat. He drove them to a nearby steakhouse and parked the truck again, this time getting out and opening her door for her like before.

Ravyn slipped out of Jecob's truck and closed the door behind him. Linking their hands together once again she took in the steakhouse before her. "Hmmm... I don't think I've ever eaten here before. This should be nice." Kissing his cheek gently, she led the way into the restaurant to be seated.

"S'a good place," Jecob said as he walked inside with her and allowed the hostess to seat them at a small table for two. He pulled out her chair for her and allowed her to settle into it, then moved around to his own seat and settled himself, too. He nodded in thanks to the hostess as he took the menu and looked it over. The prices were not too high, nor were they too cheap, and there was a great selection of wine and other alcohol.

Ravyn smiled softly at Jecob as he pulled out her chair. Sitting down she took the menu from the hostess, nodding her head. "Thank you." She mumbled gently as she opened the menu to flip through it. "Ooo so many good things." She said after a moment.

He nodded in agreement. He'd stopped looking at his menu and was instead admiring her as she read hers. He smiled at her gently as he did. She amused him, but she was endearing, too. He closed his menu. He knew exactly what he was going to get.

Ravyn glanced up, catching him watching her and blushed deeply. A sheepish smile spread across her face as she also set her menu aside. The waitress came to the table just then to take their order. "I'll have a Bahama Mama. The 8oz sirloin with asparagus and a baked potato. And can I also have a side of steak sauce?" The waitress jotted everything down, smiling gently before turning to Jecob.

"Water for me, with the 10 ounce ribeye, raw. Garlic mashed potatoes, no vegetables, please." Jecob said, then gathered his and Ravyn's menus and offered them back to the waitress. He watched her hurry off and then smiled at Ravyn again lightly. "So... about earlier..." he said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I am sorry if I seemed... distant." he shrugged. "I get tired aftah sex. I like to nap. I was just sleepy."

Ravyn watched him put in his order, suppressing laughter as he riddled off what he wanted. Once the waitress had wandered off Ravyn relaxed back into her cushioned chair. Her eyes met his as he explained himself from earlier. She gave a slight shrug and nodded her head. "We have no ties to each other so... it's not a big deal... I--" She paused, collecting her thoughts for a moment. "I've just heard some guys run out right after so... I wasn't really expecting much."

He leaned forward on his elbows on the table and watched her, his smile turned serious. "You've heard? Or you've experienced?" he asked, tilting his head. "Ravyn, I am not going to run out on you." He could say that with unwavering confidence. He felt something with her, and he was not about to turn away from that.

She shook her head gently, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I've made sure to stay a virgin because I've been treated poorly in the past. I lost control with you but... I don't regret it." Her cheeks flamed as she looked across at him. He was so sure when he told her he wouldn't run out that it caused her heart to kick up a notch. "Oh..."

Jecob's smile recovered and he reached out a hand, grabbing one of her wrists and pulling her arms loose from around her middle. "Ray... I am glad you do not regret our time together. I do not either." he promised. "Maybe next time you'll nap with me?"

Ravyn beamed at the nickname she rarely let anyone use. Licking her lips, she nodded gently as she twisted her hands so they were holding his. "I would like that. I may not sleep but I could at least lay with you."

"Sounds good to me," Jecob said giving her another smile. He squeezed her hands and held them there until their food arrived. He let her go so their plates could be set down, and he nodded his thanks at the waitress for their food and drinks before lifting his silverware and starting to cut into his rather large, rare ribeye.

Ravyn took a sip of her drink and cooed softly. The alcohol wouldn't affect her like it would a human, at least not one drink, after several is a different story. "So you don't like veggies huh?" She asked as she took a bite out of her crisp asparagus. The seasoning flooded her mouth, causing her to groan lightly.

"I am not like you," Jecob said as he cut a few perfectly square pieces of steak and then set his knife aside for the moment. "Katagaria are more animal than human... So are our tastes." he said, taking a bite of steak and humming as the juices flooded his mouth. "I am a lion. I cannot eat very many vegetables without feeling sick."

"Mmm I guess I hadn't thought about that. Being born human I can eat whatever I like and rarely get sick." She especially loved fish and steak. It had been hard for her to choose which she wanted tonight. "That's something we'll have to get used to I guess... I mean... if..." She closed up on herself, sighing gently as she went back to her meal. She had to stop acting like they were mates or else she may end up heart broken tomorrow.

He was chewing another large but perfectly squared piece of steak, his eyes studying her, as she closed herself off after stuttering over her words. He stayed silent a moment as he chewed, then after he'd swallowed, he asked, "Why do you do that?" He scooped up some mashed garlic potatoes onto his fork. "Why do you shut yourself down to the possibilities of what we are?"

Ravyn set her fork aside and clasped her hands together in her lap. "Any time anything has ever gone good in my life... except for the bears, it's been snatched away. My biggest fear right now, is to wake up tomorrow and you not be my mate after getting... attached." She blushed deeply and shook her head. "The Fates hate me."

"You know," Jecob said after another moment of chewing, "de Katagaria have never put a whole lot of faith in de Fates. Only humans can believe so readily in a disembodied, supernatural entity to decide de course of deir lives." He tilted his head at her a little and tried to smile. "Life can be hard. And perhaps it does make it easiah to blame your misfortune on de 'Fates' rather than on de abstract idea dat 'life just sucks'... But dis does not mean you cannot hope for some'ting... be optimistic about some'ting... deserve some'ting." He shrugged and turned back down to the food on his plate. "I don't think you have any'ting to worry about."

Ravyn gave a small, relax sigh as she let his words calm her mind. She didn't know what it was about him, maybe it was their bond but he seemed to calm her so easily and make her feel better. She smiled softly as she picked her fork back up. "I guess I can see your point." Taking a bite of her steak she chewed for a moment before eyeing him. "Why do you think I have nothing to worry about?"

He shrugged one shoulder and looked at her again, a piece of steak stuck on his fork and poised in front of his mouth. "Because even though you feel you're too young to know what we are, I have already felt de bond with you." He bit his steak off of his fork and as he chewed, he said, "I felt it de first day I met you."

"And you were okay with me not being a..." Ravyn looked around with an exaggerated expression, making sure no one was listening. "Cat?" She giggled softly, obviously feeling better the more he talked. She ate as much off of her plate as she could before pushing it aside. She gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment before sighing. "Oh... fuck it." Getting up from her chair she circled around the table and gently climbed into his lap so she was sitting side ways, her legs hanging over him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his cheek gently.

Even though he was not quite finished eating his food, her sudden proximity and invasion of his space did not seem to bother him. He smiled in response to her affection and looped one arm around behind her back so he could continue to eat his food. He finished his steak with her on his lap and then pushed his plate aside as well before enveloping her in his arms completely and giving her collar bone a love nip with his teeth.

Ravyn grinned as he nipped at her exposed skin. "This was nice... getting out and being... normal... But." She leaned over and nipped her ear with her teeth. "Wanna go for a run?" She asked in a breathy voice. She had seem him in his lion form but he had yet to see her and she was dying to show him.

He looked up at her and his eyes gleamed but he looked tense. "Hunters just shot Vane," he clarified. "Today. Because dey were out running." But, it was dark outside... He supposed if they stuck to the trees and away from the city, they might be alright. "Let's drive into de trees first."

Ravyn nodded gently. "That was my thought. I don't really romp around in open fields. People tend to freak when they see a wolf my size but that paired with a lion... there would probably be chaos." She waved the waitress over so they would pay. Pulling a few bills out of her bra she slipped them into the folder. "My treat this time, since I walked out on our last date." Kissing his cheek she slid off of his lap and pulled him up behind her.

"Seems fair," Jecob nodded, allowing her to pay this time. He followed her lead out of the restaurant and back to his truck. He opened the door for her and then walked around to his side, turning up the heat in the cab as he settled into his seat. He pulled them out of the parking lot and onto the road, then headed north towards a large wildlife park.

Ravyn had thought about behaving and sitting where she was supposed to but she wanted to be close. Sliding over next to him, she took his hand into hers and held it in her lap. It was the only contact they had but they were physically closer and that seemed to appease her.

He allowed her this, yet again, as they drove. Especially once they reached a long, straight stretch of road up into the wildlife park, where he could drive with only one hand. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her out of the corner of his eyes. Finally, after about twenty minutes of uphill, winding roads into the wildlife park, they found a secluded parking lot. He shut off his truck and looked at her. "Let's go."

Ravyn kissed his cheek excitedly after they parked. Jumping out of the truck she quickly peeled off her clothes, folding them neatly and placing them on the bench seat of the truck. She came around to the front of the truck, a shiver running down her spine as the breeze took up her hair. She exhaled deeply as she slowly shifted into her wolf form before his eyes. there before him stood a very large, black wolf with with grey boots, a white spot on her nose and speckles of white through her long fluffy tail. She gave a loud 'woof', twirling around excitedly as she waited for him to join her.

He had stepped out of the truck as she stripped of her clothes, and leaned against the nose of his truck as he watched her shift, his hands shoved into his coat pockets. He smiled at how happy she seemed and tilted his head at her. When she barked at him, he laughed and shook his head. "You must think I'm crazy to be out here. I don't have de fur dat you do!" he said. But he sighed and rolled his eyes, starting to strip out of his clothes as well and leaving them in a messier pile on the bench seat beside hers. He shifted into his lion form and once he was changed, he shook out his mane of any drifting snow and licked his chops. They were pretty close in size, though she was a bit leaner than he was and her fur was thicker. He already felt chilled. He gave a gruff rumble and swiped a paw at her playfully.

Ravyn wagged her tail at his playfulness. Jumping forward she nudged him with her shoulder and gave his face a long, wet lick. She made a growling sound that could only be associated with laughter as she pranced away, her paws kicking up snow as she went. When she was a few feet away she kicked her back foot out sending snow into his face.

Now that was cold. He tried to shield his face from the snow by hiding it behind a massive paw, but his paw had been covered in snow, too. Either way, he ended up with snow on his nose and he sneezed it off with a shake of his head before heading after her. He did not prance like she did. He was heavier, and he lumbered after her with long strides and a spine that rolled more fluently than hers. He threw up snow at her in return with a shovel of one of his front paws.

Ravyn duck so his snow would miss but ended up covered in it. She gave her body a thorough shake with a soft 'woof' as she bounded off into the trees. It felt good to be out in the cold air, running but she knew they couldn't be out here long because he had little to cover his body. She glanced over her shoulder to check and see if he was following.

He was following, at an easy lope, his big paws sinking a bit into the snow as he went. He shook out his paws with every other step, kicking off whatever snow was attached to them. Every drop of snow onto his back or mane from the trees above he paused to shake out with a small, annoyed yowl. He hated the snow.

Ravyn came to a stop and waited until he was beside her. She gently rubbed up against him, caressing her soft, thick fur along his body, much like a cat would. She nuzzled at his cheek before nipping gently at his ear. She felt sorry that he was so cold, only upside was winter was almost over.

Jecob licked a raspy tongue along her fur just below her ear. He rumbled at her and bumped his side into hers, making her stumble a few steps. He then plopped himself down into the snow and rolled onto his back in it, kicking his legs a little as if trying to mimic her. But he quickly disliked the feeling of freezing snow against his back, and he rolled back up onto his feet and shook it off, breaking into a run back towards the truck.

Ravyn bark happily as she quickly chased after him. He was absolutely adorable at times and it was refreshing to not having someone being a dick to her constantly. Once they were back at the truck she quickly shifted to open the door and slipped inside. "Oh my goodness... are you okay?" She asked him once he was in the cab with her.

He was shivering. He grabbed for his clothes quickly with a shudder, his teeth chattering, and shook his head. "No!" he laughed. "I'm freezing!" He pulled on his boxers and his shirt, then turned on his truck and turned the heat all the way up.

Ravyn quickly pulled her clothes on. Once finished she slid across the cab and climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around him to snuggle close. She gently ran her hand up and down his arm, trying her best to warm him up more. "I'm sorry, we should have come in sooner."

He shook his head. "You wanted to be outside." he said simply, as if that explained it enough. He pulled on his jeans and coat as the heater from the truck warmed him and she in her lap boiled his blood. He kissed her neck playfully. "Let's go back to de club now."

"Sounds good... get you a hot chocolate or something." She kissed his cheek as she slowly slipped from his lap, back into the middle seat where she could hold his hand and give him some of her warmer body heat.

Jecob nodded in agreement. Hot chocolate sounded pretty good. He pulled the truck out of the parking lot and headed back out of the wildlife park and down the road back towards the club. "A hot bath, too, maybe?"

"I think we can negotiate a Jacuzzi soak." Ravyn smiled softly as she snuggled close to his side, relaxing against him as he drove. She loved how calm she was around him. Now that she knew he wouldn't hurt her she felt extremely relaxed around him, which was nice.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her into his side, smiling even as his eyes remained on the road. It didn't take them long to get back to the club and her room, and he was already stripping out of his clothes.

Once Rayvn locked her door behind them she turned to see Jecob stripping out of his clothes. She snorted softly and shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. "In a hurry?"

Jecob paused and looked back at her, his pants undone and shirt already off. He had mussy hair from the struggle. He smiled at her a little crookedly and shrugged. "I like to be warm." he said simply and let his pants fall down around his knees. "Are you going to stop me?"

She chuckled softly and shook her head. "No, love, I'm not." She blushed deeply as she realized what she had called him. Clearing her throat she crossed the room into her bathroom and turned on the water. Waiting until she thought it was just right she then plugged the basin and watched it fill for a moment before stepping into her bedroom to strip as well.

"'Love,' huh?" Jecob teased as he watched her reappear to strip. He quirked an eyebrow at her and made his way towards her, wearing only his boxer briefs now. He slid his arms around her from behind and began to help her undo her jeans and slip out of her shirt. His hands ran warm along her smooth stomach and hugged her flush against his chest.

Ravyn blushed deeply and shook her head. "I'm sorry... it just came out." She bit her bottom lip as he came up behind her and helped her to undress. A shiver ran through her as she felt his hands on her bare skin, pulling her back against his chest. She sighed softly, closing her eyes as she laid her head back against his shoulder, relaxing into his body.

"I'm really starting to grow on you, hm?" Jecob asked playfully against her ear, nipping at her lobe and running his hands over her hips, up her sides to her breasts where cupped them over her bra. "What can I call you in return?"

"Not what I expected but yes... you are." She whispered in answer to his question. She moaned softly as his lips and hands pleasured her. A soft gasp escaped her lips as he cupped her sensitive breasts. "Uh..." Licking her lips she tried to get her mind to focus on his next question. "I... I dont know... what do you want to call me?" It appeared he was okay with being called love.

He didn't hesitate. He landed a tongued kiss to her neck, suckling and biting gently, not quite marking her beautiful flesh, but close. "Mine." he mumbled hotly against her skin. His hands and arms tightened on her briefly before he suddenly released her and started to move into the bathroom, pulling her with him.

Her eyes fell closed as he kissed and licked her neck. A soft gasp escaped her lips at his words, caught off guard as a deep blush spread over her cheeks. She smiled gently as he tugged her along behind him into the bathroom where the Jacuzzi was about to overflow. She yelped slightly and ran to shut off the water. "Shoot..." shaking her head she dipped her hand into the water to drain enough water so they could get in.

He didn't wait for her to drain enough water. He climbed in, albeit carefully, and sat back into the water just enough to make it threaten to run over the edge, but it didn't quite. He smiled at her and rested his arms open on either side of him. "Aahhh, nice and warm." he purred.

Ravyn pursed her lips together to suppress her laughter. "Okay kitty cat." Once enough water was drained she climbed in with him, sitting so she was facing him. "You picked a strange place to move to for someone who doesn't like the cold..."

He shrugged slightly. "Who says this is where I plan to stay?" he asked with a smile. "I'm trying to find a place to settle where no one would think to look for me."

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And who might be looking for you?" She didn't relish the idea off getting caught in the middle of something if someone found out she was sleeping with him.

"No one," Jecob said honestly with a shrug, "At least not that I know of. I just like... being secluded, I guess." he said. He looked at her and smiled, then leaned forward enough that he could lean down and kiss her shoulder. "Well, aside from you."

Ravyn blushed softly but smiled at his sweet and tender gesture. "You know wolves are used to packs right?" She giggled and shook her head. If they were mated they'd definitely make an odd couple.

"And lions are used to prides," he countered easily, nuzzling his face into her neck. "But there can be lone wolves and rogue lions... we can just be alone together."

She blushed softly as he spoke, nuzzling against her neck. She gently placed her hand against his cheek and closed her eyes. "Hmmm would you like that?" She asked, her voice softening as her entire body started to relax.

Jecob chuckled. "To keep you to myself? Who wouldn't?" he asked playfully, smiling against her skin. "Oh, but I shouldn't get too excited. You won't know for sure if that's something you want until the Fates decide it so on your birthday." he teased, sitting back from her again.

Ravyn gently elbowed him in the ribs. "Hey... It's not like I want them controlling me but... if we kept going like this and weren't mated and I ended up falling in love with you and some day you came across your mate... I don't want that kind of pain in my life."

"I think you put far too much trust in the fates to make these decisions for you," Jecob said, though he knew he'd said it once or twice before already. "I have already made the decision of who I want as a mate, and the fates had nothing to do with it." He kissed her, even as he rubbed the sore spot where her elbow connected with his ribs.

Ravyn inhaled sharply, her face flooding with red seconds before he kissed her. No one had ever shown her such love and kindness in all her life. Sure the Peltier's had taken her in when she was younger but to be someone only... it was the most amazing feeling in the world. Carefully she maneuvered so she was straddling his lap and stared into his eyes. "You're amazing, you know that?"

He chuckled up at her, his hands settling on her round hips and the slight swell of her backside. "I try," he said playfully and pulled her down for another kiss, breathing in her scent and giving a happy groan at the weight of her on his lap.

She moaned softly against his lips, parting her own so she could slide her tongue out and flick against his, wanting entrance. At the same time she carefully rolled her hips, grinding herself down against him. She hadn't met to get herself riled up but the moment she'd straddled him she'd become instantly aroused.

He groaned back up at her, his hands' grips tightening on the flesh of her hips slightly. He pulled her down against him as well when she ground on him, and he felt himself grow steadily and quickly hard beneath her. He opened his mouth for her at the same time, welcoming her tongue against his with a growl.

Ravyn loved the feel of his hands gripping her hips. It only drove her desire higher. Slipping her tongue into his mouth she tangled it with his as she moved her hips so that his tip was at her entrance. With a deep inhale she lowered herself onto him until he was deep within her. A deep moan escaped her lips as she grabbed tightly to his biceps. Breaking their kiss she panted softly, staring into his eyes as she slowly began to raise and lower herself on him. "Gods you go so deep in this position..."

"And you're so tight like this," Jecob purred up at her with a small grin. He groaned and his eyes fluttered closed, his head leaning back against the lip of the tub. He helped her move, but he made sure those movements were slow and careful so as not to spill water out of the tub. "Fuck, Ravyn..." he gasped.

She arched her back slightly as she threw her head back, her moans echoing off of the tiled floor. "Feels so good..." She whimpered as her movements quickened. Before they had been gentle and loving with one another but in this position she felt such pleasure she couldn't help but speed up her movements, thrusting him deeply into her. "Fuck, yes..." she panted heavily.

He loved it when she moaned like that. It made his blood hot. He watched her face, her body, the way she moved and breathed and the faces she made in her pleasure. "Fuck it," he finally decided, no longer caring about making a mess of the water on the floor. He clutched her hips and began to thrust up into her in time with her rises and drops on his lap, groaning and growling in ecstasy as he drove into her and water began to slosh out of the tub around them.

Ravyn gasped loudly at his sudden change of mood. Her hands gripped tightly to his shoulders as she tried to focus on his golden eyes. "Jecob!" She cried out in pleasure as he drove himself into her. She gently leaned her forehead against his as she moaned and grunted with every thrust. "Yes... Gods, Jecob... take me..." Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment as those words slipped from her lips. It had just come out on instinct.

His golden eyes flashed at her eagerly. Take her? Well, if she insisted. But it was hard to move in the water like this. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her hotly, then moved to stand, hugging her to him tightly as he did. He stood and stepped out of the tub carefully so as not to slip on the water they had already spilled on the floor, and then carried her into the bedroom. He dropped her onto her back on the bed and crawled over her, wasting no time in plunging himself back into her with a deep growl. He kissed her hotly, nipped her lip with his teeth, then buried his face into her shoulder while his hand slid between them to toy with her.

She yelped against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She was surprised when he lifted them out of the water and carried her into the bedroom. When he dropped her she stared up at him until he plunged into her. Arching her back she gave a loud moan before it was silenced with his kiss. She threw her arms and legs around him, opening herself wider so that he could go as deep as possible. Burying one of her hands into his hair she moaned softly into his ear. "Oh fuck yes... Mmmm... Oh Jecob..." She nuzzled her cheek against him, inhaling sharply as she felt him toy with her most sensitive little nub. "Fuck!"

"Cum for me, Ravyn..." Jecob whispered hotly in her ear, nipping the lobe and rocking his hips deep into her. She had told him to take her, and that's what he was doing. He had every intention of making her scream his name as she came for him. It would take everything in him not to bite her as he finished.

Her moans grew in volume as she was consumed by pleasure but it was his words that sent her over the edge. Telling her to cum for him was a huge trigger for her. Throwing her head back as her body tensed, the walls of her pussy began contracting violently around his cock as she unleashed a scream so full of pleasure. "Oh... oh... oh God, Jecob!" She clenched her hands into fists, not wanting to hurt him by digging her nails into his back.

He clenched his teeth and groaned deeply as he felt her body clamp down on him. He jerked his hips a few more times, grunting as he enjoyed the feel of her milking him just before he let himself go, flooding her insides with his warm seed and falling still above her. His mouth was so close to her shoulder... his teeth hurt. He wanted to bite her so badly. He resisted, though, and kissed her instead, before lowering his forehead against her shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as he retracted his hand from between them.

She groaned softly as she felt him filling her with his warm seed. She knew at the moment it couldn't get her pregnant but just the feeling was arousing. Once her body calmed from the orgasm she sighed gently. She ached from how much her body had tightened during her orgasm but it was a good ache, a delicious ache. She gently ran her hands up and down his back as he laid his forehead against her shoulder. Turning her head slightly, she kissed his temple, sighing contently.

He relaxed heavily atop her, just breathing for a few moments as he grew soft within her. After a bit, he carefully pulled himself free of her with a small groan and rolled to lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in against him. He nuzzled his face in against her cheek and kissed the corner of her mouth before settling down again. Sleep overcame him quickly. He had told her once before that he gets tired after sex and only likes to sleep.

Ravyn smiled lovingly as she watched him slowly drift off to sleep. She glanced over at the clock and sighed softly. In less than 12 hours they'd find out of if they were truly mates, though she didn't really need clarification. She knew, deep down, that he was her mate. Nuzzling close, she laid her head on the crook of his shoulder and quickly dozed off.