Beauty Within (Battleship44 & darkangel76)

Rake leaned against her ever so softly as she wrapped her arms around him, and pressed another kiss against his lips. He was finally giving in to her pleads, not because she begged, but because he trusted her, he…felt it was finally alright to just admit his pains…to lean on her so he can recover, and take her to lean on him. Rake slowly slipped down to lie down again, but this time, he gently placed his head on Lizzie’s lap.

His arm wrapped around her waist, and his body and head turned to face her belly, leaning against it gently as he muffed his words abit. He pressed her into him, speaking softly. “I need you to help me…I…cant ask anyone else but you…If I could…I wouldn’t ask anyone but you…” He kissed at her belly gently, rubbing against her abit more in an affectionate manner.

“My muscles are just, giving out…I over-heated…that’s what we call it in the pride. It can be deadly if it catches you off guard, or alone…basically it happens if…we work, run, or put an effort into something so much, our human body traits collide with our animal ones…and..we break down for a while.”

He leaned against her abit more, making himself comfortable on his lap. “I’m…really happy your with me…so don’t you dare put a drop of blame on yourself. You’re the best thing IN my life…so I’ll gladly trade it for you…any day.” He smiled and looked up at her for a moment, his eyes reassuring her he’ll try his best to recover despite his words. “I love you…I really, really love you..” his smile widened abit more at her, his well being rested in her hands. He trusted her with his life, as she did him.

Lizzie smiled as Rake finally told her the problem. Men. No matter what they were or where they came from they always seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Or so it seemed to her anyway.

Shaking her head a little, Lizzie hugged Rake close, her eyes tearing up as she stroked his hair, his back. She was beyond happy that he finally gave in, showing her that he trusted her, believed in her, felt that he could indeed rely on her. It meant the world to Lizzie. It was such a simple thing, but the simplest of things usually were the ones that held the most meaning.

“Thank you,” Lizzie whispered as her tears spilled down her cheeks. “Thank you for trusting in me.” She hugged Rake closer still. “You have no idea how much that means to me…” her voice trailed as it wavered a little. Taking a deep breath, she gently nudged Rake’s head so that he had to look into her eyes. “I love you.”

Lizzie leaned down and gave Rake another kiss on the lips. Gently, she stroked his face, brushing his hair away from his face, running her fingers through his hair, caressing his chest. She hummed softly as she continued giving him the softest of touches, letting him know that she was there with him, that she’d do whatever he needed to help him through the over-heat.

“What can I do to help you, Rake? Is there anything that helps ease the pain?” Lizzie asked. “Whatever you need, I’ll see that it’s done. I swear that to you on my life.”

Rake smiled at Lizzie so she continued to give him soft touches, gently rubbing his skin and kneading his muscles. He still looked feverish, so she thought more water might be helpful.

“You look like you need more water,” Lizzie said. “I’ll be right back. It’s only a couple feet away.”

Lizzie smiled at Rake reassuringly and positioned him so that he could watch her as she got the water for him. She hoped that if he could see her, it would help keep him calm. She filled up the large leaf with the cool water and brought it back over to Rake for him to drink.

“Here, my love. Please, drink more water. You’re still with fever,” Lizzie said softly.

Rake drank the water that Lizzie brought him. Once finished, she laid his head back in her lap and she resumed caressing his body once more, hoping that it soothed him if even a little bit. She saw him close his eyes, so she began to lightly hum, hoping to relax him further and help ease his pain.

Rake did nothing but smile innocently upwards at his woman as she teared up from joy. He never thaught in a million years that just this bit of honesty would move her so much, would mean so much to her. But he smiled, wider when she made him look into her eyes and told him she loved him. Before he could even mutter his love for her in return, her lips were pressed against his own. All her actions did their best to comfort him, cradling his head on her lap, touching and caressing it, playing with his hair softly to make sure he knows she’s there.

“I know, you need some more water.” She said, and rake gave her a brief nod, and her smile reassured him she’d be back. Never the less, it was hard to see her leave…only for the brief moment. When she returned, she brought the leaf to his lips, and he took in all the water just to not waste her efforts. Rake raised his hand, and leaned her down to press her lips against his own once more, giving her one of his most affectionate and passionate kisses yet. His hand held her cheek softly, brushing all the tears away from her soft skin. His hair fell over his eyes once more, almost teasingly begging her to play wth it again despite Rake’s annoyance with his “mane”.

“I love you.” He whispred to her, kissing at her lips once again before smiling. “Don’t cry…I promise I’ll get better as long as your with me…I’ll never leave you, and I don’t want to ever leave you…my heart was hurting just because you left for a minute to get the water.” He turned to his side once more, and softly buried his head in her lap, facing her belly, kissing at it softly once again and hugging her tightly. “You can even be the mother of my cubs one day…I cant do something as stupid as dying when you’re here…I love you, I love you way too much…and I’m serious, all I need is your care, your touch…and I’ll be fine by tomorrow…just don’t leave me, beauty.”

Lizzie smiled as she watched Rake kiss her belly and wrap his arms around her waist. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, doing the best she could to soothe him.

“I’ll never leave you, Rake. I mean that,” Lizzie said with great sincerity. “I can’t explain it, but after we mated, something inside me came alive.” She shook her head trying to understand it. Because everything that was happening to her, everything she was feeling, was so unlike her. It was almost as if her past relationships were fated to be doomed, that she was never meant to be with another human, but a shapeshifter all along. “All I know is that since we came together I feel like I’m connected to you somehow. And I know that I will do everything in my power to stay by your side.”

Lizzie hugged Rake closer, one hand in his hair, the other lightly scratching his back. She chuckled softly after pausing for a few brief moments. “And trust me. I plan to live a long life with you. And…” her voice trailed as a smile crept over her lips. “And I do plan to be the mother of your cubs. Nothing would make me happier.”

Rake twisted a little in Lizzie’s lap so that he could look up at her once more. She couldn’t quite read his expression, but something deep inside her told her that he was happy to hear her say such things. And she meant every word she uttered. Every last one.

“So,” Lizzie spoke. “You had better rest up and take it easy then.” She paused and laughed softly. “And drink water when I tell you too. I want you better sooner than later. All right?”

Lizzie touched Rake’s cheek lightly with her delicate fingers as she smiled at him. She was glad that he was letting her soothe him, help him. And she was glad that he was telling her what was on his mind. It added to his everything and only made her love him that much more.

Rake blinked a little bit at her words, he honestly didn’t know she would be so eager to mother his cubs one day. It made him smile up at her suddenly, with an expression of both gratitude and love. He raised his hand up as she ordered him playfully to drink, and asked what else she could do to make him feel better. He pressed his lips against her own before she could even finish, locking them for a few moments in a passionate kiss. He only broke it to smile at her once again.

“I feel a little better already because you’re here.” He pulled himself up just abit, and skidded back to rest his back against the rock. He pulled Lizzie with him, bringing her on his lap and resting her back against his chest. “I feel well enough to have you sit against me for a while…I love you, beauty.” His head inched down, and he pressed soft kisses against her neck.

“Actually…I have something for you.” He leaned back abit and reached into his pocket, pulling out a string. He then took out a broken claw from his paw, and wrapped the string around it, then reached around her neck and tied the string around it. Smiling, he leaned his head down once again and pressed kisses against her neck. “This is…somewhat of a token…like, a symbol to represent my feelings…we don’t do this much in our pride but…I think…humans call it a wedding ring? Or marriage or something?...of Corse this isn’t really a ring but…Ill work with what I have.”

He let a chuckle escape him, the seriousness of what this meant wasn’t really clear to him, but it was the same feelings, and same commitments, all given to her.

Lizzie felt her breath catch as Rake tied the necklace around her neck. It was such a simple thing for him to do, yet it meant so very much to her. And much more so than any silly piece of metal or precious stone ever could. This token was indeed Rake, a part of him that he was giving to her. In her eyes it was more precious than anything, other than children, that he could ever give her.

“Rake, this is wonderful,” Lizzie stated, her voice full of such emotion that it wavered a little bit. “You have no idea.” She paused and looked into Rake’s eyes. “With humans, to do such a thing is like making a promise. One that should never be broken. I absolutely love it.” Smiling, she gave him another quick kiss and leaned into him, nuzzling him a little as she did so.

Lizzie sat there in silence for several long minutes, enjoying the feel of Rake’s body so close to her own. She could stay like this with him forever. But, despite what he said, he was indeed still recovering. Though, it did make her happy to hear that her presence alone seemed to help him. She wondered if that was really true or not or just in part or not at all. Regardless, if it made him happy, then she was too. But that didn’t mean she’d brush off giving him what he needed to recover.

Giving Rake’s hair a playful brush with one hand, the other gently caressing the new ‘pendant’ she wore, Lizzie sat up and tilted her head. “You need more water and something to eat.” She looked about the oasis and saw a tree that had fruit on it.

Lizzie got up and picked some fruit and brought it over to set by Rake. She then refilled the large leaf with water from the small pool. Carefully, she brought the leaf over to him and had him drink from it. Then, she picked up a piece of fruit, rubbing at it with the base of her top, cleaning it off. Once she was satisfied with how clean the fruit was, she handed it to Rake. “Here, eat this. You need it.”

Lizzie was so happy to be helping Rake with his recovery. He did indeed seem a bit better than he’d been when they first arrived at the oasis. She hoped that he continued down that path of recovery because seeing him better, if even only by a little bit, made her heart feel light.

“When you’re done with the fruit, you should rest up some,” Lizzie said. She touched Rake’s forehead with her hand. “Your fever seems to have improved a little, but still. You need to rest. When you wake up, you can have some more water and fruit.” She touched his hair, brushing it away from his eyes. “And maybe after that, we can go for a swim in the water. I’m sure it’ll be refreshing and help cool you off even more.” Smiling, she waited for his response.

Rake did nothing but smile widely at her reaction to the necklace he softly placed around her neck, she turned her head and kissed him softly, and he held her ever so tightly into him, like she was everything and all he had. She was his love, his mate, his entire reason for living. If this token meant an unbreakable promise to humans then that’s just exactly what it meant for him too. “I love you, dummy…I’d gladly marry you if I was human, and right now we’re mated…which is basically the same thing.”

He smiled a little bit playfully, and kissed at her neck ever so affectionately and passionately. He knew he was still hurt however, and nodded at her words as she sat up. He didn’t want to let go of her for a moment, but he let her finally as she insisted. She went and picked some fruit and water for him, and he tilted his head oddly when she came back and sat in his lap. Before he even drank or ate, he held her in his arms, just holding on tightly to her. But then he looked up and drank all the water first, before pausing to look at the fruit with a weird expression.

He was a lion after all…it was abit…odd for him to eat fruit. “Mmm…de..licious..” he said while gritting his teeth tightly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. He slowly leaned over and took a bite of the fruit, munching on it abit, making sure to swallow so he doesn’t waste her efforts. But he couldn’t help it, he playfully buried his face in her neck and shook his head, trying to chew as best he can. “this is…oh my god.” He laughed abit, but leaned up and took the rest of the fruit, bite by bite until it was over. Soon enough, his head fell on her shoulder suddenly, when she looked, he was asleep. Rake was tierd enough that he didn’t even get a chance to kiss her before his body gave out on him, and rested on her, leaning on her, depended on her for the night.

Lizzie smiled as Rake drank all the water. He more than needed it, that much was plain. But she still worried for him. He needed rest and some food to help him gain back some strength. As she handed him the fruit, his expression turned confused. She didn’t quite understand it, but he then took a bite.

“Mmm… de… licious,” Rake said, his expression odd once more.

Lizzie wondered if maybe he didn’t like the fruit, that perhaps she’d picked a kind he wasn’t fond of. ‘Oh god,’ she thought to herself. But Rake leaned in and took another bite, chewing it slowly and swallowing it down. And all with a smile, no less. But she couldn’t shake the fact that his expression was still rather odd.

Rake suddenly buried his face against Lizzie’s neck. She touched the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. ‘He hates it,’ she thought to herself. ‘He’s eating it for me.’ She wanted to die she felt so embarrassed.

“This is… oh my god,” came Rake’s muffled voice. He let out a small laugh before sitting back up to finish the fruit Lizzie had given him.

Lizzie could feel that her cheeks were red and hot. She was embarrassed. Rake didn’t like her choice in fruit and he was sparing her, her feelings. It was sweet, but she didn’t want to feed him something he hated. Eventually, he rested his head against her shoulder and fell asleep.

The quiet sound of Rake’s breathing was comforting to Lizzie. He sounded much better and that made her feel better. As she held him, she caressed his back lightly, every so often giving him a small squeeze. She sat quietly thinking over how sweet he’d been to just eat what she’d given him without complaint. Next time, she’d choose better.

Lizzie looked around the oasis and saw a few different fruit trees. As she looked at them, she wondered which one Rake would like best. She then looked down upon him and smiled. Then, it hit her.

“Stupid, Lizzie,” Lizzie said aloud, but to herself. It suddenly dawned on her and immediately she felt her cheeks redden even more than before.

Rake was a lion. A carnivore. The humiliation Lizzie felt for making such a blunder was great, but he hadn’t say a word. Instead, he took what she offered, showed her affection, gratitude. Realizing that it must’ve been difficult for him to give her such a reaction only made her love him more.

“I love you. I’m sorry about the fruit,” Lizzie whispered as she gave Rake a kiss on the forehead. She gave him a squeeze and let her own body drift off into sleep along with him.

Rake’s arms almost immediately wrapped around Lizzie’s harder when she kissed at him, and told him she loved him. It was pure instinct, he didn’t need to be awake to feel her affection. He held on as tightly as he possibly could, pressing her back against his chest and leaning her head on her shoulder a little deeper, almost burying it in it, taking comfort in her touch as he drifted to sleep. Not a worry was on his mind, despite his condition, despite his fever…he felt safe.

****

The morning sun hit Rake straight in the eyes once again, forcing him awake as dawn hit the skies. His eyes slowly fluttered open, blinking in confusion. Last thing he remembered was eating fruit…he must have fallen asleep on her again, he thought. He looked down, and there she was; a beauty in his arms, sleeping comfortably against him.


Rake was feeling much better than the day before, in fact he was almost at completely recovered thanks to her efforts. He leaned down his head, and slipped his hands into her own. His lips touched her neck, kissing and nipping at her soft skin slowly to wake her up.


He wanted her to feel him…to know she was the reason he’s better, to wake up to his lips and his touch. Rake snuggled her up into him even further, raising her up comfortably to sit up against his chest, their legs crossing as he placed her in his lap.

“Morning beauty…”

he smiled at her as she began to wake, his lips greeting her own with an affectionate morning kiss. Technically, this was their first day as “newly weds”, not just mates anymore. Their bond was stronger, he loved her more and more with each passing minute. Rake raised her up a little more, and buried her face against him, shielding her from the sudden flash of light from the rising sun.


“I just realized…I owe my life to you, beauty…without you taking care of me I wouldn’t have made it through the night.” He smiled further, and kissed her again and again. “Thank you..”

Lizzie opened her golden eyes and smiled. Rake looked so much healthier, so much stronger, than he did the night before. It made her happy to see him looking so well. And it was made even better when he began kissing and nipping at her with great passion and affection.

Almost immediately, Lizzie could feel her body stirring. She could feel that baser side of herself, a side she never knew to be there, come alive and ignite like the brightest burning flame of fire. Her skin flushed a deep shade of pink and she could feel a dull throb beginning to grow between her legs.

“You’re welcome,” Lizzie said, her cheeks turning red. “Sorry, about the fruit,” she added, casting her eyes away from him for a moment, letting him know that she was embarrassed at having made such a mistake. “But I’m so glad you’re doing better.”

Lizzie gave Rake a hug and kissed him deeply on the lips. Before pulling away, she took his lower lip between her teeth and bit down a little bit. Her eyes slightly hooded, she giggled and broke away from his embrace.

Glancing over her shoulder at Rake, Lizzie began to slowly take off her clothes. Once naked, she didn’t turn around. Instead, she slowly submerged herself within the cool waters of the small nearby pool. Her body hidden beneath the waters, she turned around to face Rake.

“Are you going to join me? Or are you going to just sit there?” Lizzie asked coyly. She could see that Rake was already aroused and that’s exactly what she was hoping. She wanted to be with him. To be close to him… as his wife.

Rake’s eyes flashed with a glare of excitement as he could feel her getting aroused as he was. She slept on his lap all night, so he was already ready and erect from the get-go. All he needed was to ask her, but she beat him to the punch…in a way. Before she rose, she apologized about the fruit, and he laughed abit and shook his head.

“Don’t even mention it…I ate it still, no?”

his answer was quite naughty, having her turn her head and place a passionate kiss over his lips, pulling back to bite on his lower lip seductively. Rake grinned widely at the suggestive actions, his hands trailed her body before she slipped out of his grasp. She got up and took off all her clothes, but instead of what he expected, she walked all the way to the water and jumped in, submerging himself from his sights. Her sly way of asking him to come and join her made his erection even harder, he could feel his body tingle with excitement and anticipation.

“Like hell I’ll let you have your fun alone.”

His grin widened, and he got up to undress himself. He took the pair of leather shorts he had on and threw them to the side, exposing his full naked body to Lizzie, and his erection aswell. His size, his length, everything was enough of an indication to clue her of his excitement and lust for her. Rake took a little bit of a jog towards the water, and dove into it gracefully, splashing water playfully all over Lizzie.


He stayed submerged for a long while, to her surprise. Enough that it would make her wonder if he drowned or something. But before she knew it, he popped up suddenly right infront of her, and locked her lips with his own. His body was bare inches away from hers, and he got his hands to slip down to her thighs, and wrap her legs around his waist, carrying her through the water while he kissed her. She could feel his length grind up against her, eager to take her right there where they stood, Rake breaking the kiss only to speak.


“Now will my wife allow me to take her as a husband should…passionate and rough in the morning of their new life..” It wasn’t so much a question, as much as it was informing her of what he wanted to do to her. He needed to feel her against him again, he craved, lusted, begged for the chance.

Lizzie could hear herself letting out small moans as Rake kissed her, grinded himself against her as he carried her through the waters. He felt wonderful against her, perfect. Like they truly were meant to be one… shapeshifter and human.

Resting her forehead against Rake’s, Lizzie closed her golden eyes. She could feel his skin sliding against hers as the water splashed up around them a little bit. She could feel how aroused he was and it set her entire body on fire. The ache between her legs was growing and she knew full well had they been back on land, she’d be dripping for him, letting him see just what he did to her by touching her, kissing her. Just by being nearby.

Lizzie opened her eyes and smiled. “I give all of myself to you, Rake. Now and always. Just you.” Her voice was husky, full of both love and lust. She wanted him and she wanted him to take her. Right there in the water. She needed him.

Lizzie pressed her lips against Rake’s, moving them desperately over his, slipping her tongue between his lips to make the kiss deeper. She wanted to taste him on her tongue, in her mouth. She wanted to be as close as she could to him.

Slowly, Lizzie began to buck her hips against Rake, letting him know just how eager she was to be joined with him. And not just out of lust, though it was strong. But also out of love, a love deeper than she ever could have imagined possible. It still scared her how quickly she fell in love with her shapeshifter. In the past, she’d laughed at such things. But the emotions that stirred within her with Rake… it was indescribable and she never wanted to let go of it.

“Mmmm…” Lizzie said as she pulled away from Rake, looking deeply into his eyes, her hips still bucking against his. “I give myself to you, my mate… my husband.”

Rake smirked playfully at her words, all of them striking both anxiousness and love within him. She bucked her hips against his roughly, he body language, her comments, her breath, her posture, everything about her expressed her desire for him, the one he shared so wildly. She called him her husband, offered herself to him completely, eagerly, and it only drove him further into his lust and his passion towards her.

His hands held her thighs tighter and he pulled her up further against him, walking with her in the water abit more until he back was against a palm tree that rose from the bottom of the water, strangely enough. It’s just what he needed, a base to support her on so he can have her right where they stood. His lips trailed her neck further, and placed kisses and bites all over her body. From shoulder to neck, she was now marked with bites from the previous days, and now fresh ones. His scent on her was renewed, his smell, his heat, everything that was him, he now gave to her, and without restraint. His breath got quicker just from the kisses, and the passion put behind them, his tongue licking at her lips occasionally, before his lips sealed with a kiss against her own. His next last words were whispers, closely against her ear as his length rubbed against her further, expressing his desire and its suppression just to speak.

“Just leave it to my wife to get me from injured, to completely healthy, and above all, driven with lust and passion towards her…I wont even wait till we’re out of the water, I’m taking you here, as you asked and as I wished.”


His words ended with the shooting pleasure of his member finally pushing into her, slowly grinding his way through, filling her with his impressive size once again. The water made it easier, simpler…more pleasurable, but he could feel her own wetness within her, begging for him to penetrate deeper, her desire matching his own. His hips began rocking against her ass in the water, thrusting him now into her over and over, developing a pace as his lips returned to her neck.

Lizzie threw her head back a little as she felt Rake enter her, stretching her, sliding in even more easily because of the water. She could feel the heat rising in her core, her juices pooling despite the water they were in.

Rake’s scent hit Lizzie’s nose almost right away. It was strong and despite her dulled human senses, she knew it was him. And she could feel it seeping into each and every pore of her skin. The idea of his scent marking her only made her hotter, made her wetter. She bucked her hips along with each of his thrusts, begging for him to go harder, deeper.

“I love the feel of you, Rake,” Lizzie whispered, her voice full of passion.

Lizzie shivered as Rake worked his mouth over her neck, nipping, kissing, licking. She could feel the marks forming on her skin and she loved it, wanted more of them. She wanted everyone to know that she was his. She clutched onto his shoulders and dug her nails into his flesh as he thrust in and out over and over and over again.

Leaning forward a little, Lizzie let out loud moans of pleasure. She reached one hand up and buried her fingers deep within Rake’s hair. She tugged on it a little, causing him to look up into her golden, lust-filled eyes. Immediately, she placed her lips against his, kissing him hard. She then nipped at his jawline, his neck. Finally, she bit down on his shoulder, whimpers escaping her lips as he continued to thrust. She truly was in complete ecstasy.

“Take me, Rake. I’m yours forever.”

Rake leaned into the passionate, whimper-filled kiss as she dug her hand into his hair, and pulled his face up to kiss him, suppressing his moans against her lips as his thrusts got harder and harder against her. Her nails dug into his skin, the sharp pain edging him further, propelling him to thrust deeper and harder into Lizzie. His hands slipped down and got a firm hold on her ass, pushing her bucked hips against his thrusting length, penetrating her deeper and deeper as she moaned, ecstasy running through their bodies.


The water rippled around them, and the palm tree itself shook with each powerful thrust he sent into her. She had told him to take her like a lioness before, like his real wife, and so he was. Without restraint, without containment, he pushed harder and harder, quicker and deeper at each order and moan. His length pulsed further, and its size grew abit as he walls tightened around his length, begging for more thrusts, for even harder pounds against her. Rake finally let his lips loose from her own, his tongue licking at hers for a moment before he left, and lowered his head to her breasts. His tongue circled her nipple for a moment, before he began to suck and lick at it roughly, his thrusts only getting deeper as the pace increased, stretching and filling her further.


Each time he wanted to moan, he only suppressed it with a rougher lick, a lengthened suck on her breasts. His own nails dug into her ass a little bit more, powerfully driving himself harder and harder, creating small waves around them from pure force. He whispered a few words from his occupied lips, refusing to leave her as he sucked even harder.

“Harder…I need you harder, I want my wife even more..”

Lizzie’s eyes rolled back at Rake’s word. She wanted him to take her with all that he had. She wanted to be his completely, for him to never have any doubts about where she felt she belonged, who she wanted to be with.

“Oh god,” Lizzie whimpered as Rake continued to thrust inside her, so deeply she didn’t think they could get any closer.

The feel of Rake deep inside her, his mouth on her breasts, his hands clawing at her backside, it was all so overwhelming. It was as if Lizzie’s senses were on overload, yet begging and craving for more, as much as he could give. She could feel small bruises and welts forming everywhere he bit, everywhere he sucked. And she relished the sweet pain mixed with the pleasure of their joining. Plus, the thought of everyone seeing such marks on her flesh made her body come alive even more, wanting, thirsting… needing.

Lizzie bucked her hips as hard as she could against Rake, taking in of him as much as her body would allow. Her moans grew in intensity. Louder, breathier, so very desperate. With him she truly felt beautiful, felt desired, felt loved. It was the most amazing cocktail of emotions and sensations she’d ever experienced.

Heat rising from deep within her core, her clit throbbing from Rake’s thrusts, Lizzie didn’t think she could take much more. She covered his face with kisses, giving him small nips as she did so. “I love you, Rake. My husband, my mate,” she rasped desperately. She could feel herself getting closer to the edge, nearly ready to fall as the water splashed all around them.

Lizzie’s hands moved up and down Rake’s back, scratching into his skin as her senses went haywire from both lust and love. Oh how she loved and adored her shapeshifter, her mate, her husband. Her Rake. Another series of moans and whimpers escaped her lips as Rake continued his ministrations to her body, lavishing it with the attention it craved.

“Oh god!” Lizzie shouted out again. She was so close, but she wanted Rake there with her. She wanted them both to fall into the realm of ecstasy together. “Your wife is going to cum soon,” she then said in a breathy whisper. She hoped her words were only spur him on, make him join her on the edge and then take the plunge with her.

Emotion, power, lust, every single feeling of pleasure and need erupted in Rake as her reactions to his thrusts fueled him even further, sparked everything he had missing for the last, incredible part of the whole thing. She moaned louder, calling his name, her husband’s name, her mate’s name. She begged for more, bucked her hips against his thrusts so hard that his new, grown length filled every little inch of her with every powerful push inside her, with every pant the pace picked up, joining them harshly, drowning them in lust and passion.

No one else would share these moments, no one else would take her like this, no one else would know the Euphoric feelings they spawned from being within one another. His lips tightened a little bit around her breast, before finally letting it go to let out his first loud roar, indicating his limits finding their end soon.

Conveniently, she scratched and clawed at her back as his nails dug into her backside even further, moaning and screaming loudly at the thrusts, before her pant-filled whispers struck his ear, his wife was going to cum soon. A fire sparked all over in Rake, he lifted her ass even further, stepping even closer into her, and thrusting harder and quicker than he had yet, ending the mating with all his power and ability. His body pressed tightly against hers, his lips locking with her own and placing passionate kisses against her, his body heat growing and his muscles pulsing, holding her like the god’s themselves ordred him to.

“I’m…Ugh!” Last words of desperation, trying to contain himself for as much pleasure as possible, not wanting to lose the heat of the moment, not wanting to let it end just yet, but it was too late.


“Take it…take your husband in you..!” his whispers were quick and striking, not a moment sooner his length hardened and grew even further, his emotions and feelings, the passion and lust, all erupting from his tip and shooting off inside her, filling her as much as she would take, the rest dripping out into the water as she milked him for every single drop he had.

Lizzie felt herself fall over the edge into complete and total bliss the moment Rake spoke. His words, his touch, his passion as he moved against her were her undoing. Muscles tightening, pulsing hard, pulling him deeper, she let out a scream as waves of sheer pleasure washed over her again and again like the rippling waves they were creating in the pool of water. Her entire body shook as she continued to ride him, trying to take in as much as she could before her muscles decided to relax on her.

Lizzie felt every involuntary contraction of Rake’s length within her, filling her up fully. She could feel his seed erupt deep within her body and it made the pleasure that much more intense, that much more wonderful. She truly didn’t want the moment to end. The only thing allowing her to succumb to the wondrous sensations of her slowly diminishing orgasm was knowing that she’d be able to do it again. Be this close to Rake again. And again and again. As many times as he would have her.

Her body settling, Lizzie leaned forward and gave Rake a gentle kiss against his lips. It was a stark contrast to their love making only moments ago. But she wanted him to know how much she truly cared. How much she loved him. She broke away and nuzzled against his neck, her hands working their way up into his hair, fingers twirling it with a playful tenderness.

“You’re amazing, Rake. My husband.” Lizzie loved the sound of calling Rake that. She knew she’d never get tired of it. But she was afraid that she was in a beautiful dream where she might wake up.

Rake’s brother was still out there. And so was his father, not to mention the rest of his pride. What would they think when Rake present her to them. She’s already seen how Reynard had handled it. And that hadn’t gone over well at all. So, naturally, she feared his father even more.

Trying to push her fears aside, at least for the moment, Lizzie hugged Rake. Her arms wrapping themselves around his neck, showing him the affection she was feeling towards him. She hoped he didn’t notice her fears in meeting the rest of his family and his pride. For he already had enough to worry about without adding that to everything else already before him.

The feeling of her soft lips pressing against his own, in the final affectionate gesture throughout the panting and heavy breathing brought a wide smile on Rake’s face, returning it as best as he could while she complimented him. This was probably more fierce than the last time, and the best he’d ever been with a woman, and on top of that, his wife.

She wrapped herself around him even more, pushing him against her as she leaned into him, and hugged him tightly, her fingers holding his hair while her lips caressed his neck. He could feel just the slightest fear she had, he could sense it, he was within her, and even if he wasn’t he could tell when his own wife was un-certain or afraid. His hands slid from her behind, and wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her into him tighter and squeezing her gently, his lips kissing at her own neck, and licking the bite marks he left on her.

“I only did so well because my wife gave me strength to do so…if it was anyone else, I would not have bothred…the gods themselves cannot take you away from me…I’ll protect you.” He smiled against her neck once more, his warm breath flowing over her neck as he kissed at it gently, the water around them warm and calm now, the sun in the middle of the sky shinning on their bodies, sweat flowing down the ebony skin.


Rake raised a hand to brush his wet hair from his face a moment, and softly continue to lick at her neck and shoulder affectionately, comforting her as a lion would his mate. His hands began caressing her gently, his length still within her, connecting them for as long as he could, the feeling was being savored. “I love my wife…and not my brother, nor my entire pride can do anything about it, you’re my woman, and that’s it.”

Lizzie felt her entire body get warm at Rake’s words. The comfort they held for her was astounding. It was exactly what she needed to hear. As he held her tightly, she let her mind drift a little. She smiled as she thought about the life she left behind. It was funny… in a way, she didn’t miss it at all. She did miss her own mother, but everything else was a small blur. And she let out a little chuckle at the thought of what Marcus Wellman’s face looked like when she hadn’t shown up for her job a few days ago. He was probably beyond angry, though she felt that it served him right given the way he treated her.

The new life Lizzie was starting with Rake held so much mystery and intrigue and she found herself wanting to learn all that she could about it. About shapeshifters, the fight they seemed to have with the wolves, how and why his pride acted as it did. She was afraid still as well though. Afraid of Rake’s brother, his father, the lioness he’d been betrothed to and had blatantly rejected. She wondered how all of that would fare for them. She didn’t think it would go over very well, but she hoped. And by having Rake’s full support and unconditional love, she knew that whatever happened it would all be worth it in the end.

Lizzie pulled back a little and looked into Rake’s eyes. “It’s nice hearing you call me that.” She brought a hand up to his face and gently caressed his cheek. “And you read me well,” she said with a small smile. “I am afraid of your family, your pride. Even that lioness you were supposed to settle with. But with you next to me, I find the courage I need to get through that.” She leaned against his shoulder and nuzzled him. “With you, I can do anything and will.”

Closing her eyes, Lizzie relished the closeness she was sharing with Rake. She could still feel him deep inside her, the sensation of it wonderful. So intimate. She could stay joined to him forever.

“So, what do you think will happen later when I meet your father?” Lizzie asked, jumping back to the reality that she and Rake soon needed to face. “What of that lioness?” She knew that the lioness would probably be angry. Women had a way of taking things personally like that. And given that Rake and she had had intimate relations in the past, in a way, she couldn’t blame her. She wondered how things had been between them just prior to their own meeting. She hoped that there’d been some distance between them. It would help make things a little easier. But then again, she didn’t know. The ways of the shapeshifters was new to her and she had no idea as to how much of an affect her being with Rake would have on them all.

He leaned into her hand softly when she brought it up to his cheek, and caressed it gently, letting her fingers run along his skin, touching him ever so softly to comfort him. He smiled when she leaned into his shoulder and nuzzled it further, nodding a little against her in reply to her questions. His body instinctively tightened against her own, clinging on to her almost as he carried her against him in the water.

The sweet, savored, passionate moments began fading away despite the remaining love and affection, regardless of how good this was they still had to meet with the pride, and soon before the moon replaces the sun. Rake took the moment to begin explaining everything to her, holding onto her ever so tightly as he did, his words…no, his whispers were slipped in between affectionate kisses and bites against her neck, marking and comforting her further.

“I’m sorry, my love…I forgot you got dragged into this quite suddenly…you don’t know much about what surrounds my life, despite our dedication…you know my soul is yours, my body and heart are yours to own…but it might take abit more than the instinctive attraction we had to put some sense into their minds.”


Rake’s hand slid up her back, and ran through her hair gently, the wet drops of water slowly sliding down her back and over his hands as he took in a breath, enjoying her own scent and smell as he spoke. “Jade, the Lioness, can be…really, really sensitive and jealous…but she’s easily bypassed and avoided, I wont let her touch a hair on your body, I swear”



He smiled a little, and took her from the palm tree, walking over to a shallower area, before removing himself from her, turning her gently, and sitting on the sand, her back pressed tightly against his chest as his lips returned to her neck, naked bodies against each other.
“The safest plan is to try and convince my mother…she’s the open, understanding one…true, for a lion that’s not much but it’s all we have, without her Reynard and my father will jump on me so fast I’ll fall faster than a fat woman who sat down too fast.”

Lizzie leaned against Rake, his body so warm and comforting against her skin. She was so glad that he was better now. And though they had to face reality soon, she was glad that he had a plan to try and soften the blows they surely would have to come against when he finally brought her before his pride and his family.

“I trust you,” Lizzie stated plainly. Despite her fears and worries, she meant that. She knew that with him by her side, she could and would endure anything.

Turning her head and giving Rake one more kiss, Lizzie reluctantly stood up and began to slowly dress herself. She didn’t want to, she wanted to remain at the oasis, stay tucked away with Rake forever. But the day was nearing its end and she had to face the fact that there were some cold, hard things to face in between the beautiful moments she had with her husband.

Lizzie could see that her skin was riddled with small bruises and bite marks, all indicators that she was Rake’s. She smiled as she looked at them. She then thumbed the necklace, the piece of him that he’d given to her, the symbol of their promise to each other as mates… as husband and wife. Smiling more broadly, she inhaled deeply. She could actually smell Rake’s scent on her skin. It was strong, fierce. She knew if she was able to smell it, his pride most definitely would. She recalled Reynard saying that Rake had imprinted himself on her. So, she wondered if the scent her dulled human senses were able to pick up was that.

Once dressed and ready, Lizzie walked over to Rake and nuzzled against him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. “I’m ready,” she said, though there was still some fear and worry in the tone of her voice. But for Rake, for them as a couple, she’d do what needed to be done.

Rake tilted his head a little bit and ran his hand through his hair, draping it down over his back and shoulders once again. He took abit of a sigh as she rose from his lap and began getting dressed, tilting his head a little further to watch her as she did. They couldn’t postpone the inevitable any longer, it was time they faced the threats they put themselves in. Rake rose slowly from the water, and didn’t even wait to dry himself before slipping on his leather shorts, and picking up his dagger from the ground.

The moment he did, Lizzie was done, and walked over to wrap her arms around his waist and nuzzled him affectionately. He nodded against her for a moment, sensing her fear once again he leaned in to press a soft kiss against her lips, and smiled at her handsomely. He brushed a stray hair from her face softly as he spoke, looking into her golden eyes.


“Okay…to tell you the truth, I’m scared too, I’m terrified actually. But I’m scared of losing you, not for my life…that’s why I’ll put it on the line if that means keeping you safe…my wife doesn’t need to be sad or worried, It breaks my heart when she is.”


He leaned his forehead against hers for a few moments, just enjoying the silent bit of affection as he pressed past his fears, and opened his eyes once again to look at her.

“I’ll do everything…so all my princess has to do, is decide weather she wants to walk, or hitch a ride to the village once again.”


Another smile brought warmth and life to his expression, clearly enjoying just being this close to her. She had an effect on him, an effect no one else could spark inside him. He was hopelessly in love with the woman, and because of that he could easily conquer anything that pressed a thread against her, including his own family.


“Once they see how beautiful you are…both inside and outside…they’ll understand what I did, they’ll know how a human captured a Lion’s heart, and locked it away with her own.”

Lizzie was strangely comforted in knowing that she wasn’t alone in her worries, that Rake felt them too. Though she was glad of his confidence despite what he felt on the inside. One of them needed to have some and since she knew nothing of their ways as shapeshifters, as a pride, she was glad that it was Rake who had it. It made her feel a bit easier with everything.

Nuzzling against Rake’s body, Lizzie let out a small sigh. “You truly are too good to me. It’s like a dream and I’m really afraid I’ll wake up from it. That you’ll just disappear.” She hugged him tightly. “And we’ll face them together. I’m scared, but together we can do it. Somehow.”

Lizzie tried her best to be strong. She didn’t want Rake worrying about her. He had enough to worry about now. Though he was recovered, he did still have his family and his entire pride to contend with. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially for him. This was his family, his people. If they rejected him because of a choice, she’d feel guilty forever. She could only hope that Rake was right about going to his mother first for support. She hoped the woman, the lioness, would accept her and find her to be a suitable mate for her son.

“I love you,” Lizzie whispered against Rake’s ear before giving it a soft kiss and then a nibble. “Let’s go face them. The sooner the better. Putting it off is only making me worry more about it.” She smiled weakly and gently touched his face with her hand before running her fingers through his hair. “We’ll face them together. Side by side.” She took his hand in her own and took a shaky breath. Giving his hand a squeeze, they exited the oasis and headed toward the village.

Rake’s fingers laced with her own as she slipped his hand into his, holding onto it tightly as they walked out of the oasis, and arrived at the village’s entrance once again. His hand tightened a little bit more when they arrived, immediately his senses heightening and his nose sniffing for scents. Rake stopped an inch before going right into the village suddenly, his eyes widening quickly. He looked up a moment, and sniffed the air a little more.

“Four…nine…sixteen…sixteen.” He lowered his head lightly and sighed, turning his head to the obviously confused Lizzie and scratching the back of his head with his free hand. “Well, looks like Reynard pretty much got the whole village waiting…this should be fun.” He sighed a little bit more, before smiling and leaning down to press a kiss against her lips.

“Don’t worry…I promise you’ll be fine.” He didn’t want to say “We”, actually, he didn’t think he’d get off easy after he broke all the rules, after he did the few things strictly advised not to. It didn’t matter now, it was too late, and if it wasn’t he wouldn’t change a thing anyway. Rake took in a deep breath, inhaling as much as he could before stepping forward, and proceeding to walk into the village. Immediately, the small, silent roars and the sound of footsteps surrounded them, but nothing was to be seen, only felt. They were being watched, studied, examined by every capable shape shifter around them.

Rake only held on her hand tighter, and kept walking, his head held high as he pressed her to his side a little bit, bringing her into him. Finally they reached the center of the village, where everything became clear to her. She could see where he lived, Rake’s home was a lot different than what she would have expected. The houses were on sky scraping trees, hung by ropes, hidden between branches. Wooden bridges connected between each tree for the old and the young, and vines were for the capable. It was almost like standing in the middle of a circle of protection, just a small piece of the forest clear for them to live, and surrounded by a wall of green.

Straight ahead, was the biggest tree both her and Rake had ever laid eyes on, and at the base was a small formation of rocks acting as a stand. A few moments past, with him holding onto her tighter than he ever did before, just pressing her against his body as he looked up once again. In an instant his voice was raised, scaring the birds from the trees themselves as he addressed all that could hear. “Father! There is no need for this, she is not prey nor is she dangerous, know this, I will defend her with my life if you blindly attack without knowing the truth”.

His voice silenced the footsteps and the crack of leaves around them, bring the entire forest dead quiet for a few moments. But finally, a figure began walking slowly forward from the biggest tree. His eyes lit up for a moment as his mother was prowling, stepping silently forward until she reached the small ledge, and looked down on both of them. Out of all lionesses and lions one would normally see, she was increadibly beautiful. Her fur was much lighter than Rake’s ebony, but a golden-white tone made her almost shine from the morning light. Her eyes were bright red, a tone much lighter than Rake’s.

“Mother…” the words slipped out of Rake’s mouth accidentally, her presence always made him feel safe…but today was not such a case.