In your arms

The room was silent except for the faint buzzing of traffic and heavy breathing of two exceptionally satisfied lovers. Russ rolled over to one side and pulled Jos against him, sliding his arm under her neck. He stroked his hand through her damp hair as he memorized every detail of her expression at that moment, from her kiss swollen lips to the joyful glint in her otherwise tired eyes as they sparkled up at him. He curled his upper body forward and kissed her forehead. "You can't imagine what agony the past month has been. After our last face to face conversation and then you not responding to the message I sent you, I was sure you were done with my foolish, childish antics."

Jos sighed placing a light kiss on his chest. "Hum, maybe I should be..." She traced the outer edge of his small taunt nipple with the tip of her finger. Placing another kiss directly center of where her finger was teasing, she added. "We have everything working against us. I mean how many couples can boast for quite so large of an age difference? I've seen the span of several lifetimes and yet you've barely even started a single one." She ran her hands across his broad chest teasing the light scattering of blonde hair there, her expression growing darker. "Your people will not accept a monster as your partner." She sighed even heavier. "I don't remember much before waking up in the tub tonight, but I'm not stupid... I know I did something bad and that will not go without punishment by the council. If Orion is with you that means they are already invested in your wellbeing in a large way. Do you honestly think they would approve of any relation between us when they find out?"

Russ cupped his hand over hers and pushed himself up on his elbow so he could look fully into her eyes when he answered. "Jos, I love you and only you. I don't care what the council says or seek the approval of a bunch of assholes that haven't even bothered to call or text in the last fifteen years. I care about you and what you want." He pressed a kiss to her palm before holding it tightly against his heart. "Tell me I don't love you and you I. Tell me our hearts doesn't both race with the thought of the other's smile. Tell me I'm not the first thing you think of when you wake up and the last thing you think of before sleep, and I the same with you. Look me in the face and tell me that what we have together means nothing and I'll back down, I'll step aside, and cause you no more pain... but if the only fault you have against us being together is my age and what other people think then forget it! I will chase you to the end of the world and back. I'll do absolutely anything and everything to make you mine and to keep you as mine... Even if that means taking you in front of my people and marking you all over again for them to see." He released her hand and glided his large hand across her cheek and cupped it around the back of her head. Bending down he gave her a rough, passionate kiss, letting it linger a few seconds longer than necessary before he released her lips and pressed his forehead against hers. "I don't care who you are, where you're from, how old you are, what you are, as long as you say you're mine and that you love me back."

Tears of joy slid down Jos's cheeks as she nodded her head. She brought both hands up to his face, gripping both sharp edges of his jaws and pulling his lips back to hers. She showered his mouth with kisses. "Yes..." She replied between kisses, "Yes, I love you..." She gazed into his brilliant blue eyes hating herself already before the words even left her lips. "But we are fooling ourselves if we think this will last. Your people still tell stories of the beast I am. I have very little control over that side of me... sometimes none at all." She sat up beside him still caressing his stubbled jaws. "They will not accept you with me by your side." She lowered her head resting it against his strong chest. "I can't do that to you. You've been without your own kind nearly all your life, who would I be to keep you from them now."

Russ stroked his hand over her long silvery hair as he placed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. "You would be the woman I love, that's who you'd be." When her tear streaked face met his, he continued. "I'd rather live the rest of my life without those strangers than a single day more without you." He cradled her thin cheek in his palm as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes holding her gaze as her emotions rolled turbulently across her expression.

With a small nod, she pressed her body against his pushing him down into the mattress deepening the kisses as she moved. Straddling his lap, she settled down slowly onto his length inch by inch and folding over his chest. She stroked her hands over his body as she admired her new view while setting a slow gentle rhythm with the sway and rock of her hips.

Russ growled into her mouth as he dug his fingers into her hips. He pressed her away holding her up right as she rode him. He stroked his flat palm up along the smooth skin of her abdomen until his fingertips reached her swollen bouncing breasts. "You're so beautiful." He growled as he cupped and squeezed the breast now filling his hand. He used his grip on her hip to speed up her slow, teasing strokes and pumped his hips upwards grinding roughly against her.

Jos stilled her movements the best she could and pressed her palm into his chest. "Slow down, please. I want this to last, to enjoy every second of it." She bent to kiss his lips, but Russ stopped her.

His body became rigid beneath her as his eyes burned into hers. "You say that like it will be our last time together." He grabbed her face roughly as she tried to turn her head away from him. "That's it, isn't it!" He narrowed his eyes in anger and hurt. "All that shit you just said, did you think it was simply what I wanted to hear?"

Jos couldn't answer, instead, she covered her face as pained sobs rattled her body. {I meant what I said... I also know we have no future...} Her thoughts were too painful; she couldn't force them out.

Disgust was obvious in the snarl of his lips and the glint of his eyes. He Pushed her off top him causing her to cry out in shock and hurt. "Get off, I'll not be a pity fuck or whatever this is to you." He instantly regretted the words as he saw their devastation playout across her pale skin, causing the color to drain even more. He turned away and ran his hands through his hair. "Fuck!" He turned back to her to apologize but seeing her curled into a ball on the bed, he couldn't bring himself to say anything else to her. {I went too far... again...} "FUCK!!!" He shouted as he bent to retrieve the boxers he'd wore into the room and made his way to the door.

He glanced back at the tiny body heaving with sobs when he reached the door. His hand hesitated on the knob for a second, but anger and logic won out. {I'll only say or do something else to hurt her...}

He took a step back in surprise as he pulled the door open. Orion was standing there with his hand raised to knock, and Arei was jogging across the parking lot toward the room. Orion's mouth opened the closed again. He arched his brows at Russ quickly scanning the boy for injuries before leaning around him to see into the room. His expression turned to irritation as he stood back up straight and faced Russ. "What the hell have you done this time, boy?" He grabbed hold of one of Russ's large wolf ear that was sticking out from it's thick home of blonde hair and drug Russ from the door way. As Arei paused Orion nodded toward the room. "Check on her, will ya. I've got to teach our pup a lesson."

Arei nodded and turned back to the room this time walking in wide strides. He froze in the doorway when he saw Jos's pale, bared body curled up in the fetal position in the center of the messy bed. Fear for her health struck him first but then the musk of sex hit his nostrils, and it immediately registered to him exactly what had happened. Arei fought the urge to turn from the room and 'teach the pup' his own lesson. He sat the suitcase down by the long dresser by the door as he latched it behind him. He walked slowly to the bed and sat down on the edge closest to her. Stroking her back gently, he asked. "What happened, Kitten? Are you alright?"

She didn't look up or even bother unwrapping her shivering frame as she sobbed. "I don't know...." Her words were barely a shuttered whisper between sobs. "I said the wrong things and he got mad... so mad..."

Arei stood and walked over to the other dry, made bed. He pulled down the covers and turned back to her shivering body. He lifted her from soiled sheets and placed her into the other bed. Covering and tucking her in first, he then sat down on the edge and began stroking her tear dampened hair framing her grief ridden face. "Sh... it's alright, Kitten. Tell me what was said, maybe I can help you work it out... if that's what you want." He smiled down at her and stroked away a tear with the pad of his thumb. "But first you'll have to stop crying long enough to tell me, alright."

She nodded as she struggled against the sniffles that fought for release. "H-he's convinced I don't love him and... and this-" Her words were interrupted by another long bout of sobs. "He said this was only a pity fuck on my part..."

Arei struggled to swallow down the nausea and blind rage building inside him. He pulled her into his arms. "Jos you could never be someone's pity fuck. Shh..." He whispered against the top of her head.

"I- I told him I wanted to enjoy our time together, to savor it... and that I didn't think his people would accept me... and he... left..." She sobbed as she tried to work what had just happened out loud to Arei and to herself. "I'm cursed! There's no other explanation. First you and now him... everyone I ever love... it always ends like this..." She twisted her fingers into the fabric of his fresh shirt as she buried her face into his chest.

Arei's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her love for him, but he fought the foolish grin that threatened to spread across his face, instead he held her trembling body against his as he rocked her soothingly. "Shh... You're not cursed, Love, you just pick arrogant, foolish men is all..." He chuckled at the stab to his own reputation, but she only cried more.

She lifted angry, red rimmed eyes to his. "You all are only attracted to the ascents of the beast. You're pulled in, drawn to it like prey to bait. It's not me you truly want, that you truly desire. It's the curse my mother brought down on me at birth!" Her pale skin began to whiten as her anger grew, and her pupils began to elongate as the bright aqua of her eyes began to wash out to a near white as well.

Arei pulled her tightly against his chest not wanting her to catch sight of the surprise and worry in his eyes. He knew well what came next if he didn't get her calmed down. "Jos, I don't know about the boy I can only speak for myself, but I never felt any strange pull to you, I still don't. I'll admit I fell-felt something strong for you very shortly after we met, but it wasn't some unseen force or your beauty... for gods sake you looked like a child!" He held her away from him far enough that he could look into her eyes. He pressed the tip of his finger into her chest over her heart. "It had nothing to do with any of that, it was what was inside." He smiled as her eyes and skin began to turn back to normal. "Have you been able to separate your memories of Ry from the times spent with me?" He asked. When she only nodded, he continued as he brushed away a stray strand of hair. "It was a combination of all those times, all your sweet words, your caring actions..." He lifted her hand and entwined their fingers. "The way you would take my hand or arm when you were nervous about trying something new..." His smile widened as he thought back. He traced his thumb under her eye, "The way your eyes would light up when you discovered the joys of something new..." He slid his hand along slowly before clasping it behind the base of her head. He tilted her head up toward his and kissed her forehead lightly. "It was the way your eyes would twinkle and your smile would fade to aw when I'd do something like this." Instead of claiming her lips for himself like he wanted, he pulled her face against his chest once again and rested his chin atop her head. This time her arms snaked around his waist and hands clung to the material of his shirt in a tight hug. He let out a heavy sigh. "He loves you, you know. He's just young and immature. He still tries to cover his pain and insecurities with rage... but don't worry in time, he'll learn... he'll learn and will cherish every stolen second he can instead of waste them on temper tantrums."

A few minutes later, once Jos was all cried out and ready to dress, Arei immerged from the room and strolled over to where Orion was still yelling at the boy. Arei stopped a little short of arm's length to the boy and tilted his head to the side as both Ry and Russ went silent. "You heal, right?" He asked. Russ and Ry exchanged glances as they nodded. "Good," Arei said seconds before drawing back and punching Russ directly in the nose. When Russ only stumbled a bit, Arei drew back and decked him again and again until the wolf pup finally hit the hard pavement. He moved to follow him down, but Ry caught him.

Orion braced his hands against the back of Arei's neck with his arms pinning Arie's arms overhead. "Alright, he's had enough. The kid's sorry. He didn't mean what he said. We were just-"

"Sorry or not she doesn't deserve to be treated like that." Arei gave the kid a swift kick in the ribs. "And you don't deserve her!" He shouted as Ry pulled him farther away from Russ.

"Enough, go pack we're leaving." Orion nodded toward the rooms. He bent and held a hand out for Russ. "Here, get up." He helped Russ to his feet as he watched Arei stomp off. "You should probably shift then clean up."

Russ wiped the blood from his nose with one hand and cupped his tender ribs with the other. "No, he's right. I deserve this..."