((This scene finishes the Rapport series.))

Riley stood for a long time at the bottom of the stairs that led to the third floor.? She wanted to go up there and slip inside David's apartment.? She felt the pull to go to him, but looked to her left instead at her front door.? With a deep sigh, she turned and opened it, slipping silently inside into the cool, dark, quiet of her loft.

Daniel was sleeping, of course, but even a deeply-asleep Cat is too aware to not notice the front door opening and someone coming in. His body tightened, and he inhaled deeply. He relaxed when Riley's so-familiar scent reached his nose, then tensed again when the powerful mix of emotions coming from her hit him. Fear, regret, embarrassment, anger...and arousal. He sat straight up as the final scent, faint and diluted, but still recognizably David's, followed hers. That effectively banished the last hints of sleep from him. It didn't take much deduction to figure out what happened, and he knew pretty much exactly how she was feeling right now.

She closed the door softly behind her, hearing Daniel's breathing pick up and smelling the sudden wary tension coming from him.? She sighed softly and rounded the corner of the shoji that separated the bedroom area from the rest of the loft.? Even in the faint light streaming through the windows, she knew that he'd see her standing there naked.

He slid out of bed, as unclothed as she was, and walked towards her, hearing that sigh. At that moment, he wished she could see inside his head, so she would know that he wasn't mad at her. He hoped that he'd be able to find the right words to express it to her. Sometimes, he almost wished he hadn't grown up feline. It made moments like this unnecessarily hard. He reached out to her when he was close, wondering if he should let her speak first, or just jump right in.

She went into his arms, a sob escaping her lips as she buried her face in the juncture of his neck and shoulder.? "I'm sorry," she said over and over as she wept.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Shhh, love," he said softly, petting her hair. "Don't cry. It's okay." Now he did wish he'd said something first. It was like a knife in the heart, hearing her sobs. He tilted her head back gently, looking into her eyes. "Don't cry," he said again, "Please don't."

She shook her head, denying that it was okay.? In her mind it wasn't - she'd broken the cardinal rule of love.? She'd cheated.? If they'd been married, it would be grounds for a divorce.? Daniel, her sweet Daniel, would be a cuckold.? That thought caused the tears to flow even faster, harder now and she took a step back, disengaging herself from his embrace to sit down on the chair next to the bed.

"Don't," she said.? "Don't be nice to me.? I...I slept with David.? I f*cked him."? She was miserable, her shoulders weighed down with regret and guilt.

"I know," he said quietly. "I know." He took the step forward, putting himself in front of her again, reaching down to take her face gently in his hands. "Listen to me. I'm not mad. I don't hate you. I understand." And he did. David was a strong, vibrant man. If he'd been a Lycan, he would be an Alpha for sure, and a powerful one. There wasn't any shame in being attracted to someone like that. No, it was how she was feeling about herself that hurt him, not what she'd done. He just had to find the right way to tell her that. "Don't blame yourself. I know what it's like to be so drawn to someone that you can't stop yourself." It was how he felt every time he was near her. "I love you, Riley. I know I said I'd stop saying it, but you need to know." He leaned in closer, his eyes a few inches from hers. "It doesn't matter what happened."

She took a shuddering breath, her sobs eventually stilling, as she looked into his eyes, searching his face.? "How?" she croaked out at length.

He took a deep breath and sat down on the floor in front of her, taking both of her hands in his. His eyes stayed fixed on hers. "How can I feel this way? I'm not human, Riley. I've never been human. Monogamy is not a natural state for a Cat. Nature knows what it's doing." Maybe this was an odd time for a lecture, but it was the only way he could think to get it across to her. "I'm not hurt by your sleeping with David. He's pretty impressive." He gave her a little grin, hoping a bit of humor would help. "What hurts me is seeing you beat yourself over it." He took another deep breath, then paused, in case she wanted to say something. He was definitely going on a bit.