The sun was burning across her skin, filtering through the curtains and rousing the woman as much as the lioness from their unwilling awakening. Ever feline every stretch, every move of muscle was a private insinuation of the lioness within.

For a moment the tension clenched every muscle in anticipation and a willing to leap forward at the slightest sound of threat. It had been like that every morning. Reminding herself that all that had been was no longer. The burn of the sun reminded the woman far too often of other burning times that were not as pleasant.

Melisande needed her distractions in order to forget. Needed the companionship of new scents to bury her senses in if only for the vain hopes that one day the scent of charred and burning flesh of her pride would leave her.

That the soft sounds of pleasure would mute out the cries of agony as her pride was slaughtered before she had a chance, an effort, a time to save them.

Distractions.

She needed them. The Ghost and the Darkness she assumed would be gone come the morning light, yet there they were sprawled out on her bed, tangling limbs with her own in fierce claim. Cats in coiled calm that sought their own.

A sigh and she sank down into the pale and dark contrasts of the brothers, the dark caramel of her skin playing colors against everything otherwise so black and white.

There were always contrasts in her life. Melisande sank down into the bliss of close bodies in proximity to her own, thoughts prowling over the others found. Riley with that dual nature that seemed to need a constant release.... the ever humane intrigue and curiousity of sweet Oedipa. The savage way of Kalinda... and finally to those recently introduced by the fellow cat.

The delectable sin of the woman known as Aolani and her thoughts stilled on Draxcilian as the drowsy languid ways of naps in the morning hours could pull upon her.

Moonlight and mist, mysteries and masculinity... tempting challenges within the contrast of everything that was sunlight and heat,secrets and bliss of the woman known as Melisande.

Distractions and contrasts would be her constants as she gave in again to languid slumber between the pale and dark lovers. Those that perhaps better then any could understand the need, the hunger, the wish to take all of the past away.

~The Past~

The child was beautiful. Smoothed caramel gold her flesh seemed, dark gold her eyes, and the rich spill of honey and caramel tresses. She had grown within the Pride. Knowing them for what they were. Were-lions. Natural selection is what their Rex would call it.

From the beginning the twelve year old girl would be educated to be trained, made aware that she, like the rest of her Pride, were different.

She found that for years, decades before she was born that the 'family' had been working on a way to keep the blood pure. To keep that which would be considered a curse or a disease to anyone else as something that would be natural to them. A part of them.

That beast and man could dwell in harmony, bonded and sacred within one soul.

For as long as she had been educated of their culture and 'family', Melisande found that some of the culture and nature of her Pride she didn't quite believe in.

After all this was not antiquity. This was not where reasoning came into play for pure blood to remain pure by selection and choices of keeping all amongst and through the Pride.

She had to believe there was something more then this. It had nothing to do with the grass greener on the other side. It had to do with the freedom. A choice.

Beginnings and ends. She stirred within the darkness, feeling the memories prowl through her. Always she had loved her pride, her family. Pure blood nature had her concerned that her mate would end up in more relation then she wished, that the blood would be... too pure between them. She had been fortunate that such was not the case. That at least some of them were not completely bound by blood.

She sat up in bed, smoothing a hand through her hair as the moonlight and shadows played across her flesh, the flesh of her sleeping partners. Dark and Light. Ghost and Darkness. Oh Melisande did so favor her contrasts.

Contrasts. The fascination had always gone only so far. When it came to her there was mostly comparisons. Kalinda's savage nature, Oedipa's calm fascination with the world around her, the jungle cat that spilled and moved like black satin, dark velvet in the spirit of Riley.

Even the lion brothers with their contrast of dark and light compared to her as they were lions. Comparisons still.

A drifting caress of thoughts had her lips pressing in quiet contemplation. The siren, Aolani as much as the Phantom were reasons to bring a sense of uncertainty to Riley. Did Riley feel she was being used? Perhaps. Still it had been the lioness as much as the woman that had spoken then.

To tell Riley that sometimes it is not about ulterior motives as it is about having something you want and desire to be yours. That all have their motives and it was best to discover them before they claimed.

Motives.

To Melisande the Phantom and Aolani were as unchanging cats. Mysterious and aloof. Taking as they pleased with the air of indifference. Which led her to wonder on the Phantom once more. Moon bright and shadow wisp in challenge to the golden shine and smoldering burn of the Sun.

Contrasts. They now inflicted her life in the strangest manners to involve her.

A breathed out sigh brought her flesh to tremble which stirred one of her partners. Fingertips reached out and found her shoulder as the Ghost turned his covered eyes to her. Even in slumber would the fabric still shield his eyes.

"What is it Melisande?"

Whisper soft, stirring the beast within her for the briefest moment. A hand reached to cover the Ghost's before her fingers twisted a gentle coaxing caress into those silvered strands.

"Just a dream..."

A whisper before she was pulling him down to her. Curling between him and the Darkness as she found the comparison once more to soothe her.

Only in the night would the Moon and Shadows call to her. Only in the night.

~The Past~

"Do you love me, Melisande, tell me at least that."
"My affections are for you, but love... well... we only go by how the cats feel anymore don't we? That undeniable pull. She knows his power and wants it."

There was never a thought about what the woman wanted, what her heart or body might desire. The lioness tasted and knew the strength and power of the lion and wanted him. Rex and Regina. Written in stone it seemed.

Her bloodlines had born kings and queens, as has his. It was only natural.

The dark caramel extended to him in offering as the smile curled to her lips. If anything at least she was blessed enough to find that he was pleasing on the eye. That in itself was enough for a woman that wanted nothing else then...

something more.

She would hide in obvious spaces. Before the fire in quiet reflection of the hearth. Thoughts made on introductions of Riley to a pure blood like herself, Daniel. Already the connection, the pull of a link of a future mated pair seemed there between the snow and the black.

It had been something of a pleasant revelation to find another pure born, but in another sense it tore through her like wildfire.

Things she remembered. Some of them she wanted to forget. The spring was settling in and having its love affair with the neighborhood. She saw it within them all. Heard the rush of blood, the pound of heart, watched the swell of pupils and the part of lips. So many were in lust with the Spring. Pairing off and mating and others doing the ever so humorous exchange of the humane nature of courtship.

Melisande sometimes would wonder why it would not be easier for them all to just accept the animal within. Take what they wanted, do as they please.

The dark gold of her eyes rested on the flame as she considered the absence of the brothers. When they were around, the Darkness had become so distant. Always seeming so far away... tempermental and moody.

And Ghost...

only seemed to be giving her space rather then the closeness she craved.

Melisande knew well that she surrounded herself with companions and lovers to shield herself from the hardcore things that even a Regina could not escape.

Lust was easy. It came natural.

Love though... that was another thing.