They swam about in the natural pool for a while until Jana's legs got tired and then they moved further into the cave. The lamps lined the stone wall and lead them deeper into the alcove. The deeper they got the cooler the air became, goose bumps rising along her body as she followed him into the dimly lit area. Skin wet and dripping, feet bare and bruising they walked for what felt like forever on her jelly legs.

Her head thudded against his back as he abruptly stopped, her head peaking around his broad shoulders so she could see what he stopped at.

"This is a private pool, you can strip here if you want" he urged huskily, yanking off his shorts and discarding them in a corner somewhere.

She caught a glimpse of his skin at the front as he turned and made his walk into the bubbling pool. Her eyes roved down from his strong broad shoulders, down his firm back glimpsing over his pale cheeks down to his thick thighs.

The man looked like a god, body strong and supple. Water slid from his locks down his back muscles and melded back into the pool he stood in. She wasn't sure if she should let go of all her inhibitions or to hold on tight to the small barrier between them. Deciding that she wasn't about to go nude in front of him, she made her way into the hot pool. The bubbles tickling along her skin and soothing the cut on her calf.

Sinking into the chest deep water, she floated about letting the heat and the bubbles massage any sore muscles from her body.

"That feels good" she sighed, the pressure and warmth of the water was like nothing she had felt, the tension flew from knots in her body she had no idea where there. Her eyes shuttered closed, hands moving in rhythm with her slow beating heart. This was what she needed, a deep pampering.

"There is soap on the side" motioned Simeon, grabbing a bar and beginning to wash his skin. Most of the dirt from the past few days had already been washed away by the first pool but this time he wanted a thorough cleaning.

Grabbing the soap, she took residence in a corner further away form him, there were too little barriers between them and the bond was pulling too much. This need was too uncomfortable. It was something she fought to ignore but with each ticking minute doubts began to rise. What was the point. Why deny natures will?

The tendrils coiled through her mind, yanked tight until there was this throbbing behind her eyes that screamed look, look. He's yours. He was hers, every finely flecked and scarred part of his body belonged to her and there was no denying it. She was no coy female, no wilting wallflower so she would not act that way now.

She would stake her claim on the male even if beyond these pools reality would crash around them. Even when she knew that beyond this moment, this glimpse of Simeon that she saw would disappear. She could take that risk even if it was for a moment, a moment of pure blind emotion. A moment to just feel and boy did it feel exquisite.

Simeon lost the battle before she did, a hairs breadth of a minute between his movement and hers. So In sync they sunk together. Arms gripping and tongues twisting she felt him. The essence of Simeon moved through her, prowled beneath her skin. Claws plucking at her heart strings in an offbeat tune but it made sense to them. To her.

To her that hitch in his breath the moment his lips met hers made sense, it spoke of his anticipation. The longing he felt. And the way her legs wrapped around him like he was an additional appendage she had always had made sense because they were right. There was no wrong between them because that made no sense. How could they be wrong when their hearts beat in time with each other even though no love was felt. Or how his scent sent her wild as if she were a wolf, one of them. She sniffed at his neck as if she could place a mark on his warm skin.

He stroked her like he was a human, as if that part of him that he tamped down around her and demanding he yank it never existed. When the bond spoke, it spoke of compromise. Her soft met his harsh giving and taking, ebbing and flowing until there was no differentiation between them.

The bond spoke, creating the perfect moment of kindling in the depths of the water. Water was the connector of life and in this pool they connected.

Rough lips touched hers, dipping and weaving as his tongue delved deep inside her mouth. He felt so good in her arms. His terse muscles flexed with every subtle movement of his hips, swaying and rotating her body clinging to his. The water sloshed around their hips, natures liquid rocking against them as they rocked against each other.

His lips sunk into her neck, his lips flickering as his composure left. This was it, the moment that young girls spoke of with such reverence. The moment that teeth sunk into supple flesh and caused a symphony to cry across two bodies. Her mouth salivated at the thought that this was the moment, a sense of completeness travelled though her body though she had never felt a piece was missing. In this moment she learned she had not been whole but would soon be complete.

Soon, as soon as teeth.

Water flicked harshly around her chest as he surreptitiously dumped her in the water. Her body staggering against the rock bottom before she could find her perch.

"We can't" he rasped, voice shredded as he tore his body away from her.

His back turned away as if the sight of her hurt him and it did. The sight of her reminded him of all that he wanted, craved but could never have. Jana would always remain in the peripheral of his life never the centre. She would be a steady in his life, like the ocean and the tide, pulling and pushing. Moving forward and back but never fully consuming.

"What? Why not" she cried indignantly, trust a wolf to make her feel like he was the missing piece of her life she had no idea she was looking for only to rip it away. She had never wanted a relationship with him, not from the start but boundaries had crossed and now she was here. Wanting him without wanting to.

"I can't mark you Jana, it would mean pups and I would never choose to bring a child into this life. It wouldn't be fair."

Fair. How could he talk about fair when Jana had received the brunt end of the stick since the moment she met him. This man wasn't genuine, he was full of lies and secrets. Secrets he kept close to his chest like a Royal flush in poker, guarding his winning deck. Well she was done. She wouldn't be played anymore. She didn't want his babies, not now and maybe never.

"Whatever, Simeon. Just don't come to me when you have second thoughts."

His dark eyes were filled with such torment, latent lava boiling in his eyes. They were full of fire for a fight but she had given him what he wanted, how could he fight.

"I'm having them now Jana, if I thought I could mark you and fight this need to breed you then I would, but it's a ticking time bomb and I won't be the one to set it off."

His reasoning fell on deaf ears; she was too mad to hear. She was angry, frustrated and she felt rejected. She wasn't cut out for this life, his emotions flittered from wanting her to not wanting her. She was getting whiplash and it hadn't been long, he was such an indecisive male.

"Suit yourself. I'm done with swimming now if you're ready too," voice overly chirpy, she grinned through the pain.

Gods she hated herself sometimes, all that stubbornness all that strength she thought she had wilted away as soon as this man entered her life. This was not who she was, she was no beggar and she wouldn't beg for his mark.

Everything turned sour after that, the light hearted day that they had been having had been dampened by the terse reality. There was no love and even if they eventually felt it there would never be any confirmation of it. He would claim her as his in front of his pack but when she re-emerged from that tent without a mark they would pounce. His refusal to mark her was a sign, a sign that she was lacking something. She wasn't good enough to deserve his mark.

Even though he had explained his reasoning, the pain of rejection was felt. She couldn't help but want to be wanted by this male. She had no desire to be owned by him or to have his mark but to have him reject it before she had time to really think about it hurt. His refusal hurt but she tried not to show it. Swallowing her pain, she swam away from him like an allusive butterfly submerging herself in the water before climbing out.

Rinsing out her hair, she stood by awkwardly and waited for Simeon to be done. When he emerged from the water there was no fielded sexual tension, his body held no appeal to her. Attractive as he was the web that the bond had weaved around her had broken, the pale lines of skin did not hypnotise her any longer. Ripping her head from the sight of him, she made her way back the way they came. feet slapping on the ground as her mind ran away with her.

When would she catch a break.

//--//

Simeon left Jana inside the tent as if the hounds of hell were coming for him and their teeth were grappling with his body, wishing to take him down with them. He all but sprinted from her sight which was just as good because she needed sometime to think and centre herself. She couldn't loose herself in this bond, already it had her dying for the feel of his mark. Sex was one thing, wolves were sexual by nature and so we're humans.

Sex could be subjective with or without the bond she could have that with him and not crave anything more, but to have that mark. It was all she could think about, the allusive scar.

Time flickered by, the sunlight brightening as she sat at the opening of the tent watching others as the openly avoided her. The light beginning to dim and still no sigh of Simeon or any other person. the only interaction she had was with a young boy who came by with a plate of chicken and bread for her to eat. His hands shook in fear as he hastily deposited her food at the entrance of her tent and ran back out, no hello or anything. The joys of being human.

The tent door finally flickered open and Simeon stepped in, face stoic and serious he motioned for her to follow. Heaving a sign Jana got up and made her way outside. She had seen the back of this male too often, she was always following him around like she was some pet.

This wasn't her, she wasn't the type to just nod their head with every demand, she questioned and challenged but for now she was curbing that. They didn't need anymore arguments among them. So she was changing herself for the sake of them, an us that was looking less inclusive and more secular. Soon it would just be him and her. Two separate people, living separate lives that occasionally intertwined.

Weaving his way through the camp he led Jana in the opposite direction to the cabin, heading straight for the edge of the campsite. A large cluster of people could be seen from the distance, jostling and talking around another large fire bed.

Behind the fire was a small makeshift stage that was made up of some bailed together wooden planks. It wasn't much but it served a sturdy enough podium for sunken and her to stand on.

As they approached the crowd his fingers wrapped around her upper arm and brought her body closer. His canines descended as he pushed his way through the crowd, people parting away easily as waves of aggression rolled off of him.

He made sure that not one hair on Jana's head was harmed by these pack members, not this time.

His speech was short and affective, leaving no doubts that Jana was his with or without a mark. He protected her now and she would be a part of this pack whether they were reluctant or not. The red head alpha stood by, head bobbing in acquiescence to Simeon's claim even as he bore holes into her head.

A tall coffee coloured male stood by the red head male, he was giving off Alpha vibes that spoke of power. His power was more discreet, where the red head Alpha had a physical prowess to him this Alpha seemed to lack it. Of course he was ferocious compared to regular  wolf standards but he did not quite reach the intimidation factor of Simeon, Khan or even this red head.

Yet his Alpha status was just as noticeable, he had this sense of wisdom to him that buzzed in the air around his body. His deep black eyes were unnerving as he bore deep into her eyes. No malicious intent was visible but still the steady stare brought fear to her heart.

Tensing at her side Simeon reiterated his warning with a final statement, "This female is mine, she is my female and you will treat her as we treat every pack member. With respect." His words were meant for everyone but his sight lingered on the two Alphas who gazes were beating down on Jana's face.

Gripping her arm, he pulled her back throughout the camp towards their their tent, when they entered inside he turned to face her, eyes hard with conviction.

"I know you're mad that I haven't marked you Jana but it doesn't mean you aren't mine. I wont let you go, not ever." There was an apology in his words, unspoken and buried deep within his words but still there. She knew he was sorry for unconsciously feeding her dreams or was it consciously. Maybe he to had been caught up in the bond, hoping and wishing that their moment in the pool could be their reality but it wasn't and either way Jana had begun to believe.

"I'm not mad Simeon, I'm- I'm disappointed. I didn't come here hoping you would be a mate to me, or even care for me but against all logic here I find myself disappointed that you wont give me those things." A deep sigh heaved from her body, she was resigned to this situation. Both of them had been at fault, him for selling her dreams and her for clinging to them even when they went against everything she hoped to achieve.

"I don't want you to feel bad for it either because in all honesty you have just reminded me of why I really came here." Soft spoken and calm she braced herself for the reaction she knew she was about to get. There could only be one response a male like Simeon would have when she told him her only secret she hid from him.

"I wanted a long break from my family and more importantly," she hesitated for a moment debating whether she should tell Simeon, whether it was rEally necessary. "I wanted to move on from Jeremy's hold." Her eyes closed s she waited for the impact that never came.

"Jeremy was your husband, yes?" teeth gritted at the thought that Jana had loved a man and not him, she had been with a man before him.

Shock wracked through her body, he had known all along. Khan had revealed what had never been his to tell, it was another mark against him. Against her family. They were racking up grievances even when she wasn't around them.

"Yeah and for years I've held onto the routine we had when he was here and now I want something new. I need it."

At home the words of her family had not been what she needed, they were harsh and abrupt just like her family. No one had sat down with her over the years to just listen to her words, or to give her a shoulder to cry on. At first they had been sympathetic but her marriage with Jeremy had been dismissed like it had never been real. The more they pushed the more she had held onto him and everything they had been until she had realized she was withering away. Trapped between their expectations for her and the memories of him. The short sweet memories of a friendship like non other she had ever found.

"So whether you are going to be my mate or not, mark me or don't. I'm going to move on from this. I'm here to start living again and I'll do it with or without you."