The sun's first rays started to appear over the horizon, chasing the shadows into the room's farthest corners. Shadow watched the panorama of color spread out across the Third Earth sky, tingeing the blues and violets with rose, orange, pink, and ultimately yellow, welcoming a new day on a new world. The day dawned sunny with few clouds to mar the loveliness of this spring day. Shadow sighed. Her heart was heavy and the singing of the birds that filtered through her window did nothing to life her sagging spirits.

What on earth was she going to do? She faced a heavy dilemma. She and her fellow Thundercats were new arrivals on Third Earth. Their previous home on Thundera had been destroyed by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes as the planet deteriorated from the inside out. Now they found themselves on a planet far from the other refugees and family members. Not only were the Thundercats cut off from those they held near and dear to their hearts, but Shadow was the most alone of the survivors. She was the only member of the group that belonged to the clan of cats knows only as Shadowcats. Her clan was rare and its members only appeared once every generation. Her parents had looked nothing like her, but she was born with the dark skin, black hair, and blue eyes of the beautiful and elusive Shadowcat. Then tradition invaded her life. As a Shadowcat female, she was to be paired with one of Thundera's nobles, the Thundercats. She soon found herself moved into the Cat's Lair, the home of the Thundercat nobles, and was betrothed to Lion-O, the son of the previous Lord of the Thundercats, Claudius. Young Lion-O was four years her senior, yet at four years of age, she was married to the young lordling, as tradition on Thundera prescribed.

Now several years later, she and Lion-O were the new leaders of the Thundercats, yet she felt that she was so alone. She did not understand why she and Lion-O had aged in the suspension chambers that had sustained them in their long voyage to their new home planet. She and Lion-O had aged ten years while all the other Thundercats had aged very little, literally days. Now she was faced with the obligations of fulfilling her role as Lady of the Thundercats and as Lion-O's wife. She had found sleep elusive the night before and had sat up at her window trying to puzzle through the emotions raging through her body. She and Lion-O had matured, yet she felt in many ways the same ten-year-old girl as she had been on Thundera. As a girl her feelings toward Lion-O had been as a friend or sister. Now her blood pounded through her veins every time she looked at her husband. He had matured into a strong, handsome male and she felt herself very attracted to him.

Yet how was she to act upon her feelings? Did Lion -O feel the same way, or was he repulsed by what he saw when he looked at her? She turned and walked over to her mirror, peering at the image reflected back at her. Shadow saw a girl who had grown into a woman's curves. Gone were the awkward limbs of a youth to be replaced by the sleek limbs of a grown woman. Her body had grown slender and curvaceous; dark hair had become a silken mane hanging down her back reaching her rounded hips and framing a face that could only be described as beautiful. Shadow surveyed herself and just turned her back and returned to her vigil at the window.

Cheetara stood in the doorway and witnessed the entire scene. She had known that her young friend was experiencing some difficulties adjusting to her new existence and she had come to try and help Shadow figure out her problems. Cheetara thought she had an inkling of what the problem was. Shadow was feeling the first sparks of desire and attraction toward her young husband. Fortunately Lion-O was in the same quandary. Now the only thing to really be solved was how to get these two young people together and talking. Shadow had been avoiding Lion-O like he was diseased and the young Lord of the Thundercats was deeply hurt by her evasion. Panthro and Tygra were trying to get Lion-O at this minute to agree to a camping and mapping trip to help familiarize the Thundercats with their new planet. The plan was to get the two young people e out into the wilderness together where they could talk freely away from the others and hopefully come to terms with their relationship.

Cheetara rapped softly on the door frame, alerting the startled Shadow to her presence. Shadow jumped and turned in embarrassment to face Cheetara. Her normally brown cheeks were tinged rosy with her chagrin at being caught daydreaming. "Shadow. Lion-O and the others are gathering in the Council Chamber. We need to join them as soon as possible. Are you ready?" Shadow nodded and silently followed Cheetara down to the Council Chamber. As she entered the other Thundercats greeted her and Cheetara. Lion-O was standing on the far side of the room, watching her intently, looking for any sign that could help him fathom her feelings for him. Tygra and the Thunderkittens were already seated at the table. Panthro joined them and motioned for the others to seat themselves. Snarf entered the chamber last, bearing a tray laden with bowls of his fragrant oatmeal. Shadow hung back by the entrance, unsure of just how she was to proceed.

Only two seats were left vacant, hers and Lion-O's, and her husband continued to watch her from the other side of the chamber. Steeling herself for an unpleasant experience, Shadow slowly approached her chair and sat down. Lion-O walked up behind her and looked down at her rigid posture. He frowned slightly and took his seat next to his wife.

Lion-O turned and caught Shadow peering at him from under her eye lashes. He graced her with a hopeful smile and inquired, "I hope you slept well last night. It seems we are to be sent on a mapping excursion."

Shadow tensed and answered negatively in a barely audible whisper. " I did not sleep at all. This new world bothers me."

Lion-O did not know quite what to make of this statement, so he just turned in resignation to face the other Thundercats at the table. He stood and addressed them, "We have just finished construction on the new Cat's Lair with the help of the Burbles. Now is the time for us to explore this new world and learn all we can about our new home. It has been suggested that we set out in different directions and map the surrounding areas. We should send out four teams, either individually or in pairs to map each direction for whatever distance we can cover in two days time. Any suggestions for how this is to be accomplished?"

Panthro stood and announced, "I can take the Thundertank and head west. I suggest that the Thunderkittens head east, Cheetara heads south, and you two head north. That will leave Tygra and Snarf to man Cat's Lair and to record whatever results we can collect."

Shadow interjected before anyone else could respond, "I agree with the principle of your suggestion, Panthro. But why would you group the Thunderkittens together, and pair Lion-O with me? Would it not be better and safer for all involved to split the cubs up and perhaps send Wily-Kit with me and not Lion-O?"

Lion-O looked angry and was about to respond, but Tygra laid a restraining hand upon his arm.

"Let Panthro speak, Lion-O. Nothing will be gained by speaking out in anger."

Panthro nodded in agreement, then continued with his explanation. "Shadow, we know that Wily-Kit and Cat work well together and can pretty much take care of themselves. They proved that when we were attacked by the Mutants en route to Third Earth. You and Lion-O for some reason both matured while in the suspension capsules. You have both grown physically and need to adjust to being adults. Together you will learn to work together and become good leaders. You are Lady of the Thundercats right now by virtue of your marriage to Lion-O when you two were young. As far as I know that marriage has not been consummated. If you and Lion-O are to be the leaders of the Thundercats, you both need to learn how to work together well and you need to come to terms with your relationship as it is to stand from now on. How can you expect to wisely lead the Thundercats when you two cannot even talk now without getting into an argument?"

Shadow had been about to reply when the truth of Panthro's words sunk in. She jerked back in her seat and looked at Lion-O to gauge his reaction. He too was surprised at the truth Panthro had just stated.

He turned toward his wife and remarked humorlessly, "Well, it looks like we are stuck with each other."

Within a couple of hours Lion-O and Shadow headed north of the Lair, traveling quickly through the territory already familiar to them. Cheetara and Panthro watched them go. The departing figures walked several paces apart, Lion-O leading the way. Once Shadow stumbled and fell, dropping her pack and landing on her hands and knees. Lion-O rushed back to help her regain her feet, but a frustrated Shadow threw off his helping hand and got to her feet herself, cursing her long skirts, yet refusing to acknowledge that they were impractical for wear on such an outing. She grabbed up her pack and continued away from the Lair. Lion-O stood watching her for a couple of minutes, until Shadow looked back, stopped, turned with her hands on her hips and yelled something that spurred Lion-O into action with a suppressed growl.

Cheetara and Panthro looked at each other with some doubts forming in their minds as to how good this idea really was. Lion-O hurried to catch up with his wife. What in the world was making her act this way? She was not the little girl who had followed him around wherever he went, getting in the way, causing trouble, and yet being one of his best friends. When had all of this changed? He had expected some changes when they had awakened from the suspension capsules, but nothing could have prepared him for the animosity he saw in Shadow's eyes. He hoped this trip would answer some questions. Shadow meanwhile was questioning her actions in her mind as well. Why was she acting so hostile about Lion-O wanting to help her back at the beginning of their trek?

They really needed to sit down and talk. The couple continued to walk in silence for several hours. Shadow kept tripping over the hem of her skirt. Finally she stopped in exasperation and asked Lion-O to halt. "Would you hand me the Sword of Omens, Lion-O? I am tired of tripping over this blasted skirt. I should not have worn it, but I do not have anything else yet to wear. I need to cut some slits in my skirt." Lion-O looked somewhat surprised when she made this request.

"The Sword of Omens is hardly the tool to use to cut up your skirt. It is a weapon of great power, not to be used as some common knife. Why don't you use the Claw of Darkness to do the job? No need to lower the Sword to being used to a common tool."

"How dare you think that I would devalue the Sword like that?! I need it to cut through the material of my skirt. The Claw will not do the job neatly. At least the Sword will give me a clean cut. Please, Lion-O, I do not wish to spend the entire expedition arguing with you. Panthro was right that we do need to learn to work together and to adjust to being adults, not children aged fourteen and ten. We are adults and need to behave responsibly. If we are going to get any degree of work done, I need to have ease of movement from this skirt."

Lion-O turned and looked squarely at Shadow. He pulled out the Sword of Omens and grabbed a handful of Shadow's skirt, neatly slicing through the ragged material to create a long slit up the length of the skirt. He repeated the action on the other side of the skirt as well.

"How does that work?"

Shadow took a few steps and was pleased when she could take wide steps without having to worry about tripping all the time. She even climbed a small incline with relative ease. To further ease her movements she cut some of the excess length off the skirt.

"That is much better. Please, let's not argue anymore. We have a task to perform. I think we should continue on for a bit more, then set up a camp and begin surveying the area."

Shadow started off in the direction they had been following all day and Lion-O watched her progress back up the incline. He was fascinated by the glimpses of her shapely legs that he caught every few steps as she proceeded to climb.

As she reached the top, Shadow turned back and playfully asked, "What is keeping you? Surely not the difficulty of the climb. What kind of Thundercat would be deterred by such an easy climb?"

Lion-O growled under his breath and threatened, "You are going to pay for that insult, Shadow. When I catch you, you will pay!"

He then started up the hill, intent on catching up with his wife and tickling her for teasing him so. Shadow took off running with a little shriek and quickly put some distance between herself and Lion-O. As they reached level ground once more, the race was on. Lion-O pushed himself as hard as he could, but failed to close any significant gap between them until Shadow suddenly tripped over a tree route. She fell hard and lay still as Lion-O raced even faster to reach the spot where she had fallen.

"Shadow! Speak to me! Are you hurt?! Shadow!"

His wife was lying so still, knocked unconscious by the fall. She then began to stir slightly. Lion-O grabbed her up in his arms and held her close, murmuring her name over and over. Slowly the world began to intrude upon the blackness engulfing Shadow. Light filtered through her closed eyelids and sounds reverberated across her eardrums. Full consciousness returned with Shadow becoming aware that she was in Lion-O's strong embrace. Never before had she been held so gently, yet so surely. He kept calling her name softly and she even thought she detected a suppressed sob. Lion-O felt the life returning to Shadow and released his grip on her somewhat, lowering her down to the ground where he could look her directly in the face. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled slightly.

"How clumsy of me. What kind of Thundercat am I that I am so clumsy?"

"Are you hurt at all?" Lion-O asked, concern evident in his tone and expression

Shadow sat up slowly and did not discover any extreme pain. She then tried to stand with Lion-O's help and nearly fell again as her ankle gave way. Lion-O caught her and helped her to sit down again. He then eased her boot off and felt her ankle for broken bones. His probing made Shadow draw in a hiss of air. Lion-O looked up and caressed her cheek.

"I do not think that your ankle is broken; I think that you just have a bad sprain. I need to get something to wrap the ankle with. I am afraid that I need to cut away more of your skirt. Hold still and I will get this taken care of in just a couple of minutes."

He drew out the Sword and sliced a relatively clean strip of her skirt and proceeded to securely wrap the ankle. He then picked her up in his arms and looked for a suitable camping spot. He traveled slowly, trying to not jar Shadow's ankle any more than he had to. After about another hour, he stopped and gently set Shadow down. Camp was quickly set up. He soon had a fire going, their blankets were laid out next to each other, and a meal was warming up over the fire. He left her for just a few minutes to gather some water from a nearby stream. When he returned, Shadow had crawled over to her blanket and had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Lion-O used this opportunity to observe her closely.

He had been more than aware that his wife had matured into a beautiful woman, but he had not had the chance to see just how beautiful she had become. The young girl's body had grown a woman's soft curves, rounded hips, full breasts, and slender waist. Her limbs were muscled, yet slim and graceful. Her hair was full, silky to the touch, and invited him to run his fingers through it. Everything about her was beautiful. Even asleep she cast her spell of enchantment around Lion-O, stirring new urges he had never before fully experienced. Sure as a youth on Thundera, he had daydreamed about the opposite sex, but never had he felt so protective and attracted to Shadow as he was at this very moment. He wanted to acquaint himself with every recess of her being. Lion-O laid down beside Shadow and pulled her into his arms. He began a slow, exquisite exploration of her body, caressing her arms and stomach. He oh so slowly drew his fingers lightly across her face, stroking her cheeks, her full lips, the tip of her nose, whatever he could touch without awakening her.

Lion-O felt himself gaining the courage to touch her more intimately. Tentatively he let his hand trail down Shadow's chest until he was caressing one breast. He cupped the fullness in his hand and marveled at the wonderful way it fit his hand. Lion-O shifted his weight onto an elbow and leaned over the sleeping Shadow. His gaze took in every detail of her face, every breath she took and exhaled as she slept. An overpowering urge to kiss Shadow pressed itself upon Lion-O and he leaned forward, closing the small distance that separated them from each other. Shadow's lips beckoned with their slight pursing and she shifted lightly in her sleep, snuggling closer to the warmth that Lion-O's body offered as evening descended and the air became chill as the ground lost its remaining warmth. Lion-O brushed Shadow's lips lightly with his own and Shadow smiled in response. Suddenly her arms came up and pulled him close in an embrace. She pulled Lion-O's head back down to her lips and initiated a kiss that took his breath away.

Shadow watched Lion-O leave the camp to get some water for cooking and drinking. She was so tired. Their blankets were only a few feet away, yet the effort she put into crawling that distance drained what remaining strength she had. Shadow gratefully surrendered to sleep as the day drifted into evening. She knew that Lion-O would return soon and watch over her. As soon as her head hit the blanket, Shadow started to dream. This dream had visited her nightly since the Thundercats arrival on Third Earth. In it she had just retired for the night in her chamber at the Lair. Lion-O then entered her chamber and made his way into her bed. Once there they proceeded to complete the marriage vows they had made so many years ago, becoming man and wife in every sense possible. Only this time the dream had taken on a new quality. Never before had it seemed so real as it did this night.

Shadow reveled in the caresses Lion-O tortured her with. She let him touch her, acquaint himself with her body, leaning how to thrill her with just a slight touch of his fingers. Then he had leaned over to gift her lips with a sensuous kiss, except this kiss was just a feather's touch, hardly the passionate kind she had come to expect in her dream. Well, there was certainly one way to rectify that situation. Shadow took the initiative and pulled Lion-O into an embrace that ignited the f lames that had been buried for too long. The kiss she gave Lion-O melded into reality, the dream fading away as she opened her eyes and came literally face to face with Lion-O. Instead of ending the kiss, Shadow pulled her husband closer and tried to let the kiss tell him her true feelings. She ran her tongue over his lips and encouraged him to open them for her. Surprised by the turn of events, Lion-O complied and found himself reveling in the sensation of Shadow teasing his tongue with her own. As Shadow completed her exploration of his mouth, Lion-O returned the favor. Shadow shivered in delight as Lion-O's tongue flicked across the inside of her cheeks and then silkily stroked hers.

When they finally drew apart to catch their breath, Lion-O and Shadow gazed at each other in amazement. When had the distance that had separated them disappeared? Or had it only been masking their true feelings? Lion-O smiled. "Maybe it was worthwhile coming out here after all. I have a strong suspicion that the other Thundercats planned this entire expedition to get us alone with each other. Maybe they saw what we were not seeing, huh?" Shadow smiled contentedly and lightly flicked her tongue across lips suddenly gone dry. Lion-O groaned as he watched her every move. Shadow propped herself up on her elbows and then struggled into a sitting position.

"Lion-O, we need to talk. There is obviously something different occurring between us and has ever since we landed on Third Earth. It was terribly frightening for me to awaken expecting me to be the same person that entered the suspension capsules, yet I awoke a child in a woman's body. It has been very hard to catch up emotionally with how my body has matured physically. I have only recently come to grips with how my emotions toward you have changed, Lion-O. I hope from your response to my kiss that you feel the same way I do. My thoughts and feelings for you have evolved from a girl's love and affection for one she views as a friend or big brother into a woman's desire for the man she loves. Do you return my love, Lion-O?"

Lion-O reached out a hand and cupped Shadow's chin in the palm of his hand, lifting her gaze to meet his own. His blue eyes burned with the fires of passion Shadow had unleashed inside him. He smiled, amused and pleased with her confession. He then drew her into the comforting embrace of his arms and brushed his lips against the top of her head.

Clearing his throat, Lion-O began somewhat self-consciously, "Shadow, there really is not way to describe how you have dominated my thoughts these last weeks. You have just to walk into a room to make me forget what I was doing or saying. Snarf has scolded me several times for being absentminded and not focused on the important tasks at hand. I have even found myself catching a glimpse of you out of my window and a few minutes later coming back to myself, holding my clothes in my hands, my arms over my head ready to pull on my shirt. That is how you affect me. Shadow, you consume my dreams with your beauty and presence. I have longed for you to just even g ift me with a smile. I did not let myself hope too much that we would ever kiss like this."

Shadow pulled back slightly and looked up into her husband's face. She laughed lightly, a pleasure to Lion-O's ears, like a babbling brook splashing merrily over rocks.

"You are gushing," she accused merrily. "Just simply say you love me and that will say it all."

Lion-O lowered his head to claim her lips in another kiss, trying to let her know just how deep his love for her went. Several breathless moments later, they withdrew from the kiss and Lion-O whispered passionately, "Shadow, I love you."

Suddenly tired again, Shadow laid her head in Lion-O's chest and let him caress her hair.

"Are you wanting to try and sleep some now, or do you want something to eat and drink, Shadow?"

Shadow disengaged herself from Lion-O's arms and laid down. Lion-O had to strain his ears to catch her next words.

"I am hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. I do not think I have the strength to feed myself right now."

"If you will let me take care of that, then you can sleep and I will take care of everything else. Here, let me help you sit up somewhat."

Lion-O gently pulled Shadow back up into a sitting position and then propped their bags behind her and spread his blanket over them to provide a comfortable place for her to lean against. Shadow gratefully leaned back against the impromptu support and watched as Lion-O got up and gathered some water and food from by the fire. He returned and sat cross-legged next to her, balancing the plate on his knees. He held a cup of cool, refreshing water to her lips and urged her to drink deeply, letting the liquid flow down her throat and quench her tremendous thirst.

Next he picked up a morsel of food and admitted sheepishly, "I forgot to pack any eating utensils, so my fingers will have to do for now."

Shadow just smiled indulgently, her dark blue eyes twinkling with merriment. She simply opened her mouth and waited for Lion-O to deposit the morsel on her tongue. He complied and was about to pick up another piece when Shadow closed her mouth around his fingers and licked the juice of the meat he had just fed her from his fingers. Lion-O shivered in arousement and glanced in slight shock at Shadow. She merely chewed the meat, swallowed and opened her lips, waiting for another piece of meat. They continued in this fashion for a few minutes until Shadow signaled that she had had enough.

Lion-O then set the plate on her lap and propped himself on an elbow by her side, "I think you can return the favor now, my silly wife."

Shadow grinned and picked up a particularly juicy piece of meat and slowly, tantalizingly placed the morsel on Lion-O's tongue. She waited a couple of seconds to see what he would do, and Lion-O did not disappoint her. His lips closed around her fingers and sucked the juice from them, sending shivers of delights down her spine. Shadow slowly withdrew her fingers and waited for Lion-O to chew and swallow the piece of meat.

"Two can play that game, Shadow," Lion-O purred softly in his throat. "I am very hungry from caring for you, so you had better give me another piece."

Shadow giggled and picked up another piece, but this one she did not place on his tongue immediately. Instead she lightly ran the meat around his lips before placing the cube of meat on his tongue. She immediately withdrew her fingers and watched as Lion-O cast her a mock scowl and licked the juice from his lips. Shadow then leaned back and closed her eyes as true fatigue overwhelmed her limbs.

"Lion-O, you had better take this plate before I drop it."

Lion-O hurriedly sat up and grabbed the plate from his wife's limp fingers. He set it on the ground by his other side and then helped Shadow to lay back down. She was asleep before he could totally lay her back down, so he merely shifted position and laid her head in his lap. Lion-O then finished off the meat on the plate and drank the rest of the water he had gotten earlier in the evening. Since he did not wish to disturb his sleeping wife, Lion-O pulled the blanket off their bags and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then as carefully as he could, he rearranged the bundles into a support for him and reclined against them. Sleep did not come easily for Lion-O. The emotions that Shadow's playful actions had aroused in him refused to die easily. He laid back for a couple of hours and just simply watched his wife sleep, marveling at how she could appear almost the young girl he had known on Thundera. Finally exhaustion clouded Lion-O's mind and he drifted off into a dream filled with images of Shadow teasing him, leading him onward toward the ultimate pleasure.

Shadow awoke in the early hours of the morning. She was surprised to find her head cradled in Lion-O's lap. She slowly sat up, careful to not disturb her sleeping husband. He lay slumped over the same bags that had served as her support the previous evening. Mindful of a full bladder, Shadow crawled over to a nearby bush and managed to take care of business. On the way back, she hit her ankle against a protruding rock she could not make out in the darkness and cried out as sharp pain exploded in her ankle. Lion-O was up in an instant, on his feet, the Sword of Omens drawn, looking around for any sign of intruders. He only saw Shadow a couple of feet away, holding her ankle and sobbing in pain. He was by her side in an instant.

"What happened, Shadow? Why are you here and not sleeping?"

Through clenched teeth, Shadow managed to snarl, "It is hard to sleep with a full bladder. I did not want to awaken you for help. I almost managed to do so."

Lion-O felt his face beginning to burn as embarrassment flushed his face a deep shade of pink. He was grateful that there was little light from the moon filtering down through the overhanging branches. He sheathed the Sword and hastened to pick her up in his arms.

"Forgive me, for my stupidity. If I had been thinking straight earlier, I would have asked you if you needed to attend to this."

Much to Lion-O's surprise, Shadow laughed. "If you had been thinking straight earlier, I would have been very much disappointed in you. My goal was to keep you interested only in me, not my bodily functions."

She awarded Lion-O with one of her winning smiles and he grinned sheepishly in return. As he reached the blankets, he set her down gently and helped her get into a comfortable position. As he started to get up to give her some space, Shadow grabbed his hand and pulled him back down beside her.

"Don't you think that since we are both awake, we should finish what was started earlier? I know that I will not fall back asleep easily with this pain in my ankle. You could help me take my mind off the pain and focus on more pleasant pursuits."
Shadow ran a finger along Lion-O's jaw. When she got no immediate response, she pleaded softly, "Please, Lion-O. I need you."

Lion-O immediately crushed her in his embrace and bruised her lips with the intensity of his passionate kisses. When he was finally sated a little bit, he pulled back and said, "There will be no stopping me if you wish to continue down this path. I need to possess all of you, not just your sensuous mouth. I need to feel every part of you melded with me, a part of me, completely. Tell me now if you want me to sleep on the other side of the fire. If we go any further I will not be able to stop myself."

Shadow's answer was another searing kiss. AS they concluded this kiss, Lion-O stood up and began to divest himself of his clothes. Shadow watched shyly as he removed the Sword of Omens from its place on his leg. He then quickly removed his clothing and stood looking down at his blushing wife. Shadow let her eyes roam over the muscled form of her husband, eagerly drinking in the hardness and strength of his limbs, following the wide stance of his shoulders, the heavily muscled chest that so short a time ago she had laid her head against, the chest that tapered down into a slender waist and hips. She looked away as her gaze came to rest upon the symbol of Lion-O's masculinity. She could not bring herself to gaze so intimately upon that part of her husband. Lion-O crouched down beside Shadow and cupping her face in his hands, he made her meet his gaze.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of between us, Shadow. Let me now gaze upon you as you have admired me."

Her face grew hot in his hands and Lion-O planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. Then taking great care of her injured ankle, Lion-O proceeded to slowly draw Shadow's dress from her, gazing in immense appreciation for the woman's body the dress had covered but moments before. Lion-O smiled as he gazed for the first time upon her full breasts with their dusky nipples peaking in the crisp night air.

"So gorgeous. Did you know that they fit my palms perfectly?" Lion-O commented as he gingerly caressed the soft globes of flesh.

Shadow moaned low in the back of her throat and let her head roll back. Lion-O leaned forward and blazed a trail of hot kisses down her throat and chest, stopping only when his lips closed around a sensitive nipple and began to suck gently upon it. Shadow let out a small cry of pleasure and let her hands grip Lion-O's head, her fingers becoming tangled within the rich mane of his hair. Lion-O then transformed his attentions to her other breast and suckled it as eagerly as the first. Shadow pulled her husband as close to her as possible and wished for him to never cease this sweet torment. She whimpered softly as he withdrew his tawny head from her breast and smiled at her disappointment.

"Would you perform this favor for me, Shadow? Touch me as I hav e touched you?"

Shadow smiled at his request and slowly ran her fingers lightly up his arm, marveling at the little ripples she sensed in Lion-O's muscles. She leaned forward she laid her cheek against her husband's chest. Her little tongue flicked out to lick his skin, tasting the salt of sweat and passion. She then lightly blew on the same area, making Lion-O shiver in anticipation. She chuckled and continued in her exploration of his body. She let her hands go wherever they wished, caressing the bunched muscles of his shoulders, the corded column of his neck, the thrilling expanse of his chest. Gaining confidence in her effect upon Lion-O, Shadow gently bit down on one of his nipples, thrilling in the shock she sensed in his tensing. She then licked at the tiny bud to ease the pain her sharp teeth had caused.

Sitting back. Shadow then let her hands roam over Lion-O's legs and waist. As she looked up into Lion-O's face to gauge the depth of his desire, he captured her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue, letting his hands remove the last remnant of clothing separately them. As he broke off the kiss, Lion-O pushed his wife back against their bundles and stretched himself along side her. He continued his exploration of her body, finding which spots she was ticklish most and enjoyed torturing her by lightly running his fingers over these most sensitive spots. This led to a short-lived wrestling match, with each trying to tickle the other most. Their play was quickly ended when Lion-O accidentally bumped into Shadow hard, jarring her injured ankle; Shadow cried out in pain and felt new tears streak down her face. Instantly Lion-O had her in his embrace, murmuring apologies and comforting words into her hair.

The pain passed quickly as Shadow became totally aware of the pressure pushing itself eagerly against her most private parts. She hesitantly gazed up at Lion-O's drawn face and saw how warred to bring his passion under control. Passion fought for control with his concern. Shadow decided then and there that no matter what pain she experienced, they were going to finish was they had so delightfully started. "Lion-O," she whispered. He jumped as though he had been struck by lightning. "Lion-O," she said again. "We still have some unfinished business between us. Please don't stop now. I will be fine, but not until you truly make me a woman in every sense of the word." Lion-O stood up and quickly arranged her so that he was less likely to hurt her ankle again in their passion.

Then his weight was crushing her as he prepared to meld their bodies into one. Shadow wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled his as close to her as possible. Lion-O let instinct take over and he pushed himself into Shadow's welcome sheath. As he came up against the barrier of her virginity, Lion-O pushed with all his might and broke through the offending membrane, lodging himself to the hilt within the tight passage of Shadow's womanhood. As Lion-O broke ruptured the final barrier to their complete melding, Shadow cried out in immense pain. Lion-O stopped, thinking he had hit her ankle again in his eagerness to be one with Shadow. With tears of pain streaming down her face, Shadow pulled Lion-O to her to kiss away his concern.

"You merely took my virginity. I had overheard some of the older girls on Thundera talking about some pain, but I did not imagine it could be so intense. And you are better endowed than some of your fellow males on Thundera. I was just surprised. The pain is passing. Give me a moment, please, before we continue."

Lion-O eyes widened at her confession. "Just what were you doing that you overheard such things?! A girl of ten should not have known about things like..." he trailed off. "Things like making love and what physical parts separate the genders," Shadow finished for him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Those same girls also spent quite some time speculating just how well endowed you would be when you were fully grown. I am pleased to say that the reality has quite surpassed their estimates. The pain is gone. Let's proceed, shall we, my very handsome husband?"

Still somewhat surprised that Shadow had overheard such adult subjects on Thundera, Lion-O did not immediately comply with her request. Shadow pulled his head down to hers and gave him a kiss to remind him of the position they were in. Lion-O shook his head to clear it of lingering thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand, the most pleasant task of completing their first mating. Lion-O withdrew most of the way and slowly inserted himself again, watching Shadow's face to see if he was causing her any discomfort at all. She smiled in pleasure and then moaned as Lion-O inserted himself fully into her eager body. He continued to ride her gently, gaining as much pleasure from the sensations he experienced as he did from the evidence of Shadow's pleasure. Shadow pulled Lion-O close to her once more and kissed his neck and shoulder, every once in a while biting him as her pleasure increased to levels she had never felt before. Lion-O started to move quicker upon her, driven by a need to attain the highest levels of passion a man and woman can experience together.

The pace intensified until suddenly Shadow and Lion-O cried out together. Shadow felt a hot burst of moisture as Lion-O released his juices into her, giving him release from the intense pleasure they had created together. Lion-O collapsed upon her chest, spent from his efforts, and Shadow wrapped her arms around him, cradling him and offering any soothing he needed. Several minutes later, Lion-O pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked lovingly down at Shadow. They were both still panting lightly and their bodies glistened with a sheer coating of perspiration. Planting one last kiss upon her soft lips, Lion-O slowly withdrew from his wife's body and laid down beside her.

"That was even more wonderful than I ever thought making love could possibly be. You are so beautiful. I am grateful for my father and tradition for bringing us together as mates. Are you all right? I did not hurt you any further, Shadow?" His companion smiled in pure satisfaction of a job well done and shook her head negatively. "I think that we need to clean up a bit. Making love can be such a messy affair."

Lion-O looked down to see the remnants of their lovemaking drying on Shadow's thighs and his manhood, now resting peacefully between his legs.

"I will go and get us some water to clean up with." As he started to prepare to leave camp, Shadow called out after him, "If it is not far, please carry me to the stream. I need to get some more water to drink as well as bath. Perhaps I can help you clean up."

Lion-O immediately returned to scoop her up in his strong arms and traversed the short distance to the stream. He set her down on the bank and dove into the cool, refreshing waters. He surfaced moments later and shook water out of his face. Looking toward the bank, expecting to see Shadow, he was shocked when she was not there. Suddenly he felt something grip his ankle and he was pulled beneath the water's surface. As he managed to surface once again, Lion-O found himself face to face with Shadow. She laughed gaily and set off toward shallower water near the bank to wash off. Lion-O smiled and followed, only to catch her and pull her back against his hard body. Shadow yelped as Lion-O grabbed her leg and yanked her back against him.

"You are not to stand on that ankle, Shadow. Let me help you back to shore." Flipping himself over onto his back and pulling her atop him, Lion-O stroked leisurely in the direction of the shore. "After all we do not want you risking further injury to your ankle."

As he felt the stream bottom under his feet, Lion-O stopped and helped Shadow clamber up onto the shore. He quickly washed away the last traces of blood and semen from himself and then carried her back to their camp. As he laid her down on the unstained blanket, Lion-O commented, "While it has been more than worth it to be here, tomorrow we are heading back, so you can get proper attention for your ankle. Panthro will understand and we can always map this area later." A sleepy yawn from Shadow was his only answer. Pulling the rest of the blanket around them, Lion-O nestled down next to Shadow and soon was asleep.

Panthro stopped the Thundertank and scanned the area for any sign of Lion-O or Shadow. All the other Thundercats had returned the day before with successful reports. There had been no sign of Lion-O or Shadow and the Thundercats had spread out to search for their young leaders.

"I do not see any sign of them, do you, Tygra?" Panthro asked his concerned companion. "Wait, what is that on the screen? Head due north, Panthro, and we will check out this reading. Cheetara, stand by on the cannon."

Panthro adjusted the tank's course and sped north toward the source of the reading. Within a few minutes, the tank came upon a couple entwined upon the ground, sleeping. The Thundercats jumped out of the Thundertank and gathered around the sleeping couple. Gradually the male woke and looked up at the faces staring down at him in amusement. Snarf pushed his way through and jumped back when he saw Lion-O and Shadow curled up together quite cozy.

"Lion-O, just what do you think you are doing? This is highly improper. Why did you not report back to the Lair at the right time? What have you been doing out here with Shadow?"

Before Lion-O could answer the barrage of questions, Shadow stirred, yawned, sat up and stretched luxuriously. She leaned back against Lion-O's arm and answered herself.

"We have been getting acquainted with each other, Snarf. It is only appropriate that we do so since we are husband and wife. As to our not returning in time. I sprained my ankle badly and Lion-O has had to carry me the entire way back to the Lair. I am sorry, Panthro, that we did not succeed in mapping any new territory. I guess we can go back out when my ankle has healed."

"Well, at least you two are all right, then. And I see that you have certainly patched up any differences you might have had. Let's get you back to the Lair and get that ankle looked at." Lion-O picked up his wife and held her on his lap all the way back to the Lair.

"Oh, Cheetara. I did not see you come in. What were you asking me?"

"I was asking if you and Lion-O had consummated your marriage. That would account for the dazed look on both your faces when you gaze at each other now. How is Lion-O as a lover? Come on. You can tell me, Shadow. Who else can you confide in?" Cheetara teased lightly.

Shadow blushed crimson, staining her dark cheeks a deep red. Cheetara just laughed, guessing that she had hit the proverbial nail squarely on the head.

Shadow turned her head away and said softly, "Cheetara, we did indeed cement our relationship out there. I did not realize the true depths of my feelings for Lion-O. I guess neither did he. It certainly did not help my mood any to be hit by a tremendous moon cycle. You would think that I would have matured that way in the capsule as well, but no, I just finished having several weeks worth of bleeding, like my cycles were trying to catch up all at once. That would make any tolerant woman irritable. I know I certainly was not easy on Lion-O. But that is all in the past now. We are in love and I only hope that we can remain as happy as we are now."

"You certainly are laying on the mushy stuff, Shadow. But you did not answer the most important question of all. Is Lion-O a good lover? Did he turn out as well endowed as all the young girls used to speculate back on Thundera?"

Shadow looked surprised. "You heard their talk as well? They must certainly have been very interested in the future lord of the Thundercats, but obviously did not keep in mind the fact that he was already spoken for by me. To answer you questions. He is beautiful in every way and I certainly think he is a good lover, but hands off, Cheetara. He is mine!" she finished off with a snarl.

"Never fear, my Lady of the Thundercats. You two are well matched. And certainly we make all of our lives easier with you two getting along instead of biting each other's heads off all the time."

"Please leave, Cheetara. I need to rest and then get my belongings together to move into Lion-O's chamber. There is no need for two chambers anymore."

Cheetara smiled in satisfaction and left the chamber. She passed Lion-O in the corridor and looked him critically up and down. Lion-O looked askance at her actions and Cheetara just commented, "Yes, I think you certainly surpassed all their speculations."

She gave a toss of her head and continued on down the corridor. Lion-O blushed and hurried to the security of Shadow's room.