Winter's Knight

Chapter Three: Sweet Kitty

I laid in Leo's lap, my panther body splayed out on the couch that was a bit too small for me. I was getting more comfortable with him and found it easier to take his command to be my self. My tail thumped on the soft cushions, my ears in a relaxed position. After a while, we heard the clicking of his mothers heels as his parents entered with the other family shortly behind. He leaned back and stretched one of his arms across the back while he petted me with the other. "Why is that, thing, on the couch?" His ex asked with distain. "This, thing, is my female." He sneered at the young female. Judging by her smell she too was a griffin. "Easy Natasha." His mother patted the females hand. Even if I had been told too, I would not be nice to this Natasha. Leo was mine and she could not have him. Wait. Since when was he MY Leo? f**k it. The thought was what he wanted and I meant it. I mock yawned and flashed my fangs at them, then laid my head against his chest. "Leo we want you to reconsider your engagement to her. We need this marriage between you to happen." My Leo merely looked at me and kissed my nose. "Not going to happen. I've made it known since childhood that I don't like her." He turned his gaze to her. "And anyway, why do you want to marry a man who doesn't want you." "Because I love you." He laughed. "Lust maybe. But no, not love." "How can you say that!?" She squawked. Gods this female was desperate. "You want to marry a man that will never love you? Never touch you, never give you children, and be emotionally and physically unavailable to you? Why would you want that for yourself. Do you value your self so little." His tone turned tender. "Natasha? Don't you want love? Don't you want your male to come home and smile at you like he is so happy to see you. I would look at you with hatred knowing that I can never have my fated mate. Who happens to be laying here in my lap." Natasha bit her lip as I registered what Leo had just said. I'm his mate? What the hell did that mean? "I..I suppose you're right." She sighed and perked up. "Yes you're right. I'll call daddy and tell him I don't want you and not to hold it against your family. If he doesn't cooperate I'll throw a tantrum until he complies." I honestly didn't expect the female to give up so easily. I didn't trust her. Her eyes held a malicious gleam that sent a chill down my spine. I played with my paws, splaying them with my claws out as I licked them. "Someone is comfortable." Leo's father snorted. My tail thumped and I looked right at him. "Good. I want her to be. She's going to be mistress of the house after we marry." His father went to argue but his mother intervened. "Hunny enough. He's made his choice." After the meeting we headed back to our house. When I got inside I went to lay out on my sun deck. He came out in a pair of low hanging jeans and a t-shirt. He laid on the lounge chair and sighed. "She's up to something." I said as I rolled onto my back to sun my belly. "I know. Why didn't you say anything?" He asked. "The less they know about me the better. Besides. I have nothing to say to them." "Understandable." He rolled to crawl to me and laid between my legs. He laid his head on my chest and scratched my chin. "Oooooooooo. I love chin scratches." He laughed at me and sat up. "I know." He was silent for a long moment. "I love you Winter." I looked down at him and licked him. "I love you too. And that's not the conditioning talking." We smiled and talked as the sun went down. Suddenly our peaceful moment was interrupted by the door bell. A minute later one of the servants came to the deck door. "My lord and lady. You have a guest." I rolled and lifted myself onto my feet. We made our way to the front parlor to greet our guest. It was Rio. He looked very displeased to see me in this state. "Ah Rio. Welcome to our home." He looked around our house and scowled at all the cat walks. "I trained you not to shift. Ever." He said curtly. "Excuse me, but, she's no longer one of your girls and you have no standing here. You're a guest." Leo said. "Ah yes. Very true. Where are my manners? She looks happy." Leo pet me and scratched behind my ears. "She is. She has everything she could ever want. Not to mention she is covered head to toe in jewels everyday." Rio nodded and bowed slightly. "So boss Leo. We want to invite you to another auction. We have more rare and exotic beauties to sell." I pushed his leg. "I'll think on it." Rio excepted the answer and turned to leave. "Don't forget you still belong to me and that your time here is coming to an end." Rio stated in elvish before leaving. By the gods. He means to bring me back? "What? What was that?" I walked away, leaving Leo to his thoughts. I would tell him later. But for right now I wanted to be alone. I just hope he would be able to help. I didn't want to leave him. I loved him and I was finally able to start shaking the years of training off and live a normal life. My s*x life was my own and I was no longer that shy timid girl who would let anyone do whatever they to me. I was not about to let that go. I was going to fight to stay with Leo.

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