---Lane's POV---

Thanks to Jethro's care and attention, I was finally capable of moving around without having to awkwardly shuffle my feet, or cling onto anything to help support my weight.

Then again, it was fair to point out that Jethro put me in that predicament to begin with. And it certainly didn't help that my own tiger was basically raising its ass in the air the second Jethro so much as breathed in my general direction.

It had amused him greatly when I had huffed in annoyance at my tiger's constant persistence to mate, even if I was barely recovering from our last romp.

Not that I would've been terribly against it...

Jethro snickered when I had pulled back control of the tiger, whom instantly started throwing a hissy fit. "I'm quite satisfied that I could please you both but," Firm fingers gently grasped my chin, eyes locking onto my tiger's and turning amber in warning.

"Behave." Jethro rumbled lowly. "While I'm glad to see you enjoyed our mating, I will not tolerate you forcing the issue or taking Lane's autonomy away because you're getting in heat."

A full body shiver made me tremble in his hold, the tiger letting out a little submissive mewl, instantly ceasing its struggle.

Jethro's eyes gentled, especially when the tiger gave back control and hid away. Like a scolded little kitten denied its favorite toy.

However, a full body shiver coursed over my body at what Jethro had pointed out. Heat. A little groan puffed past my lips as I leaned into Jethro's hold, who chuckled and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

If my tiger was already this bad when we were only approaching our heat, how bad would he be when we fully went into heat?

A purr slipped past my lips as fingers gently scratched through my hair. Instantly my eyelids drooped, head lolling within Jethro's hold as if I had fallen into a trance.

I could feel his amusement over our link but I couldn't help it! I simply loved that gentle scratching against my scalp, fingers brushing through my hair and the occasional slight tug to them.

"You are such a delight to have, my love." Jethro chuckled, laughing when I let out an irrepressible whine when he retracted his hand.

My protest died on my lips as he lifted me up, holding me against his chest with little effort. My tiger decided that was a good moment to mouth at the mark left behind on Jethro's bared neck, only to receive a stinging swat to my ass for it.

"Don't press your luck kitten." The rumbling growl vibrated through my body as Jethro admonished my shift, hand cupping the back of my head and turning it away from his mark. Luckily it relented, instead nuzzling lazily against Jethro's skin.

"How long would my heat last?" I murmured against his skin. Enjoying the warmth of his body, how his muscles pulled and flexed against me.

His chest rumbled with amusement underneath my ear, fingers brushing over my spine so I shivered within his hold. "Hmmm, who knows? The Feline representatives are quite boastful but they don't really share the ins and outs about their species."

A huff escaped my lips as Jethro added "You would probably know more about the case than I do." I didn't respond, instead nuzzling into Jethro's throat and sighed.

I didn't want to spoil the mood by saying that I didn't know anything about the feline kin besides what I learned myself. They didn't really allow me in the class groups with the other kittens.

Jethro's arms flexed around me, making me still and close my eyes with frustrated resignation. I had completely forgotten about the mating bond, the link formed between us. Especially now, with me approaching my heat and Jethro still going through his breeding frenzy...

Any thoughts I had were instantly shared with him.

The little pinpricks of his claws created goosebumps as they tickled my flesh. "You don't ever need to worry about sharing anything with me, my heart." Jethro pressed a kiss on my forehead before growling.

"However, I do wish to learn every single moment when those prides have mistreated you."

A sigh escaped me. "You'll get angry." I murmured, tightening my hold around his neck, feeling a purr start up as I rubbed my cheek against his jaw. Jethro chuckled slightly, leaning into the motion before he relaxed, claws retracting once more.

"Kitten, of course I'll get angry. You are mine, just as I am yours. How would you feel if you learned that someone had treated me horribly in the past?"

I thought about it for a moment, understanding what he meant. Even if it was a rhetorical question and quite a silly one, because who the hell would dare mistreat a fucking dragon?

"I'd be curious as to who is insane enough to piss off a dragon." I murmured, smiling with satisfaction as Jethro's laughter echoed through the house.

"Well, as Curtis has proven, there are a few."

I scoffed at that, remembering how an Alpha of a pack of wolves had been reduced to a shivering pile of fur that had wet itself in the face of Jethro's restrained anger.

The poor pup would've died from stress if my master had truly let him feel the rage of his dragon.

"Yes." Jethro agreed with a snort. "Though I imagine he'd at least try and flee from my wrath." He gave my ass a pinch, making me squeal in protest as he chuckled. "You're trying to change the topic, love."

I buried my nose under his throat, inhaling his soothing scent. Slowly, I began to talk about my past, my troubled childhood.

Father had blamed me for my mother's passing, for absurd reasons. I was the runt of the litter, the last born. If the litter had been smaller, the doctors could've put their focus on mother, instead of a dying runt.

I suspected something had broken inside his mindset that day. In one foul swoop, he went from happy and expecting husband, whom was happily mated, to a single father of a weak and likely to die litter.

While I was talking, I was aware of the heat pouring from Jethro's skin. How his fingers brushed over my back, down to my hips in a gentle caress, only to reverse the motion until he squeezed my nape with reassurance.

It was comforting, soothing. Especially when he sat down outside, allowing us both to bask in the sunlight. It cocooned me in warmth and reassurance, especially when Jethro's lips pressed against my forehead from time to time.

"But, if your mother passed at birth, that meant they had to find you a surrogate or hand rear the entire litter." Jethro stated, making me nod tiredly.

"Finding a surrogate was easy. Finding one who was willing to feed me, was a different thing." I shrugged halfheartedly, trying to push back the anger and hurt that burned in my chest. "I've been told several times that the only reason why anyone had fed me, was because the lioness in question had lost her own litter and needed me in order to heal her state of mind."

I snorted, shaking my head slightly. "She discarded of me the moment she felt better, the moment she was expecting once more. After all, she couldn't have any defects spread among her kittens."

Fingers squeezed my neck softly, holding me firmly against his chest. His breathed exhale coasted over my jaw, hotter than usual. Deep, angered growls rumbling through his body, as I could even feel several scales press against my skin.

"And how old were you when you were left to your own devices?" Jethro sneered, nuzzling against me in reassurance when I mewled.

My fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, hesitating for a moment.

"Five."

The growls stopped, leaving an eerie silence that was only disturbed by songbirds chasing one another through the canopy. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the heat of the sun on my skin.

I knew Jethro wanted to hear everything, so I softly continued to speak. Spoke of the moments where I was last to feed, how I would sneak into the dining halls to find my supper in the form of already chewed bones with fragments of meat and cartilage.

How I had to fall back to hunting mice and rats to get a semblance of meat. As I certainly didn't dare go into the woods in an attempt to hunt.

Any of the pride would've seen that opportunity to use me as hunting practice. Something that happened quite often within the confines of the village center anyways.

"They used you... for hunting practice?" I cringed as I felt Jethro's claws for a moment, could feel flames lap at my skin without dealing any damage.

I cleared my throat, only now becoming aware from the tears that clogged it. "I, uhm... yes. The adults... encouraged the young as soon as they were old enough. I couldn't shift, couldn't retaliate so they were less at risk than against a prey with hard hooves."

His fingers easily found the small marks hidden in my nape. Scars of continuous wounds that barely had any time to heal. Shallow scars but scars nonetheless.

Scars caused by young cubs launching themselves at my nape, as they would on a hunt. Biting down on trachea or breaking the spinal cord to kill swiftly.

The minor wounds weren't killing blows, but they certainly had caused a lot of discomfort and blood loss.

And I hadn't been able to defend myself. How could I? If I had hit and bruised any of those cubs, word would reach their parents and I'd be hunted down, dragged out of my shack of a home.

So I had been forced to endure it, to simply dodge the cubs when they came for me or stay well out of sight to avoid getting mauled.

When I got to having to describe my housing, I stilled, licking my drying lips hesitantly. Because I could already tell Jethro was struggling to keep his dragon at bay.

Telling him that I basically was forced to live in a waste deposit shack covered in the pride's manure and urine would send him in a murderous rage.

However, I couldn't stay quiet about this. So I simply twisted in his hold, buried my face completely under his throat, as if wanting to hide away from the world.

And whispered the truth against his skin.

The entire forest was quiet. Birds chirping hesitantly, hopping from branch to branch and clearing away from the porch in a sudden rush.

All the while Jethro kept petting me quietly, caressing my spine until purrs slipped from my body, relaxing tensed muscles until they relented and sagged, making me droop on his chest.

"Thank you... for telling me this, Kitten." Jethro squeezed me tighter in a warm hug, lips finding his mark. "Thank you for trusting me with the truth and not trying to lie."

I simply nuzzled against his skin as a response. Even with only speaking, having not done anything today, I felt drained and exhausted.

Jethro smiled warmly when I leaned back to give him a wobbly smile, especially so when he kissed the tip of my nose. However, his eyes remained a solid amber, a clear sign that his beast was right underneath the surface.

"That... felt oddly... relieving?" I sniveled while rubbing my hands over my eyes, unintentionally wiping my nose on my skin.

I willingly curled back in my masters' arms, who instantly wrapped his arms around me to give me all the comfort and support I needed.

"It's only natural. You've endured a lot of trauma and hardships through your life... events that are bound to have left their mark on you."

He gently grabbed my chin, turning my face in his direction, eyes warm and serious at the same time. "You've never had anyone to rely on, nobody who could help shoulder the burden and lend an ear. Darling, I am honored that you trusted me enough to open up about your past, without any fear or holding back."

Our lips locked in a gentle kiss that nearly made me want to cry. There was no rush, no intense need or desire that followed the simple caress. Just a long, lazy kiss that conveyed our feelings for one another without needing to go any further.

I sighed dreamily once Jethro pulled back, feeling a content grin bloom over my skin. In return, Jethro's own eyes sparked with endearment and love, a comforting silence falling over the both of us.

But I knew there would be hell to pay for the pride. Jethro was well within his rights to retaliate for the abuse and neglect of his mate.

And judging from how much trouble the pride gave the Council, they would agree wholeheartedly. Things needed to change and the Prides needed to learn where they truly stood.

Because up until now, they've always seen themselves floating high above the others. Far above the morals and consequences of their own actions, allowed to do whatever it is their greedy hearts desired.

They needed to learn their place.

And I had a feeling Jethro was going to be a more than capable teacher that would show them just how low on the rankings they were.