I do not own the X-men characters. I own Panther and the events of the story. That is all.

Their mission was simple: break in, cuff the sick bastard, and bring the new mutant back to the mansion. Easy peasy.

Professor Xavier himself had chosen to go on this mission. Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Storm, and Rogue were who he'd chosen to take with him. The Professor knew this one would be a handful.

The place was easy enough to get into. Logan sliced through the locks and the rest of the entourage, (Nightcrawler and Rogue), stormed in. Five men stood around a bed. Kurt's sensitive ears had picked up on their conversation.

"Isn't it uncomfortable like that?'

"Nope, I saw it lying like that, that's why I restrained it that way."

Kurt didn't catch anything else before they stormed in. Rogue went straight for the bastard, glove off and forcing contact. As she drained his consciousness, skimming through his disgusting memories, Kurt and Logan each took down two of his buddies. Xavier wheeled into the room.

"I've already informed the police. If you would be so kind as to bind them together and leave them over there, Logan." He nodded and set to work.

"Do ya need me for anythin' else Professor?" Rogue asked looking pale.

"No, why don't you head back to the jet and rest?" Rogue nodded and returned to the jet.

"Vhat about me Professor?" Kurt asked.

"I thought perhaps you would be so kind as to release out new friend?"

For the first time since they entered the building, Kurt's eyes landed upon the new mutant they were there to rescue. She was lying on her left side, right arm restrained with a leather cuff behind and above her head. Her other hand was bound to her right ankle, leaving her curled. Her left leg was left free. This position brought all the attention to her butt. Protruding from the base of her spine was a spaded tail that poured over her hip and was tied to her unrestrained leg. Upon her head she had cat-like ears, the short hair matching the midnight black hair flowing from her scalp. It was a short and uneven mop. She donned a simple thigh-length black nightgown and panties (which were visible due to the position she had been restrained in).

"Of course," Kurt replied, instantly feeling attached to the girl and pitying her as he pitied himself.

By this time Logan was finished tying up the men. Xavier was about to tell him he could return to the jet too, but Logan growled,

"I'm stayin' Charles; someone needs to watch over the elf." Professor nodded with a smile.

Kurt had approached the girl. She seemed to be sleeping. He untied her tail first, understanding how sensitive tails could be. Instantly, her eyes shot open and she fought against her restraints, hissing and lashing out with her freed tail. The tip caught Kurt's bicep and left an incision. Kurt hissed back at her, stepping back in surprise. He was just trying to help her.

Determined to see through his task, he deftly unbound the hand and ankle that were pinned together. She lashed out more, but this time missed Kurt. The girl turned slightly, so that she was on her back, and began clawing at the last restraint. Thanks to her mutant abilities, her sharp nails elongated and strengthened. The result was not what she was aiming for. The restraint stayed in place. She managed some damage to it, but mostly scratched up her own hand and wrist.

Kurt yanked her hand away and Logan, who had noticed Kurt's need for assistance, restrained her tail and legs. Professor Xavier took ahold of the girl's free hand with his telekinesis, freeing Kurt to undo the last restraint.

As soon as he did, her injured clawed hand came down on his, leaving a line of claw marks. Kurt withdrew. She sat up and clawed at Logan's face. Angrily injured, Logan released her and backed up. When he tried to retaliate, Professor Xavier stopped him.

The girl sat with her feet together, a hand pressed to the bed within the gap her legs made, licking at her injured wrist. The three x-men stood there watching her. Kurt approached her again. She hissed backing up and curling up on the pillow on the other end. She went back to licking her injury. He took a couple steps closer and she inched away. He reached out his tail to her, hoping she would at least register that.

She did. She eyed him with interest. While distracted, Professor Xavier tried to enter her mind. She turned and glared at him, her eyes glowing a brilliant purple.

'Do you understand English?'

'I suggest, if you do not wish for me to fry your brain into little itty pieces, you remove yourself from my brain.'

'We're here to help you...' he was cut off with a sharp pain slicing through his head. Visions of orange and yellow flames developed. He quickly withdrew from her brain. The pain faded. Her eyes stopped glowing.

"Charles, what the hell just happened?"

"Her mind is much stronger than mine, or at least much more defensive. My abilities may prove to be useless with this one."

"Much..." Logan looked at the girl and then back at the Professor. "Than yours?" he spit out. The news stunned him. The Professor nodded.

Kurt, meanwhile, had taken ahold of her tail with his. When she snapped out of her scenario with the Professor, she shut her eyes. Nails digging into the pillow her chest and hip were on, she pulled Kurt's tail. He hissed at her, pulling on her tail. She yowled and whimpered.

"Sehen, it does nicht feel gut," Kurt told her. The yowl brought Logan and Xavier's attention back to her. Xavier entered her mind for a moment, catching a glimpse of something (he wasn't sure what), before the flames began to burn again. 'So she periodically does that too,' he thought. Professor Xavier linked Logan's and Kurt's minds to his own so that they could have a conversation without letting her know.

She pulled Kurt's tail again, watching, as his fangs became visible. The Professor tried her mind again right as Kurt returned the yank. Her mind registered the sting and flickered to images of his fangs. Then her brain sealed itself off again and she yanked on Kurt's tail. When his mouth opened to cry out, her eyes fixated on his fangs again. Kurt yanked back just as hard. She cried out, eyes shut and watering. Images of the fangs she'd see were swirling around with fantasy-created images of those fangs sinking into her neck. The Professor withdrew from her mind as the fire started again.

'Hey Charles,' Logan thought.

'Yes Logan?'

'She's emitting some pretty strong pheromones.'

'Kurt.'

'I know Professor, I can smell them too.'

'She wants to be bitten,' Xavier continued. 'She seems to be acting a bit like a cat, so it's only fair that we consider the cat's habits as hers unless proven otherwise. She seems to be focusing on your fangs when you open your mouth to hiss at her. Female cats are forced into submission through a bite to the neck. Maybe if you bite her, she'll calm down enough to be talked to.'

'You vont me to bite her.'

'Yes.'

'Okay, but I need to concentrate. There's no vay she's just going to let me.'

Xavier disconnected the link from Kurt.

'Are you sure this is a good idea Charles?'

'It seems to be the only option at this point if we to do not want to make an enemy out of her.'

'I hope so.'

Kurt unlatched his tail from hers, quickly wrapping them around her legs instead. He pulled her down the bed, so that she was laying on it, face down. She lashed out at him with her tail, catching his cheek, and tried to turn to claw at him. He acted fast: pinning her wrists to the pillow under her head, pinning her body and legs down with his own, and restraining her tail with his. She struggled beneath him, hissing at him. Her claws sunk into the pillow. While her head was off the pillow amidst her struggles, Kurt wasted no time and sunk his fangs into the left side of her neck. (Logan and Xavier are standing off to the right side.)

'We just handed the elf a mate, didn't we?'

'I believe so,' Xavier responded, 'but is that such a bad thing?'

'Lord knows the kid needed one.'

'I think it will benefit him too,' Xavier agreed through the mental link.

The girl cried out, freezing her movements. She lowered her head onto the pillow slowly and froze there for a minute. Her claws retracted and her eyes closed. The longer her bit her, the less rebellious she felt.

When Kurt felt her relax completely, he removed his mouth from her neck. She moaned softly: so softly only Kurt's ears picked up on it. He licked at the bite mark on her neck, both apologetically and possessively. His instincts had kicked in. He had bit her. She belonged to him. They both knew it. Kurt wrapped his arms around her waist as he rolled off her, pulling her back against him. They curled up together. She fell asleep.

Kurt teleported the two of them to the bed he was currently using as his own aboard the x-jet. He pulled the covers over the two of them and joined her in slumber.

Logan and the Professor returned to the jet, instructing Ororo, who had waited behind, to get the jet set off towards home.

Kurt and the girl slept the whole way to the mansion.

Xavier explained to Ororo what had happened.

Logan refused to say anything about it (or his facial wound) to Rogue except: "I think the elf's found a mate."

Rogue promised not to tell anyone he said that and secretly was amused that this new girl had injured Logan. For she knew the girl did, even if Logan didn't admit it.

Comment if you like it. =)