YAY! PANTHRO/GRUNE SLASH! HOPE YOU LIKE IT! IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO WRITE! WELL...THATS WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE ANYWAY XD

Petting the Panther, Seducing the Sabertooth-by PS

This had to be a dream.

But Panthro knew it wasn't, and he was extremely aware of his bad fortune as he was handcuffed to a wall in the throne room where his once best friend and birth mate, Grune, sat on the King's throne.

He glared at the other cat, "how dare you sit in that chair!"

Grune smiled that cold smile of his and stretched out, his hand clenching tighter around his new spiked weapon, "but I told you I would be king one day Panthro, and, as you can tell, I'm never wrong."

Panthro growled at the other man and tugged at his restraints; he heard Grune talking to him again, "you won't be able to break those, I had them specially made for you."

Panthro's eyes went wide and his struggling weakened, Grune had been planning for this? For how long?

He chanced a glance at his unclaimed mate and was surprised to see him rising from the throne, "tell me Panthro, how is our young gang of rouge heroes?"

Panthro narrowed his eyes as the traitor stalked closer, "I won't tell you anything."

Grune sighed and examined his nails, "yes, I know. If I had thought any of you rouges would have told me anything I would have captured one of those annoying kits. But, that's not why I captured you Panthro."

Panthro's heart sunk as his guess of his capture was truly revealed, Grune was closer now, "it's been far to long Panthro, and I wasn't able to claim you then. But now I will. I am King, and you shall be my Queen. My mate, my life and joy, my consort in everything. I will give you the world if you ask for it."

Panthro grimaced and turned his head away from the brown cat, "I would never mate with you, not after what you have done to your species, your King."

Grune sighed and shook his head, "you always were passionate about loyalty. Sometimes I wondered if you and Claudus had mated, but I know better than that. You wouldn't be able to bear another's intimate touch, only mine. After all, we were made for each other."

Panthro growled and fought against his restraints, "you honestly believe that I will let you touch me with your filthy, traitorous hands?"

Grune growled back and took Panthro's chin in his hand, "do you honesty believe that you have a choice in the matter? I didn't make these chains to just tie you up, I made them so that while I claim you, you cannot fight back!"

Panthro thrashed his head away, his burgundy eyes wide with shock at his former ally's words, "you would honestly rape your own mate?"

Grune's eyes were soft as he looked at the panther, "no. I intend to woo you into my favor, I wish to court you as I should have done long ago…I will wait for you Panthro, I always have."

And with that, the brown cat walked out of the huge doors, leaving the panther tied up in both physical and mental state…

"This can't be Jaga!" Panthro's eyes were wide as he looked at the old sage.

Jaga tilted his head toward the younger panther, "it is my young friend. You are the mate of our Captain Grune, you have been since you were born."

Panthro shook his head furiously and clenched his fists, "he's my best friend, I can't mate with my best friend!"

Jaga smiled that kind smile of his, "you may find that it will be easier since you two are already close friends."

Panthro looked up at the lighter cat, his eyes pleading, "please Jaga…I don't want a mate."

Jaga laid his hand on the soldier's shoulder, "no. But perhaps you need one."

Panthro watched in anguish as the old Cleric walked gracefully back into the golden building…

"Do you not like the food?"

Panthro glanced up to find Grune, who was leaning on the doorjamb, watching him with dark eyes.

He then turned his gaze to the floor where a plate of food rested. Since he was now in a cage made entirely of purple stinging magic, he was given food, but with no utensils. "No," he finally decided as he stared down at the plate of roasted meat and vegetables, "no, I just don't have an appetite."

Grune sighed and unfolded his arms as he pushed himself off of the wall, "you are sad."

The panther gave a wry smile, "I am never sad."

Grune tilted his head to the side as he came just short of the cage, "no? Well perhaps melancholy then. Are you upset that I have locked you away in a cage?"

Panthro's jaw clenched and he folded his arms, "no. I honestly couldn't care less about it."

Grune narrowed his eyes, "I am trying to make you comfortable."

Panthro glanced at him, "ah, just like trying to make it up to a person by giving them a wonderful last meal before their death sentence. How gracious of you."

Grune, plainly hearing the sarcasm clenched his fist in rage, "don't you mock me Panthro, all that I have ever done was for you!"

Panthro set his jaw and faced him head on, "oh, so killing the entire population of our species was for me then?"

Grune narrowed his eyes once more, "you do not understand me. You never have."

Panthro crossed his arms around himself and looked away, "I know you better than you know yourself sometimes."

Grune backed down, withdrawing into himself, "and that's what scares me."

Panthro didn't even watch him as he strode away…

"I know that Jaga told you."

Panthro turned around to see Grune leaning against the wall of the balcony. Inside of the palace the sounds of the feast and party were still going on happily. "Oh," Panthro said, turning back around to look at the town, "yes."

He felt Grune walk up behind him, "are you upset?" The question was quiet and Panthro wasn't sure how to answer it.

"I'm not sure," he said as he saw a pair of birds fly by, chasing one another through the navy blue sky.

Grune frowned, "I know that you are unsure of your feelings, but we need to figure this out, this mating will be hell if-"

"Be hell if what Grune? You're my best friend, but that's all I see you as. I don't understand how I'm supposed to be your mate when I harbor no romantic feelings toward you!"

Grune gazed at him quietly, "help me work it out."

Panthro glared at him, "work it out alone."

Grune watched him walk away…

Grune lay in his plush bed in the dead King's chambers, looking up at the canopy over his bed.

He could not sleep.

His instincts were on high alert, Panthro was only in the throne room and he could easily go down and take him without a second thought.

NO!

He would not do that to his own mate, no matter how his hormones raged. He had always wanted Panthro on his own consent, not a forced mating.

He still remembered when he first realized that Panthro was his mate…

Grune watched with blazing eyes as Panthro and a jaguar general talked near the center of the ballroom. The General stood to close for Grune's liking and he could tell that he was being flirtatious without even listening in on their conversation.

"That General seems to be a bit invading, does he not?"

Grune glanced to his left to see Jaga, the King's old magician, beside him; Jaga's gaze rested on the man that was talking to Panthro.

Grune shrugged, crossing his arms, "doesn't matter, Panthro doesn't seem to mind at all."

That was a lie.

Panthro was clearly uncomfortable, and he was obviously trying to find a way out of the conversation with no such luck so far.

Grune grumbled to himself as he watched the jaguar lean closer to the panther; he couldn't take it any longer, he pushed away from the wall and stomped over to the pair, "excuse me!"

The General turned, his face annoyed, "can I help you?"

He glared at the man, "yes. You can kindly stop molesting my friend!"

The yellow haired cat put on a face of astonishment, "excuse me? This man and I were simply having a conversation before you rudely interrupted!"

Grune turned to look at Panthro, "was he bothering you?"

Panthro, whose face was calm and stoic shrugged, then nodded. Grune looked back at the General, "you see? So kindly leave him alone."

The General glared but stalked silently off, evaporating into the crowd around him.

"Thanks," Panthro said as Grune watched the man go.

Grune turned back to him, "no prob-"

Grune stopped mid-sentence as he looked at Panthro, the panther was enveloped in a golden shine, one that made Grune's heart thump and his loin's to clench.

Panthro tilted his head to the side, a smile playing at his lips, "are you okay Grune?"

Grune gave a shuttering breath, "fine…"

A low groan brought Grune out of his thoughts. It sounded like Panthro!

He threw the covers away from his body, grabbed one of his guns, and ran to the Throne Room as fast as he could. He slammed open the doors and was surprised to see Panthro curled up on the ground of his cage, tears streaming down his face.

Grune came as close to the cage as he could without being shocked, "Panthro! What's wrong?"

The panther shook his head, sending tears flying, "no! Go away!"

And then it hit Grune, the smell of blood and fertility. His blood ran, his loins clenched, and his mouth watered. He swallowed and opened his mouth, "Panthro…are you in heat?"

The darker cat turned his head to the side and Grune got his answer, "is this the first time that this has happened to you?"

It took a minute, but finally, Panthro answered, his voice quiet and hesitant, "no. It's happened twice before."

Grune felt anger towards himself, "does it hurt you?"

He barely made out Panthro's nod.

Grune laid down on the floor next to the cage, "don't worry Panthro. I know what will stop it."

The cat inside the cage stilled, "no Grune."

The brown feline sighed, "you would rather be in pain then find release?"

Panthro turned to glare at him, "I would rather be in pain than ever do anything with you!"

Grune let his eyes close to half-mast as he stared into the red eyes of the cat before him, "no love, I won't let you be in pain. Never again."

Panthro shook his head and curled up tighter, shaking and silently sobbing until he fell asleep.

Grune lay still on the floor, putting his palm flat against the marble and pretending that he was able to feel Panthro's heartbeat from where he was…

The heat was a lonely ache.

Panthro felt achingly empty, and the pulsing pain wouldn't stop for a moment. The need to simply roll over and let Grune take him was nearly unbearable, but he held onto his pride and turned away whenever the brown cat came near.

He ate little food, mostly fruits and breads, trying to smother the fire away from his system and he drank as much as he was given, which wasn't much at all.

It was when Grune visited him that he curled up in the middle of the cage and stare at the floor, ignoring the Sabertooth as best as he could while shying away from the pain.

"How long will this heat last?" Panthro could smell Grune's arousal every time that he came near the cage and it made the heat worse.

For once though, he inclined his head towards the other feral and gave him an answer, "two weeks. The first week I can't get pregnant. The second week it is possible for me to get pregnant."

Grune's eyes were distant as he listened, when Panthro was finished he looked back at him, "why is it that you are the only one that goes into heat?"

Panthro was both surprised and embarrassed by the question; Jaga must have told him more about the mating, as he and the older cat were much closer than Grune was. "I am the submissive in the relationship, you are the dominant. Which means that only I am able to carry children."

Grune was silent as he processed this, then, "I see. I shall leave you now. You rest Panthro, and try to remain cool." He got up from his crouch next to the cage and signaled for more water to be brought to the encaged panther.

Panthro watched him leave, the dim sound of the brown cat's footsteps ringing across the marble floor the only sign that the stockier cat was ever there at all…

Panthro and Grune had been ignoring each other for two weeks now.

After Jaga had told Panthro of the mating and the words that were spoken on the balcony they had only seen each other at council meetings and other formal events.

If you hadn't known them before this lapse of friendship you never would have known that they were best friends.

Claudus scratched his head as he saw the two glance at one another and carefully avoid each other by switching paths in the garden, "Jaga, how can mates avoid one another like that? Won't they feel some sort of pain after being separated for so long?"

Jaga glanced at his king then back at the two Captains; it was sad really. Claudus's mate had died long ago, only after a year after Lion-O's birth, and the King seemed to have forgotten what it felt like to be bonded and mated for all of eternity. "I'm sure that they feel rather lonely sire. Hopefully they will make up soon enough and things will go back to the way they were."

Claudus gave a distant nod and blinked; why did he feel like he did not want things to go back to normal?

Meanwhile in the gardens Panthro sat on a bench, aware of Grune, the old cleric, and the king all watching him. His tail twitched in annoyance.

Grune glared up at the castle. He was mad that the King and the cleric were watching his mate, especially the King. What right did anyone other than he have to look at the panther's divine beauty?

He flicked his eyes over to where his mate sat and panicked, the dark beauty was not there anymore!

Flustered he looked around wildly and his eyes centered on the twitch of a black tail turning around a bed of hedges. He followed…

Grune growled as he fought his way through a dense thicket of brambles, trying not to lose sight or scent of his mate. It was almost difficult. But he wasn't a trained soldier for nothing.

As he came out of the brush Grune was surprised to see that he was now in a lost part of the garden, and that Panthro was on the other side of the quiet, hedge-surrounded area. He took a moment to survey his mate's chosen landscape. Quiet, secluded, dark, where little birds twittered, and wild thorn roses persisted to grow. It smelled of Panthro, suggesting that he came here often.

His attention turned to his mate. Panthro's fists were clenched tightly at his side, "we have to stop avoiding this."

Grune crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg, "oh? And here you were telling me that I had to figure it out on my own. What changed your mind?"

His voice was taunting and he wasn't all that surprised when Panthro turned on him, his eyes blazing, "I've been having these…thoughts, and feelings that I can't really explain. I want to be with you, and it almost hurts when we're apart…I miss you."

That was all Grune needed.

He strode forward with all purpose and grasped Panthro into his arms, clutching him close, "you don't need to miss me. I'm right here."

And then, the Sabertooth kissed the Panther.

It was fire and passion rolling about in Grune's senses, and he vaguely realized that Panthro was mewling, as if asking him to stop and begging him to go on. He carried on with the kiss. Licking his partner's lip, making Panthro gasp, was a perfect thing.

Feelings rushed through him and thoughts came unbidden, making him think dark thoughts and almost vile things. He shuddered.

Panthro's hand was dragging down his side, soothing him and smoothing his fur out. He rumbled his thanks and pulled back to breathe.

He stared down at his flushed mate and couldn't contain a grin. The black cat was blushing heavily and his eyes were downcast, his frame trembling with unknown feelings and emotions.

Grune tilted his chin up with a hand to his face, "do you still miss me?"

Panthro bit his lip and Grune's eyes darkened, making him nervous, but the panther shook his head and flushed some more, "I don't think I could bear to be apart from you."

Grune smiled, a rare genuine smile that lit up his entire face, "here's to hoping you don't even need to be away from my side."

Panthro smiled back and closed his eyes, purring…

Panthro awoke to a dense sound and vibration at his backside.

Startled he turned around quietly and nearly jumped up when he saw who lay behind him, spooning him close. Grune, laying in the middle of the purple cage, was sleeping soundly next to his mate, and, purring.

Panthro flushed and pushed him away fiercely, causing the brown cat to wake up and let out a loud yelp.

He looked around, confused, for a moment before his gaze landed on Panthro; he smiled at the dark cat.

Panthro glared at him, "what the hell are you doing in here?"

Grune tilted his head to the side, "you don't remember?"

Panthro's brow furrowed and he continued his glare at the Sabertooth. Grune sighed, "I'll take that as a no. Last night I woke up to someone calling my name, I came in here and you were here, on the floor, sweating and crying out my name in your sleep. I was about to call for some water for you when you woke up and saw me. You cried out to me, asking me to come into the cage with you and hold you…I did. And we both fell asleep."

Panthro flushed, he seemed to remember something like that in his dream, but not in reality. But, then again, the Heat did make his forget things and hallucinate sometimes. He glanced up at the other cat to find him watching him, and Panthro cleared his throat, "it was the Heat. It makes me hallucinate and act like I have a fever sometimes. Sorry." Truthfully, he was anything but sorry. But Panthro wasn't known for his honesty.

Grune stared at him for a moment, "I'll leave you to it then."

He got up quietly and pulled out an object from his belt, pressing a button on it that made a shield like device around him. He walked through the purple haze without getting shocked.

Panthro watched, enthralled, as this occurred. He glanced back up at Grune's face, away from the remote, once the other feral was all the way through. Grune stared back at him for a moment before looking away, "I'll call for someone to bring you food soon."

Panthro nodded, but really, his heart sank lower than he was willing to admit, and for reasons he did not know…

The Heat was to much.

Panthro looked around quickly, and upon seeing no one carefully undid the loops on his pants. He slid a warm hand under the fabric and his eyes fluttered closed upon contact.

Suddenly, in his mind's eye, the hand wasn't his, and he gasped as the appendage was stroked by hot velvety skin.

Faster and faster the hand went, and soon Panthro was crying out, his come coating his hand, and he was gasping from the violent release.

"You really are beautiful, especially during and after an orgasm."

Panthro froze, his eyes snapped open and he turned to see Grune on the outside of his prison, his brown eyes dark and filled with lust.

Panthro shut his mouth quickly and swallowed, "what are you doing here?"

Grune shrugged and leaned closer to the purple encasement of the cage, "I was hearing beautiful gasps, and I was pretty sure that the guards weren't doing anything, so that left you. And here I find you, jerking yourself to completion and looking so incredibly desirable."

Panthro stared at him eyes wide, "what are you going to do?"

Grune smiled at him, his eyes shiny, "what makes you think that I'm going to do anything?"

Panthro's eyes hardened, "I know that look. You're planning something, but I just don't know what…"

Grune smirked at him again, "I'm just planning your sweet demise. Death by pleasure."

And then, surprising Panthro, he got up and sauntered out of the room, his hips swaying invitingly. Panthro gulped…

They had kissed several times since the first kiss. And each time was different in its own right.

But, there was a problem. Grune had trouble with possessiveness and jealousy.

If Panthro so much as shook hands with someone it was close to setting Grune off, but it was worse with men than women. It almost seemed as though Grune wanted him locked away, somewhere in a convent with only women and no men. He trusted Panthro with women, it was the men that were difficult…

"Heard about your little episode yesterday," a lizard said, smirking at Panthro as he slid a try of food into the cell, "if you ever need help with that just call. I'd be happy to-"

"That's what he had me for Ratchet."

The lizard guard, Ratchet, turned around at break-neck speed to look at Grune with horror-stricken eyes. "S-sir! I was just talking to the prisoner-"

"You forget your place reptile. This cat is mine, and mine alone. You will not touch or speak to him ever again. Do you understand?"

The lizard was shaking, "y-yes sir! Right away sir!" And with that he hurried out of the room as fast as he could without running.

Panthro looked up calmly at his mate, "you always did have possessive issues."Grune flicked his eyes over the panther's form, "hmmm, I wonder why."

Panthro grinned wryly, "you must have work to do. Go on then."

Grune stared at him for a moment, arms limp at his sides, then, he inhaled deeply. "The Heat is almost gone. By tonight it will have faded away completely. I will come for you tonight."

Anxiety and pleasure warred with one another inside of Panthro was he watched his mate walk calmly away…

Night had come, and Panthro sat in his cage, worrying his lip and staring at the doorway, half hoping that his mate wouldn't come and half praying that he would.

Everything was silent.

Then, quietly but surely, footsteps sounded along the cold floor, and the door to the Throne Room creaked quietly as it was being opened.

Panthro's heart nearly burst out of its chest as Grune appeared, his hair ruffled and his body littered with bruises and cuts.

Panthro watched him as he limped closer and pressed the button that enabled him to come through the cage.

"What happened?" Panthro asked as Grune flopped down close to him, not a yard away. Grune sighed, "just training practice, nothing to worry about. Besides, I won anyway." He gave the other cat a roguish grin and Panthro's heart stuttered because of it.

He frowned at the Sabertooth, "I'm sure you did."

Grune shifted closer, "still hurts like hell though."

Panthro, his instincts getting the best of him, got onto his knees and crawled closer, resting back on his haunches when his knees touched the side of Grune's thigh. He smoothed Grune's hair out of his eyes, "poor thing. Betraying his people, and now he has to suffer through such horrible treatment."

Grune glared at him, "don't mock me."

Panthro flitted his red eyes up to look into the brown ones of his mate for a moment, "you mock me all the time. I think you deserve a little mocking, it keeps you humble."

Grune chuckled, "humble. Not a word that I would use for myself."

Panthro shrugged and ran his fingers down the brown cat's arm, the calloused on the digits catching on scars, "me either. But still, everyone deserves a chance to be called the word."

Grune tilted his head to the side, "even Mumm'Ra?"

Panthro let his fingers drag down a deep cut slowly, drawing a hiss from the other cat, "I don't want to talk about him."

Grune lifted Panthro's head and stared into his eyes, a smirk drawing onto his lips, "I don't want to talk at all."

And then, though Panthro had expected it, he still jumped when Grune's lips connected with him, drawing a gasp and then a moan out of him. Dry, but smooth lips caressed one another, and teeth clinked as they connected. Tongues dashed together in an intimate dance, and soon Grune's hands were running down his mate's torso, dragging the clothing away as they went.

Panthro gasped for breath as Grune pulled away for breath, and to latch his mouth on his mate's neck. The panther then realized that his neck was extremely sensitive.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time Panthro…I dream about it."

Panthro gasped again as the words were said and as his mate's teeth lightly traced across his pulse, "would you still take me even if I asked you not to?"

Grune paused for a moment and pulled back to look at the darker cat, "what if I say no? Will you push me away to test that theory?"

Panthro, not able to find his voice, shook his head dumbly, and Grune smiled, a real genuine smile, "good. I'm going to take you now my panther."

Panthro licked his lips, his claws digging into Grune's ribs, "I know," and he pushed forward to kiss his dominant.

The kiss was smoky and hazy, and it was sheer bliss as Panthro felt Grune remove their clothing, running his hands down his body, taking hold of his member.

He shuddered and pulled back, trying to gather air for his unused brain. Grune was growling to him, saying words that didn't make sense and that Panthro didn't understand.

He gasped when he was suddenly turned around so that his stomach quivered when it met the cold floor; above him Grune was growling some more, smoothing his hands over Panthro's bottom.

"They'll never have you after this; slimy gits will never touch you' he'd better keep his wrappings to himself!"

Panthro groaned, "Grune! Shut up!"

The brown cat growled, not words, but an honest feral sound that made Panthro shiver as Grune's fingers came close to his mouth, "suck on them my Panthro."

The dark cat did as he was told, his instincts settling in to do what his mate wanted, to please him in any way possible.

Grune's fingers went out of his mouth, and where inserted into his hole before he could so much as gasp.

The pain was nearly unbearable. It was like the Heat, pain curling around in your body, into your very bones.

"I'm sorry darling." Grune. He was centering him again, just with his voice. Panthro opened his eyes, just now realizing that he's closed them and felt wetness on his face. He inhaled and smelled salt. Tears. He had been crying, maybe he still was, he didn't know anymore. He didn't care.

He clenched his muscles and found that three fingers were inside of him now, stretching him and creating a most terrible pain.

Then, as one of the fingers brushed against something, the pain was pleasure, making Panthro hiss, "Grune!" His mate made a low sound in his throat, signaling that he was listening but concentrating at the same time. Panthro growled as more pleasure echoed through his body, "enough Grune! Take me already!"

Grune was on him in a flash.

The pain was back as Grune entered him, fully mounting him and staying still as the panther adjusted to his large size. Panthro keened low, a sound of distress that tore through Grune sadly.

He nuzzled against his mate's shoulder, silently telling him that he was there and wasn't purposefully trying to hurt him.

Panthro's command came out husky and quiet, "move."

So Grune did, he gave small thrusts at first, moving to fist Panthro in his hand; but as Panthro moaned, a sound that went straight to his loins, he was going harder, faster, deeper, shaking the figure beneath him, their cries echoing across the hall.

Nearing his completion Grune growled out, "mine!" and bit deep into the junction between the neck and the shoulder of the panther beneath him.

Panthro yowled, a sound completely feline that made them both release the pleasure and ache.

They lay in silence, the only sound their panting and the dying echoes around them.

"I love you" Grune whispered, not turning to see the objection and disgust of his mate at his words.

But, it was a nuzzle and the cuddling against his side that he received, making them both purr as Panthro licked at his mate's ear, "I love you too."

Grune put his arm around his mate, closing his eyes and holding the panther close…

PHEW. HOPE YOU LIKE IT, PLEASE REVIEW!