Emily, the wait ends! :D Enjoy! SkitterJennie, Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you like the story :)

Eighteen

Macavity was awake before the moon appeared in the sky. He used the time he had to himself for hunting. He caught several plump mice for him and Demeter, one of which he ate before she awoke. He was grooming his fiery fur when her eyelids fluttered open. He smiled at her as she yawned and stretched her body out.

"Well, you're finally awake," Macavity said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm sure you're hungry. Please, eat as much as you'd like." He pushed the mice towards the half-asleep queen.

"Thank you," she said, slightly embarrassed that he had hunted for her. She slowly nibbled on a mouse, not wanting to seem like a glutton. Macavity returned to grooming himself. Demeter decided to eat a second mouse, and was satisfyingly full when she finished. She thanked Macavity for the meal, but the ginger tom just waved it off.

"It was my pleasure, dear queen. Think nothing of it." He moved closer to her and looked into her eyes. He let out a small chuckle. "You've made a bit of a mess of yourself. Your fur is all out of place." He leaned closer to Demeter's face and then licked her cheek. "Let me fix that for you," he whispered.

A shiver ran down Demeter's spine and a bright blush bloomed across her cheeks as the tom groomed her face. A purr involuntarily escaped her, and she quickly covered her mouth with her paws. Macavity chuckled again and placed his paws over Demeter's. He removed her paws from her mouth and replaced them with his lips. Demeter's eyes widened initially, but then she let herself give into the kiss. She let her eyes close and she leaned into the tom. Macavity pulledher closer and wrapped his arms around her.

The longer the kiss lasted, the fuzzier Demeter's head became. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that by kissing Macavity, she was betraying someone. However, the bigger part of her mind encouraged her to continuing kissing him, assuring her that it was fine. She shivered again as Macavity ran a claw down her back.

"You are one of the most beautiful queens I have ever seen," he whispered, pulling away from the kiss to stare into her eyes.

Demeter's blush became even deeper and she looked away from the ginger tom shyly. "Th...Thank you..." she said in a soft voice.

"No need to thank me for speaking the truth," Macavity replied with a smile.

That being said, the two cats fell into a comfortable silence. Demeter relaxed in Macavity's arms, resting her head against his chest. Her ear twitched as his breath brushed against it. Macavity kept his arms around her waist, keeping her pressed against him. Demeter slowly felt herself slipping into a sleepy state again, but woke up when Macavity spoke once more.

"How do you feel about going on a little adventure?"

"An adventure?" Demeter repeated.

"Mhm... Let's go out and have a bit of fun."

Demeter didn't really want to go anywhere. She was very happy with just lying in Macavity's arms, but she didn't want to disappoint him either. Torn, she stayed silent.

"Demeter, darling," he said, his voice thick with persuasion, "please trust me. We will have a lot of fun. I promise. You'll really enjoy yourself."

Demeter closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Oh...Alright..." she said, leaving Macavity's arms and standing up. "Where are we going?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as she watched him stretch out his slender body.

"Have you ever been to Victoria Grove?" Macavity inquired. Demeter shook her head. "Good," he continued. "Then I'll show you around."

The two cars left the old cabin and walked through the woods for a short while. As they traveled, they both remained silent. Neither of them attempted to make conversation either, for they were both content with the quiet. They arrived in Victoria Grove after a few short minutes in the woods. Demeter, who had never stepped paw in Victoria Grove before, looked around in amazement. She had still been a kitten the last time she traveled outside of the Junkyard, so she had almost forgotten what the outside world was like.

They walked through the busy alleyway, where cats of many sorts were scurrying around. A few of them, who obviously recognized and respected Macavity, bowed as they walked past. Others paid no attention to him at all. Demeter also noticed a few toms glaring at her and Macavity with what seemed to be envy. The stares of so many cats made Demeter's cheeks burn. She kept close to Macavity, scared of getting lost or approached by one of the strange cats.

Macavity gestured to an old pub and Demeter followed him inside. The air was hot and sticky, and the loud voices of arguing toms rang in Demeter's ears. Macavity led her all the way to the back of the building, where a black door stood. Macavity whispered something that Demeter couldn't hear, and then turned the knob. They walked into a dimly lit room and Macavity quickly shut the door behind them. He made himself comfortable on a large, cushioned chair and motioned for Demeter to do the same, which she did. Neither cats said anything. Demeter wanted to ask Macavity where they were and what they were doing, but something in the back of her mind told her to stay silent.

After a few minutes, the door opened again and a large, black tom with a white-tipped tail entered the room. He bowed respectively to Macavity and raised his eyebrows when he noticed Demeter.

"Welcome, Belizario," Macavity said as the other tom settled down. "Have you seen the others?"

"They'll be here shortly," Belizario replied. "Who's the new kit?"

Demeter blushed violently at being called a kitten and Macavity chuckled. "Patience, Belizario. All will be explained when the others arrive."

Over the next five minutes, three more cats entered the room. Two of them were toms and the third was a queen. Macavity introduced the calico tom, who had a bite taken out of his left ear, as Tropicus. The orange and white tabby, who looked as if he were just ending his kittenhood days, was called Brito. And the queen, who was a blue-gray color with a white chest and white-tipped tail, was named Fara.

"This is my dear friend, Demeter," Macavity said, gesturing to the gold and ebony queen. "She is our new comrade."

"Comrade?" Demeter repeated, confused. She cocked her head to the side, giving Macavity a puzzled look.

"Hush, darling," Macavity said with a sweet smile. "I promise I will explain shortly." He turned back to the other cats. "Demeter will be a new addition to our team; therefore, I expect her to be treated with kindness and respect. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" the other cats replied.

"Perfect. That being said, you all know your destinations. I expect you all back here in two hours." The cats nodded and rushed out of the room, leaving Demeter and Macavity alone once again.

"Macavity, what's going on?" Demeter asked sheepishly.

"My sweet queen," Macavity replied, stroking her golden fur, "you have officially become one of my... employees."

"An employee?" Demeter repeated, still confused by what the ginger cat meant.

Macavity nodded his head. "You see, I give my employees a job, where they visit a particular location and then pick up things from that sight that I want. It's really quite simple. Let me show you."

Demeter timidly followed Macavity out of the pub and down the alleyway. They didn't walk too far before they cme upon a small, old market building. The smell of freshly baked bread still lingered in the air, despite the shop having closed hours ago.

"Inside there is the most delicious fish that you will ever eat," Macavity said with a hungry smile. "Your assignment is to go in there, get some fish, and then bring it back to me. It's really straightforward and easy."

Demeter hesitated and looked down at her paws with uncertainty. "But... isn't that straling? I don't want to steal."

Macavity shook his head and grinned at the doubtful queen. "It'll be fine, my dear. We need to do whatever we can to survive, right? Some cats hunt in the woods for mice. Me and my crew have to salvage from marketplaces. It's just a way of life."

Demeter looked up at the marketplace and then back to Macavity. Their eyes locked and she could see the authority in his dark eyes. A large part of her feared that look. She was afraid to say no to him. But part of her also wanted to please him. She wanted him to be proud of her. She let out a small sigh and then said, "Alright. I'll do it."

I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!

Mew Painappuru