He couldn't believe that he had one of his older kittens back. He remembered him, of course, and had secretly named him Melayo. It was an odd name, but he was an odd little furball. He loved sucking on his back feet and mewing when he fed. Tiegan cleaned him until he was completely out cold, then looked over to Tarren with excitement.

His love's lion definitely didn't seem to share his happiness.

Tarren?

Tiegan leaned over a bit to hide the cub from his view. The second his line of sight to it was blocked, Tarren blinked and licked his nose, then yawned.

Hm?

Are you okay? With him being here?

Of course.

Tiegan's eyes narrowed as he noticed his lion trying to sneak peeks at the kitten.

What's wrong? Your lion is really fidgety.

When Tarren just flopped his head down facing away from him, Tiegan licked his lips and considered what little information he understood about lions. They'd had a shifter class last year in school which had focused on the more aggressive species so he knew how to diffuse a situation if they ever had to deal with another kid's immature animal.

Wait a second...

Tiegan looked down at him wearily as he remembered something extremely important he'd learned about adult male lions.

He's mad that it isn't his. I'm sorry.

Don't be. He'll get over it.

Tarren honestly wasn't sure about that. Adult lions, more than often, killed another male's cubs so that they could reproduce their own offspring faster.

We still have our baby and I have no intention of treating them any different.

Leaning over, he nuzzled through his mane until he found an ear, then grabbed it with a playful growl. His lion was obviously pouting, though, since it just grumbled and shook its head in response.

Not right now, Tiegan.

Okay.

He settled down, resting his head on his paws as Melayo slept beneath him. Their own little kitten wouldn't need fed again for another hour so, so he took the chance and closed his eyes for some much needed sleep.

At some point during the night Grayson had shifted because he awoke with his matchbox bed pushing into his lower back. When his eyes finally blinked open, he noticed nothing but darkness, at first. It was definitely still night time and as he sat up, he started to notice the glow from the clock on the nightstand flashing three A.M. He was just taking in a deep breath for a sleepy sigh when he smelled musk... sweat. It didn't take him long to realize that Erin was sleeping next to him and was likely butt-naked beneath the blanket.

Panic time. Yep.

His mouse felt like it was running on an exercise wheel in his head!

"Gray?" a groggy voice echoed in the tiny bedroom, making him jump before he looked over his shoulder. The slim amount of moonlight drifting through the window outlined Erin just enough to tell Grayson that he was sitting up, leaning on one arm as he faced him. IHecouldn't really see his expression, but judging from his voice, he'd have to say that he was still half asleep.

"Um, hi."

"Is your butt feeling okay?"

Straight to the point much. Wait, oh god. We did have sex!

Grayson began moving toward the edge of the bed, but Erin's hand suddenly grabbed his left arm and tugged him back until he was partially in his lap. His very naked lap.

"E-Erin?"

Grayson's voice squeaked from nervousness, but Erin just chuckled, the deep rumbling sound vibrating through his chest and into his back. Erin then leaned closer until Grayson could see his face. You're smirking at me! It was hard to see well, but the moonlight was perfectly directed where his face was, letting Gray glimpse just enough.

"What's so funny?"

He tried to make his voice sound deep and angry, but Erin just cracked a smile and mussed up his hair with his free hand.

"Hey!"

"Hm?"

"Don't mess up my hair," Grayson whisper-hissed, trying to come off as annoyed. Which he was. Heck, he was still trying to figure out how he'd let him shove his stuff up his butt earlier.

"But it looks so adorable all messy."

Erin did it again and Grayson growled, jumping on him and biting his ear in revenge.

Take that!

Don't mind if I do.

Suddenly, Grayson was on his back with a very naked Erin leaning over him, his hands pinning his own near his head.

"What are y—?" His mouth took Grayson's in a rough and hungry kiss, making him dizzy for breath but also seriously confused. Erin never acted so aggressively before. Gray could feel his body lowering as it rubbed against his own, too. He would have been lying if he'd said that he wasn't getting turned on, but his butt still hurt from the previous night and they weren't even boyfriends yet.

"Erin, stop!"

He ducked down and began nibbling at Grayon's neck right as a soft light from the hallway slipped into the room.

"Grayson?"

Oh, crap. Mom!

Grayson jerked his head to the side to see her walking toward Erin with a baseball bat.

"Wait!"

She ignored him and instead swung the bat straight for Erin.

Grayson closed his eyes, a scared squeak slipping from his lips. When he didn't hear Erin scream out in pain, he let his eyes flick open.

Oh wow, he caught the bat.

Erin's chest was heaving as he snorted in aggression, his head shaking slowly back and forth like an angry elephant's.

Uh oh.

"Erin, calm down."

He turned to look at him while Grayson's mother struggled to get the end of the bat out of his hand. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled and grey, but Gray could also see small tusks breaking the surface on either side of his nose.

"Don't shift! Erin, you'll break our house. Please don't shift."

He blew out a heavy breath through his nose, the force of it moving Grayson's bangs along his forehead.

"Mom, my collar. It's in the shower. I need it."

He knew that he had promised to never take it off in case he forgot to put it back on, which he had last night, but she didn't argue. Instead, she dropped the bat and bolted for the bathroom, grabbing the collar before running back. Erin jerked his head to the side when she got closer again and let out a deep trumpeting roar, freezing her in her tracks.

"I got the collar," she whispered carefully.

"Okay. Erin, look at me," Grayson said as calmly as possible.

He did as told, but Grayson could see that he was barely controlling his elephant right then.

"Take a deep breath."

Again, he did as told. Except it made him lean in closer and nuzzle at Gray's neck.

Oops. Good one. Telling an animal with an amazing sense of smell to take a deep breath after you had sex with him.

At least his face was buried in Grayson's neck now so that he couldn't see his mother toss him the collar. He grabbed it when Erin loosened his grip enough on his right hand, letting him slide it free. He had moved his other hand to grab the bat so that left Gray with both free to buckle the collar on as fast as possible. The second it was in place he began trying to calm Erin down. The effect was almost immediate as the collar masked most of his pheromones from his senses.

"Hey Erin, take a few more deep breaths for me, please?"

His eyes were back to normal when he leaned away to do so, but it took a few minutes of silence before he finally got off the bed, looking utterly mortified.

"I'm so sorry."

Before Grayson could tell him that they could talk it out, Erin shoved open the window and jumped to the tree, then dropped out of sight.