The Griph whined and nudged my abdomen, begging for attention as I thought about what the king was saying. Then I turned to Endymion and smiled sadly.  

“Eddy, you can understand me, right?”  

The Griph tilted his head and licked my cheek gently with a soft yip, melting away all of my doubt.  

“Good boy,” I purred, stroking his soft silver head, “Do you wish to hurt anyone?” 

He growled low at Gavril, but one look from me and he sat up straight, casting an imposing shadow over us as he went silent.  

“Would you hurt me?” 

Endymion promptly licked my face and nuzzled his wet nose against my neck, whining all the while. I grinned at his response and hugged him, burying my face into the soft fur of his chest.  

“That’s...good. But what if he doesn’t mean to hurt you? It could be accidental.” 

I glanced back at Gavril, pursing my lips as he continued. 

“A-and what happens if you try to leave? I mean, you can’t stay in here until he changes back; that could take gods-know-how long! And the servants? When they return? He could seriously hurt someone!” 

The king had started pacing as he talked, throwing his hands around dramatically, ”Also-” 

I groaned loudly in exasperation, “Fine! You’ve convinced me!” I focused my magic and attention to the Griph in my arms, “You can change back now, Endymion...I’ll take you somewhere nice and secluded to play next time.” 

Again, as if commanded by my word, Endymion’s body began to shift, bones and muscle transforming until the lord looked human once again. His clothes, which had disappeared when he changed the first time, now reappeared leaving him nice and decent. The only difference was the wide grin on his face and the shine of lingering mirth in his silver eyes.  

“How did you do that?” He lifted me up into his embrace, nuzzling into my neck like he had as a Griph. But this time, it wasn’t the sweet puppy sniffing as the sensitive skin of my neck, but a handsome and quite adorable man.  

I wriggled out of his grasp and exhaled a long breath, smoothing out my dress and willing my cheeks not to catch on fire, “Do what?” 

“How did you get me to change so easily? I’ve never been able to do it on command.” 

Gavril’s shocked look confirmed Endymion’s words and I felt my cheeks warm under their incredulous stares.  

“U-um, I don’t think I did anything.”  

Endymion practically lunged at me to take me into his arms again. I had never expected him to be the clingy type, especially with how professionally he usually held himself. Now, he was a giggling mess as he mutters softly into my hair and stroked my arms and back.  

“You’re so small, so cute! You definitely did something.” 

Gavril cleared his throat and took a step towards us, only for Endymion to start growling. Again.  

I smacked his arm and shot him a harsh look, “Quiet! You’re not in your Griph form anymore; you shouldn’t be territorial!” 

Endymion just glared at his friend, tightening his grip on me before he hoisted me up into his arms and stomped away. I yelped, trying to push away the hormonal man that carried me bridal style out of the room and down the hall, pausing only to chuckle and nuzzle into my neck. Whenever his hot breath tickled my skin, I blushed and squeaked, willing the heat in my stomach to GO AWAY. Finally, we reached my room and he set me down, closing the doors behind us. I scrambled to the other side of the room and hid on the far side on the bed, using a plush pillow as a shield to hide flustered self from the man who came to stand on the other side of the bed.  

He grinned, his goofy smile making my heart throb, “Why are you all the way over there Asajj?” Endymion’s voice contrasted his darling grin; it was deep and rumbling, almost...sexy... 

NO!  

I could not think about him in that way. ABSOLUTELY NOT. He was confused and still acting on his instincts and he and no idea what he was doing.  

The lord blinked slowly, his smile slipping into a pout. 

“Don’t you like me?” 

He climbed onto my bed, crawling closer as I tried to back away from him.  

“You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about, you big goof, but I promise you, you do not want to come any closer.” 

“And why not, Asajj? I know you wouldn’t hurt me. You promised, remember?” 

I inched away, “Nope. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Endymion purred. PURRED.  

And then he lunged at me.  

Endymion didn’t know what had come over him, but the Griph in him was overpowering every rational thought as he lunged for his beautifully sweet-smelling friend. However, he was stopped short as he collided with a shimmering barrier that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Asajj stood on the other side, her eyebrow raised, and her arms crossed over her chest. 

“You silly man,” She shook her head with a smile that made the Griph in Endymion want to devour her, “I told you not to do that.”  

The lovely witch walked away, the bubble of magic following her all the while to keep her from Endymion’s grabby hands. She scanned her bookshelf, settling into an armchair with a book about the history of Paristol. The lord watched her closely, licking his lips as he cautiously stalked closer. 

“Why don’t you go calm down in the gardens, hm?” Asajj suggested without looking up from her book as she turned the page, “Or go lay down and take a quick nap.” 

Endymion stared at her, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides; little did she know that this whole room smelled like her now. He hadn’t noticed it before, but after she had helped him change, it was all he could smell. It was thick and heavy, ladened with honey and sugar smells that remained unique to Asajj. It contrasted with her normal spicy scent and Endymion felt like he was drunk on it. It filled him with a pleasant high that left his head feeling fuzzy and his Griph howling inside him for more.  

If she were any more beautiful... 

Instead of lunging at her magical force field like his instincts were urging him to do, Endymion turned on his heel and stomped up to the bed, falling into her soft sheets with a groan. He made himself comfortable, positioning himself so that he could still see Asajj from across the room as she read.  

She looked so regal and poised, sitting there with her legs crossed and her dress flowing across her skin like water.  

“Stop staring at me and go to sleep.” 

Endymion grinned, relishing the hot feeling in his stomach and the way his cheeks warmed. Then, he closed his eyes and prayed to the gods that he could keep his new, sweet, small friend forever and ever and ever... 

Author's note: Sorry for the short update; I wasn't feeling well at all this week. No update next Monday.