Fenris

"What the hell is your problem?" I roared mid-shift at the grinning male.

His grin only deepened when I confirmed his suspicions. Bastard Reptile.

My gait didn't falter as I went from four legs to two. Though my balance felt a bit odd on two legs, it wasn't long before my body quickly adjusted.

"Who the fuck do you think you are trying to bait me like that?" I challenged the male who simply rolled his eyes at my temper.

The wyvern-shifter was taller than me, which wasn't something I saw often. He was most definitely trained in skilled combat. And despite his huge frame, I would be willing to bet that he had the slippery skills that most reptiles did. Our fight would be long and difficult. But gods did I want to punch that shit-eating grin off his face.

"I was simply trying to confirm my suspicions." Silas shrugged and leaned against the stall.

Ivar snorted on the other side but didn't bother looking at the black-cloaked male. I doubted if I walked over he would pay me any attention either. There was only one person he cared about and she wasn't here. Ivar had zero fucks to give to us.

"Which was?" I asked, my tone snippy and impatient. I didn't like being away from her. Made me feel almost itchy.

"I said suspicions, meaning there were multiple," Silas felt the need to point out with a pointed tone.

My temper flared and I took a deep breath. There was no reason for this male to rile me up as much as he did, but here I was. Ready to beat the shit out of him as he did to me the first time we met.

"Enough with the games. What is your interest in me, and why does it involve her?" I made a motion at the manor that stood behind me as I spoke.

"Truthfully," The male contemplated his words carefully, "I had no interest in you until I realized what you were. It was nice to see another rare breed around and I just wanted to ensure that my assumption was correct." While he spoke, Silas watched Ivar play with his water.

His words made some semblance of sense. Though one thing was still unclear.

"Then why are you interested in her?" I hedged the question carefully, attempting to keep my voice void of emotion. The last thing I needed was this male assuming anything about her and I's relationship.

His chuckling response was not comforting.

"Why so many questions, Púca?" The male questioned with another shit-eating grin. "You haven't-?" He asked and paused as if in shock. "Have you?"

His eyebrows rose as I responded, "fuck you," I cursed at the male with venom lacing my voice.

"Oh, you poor devil."

I had to take another deep breath. I had to steady my shaking hands. I had to relax my muscles that were threatening to attack him.

My temperamental reaction to the wyvern-shifter was confusing. I had never felt possessive over someone before, especially someone who definitely didn't need my protection. Yet at the reptiles hanging sentences, I felt as if he was posing a threat. As if he was trying to encroach.

My most recent other-half, the leopard, was screaming to be let out. He didn't like what the wyvern-shifter was insinuating. Or the curiosity that he was showing.

Wyverns were the most territorial shifters. If anything was to be known about them, amongst the little knowledge anybody knew, it was that they staked claims and guarded them to a firey - or watery - grave.

And although I had never met or heard of another of my kind, I knew from experience that I was not territorial. I and my other-halves were fairly laid-back. But here I was, staking and guarding a claim I didn't realize I had made.

"Why did you draw me out here?" I asked, completely over this entire interaction.

It looked as if the male debated denying it, before deciding on what to say. "I wanted to meet her protector," He told me, earnestly.

Now that made me chuckle. "I'm afraid she was more than one that you will have to meet. And the other one is less charming than me." It was my turn to grin. My mind pictured the fight between Ezekiel and the Wyvern shifter.

"So it is possible?" He asked. The first sign of true emotion finally flickered over his face. Though it happened so fast, I was unable to decipher the meaning behind it.

"What is?" I asked in return, confused as to what he was talking about.

Silas straightened and rolled his shoulders. "Nothing for you to worry about, Púca."

Damn reptiles and their superiority complexes. I rolled my eyes at his dismissive words.

"I will be seeing you and her soon," He said by way of goodbye before suddenly disappearing. My Leopard spared me his senses and I realized that I still smelled the wyvern male. His raw, yet strong, ocean smell permeated the air as if he still stood in front of me.

Invisibility? Interesting.

I kept my finding to myself and offered Ivar a goodbye before shifting back into my favorite other-half.

The leopard was my favorite because he willingly gave me full control of the form. His playful influence and occasional comments were typically the only signs that he was still with me. He was the opposite of my hawk other-half who kept me in the backseat while he mostly controlled the form.

The door that I had left propped open was kicked shut after I crept through it and back into the manor. Then I began my ascent to the top floor of the manor. I was not surprised to find green eyes watching me as I reached the top floor. As usual, the male leaned against the doorframe of his office, which I knew overlooked the front door to the stable. He hadn't seen the wyvern-shifter, but he had definitely heard our conversation thanks to his gifts.

Ezekiel offered me a simple nod before he followed me into Red's room.

I jumped up on the foot of the bed and laid across her outstretched feet. I knew she would've shoved them underneath me if I hadn't, so I just skipped the annoyance and made myself comfortable.

Ezekiel scoffed on my behalf and I felt that familiar tickle across my mental barriers.

"A threat?" He asked in my head as soon as I had opened my mental 'gate'.

"Most definitely," I thought back in response.

I didn't miss his mental chuckle and felt offended. "I have to admit, I never knew you to be the territorial type."

"Don't fucking remind me. I'm as insufferable as a mated wolf-shifter."

"I won't complain. You keep her safe when I can't."

It was my turn to scoff. "She can keep herself safe," I told the overbearing fae-male.

"But she shouldn't have too. She offers me this small comfort -" He physically gestured to the female of topic, who was wrapped in his arms and pressed against him. "- the least I can do is give her some sort of relief. Even if that comes in the form of another male."

I took a deep breath, my head coming to rest between my paws as I turned away from the male. "I fear we may have some more to worry about."

Another mental chuckle from the fae-male. "I thought she could keep herself safe."

"I don't get the feeling they want to hurt her. I fear something much worse."

"Alas, a problem for another day, my friend," Ezekiel said simply before I felt his mental presence slip out of my head. Naturally, I closed the gate behind him.

Zeke was right. These new males were a problem. But how long would it take Red to see that?

~~~~~~

Thank you for reading Chapter 20! I hope you enjoyed this little update. I certainly had fun exposing more and more plot details :) And although it is too early to be certain, let me know who your favorite character is (besides Red). I love hearing what you guys have to say about my characters. That being said, comments and feedback are greatly appreciated!