Wild news!!!

The amazingly talented has made some fanart of some of my characters.

I advise you all to please go over to his page and give his story a read, even drop a follow for the chad artists deserves it!

Anyways, here's Mark:

Here's Mhei:

So again, much thanks to the chapter is dedicated to him.

And with other further ado, here we go!

Max looked in horror at the towering huntress in front of him.

Hastily, his mind snapped back to what his father had told him and he cast his eyes to the floor, avoiding her gaze.

He could hear his terrified breathing, the droplets of sweat coming down the sides of his face.

He had looked at his father's mate... his father, he wasn't here!

Immediately, tears began to well in his eyes, as he was afraid. Max prayed to any god that the female yautja wouldn't hurt him, that she would simply leave him alone.

He heard her click her mandibles... he felt her gaze upon him.

"Why are you here pup?" Max was startled by her deep and powerful voice, it nearly caused him to numb in fright.

Getting to his knees, he bowed his head to her, "I a-am th-thirsty h-h-honorable huntres-s." The child stuttered, "I-I wanted to d-drink w-water." His eyes watched as her armored boots took a step closer to him.

Max tried to make himself smaller, he wanted to disappear, because he was afraid. The sheer difference between their sizes was astounding: the boy didn't even come up to her knee.

"I-I'm s-sorry for b-bumping into yo-you huntress... I d-did not know you were there..." The child apologized, fearing for his life.

"You are ill."

It wasn't a question, it was an imperative statement. Max nodded his head, but the Primal Huntress chastised him, "Speak when you are addressed pup." "Yes h-huntress, I h-have a f-fever." He told her, his throat tight with crying sobs.

Max heard her say something in her own language, before she spoke again, "It is foolish of you to exhaust yourself in this manner. You will grow weaker this way and my mate will be most disappointed by it."

The child let out a small cry when a large clawed hand suddenly grasped him by the back and lifted him up in a swoop.

Max closed his eyes and curled himself into a ball, but was startled when his side rested against a cool metal surface as he felt himself being moved alongside the noises of heavy steps.

Peaking an eye open, he saw the corridor from which he had come pass by, the boy realized with a startle that he was being carried by the experienced huntress.

"W-where...- "I am taking you to your chambers pup, as you should be resting, not wondering about, disobeying my mate's commands." He flinched at her tone, still very much too afraid to move or even attempt to escape her grasp.

The yautja had quickly moved back to the door of his bedroom and entered it.

Without a sound, she placed him on the bed and Max shied away from her form.

"Pup," The huntress called him and he timidly offered her an answer, "Y-yes?" "You said that you were in need of water. Do not move from here." The titanic female has whirled around, cape trialing behind her.

When she passed through the door, Max let out a sigh, rubbing his face. He could not believe his luck... that the huntress hadn't hurt him.

But that clam evaporated when the warrior returned, bringing a cup of water. Still as silent as before, she held the glass in front of him.

Max reached forward to take it, but the yautja growled. Trembling, he watched as she brought the circular object to rest against his lips, and tilted his head back, allowing the cool liquid to soothe over his dry throat.

The boy swallowed mouthfuls of the water, the huntress stopping at intervals to allow him to regain his breath.

This continued on until the cup was completely empty, and it was set aside.

Still looking down, Max blinked, his fear still not subsiding.

"Speak pup, I can see your desire to do so." Mhei ordered the small human child, startling him once more.

"I... I'm sorry huntress..."

The sentence caused the female yautja to regard the boy with a questioning stare: "For what pup?"

Max took a deep breath, "I can see that you and father are fighting... I know that you love each other... b-but you-you're fighting because o-of me..." He whispered, feeling immense guilt.

The Primal Huntress looked at him again, red eyes narrowing, "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm causing you and f-father so ma-many problems... i-it wou-would have b-been better if he had n-never a-adopted me... without m-me here... yo-you wouldn't b-be fighting..." Max finally let go of his tears and began to silently cry.

For the first time, Mhei r'ka-Guan was taken back by his astute observation.

In front of her, was a child, an innocent pup who was wailing not because of his own pain, but her own.

In that moment, the female yautja began to better understand the little boy that was currently softly weeping in his bed.

Slowly, one of her hands moved subconsciously, and laid itself on the boy's shoulder.

Max let out a small whimper when her large claw tipped fingers touched his back and he prepared for the worst.

But then, he heard some sounds coming from her direction and snuck a glance in to see her taking off the plates of her armor and setting them down on the floor, so that she stood garbed in simple yautjan clothing.

Max shied away when her arms encircled him and lifted him up, but was left confused when the titanic huntress laid down on the bed and placed him against her abdomen.

The warmth of her muscular frame pushed all of the cold away from him, Max had to resist the urge to snuggle closer to her, to get closer to her heat; for hw was still terrified.

And then, he hear a small rumble rise from her chest: it began as a small thing, but it soon began to grow in pitch and power, the vibrations of the thrum traveling through his small body.

Max did not know why, but this sound calmed him... it made him feel safe and secure. Denying the desire of laying against the huntress was becoming ever harder.

Mhei watched as the human child stayed still, the scent of fear and stress not yet leaving him.

In a way, she was proud to see that he still kept to respect, even in these conditions... it was something that reminded her of her dear mate...

Her purring definitely helped with calming his senses though, as when she touched his head, his flinch was smaller compared to that of before. With a trill, she began to pet his short curly hair, threading her fingers in it.

"You may rest against me child," She spoke then, "Do not have worry, I will not hurt you for doing so." And at last, he let go of his resistance and laid on her toned stomach, turning around so that small arms could wrap around her midsection.

She felt his crying, even if it was very quiet and Mhei understood what was happening: after having beaded and raised four fine and renowned hunters on her own, the yautja recognized that the ooman child was letting go of his stress, accumulated over the days in no small part thanks to her.

A few minutes passed, before she addressed him, by his name this time, "Max," The child looked up to her, timid and shy, "Y-Yes huntress?"

Her thumb caressed his eyebrow, passing over it slowly, "You need not call me with such formality, not now at least..." She told him gently, taking care not to startle him by lowering her voice.

"You are afraid of me child, I will not fault you for that. I have been unjust and needlessly cruel with you and for that, I offer you my apologies little one." She bowed her crested head to him.

"B-but..." His lip trembled, "Y-you have n-nothing to apologize for! I was t-the one who c-came and r-ruined everything!" Her mandibles formed a smile upon hearing that.

This pup was honorable, even if his age was a fraction of her own. "No pup deserves to be treated as I have done with you Max... it is not right... and I am ashamed to myself for not realizing sooner that I should have directed my fury elsewhere."

His scent was still stressed, the boy had a look of confusion on his face, "But y-you are angry w-with me!" Mhei sighed, her purr becoming louder, "Angry with you? No. I am dissatisfied with what my mate has done; my mistake was that of putting the blame on you Max."

She explained to him calmly, still not ceasing the petting motions of her hand. "You have to understand pup, that we yautja do not share humanity's view on many things." Mhei stopped there, contemplating on how to best describe this matter to the young mind that was in her lap.

"Max, you do not come from my womb, you are not of my blood," She softly said, her arm tightening around him.

"Under our law and religion, I am to have no bond with you... but this is not a normal situation," She explained, "My mate cannot give me sucklings, or children as you would be off to call them. The ability to do so was taken away."

"We yautja give much importance to the matter of continuing our bloodline, for our spirits live on in those that will follow us. But my mate... you father, wanted a child nonetheless, so he adopted you." She spoke the sentence as neutrally as she could, though the notion of it still cut her deeply.

"I... can understand why he has done so, I can clearly see that you are a strong, smart child Max, you are worthy to be his successor." She complimented him, toying with a strand of curly hair.

"I am sorry to tell you this Max, but I need time to come to terms with this decision that my mate has taken. For us yautja, the process of adoption does not happen, for it simply never does; but I understand that you are human and things are different for you." Mhei felt the boy begin to calm down with the combined efforts of her loud purring and the warmth of her reptilian skin.

"S-so you d-don't hate me?" Max asked unsurely as he looked up at her, "I do not pup... rest now, you are ill and in need of sleep, I will watch over you."

The familiar call to her maternal instincts was strong, thus she began to treat him like she would a normal yautja suckling.

Mhei reached down and brought the pelt covering up to Max's neck, while with her other hand, she gently held his head against her abdomen, letting her purr comfort him.

Slowly, his scent of fear left him, the boy cuddled into her more as to be enveloped by the warm cocoon that was her giant frame.

The Primal Huntress watched as the boy closed his eyes and began to breathe more heavily and slowly. While not yet sleeping, he was becoming more accustomed to her close presence, his young mind slowly beginning to associate her with a sense of security and warmth.

"Th-thank you..." Mhei simply leaned back a little so that she was resting against the wall, thus forming an appropriate bed for the boy to sleep on. With her enhanced hearing, she listened to his steadily beating heart.

"Be quiet pup, save your strength for later there is much time that needs to pass before the cycle will end." She began to form a lightly scratching motion on his scalp, and from his sigh, Mhei knew that he was enjoying it.

"Thanks mom..." Max had fallen asleep with that sentence.

The female yautja looked down upon the sleeping ooman child. She did not bother to correct him... she was not his bearer, but that was something that could be discussed when he woke up.

Chapter done!

And to and I dare you not to recognize that my Neapolitan mastiff is the absolute best boi!

Try to beat that cadet!