Feral

Chapter 7

They too started baring their fangs, low snarls ripping through the air, a telltale sign that they would attack if pressed. Defending their perceived territory against an unknown male intruder.

Adrian sneered in response but tensed when a cool hand was placed on his neck, giving a delicate, warning squeeze. He snorted, moving away from the touch and headed towards the kitchen.

"Hey Charles, got the newbie as your charge huh?" an unknown voice sounded before joking "Wanna switch?"

Glancing from the corner of his eyes at whoever spoke, spotting another adult walking in behind them. Adrian nearly scoffed at the mere idea that a single wolf would be able to handle him.

And it seemed Charles thought the same as he smiled politely but shook his head. "You really want to swap charges and deal with the Feral that is giving Willem a run for his money?" He sarcastically drawled.

The wolf's eyes instantly widened before looking at Adrian and flinching when they locked eyes. Adult or not, the fear that came from the wolf was very much real and made Adrian's animal shiver with delight.

Even the lions and hyenas eyed him with a sense of caution, though Adrian could tell that the dark haired male wasn't deterred.

He could almost hear the gears turning in the lions' head, the way he was thinking. Attacking Adrian and establishing his dominance over the new Feral would further improve the lion's position in his pride.

Especially so if that Feral was giving Willem trouble. It would indirectly imply the lion's power over the bear as well. After all, he could take down an opponent that gave the bear issues...

Wiping the floor with the newcomer in front of others outside of his pride would also give the lion a higher standing... Word would travel around and his ego would be stroked by anyone mentioning the topic. It was clear he was weighing the pros and cons of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Hyena clan was busy sniffing the air, eyes flitting over Adrian's form. They were far more cautious and weren't going to throw their weight around if they didn't know they could win the fight.

Smart.

"Food?" Charles gently reminded Adrian, drawing his attention away from the cackling clan and towards the kitchen. His stomach growled before Adrian ignored all eyes on him, stuffing a piece of raw flesh in his mouth and piling several others on a plate.

"You kids really have a hard time learning manners." Charles sighed with a shake of his head, making the adults in the room chuckle.

Adrian was guided to a free table in the middle of the room, seeing how both the lion pride and hyena clan had claimed several tables as their own.

"At least he isn't a snake, right Charles?" The wolf from before snickered when Charles groaned, head rolling back in annoyance.

"Ugh, don't remind me! We can't help it that our feeding response only triggers on live prey." Charles pointed out, making the wolf nod. "Still, being force-fed was unpleasant enough that it made me push back my instincts so I could feed."

A few of the men chuckled while the female honey badger near the hyenas sighed. "Well thank the gods that this one isn't a reptile. Can you imagine the pain of trying to shove food down his throat after the trouble he gave Willem?"

A male nearby snorted in response. "Especially after Ace nearly lost a few fingers, sticking them in the kids transport cage."

All eyes darted towards Adrian, who simply focused on the meat on his plate. His teeth easily ripped through the raw flesh and he felt a slight pinch of pain as his instincts pushed forwards, allowing more teeth to pry through his gums.