Adrian could feel the tension in the air as soon as he stepped into the breakroom. Several lions were seated at a table to the right of the kitchen, with three teachers standing around the table, keeping an eye on the young adults.
Three more adults were seated in the middle of the room, separating the two tables or more specifically, their occupants. Three others stood by the only other occupied table.
Adrian didn't need to be a genius to sense the tension in the room. To watch the adults twitch at the slightest sound, eyes wary and posture tensed up.
Judging from the raised hackles on the lions, the wary looks of the adults and the scent of blood in the air, there had been a fight among the lions, or perhaps with another group.
As Adrian glanced to the side, he easily found the reason of the tension in the room. His nostrils detected a hint of blood coming from a freshly wounded female Hyena, eyes furious as she glared at the table.
The side of her face was scored with claw marks, the edges of the wound raw, still oozing blood. And judging from the way she scowled each time she used her jaw, the wounds only pulled and tightened whenever she chewed.
Her entire table was snarling, excited cackles sometimes slipping from between the groups' bared teeth. The three teachers were standing guard around them, allowing both groups to feed in relative peace.
A rather fragile peace, Adrian could tell. He didn't know the reason of the sudden aggression, presumably caused by being natural enemies forced to share a room.
Especially around a meal. Hyenas and Lions were notorious for stealing each other's kills, after all. And they wouldn't shy away of attacking one another, killing the competition whenever they could.
Which was why Adrian was rather surprised to find nine adults in the room that didn't seem frightened at all. Hell, they even observed him with a lazy yet calculating look before dismissing him.
They were another new species that Adrian had never encountered, but instinctively, he realized that he probably shouldn't mess with nine adult honey badgers.
Fearless little predators, honey badgers were renowned fighters that never backed down and fought to the death. Their thick yet loose skin was hard to pierce and allowed them to retaliate with a crushing bite to anyone that managed to get a hold of them.
If anything was enough to pause lions and hyenas in their tracks, it would be these nine adults. It wouldn't be a fair fight, especially not if the hyena clan and the lion pride attacked at once.
But the honey badgers didn't care. They would fight off anyone in their path, or die trying.
The hyena clan was digging into their meal, cackling on occasion and cracking bones with their teeth. But every single member was glaring, eying the female worriedly before snarling at the lions.
One of the lions with dark brown, nearly black hair let his eyes roam over the table, landing on the Hyena female before he bared his teeth and licked his lip.
Adrian didn't need to be a genius to spot trouble like that. The glare in the lion's eyes, the way clawed and bloodied fingers dug into his table....
The quick little flick of his eyes towards the females and young, lighter maned males at his table....
A territorial brat that needs to prove something.
As if the lion heard his thoughts, his eyes locked onto Adrian's. The boy didn't lower his eyes as the lion growled lowly, baring his elongating fangs and drawing the attention of the rest of his pride.
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.
Adrian caught a whiff of fear as his teeth flashed whenever he bit off another mouthful. His eyes flicked to his left, eying the hyenas who were smart enough to realize that even though they had Adrian outnumbered...
He had them outmatched.
Sure, they had the numbers and powerful jaws with an immense biting pressure. But instinctively, Adrian knew that in a one on one fight, he'd win.
Easily.
No matter how big the group was, kill off enough of the pack and the rest would scatter. Adrian knew he wouldn't come out unscathed, but he'd be victorious.
With the way the clan was eying the wounded female, she had to hold a high position. It wasn't hard to imagine how the clan would respond if their leader suddenly perished in front of them, possibly with one bite, if Adrian got the jump on her.
Presumably the reason why the male lion went after her in the first place.
The lions however didn't seem to realize that, tensing and leaning forwards when they detected the fear coming from the hyenas.
Licking the blood of his hands, Adrian's eyes flicked towards his empty plate before glancing back at the kitchen. He didn't just crave meat though.
Usually, his meal in the wild would provide their own source of calcium and phosphor but now with just meat, he needed to find it somewhere else.
Plus, it was rather gratifying to gnaw on a bone, to crack it open and get the fatty bone marrow in the center. His mouth watered when he thought of the few times he had found discarded antlers in the forest.
His nostrils widened, catching a whiff of bone marrow in the air. The strongest scent came from the lion table, where a pile of discarded, cracked bones laid, a smaller pile with the hyenas that was being devoured.
But as Adrian pushed off the table, grabbing his plate after a raised eyebrow from Charles, he could still smell it. Either it was stashed on purpose or overlooked but Adrian could smell the bone marrow lurking underneath the meat.
Adrian let his nose guide him, grinning as he found his prize hiding under several thicker slabs of meat. Grabbing a few of the chunks, Adrian plopped the cut thighbone on his plate as well.
When he sat down once again, he heard a venomous growl but paid it no mind. Instead he devoured his meats quickly, keeping the bone as last to truly savor and enjoy it.
"Back to your place, Ethan." One of the honey badgers growled out, "You already caused quite a bit of trouble today."
The black haired lion merely sneered, eyes still on Adrian's plate. "That's miiiiine....." He sneered, lip curled to bare his teeth venomously. "I put that bone aside for laterrrr...."
Several of the honey badgers scoffed at that. "You've been feeding for the past two and a half hours, stopping only to antagonize the other predators. Rules are rules; if it's not on your plate, it's not yours."
"Ethan." Another of the honey badgers snarled, pushing off of the table as his hair grew grey and black. "Back. To your seat. Now."
The lion sneered before making a swipe at the bone, quite possibly attempting to steal it. Probably wanting to prove his point and show the other Ferals in the room who's boss.
Before anyone could blink, Ethan was lying flat on his back, toppling over several chairs with him. The lion heaved underneath Adrian's foot firmly planted on his chest, the other nearly crushing his throat as his deep, nearly inaudible snarl vibrating through the room.
A snarl that was muffled from where his teeth were firmly sunken into Ethan's offending hand. Blood flowing into Adrian's mouth before it overflowed and spilled between his serrated teeth.
All at once, cackling from the hyenas filled the air while the lion-pride surged forwards, intending to come to their alpha male's aid.
The typical rattling snarl of the honey badgers started off as the adults shifted, trying to knock Adrian off of Ethan. Preferably before the lion lost any limbs.
Adrian snarled venomously, releasing Ethan to focus on the multiple honey badgers that rattled and snarled, snapping their powerful jaws at him.
The lion sprawled out underneath him snarled as well, baring his fangs out of fear, especially so when Adrian's clawed hands kept a firm hold on the lion's jaw.
Pinning Ethan's head firmly to the ground. Almost painfully so. When the lion made to lunge upwards, probably to push Adrian off, the Feral responded instantly.
Ethan stilled when five inch claws dug into his flesh, a roar of pain overpowered by the sharp snarl from Adrian before the Feral leapt back, narrowly avoiding Charles' shifted form striking out.
Adrian snarled, protecting his food and eying the occupants of the room with growing anger. He wanted to eat in peace, to enjoy his meal without being forced to defend it.
All of the honey badgers were snarling, circling around Ethan protectively and forcing Adrian to back away from the lion. With one last venomous hiss, Adrian returned to his seat, gathering the food that had spilled onto the table before he forcefully slammed it back on the plate.
When a hand approached from his peripheral, Adrian snapped at it, clutching the plate closer and snarling at one of the honey badgers that had shifted back.
"Kid's just protecting his food." The man said with a roll of his eye, turning his back on Adrian to pick his clothes up from the floor.
As everyone slowly calmed down, Adrian eyed everyone in the room, especially glaring at the lions as he went back on his meal.
All the while, the cutlery and plates on the table trembled audibly against the surface, the only sign of Adrian's inaudible growls.
Everyone now eyed Adrian with more caution, particularly the lions as Ethan was being guided out the room towards the nursery.
Adrian scoffed around the mouthful of flesh he tore into. The lion was lucky Adrian had held back and allowed him to keep his fingers.
He might not have intended it, but being able to take down a young male lion in his prime, had proven to the people here just how strong Adrian was.
Darker maned lions generally possessed more testosterone, fueling their need to fight and prove themselves in front of a pride. The fact that Adrian was more than capable of dealing with this amount of raw force was telling...
And it made them fear what he was truly capable of.
"Zuri! Where are you-" Voices hissed urgently, quieting when the chocolate skinned female turned to look over her shoulder, baring her teeth at her table with a low growl.
The males instantly lowered their heads submissively, the one who had spoken up whimpering plaintively at the silent correction.
As soon as she turned, she swallowed thickly, eyes locking with Adrian before slowly approaching his table. Adrian tensed the slightest bit, eyes flicking over Zuri's wounded cheek before drifting to her hand as she stretched it out.
Holding another thighbone, still filled with bone-marrow.
Adrian snorted, eyebrows raising before he looked up. Zuri smiled, caramel eyes cooling as they flitted over towards the table of lion.
"As thanks. That cocky bastard has been stealing our shit for days, attacking my clan whenever they wanted to feed." Her black curls bounced as she shook her head, a low cackle shaking through her chest, echoing from the table behind her.
"He and his pride assumed themselves untouchable and bullied others around. And now it finally seems like they've bitten off more than they can chew..."
Zuri smiled as she looked back down where Adrian was seated, smile gentling with understanding when the boy didn't speak.
"Welcome to the compound, I guess. If you don't mind, my clan will be fitting our feeding schedule around yours." She let out a low rumble aimed at the lions, baring an impressive set of canines. "So we can finally feed in peace."
Adrian blinked before nodding, accepting the bone. He could very much understand wanting to eat without being harassed or glared at.
And he didn't mind getting free food out of it.
"The name's Zuri. Matriarch of the clan in the compound, we're denning in Hall C." She added, pointing towards the block besides the one Adrian and Charles had come from.
"Thank you, Zuri." Charles spoke gently, clearing his throat as he finished dressing himself once more. "I will notify the Council of change in feeding schedules and will assign Willem to deal with the pride."
The lions ducked their heads as one, groans and low whispers echoing from their table. Zuri's eyes gleamed with satisfaction before she nodded, dismissing Charles' presence as she looked back at Adrian.
"When you feel more comfortable to speak, I'm willing to keep an ear out." She winked and turned to her table, fingers lazily moving in a wave over her shoulder.
Charles chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he sat down besides Adrian, giving the boy his space when an audible growl slipped out.
"You've got an admirer in her." Charles grinned over a cup of coffee while Adrian snorted over his mouthful of meat. Charles chuckled, eying the silent table of the lions, chuckling once more as the hyena clan was feasting more actively.
And even Adrian could tell some of the males seemed absolutely dejected, eyes flitting between Zuri and Adrian. The later didn't pay them any mind and instead focused on his meal, starting on one of the bones with joy.
"It'll be interesting once the boy has gone through a few speech classes." The wolf grinned, keeping his distance from Adrian as he gingerly sat down.
Charles hummed in agreement, all eyes watching Adrian as his teeth applied enough pressure on the thighbone until it split apart.
"Ethan's pride being taken down a notch by the new Feral, Zuri giving him a share from her clan's personal stash..." the man shook his head before focusing his attention back to Adrian.
"You sure know how to make things lively around here kid, not that it needs to be." He huffed, before pointing a finger around the table.
"Over there is Amina and her mate Kasim." The pair raised their hands in greeting. Adrian observed the pair closely as besides Zuri, this was his first time seeing people with a darker skin tone than himself.
He was used to the pale-skinned humans he came across, so seeing most of Zuri's clan and several of the honey badgers with skin tones other than pasty white, drew Adrian's attention.
All around him were varying skin tones from a light, tawny brown all the way to one male who's skin was nearly as black as the wolf's coffee.
"Omar is seated across from Charles." The nearly black male gave a lazy wave without looking up from his meal while his friend continued, "And then we have Kwame, mated to Nailah seated at the lions table alongside Tibor."
Adrian's eyes flitted to the last people being introduced, "And of course, we have Taila and Uma, our resident lesbians."
Taila scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Are you still salty over the fact that you tried to ask either of us out and instead got flat out rejected, Zev?"
Kwame barked out a laugh that bared his sharp teeth, "Rejected? I thought both of you were going to kill him."
Uma rolled her eyes, leaning against Taila while playing with a bead on the end of her mate's long, braided hair. "Well, perhaps Zev should learn that 'No.' is a full sentence."
Zev cursed in a language that Adrian didn't understand but it didn't matter. He was too busy enjoying his meal and hoped that after dinner, he would be guided back to his nest to snooze in the sunlight.
A.N. It has been guessed ^-^ Someone was able to guess Adrian's shift, which I was rather surprised about ^-^
I'm not quite going to outright say what Adrian is, instead, I decided that before the grand reveal chapter, I shall list off all the offered hints so you guys can make a final guess :D
As for the hint of this chapter... While Adrian's shift wasn't the Apex predator, it didn't shy away to go after the Apex' offspring. While a one on one fight with the Apex could certainly kill Adrian's shift, if they encountered one during a group hunt, they could've fought it off.... and even killed it.
Hmmm, coming up with these hints without giving too much away is hard xD