He looked down at his naked form and grinned. "Deal. You're alright, Kassie. I will make this up to you. I swear to you. This means everything to me; I want to be a part of the town, around others. Not alone."
"Yeah, yeah, save the flattery for when you get yourself a loincloth or something."
Fenwick tilted his head, eyes narrowing with sudden interest. "Just one question before we start this friendship thing—your match, are they good to you? And the town… they treat you with respect?" his voice dropped lower. "Because I could still cause a little chaos before our big reveal, if anyone's wronged you."As he spoke, his fox tail materialized behind him, its bushy tail swishing back and forth against the forest floor.
Why did I feel like I was going to regret that?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Atlas
My breath came in ragged bursts as I stormed through the doorway. The door banged against the wall, left wide open behind me. What did a door matter? The one treasure I'd tried to keep safe inside my home had vanished.
I knew Kassie could be playful, but I hadn’t realized she could be so brash, especially enough to go outside after I’d told her not to.
Should I have seen this coming? After I told her to stay away from Gideon when he went mad?
Yes, I should have. But I was blind in my own perversion, too consumed with fucking her once I found her and claiming her as my prize. My dick was going to be the end of me because I would do anything for her.
But she would be punished for this. My hand would crack against her flesh until she couldn't sit for days, until tears streamed down her face and she begged me to stop. This wouldn't be the playful spanking she'd teased about in bed. This would be raw discipline that would sear into her memory. I'd make damn sure she'd feel the consequences of her recklessness in every movement, a constant reminder that defying me could mean death in these woods.
I would be the male she needed in times when there was danger. She would not put herself in danger just because she was bored.
One step forward and suddenly I was sprawled across the forest floor, my face pressed into dirt and decaying leaves. A branch had snagged my claw, tripping me mid-stride. I let out a roar of frustration that echoed through the trees. What was I doing fumbling around on the ground when I should be in the air?
I. Have. Wings!
I thrust my wings downward, launching into the air. The branch that tripped me fell away as I soared above the treeline. My gaze swept across the forest floor while I inhaled deeply, searching for her scent. What began as playful hide-and-seek had transformed into something far more dangerous, and finding her quickly had become my only priority.
I found her quickly—her human legs were no match for my wings. "Running is the worst," she'd complained to me once, sprawled dramatically across my bed. Swimming was what she loved. I'd already scouted a hidden lake for us, planning to takeher there soon. If only she could control her restlessness long enough for me to surprise her...
Hovering closer, I caught an unfamiliar scent rising from below—not wolf shifter, something different. My hands curled into fists as I watched Kassie approach the stranger. I angled my wings, descending just enough to finally glimpse his face through the canopy of leaves.
It was the fox shifter.
I circled lower, my wings cutting through the air like blades. TeaBagTitan, what a ridiculous name. What was Kassie thinking? I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, a drumbeat of rage and worry. The little fucker was about to get an education in why you didn't mess with what was mine.
I landed with a thud, the ground shaking slightly beneath my feet. Kassie jumped, her eyes wide with surprise. TeaBagTitan turned to face me, his stupid grin fading fast. I straightened up, my wings folding back, and took a step forward.
"Atlas," Kassie stammered, her cheeks flushing pink. “You found me! And so did the fox!” She pointed to the naked male in front of me.
I stared him down, the scrawny thing in his human form. He was nothing special, he had a human-like appendage, and it was rather…small.
“Why is it so small? He is a fox shifter? Do foxes have different dicks than humans?” I scratched my chin.
Kassie giggled. “Atlas, you don’t just ask why someone’s dick is small.”
My antennae perked up. “Did I say that out loud? My mistake. Anyway, get away from my female. What the fuck do you want with her?!” I growled within my chest and put Kassie behind me.
The fox tilted his head, his tail went between his legs and covered himself. “First, I would like to explain, my dick does expand, thank you very much. I’m just under a human dickglamor because I don’t need my fox dick out in the open, okay? And two, I came to Kassie because I felt like she could help me.”
The fox wrung his fluffy black tail and looked to Kassie for help.
I hissed and spread my wings to cover Kassie completely.
“It’s true, Atlas. He’s in a bind, and I do believe him. He’s been this gamer online for a long time. He doesn’t know how to make friends, he can’t get rid of his magic, and I appear to be the only one who is resistant to his charm. Basically, I don’t want to have sex with him.”
The fox nodded. “Yes, and I need her help for the town to see that I am not all bad. Foxes get a bad rep, and well, Kassie knows what it’s like to be different. She’s got the bad-bitch vibe going on. Doesn’t care what anybody thinks. I mean, she’s mated to a clumsy Mothman who is a lumberjack…”
