Perfect timing—as if the attack itself weren't enough, the useless fairy chose that exact moment to materialize beside his ear. For some infuriating reason, only he could see the annoying woman, and it grated on his nerves.
What the hell? Where have you been? Travis's thoughts screamed at her, the telepathic connection snapping into place so suddenly it left him reeling. He couldn't even process the shock of it.
"I haven't even been gone a full day, and you're already associating with ferals? Are you mad?" the fairy fired at him, her voice a sharp buzz in his skull.
Travis was speechless. So this was his fault? She was supposed to be his guide, yet she'd carried her ass off somewhere for a day off. What kind of fairy does that?
He remembered he was in the middle of a disaster and tried to speak, but the unfortunate snake still held him securely in a crushing grip.
What a bummer!
"Despicable! You will pay for laying a hand on my male, you feral!" In a blur of motion, Derek was violently thrown back by a whip-crack from Leonard's tail, the impact far more powerful than expected.
What?! Wasn't a lion supposed to be stronger? Or was there something he was missing? And "feral"—what was he talking about?
"You shit-ass of a guide, what are ferals?" Travis mentally snarled.
The fairy glared, her tiny face pinched with irritation. "So now you have the tongue to speak? Ferals are beastmen who were abandoned or rejected by their mates. They ran mad, letting their impulses control them until they turn into complete animals."
Her words made a cold shiver run down his spine. A complete animal. That sounded terrible. But Leonard… he didn't look like a mindless beast.
"About that, he's a powerful beastman—Double Marked. His strength is the only thing preventing him from going completely insane," the fairy commented, as if reading his doubt.
At this point, Travis didn't know whether to worry more for Derek or Leonard. Because right now, Derek was getting his ass kicked mercilessly. His pride was severely wounded, blood splattering across the forest floor.
"I will kill you, lion..." Leonard declared, his voice a guttural promise.
The fairy, hearing his words, gave Travis's ear a sharp, painful tug. "Stop him! Don't let him kill the lion, or it will spark a civil war between the lion and snake clans. Innocent ones will be accused and die because of it!"
Her words hit him with the force of a physical blow. Civil war? Innocents dying because of him? He had to stop this. And Derek… why was he going this far for him?
"Stop, Leo! Unless you want me to reject you right now!" Travis shouted, the words tearing from his throat.
Leonard froze instantly. The violent tension in his coiled form dissipated into a stunned pause.
Derek was exhausted, his pride subdued. It was embarrassing for them to watch their king like this, but he couldn't let Travis go. Not when this human had saved his only daughter. He deserved a place in his pride.
Staggering to his feet, still in his beast form, Derek prepared to lunge again. This time, Leo didn't move. It seemed Travis's words had struck something deep within him, leaving him stiff and immobile. Travis had to stop the other violent beastman before he did something tragic.
"Derek, please! Stop! At least do it for your cubs. Do you want them to become fatherless because you die today?" Travis's plea cut through the air.
Derek froze mid-attack. The atmosphere was thick with hostility as the two men locked glares, the fight momentarily suspended.
Derek morphed back to his human form, bruised and weak, while the other—still holding Travis—stood prideful and unyielding.
"I may have stopped, lion, but you won't take him. My words are final," Leonard deadpanned, and Travis could only facepalm.
Why was he this dumb? Didn't he hear the threat of rejection? Apparently, the pompous snake wasn't that scared of losing his mind.
Tightening his hold on Travis, Leonard began to walk away, now in his human form—thankfully, but still naked to the core.
"Don't go, Travis! I can share, just don't go..." Derek's voice was helpless. He wasn't weak, but something strange was preventing him from accessing his full power. Unknown to everyone, Derek was a Tetra-Marked, a secret he couldn't reveal. And now, he was growing weaker by the second.
"Leonard, I'm serious! Leo, put me down now... I don't want to be your mate. I never will be." The words hung in the air like poison.
The beastman hissed, a sound of pure pain and fury. In an instant, he morphed into his massive snake form, dropped Travis, and slithered away, diving into a nearby swamp and disappearing beneath the murky surface.
Travis, finally free, was immediately swamped with guilt. He had hurt Leonard badly with those words, probably pushing him closer to losing himself completely. It was a cruel thing to do, the worst possible treatment.
His brooding was cut short as his eyes fell on Derek, who had collapsed onto the forest floor.
"Derek! God, are you okay? What happened to you?" Travis rushed to him, trying to jerk him up, but the lion king wasn't moving. The other pride members began to gather, casting disdainful looks at Travis, blaming him for their king's condition. And indirectly, he knew they were right.
If only he hadn't run… if only he had escaped… then Derek wouldn't have come to rescue him and ended up like this.
Derek's breathing was turning shallow. The lions quickly formed a stretcher, aided by four who morphed to their human forms, and the scout who went ahead to check for threats. Travis silently followed behind like a lost puppy. This would have been the perfect time to escape, but someone had nearly died for him. Courtesy demanded he repay that debt.
The somber procession arrived at the clan home, moving the stretcher towards the healer's hut. Travis tagged along and was about to enter when two lion guards stopped him, growling, their claws bared in a clear threat.
"I just want to see how he's doing," Travis cooed, but they weren't having it. Giving up, he turned to leave when a woman tapped him on the shoulder. She was holding a young, cute cub in her arms.
Travis's attention turned to her as she addressed the beast guards.
"The king demands his presence in the healer's hut. It's an order," she spoke with undeniable authority. She was the commander of the clan's warriors.
Seeing the way the guards immediately bowed and let him pass, Travis grew curious.
"Is it just me, or are they scared and intimidated by you?" Travis wondered.
She just laughed. "I am Maya, Commander of the Lion Clan's warriors and head of the hunters. So, you can see where that respect comes from." She giggled, moving gracefully as she led Travis into the inner chambers of the hut.
"How? Aren't you an omega? I thought they were disregarded here," Travis shrugged.
Maya gently set her cub down before patting Travis's chin. "I am an Alpha. My mate was an omega, a male, so I impregnated him..." she revealed.
Travis's face must have been a picture, because she laughed again. "As for omegas, they are our biggest treasure. We value them immensely, especially since they're so scarce in every tribe, particularly ours. The power is literally in an omega's hands because they can decide the fate of their partner."
"If an omega doesn't want you, they can reject you. That gets you branded as a feral, banished, and eventually, you turn mad," Maya concluded.
Travis's eyes couldn't stay in one place; it was all too much to take in. It was like a dream. Omegas were adored here. It was a stark contrast to his world.
While partners in the real world could be ignored and taken for granted, here, if they loved you, they did so until death. The omega empowerment felt like something out of a fairytale.
"I can't believe this. So that's why Derek has been treating me like this," he murmured. He was naturally conditioned to do so. Gosh, this would have been a perfect conversation with that fairy, but the asshole had disappeared once again, leaving him all alone.
"Derek trusts you, for whatever reason, especially with his cub. So don't fuck it up," Maya said, stopping at a doorway before leaving him alone.
Trust him with his cub? What was she saying? He hated it when people beat around the bush. Just get to the damn point already.
"Travis... you're with me. I was afraid I'd lost you..." The voice sent warning bells clanging in Travis's ears.
Lose him? Damn all this.
And there Derek was, right in front of him, moving slowly, deliberately, and with a forced charm. He cupped Travis's chin, tilting it up, but before he could place a kiss, Travis's palm found its way to his cheek with a sharp crack.
"Pervert!"