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 take her 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 dick glamor 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…”
Kassie cleared her throat. “I’d stop talking while you’re ahead,” she told the fox.
Then she turned to me. “Atlas, I’m not under any spell.
I don’t like him or his dick, okay? He really does need help, and it looks like I’m the only one who isn’t affected by his charm.
He needs someone who can help him fit in.
He’s afraid no one will like him because of his species’ reputation, but without his magic, he would have no way to protect himself. ”
I growled again and stepped away, taking Kassie along with me. “I don’t like it. You ran from me, and now you are talking to this naked male.”
Kassie bobbed her head back and forth. “True, and I should be punished,” she winked.
I huffed. “You will be, and it won’t be for fun,” I snarled.
Kassie reared her head back, her eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you so tense?”
“Tense?” I replied quietly. “You want to know why I’m so tense?”
I stepped toward her, and she stepped backward. There was a whistle from the background, followed by a hiss of laughter, but I paid it no mind. This was between Kassie and me.
Kassie’s arousal perfumed the air, and as much as I wanted to succumb to the scent surrounding me, I had to get my point across.
She had no idea what kinds of monsters roamed these woods.
There were many creatures that came to Arcana Falls who had never fallen into the waters, never partaken of them, and had not yet had their feral nature stripped away.
She could have been badly injured. She could have been mauled, torn apart, or made into someone’s meal. Kassie didn’t understand any of this.
Kassie continued backing up until her spine lined up with the tree behind her. Her black thigh-highs caught on the bark, and her tight purple tank top looked even tighter as her breasts rose and fell with each breath. I forced myself to look into her eyes so I wouldn’t succumb to her beauty.
“Atlas?” she pleaded with me. “What’s wrong?”
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my anger in check. “What’s wrong? You want to know what’s wrong?” I echoed, my voice dropping into a low growl. “You could have been killed, Kassie. You could have been some monster’s dinner. You think this is a game? You think this is some kind of joke?”
Her eyes widened, and I saw the pulse in her neck quicken. She was finally getting it. Finally understanding the seriousness of what she’d done. “I-I’m sorry, Atlas,” she stammered. “I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think,” I interrupted, my voice softer, but no less intense. “That’s the problem, Kassie. You can’t just wander off like that. Not here. Not in Arcana Falls.”
She looked down, her fingers tracing the bark of the tree behind her. “I’m sorry, Atlas,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I know you didn’t. But you have to understand, this place… It isn’t like the world you’re used to. There are rules. Dangers. We haven’t gone over all of them yet, and that part is my fault.”
I pressed my hands against the tree, caging her in, my wings twitching with agitation. “You could have been killed, Kassie. Or worse.” I leaned in until my forehead rested against hers. “You think I’m just being some possessive asshole? Maybe I am. But I’m also terrified.”
Her eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face. “You’re not a bit of a possessive asshole, but you were… terrified?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. “Yes, Kassie. I’m terrified of losing you. I’m terrified that something could happen to you because I wasn’t there to protect you.” I pulled back slightly, my hands cupping her cheeks. “I can’t lose you, Kassie. Not when I just got you.”
Her eyes softened, and she reached up, her hands covering mine. “Atlas,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry. I was trying to help end all this. I was trying to…”
I shushed her, my thumb brushing against her cheek. "I know you wanted to help. You kind of did, but... Let’s just forget this. You aren’t harmed, but don’t ever do anything like this again. Ever.”
Kassie nodded and pressed her face into my chest.
The fox, still naked but thankfully no longer flaunting his glamored dick, stepped forward cautiously.
“I wasn’t far. I was watching out for her,” he said, his voice low, uncertain.
“I would have protected her if I needed to, man. I just needed to talk to her, get her help. I can’t keep living like this, and her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude was my only way in.
” He shifted awkwardly, swaying from foot to foot.
I looked him over, instinct flaring hot and sharp in my chest. Sure, he had an athletic build, but could he wield a weapon?
Could he split wood, spill blood, or stand his ground when something bigger and uglier came crawling out of the dark?
Could that body actually protect her, or was it just made to run?
If it came down to it, I already knew the answer.
“How would you even protect her?” I demanded, wrapping my wings around Kassie to shield her from him.
The fox smirked. “When I drop my full glamor, my charm, my beauty, the projection shifts to whatever a species prefers most. I would have led them away.”
I narrowed my eyes and really looked at him for the first time. He didn’t have much. An awkward shifter, stripped of confidence, running on desperation and instinct alone.
And it pissed me off how familiar that felt.
He was what I had been once. Before Kassie. Before I had something to protect, instead of something to prove.
I had been given a chance. Kassie accepted me for what I was, and here she was doing it again for this… fox.
I growled, the sound rumbling from deep in my chest as I turned back to Kassie.
"Fine. We'll help him." My wings flared wide behind me, casting us both into shadow.
"But you," I jabbed my finger so close to her face she flinched, "you are NEVER to go anywhere alone again. EVER. Do you understand me?"
She swallowed hard, pupils dilating as she nodded.
"Yes, Atlas." I slammed my palm against the tree trunk beside her head, making her jump.
My body crushed against hers until I could feel her heart hammering against my chest. "And your punishment," I growled, my teeth grazing her earlobe, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that made her shiver, "will make you remember this lesson for a very, very long time. "
Her breath hitched, her pupils blown wide as the scent of her arousal flooded my senses, making my wings tremble with restraint.
I forced myself to step back, though every cell in my body screamed to claim her right there against the tree.
I seized her hand, my grip possessive, unyielding.
"Alright, fox," I snarled, baring my teeth at the naked intruder.
"Let's get you some damn clothes, before I rip your tiny dick off and feed it to whatever's hunting in these woods tonight. "
He stomped his foot as my wings fluttered, ready to take flight into the air.
“It isn’t my real dick, you flying blinking light!”
***
Once we arrived back at the cabin, I found out the fox’s name was Fenwick. I still didn’t like the creature. My female had seen another male’s dick. I didn’t like it, no matter how much smaller it was than mine.
I’d never felt this much… jealousy.
The jealousy churning in my gut turned molten. I glared at the fox, wings twitching with irritation. "Why exactly does he have to follow us home? Can't he just shift back into his furry form and scamper off to whatever den he calls home, in town?"
“I think you have lost your ability to keep your thoughts to yourself, Atlas. You know he can’t go back to his apartment; they know where he lives.”
I huffed and landed in front of the door. Fenwick had already shifted back, keeping his tail unshifted and in front of his cocktail weenie.
Kassie wiggled out of my arms and ran inside through the open door. I assumed she was grabbing some clothes.
We stood there awkwardly until I stepped toward him and pointed straight at his chest. “If this is a trick, and you mess this up, I will destroy you,” I warned. “I’ll scream so loud your ears bleed. Then I’ll claw out your heart and drain you with my tongue.”
Fenwick’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I—didn’t think that moths drank blood.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “We don’t, but if you break Kassie’s heart and lie to her, I will make an exception!”
Fenwick nodded, and Kassie held out a pair of shorts and a large t-shirt. "Here," she said, her expression deliberately neutral. "So, we can all stop staring at your unfortunate anatomy situation."
Fenwick yanked on the shorts, his eyes fixed on Kassie. "Good thing there's absolutely nothing between us," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wouldn't want to make the moth-man jealous."
Shadows stretched long across the clearing as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the treeline.
I glanced at the fox, then at our cabin's single door.
No way in hell was I letting him curl up inside with us tonight.
I needed to find somewhere else to stash him—preferably somewhere with a lock.
I tilted my head toward the night sky, searching for answers in the darkness, when a piercing screech tore through the air.
A violent gust of wind followed, knocking me back a step.
Beside me, Fenwick let out a sound that I'd only heard from dying prey—high-pitched and primal.
His body thrashed wildly, all flailing limbs and animal panic, as if every instinct in him recognized death swooping down from above.
My arm shot around Kassie's waist, yanking her behind me as something massive crashed to Earth before us.
The landing was nearly silent—a predator's approach.
Only one other creature moved through darkness with such deadly grace.
My antennae vibrated with recognition before my mind could process what my instincts already knew.
Another of my kind.