Slowly Adrian fell into a steady routine. Go to classes and learn more about the world beyond what he knew. Learn how shifters worked, what to do, what not to do.

Mostly Adrian didn't care about the teachers and their lessons. His highlights of the day were the moments where he could run free, uncontrolled and the times where it was time to eat.

Still, there were still many things that he didn't know anything about. Things that made him pause with confusion, wondering if it was normal behavior or something completely out of line.

For instance, the lioness that had approached him in her animal shape during his time off. Classes had been dismissed and Ferals in all shapes and sizes were roaming around.

Adrian had isolated himself from the masses, found himself a tree that provided decent shade against the burning sun. He had assumed he would've been left alone, up until the lioness had approached him with a flick of her tail.

She seemed cautious but... almost frantic. Adrian licked his lips, nose curling at the thick layer of pheromones that nearly overwhelmed him.

They were thick, potent... almost sickeningly sweet, like a fruit ripe for the picking. While his animal seemed to recognize the scent, or at least the meaning behind the pheromones, neither it nor Adrian were interested in the hidden message.

At his shiver, the lioness' eyes seemed to glow as she approached at a slow lope, flopping herself on the floor near Adrian and rolled around persistently.

It made Adrian question if this was normal behavior, especially since she was leaving a heavy layer of pheromones wherever she touched.

He growled deeply when she approached and, ignoring his snarl, bunted her head against his side. She only backed off when Adrian bared his partially shifted teeth as a warning.

"Alright, alright, break it up you two." A voice sounded before Adrian spotted the two female honey badgers approach. Uma took one look at Adrian before snickering slightly.

"Talia honey, I don't think we need to worry about him." She giggled, finger curling around one of the braids that dangled over her shoulders. "Have you seen the look on his face?"

Talia cast Adrian a quick look before smiling, instead turning her attention towards the lioness. "Enough of that, Vanessa. You should know to remain in your room and alert the teachers if you suspected your heat was near."

Vanessa lazily flicked an ear at Talia, playfully pawing at Adrian while the poor feral man snorted, shaking his head against the onslaught of pheromones.

The lioness ignored the two honey badgers behind her, amber fur bristling as she made a purr-like sound, flicking her tail as she laid down in front of Adrian.

The two honey badgers stepped between Adrian and Vanessa, who persisted into trying to tempt Adrian until all three of them snarled venomously.

Yet the display of aggression didn't seem to deter the lioness, who was only more determined to rub herself against Adrian. Rolling all over the floor before playfully loping towards Adrian, pawing at his leg.

The poor raptor didn't know what to make of it. At moments he thought the lioness grew aggressive, trying to playfully mouth at his hands or legs before she flopped on the ground in front of his nose.

And always, she'd flick her tail and present her butt, as if Adrian should know what she meant.

"Enough!" Talia snarled, surprising Adrian by easily grabbing Vanessa by the scruff and physically dragged the lioness away. "The boy either doesn't understand what your heat entails or is not interested Vanessa. No means no."

Uma chuckled, pink tongue contrasting sharply against her dark skin as she licked her lips. Watching as her mate dragged the lioness away and waving over another of the adults.

"Hmmmm, I love when she takes charge and orders people around. Seeing her in her element is just..." Uma shivered before chuckling, winking at the confused Adrian.

Adrian hesitantly sniffed the air before sneezing, trying to clear the air in his nostrils. Vanessa's pheromones that indicated she was in heat and receptive, were still thick and clinging to his airways.

"Poor baby." Uma crooned, patting Adrian on the head. "I don't think I've ever seen a feral that innocent." She giggled slightly, yanking her hands back when Adrian clapped his teeth together in a visual and audible warning.

"Lions, and many other animals, have a heat cycle they go through. It only affects the females physically but as you've seen and smelled, it also affects the males in certain ways."

Uma sat down beside Adrian, giving him enough space that he didn't feel threatened. The sun illuminated her dark, chocolate skin as she smiled reassuringly, sending the confused feral a wink.

"You handled that surprisingly well. Talia and I had our share of having to forcefully pull Ferals apart when their instincts took over." She snorted, the sound rattling in the tail end as she flicked her black braids over her shoulder.

"Brats thinking they can breed whenever and wherever they want."

Uma's eyes glowed vibrantly as Talia approached, a grin on both females as Uma reached up to her mate. "Good job, baby." She murmured against Talia's lips, giving them a teasing bite while Adrian glanced between them before huffing.

"Let's not try and overwhelm the newbie after he just got pheromone bombed, boo." Talia chuckled, flopping down in Uma's lap so the later could play with her hair.

Talia stretched with a satisfied hum, head cradled in Uma's lap as her mate grinned adoringly down at her. "Have you ever encountered a fellow Feral in heat before, Adrian?" Talia inquired curiously.

Adrian didn't need to think long over that question, shaking his head in denial. "I have.... Had... two female nestmates. But..." Adrian thought over his words for a moment, "They were killed. By the oldest male, when we were... almost five winters?"

"Ugh! Men!" Talia snorted, rolling her eyes before adding, "No offense." Two sets of brown eyes observed him curiously before asking, "And how did you feel about that?"

Adrian let out a little thrill, shaking his head. "It was stupid. They could've helped with the hunt... helped tracking...They weren't even sick." He snorted, teeth glinting in the sunlight as he tapped his fingernails on the floor in agitation. "Never... understand...."

He threw his hands up in defeat, unable to verbalize the disgust he felt in his chest. If things had been left up to Adrian, his sisters would've been alive and by his side.

Talia nodded. "Good, there's nothing to understand. Your brother was a dick." Uma choked back a laugh, nudging her mate slightly.

"What? Anyone who attacks their siblings with the intent to kill them because they are perceived as 'the weaker gender' is a dick."

Uma barked out a laugh at that while Adrian simply cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Tell that to the Hyenas." Uma grinned, making Talia cringe.

"Oh yeah...forgot about them." At Adrian's obvious confusion, she explained, "Hyena cubs attack one another seconds after birth. Especially so if the cubs are both female." She cringed and shook her head. "Damn these instincts."

Instincts were one of a Feral's strongest attributes after all. It kept them alive in a cold and dangerous world that could and would kill them.

But those same instincts came at a price. Parents discarding their offspring to save them from their very own shifts perceiving them as a threat.

Males who couldn't stay in the presence of another's young, out of fear that their shift would take over and kill the cubs.

Or like the Hyenas, where female cubs would try to kill one another at birth in order to further better their own chances of survival.

The list of instinctual behaviors was endless and most of those traits were the very reason why there was a Feral Compound to begin with.

"Still kiddo, if anything like that happens again, don't be afraid to flag one of the adults down." Talia said with a grin, "Preferably one of the mated ones, as they're less likely to be influenced by those pheromones."

Adrian nodded, thrilling in his throat before he shook himself. "Is it... normal?" He asked, tilting his head at the pair before tapping the side of his nose to indicate the slight pheromones coming of the pair. "There were others who smelled... less but the same."

"Ah." Uma grinned, winking at Talia before leaning down to kiss her mate on the lips, lingering for a moment before Talia pushed her back with a snort.

The honey badger rolled her head to look at Adrian as she explained, "Some Ferals are more openly attracted to certain shifters. Lions for example will always be drawn to stronger males because in the wild, the male protects the pride and their cubs against nomadic males."

Adrian nodded; he had learned as much during biology, breeding to strengthen the bloodline and improve the chances of your offspring.

"So...they want young?" He tilted his head questioningly, snorting as he added, "But some were men?"

Both Uma and Talia snorted before a rattling laughter exploded from the pair. They barely contained themselves from rolling over the floor with laughter, calming down after a few moments to wipe the tears from their eyes.

"Oh god, you really are innocent." Talia agreed wistfully, rubbing under her eye before she grinned. "Not all matings are decided on offspring, kiddo. I mean, look at us." She said with a wave between herself and Uma.

Uma shook her head, braids whipping through the air as she continued, "While we lack certain parts needed to provide the other with offspring," she winked at Talia before finishing her sentence, "That doesn't mean we're any less mates than a male and female couple."

Adrian hummed at that, remembering different couples among teachers and students alike. Some were both female like Uma and Talia, but he had seen male couples along with male and female pairings.

"I see." He murmured thoughtfully, quirking an eyebrow before he questioned, "And the scent?"

At that, both Talia and Uma grinned in unison. "Pheromones and arousal are easily picked up by any Feral. While it doesn't necessarily mean that the other wants to be your mate, you certainly managed to capture their interest."

Ah.

Humming thoughtfully, Adrian glanced at the group of feral teens that roamed around before sighing. It was something he hadn't encountered in the wild simply because there weren't any other ferals beside himself.

Of course he had smelled pheromones in the wild, but never as potent or aimed at Adrian himself.

So when he had first smelled the arousal of one of the leopard males as he had walked by, it had confused him.

And the display of the lioness a few moments ago had stunned him completely. It made Adrian wonder about his own kin, if he had to worry about these heat cycles as well.

Pushing to his feet, he said his goodbyes to the two honey badgers, who gave him a lazy wave before Uma let out a series of giggles as she was pulled down atop Talia.

Adrian shook his head, quickening his pace as he went in search of Darius.

If there was anyone within the compoundwho'd know the answer to his questions, it would be his fellow Raptor.