Adrian didn't quite know if he liked this amount of trouble.

The amount of pheromones that had exploded from both Levi and Darius when the former had teasingly stated Adrian was in trouble, had been enough to make Adrian shiver in delight. He hadn't quite paused at the notion how Darius and Levi would feel with the potential interest of another, nor did he think it had been necessary to inform them of a scenario that never would've happened in the first place.

Yet somehow Adrian's disinterest had been completely skipped over and instead his two mates were far more focused that others were interested in him!

"Probably shouldn't say anything about that leopard eying me when I shifted back... or that lioness in heat who-"

Levi's chin hooked over Adrian's shoulder as they paused just outside of the entrance to their home, voice a threateningly low rasp as he questioned "The lioness in heat who... what exactly?"

Adrian's shift released a nervous chitter as it realized it was in danger. Delicious danger but danger all the same. The pheromones behind him made Adrian all too aware that any slip of the tongue or deceit here, would end up with severe consequences.

It was abundantly clear to him that his mates, relatively new mates, were pressed to defend what was theirs. Any hint at showing interest elsewhere would end up with Adrian face down and ass up before he could chirp in protest.

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Adrian awkwardly cleared his throat when the pheromones in the air only intensified at the small gesture. His recount of the event was pure facts yet the dark looks in both Darius and Levi's gaze didn't go unnoticed whilst the young raptor pointed out, "All that happened was her walking up to me and virtually presenting herself. I wasn't interested in her. Pretty certain that if the two honey badgers didn't interrupt her, I might've bitten the insistent lioness."

The spices from Darius pheromones spiked dangerously and Adrian barely had the time to squeak in surprise before he was lifted. Adrian could see Darius' shift struggling underneath the surface before the young raptor's gaze flitted towards his own mark left on Darius.

And then realisation hit.

"Not biting as in marking! I didn't even understand what mates were then, or that they needed to be marked!" Adrian exclaimed seconds before his lips were caught in a kiss that devoured him. Even Levi hummed curiously, watching the spectacle for a moment longer before resting his shoulder on the wall.

"You know, I thought I was the kinky one in this relationship. You really wanna do him in public, Darius?" The elephant drawled teasingly before raising his hands in surrender when Darius released a low, warning rumble.

There were indeed just mere steps away from their front door. Yet there was an unexpected tingle of interest that darted over Adrian's spine before he could suppress it. Something that was easily caught by his hyperattentive mates.

It was clear that the usually calm and collected raptor was now struggling to rein in his shift, who clearly was all up for following Levi's suggestion. To claim his mate for all to see, visibly staking his claim and daring others to intrude.

The way Adrian was pressed against the wall, feeling everything Darius had to offer was making him shiver in an intoxicating blend of worry and excitement. The younger raptor knew that once they got within the safety of their room, he would be utterly left at their mercy.

Adrian's ear twitched when he picked up a coo that resembled the sound of a broody hen, raising an eyebrow at Darius who returned his look of confusion with one of his own. Even Levi was eyeballing Darius, the confusion lingering in the air enough to push back his shift before he managed to rasp "That was not me."

Another coo sounded, making the three look down at their feet before Levi snorted. "Fucking Perry the cockblocking platypus." His frustrated rumble was answered by another chirp as a clearly anxious Kiau was nipping at Darius' pants, given that he couldn't reach Adrians still within the former's arms.

Adrian puffed out several feathers as he shot a look at Levi while growling. "Watch your language. It's a baby."

At the insistent chirping of Kiau, Darius slowly lowered Adrian, who quickly shifted to hide the obvious and lowered so Kiau could preen the feathers around his face. "A baby who is, in all intents and purposes, coc-" Levi's voice was muffled by Darius' palm before the older raptor glanced at Kiau.

"Where is Kemai? Shouldn't he be keeping an eye on his hatchling?" Darius rasped, his voice betraying his emotional state. The low rumble in his chest was answered by Kiau, who squeaked his own protests before calming when Adrian's breath ruffled through the platypus' fur.

"Kemai's scent is still strong on him. Maybe he's nearby and Kiau got away?" The young feral pondered out loud before pausing at the silence in the room.

Two sets of eyes stared at Adrian incredulously and Levi snickered while pointedly looking at the tiny wobbling platypus. "Ah yes, because that thing right there is a lightning fast speed demon." The elephant rasped over their link before Darius removed his hand from Levi's mouth, a string of saliva showing where the elephant had licked it.

Before Adrian could retort, Charles appeared down the hallway, skidding to a stop when he spotted the four. "Oh thank gods. I found the kid!" He panted into his phone before hanging up. "How did he even move all the way over here?" Charles grumbled before scratching through his hair.

"Where's Kemai? Isn't he supposed to look after his son?"

Darius' question was met with a tired exhale from Charles before the snake jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Apparently one of the Dingoes decided he didn't require common sense. After stating he wasn't afraid of an Emu, he said the little one there was nothing more than an appetizer, a chicken nugget if you will. And well..."

Adrian's feathers ruffled, a low sound rumbling through his chest as he knew all too well what happened. Kemai would be extremely pressed to protect his last chick and knowing that Dingoes were the cause of his loss...

Levi groaned lowly, shaking his head as he grumbled "I gave them a clear warning, didn't I? Told them they'd be six foot under if they went after Perry over here." The elephant pointed at the small platypus, completely oblivious that he was the topic of their conversation.

"Kiau."

"Either way-" Charles intervened with a pointed look between the two, "We got alerted by the god awful howling as the dingo in question ran like he was being chased by the devil himself. Which from his point of view, probably was the truth, given that Kemai was biding his time to pounce on him. Kemai is being held separately until he manages to regain control of his shift but until then, we need someone both he and Kiau trust to babysit the tiny platypus. So..."

Adrian nearly trilled in joy, knowing that he now had a legit alibi and avoid his fate behind closed doors. Something both Darius and Levi seemed to realize as well, given the dark and smouldering looks he received from the pair.

He knew if Charles took away Kiau and offered to babysit himself, his ass was at the mercy of two mates who were foaming at the mouth to remind Adrian he was taken. In fact, he could feel them over their bond, contemplating if it was worth the trouble to say they were unavailable.

So Adrian made the choice for them, grabbing Kiau in his mouth before scampering out towards the exit. A quick glance back showed him a humorous Charles observing as Levi was barely protesting before being pulled into their home by a rather amorous Darius. And both his mates gave him a heated look before the door was slammed shut.

"Not surprising, given that they both were intending to pounce on me." Adrian mused, automatically blocking most of the link between the others so he wouldn't get flooded with their sensations. Plus he doubted Levi would complain much, being at Darius' mercy.

In fact, the elephant more than likely would be relaxed by the time Adrian returned and hopefully would act as a buffer between Adrian and Darius. Or at the very least, not pounce on him the second Adrian returned.

Kiau wiggled softly, seemingly content in observing the world from his suddenly elevated position. Besides the occasional trill and chirp, he remained silent for most of the walk. The moment made Adrian wonder how life would've been if his sisters were still alive.

How wonderful could it have been? To have siblings chase after him and greet him with joy, to watch them explore the world and experience life. Yet all of that had been shattered by the greed and obsession of a single individual.

Now he no longer had siblings, no longer had a family to call his own. Whilst his parents still roamed the world, he had no idea where to even begin searching for them. Not that Adrian would. With every lesson he had been taught and all the information granted to him, the young raptor realized the truth.

If his parents were incapable of raising their young by themselves, they should've simply gotten themselves fixed. Instead, their irresponsible behaviour led to clutches being abandoned as soon as their patience with their children ran out.

"Instincts are hard to supress but not impossible." Adrian mused to himself, all too aware that he was proving his own thoughts right now. After all, he had a small platypus in his mouth and was carrying the helpless baby around as a massive carnivore.

Hell, he didn't even have the urge to bite down, not even when Kiau wiggled a bit, stretching his tiny neck to look around. Instead Adrian mentally grinned and followed the guidance of the puggle, letting it lead to wherever it wanted to go.

And apparently, that was to a small stream where it wiggled and cooed, demanding to be let down. Before Adrian even considered the notion, he took a long look at their surroundings, knowing that some Ferals couldn't be trusted with their instincts.

His killing claws were raised ever so slightly, a clear warning to those who had two braincells to clash together to know that Adrian meant business. Mess with his little charge and pray you could make it to the infirmary in time.

With his feathers pinned , Adrian slowly allowed Kiau his freedom, making sure to keep the small puggle within his gaze at all times. Even though he wanted nothing more than to lay down and enjoy the sight of little Kiau splashing through the stream and rooting through the muck, the young raptor refused to let his attention slip for a single second.

Life had taught Adrian that all it needed, was a single second to destroy everything he held dear. And he would be damned if he let Kemai experience that bitter loss all over again.

The slightest glance of any predator was met with a low, warning snarl that hissed past Adrian's teeth. A few taps of his killing claw as he took a step forwards was all the warning he gave. Luckily, the other Ferals were wise enough to back off, especially after watching how Ethan had ended up in the infirmary with the lion's own stupidity.

In the distance, a low thrumming call responded to his own, making Adrian's head snap towards the source before relaxing a tad. A familiar cassowary darted towards them, feathers still puffed up in agitation but relaxing at the sight of the happily playing Kiau.

A low trill from Adrian lured Kiau closer before the platypus gave a happy little coo at the sight of his father, small damp body wiggling as Kemai shifted and lifted up his son with a grin.

"My precious egg..." Kemai murmured, pressing a soft kiss on Kiau's bill before grinning when his son nuzzled closer. Looking over at Adrian, the man nodded gratefully and was quick to follow Adrian towards a nearby stash of clothing, which both of them used.

"I heard one of the dingoes got suicidal?" Adrian's question was heavy with sarcasm, watching as Kemai's gaze turned brilliant gold to indicate the man's shift was right underneath the surface. Luckily he managed to keep a tight grip on his shift before hissing out a frustrated breath.

Adrian's nostrils flared, luckily detecting the smallest hint of blood. Which showed that the stupid dog was lucky to escape with its life after telling a parent that their offspring was going to become its next meal.

"I know the kid was mostly speaking out of instincts but-" Kemai 's voice trembled, his imminent shift only pushed back by the small platypus rooting against his throat. "Hearing that brat threaten my little egg..."

Egg?

Noticing Adrian's confused look, Kemai's smile turned a tad wry. "It's the meaning of his name. Kiau. I kept talking to him when he was still a little egg and by the time he hatched... I.... it stuck. I tried changing his name but he doesn't react to it at all, so."

"Anyways, thank you for taking care of Kiau. I heard he wandered to you on his own, so I'm glad that he found someone we both can trust." Kemai confessed, making Adrian smile before gently rustling through Kiau's fur.

"I...couldn't be there for my sisters. So if I can be there for a small brother, I will." Adrian murmured, voice cracking with pain. He would forever hold the regret and pain of being unable to keep his sisters safe. But that didn't mean that he would shy away from building any bonds with others.

And being handed a small puggle and having Kemai give him a reassuring pat on the back, was enough for Adrian. He would remember his sisters fondly and keep the memory of his older brother as a warning of what happened if you let instincts guide your path without logic.