She let out a small cry at his touch, one filled with terrible pain, and he jumped back from her as his eyes turned white.

Did I hurt her? He didn’t think he’d grabbed her hard.

She placed her hand around her bicep, wincing with a frown as she recoiled from him.

“Reia?” he asked as he stepped closer slowly. She didn’t retreat, and once more placed a smile on her face – one that was more forced. “What is wrong?”

“Ah, nothing.”

When he prodded her arm to see what the matter was, her body dipped, and she gave another little cry. Red filled his vision, and he grabbed her other shoulder to keep her still as he carefully curled his claws into the neckline of her dress. He tore it. A deep growl emitted from within his throat as his maw opened in disbelief.

He couldn’t have caused this injury, not with how old it was since the entire smooth flesh over her entire shoulder was dark purple and black. A bruise.

Reia was injured.

With a snarl, he turned to the Mavka on the other side of the yard.

“Wait, Orpheus. It’s not what you think,” she pleaded as she placed her hands on his chest.

He refused to listen. Reia is hurt.

He moved her to the side as he took a step towards him.

He didn’t retreat, nor did he come closer, but his eyes did glow red to meet his threat.

“You hurt her?” Anger bubbled in his gut like a disgusting burning pit of lava. “You dared to harm my human?!”

Orpheus charged, his clothing beginning to seep within his body as it morphed. His legs grew more dog-shaped as more fur sprouted over his body to hide his grey flesh. He fell to his hands and ran on all fours by the time he was halfway to him.

The Mavka charged as well, sprinting forward with deer-shaped hindlegs and hooved feet. He closed the remaining distance to greet Orpheus head on, both their eyes red and their snarls echoing each other’s.

They barrelled into each other, but the other Mavka was weaker and too injured to fight Orpheus properly. He didn’t care why, only that it aided him. The Mavka never got the chance to gouge his claws into Orpheus’ flesh when they collided. Orpheus had already cut the Mavka's neck and chest.

The Mavka gave a wheezing cry, snapping his jaws forward to protect himself.

Orpheus dug his claws into the backs of his shoulders as he lifted him and then bashed him into the ground. He did it once, then twice, until he could find a moment to wrap his hand around his fox snout.

Orpheus began to lift him off the ground once he had a firm hold of it.

“I will crack your skull! ” Orpheus lifted him higher and higher until his hoofed feet were slipping over the ground.

His eyes changed to white, showing that he was surrendering – as well as his undeniable fear. “I will shatter it! ”

He started tightening his hold on the near indestructible bone. When the Mavka’s hand shot forward to grab his own, Orpheus bit into his hand, making him yelp and squeal like a fox.

“Orpheus, stop!” Reia shouted before she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“Leave us! ”

He wasn’t sure what he’d do once he was done with his revenge for the crime done to her precious fragile body, but he wanted her away and safe.

“He didn’t hurt me, Orpheus.” She squeezed as tight as she could, refusing to release him. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead.”

He continued to squeeze as the Mavka shook his head to free himself to no avail.

“Please stop.” She began to rub her hands up and down his chest, through the long fur of his more monstrous form,

in a soothing action. “He protected me.”

Releasing some of the pressure, he continued to hold his snout.

“Why would you protect her?” What did this Mavka hope to gain? “Were you planning to steal Reia? She is Mine! ”

Orpheus begun to tighten his grip again.

“I–” he started, before Reia interrupted by stepping between them!

Insane, she was insane to do something so foolish.

He turned his head down to growl, to get her to remove herself from them. She was between two Mavkas, and one of them was a threat to her and within clawing distance!

“He wanted to talk to me and ask for advice from a human on how to keep one.” She reached up and cupped his snout, curling her fingers around it to close it. “But a flying Demon tried to grab me, and he saved me before it could fly off with me. Without him, Orpheus, I would be gone.”

Her face in front of him, looking up at him so worried, bravely cupping his snout in a tender gesture, eased the worst of his anger. However, his anger quickly turned from the Mavka to her.

“This is why it is not safe to be outside!” he roared, his maw opening to echo his bellow and pushing her hands up to follow the top half as she tried to remain clinging to him.

“The salt circle only protects from those walking through it!”

She’d almost been taken from me... She had stayed here for him but had almost been taken to be eaten, to die a horrible death. And he would have missed her, ached for her! She is mine. I want her to be my bride. He didn’t want another human. He wanted Reia, his little doe, his brave human who gave him hope in her strength and her desire.

I shouldn’t have left!

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out today.” She gestured one of her hands behind her to the Mavka. “I was training with my sword when he came to speak with me. While we were talking, a flying Demon grabbed me. I would have been out

here anyway and would have been swooped away if it wasn’t for him. You should be thanking him, not hurting him.”

Her bottom lip stuck out further into a small pout. He loosened his grip enough but continued to hold him.

“Is it true?” he asked him.

“Yes.”

Orpheus eyed the injures he had that were older than the ones he’d delivered. Then his sight fell to the Demons who were persistently calling to Reia like a piece of meat, hissing and howling.

He remained to heal. He looked over him again. This has only happened a few hours ago.

“Orpheus...” Reia said to him with a deep tone of warning he’d never heard from her before. “If you hurt him further, I’ll be really upset with you. I won’t forgive you.”