Trust Issues

Xavier watched as the strange female hurried inside the hut before turning his attention to the feral snake. The two made quite a strange pair, making Xavier weary of them.

Especially the snake.

He was acting way too calm for a feral with a mate. Normally, they'd stay away from villages, killing any males who looked at their mates. He'd seen it many times when hunting down ferals. Some would even risk their mate dying just to keep away from others.

Yet, this snake was letting the female do what she wanted. It was almost as if the snake was a normal beastman and not a feral one.

No, he couldn't risk letting his guard down.

The female had given her word that the snake wouldn't capture any other females, but there was still a chance it could happen. Ferals weren't exactly honest creatures and easily controlled by their emotions and instincts.

For all he knew, the snake was manipulating the female in some way.

"I need to get rid of a crocodile clan." The snake beastman suddenly stated, breaking the silence between the two and bringing Xavier out of his thoughts.

Xavier turned his attention back to the snake, noticing a sharp glint in his eyes. So there was jealousy inside the snake after all. He just seemed to be able to control it more than an average feral.

That made the snake even more dangerous. 

"Old enemies?" Xavier asked, wanting to fish for more information.

Crocodiles were a headache to deal with, always going around in packs of two or three. Rarely did they go out alone and they almost always were part of some clan. 

The groups made them harder to kill them compared to other ferals. Only scorpions were similar in staying in large groups, but they didn't deal with those here.

He wasn't going to help the snake beastman if the whole thing was something stupid like a territory battle or a crocodile looking at the snake the wrong way. That was for the ferals to settle on their own.

"No, they're after Elisa." The snake beastman explained. "I've gotten rid of three already, but there are likely more out there."

It took Xavier a moment to realize that Elisa was the female's name. And once he did, he began to understand the snake's motive for wanting to hunt ferals with him.

He needed help getting rid of the crocodile clan and brought his mate here for safety. It was a smart move, but it also put the village at a huge risk of being attacked. Crocodiles wouldn't stop hunting down a female until she became theirs.

Xavier gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted to say no to the snake's request for help, but couldn't. Not when there was a chance those ferals would come here to get Elisa. It would cause trouble to the village.

And they were too weak to deal with a clan of crocodiles.

Damn it! His curiosity at the strange female made him speak up for her when he should've let the village chase them away. Now he had to deal with the headache this was going to bring.

The snake beastman suddenly added, "I can pay with crystals and help you deal with the ferals you were sent to kill as payment. I know the jungle well so your mission will go faster than hunting alone."

Xavier sighed. It wasn't a bad offer and he couldn't really turn it down, even if it was from a feral. Getting the job done quickly would mean getting back home much faster and leaving this insufferable village.

"You can keep the crystals. I don't need them." Xavier finally said. "But I'll take your offer on hunting down ferals. We'll start tomorrow so finish up helping your mate and find someone to take care of her while you're away. There are some mated males who will work for those crystals."

The snake beastman nodded in understanding, pausing for a moment. Xavier's sharp eyes could see that the feral wanted to ask him something, but was hesitating.

Annoyed, Xavier huffed, "What do you want to ask?"

"Do you have a mate or a female waiting for you back at Grasslands City?" The snake beastman asked, catching Xavier off guard for a moment.

Xavier smirked, not able to help himself. "Scared your female will like me and want to make me her mate?" 

"I will accept your courtship of Elisa if she's interested in you. A flying beastman with an elemental ability is always good..." The snake beastman mused, gazing at Xavier intensely. 

Xavier felt his jaw drop. His question was meant to be a joke and test the feral's self control. He would have never imagined that the feral would actively see him as a mate candidate. 

Rarely did males willingly seek out other males for their mate, let alone a feral.

"You must have lost your mind…" Xavier muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Likely had your egg cracked as a cub."

The snake beastman, clearly hearing his words, growled, "My mind is perfectly fine… I just want to know what your intentions are. A male rarely helps a female he's not interested in."

He couldn't deny the snake's words. Even if males were brought up to help and care for females, most would only do so if they were interested in the female or if it gave them a chance to get a mate.

Few ever did anything selflessly.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your mate." Xavier replied. "I only helped because it's my duty as one of the king's guardsmen."

And because he was interested in the couple, wanting to know what they were up to. But he wasn't going to say that. He needed the snake to let down his guard so he could figure out what his true motives were.

The snake beastman's eyes gleaned for a moment before he just nodded his head. "Alright… I shall leave then to help my mate. Can I ask that you have the village chief send some mated mates to help? You can give them these."

Something was tossed at him and out of instinct, Xavier caught it. He found himself holding a small animal fur pouch with what Xavier guessed had crystals inside.

Xavier opened his mouth to tell the snake beastman off, but found the snake had already slipped off, heading inside the hut. He huffed in frustration.

He was not a messenger bird!

But as he was about to go after the snake, another thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage…

A plan coming together, Xavier hurried to the village center, unable to hold back the smirk forming on his face.