Chapter 31: Second Intentions.

As Sascha walked away from her, Askeladd watched her go silently. Warm, comforting feelings warmed the blood rushing through the wolf's veins. During this time, the terrifying and ferocious features of the Fenrir, whose single gaze was enough to make the most capable monsters tremble within his hides, had perceptibly softened. However, once the human disappeared from his field of vision, Askeladd's expression instantly returned to his naturally dangerous form.

"Come out" He growled softly and without raising his voice. He wouldn't be who he was if he wasn't able to detect such a small signal.

Instantly, the branches on a tall oak tree behind him moved and an adorable fox cub leaped onto the wolf's head, landing nimbly a few inches from him.

A beautiful fluffy silver fur. A pair of innocent eyes like binary suns. A cold wet black nose, nice jet whiskers. Trembling and graceful pointed ears crowned the fox's head, while a nine-tailed fan whipped harmoniously behind the cub. Anyone who saw him would sigh at such tenderness and would lower his guard without fail, Askeladd on the other hand was not just anyone and he knew very well being before him. How many have been the beings whose last vision in this life was that of this adorable fox cub? Askeladd did not have an exact answer to this particular question.

Zen, the shadow of the Fenrir, bowed his nose and exposed his throat quickly, showing respect to her lord and her superior.

"Your report" Askeladd accepted the fox's show of respect with the slight, imperturbable flick of an ear. He crossed his front legs and prepared to listen.

"Reporting to the Lord. Traces of the previously missing monsters were found in the vicinity of Crimson. The information collected confirms the presence of a total of thirty to forty of our own in the last three months." Zen continued casually, not at all surprised by the sire's gruff and terse demeanor of him. The Fenrir was reluctant to waste words and all his close followers were well aware of this peculiarity of his lord.

Crimson? Askeladd cocked his head, he remembered the witch's words to his lifemate from a few minutes ago. Wasn't the shop owned by the witch in Crimson? Was that where his Sascha would work from now on? Askeladd sat up in alarm when all the things that could happen to his pregnant partner flashed through his mind.

He had to stop her! Too many weird things were happening around the human settlement lately! His black claws dug into the wood. He had to ... calm down! The memory of the previous scene flooded the wolf's mind. She took a deep breath, she didn't trust him, and until she managed to gain her trust she had to protect them in another way.

Wolf's eyes gleamed thoughtfully, schemes and plots rolled behind the amber depths of them.

"Good. Prepare the portal, this time I will personally be in charge of directing the investigation" Askeladd ordered without thinking twice after this. His reasons and attitudes had nothing to do with the forty or thirty souls that had mysteriously disappeared in recent months, rather they were full of ulterior motives.

As a servant, how could he let his lord take over such work? The fox opened his eyes before expressing his opinion without delay. "There is no need for Sire to cross over into the human world, I know that I am not as strong as my Lord, but this little subordinate can still take on this task."

"Didn't I give you an order?" The Fenrir's eyes narrowed and an atmosphere of danger invaded this area of ​​the Forest instantly.

The fox gulped, his chest rising and falling in agitation. Had he gone too far? Contrary to popular belief, Zen knew that her lord was not the stupid, bloodthirsty beast she let everyone believe.

"And good?" The Fenrir's claws clattered with an impatient click ~ click ~.

"I ..." Just when he thought he couldn't take any more of that suffocating atmosphere of danger, a young human woman stepped out into the courtyard.

The charged atmosphere disappeared as if it were magically treated, causing the fox to blink in bewilderment.

Askeladd's attention immediately fell on his delicate little human, who, apart from a quick sideways glance, decidedly ignored the Fenrir. The Fenrir chuckled at this, his entire demeanor and attitude had taken a three hundred-degree turn. The oppressive, titanic aura that he wore like a second skin became soft and relaxed. The Fenrir's fluffy tail gently whipped the air.

Zen, who did not hesitate to quickly escape, was watching this scene from a relatively safe distance. His jaw hung so low that not a fly, a swarm of the nasty critters, could nest in it. What the hell was going on here? Since when did his sire have this kind of expression?

The human returned inside the witch's hut with a barrage of pixies riding on her hair and shoulders, never putting the dangerous monster in her eyes. A piteous, abandoned cub expression instantly filled the wolf's features.

Where was the honor of the mightiest beast in the Cannan estate? Was my master possessed? Or was he impersonated when he wasn't looking? Doubts swarmed in the fox's mind seeing the Fenrir's pitiful expression.

When the last hair of the human disappeared, Askeladd reverted to his natural 'you're going to die if you get in the way' attitude. He glanced at the fox and there was an unspoken warning shining in the depths of his eyes.

Zen, an intelligent monster, pressed himself against the grass, not looking at the wolf.

"I'll go prepare the portal" he excused himself as he rushed to escape like a rabbit.

The fox quickly disappeared from the wolf's field of vision without leaving a trace behind.

"Leave your shadows at my disposal." Askeladd did not forget to remember the fox on the run.