Zenaria held her side as blood pooled between her fingers. The claw of a monster was still stuck through her flesh and muscle and with a quick twist, she ripped it out. Regeneration kicked in and mended the hole as she gasped for each breath. Glancing at James, she found anger in his expression. A certain hatred as the monsters approached him.

What happened to you, James?

Corpses littered the ground all around her as she shakily held up her hands. Her energy had long since worn out and yet James was still pulling more monsters to her. She had reached level six nearly a hundred monsters ago, and he wasn't letting them slow.

A sneer was in place, his lips turned up cruelly as he used Soul Strike to explode everything around him without lifting a finger. Blood and flesh rained down as she melded with the shadows to avoid it.

I don't think he even knows I'm injured. That I'm out of energy.

His gaze snapped to her and she felt his soul pull in tight as if sensing her thoughts. Jumping to the shadow that he cast, she appeared and he promptly grabbed her.

"I got you," he whispered.

The sneer was gone and his tone conveyed his worry that he wasn't showing before. With the cool touch of his fingers, he found her healing side and tutted. "You should have told me this happened."

She didn't have the energy to argue or talk as she closed her eyes. A moment later, he was carrying her against his chest, wading through the death to leave the area. Humming in pleasure, she savored the feeling.

"I felt that," he teased. "Maybe I should make you walk."

"Don't you dare," she muttered. "You did this to me."

"If I did it, you wouldn't have gotten out of bed."

Jaw dropping, she felt her cheeks flush as she opened her eyes. Gawking at him, she struggled to find a response as he started to laugh.

"Did I go too far?" he asked.

"Yes!" She didn't know if she should feel embarrassed or happy that he was joking like that. It was an odd feeling, having the person she cared for flirting with her. Clearing her throat, she went with the safe route. "I'm telling Luna on you."

Slowing his pace, he pulled her closer to his chest. "I guess this is the last time I carry you then. Oh well…"

Growling, she wrapped her arm around his back and held him tight. "Don't you dare put me down!"

Laughing, he held her gaze with warmth. "Be careful what you ask for. Kitsune aren't the only ones that like to cause trouble."

She swore her heart skipped a beat as she forced herself to break away from his gaze. The smile on his lips was nearly too much for her and she desperately needed to step away from him for a little bit.

Squirming, she made him let her down before stepping to the side to give them distance. "Thank you for helping me grow stronger."

His smile grew as he reached out and touched her side where the skin had just finished healing. "You're welcome. But you should have warned me that you were growing so tired."

Slumping, she shook her head. She needed to be honest with him and point out his problem. "You weren't yourself after we started. I don't think you would have stopped, even if I had slapped you. In fact, I was worried you would have yelled at me for trying to stop…"

Stopping in his tracks, his smile quickly turned down. "I'm sorry…I…" Shaking his head, he held the bridge of his nose. "I'll do better. I promise."

Grabbing her two tails, she pulled them around front. "You can repay me tonight."

Reaching out, he grabbed one of her tails, pinching the end. "I already promised Luna that I would carry her off. I suppose I can fit you in as well."

Pulling her tail from his hand, she smacked his arm. "James!"

Closing his eyes for a second, he groaned lightly. "Sorry. My thoughts feel muddled."

Holding her tails to her chest, she started walking again. "It's okay. Your different today. Want to talk about it?" She knew she was broaching a dangerous topic. No one wanted to point out his changes, and she shouldn't be the first one to do so.

Catching up to her, he sighed. "I feel different. Impulsive."

She giggled. "Just a little." She was hoping to disarm him with her easy acceptance.

"I love your laugh," he said softly. "I would like to hear it more."

Nearly stopping in her tracks again, she felt her heart flutter. "James," she warned. "You're doing it again."

Wincing, he crossed his arms as if holding himself back. "It keeps coming out without me trying…"

Staying strong, she said, "if you keep it up, I'm going to have to stay away from you for a bit. Maybe Luna should fight with you."

"What does she have to do with this?" he questioned.

Frowning, she stopped him. "She's your wife, James."

Blinking a few times, he rubbed his eyes. "That's right…" trailing off, he looked distant as his eyes slightly glazed over.

She didn't know what to do with him. He wasn't arrogant, or even crude. He was bold and that was drawing her in, despite him being with Luna. He felt more decisive than normal, and she was struggling.

After a few minutes, James blinked again and regained clarity. "We should gather the others. The nest will need time to populate again. I have to get you stronger after all."

"Why me?" she asked softly.

"I want you to have your third tail," he admitted. "I want to see you smile and laugh as you enjoy life again."

His honest answer nearly pushed her over the edge. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to start walking again. "Thank you, James. I'll fight with you tomorrow again."

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"I'm looking forward to it." Smiling once again, he happily walked next to her as if the flirting hadn't been serious.

Luna and I will be talking about this. Amber will have to know as well. It's going to be a problem moving forward.

***

James felt confused as he walked by Zenaria's side. He was struggling to contain his actions and thoughts around the kitsune. A large part of him wanted to carry her again, but the more logical part of him knew he was with Luna. It was a battle of emotions that he wasn't really winning.

After the dream the night before, everything was harder. He felt a confidence that wasn't wholly his, and yet it was. As if a part of him that had laid dormant had been awakened, and wanted to act. He also knew that each time he made a pass at the kitsune, a small part of the crack in his soul filled in slightly, replacing hesitation and distance with happiness.

He needed space to think before he did something that would hurt the relationships and friendships around him. With that thought, he turned to Zenaria and pulled her to a stop. "Gather the others and send them back to the house. I need to stay here for a bit longer."

Her frown grew, and he knew he had hurt her just the smallest amount. The joy she was feeling in her soul from him flirting with her grew distant as she nodded.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "Just need a moment to think."

Walking off, she kept glancing over her shoulder at him, making sure he was okay before spreading out her soul and calling on everyone. His party quickly left their fights and merged together near the edge of the city as he turned back to the nest.

He still craved a good fight. He needed more death to feel fully satiated for the day. His soul was growing, but not fast enough for his liking, and if he didn't do something about it, the voices would haunt him again, urging him to do more.

Shivering, he pushed against that thought. He knew he was broken now. He felt the cracks fill in the night before. He could feel them filling in when he was killing, flirting, or simply being outspoken. Every action he took was changing him, and he didn't know if it was for the better.

Reaching out with his soul, he found a group of monsters not far from him. He needed to kill, and he hoped it would clear his mind. He didn't want to alienate his friends and wife by lashing out.

Summoning his sword, he felt the golden energy of his soul fill the blade with power. It was a symbol of his strength and a visible cue to those he fought that he was stronger than them. He was stronger than anything on the planet.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he focused his senses on the creatures the next street over. They were feasting on the corpses he had left behind, and now they would be adding to the mix.

Taking the last few steps, he rounded the corner and found a dozen plague wolves tearing apart the flesh of the abominations. They growled as they eyed him, drips of acidic poison striking the ground from their mouths. A misty haze rolled off their flesh, tinged black as they spread their plague.

"Come at me!" he growled.

The pack didn't need to be convinced that he was fresh meat. His beating heart was enough to cause them to rush him. He also knew that the sword would want him to take the attacks head on, not bothering to dodge.

Just as the first wolf reached him, he pushed against the sword's control and stepped to the side. Slashing down, he severed the head from the beast before spinning and slashing through a second monster.

A third reached him a moment later and he backhanded the wolf, sending it crashing through the wall of the nearby building where its soul winked out. Keeping his body in motion, he twisted into a kick that broke the neck of the fourth before bringing his sword around to slash through a fifth.

Only a few seconds passed before all five wolves lay dead around him. The other seven circled around his position, hoping to flank him with their attacks. He felt the sneer settled on his face as his emotions turned to a calm anger. How dare these mere monsters try to control the battle. He was not prey. He was the hunter, and they would die by his hand before they could escape.

Lunging forward faster than the wolves could process, he slammed his fist into the chest of the wolf. Bones and flesh gave way as he grabbed the creature's heart and squeezed. Blood gushed over his hand as he slashed backwards with his sword, having felt another wolf dashing in.

Soul energy parted the wolf, cutting it from shoulder to stomach as its soul burst and flowed into him. Pulling his hand out of the wolf, he flung his hand out, scattering blood into the eyes of another monster. A laugh bubbled up inside him, escaping in a terrifying display of calm rage.

His gaze honed in on the remaining four wolves as he Soul Struck one, exploding the body and painting its partner with black blood. The wolf howled as it was blinded and was silenced a moment later as he parted its head from its body.

The initial monster he had blinded, recovered and charged, hoping to take his back. He could feel the creature drawing closer and he growled. Spinning, he dismissed his sword and grabbed the mouth of the lunging monster. Pulling the jaws of the creature open, he ripped apart its face before dropping its broken body on the ground.

The sole remaining wolf started backing away. Turning to the creature, James felt his anger hone in and freeze the monster in place. His entire soul bore down on the pathetic Forsaken as he squeezed. A pop was felt inside the wolf before soul energy flowed into him, leaving a corpse behind.

Calming his mind took next to no effort after savoring the fight. Blood coated his arms as he shook off what he could, but he would need a bath when he got back.

Turning back to the house, he started walking. His companions hadn't gained much time on him, and it would be easy to catch up. The one fight was enough to calm him, and he started running. His loping pace blurred the world until he was coming to a stop by Luna's side, startling the Fenrir into swinging at him.

Laughing, he caught her first and pulled her against him. Her eyes widened the second she recognized him, only to soften as he pressed his lips to hers. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he felt her moan and melt against him as the souls around him relaxed. All apart from two that felt jealous of the interaction.

Pulling away, he glanced at Amber and Zenaria and gave them a small smile. Amber's expression flipped from jealousy to the promise of fun if she could get him alone. Zenaria felt confused, yet filled with desire.

It was plain enough that Luna cleared her throat before glaring at the two women. "James, dear? You feel better."

Turning his whole attention back to her, he nodded. "I feel better. Care for that tail of yours to be fluffed tonight?"

"All night," Jamie teased. Smirking, his sister winked at him. "Need me to teach you a thing or two with your tongue?"

Mender palmed his face. "Please don't…"

Laughing, James let Luna go and sidled up to his sister. "Let's compare notes."

"James!" Luna hissed.

Linda laughed and stepped closer. "There's a certain art to this, James. I can share what I enjoy."

Amber didn't hesitate to skip up to his side and take his arm. "Maybe I can entice you with a few additions."

Smirking, he turned to the nekorian and looked her up and down. "I bet you can."

Blushing, Amber let him go and stepped away. "Damn. I need to stop doing that."

Luna pulled her away and grabbed his arm. "You're coming with me, mister!"

Jamie waved at him. "It was nice knowing you!"

Laughing again, James let himself be pulled away. Luna pushed him into a run, making him keep pace with her as they outdistanced their friends. Once they were nearly back to the house, she slowed. "Feel better now that they are away?"

Surprisingly, he did. "Yeah." Rubbing his head, he blew out a slow breath. "I'm still changing."

"At least you are aware now," she grunted. "You owe me that bath, and tail cleaning and fluffing. After that, I think I'm going to help you take the edge off."

He nodded eagerly. "That would help actually." Holding out his arms, he winced at the dried blood. "I might need to stay behind tomorrow. I need time with my thoughts."

"Enchant." Taking his hand, despite the black blood, she bumped him with her shoulder. "Take however much time you need. But Zenaria and Amber will not be by you."

"That would be best," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Luna. I really am. Last night…" he told her about the dream and the voices. The cracks that he felt and how they were filling in. Every action he was taking was altering those cracks just the smallest amount, but it was adding up quickly.

Bringing them to a stop, she hugged him. "Thank you for sharing that with me. It's still you and I versus the world, James. I won't let some stray voices and emotions break you. My soul may not be strong enough to smack you around, but I'll do my whatever it takes to help you through this."

Smiling once again, he tilted her head up and claimed a kiss. "I can think of a few things we can do right away to help."

"Bath first," she playfully growled. "There's no way I'm letting those hands near my tail before they are scrubbed clean."

"Maybe my hands want to treat another part of your body?" Kissing her again, he rested his hand on her hip and pressed his soul against hers.

"Down, boy," she warned. "Bath first."

Sighing, he rolled his eyes. "I suppose you are right."

"I'm your wife. I'm always right."

Chuckling at her teasing, he started jogging again. "Let's hurry back before the others arrive. We are going to need plenty of time together."

She didn't hesitate to keep pace with him, putting even more distance between them and their party.

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