Chapter 14

The days went by.

Drax began to grow rather fast, but there was something concerning Snek. The kid has to eat every single day! No matter what he had the day before, he has to eat again by the next morning. He thought it was strange; normally one big meal should have kept him full for at least a week. Yet, Snek finds himself and Drax out there hunting time and time again.

Today, he held off on the hunt to teach him more about his abilities in serpent form; how to read movements, sensing footsteps and judging someone's intentions in said footstep.

Yet as the lesson went on, Drax appeared distracted. Snek was smiling to it all, he knew who was coming their way and gave but a nod. Drax went into hunting mode. He slipped into the forest, keeping himself low to the ground. Snek stood in wait until he heard the sudden struggle.

"HEY!"

"GOT YOU!"

He emerged from the forest with his arms pinned up. Coiled around his chest and pulling back his arms, Drax caught Amai Mask. "Nicely done, I see you have learned well off your father."

Drax released him and rejoined his father's side but was smiling with pride. Amai brushed himself off as he continued to look down and marvel at him. "He's grown, hasn't he?"

"He's shed six times since this whole thing started, he's been a snake for two weeks now."

Sweet Mask appeared rather curious. "Two weeks, how are you enjoying it?"

Drax's chest swelled out with pride. "I can eat bigger things now, if it's the size of a person, I can swallow it whole!" But then he paused. "I got to do it every day though, I get hungry a lot faster than I did before. At least its only once a day… I do miss hamburgers…"

Sweet Mask smiled. "Then I will take you for hamburgers before you go back to school." Amai vowed. He then appeared to have an idea, he looked back over Drax and said. "You haven't eaten yet today… how about I assist in your hunt? Would you allow me to join you?"

Snek however was suspicious. "Really? You want to go hunting with us?"

"It is my weekend with him, is it not? Do you not think I can teach him how to, Snek?"

He snorted to the notion. "Oh yeah, the great Amai Mask, master hunter!" he said sarcastically.

Amai however smirked back. "Oh, are you worried I could teach him… better than you?"

That was offensive, Snek hissed to the notion. "I hunt FAR better than you! I've been doing this for years. You got what? Four months experience?"

"Dad!" Drax whined. "Let him take me hunting, it's just for a little while. You can go and get something for you. I know you are holding back on your meals until I've had mine."

Snek sneered at the notion, where does Amai get off in stating he could teach Drax to hunt? He looked between the two, his son wanting to go. Amai willing to take him, and Snek himself was getting hungry. With a sigh, he nodded. "Fine, nothing too big, if it's as tall as you, it's fine, anything bigger no, anything smaller won't do him anymore."

Amai bowed. "Very well, come Drax, I do believe I have just the monster for you…" He reached down and allowed Drax to coil around him. Drax could cover Amai top half of his body, but kept himself as if he were getting a mere piggyback.

With a sigh, Snek decided to hunt, but perhaps Garou would join him this time around…

#

Despite the idea of going hunting with Garou, the very notion made Snek reconsider it greatly. After all, the so called 'human monster' has been a shell of his former self. He hasn't said anything in a smartass tone in weeks, he doesn't argue let alone try to stir the pot when it comes to a dinner conversation. He's been oddly… superstitious in not just Snek's mind, but that of the family's!

He returned to the house, however cringed at the sight. Since the recently born triplets were premature, Garou has acted too cautious with them. He has become startled, fearful and overly protective of them. He refuses to maintain his eating habits out of fear of harming them. So much so in fact, he has starved himself!

His greatest fear was eating too much for them to handle, Snek understood that concern, since his children were so small, too much too soon could have devastating consequences. Yet, in this precaution, Garou has become a husk of his former self. He was far too thin, even his demon dragons that coiled around his body are no bigger than average snakes now!

Melee has been trying to get him to eat, even if it was just a little bit at a time, yet he refused to take any drastic risks. "I can't eat anything bigger than a tiger threat! Something the size of a person will be fine, but nothing bigger!" he protested.

Snek had just wondered into an argument between Melee and Garou who still refused to go out and hunt a big monster, despite the calls recently for him to do so. Melee would go in his place, yet she tried to get him to eat what was taken out the moment she brings it back home. So far, she has had little luck. Sitting at the table through the argument was Pac. Shaking his head to it all, he was getting as frustrated as his mother with the whole situation.

Snek decided to step in. If there was one thing he maybe able to do is manipulate the situation. he began to stare at Garou oddly, just long enough for him to take notice. "What!" demanded the moody human monster.

Snek was silent. "Huh…" was all he said.

"You know something, tell me!"

Snek tried to play it cool, but also knew the slight urgency of it all. "I didn't want to worry you," suddenly he had Garou full attention. "Look, I've been sensing them as of late… and could feel them… yet not as strong as before… have you been eating well enough to maintain everyone… including yourself?" Snek asked.

He froze to the news, Garou began to gasp for air oddly, almost in a panic. "I… I thought I was to take it easy… so I don't harm them… I eat enough for them…"

"Have you felt a change? Be upfront here, it's been nearly two weeks for you. What's changed?"

There was silence. Melee's arms crossed as she stared down her mate. "NOW will you listen?" she demanded.

"I guess I could eat a little… But I could hurt my children!"

"You know better, you know your own limits and that of your children, you have to do what is best for everyone under your care… that includes the sanity of your wife!"

"HEY!" she protested.

"He has a point mom." Said Pac as he pretended he wasn't listening to the situation and was merely online with his phone.

"I don't want to overexert myself." He said. "They are still really small…"

Melee rolled her eyes. "Melee will fly us, so you won't exert yourself. I'll hunt with you. If it's too big, I'll eat it. If not, we feed you until you are at least comfortable." Snek explained.

Despite the manipulation and bombardment of ideas and notions, Garou began shaking his head to it all. "I can't overdo it! I could hurt them!"

"You're hurting yourself even more," Snek protested. "Melee come on, you and me got to fatten him up."

"Where's Drax?" she asked.

"Amai took him for the day, apparently he wants to teach him how to hunt… As if that pretty boy can out do me!"

Melee giggled, but she nodded. "Okay you two, let's go"

"But Melee…" Garou protested.

"Dad, if you seriously don't get out of the house, I will personally push you out that front door!" warned Pac.

The whole room was taken aback by his comments, yet Garou sneered to them all and reluctantly stood. "Not too long, I don't want to be outside for prolong periods…"

"My God, who the hell are you!" Snek demanded.

#

Melee made some called.

Learning through the association and media apps, she found various monsters in need of removal. Snek wasn't going to eat just yet, he was concerned for Garou and knew he needed to feed more than him. The first three monsters were level tiger at best, Melee was quick to take them down and out before she turned to Garou and ordered him to consume. He hesitated. "Those are big… a little too big…"

"For God's sakes, eat it or I will esper push these down your throat!" she warned.

Her tone stunned the two men, Snek included as he gulped his pride. "I think she would do it too." He whispered.

With no other choice, Garou ate, the three didn't do anything for him the least bit, but something was happening in his body. His stomach moaned as the beasts instantly digested, he braced his stomach oddly, and then gasped in shock. "What is it?" Melee asked.

He trembled a little, Snek swore he was on the brink of tears! "They grew…" he whispered. "I felt them… they grew!"

"Then let's get some more into you!" Snek announced. "Come on Garou, the day is young and the world's a buffet!"

He began to act like his old self again, city after city, hunt after hunt, Garou paced himself slowly, only taking one monster at a time and nothing above a demon level threat. Within three hours, he regained his mass, his body began to plump out rather oddly. Melee even noticed it was the first time she has ever seen Garou put on weight! "What's up with this?" she muttered to Snek.

He grew rather paunchy, yet after a while, he was full and didn't feel the need to feed any longer. "Perhaps his body is adjusting, since the kids are small it's portioning the amount that they absorb? I don't know, I'm no doctor."

"No, but you are a good guesser."

With the last of the monsters consumed, Garou appeared far more content. He kept his wings braced around himself, but began to coddle his stomach oddly. "I feel them growing stronger…" he said in a soothing tone.

"Okay then…" Melee was even a little weirded out by his actions. But still, she appeared to prefer a content Garou than an overreacting one. "Now we got him looked after, it's your turn Snek. What are you in the mood for?"

"Something big, but not too big. I need to be able to move in case Drax gets hungry in the middle of the night… that kid has an appetite!"

She nodded in agreement. "High demon threat it is!"