"It needs to be burnt!" Were the first words out of Parkers mouth when they found him just outside the village. "It's the shed skin of a snake-man beast."

"Could he have moved on after shedding? Or does the village need to get together about this?"

"It looks like it was recently shed." Parker shook his head. "He'll come looking for it, it's how they lure females away from the safety of their villages."

"Damn." Chiaki mumbled. "I'll go get Qianhuang."

The large head of a white lion peered out the village entrance, turning to look at the three of them. "No need, between the sudden flare of fear from my mate and the loudness of Parker I came here quickly." The huge winged beast male strode out of the village gate and sniffed at the bright red snake skin. "I can find this scent. Can you?"

Parker nodded. "Yes, leopards can track scents well enough. I'll gather a hunting party of males to kill him."

"No need, keep my mate safe in the village." He sniffed towards the females, the scent of the snake skin was stronger on Chiaki. "Get them to bath-"

"Wait! Key, I don't think killing this feral beast is the answer, can't you just run him off?"

"I could... but I doubt he would stay away more than a night before trying to steal you away-"

"How about I do it now?!" Came a voice from the woods and a bright red blur rushed towards them, encircled Chiaki and pulled her away from the group.

Chiaki suddenly found herself wrapped in the coils of a gigantic red snake beast, held too tightly to wiggle free, but unhurt. "Let go of me!"

"CHIAKI!" Qianhuang yelled as he jumped between the snake and the village, "Parker, take Bai into the village quickly!"

"Right!" Parker scooped up Bai Qingqing and rushed into the village, as the two leopard men guarding the gate rushed out.

The snake spoke to Chiaki. "You like my skin, female?"

"It's a dirty trick!" She responded, trying to free at least an arm from his coils.

"I tricked no one! I left it safely hidden as I hunted in the lake, only to find it gone upon my return."

Qianhuang roared at the snake, flaring his wings in a show of dominance. "Give back my mate and I'll only run you half way to the ocean!" He threatened.

"Mate? Damn." The snake tried to glance at Chiaki for the mate mark, but had to dodge Qianhuangs charge instead. He snapped his jaws at the winged white lion, but missed. He began pushing his aura outwards, trying to cower the winged lion male.

Qianhuang felt the sudden aura pushing down on him. It was unbelievably strong, how many stripes was this loner snake? He shook as his legs buckled under his weight and he hit the ground. He growled trying to force his legs to work. 'I was the Saint of the Winged Lion Clan! I am the fastest flier of my people! I am the strongest fighter of my people! I MUST PROTECT MY MATE!'

A golden aura began to surround Qianhuang, warring with the red snake aura that had been overpowering him. The golden aura settled around him like a second skin, refusing to let the red aura touch him. He took a deep breath, feeling suddenly as strong as his people claimed him to be, and stood up. With speed boosted from a flap of his giant wings he rushed the snake male.

Surprised that his aura had been pushed away the other was just off guard enough for Qianhuang to headbutt into him. He was sent flying and his coils were loosened around the female who had taken his skin. He hit the ground and bounced into the nearest tree, sprawled against it.

Chiaki took her chance and wiggled free from the loosened coils. Tangled up with the unraveling snake skin and the coils of the live snake male though slowed her down. She felt a hand grab her and she looked back with a shock. Bright crimson red hair water-falling around a thin face. Narrow sharp shaped eyes with red iris' and slits for pupils. Four red stripes upon his neck. All leading down to the swiftly shrinking red scaled tail. "This is a feral male?!" She said, stunned. Somehow she had assumed that because they were hated and rejected by females, that they would be ugly. He was stunning.

She heard Qianhuang rushing towards them again. "Key! Stop!" She yelled as loudly as she could. "I'm unhurt!"

The pounding of his heavy paws slowed as he neared. Qianhuang took in the more man shaped snake beast, eyes quickly settling on the four stripes on the neck. "A four striped feral?!"

"Heh, you're outmatched in every way." The red-haired male said, snake tongue flickering out to taste the air. Qianhuang began to growl at him.

"Let me talk." Chiaki said, trying to pull her arm from the snake males grasp, he was much stronger than Parker though and she failed. The males looked at her. "You are just desperate to get your shed skin back right? Why not take it and leave?"

"Your scent clings to it, you found it appealing. It is now you I wish for more than my skin."

"Then you want a mate?" She heard Qianhuang protest, but pressed on. "Simply because I took it, not knowing it was yours?"

"Of course, it attracted you. Even though I was not ready to use it to bring a female to me, I have just arrived." He admitted. "I did not expect females to find my den so easily."

"Whatever you covered the entrance with gave out under my feet." She tugged against his grip again. "Let go of my arm, you already have me coiled up in your tail." Surprisingly he did let go of her. "Thank you." Chiaki watched his eyes widen at her words. "Now what, make off with me? I have a mate who can follow his mark to find me, you'd never be safe or have time to rest. He'd hunt you down."

His eyes narrowed again. "Yes." He said slowly. "But I have four beast stripes, I can simply kill him once I am no longer hindered by holding onto you."

"Or, and follow me on this, you can be civil and stop trying to kidnap me."

"NEVER!" His coils tightened around her.

"In exchange- stop that- in exchange," She pushed away the end of his tail as it tried to loop around her further, "I will allow you to court me."

The tightening coils stopped, even loosened a fraction. "Court you?"

"It means that I agree to take you as my mate at some point in the future."

She watched him tilt his head to the side. "How long into the future?"

"That depends entirely on you. The faster you prove to me that you aren't just interested in making me give birth to your offspring and you treat me kindly the sooner you will find yourself with a willing female mate."

She watched him think the offer over. "And it is a promise, even if it might take some time?"

"Yes." Chiaki nodded. "Key, stop growling." She added to her mate.

"Then, we are in agreeance." He pulled her towards his human half, kissing her in her surprise.