Kev's eyes burned as a knocking at his door tore him from his sleep. Groggily, he checked his watch, nearly 5 pm. He rubbed his face, trying to scrub away the deep-seated fatigue, before standing up and walking to the door.
"Hey, Horns," Kev began, his greeting trailing off into a confused silence. In his doorway was not the familiar, lumbering form of the mooseman, but a wall of striped muscle and predatory confidence. It was Rex. He was dressed for his day off, clad in a pair of artfully ripped jeans that clung to his powerful thighs and a black leather vest, zipped down just enough to showcase the corded muscle of his chest, his stripes like a tribal tattoo. There was no shirt underneath, just a landscape of orange and black fur over a lean, formidable physique. A lazy, arrogant smirk was plastered on his face, and his golden eyes, intense and almost glowing, raked over Kev's disheveled state.
Rex pushed past Kev without waiting for an invitation, his scent; a heady mix of musk, leather, and a hint of something spicy, filling the small apartment. "Good to see you learned to lock your door," he growled, his voice a low rumble. He looked around Kev's apartment and his lip curled into a sneer. "Where's that fucking bird?"
Kev sighed, running a hand through his own sleep-tousled hair. "Hey, Rex. Talon is probably getting ready right now. I just woke up from a nap."
Rex looked over at Kev, his smirk widening into a full-blown grin. "Oh," he purred, his voice dropping to a suggestive register. "So you're all rested up for me."
Kev groaned, his patience already wearing thin. "Don't start, Rex. What are you doing here?"
Rex sat down on the couch, his legs spread wide in a display of casual dominance. "It's my day off."
"That doesn't explain why you're in my room," Kev said, his tone flat.
Rex scoffed, his long, striped tail twitching rhythmically against the couch cushions. "So the moose can hang out and I can't?"
"I like Horns, not you," Kev stated simply, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Rex grinned, a flash of sharp teeth. "Because you're so uptight."
Kev rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, turning away. "I need to get ready. Just, uh… make yourself at home, I guess." He grabbed a suit from his room and hurried into the bathroom before Rex could hit on him more, the sound of the tigerman's low chuckle following him as he closed the door.
He cleaned and dressed quickly, not wanting Rex to be alone for too long in his apartment, the warm shower helping clear the lingering sleepiness from his nap. As he clasped his silver watch on his wrist, he looked in the mirror. His reflection looked the same as it always had, his blue eyes and pale skin, his brown hair pushed back with a bit of gel. The only thing that seemed really out of place was the luxury, hand-made suit that was perfectly fitted to him. The deep blue fabric had subtle silver threads running through it, catching the light as he moved. Kev flattened down the collar and stepped back into the living room.
He saw Rex exiting his bedroom at the same time, tucking something small into the pocket of his ripped jeans with a casual air.
"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Kev asked, his voice sharp with accusation.
Rex waved a dismissive hand, a lazy smirk on his face as he circled the living room, his golden eyes raking over Kev's polished outfit. "I was going to have some of Ralph's oil now that it's my night off," he purred, "but it seems like that grasshead already smoked it all."
Kev couldn't help but chuckle as he moved to the kitchen. "Yeah, that oil didn't last long with Horns around."
Rex growled softly and took a step closer to Kev, his sheer size making the small kitchen feel even more cramped. "So what are you gonna offer me to relax then?"
Kev raised an eyebrow.
"You're the gracious host," Rex continued, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive rumble. "I thought you'd want to make your guest feel good."
Kev turned his back on the tiger and put some water in the kettle, placing it on the stove. "Well, you can have some coffee when it's ready."
Rex sighed, a sound of theatrical disappointment. "There are more fun things than coffee if you're feeling tired."
Kev looked at Rex but didn't take the bait. "So," he said, turning to busy himself with finding coffee grounds, "what brings you here on your day off?"
"I told you already," Rex replied, his voice a low, lazy growl. "I'm here to show you a good time."
"Oh, what a gentleman."
"Don't be a bitch, Kev," Rex snapped, his voice losing its playful edge. "Fang hasn't even fucked you yet."
Kev's ears went red with embarrassment, and he turned away from Rex completely, his back to the tiger as he pretended to do something on the counter, his hands fumbling with a coffee filter.
"You've been reeking like you need to be mated every night, human," Rex continued, his voice now a low, predatory purr right behind Kev. "No point in trying to hide it."
Kev murmured, his voice tight, "That's not any of your business."
In a flash of movement, Rex pinned Kev against the counter, his large body trapping the smaller human, one heavy hand resting firmly on the back of Kev's neck. "If I can smell it, then everyone else can too," he growled, his hot breath brushing against Kev's ear. "Customers thinking that Fang isn't taking care of you. They're too scared of him to say anything now… but it will happen eventually."
Kev's mind raced, a dizzying whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He wanted to shove Rex away, to push back against the blatant invasion of his space, but he was frozen, pinned by the sheer force and the unexpected, alarming truth in the tigerman's words. The beastmen's sense of smell… It was completely different from his own. The implications of that, of what he might be unconsciously broadcasting to the entire club, sent a jolt of pure, white-hot panic through him.
Rex leaned down and sniffed at Kev's neck, the action intimate and predatory. Kev felt so powerless with the muscular tiger so close, his body pressed against the hard edge of the counter, Rex's scent, a potent mix of spice and raw animal musk, overwhelming him. Rex growled, a low, guttural sound that vibrated through Kev's entire body. "Come on," he purred, his voice thick with a desire that was both terrifying and, in a dark, primal way, undeniably thrilling. "Let me help you out with that. Maybe Fang will stop being so hesitant when he realizes that someone is eventually going to… claim you."
A sharp, insistent knock at the door caused Rex's head to snap over quickly, his predatory focus broken. He pushed himself away from Kev, leaving a sudden, chilling void where his body heat had been. "You gonna get that?" he grunted, his voice back to its usual growl.
Kev pushed past Rex, his legs a little unsteady, and reached for the door. He was hoping, praying, it would be Horns, a calming, friendly face to help ward off Rex and his unsettling advances. But it was Talon, dressed in his crisp black suit, his sharp blue eyes immediately taking in the scene—Kev's flushed face, Rex's lingering predatory posture.
Talon's gaze softened slightly as it landed on Kev. "I hope you're feeling okay," he said, his voice its usual low rasp, though laced with a hint of concern. "You were in the bathroom for a long time."
Kev shook his head, a wave of gratitude washing over him at Talon's timely arrival. "I'm fine," he said, stepping aside. "Come in."
Kev closed the door and turned around, his heart doing a nervous flutter-kick against his ribs. He saw Talon and Rex staring at each other silently, the air in the small apartment thick with a testosterone-fueled charge. The eagle and the tiger. One was coiled, controlled fury; the other was raw, swaggering aggression. Kev felt like a particularly uninteresting piece of furniture they were about to fight over.
He coughed, the sound unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet. "I've got the water on for coffee," he said, his voice a little too bright. "You want some too, Talon?"
The question forced Talon to break his stare-down with Rex. The eagleman's sharp blue eyes flicked to Kev, the rigid tension in his shoulders easing almost imperceptibly. "Please," he said, his voice a low rasp. Talon walked over to the armchair and took a seat, his movements precise and deliberate.
Rex growled, a low, satisfied sound. "You think you can protect the human from all the way over there?" he purred, and before Kev could react, Rex once again crowded him, his muscular body pinning Kev lightly against the kitchen counter. Kev's hands flattened against the cool surface behind him. "Dammit, Rex, get off me," he said, his voice tight with a mixture of annoyance and a fear he hated to admit.
Rex laughed, a deep, throaty sound, and pressed himself just a fraction closer against Kev's back before pulling away with a theatrical sigh. "Fine, fine."
Talon watched, his posture still, his wings held tight against his back. "I'm between Kev and the door," he stated, his voice flat and even.
"There are windows too, bird."
"Flying is illegal," Talon replied, his voice a simple statement of fact.
Rex laughed loudly, a genuine, mocking sound this time. "If you're only thinking about legal security threats," he sneered, "then Fang really fucked up hiring you."
Talon was silent.
"Talon's doing fine, Rex," Kev said, his voice a bit sharp. He wanted to say that Talon had managed to get through a park brawl without any staff getting seriously injured… but he quickly decided against it.
Rex's tail swished slowly. "Oh, is he?" he purred. "So if I dragged you off into your bedroom, he'd try to stop me?"
Kev quickly said, "No starting fights in my room, Rex."
Rex purred and said, "Come on, human, you'd be able to see that I'm really the one who should be your bodyguard."
"I was hired to be Mr. Kev's guard. If you have a problem with that, talk to Mr. Fang," Talon said, his voice cold and steady.
"Come on, birdy," Rex taunted, "you scared that I'll turn you into a duster?"
Talon's eyes hardened, and he said, his voice flat, "You do not scare me, Mr. Rex."
Rex walked over and sat on the couch opposite Talon, leaning in, his presence dominating the small space. He said, "Because you're stupid. You should be scared of me."
Talon let a soft hissing sound escape his beak as he leaned in too. "What happened to Mr. Perry? I thought you were on duty."
True anger flashed across Rex's face, a stark, terrifying transformation from his earlier taunting. He hissed back at Talon, a deep, guttural sound of pure rage. "I'll show you what happened to Perry, you little shit!" Rex yelled, his voice echoing in the small apartment.