A figure huddled, cursing, deeper into the alley. In his arms was Angel. I skidded to a halt, then slowly approached as I stuck to the shadows.
“Please, for the love of gods, stopcrying,” the fox shifter muttered in a tone that made it clear he detested my baby. My hackles rose, and I couldn’t stop the growl building in my throat.
The sound made the man stop and stare in my direction.
“Who’s there?” he asked.
My growl intensified. “Are you Henry, the fox omega?”
His eyes flashed with fear. “Who are you?”
I shifted back. As I resumed my normal form, Angel stopped crying. She held out her hands to me, sniffling. My heart shattered. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew I couldn’t take her from Henry. Not right now.
“Answer me!” I snapped.
“Yes, I’m Henry!” He looked half afraid and half pissed off, like he was trying to decide whether to fight me off or not.
“Why do you have that child?” I asked slowly. Poison dripped from my voice and Henry shivered at my venomous tone.
At first, he seemed like he would tell me the truth, but then his face twisted into a cautious sneer. “Why do you care? And if you really want to know, sheismy child.”
My eyes widened.
My stare must have been truly frightening because Henry shrunk back. “Wait… Who are you? Really?”
Angel sniffled again, more loudly, as she attempted to reach in my direction. Henry seemed confused, like he wanted to hand her off to me just to get rid of her.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” I said in an ice-cold tone, “but youwillreturn that child to Scar and Ryu, or I will make your life a living hell.”
Henry’s face flickered through emotions before landing on unwise defiance. “Are you threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat.” I took a step closer. In a split second, I shifted into my dragon form - lustrous, golden, and radiating with power. “It’s a promise.”
Henry’s jaw dropped. Angel giggled.
“You’re…. You’re Halo Fire-Eater,” Henry murmured, voice quivering.
So Luce was telling the truth after all. The foxes did know of me.
“If you’re smart, you’ll keep my existence a secret,” I growled one last time in my dragon form before shifting back. “Return that child to Scar and Ryu before I change my mind about killing you right now.”
“Is she yours?” Henry asked in a small voice.
Angel stared at me, obviously wanting to be held by her father. But I couldn’t take her. Not now. Not with everything going on. As much as my heart desperately longed for my daughter, I couldn’t put her in harm’s way. Kass and I needed to deal with Silas and make sure everything was safe before Angel came home.
I turned away. I needed to leave before this became even harder.
“Return that child,” I repeated.
“O-okay,” Henry mumbled.
Angel began to whimper again. I walked faster and left the alley, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces.
* * *
“Is everything okay, Halo?”Kassius asked.
I was getting tired of lying, especially since it was basically impossible with him. Kass knew me too well.
