“What? Why?”I turn to where Ithinkthe cage is located. Considering it’s currently cloaked, locating the entrance won’t exactly be the easiest task.No, no, this can’t be happening. “Aren’t you an immortal and crazy strong? You can handle them, right? Besides, you guys are powerful originals. Don’t the other shadow creatures know to stay away from you or something?”
“Ordinarily, yes,”he replies.“Tonight, during the mating moon? None of the foxrets will be thinking with their right minds. They’ll follow the instinct to fight and breed, and not much else.”He grabs my shoulder and squeezes like he can sense I’m spiraling.“Remember how we said if our animali were clawed by a foxret they would lose themselves?”
“Yeah, you said it would turn them into crazed animals who only care about breeding.”
The dark smile he gives me is not at all reassuring.“Yeah, it doesn’t just work on the animali. It’s not that I’m worried the foxrets will be able to take me down, but with this many of them, there is the chance one of them will strike me.”
Oh shit.As I finally understand what he’s telling me, I curse.
“Promise me you’ll get in the cage,”he urges.
“Yes. Yes, I promise. But what if I’m the one who’s clawed?”
He grins in earnest.“Can’t say I’d mind that, but you might not feel the same way if I’m the one who’s affected. For all our sakes, you’d better get in that damn cage.”
Despite his smile, I know he’s serious, and I nod rapidly.
“Good,”he rumbles, turning his attention back to the line of foxrets.
I focus on trying to keep my shit together.Okay, Shade, just get in the cage if things are looking bad. Or you know, if they’re looking worse than they are now.
“Oh, and one more thing,”Raith adds, lifting his sword as the foxrets all start snarling at once.“If I change, don’t freak out. It’s still me.”
“What does that mean?”I croak.
His expression sobers.“Usually, I can keep myself under control, but somethin’ tells me I might struggle with that tonight. This isn’t how I wanted to show you, but it looks like we might not have a choice.”
Oh, this just keeps getting better and better.I try to control my breathing. What had Kenzie told me one of the first times when she’d introduced the professors?“Professor Raith can gain a beast form, sporting fangs and claws.”I’d forgotten all about it, because Raith has never shown any signs of being a beast. If anything, I’d figured they were only rumors.Guess the joke’s on me.I stare at my mate’s broad back, wondering just what the hell he can turn into.
His sword arcs through the air as he faces the foxrets, and I fumble for one of my knives, though I know full well I won’t be much help in this fight.
The foxrets salivate as they stare at me, quite literally licking their fangs like ravenous monsters.No wonder the vixens can’t resist,I think sarcastically.
“There she is,”the largest foxret calls out from where he’s standing in the middle of the group. His words come out in shortguttural, animalistic sounds.“The one who smells so sweet and delectable. Yes pretty, I could scent you from across the forest.”He breathes in deeply.“And when you called, I knew we had to respond.”He runs his tongue over his fangs, saliva spilling over his black lips.“And what a lucky coincidence that you’re with him.”
Answering snaps and barks come from the other men, uh…foxrets.I turn my head to Raith, but he gives no indication that he can understand the foxret’s words.
I’m tempted to point out that Raith is the one who called for them, and they were, unfortunately, catfished, but I don’t risk angering them.
“She doesn’t look like one of ours,”one of the other larger males to the right growls under his breath.“She’ll give us half-breed kits.”
The first foxret breathes in exaggeratedly again.“It doesn’t matter. I can smell her power from here. We’ve talked about doing things differently for our kind. Some hybrid kits may serve our kind well. Besides, our orders are to kill the men, not this female. We’re lucky she led us to them. Let us reward her by breeding her well.”
What?The breeding part is pretty concerning but that’s not what snags my attention now.
“Raith,”I call out to him, panic starting to climb up my throat.“The foxrets have been sent to kill you and the others.”
An answering low growl emanates from Raith’s chest, and his shadows spread out along the ground, mixing with the fog, but not attacking. Not yet. He squares his jaw.“And what else are they saying?”
“What makes you think they’re saying anything else?”I rasp.
“Because I can scent your fear, sunshine, and I know you wouldn’t believe they could take me down. So what are they saying?”
I swallow hard, not sure if translating what the foxret said word for word to Raith is a good idea.“Oh just something about, you know, wanting to mate with me,”I summarize hastily, even as my heart pounds wildly in my chest.
This time, Raith’s growl rumbles through the earth below our feet. It almost sounds…animalistic, and even the foxrets seem to grow wary.
“We should take him down first,”the larger foxret says, and it’s becoming clear he’s the leader of this group.
