Chapter 18 #2
A chorus of barking and screaming starts up, and it’s so loud my ears sting. I stagger back a step as multiple figures emerge from between the trees, like they’re melting out of the darkness.
The creatures have half-human and half-animal forms, and they look as though they’re at least six-feet tall.
Coarse orange fur covers their naked human-like bodies that ripple with muscle, and they stalk toward us on two legs, with giant paws instead of human feet.
Their long bushy tails rise into the air behind them, and while majority of their body is more human in shape, their heads are more animal-like with strange, elongated snouts, furry, black-tipped ears, and wicked fangs dripping with saliva.
Their chests are bare revealing a long expanse of hardened abs, and I snort when I can’t help but let my gaze lower.
Mating season for these guys is no joke, and let’s just say the vixens must be very happy to be claimed considering what these guys have to offer down there. Unless, you know, they’re not.
“I can’t get through,” Raith rasps under his breath, and it takes me a moment to realize he means that he can’t contact the others.
“This isn’t right,” he comments like he’s talking more to himself than to me. “The foxrets usually don’t organize in groups like this. Especially not during the mating moon. This isn’t natural.”
I don’t fully grasp what he’s getting at, other than the fact that things aren’t going to plan.
The foxrets stop just beyond the trees, and the largest creature in the group lifts his snout to the air, breathing in deeply before he lets out a howl that makes me shiver.
“There must be at least a dozen of them,” I whisper, knowing that it’s not a good sign.
Raith turns to me, and I’ve never seen him so serious. It’s freaking me the hell out. “I’ll take care of the foxrets until the others arrive, but if one of them manages to claw me before I gut it, you need to get yourself into that cage, sunshine.”
“What? Why?” I turn to where I think the 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 short guttural, 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.
“You sure you want her?” the other foxret from earlier replies.
“I know you smell the same thing I do,” the leader says.
“She’s a worthy prize, and we have to kill him anyway.
Besides, there’s many of us and only one of him.
Once he’s down, we can take turns filling her with our seed until she struggles to walk.
” Another chorus of answering barks and howls goes up.
Oh flippin’ heck. The foxrets are actually crazy. Raith isn’t looking at me, but I’m pretty sure he must sense my discomfort because he growls again, moving to block me from the view of the leader.
Seriously, where are the others? At this point, even Knox would be a welcome sight.
He might hate me, but I’m pretty sure he’d help his brother.
Worry goes through me then, because the foxrets had said their orders are to kill the men, plural.
I can’t help wondering, what if the others are already hurt? And who the hell placed the order?
“Uh, no thanks,” I say back to the foxret, and I’m startled by the strange yips and barking noises that come out of my mouth as I speak their language.
“No?” His lips peel back to reveal his fangs as he gives me a crazed smile. “Mmmm this will be even more exciting if you’re unwilling. Besides, you must be for us. Why else would you be able to speak our language?”
I gape at him. Oh great, he really is a psycho. “Firstly, I have no idea how I can speak to you. Secondly, nope. There’s absolutely no way you can have me. I already have four arrogant shadow daddy mates to deal with, and trust me, you do not want to get in on that.”
The foxret’s smile wavers. “Shadow dad-dies?” he asks in confusion.
“Yeah,” I say firmly like he should know what I’m talking about. “And frankly, dealing with that is exhausting enough. I’m sure your kits, or whatever, will be incredibly…adorable, but they just won’t be from me.”
The foxret stares at me for a moment, and then he tips his head back and laughs.
“What did you say?” Raith asks, his face dark.
I sigh. “I asked politely for them to let us go.”
Raith’s lips twist into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Ah there’s your problem, sunshine. You bothered askin’.”
As quickly as it started, the leader foxret abruptly stops laughing, and he barks to his companions. “Take him down. The moonlight’s wasting.”
Oh great, it looks like talking time is over.