Chapter 95 Let Your Fox Take Over
Canyon stood behind Sage, watching her approach Rosenvelt Van Boeson—Canyon recognized him from the video Seb had showed them months ago—the foxen Citlali. He scented honest and trustworthy.
A child’s laughter from the playground caught his attention. Several foxen were near the swings, a little girl with long brown hair swinging. Canyon’s feet took him that way, his mind was suddenly spinning with something exciting.
The girl turned and looked directly at him, proving to be the spitting image of her mother… but he spotted something familiar in her features, and the realization hit him that this was who had shown him the Foxglove in his dream.
The foxen closed ranks in front of the child, blocking the two from seeing each other. The little girl pushed past them, and one reached down to grab her shoulder.
“Stop! I want to see him,” she cried, pushing at him.
The foxen froze. The girl took several steps forward, her eyes on Canyon.
“Paisley?” Canyon said, suddenly certain he knew his daughter’s name.
“Yes, Daddy?”
Canyon touched his chest as love built in his heart, thick and sudden. He studied her, realizing he’d known her for years. “You've been coming to see me in my dreams, haven't you?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
She ran to him, and he dropped to his knees. She stopped just before she reached him, suddenly shy, looking at the ground. “Nana White didn’t want me to see you, but I couldn’t help it. I just love you so much.”
Canyon’s heart turned to mush. “I'm glad, Peanut,” he said. “I love you, too.”
She ran to him and he encircled her in his arms, then tried to speak to her in ruhi. Do you have a renqua, Peanut?
Yes, Daddy. It came to me this morning.
Canyon grinned, feeling like his life was suddenly complete. Is it a star?
Mmmhmmm, and a planet with three lines between.
Turn around, Peanut.
He pointed her to the foxen she’d frozen. “You bound him.”
Paisley covered her face with her hands. “Oh no!”
Rosenvelt and Sage walked near, Sage’s eyes on her daughter, her expression stunned.
“It’s ok,” Rosenvelt told Paisley. “You didn't mean to. All you have to do is say, ‘I release you.’”
“I release you,” Paisley repeated.
The male moved suddenly, gasping, then he backed away from Paisley.
“A job well done,” Rosenvelt said, smiling.
“Can you shift, Peanut?” Canyon asked.
“No Daddy,” She shook her whole body. “But maybe I can now that Mommy can.”
“How do you know I can?” Sage asked, kneeling in front of her.
Paisley’s eyes and fingers went to Sage’s choker necklace. “Ooh, pretty.”
Sage touched it, smiling, then looking up at Canyon. He winked at her. She hugged her daughter, saying, “Thanks. Your daddy bought it for me a long time ago.”
Paisley giggled and looked up at Canyon. Canyon winked at her, too. “How do you know Mommy can shift now, Peanut?”
“You smell different, Mommy, you smell like a fox now.” She looked at the ground. “I didn't know whether to try to shift before,” she said, her sophisticated speech contrasting with her innocent voice. “I decided I better not. I'm not strong enough to fight Khain if he comes for me.”
Sage looked at Paisley, her expression grim, and Canyon growled deep in his throat, his wolf joining him. Sage took his hand.
Paisley patted Sage on the cheek. “He won't come if Mommy's here.”
“He won't?” Rosenvelt asked, looking at Sage, then Paisley.
“He’s scared of her,” Paisley said, her tone light. “He knows Mommy has lots of prophecy.”
The adults all exchanged glances. Sage shrugged like she didn’t know that.
Paisley squinched her face tight and grunted. Then she dropped to the ground on all fours and grunted again. “I still can’t shift,” she said, shrugging.
“Hold on, Peanut.” Canyon dropped to one knee next to Sage. “It’s not easy sometimes. We’ll help.” He winked. “Watch.”
He sprouted hair on his face, partially shifting, then made it disappear. She smiled and laughed. Canyon looked up at Rosenvelt. “Can you keep an eye out?”
Rosenvelt motioned for his team to move in and they encircled Canyon, Sage and Paisley so no one driving by could see them.
Sage smiled. She shifted into a fox inside her clothes, then shifted back. “Try again, Paisley, your daddy’s right.” She smiled at Canyon when she said ‘daddy’ and he smiled back.
“I don’t know how,” Paisley said, her sad amber eyes looking from Canyon to Sage.
Canyon tapped his head. “It starts here,” he said. “You let go.”
“You let your fox take over,” Sage added.
Paisley’s face took on a cast of concentration. She grunted, then made a howling noise. Black fur sprouted all over her body and she shifted quickly into an adorable little black wolf pup.
***
Sage clasped her hands together, her heart aching and so full at the same time.
Paisley wasn’t a fox… she was a wolf! She was a little black wolf with a red tint in her undercoat, smaller ears than normal, and a bushier tail, with silver sprays throughout the black fur of the tail.
Her renqua was a white star outlined in black fur, and next to it, an orange planet with a white planetary ring around it, and three white lines between the planet and star.
Paisley struggled free of her clothes and tried to run off but fell over on her side and rolled in the grass. Sage gathered up her clothes, following.
Canyon ruffled the fur on Paisley’s back. “Great job, Peanut!”
Paisley tried to get up but fell on her face.
Canyon hunkered near her, grinning. “Shift back for now, let’s see if you can do it.”
The little wolf pup struggled to her feet and shifted back into a little girl. Sage dressed her quickly, feeling so happy.
Timber came close and knelt. “Do you know who I am?”
“Uncle Timber!” she shouted, jumping up and down.
“You got it!” He high-fived her, then held his arms out and Paisley ran to him. Timber lifted her to his shoulders and ran off, circling the playground.
Rosenvelt faced Sage. “Am I correct in assuming you'll no longer need our protection?”
Sage smiled. “Yes. Thank you so much for taking such good care of Paisley.”
“You’re welcome. Please call on me anytime. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other soon.”
Rosenvelt motioned to his team, and they moved up toward the parking area, filing into the vans, then driving away.
Canyon took Sage’s hand and pulled her to a picnic table. He sat and pulled her onto his lap facing him, then put his forehead up against hers and spoke to her in ruhi. Where do you want to live?
I can’t go live at the fuck farm. Too many vod, I mean wolven there.
Don't worry, vixie, we'll make our own fuck farm.
She smiled. Maybe we could live at your place. Would Paisley have her own room?
She would. He stroked the stubble on his chin. Unless Trevor lets us move Rhogun in, then we might have to put a wall up for privacy. Let’s talk about it over food.
Where?
STK Steakhouse?
Where’s that?
Chicago.
“Chicago!?”
He shrugged. We could get a hotel for a night.
Sage felt light with happiness. Chicago? She was ready.
Timber came running back over with Paisley on his shoulders. “Paisley, tell your daddy you want ice cream.”
“I want ice cream, Daddy.”
“You got it,” Canyon said.
“Tell your daddy you want a pony.”
“I want a pony,” Daddy.”
“Uh, okay, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Yay!”
“Now tell your daddy to do a cartwheel.”
“Pssht,” Canyon said. “Watch me.”
He cartwheeled neatly in front of them. Paisley clapped and so did Sage.
“That was a roundoff,” Timber said, then he ran off yelling to Paisley, “I’m the police car, you’re the siren!”
“WoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOO,” Paisley shouted.
Sage shook her head, laughing at them.
Canyon took her hand. “Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For my perfect daughter.”
Sage smiled, a rush of good feelings filling her. “I’m so glad she’s yours. If Abigail hadn’t messed with my memories, I would have known it.”
Her mate pressed her against the side of his truck and kissed her deeply. “She’s Citlali,” he whispered.
“So am I,” Sage whispered back, still finding it hard to believe.
“I’ve never kissed a Citlali before.”
“Good,” Sage whispered, “Kiss me.”
“Yes, female.” He leaned in, kissing her deeply, bending her backwards.
From nearby, Paisley clapped.
Canyon pulled Sage back upright and they looked at their daughter together.
Come on, Canyon said in ruhi, waving her over.
She ran and jumped and Canyon caught her, lifting her in his arms. Sage pressed in close and they hugged as a family.
Hi Mommy, Paisley whispered in ruhi, their foreheads pressed together.
Hi, vi, Sage sighed.
I like Daddy.
Me, too, vi, me too.