FIVE: Fox in the shadows

🫶LEXI🫶

I sat upright on my bed with the ghost of Kaelen’s scent still clinging to my skin and the weight of last night’s decisions pressing on my chest. The cave, the storm, the way his body had felt so close to mine under that thin blanket... it all replayed in my mind like a fever dream. I touched my pendant, still warm, and sighed. I had to warn him. The hunters were coming for him at dusk.

But first, I had to survive breakfast.

*

The market in the nearby town was busy as usual. Pa had sent me to pick up supplies since the compound was running low.

Last time, I had an ugly experience at the market which made me return to the pack empty handed.

I moved through the stalls, basket in hand, trying to focus on the list.

That was when I saw her.

My vision sharpened suddenly..... almost like it zoomed in without warning. A girl my age, with sharp features, fiery orange-red hair streaked with black, and clever amber eyes, was stealthily slipping goods into her cloak from one of the traders’ stalls. She moved like liquid shadow. No one else seemed to notice.

I blinked hard, rubbing my eyes.

What is happening to me?

She finished and melted into the crowd without a sound. I sighed and continued my own shopping, paying quickly before heading back toward the compound.

Halfway down the forest path, I froze.

The same girl stepped out from behind a tree, blocking my way. She gave me an unfriendly, assessing look and began circling me slowly.

“You smell… different,” she said, voice light but edged with suspicion.

I cleared my throat. “What are you talking about?”

She stopped, keeping a safe distance, and pointed at me. “You saw me in the market, didn’t you?”

I didn’t answer, surprised she had noticed me.

“Are you going to report me?” she asked, tilting her head.

I sighed and started walking past her. “If I wanted to, I would’ve told on you the moment I saw you.”

“It’s rude to walk out on someone while they’re talking to you,” she called, folding her arms.

“My bad,” I replied, heavy with sarcasm. “I have far more important things to do.” I kept walking.

In a flash, my basket was snatched from my arm. Before I could react, she was already darting away through the trees with my foodstuffs.

“Hey!” I snapped, breaking into a run. “Get back here! You little thief!”

I chased her as hard as I could, but she was too fast....unnaturally fast. My lungs burned and my legs felt like lead. Eventually I crouched on the path, breathing heavily, watching her figure disappear into the distance.

“Now I wish I had reported her,” I muttered bitterly.

*

I returned to the compound empty-handed again. The moment I stepped into the courtyard, several hunters noticed.

“Lexi’s back... and still with nothing,” one of them laughed. “What happened this time? Another mysterious thief?”

I kept my head down. “Yes. I was robbed on the way back.”

More laughter erupted. “Robbed? Again? Girl, you’re nineteen and you can’t even handle a simple supply run?”

Another hunter jeered, “Maybe she’s not cut out for this life. Always running off at night, coming back with wild stories, weak as a kitten…”

“Running off last night had the whole compound searching for her, and now this?” someone else added. “We should tie her to the kitchen if she can’t be useful.”

The words stung. I clenched my fists, cheeks burning with humiliation and guilt.

“Enough.” Pa’s deep voice cut through the mockery like a blade. Everyone fell silent. “Tomas, go get the supplies again. Lexi, inside.”

Tomas gave me a reassuring nod as he passed. “You hurt?” he asked quietly.

I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.”

But the guilt gnawed at me. I had spent the night with a werewolf while my family worried. And now I couldn't even help out with the least..

*

Later that midday, I snuck around the edges of the compound, staying out of sight. I needed to know the exact plans.

Near the armory, I overheard Gretonia’s smooth voice speaking with Pa and the senior hunters.

“…the raid on the rogue happens at dusk. Use the new silver netting... it’ll drop him instantly. Enhanced wolfsbane on the blades. This one’s been causing too much trouble.”

Gretonia chuckled. “There are rumors of special blood in these woods lately. Powerful lines. We capture him alive if possible. Could be valuable.”

My stomach twisted with instinctive disgust. The thought of Kaelen being caught, tortured, or killed made me feel physically ill. My hands started trembling. I gripped a nearby metal tool for support and accidentally crushed it in my palm without even trying. I stared at the bent metal, heart racing.

How did I - What's this? What's happening?

I made a mental note to find Kaelen as fast as possible. But it was almost impossible....Pa had stationed extra guards to watch me closely after last night. I hadn’t told them where I’d been, and I never would.

I spent the rest of the afternoon pretending to train while my mind calculated escape routes. When they rested, I strategized.

*

Night finally fell. The compound grew quiet. I double-checked the guards’ positions and chose a different, riskier route. Just as I was about to slip through the shadows and run, a blood-curdling scream tore through the air.

I froze. No one else seemed to stir. Were they all asleep?

The scream came again... raw and desperate. I hid quickly and traced it to Gretonia’s private caravan area. Heart pounding, I crept closer and peeked through a small window.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

A girl was strapped naked to a table.

Wait - the same thief from the market?

Had she stolen from them?

Gretonia stood over her with a smirk, his men assisting as they poured a lethal-looking liquid over her skin. She screamed again, as the liquid physically burned her skin, body convulsing.

Then… something surprising happened.

Her form shimmered and twisted. Fur sprouted, ears lengthened, and in a flash of colorful light, she transformed into a fox-like creature... sleek, with vibrant reddish-orange fur and multiple swaying tails.

A kitsune.

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it.

I shot away from the window, heart hammering wildly, and pressed myself against the wall.

What the hell??

They were other creatures like that?

I only read about them in one of the books Pa kept in his personal library.

Everything I thought I knew about the world was crumbling.

Werewolves..

And now, a Kitsune?

One that is in trouble.

Because Gretonia seemed like he was enjoying every bit of it.