Painted Stallion
My name is Mabel Lloyd, and I make a barely decent living repairing household appliances.
Two weeks ago, on a night when the rain came down heavily, I found a soaking-wet stranger huddled outside my apartment building.
He was ridiculously handsome, an incredible cook and had only one glaring flaw — he was painfully shy.
Whenever anyone asked his name, he would blush so hard his ears turned bright red, then stand there in complete silence, unable to get a single word out.
I could not bring myself to leave him out in the rain, so I rented him the spare storage room in my apartment.
Everything was fine.
Until today.
I heard knocking at my door and, when I went over to check who it was, the building manager was standing there with three men in black suits.
The one in front flashed a badge, his expression unreadable.
"Routine inspection. Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.
"We have reason to believe an unregistered fox shifter may be hiding on these premises."
Before I could even process what he had said, a loud clang rang out from the kitchen as a frying pan hit the floor.
The very next second, my painfully shy tenant cautiously peeked around the kitchen door. A pair of fluffy white fox ears twitched nervously on top of his head and, when he spoke, his voice shook so badly it sounded like a washing machine caught in the spin cycle.
"Mabel... don't open the door. They're here to drag me home for an arranged marriage."