by Emma Dean
Right. The pain thing. Or whatever it was they could do.
“How does that work exactly?” she asked, taking a bite of her pickle. The crunch was loud in the following silence, and Kenzie wondered if they would get into it tonight. Maybe it was too soon.
“Chaos and pain,” Hunter said. The words were an echo of what he’d said to her at the Fourth of July barbecue. “They leave little ripples on the air. It disturbs the universe and leaves a mark – like a scar. A person can hold onto it the same way a room can, or say…where something violent happened. It soaks into the essence of the place.”
Kenzie’s eyes widened. Had Hunter ever used so many words strung together at once before? She glanced over at Ash and then Finnick. Neither seemed surprised as he explained. Maybe he was trying to be more open with her?
“It’s like how I explained the pain to you,” Finnick said quietly, kissing the scar on her shoulder before taking another swig of beer. “We can feed on chaos and pain as you know, but this isn’t quite the same thing.”
“No,” Ash agreed. “It’s like…reading an aura I suppose.”
Selene could do that, but Kenzie had never been able to. “That’s not a trait every witch possesses,” she admitted. “Especially not me.”
Ash shrugged. “It’s not something that couldn’t be done with a spell. Witches can also read a room, find the violent event like we can. They can cast out spirits and ghosts unlike us. But we don’t use magic to sense spirits or the chaos event. We can smell them like a feline would someone’s trail, or a wolf would their prey.”
“So you just smell them, and then you can see what happened there?” Kenzie asked, remembering what Hunter had said in that clearing.
“Yes, no matter when it happened.”
That was insane. Foxes could know…everything.
If they wanted.
Her eyes must have been round and Kenzie caught her mouth hanging open. She snapped it closed when all three of them chuckled and glared at them. “Why aren’t you all the keepers of lore then?”
“We were once, a very long time ago,” Hunter told her. He said it like he was stating the weather and not like it was some world shattering information as it was for her.
“What?”
Even Finnick and Ash looked curious and Kenzie had to remind herself that Hunter was the only one who’d lived among foxes into adulthood, though she had no idea what had happened, or why he wasn’t with them now.
“Before things were complicated like the human world is, I was told as a little kit that the paranormals had a lot fewer rules and there was a lot more natural mingling,” Hunter explained, arranging the chips on his plate. “Entire towns were just paranormals. Some humans found out about us, but they either joined or were taken care of. It was a simpler time in that sense.”
Kenzie sipped on her fruity little cocktail drink that had barely 5% alcohol. It was weird because she still felt like she was drinking with the boys while she listened to Hunter – out of all of them – tell this story.
Hunter. The one who didn’t like to talk.
But this wasn’t about him or her, it wasn’t some kind of game to be played, and it wasn’t about feelings. This was a history lesson and even though he looked as reserved as ever, there was a light in his eyes she’d only ever seen a handful of times before.
“Per our lore and the memories that can be accessed at any point in time as long as they are not cleansed – foxes handled the paranormal written history. We weren’t neutral and neither were the witches. We had alliances, but for the most part we comingled. It wasn’t strange to see different shifters all in one place, sharing like our animals do with forests.”
“But wolves aren’t always nice to the smaller animals, sometimes eating them in those forests,” Kenzie pointed out. It all sounded too good to be true, and she wondered if it was in the witch archives as well, or if that had been secretly scrubbed clean to maintain the illusion of power.
Hunter shrugged. “Strong humans live with weak humans.”
“And it doesn’t always end up great for the weak ones,” Kenzie reminded him. “Like with Brad.”
Hunter looked up from his perfectly aligned chips like he hadn’t heard her. “Everything changed and they said they didn’t trust foxes with something as important as history because they didn’t like the way we could feed off pain. Some foxes did…get a bit out of hand during those times when there was so much death and destruction. We became…unwelcome.”
Kenzie wanted to know more but Hunter took a big bite out of his sandwich and she could sense he was done sharing for the night. She was honestly surprised he’d explained any of it to her in the first place.
“So…about Brad. What are we going to do about the rest of the list?” That was all Hunter would tell her for now, so she steered them onto more neutral ground – like the demise of Bradley Davis.
Brad was a never ending disease she couldn’t wait to burn out of existence. Too bad the fucker had his hands everywhere. They’d have to see how far his schemes went before fully destroying him.
Kenzie refused to leave any seeds left to regrow.
“It’s best to get them at night anyway,” Finnick said. “So we’ll just go after work and get them to the safe houses. At this rate though…we might save half of them.”
“Fuck.” Ash pushed his plate back and Kenzie watched the way he glared up at the moon. He was so good at ignoring everything. Nothing bothered him. But this did. It pulled at her heart and for a moment Kenzie had to blink back the sting in her eyes. “Is there really nothing else we can do about that?” he asked.
“Split up,” Hunter said with a slight frown. “Four of us would mean four potential victims saved in one night.”
“Which is exactly what Brad fucking wants, the prick,” Finnick snapped.
“Obviously.” Hunter rolled his eyes and Kenzie almost laughed despite the topic. Since when did Hunter roll his damn eyes? “He doesn’t know who we are yet, but unless you’re very stupid, you don’t work alone. We are all weaker alone.”
As she looked at each of the foxes, Kenzie realized she’d never had that thought in her entire life.
When had she ever worked with anyone? Her whole life she’d spent building up her skills and strengths, and buying or trading with Selene for the ones she couldn’t develop on her own. She’d made herself into someone to be feared despite her lack of magic.
“Don’t be a bunch of babies,” she snapped, pushing her own plate back in irritation. “That’s four people that could be saved. You really don’t think you’re strong enough on your own to manage it? I’ve been alone my whole life and I’ve survived. I can get one girl to a damn safehouse on my own.”
“It’s not about being strong enough,” Hunter stated.
Fuck. He was mad. Even if he didn’t sound like it, Kenzie could tell. Her hands clenched on their own and she didn’t dare look away from him – from the predator he was.
“It’s about having someone there to guard your back,” he explained, that flare of anger settling a bit as he studied her sudden stillness. “You can fight off as many assailants as you want, but you can’t do that and get the victim to the safehouse. The chances assassins didn’t choose that particular person…it’s not something I want to risk with the only people in existence that I care about.”
Kenzie glanced at Finnick who just shrugged. He was no help at all when it came to Hunter. Ash though, he eyed her like he knew the real problem.
“We don’t doubt your strength or capabilities, Kenzie,” Ash told her. “We’re not trying to cover you in bubble wrap either.”
Hunter blinked and understanding suddenly dawned on his face. “No, never,” he agreed. “This isn’t about strength or weakness. It’s about simple logistics. Can you fight off two, maybe three ravens while carrying someone? Let’s say you can, because you have the skills. But can you do it with minimal injury so that you can still work on Samuel’s project? You can’t afford to
break that promise with him…I doubt he’d be understanding about our contract with Edith with him being a Council member and all.”
Kenzie just glared at him and chugged her drink.
When he put it like that…so much logic. The way Hunter looked at the world wasn’t colored by anything, except maybe the fact that three of his favorite people needed to stay alive. Other than that…it was nothing but numbers and logistics to him.
That was why he set so many people off. It’s what made them so nervous around him.
Ash had told her Hunter was different. And now…Kenzie finally understood.
Hunter didn’t do feelings. He had them; she could see them flicker here and there. She’d felt them when he’d helped her get to the car after the first raven attack. But, they made him extremely uncomfortable. So he shoved his feelings down and ignored them.
Sure, they were mates which meant there was this thin thread Kenzie could feel when she looked for it. But whether she did or not, it was always there. She could always feel Hunter, just a tiny bit of what he was thinking or feeling – and then his small bit of body language helped confirm the rest.
But…they didn’t connect quite the same. Even Ash was easier. Could she accept Finnick only? Or even Ash and Finnick? What would happen if she did? What would Hunter do? Or would he finally open up to her?
Because if he wanted this to work between them, he had to accept the mate bond, and so did she. To make that happen, if ever, Hunter had to talk to her, connect with her.
No, Kenzie didn’t want him to change anything, or be a different person, but she had to know…she had to know him. Or this would never work.
“Fine, you’re right,” Kenzie conceded. “Then we split up into pairs. Two people are better than one.”
The corner of Hunter’s mouth flickered in a brief smile. “All right, Kenzie. We’ll split up into pairs.”
She blinked. Just like that, he’d agreed with her.
Maybe they did have a chance after all.
Chapter Five
Finnick
Kenzie whispered with her sister.
Of course Finnick could listen in. If he wanted to. But that would be rude.
He wanted Kenzie to trust him after all.
Finally, it felt like she did to some degree.
Finnick sighed and glanced over at Ash. Why did things have to be so fucking complicated?
He almost missed the days when it had just been the three of them, but there had been this awful sense of the future. Finnick could see their days going on forever, exactly the same. Like they were in some kind of never-ending Groundhog Day.
Kenzie had thrown that depressing path completely out of existence. She’d managed to surprise him and Finnick refused to let go of that. She made him feel like there was a future worth living for.
Looking out the window of the fancy car, he watched the people walking along, oblivious to everything but their own existence. Most were human, but he could pick out a few paranormals by the ripple of power they left in their wake.
At least Hunter had agreed to pairs. That would help them save as many on the list as they could.
The ones they’d managed to save so far had all agreed to testify. Slowly but surely they were building a decent case against Brad. The victims had agreed to an expose and lawsuit that would rival OJ Simpson once they had everything in place.
It would be a huge blow to the witch’s reputation.
But that still left his legacy, his money, and his business. Those could easily be passed on to his family members. What Edith wanted – god he loved that woman – was total annihilation. Nothing left for the Davis clan to fall back on.
After what had happened with that asshole Peter though…Finnick assumed there were others either in league with Brad or working for him. It was something they needed to look into as soon as they had the opportunity.
The car stopped and Finnick peered out the window. The warehouse was one of many. It was nothing special on the outside, but he knew there would be cutting edge tech on the inside. Looked like it was time to play with the Alpha of his Alpha.
If nothing else, this would be fun. Seeing what Samuel would let them get away with was always one of his favorite games. He grinned at Ash and hopped out of the car, holding the door open for Kenzie and Selene.
“I’ve got it, dude,” Finnick told the driver, giving him a wink. “Waiting on pretty ladies has got to be a good gig.”
The driver flushed and mumbled some kind of agreement before scurrying back into the driver’s seat.
Kenzie gave him a look like he was being especially difficult so Finnick stole another kiss.
Ever since their date he’d used every excuse in the book to touch or kiss her. He wanted so much more – he wanted to fuck her every moment of every day. But they’d all been a bit preoccupied with not dying lately.
But that bond. Fuck man. It was tight as a noose around his heart and the only thing that eased the sensation was when he was able to touch that soft skin, smell her, and hold her close. It didn’t have to be a kiss or a fuck. Something as simple as holding her hand was enough, brushing his fingers along her collarbone to her neck…
“You’re staring,” Kenzie snapped.
And that mouth. He wanted to fuck it bad. Finnick gripped her chin and pulled her forward. “Am I not allowed to stare at my gorgeous mate?”
There it was. That beautiful blush and the scent of her arousal. She wanted him just as bad as he did her.
“I was always told it’s rude to stare,” Kenzie countered.
He was mesmerized by those full lips of hers. “I’m a rude prick, remember?”
“Feral,” she agreed, taking a step closer. “No manners at all.”
“Do you want to teach me some?” Finnick whispered, leaning down to nibble on her ear, fingers still gripping her chin.
Kenzie cleared her throat and he smiled. He’d won this round. “Maybe later,” she conceded. “Can we get to work now?”
Finnick released her completely and took a step back, grinning like the idiot he was. He loved winning. “Of course. Lead the way, babe.”
Ash just arched an eyebrow at him as Selene followed after her sister.
Finnick closed the door as he stared at the other fox. Something was bothering Ash, but he couldn’t say what for sure. “Are you jealous?” he asked, getting right to the point as he always did.
Over a decade together and Finnick knew Ash almost as well as he knew himself. Neither of them had spent much time with their own kind. Hunter was all they had. All that time together was what gave him the insight to see that Ash wasn’t necessarily jealous, but he was annoyed.
“No,” Ash gritted out.
“Good,” Finnick snapped, annoyed at the lie. “Because I’m not backing off. If you want her fine, but you have to figure out how to share her with me. Get your head out of your ass and talk to her.”
Ash growled at him as he turned and walked away. Finnick didn’t have time to play dominance games with Ash, even if they might be fun. Real life was knocking on their door and they both had to figure out what to do about this mate thing.
He had feelings for Kenzie, a lot of feelings. And apparently so did Ash. But neither of them knew what to do with them. Not really.
Doing nice things for her, loving her with his body, protecting her…that was all easy and it came natural as he assumed it did for Ash. But committing himself to her – forever?
What the fuck else had he planned to do with his life though? Honestly, Kenzie was a lot better than the endless years of the same shit over and over.
“I’m accepting the bond,” he told Ash as the other fox caught up with him. They both glanced over at Kenzie and her sister, talking into the little box and requesting entrance into the warehouse. “So you need to figure shit out.”
“What if she doesn’t accept it?” Ash’s irritation drained away and he narrowed his eyes at Finnick as he considered.
“Then s
he doesn’t. She’s allowed to say no.” Finnick shrugged and grinned at his best friend. “And I go back to doing really stupid, dangerous shit for fun – banging every hot little thing I can get my hands on.”
Ash knew that wouldn’t be it. Not really.
Finnick could feel the devastation waiting for him whenever he considered the possibility of her rejecting the bond. He knew it was the magic and the genetics making him feel a certain way about it, but…
If she rejected him, Finnick knew there was a real chance he may end up feral again. Or taking every suicide job he could get his hands on.
When he considered the future without her, without those little kits he could see her playing with as clear as he could see her now…living as he had before she came into his life no longer interested him. It was a bit dramatic, but when had he ever done anything half-assed?
“She doesn’t like me the same way she likes you,” Ash finally said. “It’s not as easy for us.”
Finnick studied Ash. Finally the truth came out. He’d figured it was something like that. “It’s never easy, brother. Just be honest with her. Take her out on that fucking date already, and don’t do that thing you do.”
Ash frowned at him, genuinely confused like the idiot he was. “What thing?”
“That robot thing where you pretend you don’t have any feelings.” Finnick snickered. “Even robots have feelings you know? Have you heard the shit Siri says to me?”
The other fox folded his arms over his chest and gave Finnick that annoyed look – his signature. “You told her she was a cunt for getting you lost. I’m not sure what you expected.”
“See, robots have more feelings.”
Ash rolled his eyes and followed Kenzie and Selene into the warehouse. “I’ll figure it out. But don’t cock block me.”
To anyone else it might have sounded like a threat, but Finnick knew Ash was just nervous despite how good he was at hiding it. He needed to break Ash out of his infinite seriousness.
“Nah man, I’m guiding your cock.” Finnick reached for Ash’s package and the other fox smacked his hand away.
