Nine Tails Collection 1-3: Kitsune and Shaman novel

by J. L. Weil

  He was pissed because I was out with a boy. What did he think I was doing? Having random sex on the beach? The first tingles of anger fluttered within me. “Don’t you think I know that? I’m doing everything I can. I want her to get better as much as you do.”

  Dad shifted forward to the edge of the couch, leaning his elbows on his knees. “How much do you know about that boy?”

  I know he would do everything in his power to protect me. He would probably give his life for me, but I couldn’t say any of that. “He’s a friend, and I trust him.”

  “Well, I don’t. You’re not safe with him.”

  I snorted, but I didn’t mean for it to come out so loud. “You’re wrong. He’s the only person I am safe with.”

  “Are you sure about that?” he challenged. “What about your other friends? Do they trust him?”

  I gnawed on my lip. Hannah wanted to smother Devyn in sloppy kisses, and Jesse wanted to rub his face in the dirt. I didn’t have to say anything, for Dad already knew the answer. It was written in my expression.

  He folded his hands together. “I don’t want you seeing this boy again. No driving you home after school or picking you up in the morning. No sneaking off with him after school. Is that clear?”

  Well, that was going to be difficult. I wanted to hurl the truth at him, tell him he was issuing Mom’s death sentence by forbidding me to see Devyn. “That’s so ridiculous. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t see.”

  “As long as you’re living under my roof, I can.”

  Oooh. I hated when they pulled the I’m-the-boss card. Dad and I rarely fought, especially about boys, but then, there really hadn’t been boys to fight over. Jesse didn’t count. I bet we wouldn’t be having this argument if it were Jesse.

  Backed into a corner, I didn’t have a choice. “Fine, then maybe I won’t stay under your roof!”

  All the arguing and fighting, it wasn’t good for any of us, not for Mom or me. It only added stress to the mountain building up on top of me. This conversation was over. Snatching my bag off the floor where I’d dropped it, I slung it over my shoulder and stomped upstairs. Mom called my name as I rushed down the hall but I didn’t stop, not until I slammed my bedroom door. Then the tears came.

  I was kind of a pro at sneaking out of my house, and tonight was no different. I’d been doing it most of my life. The problem was in where I was sneaking off to and why. If Jesse saw me…

  I shuddered to think. He would be hurt and maybe even feel betrayed. I was going to another guy’s house for comfort and company. This wasn’t the first time I’d run away from home. There was the time I was five, when I’d thought I’d rather live with Jesse. I lasted two hours. My parents had thought I’d gone to play.

  There were so many things I could have done to blow off steam…

  Write my essay for English.

  Clean up the mess cluttering my room.

  Wash my hair.

  And yet, I was going to Devyn’s—to the forbidden boy.

  Over the years, Jesse and I had done our fair share of sneaking in and out of each other’s houses, and I wasn’t sure why I was running to Devyn instead of Jesse. Or why I was running at all.

  To prove a point?

  I don’t know, but I had to do this, just as I had to do everything in my power to save Mom, whether my father understood or not.

  Glancing around my room, I tried not to think about all the memories and sense of security this small space had offered me my entire life. It wasn’t like I’d never be back, but at least for a night I needed to clear my head, concentrate on finding a way to get my next tail and move one step closer to being able to restore Katsura.

  Opening the window, I tossed a bag to the ground. It was pitch black outside, only illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and the street lights. My house was silent. Slinging my leg over the window ledge, I stepped onto the lower hang of the roof. Once both feet were planted on the grey shingles, I turned around and gently shimmied the window closed.

  My phone buzzed in my back pocket and I whispered a curse. Who was calling me at this hour?

  Rolling my eyes, I dug out my phone and looked at the name glowing on the screen. Devyn. The fool was going to have to wait. I was on a roof for God’s sake, and unless I wanted to end up splattered on the ground I needed to keep my wits.

  Sliding along the house, I kept my back pressed to the siding until I reached the drop to the fireplace ledge. Hopping down, I landed on the small concrete slab before making the last leap to the ground. Just like riding a bike.

  I dusted off my hands and crept around the front of the house to where I had released my bag. Unzipping the front pocket, I dug out my keys. I felt like a thief in the night, all dressed in black. The keys jingled, and I stared at them, rethinking my initial plan. Now that I was outside, breathing the night air, I wanted to run. Not on two legs but four.

  Making a rash decision, I shoved my bag under a bush and jogged to the side of the house. I scanned the yards surrounding mine, making sure Mrs. Jones from next door didn’t have her nose stuck to the glass. The coast was clear. I shook out my hair and let my inner Kitsune free. The shift was smooth, something I’d come to enjoy. Never thought that would be a possibility, but there were definite perks to being a shifter.

  Satisfied, I emerged from around the corner, trotting down the driveway. I made it to the sidewalk when Mrs. Jones’ asshole dog, Maddie, started barking.

  Damn mutt needs a muzzle, or a chicken leg.

  Picking up my pace, I disappeared into the night.

  Chapter Six

  There was something magical in the air tonight: the chatter of insects in the grass that would soon need mowing, the dark shadows of willow trees lining the road as I traveled closer inward toward the city, and the perfumed breezes of midnight. I found I enjoyed the solitude of the long, curvy road, the sound of the water in the distance lapping against rock, and the squawking of the gulls.

  My soft pads glided over the blacktop as I ran, away from one problem and straight to another. I climbed up on a piece of driftwood and lifted my face, letting the cool air drift over me. I didn’t want to think about the worry my parents would endure in the morning when they realized I wasn’t in bed. I didn’t want to think at all.

  It was because of the calm night I picked up the sound of footsteps. I was being followed, and judging by the hair rising on my neck it wasn’t something of this world. My little interlude was over. Taking off toward Devyn’s, I was only a few blocks away and should be able to outrun them…hopefully.

  I didn’t think about what or who was trailing me, only where I was going, letting my instincts take over. In fox form they were always stronger, clearer. Within minutes I was running along the side of Devyn’s building. I leapt over a discarded cardboard box, shifting midair and landing crouched on two feet, my hand out in front of me. Shoving to my full height, I powerwalked to the front of the building, looking over my shoulder as I rounded the corner.

  I half expected some grotesque creature that could have been the Predator’s cousin to pop out and make me pee my pants, but the only thing lurking in the alley was the rats.

  Punching the four-digit code onto the keypad, a series of beeps sounded before the door clicked open. I quickly turned the handle, swung the metal door open, and rushed inside. Exhaling, I leaned against the wall. The automatic door clicked shut behind me like a gunshot going off. I jumped. Dumb door. Stupid nerves.

  The building was tomb-silent. Clap. Clap. Clap. My tennis shoes hit the carpeted stairs as I climbed my way to Devyn’s floor. He had given me the code a few weeks ago just in case. This was a just in case situation.

  The door was unlocked when I tried the knob, as if he was expecting me. That might have been a strange assumption, but he seemed to know what I needed before I did.

  Foregoing a knock, I let myself in and softly closed the door behind me. I also flipped the lock. Devyn might be nonchalant about breaking and entering, but I wa
s going to play it safe.

  I slipped out of my shoes, feeling a sense of security the moment I stepped inside. The room smelled of Devyn—masculine and woodsy. His bedroom door was open, the even sounds of his breathing drifted through the doorway, summoning me. Entranced, I padded across the main room to the hallway, laying a hand on the doorframe as a wicked thought that had no business being there crossed my mind. My gaze went straight to the bed, and there was nothing I could have done to stop the flutters in my belly.

  He was sprawled out on the oversized bed, one arm resting on the pillow beside him, sheets twisted around his waist. He was bare-chested, a temptation I found hard to refuse. Moonlight highlighted the chiseled lines of his cheeks. In sleep, his menacing features were softer.

  In a weird way he looked more human like this, younger maybe. He had an otherworldly beauty that I found fascinating. Yes, I was standing in his doorway watching him like a total creeper, but it didn’t feel that way, and it was unnerving. What was it about Devyn that made me want to do reckless, out of character, things?

  Like crawl into his bed in the middle of the night.

  Would he turn me away, or welcome me with open arms?

  The fact I wanted to find out scared me, but not enough to leave.

  I must be crazy. This wasn’t what I had come over here for, but now it was in my head, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what it had felt like to kiss him. I tiptoed into the room and the floor creaked, stopping me in my tracks. Devyn suddenly rolled over and I held my breath. Just fabulous. He was going to wake up with me hovering over him like a stalker.

  What had I been thinking?

  That I was going to crawl into bed with him?

  I wanted to hide under the bed and die of mortification. Before I actually did make an utter fool of myself I backed out of the room, content to sleep on the couch. My ninja skills were rusted and I tripped over the threshold, stumbling backward into the hall. My elbow rammed into the wall, producing a hiss that escaped from between my teeth. I cringed. It was pointless to tiptoe into the family room. A herd of elephants couldn’t have been quieter than me.

  Snuggling up on the leather sofa with a throw blanket, I absently I rubbed the soul talisman between my fingers as I became enthralled by the stars swimming around the moon.

  What a night.

  Who would have thought I would end up here? I had woken up on this couch not long ago, thinking Devyn had kidnapped me. The memory brought a ghost of a smile to my lips.

  My eyes grew heavy, the pressure that had been in my chest evaporating. It wasn’t long after I settled down, wisps of darkness me took me under into sleep.

  It was seven in the morning when I woke up, still curled up on the couch with the knitted throw up to my chin. The scent of Devyn lingered everywhere, and it was because of that unique smell I remembered where I was before my lashes even fluttered open.

  I was clearing the sleepy gunk from my eyes when Devyn emerged from his room. Smiling to myself, I was curious about his reaction at seeing me on his couch. Secretly, I wanted to get a rise out of him.

  He walked out of his room, utterly comfortable in his skin, like it was every morning he found someone sleeping on his couch. The thought made me frown. Maybe it was normal. What would I have done last night if I had found him in bed with another girl?

  Snuck back out the way I came and gone to Jesse’s. At least I knew there wouldn’t be anyone else in Jesse’s bed.

  Hair ruffled from sleep, Devyn forked his fingers through it as he stared at me, leaning a shoulder on the wall. “Sleep well, Kitten?”

  He was still shirtless, and my eyes traveled the length of him, wondering what he wore to bed: boxers, pajamas, or… My thought trailed off. Actually, my brain had clicked off.

  OMG. He was butt-ass naked.

  “Devyn!” I squealed, and hid my face under the covers, but not before I had gotten way more than I bargained for. “You’re naked.” Holy shit. I’d just seen Devyn in all his glory. My cheeks flamed under the blanket.

  “And you’re in my house.” I could hear the amusement lacing his voice. He was laughing at me.

  What part of this did he find funny? I was so embarrassed. “I needed a place to stay.”

  “What’s wrong with your room?”

  “I’m not talking to you until you put on some pants. I’ll even take boxers,” I demanded, my voice muffled from the blanket.

  “I sleep in the buff,” he replied.

  “Devyn,” I groaned. “I don’t need to know that. Just please put something on. It’s bad enough I’m going to forever picture you naked.”

  “Why is that a bad thing?” he proposed, laughter in his voice.

  He was killing me here. Stuff like this never happened with Jesse. “Don’t tell me you need help.”

  He chuckled under his breath. “Now, that’s the best offer I’ve gotten since I arrived here.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You love torturing me, don’t you?”

  There was some shuffling and his voice got a little further away. “Most days. You can stop hiding now.”

  I carefully pulled a corner of the throw from my head and peeked out, not entirely trusting Devyn. He was still without a shirt, but there was a pair of black sweats now covering the lower half of him. I pushed up into a sitting position. “I’m sorry to spring in on you.”

  He moved into the kitchen, pulling out the coffee grounds. “Don’t worry about it. You’re always welcome here, Kitten. Coffee?”

  “Please,” I sighed.

  “I’ll even make sure I start wearing pants to bed,” he winked.

  Color morphed back into my cheeks. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”

  His grin was nothing but pure sin. “Never. Assuming I can keep you alive.”

  “Devyn!”

  “Why don’t I make us some breakfast, and you can tell me why you’re sleeping on my couch.”

  I nodded, slipping out from under the blanket, and pushed to my feet. He offered me a mug of coffee already with cream and sugar, just how I liked it. Devyn was attentive in little ways I probably didn’t notice, but when it came to coffee it was a big deal. I noticed. My fingers grazed his as he passed me the cup. Sparks danced between us.

  Devyn’s eyes flared. He had felt what I had. There was something intense in the way he was staring at me, as if I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out, but the Shaman was supposed to know everything about me, so what gives?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, bringing the hot coffee to my lips as I wiggled my butt onto one of the barstools.

  He shook his head. “I like having you here, in my space, sleeping under the same roof, and I shouldn’t.”

  Good thing there was a counter between us. Who knows what I might have done if there had been nothing standing in our way. “Why not?”

  “In Thornland, we’re taught emotions make us weak and cloud our judgment. We’re supposed to be able to make split-second decisions, and when we take even a moment to consider someone else it could be a matter of life and death. My death. Your death.”

  I let what he said sink in before responding. “I get the point, but a life without emotions isn’t really worth living.”

  “Hmm. Remember that the next time you see a Silvermyst.” He set a plate in front of me with two strawberry-frosted donuts.

  I smiled, looking down. “This is you making breakfast?”

  He was so damn pleased with himself, flashing me a wicked grin. “They’re your favorite.”

  That they were. The fact he had my favorite breakfast item on hand was touching. Damn him. I didn’t want him to make my heart sputter when he did something nice.

  “You going to tell me what happened?” he asked, leaning his elbows on the counter.

  I broke off a chuck of the soft donut. “My dad and I got into a fight. We both needed space, so I came here.” I intentionally omitted all mention of his name. Details weren’t important. “I hope that was okay.�
�

  “Mi casa, es tu casa.”

  “Thanks for letting me crash here.”

  He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear. “Anytime, Kitten. Come on, I’ll drive you to school.”

  I nodded, and grabbed my donut.

  What could possibly happen from here to school? There was no way my dad would find out I was with Devyn, right? Did I even care if he did?

  I hadn’t bothered to check my phone since last night. I was almost afraid of what I would find. Sitting in Devyn’s car, I scrolled through the text notifications and groaned. I was going to be in deep crap when I got home. I locked my phone. Screw it. I still had eight hours before I had to deal with the blowout of my actions.

  Cranking the radio I lifted my face toward the open window, letting the wind whip through my hair, and sang along with the song. Devyn’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel. We were only a few blocks from school. The air was tinted with the scent of the sea, and I drew in a deep breath of fresh air as I stared up into the perfectly white fluffy clouds, like cotton balls.

  I squinted. What was that?

  There was something in the sky, and it was falling straight for us. A falling star? A meteoroid? Those were my first thoughts.

  Dread formed in my stomach, like a bowling ball.

  It wasn’t anything from space. Nope. Not a flying monkey. It was from the Second Moon.

  Crap on a biscuit.

  Chapter Seven

  Devyn hit the brakes, hard, throwing me forward and then back with enough force to rattle more than a few brain cells. The tires squealed, leaving a trail of dark rubber marks on the road. “Son of a bitch,” he swore.

  Something dropped from the sky, landing on the hood of Devyn’s sleek car. The impact shook the vehicle, doing some major damage to Devyn’s precious baby, not to mention my ears. The piercing sound of metal crutching had me cringing.

  “Dmitri,” Devyn murmured with malice.