For Fox Sake: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (The Chaos of Foxes Book 1)

by Emma Dean

She glared at her sister’s retreating form and then turned back to her computers. The footsteps up the stairs in her living room faded and then disappeared altogether. Without her tech Kenzie was nothing more than a normal human – practically handicapped in the paranormal world.

  But some days, she preferred it that way.

  Securing the wireless surround sound headphones over her ears and putting on some music she went to work.

  No one in her family had said anything to her in days except Selene.

  Kenzie made as much noise as possible when she came home. She even parked her pink, restored 1976 VW Bug obnoxiously in front and went through the main door. Her parents looked up from their grimoires on the couch, but then looked back down.

  Not even a greeting.

  She tried not to let it bother her. If they knew…but no, they didn’t know. Selene didn’t want to tell them she was stealing it until after the potion had been retrieved.

  Ever since the curse stripped her sister of her powers, their parents had been working non-stop to find a way to get them back. Their main problem was they kept trying to work within the rules set by the Council of Paranormals.

  Kenzie knew nothing got done if you followed all the red tape those pompous assholes set out for everyone to constantly trip over.

  Making as much noise as possible just to piss off her family, she opened every cupboard in the kitchen, slammed them closed, and then stood in front of the refrigerator for five minutes. She had food downstairs, but Maria, the maid and cook, always left something special for her on the main floor.

  Grabbing the tamales she slammed the fridge door closed and suddenly her grandmother was there and glaring.

  “Enjoying your tantrum?” she demanded, peering down at Kenzie.

  Grinning she went up on her toes and pecked Grandma Edith’s cheek. “Quite. Where is my lovely sister and matriarch this fine afternoon?”

  Grandma Edith swatted her ass and shoved her towards the stairs. “Waiting for you in that dank and dusty place you call a home. Now eat and nap and then come see me so I can make sure your dress fits for the Fourth of July.”

  She groaned and grabbed the salsa Maria made from scratch on the kitchen island. “But Selene said I didn’t have to wear a dress.”

  “Don’t lie to me, lass. I’ll stick you on purpose with those damn pins.”

  “Mom!” Kenzie’s mother called from the living room, shocked.

  Grandma Edith rolled her eyes. “As if I don’t hear the words on that television.”

  Kenzie chuckled as she heard her grandma, and the only other soul who bothered with her in their family, making afternoon tea. If it weren’t for Edith, Kenzie may very well be dead. That wasn’t something she would ever forget.

  Martha, her bitchy cousin, came down the stairs right then to ruin her mood and sneered at her. “Enjoy your mundane, normal job today?”

  “I did,” Kenzie tossed back as she went down her stairs. “It gave me the access to lock you out of your favorite social media, permanently.”

  The angry shriek that followed her down was music to her ears. Kenzie pushed her computer glasses up her nose and went straight to the kitchen. She was starving. Even though she didn’t have powers, she was still a witch and witches burned up more energy than humans did.

  Selene must have heard the microwave because she came out of Kenzie’s bedroom and leaned against the wall. “What did you do to Martha this time? Just so you know I’m the one that gets to deal with her after you do whatever nonsense that ticks her off.”

  The microwave beeped and Kenzie couldn’t help her grin. Her ‘mundane’ job was something most humans would kill for. Working in Silicon Valley she was head hunted by top companies all the time. It was nothing for her to pick and choose. It was always good to keep employers on their toes and remind them not to take advantage of her or the other ‘mundane’ human engineers.

  Well, most of them were human.

  This job was at a brand new social media platform that was all the rage at the moment until the next one popped up. “I locked down her account.” Kenzie snickered and dumped the salsa over all three of the tamales and then grabbed a fork. “No hashtags for her anymore.”

  Selene rolled her eyes and led her back to the workroom. “Can’t say that I blame you, but can you give her access again? I don’t want to hear her mouth.”

  Sighing she plopped down at her desk and Selene went to her worktable, checking each project that was just waiting for her powers to return.

  “I suppose,” Kenzie said. “But I’m going to make her suffer for at least a week. It’ll remind her to keep her mouth shut about your powers.”

  “Fine,” Selene said with a long-suffering sigh as though she was the oldest and not Kenzie. “What did you find in the wee hours of the morning?”

  “Meet Hunter Wilson, Ash Miller, and Finnick Jones of the Six Rivers Pride,” she told Selene, pulling up the three profiles she’d dug up under some severe layers of encryption. “On the surface they’re just fox shifters in the diverse pride just north of us. Did you know they have tons of different shifters?”

  “Kenz, let’s get to the point,” Selene said leaning her elbows on the work table to prop her chin on her hands.

  She sighed. Her sister was so serious now that she was matriarch. Kenzie had spent too much time the night before looking through all the cat shifters, foxes, raccoons, and bunnies. Where was the connection and why? The Alpha was a lynx too which was different.

  Maybe it was the pride of outcasts or something.

  “Anyways,” she went on, taking a bite of her tamales. “They’re mercs for hire for the paranormal world. Completely legal licenses from what I found, but they have a separate contact on the darknets where they’ll do anything for the right amount of money.”

  “Assassinations?”

  Kenzie shook her head and grabbed a water bottle from her small fridge. “Nah, apparently they leave the professional killing to the ravens. They mostly do odd jobs like transportation, guard duty, security detail, finding people or things, and then apparently stealing stuff when they think the money is good enough.”

  “And who contracted them?”

  That piece of information had nearly made her late for work. Kenzie hadn’t been able to find anything on the contractor. “It was through about eight shell companies before I hit a wall. I’m working on breaking through the layers of security, but it’s going to take some time.”

  “You don’t think it’s the same person who cursed me, do you?”

  Kenzie set her food down and turned her full attention to her sister. “It might be. That bastard would do something like this. He has the money to.”

  Selene looked away and tapped one of the small frequency discs with her long red nail. “And all because I wouldn’t marry him.”

  “Men are fucking stupid,” Kenzie snapped, feeling that old rage come back. She wanted to hang the bastard from the Golden Gate Bridge upside down until his head burst from the blood pooling in his empty skull. “They always think everything is about them.”

  Selene shrugged and looked at the three fox shifters displayed on the biggest monitor above all the other ones. “So what were these guys like? Will you be able to steal the potion from them?”

  Kenzie studied the one with the burgundy hair. He was the leader of the trio, she’d bet her life on it, and the way he looked at her…it was best not to think about it. The one with black hair – like the paws of a fox – he was the one who’d wrapped his arm around her waist and held her like Kenzie had wished someone would so many times over the years.

  She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. Bastards thought they could just steal from her…no doubt piggy-backing on all her hard work. It would serve them right when she took it back.

  “I didn’t take all those classes for my health,” she murmured.

  Parkour, gymnastics, tumbling, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. She’d won medals and co
mpetitions and scholarships – then went on to learn Spanish and American Sign Language before giving up.

  Kenzie had gone through a period of desperately trying to make up for her existence and lack of powers. Nothing had been enough. Only Grandma Edith and Selene were there to watch her win Nationals and qualify for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Then she’d walked away from the offer and that whole world when her parents hadn’t showed.

  The rest of her family could rot…but her parents?

  Now she didn’t give a shit. Kenzie stayed for Selene, to do and be everything her sister couldn’t just as she did for her.

  “I’ll get that potion back, I promise. And if I can’t get it I will dig until I find the spell. I promise you Selene, we’re not going to let Brad get away with this.”

  Selene just smiled at her, completely unworried. “I believe in you Kenz. I always have.”

  “Mackenzie, your dolls came in the mail!” Grandma Edith screeched down the stairs.

  She rolled her eyes. “Dammit Grandma, they’re action figures!”

  Selene covered her mouth and giggled. “Is it the limited edition Deadpool riding the unicorn you ordered weeks ago?”

  Kenzie nodded and eyed her sister. “You believe me right?”

  “Of course, you’ve never let me down big sis.” Selene got up and gave her a hug. “I’ll get the package, you get some rest. Don’t forget, the West Coast Pride has the barbecue tomorrow and we are their guests of honor. You’re wearing that dress, Kenz.”

  She sighed and knew it was a lost cause. Kenzie ate the last of her tamales and resigned herself to looking feminine in the boiling heat.

  There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her sister.

  Chapter Four

  Kenzie

  The drive to Samuel Erikson’s house wasn’t long after taking the ferry across the bay. To go around would have taken freaking forever and Kenzie could barely stand her family for ten minutes let alone four hours.

  “When we get there we have to greet the Alpha. Don’t act weird,” Selene whispered.

  Kenzie gave her a look. “You’re the one who needs to be normal. Stop wringing your damn hands.”

  Selene adjusted her dress and tucked her long, straight black hair behind her ear. Her sister was gorgeous in her black, strapless dress. The matriarch jewels she wore around her throat pulsated with power – which would hide her lack of it.

  Kenzie still thought it was unnecessary to get dressed up for a Fourth of July barbecue but this was how the richest shifter on the West Coast did things. He threw massive get togethers and invited every pride he was in charge of.

  They didn’t get together often, but every Fourth like clockwork they got the invite, which was strange that a shifter would invite a coven even if they did share San Francisco.

  Martha glared at her and Selene from across the limo. Kenzie rolled her eyes and looked away. The girl had always been bitter she hadn’t been named heir since she was older than Selene.

  Her aunt and uncle ignored her as usual. Her mother and her sister chatted quietly while the men stared at their phones. Kenzie didn’t know what other witch families were like, but hers had always been like this. The only exception was Grandma Edith who refused to mingle with all the shifters, so she’d stayed home.

  Selene would hopefully change things as matriarch, if Kenzie could get her powers back.

  The limo pulled up to the mansion at the edge of a state park. San Geronimo was in Marin County. It was close to the city but on the edge of nothing. Perfect for shifters and their need to run around in their animal form.

  A servant in a tux with white gloves opened her sister’s door first. When he helped her out her bare leg showed through the thigh high slit and Kenzie enjoyed watching the man blush. Selene was gorgeous and had had suitors since she was only thirteen.

  Prestigious witch families were a lot like high society. Selene was expected to make a good match with another powerful family, but now as matriarch she could do what she wanted and she’d turned down Brad’s proposal.

  Which was good. Kept Kenzie from having to poison him after they got married. Her mother had almost insisted on Selene going through with it, but the proposal came right after she’d turned eighteen otherwise they might have been stuck with that engagement.

  “Welcome, Matriarch Kavanagh. Master Samuel is expecting you in the backyard.”

  “Thank you,” Selene murmured, looking back for Kenzie.

  She waited like she was supposed to and took the servant’s hand. If she was wearing heels like Selene she would have actually needed it, but her brand new, purple Converse matched the dress perfectly. The servant’s mouth twitched when he saw the sneakers, like he wanted to smile.

  “Ms. Kavanagh,” he said politely.

  He wasn’t a witch, but a lesser shifter. Kenzie couldn’t tell which one, but she liked him immediately. It was only her own kind she had issues with. “Thank you,” she told him, and meant it.

  Everyone in the bay area knew who she was. They all heard the stories. And they could all clearly see the scars on her body thanks to the purple halter top gown Selene had picked out. Kenzie hated to admit it, but she loved how it complemented and still somehow clashed with her red hair.

  She’d even parted her long hair to show off the side she had shaved and the ear jewelry that tinkled from the top down to her lobes in a multitude of piercings. Each piece was enchanted for a different purpose, but looked harmless.

  “I trust the rest of the Bay Coven is here?” Kenzie asked, annoyed. She searched the grounds but didn’t see any of the witches who’d pushed for her powers to be revealed and supported her great-grandmother torturing her.

  “Most of them, Ms. Kavanagh. Enjoy the barbecue.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Kenzie followed slightly behind her sister. Witch politics were something else, but it was all she knew. She may be the oldest, but her sister was the matriarch. Technically she should be at the back of her family, but Selene was always insistent she stay nearby.

  Kenzie was her unofficial bodyguard at public functions.

  “Do you think Brad will be here?” Selene asked, whispering so their parents couldn’t hear.

  Kenzie tweaked the tech in her ear Selene had enchanted. So many voices, there had to be hundreds of people at the barbecue.

  “Probably. That’s what happens when you date within the coven, S.”

  Her sister sighed, but they walked through the front door and she had to put on a smile. Kenzie didn’t bother. No one liked her anyway.

  “Matriarch Kavanagh, it’s so lovely to see you,” the West Coast Pride Second said. He kissed both Selene’s cheeks and led her toward the backyard.

  Kenzie didn’t even pretend she was offended he’d basically ignored her. Shifters didn’t really like witches to begin with and they barely tolerated the heads of families. The coven was only invited to be polite.

  She looked around as they walked. There was usually a hunter or two at these events as well. Sometimes even a demon. Maybe this would be more fun than she originally thought.

  “Samuel is right over there,” the Second told Selene, pointing across the massive backyard where the drop dead gorgeous white tiger grilled various meats and veggies.

  Kenzie’s eyebrows rose to see the Alpha of Alphas grilling. Didn’t he have peons to do that?

  Then her stomach fluttered with nerves. This was the man she’d tried to steal from – and had almost succeeded if it wasn’t for those bastard foxes.

  Would they be here? Kenzie scoffed at herself, it was unlikely. Not even they were that stupid.

  “Samuel, thank you for inviting us,” Selene said softly, kissing each of the tiger’s cheeks.

  Kenzie nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything.

  “This is my sister Kenzie, and the rest of the American Kavanagh clan.” Selene continued on to make introductions but the white tiger wouldn’t stop staring at Kenzie.

  It made her fidget. Her charm
s should keep the tiger from being able to scent her or her emotions and dim the sound of her heart. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t stare her down and gauge for himself what he thought.

  So Kenzie held his gaze. She was not a shifter so that dominance crap didn’t work on her. She even refused to blink despite the smoke from the barbecue. Finally he interrupted her sister’s introductions.

  “You two are on the cutting edge of tech magic aren’t you?” he asked, as politely as one could for being rude.

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  Kenzie let her sister talk, wondering if he knew where she’d been the other night. Had she slipped up somewhere?

  Samuel smiled. “But you don’t have powers, right Kenzie? So how is that possible?”

  Before Selene could make nice Kenzie cut in. “No, I don’t have powers as everyone in San Francisco knows. But I build the tech. Selene enchants it.”

  The tiger cocked his head. “What are you working on now?”

  “It’s really none of your business.”

  Her sister shot her a look and her parents gasped behind her, but no. This guy was a billionaire. She wasn’t going to just hand over information to a competitor. He may not deal in enchantments, but his company was one of the most profitable startups in a decade. Clean, affordable energy or something like that.

  Finally Samuel laughed and the tension eased. “You’re right, but I’ve loved some of the stuff you two have shared with the community. Are you currently employed, Kenzie?”

  She wanted to turn around and stick her tongue out at her family. Someone knew she was worth more than the lack of magic in her veins. Even if it was the guy she’d tried to steal from.

  “I am, Alpha,” Kenzie admitted. “I work in Silicon Valley for one of the new social media platforms.”

  “I’ve been wondering about some of your work. Do you think you could make an appointment with my secretary and come by sometime next week?” Samuel turned back to the grill to turn the hot dogs and she shared a look with Selene.

  Was this just a coincidence or was there another reason he wanted her to come by?