by Jules Tyler
“Raped wolven women? Yeah. Foxen lore claims that it was only one and that it was consensual, but I think that they changed the story to make themselves feel better about the situation. As far as I know, there’s about five main foxen lineages. Which means there was five forced matings that created the foxen line.”
“So, what happened to the females then? Why are there only male foxen left?” Tansy inquired, trying to swallow past the sick feeling that was crawling up her throat. Somehow, she felt she knew the answer already, but she had to hear Caylan say it.
“Khain feared a prophecy. The prophecy has said that someday the shiften would grow strong enough to finish Rhen’s fight and end him once and for all. In his state of fear, he plotted to kill off all of the females. There was a good amount of foxen that encouraged this idea. The less shiften there were, the stronger the foxen would seem. Problem was, the prophecy never specified which shiften would contribute to overthrowing Khain. In his paranoia, he felt that he needed to make an example of the female foxen, so as to prove his strength to whoever doubted his power or had disloyal thoughts. Khain gathered all of the women in our community. He commanded through the blood bond that we couldn’t move, scream, or do anything to save our women. We all stood there as he summoned enough fire to burn a small village to the ground, and he threw it at the women. I was five and wasn’t strong enough to completely break his hold until it was too late. I remember standing where my mother had been, crying and begging for her to come back to me. I was too young to know what death was, yet this had been my first experience with it…,” Caylan’s voice caught in his throat as he tried to choke back the tears.
Chapter Six
Tansy was in awe over his strength; the fact that he had kept it together this long talking about his mother was an amazing feat. Tansy was a strong individual herself, but just thinking about her mother’s last moments was difficult.
Caylan cleared his throat, “As I continued to grow, I began to realize how much stronger than some of my friends and family I was becoming. I grew taller, faster, stronger. I was about sixteen when I started craving revenge against Khain. I knew there had to be others that had lost their mothers, mates, sisters, that had to have the same taste for revenge that I had. When I left the Pravus when I was of human age, I went looking for these men. I found them. They’re the ones who helped me build my home out here. My friend, Jedrek, he stayed behind. At first, he thought I was crazy. But a few months ago, he overheard his father speaking with one of Khain’s most trusted men, Bo. Jedrek heard about the terrible things that Khain had planned for the One True Mates. For so long, they had been just a rumor, but Bo had confirmed to Jedrek’s father that they were a reality. Jedrek came to me, and we began rallying the men on this side of the Pravus. I want them to stay informed so we can help the other shiften when the time comes.”
Tansy’s head was spinning from all of the information. The things that Caylan had seen made her heart hurt. No one should have to see their mother die, especially not in the manner that he had seen. Memories of her own mother’s passing made her heart hurt for Caylan and the other boys who had been too young to understand what was happening as their mothers had been destroyed in front of them.
Letting out a shaky breath, Tansy walked over to where Caylan was sitting and reached for his hand. Pulling him up, she waited until he was standing before she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
“I am so sorry, Caylan. What you’ve been through… What you saw… You were so young,” Tansy said, face buried in Caylan’s chest as she did so.
They sat there in silence a few more minutes before a knock sounded at the door.
Caylan leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Quick. Quietly go lock yourself in my room until I tell you it’s safe to come out.”
Tansy nodded and bustled back to the bedroom and closed the door quietly. She could hear another man’s booming voice on the other side of the door. The newcomer’s smooth tenor contrasted with Caylan’s warm baritone. Laughter in the other room eased the tension she had been feeling, helping her to relax as she settled down on Caylan’s bed. Leaning back on her elbows, she felt the soft down comforter surround her backside.
Damn this bed feels nice.
She scooted up towards the top of the bed and laid down on one of the pillows, allowing herself to nestle further into Caylan’s sheets. The whole bed smelled of musk and pine, much like Caylan himself did. As much as Tansy felt it was inappropriate to feel anything for someone she had just met, she had to admit to herself that there was some form of attraction between the two of them.
Maybe I’ll just be attracted to his bed instead of to him as a person.
Tansy had to stifle a laugh at that thought. Pulling the comforter over her, she took another deep breath of the Caylan scent-filled sheets. A little nap couldn’t hurt right? Caylan had shared something personal with her, so obviously he was showing her he trusted her. Maybe it was time she gave him a little trust too. Snuggling down in the sheets, Tansy closed her eyes again and slowly started drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Seven
“So, Bo came to my father’s house again tonight,” Jedrek said as he took a swig of his Jack and Coke and set it down on the table in front of him.
“Yeah? What did he have to say this time?” Caylan smirked as he mimicked Jedrek’s actions.
“That Khain is getting desperate. He’s getting more and more irrational. Bo’s beginning to get worried eventually there will be no reasoning with him. As if there was any reasoning with him before,” Jedrek laughed.
“Ain’t that the truth!” Caylan exclaimed in agreement.
“Word on the street has it that the dragen and another wolven are expecting. The Mates are fulfilling their portion of the destiny beautifully,” Jedrek smiled.
Caylan had a suspicion that Jedrek got as much joy out of the couples pairing up as some of the Old Timers did. The Mates coming about had brought hope back into some of the older men’s lives. Hope was the best fuel for a rebellion that Caylan could think of. He wouldn’t be one to nay say the Mates and their offspring bringing it about. Hell, it gave him a lot of hope just knowing that there was a Mate sitting in his room as they spoke. It also made his heart sink slightly though because he knew the foxen weren’t meant to have One True Mates of their own. Afterall, their kind was never meant to happen. Why would the angel Azerbaizan gift the foxen with Mates when their kind was created by the very demon he had created the Mates to destroy?
“Who pissed in your drink?” Jedrek asked, eyeing his friend with suspicion.
Caylan blinked a couple of times to clear his thoughts, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You look like a baby that was force fed a lemon. What’s on your mind?”
Caylan thought long and hard about if he should even bring it up before speaking again, “Do you think that Azer created One True Mates for our kind?”
“Hard to say. Why do you ask?”
“No reason, just thinking that this life is awful lonely. It would be nice to have some company,” Caylan shrugged.
“Gee, am I not good enough for you anymore?” Jedrek jibed.
“Ha, yeah, sure that’s it,” Caylan laughed at his friend.
“In all actuality though? There’s only one person I can think of that would know for certain about the answer to that question.”
“And who might that be?” Caylan asked, sipping on the last of his drink.
“Crew Arcoal.”
“I doubt he’d tell me even if he did know.”
Jedrek shook his head, “Don’t judge someone before you know them. I’ve heard things about Crew. I’m pretty sure the man is a pretty good judge of character. I think it’s time that you make your presence known here, Caylan. Let the KSRT know that you’re here and you’ve got the numbers to help. You’ve kept your existence quiet long enough. It’s time to come forward.”
“You think they’ll believe me?”
Jedrek’s
face broke out in a grin as he tossed back his drink, “It’s like I said. I’ve heard of one man that can answer your questions.”
“Guess tomorrow I’ll be going to look for Crew then.”
Chapter Eight
“Tansy,” Caylan’s voice whispered as he gave her a gentle nudge.
“Five more minutes,” Tansy groaned, pulling the covers over her head.
“Tansy, I need to go see someone today. I need you to come with me, please,” Caylan nudged again.
Tansy sat up and glared up at the shirtless man beast, “Fuck off. Do you realize how long it’s been since I slept in a bed?”
Caylan chuckled, “If you get up know and get ready, I promise to let you take a nap in said bed when we get back.”
“Fine,” Tansy grumbled as she slipped out of bed.
Handing her a cup of coffee, Caylan smiled down at her, “Didn’t know if I’d find you here this morning or not. Figured you might’ve tried to slip out the window while I was talking to Jed last night.”
“That bed is the best thing I’ve slept on in entirely too long. I decided to stick around so I could enjoy it,” Tansy shrugged, smiling back at him teasingly.
“I see how it is.”
“So what did your friend want?”
“To give me some more intel that he’s been gathering from my community in the Pravus,” Caylan said, as he pulled the covers up to make the bed.
“I see. So I didn’t dream any of that conversation last night then, I take it?”
“Afraid not,” Caylan’s mouth formed a thin line.
“I was worried you were gonna say that.”
“Still thinking of skipping town on me?”
Tansy sighed and looked down at her feet, “I had thought about before you told me everything last night. Things are different now. You aren’t just some weird guy thinking I’m some weak woman hiding in the woods. You’re a guy with meaning and a mission. A mission that apparently I’m a part of, whether I want to be or not. Besides, I have a feeling if I did try to skip town, you’d follow me like a little puppy.”
As he tried to hide his excitement about her staying, he chuckled, “You’re probably right.”
“So where are we going today then?” Tansy asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
“We need to go see a man named Crew. I’ve got a few questions for him and he’s the only one that can answer them. Plus, I’m sure you have some questions you’d like to be answered too,” Caylan explained as he headed for the kitchen.
Tansy followed him out to the kitchen table and set her now empty coffee cup down, “So, uh, where did you sleep last night?”
“Don’t worry, I slept out here. I figured you might try to kill me if I came and laid down in my bed with you asleep in it,” he teased.
“Smart move, fox boy.”
“Survival of the fittest right? How dumb would I be to crawl into bed with a sleeping huntress?”
Tansy laughed, “So what’s for breakfast?”
“Well, we never ate dinner last night since you fell asleep. So maybe we should eat that.”
Frowning, Tansy asked, “Could we have toast instead?”
“I never took you for the picky type.” Caylan mused.
“I’m not. I just have issues eating dinner for breakfast.”
“What about breakfast for dinner?”
Tansy grinned, “That is amazing.”
“How is that any different than having dinner for breakfast?” he scoffed.
Shrugging, Tansy laughed again, “It just is. The sooner you learn to accept that, the better off you’ll be.”
“Whatever you say, oh Mighty Tansy,” Caylan bowed to her mockingly.
“That’s right, bow to the queen!”
“You’re a lot funnier when you aren’t all murdery,” Caylan smiled, taking the bread out of the cupboard with the toaster.
Tansy rolled her eyes, “I don’t trust people easily. My mama always told me to move like the devil is on my heels.”
“I wonder why she said that.”
“I have no clue. It is was one of the things she always told me as a child. It was also one of the last things she ever told me before she passed away.”
Caylan set a piece of buttered toast with cinnamon sugar in front of her and refilled her coffee as he asked, “What was she like?”
“She was kind and gentle, the exact opposite of me in so many ways. Always protective of me though. Called me her special girl. She made the best comfort foods. Told me she had to try and make me put weight on, but no matter how much she fed me, I was always scrawny. I think I miss her chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes the most,” Tansy smiled. “She was a good one. I wish she was still here.”
“Sounds like quite the woman. Must’ve had her hands full with a spitfire like you.”
“Ha! That’s an understatement. I ran that poor woman ragged trying to take care of me. I never listened. I’ve always been headstrong and independent,” Tansy laughed. “One time, when I was about thirteen, I remember telling her that she didn’t need to drive me to school, that I could walk myself the eight miles to get there. She followed me until mile four and then made me get in the car. Told me I was going to be late.”
“Stubborn woman. You can’t ever seem to let anyone help you, can you?” Caylan mused.
Tansy picked at the toast in front of her, “No, not really. To be honest, she was the only one who made me feel like I wasn’t invisible until I was an adult. I didn’t have a lot of friends because my personality is too strong. It was off-putting to people that I was so strong willed and outgoing, plus I always felt like I had to be in charge and that didn’t help any either. I just wanted to belong, until I didn’t want to anymore. Joining the military didn’t help with the invisibility issue either. Then I came home to take care of her when the cancer got too hard for her to fight. After she passed away, I ran. I’ve been on the run ever since. The way she told me to keep moving had sent chills up my spine, like she was warning me away from something I couldn’t see. She had told me so many times before to run, but never like this. So here I am, still on the run.”
“So stop running,” Caylan said as he reached across the table and brushed her cheek. “Find the person that can look you in the eyes and remind you that they can see you. Give that person your everything, your all of you. When you do, I promise that person will give you their everything too.”
Tansy breathed in his scent as she rubbed her face over the back of his hand. Somehow she knew he was right, but wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to stop running yet.
“I’m gonna go change into something comfortable. Finish up your breakfast then you’ll see your clothes are already waiting in the bathroom for you to change,” Caylan said, breaking away from the tender moment they had been sharing.
“Right, okay. See you in a few,” Tansy said, trying to center herself after the affectionate exchange.
Sitting at the table as she finished her breakfast, she found herself wondering how many layers were to Caylan. After all, how many layers could a man like that have?
Chapter Nine
Caylan pulled his blue Ford F-150 into a parking spot in front of the Serenity Police Department and looked over at Tansy with a pit in his stomach. He wasn’t ready to share her with the KSRT when he was just getting to know her, but he knew that the more that Crew could find out about her, the better off all the shiften would be. Still, the idea of another shiften getting to claim her as their own didn’t sit right with him. Chalking it up to envy, he gave an encouraging smile to her before opening his door and walking around to the passenger side to open her door.
“So remind me, why we are at the police station? Last I checked, this is the exact opposite of being off the grid,” Tansy said, sliding out of the truck as she did so.
“We need to talk to Crew. From what Jedrek has told me, Crew has some omniscient power about him. He can see things that have happened or that will happen, and he can also
read people in a way.”
“So he’s a fortune teller?” Tansy asked, walking towards the door with Caylan.
“In a way, I guess. Don’t let anyone else hear you call him that though,” Caylan laughed.
“Whatever,” Tansy said, rolling her eyes as Caylan opened the door for her.
Walking down the short hallway to the front desk, Caylan could feel his body buzzing from the dominance in the building. So many different dominant shifters in one place, it was kind of refreshing in a way. As they approached the front desk, Caylan tried not to laugh at the man that was sitting leaned back in the chair with his boots on the desk, crooning at the tops of his lungs.
“Lips taste like Saaaangrriiiaaaaa,” the man screeched off tune.
Tansy shot Caylan a bewildered look, “Are you sure we walked into the right building?”
Caylan held his finger to his lips before looping his finger around one of the cords that was attached to an ear bud in the officer’s ear. The man, Oswego, his name tag read, startled and sat up quickly.
“How long have you been standing there?” Officer Oswego asked, turning five shades of red.
“Long enough to be tortured by your terrible pipes,” Tansy said, rubbing her ears for effect.
“How rude. My voice is one of a kind. My girl says so.”
“Just don’t quit your day job,” Tansy teased.
“We’re here to see Crew Arcoal. Can you point us in his direction?” Caylan interjected, trying to stave off the oncoming argument between the two.
“Why would Crew, my best friend in the whole world who I know everything about, be meeting with a foxen?” Officer Oswego narrowed his eyes at him.
Caylan took a deep breath to make sure he controlled his temper before gesturing to Tansy, “I think he needs to meet her. I think she might be a...you know.”
Officer Oswego grabbed his radio, “Hey Wade?”
