Fox Ensnared

Part 10

Chapter 14

My body and soul are wrapped in a warm cocoon, but my mind keeps trying to drag me out of my haven. Something important lurks just under my peaceful sub-conscience. I snuggle deeper into the warm body that is beneath me.

Wait, warm body!

My peaceful haven is shattered as the harsh reality pours in. I sit up so fast I see stars floating in front of my eyes. "Wow, take it easy, baby."

I inhale his heavenly scent and groan. "How long?" My throat is parched and raw.

"How long what?" A cool glass touches my lips, and I greedily drink the water till the glass is empty.

"How long have I been out, Riven?" I look down at him. His dark hair is in disarray, and those baby blues have dark circles under them.

"Several hours." His hand squeezes my legs, bringing attention to the fact that I am still naked and straddling him.

Fuuck.

"Where is Jasper? I need to speak to him NOW!" I jump up and rush to the closet to get dressed. I grab my hunting clothes and throw them on. Riven is right in front of me when I turn round, so close my nose bumps into his hard chest.

" OUCH!" I rub my nose as I walk around him.

"Payton, slow down; Jasper isn't here. I went looking for him after I found you."

Not good. I can't afford to wait, but I can't take on the Smith brothers on my own.

But I'm not alone. The realization hits me hard. Could I ask Riven to help?

I pivoted to look him in the eye. My mind ran through all the reasons asking him was a bad idea.

I huff, my shoulders slumping forward because I know the kids can't afford to wait. They have already been in the devil's hands too long.

"Can you do what I say without asking a million questions I won't be able to answer? Before you say yes, you should know it's dangerous, but if you don't help me, lots of kids will be hurt or worse."

Silence jumped between us as he assessed me.

"Okay."

My relief is palpable. I don't waste any time grabbing my bag from under my bed.

"Can you drive? I never learned." In my defense, most shifters don't like to be trapped inside a mental machine. We prefer our paws to get us where we need to go.

" I can drive." It comes out more as a question than a statement, but no time to worry about Riven's driving skills.

"The academy has a few vehicles for staff to use. I just need to swing by Jasper's office to grab the keys." I grab Riven's hand and pull him behind me.

I grab the dash, my claws sinking in to steady myself as we fishtail. I give Riven the side-eye.

"Sorry, it's been a while." He looks sheepish."And you didn't tell me to turn till the last second, so it's kinda your fault." He smirks.

"Pull over here. We need to go the rest of the way on foot." Riven stops the car a the edge of a pasture. The hideout is on the other side, a few miles from here. I reach into my bag, pulling out the last two scent blockers. I hand him one. "Drink this. It will burn a little."

"Why do you have a scent blocker?" Shock coursed through my body. "How did you know that's what it was?"The concoction isn't easy to come by and is illegal to possess. Only available on the black market.