Exposed

The Ninth

"Is it dead?"

"It? It's that girl isn't it?"

"What? Like she's a werefox? That's not a thing."

"Maybe it ate her?"

"It doesn't smell like her? I don't think? I can't really tell, my heads all fuzzy when I try to sort it out."

"Yeah, mine too. What are we going to do with it?"

"Silence," Jae's voice surged throughout the house. 

The chatter settled down, as more wolves entered the room. Jae was sitting in the center of the room with the fox in his arms. He couldn't bring himself to put her down especially hearing his pack talk about her as if she was a disposable object. 

"Where's my grandmother? Someone bring her to me." Jae commanded to no one in particular. He was too distracted trying to figure out this fox girl. He didn't want to separate himself from her. She had a vibrant red-orange coat that was silky to the touch. He thought she might slip through his arms. She felt so different than the wolves in his pack. Her snout was slim in the most beautiful way and he couldn't help but admire her face.

"Jae... maybe you should put her down. For your own safety. We don't know what might happen when she wakes up," Mason, his beta, suggested quietly. 

"No. Do you doubt my strength as an alpha? Do you not think I can take care of her if need be?" Jae barked into Mason's ear.

"I know you're strong enough to take her, alpha," Mason bowed his head, "But we can't afford to have anything bad happen to you. If we loose you, the pack will have no true leadership."

"Jae," a quiet voice rang through everyone's ears. 

Jae's grandmother, the eldest of the pack, entered the room. A pathway was made for her so she could reach her grandson who was kneeling with a fox in his arms. When she saw this, a smile appeared on her face. 

"Thank the gods!" she rejoiced, kneeling down with Jae. Her hands moved over the fox, assessing the damage. A look of amazement settled on her face.

"Jae, I need you to put her down."

"No." he growled at his grandmother. He quickly gave an apologetic look, feeling the eyes of the pack on them.

"I can't," Jae admitted quietly to her.

"I know your instincts are telling you not to let her go, but that's not true."

"What? My instincts aren't true?" 

Speaking to the pack, Jae's grandmother began, "We have been honored with the presence of a kitsune. Evidently, this is her first time shifting. Normally, kitsune aren't powerful until years after awakening, but she already has you all under her illusions. Foxes are known to be seductresses; it's one of the their defense mechanisms. Jae, put her down. She's lured you into protecting her while she's vulnerable. You can let her go."

Closing his eyes with a clenched jaw, he loosed his grip on her. She fell through his arms and landed softly onto the floor. Immediately he felt cold.

"Kitsune are wise and clever beings. Years ago before even my time, another kitsune helped guide the Silver River pack through a dangerous time. With the threat of invading packs and our weakened unmated alpha, we may be facing the termination of our pack," Jae's grandmother announced, "But with a kitsune's help we can no doubt prevail the hardships ahead of us."

Jae hung his head low. It wasn't his fault he couldn't find his mate. He had been around to every pack in the state in search of her. Every time, he returned home mateless. He was 26 now; it's been 10 years since he was at the age most others begin finding their life mates. Without a mate he was weakened as an alpha. Without a mate, his pack was weakened without their luna.