Exposed

Werefox

"Get up," a voice boomed in Ki's ears.

She groaned as something collided with her face.

"I borrowed some clothes from one of the girls. Get dressed and meet me downstairs," Jae instructed, closing the door to his room.

Jae had spent all night researching kitsune. The word itself means fox, but it's also attached to lore about fox spirits. He'd never heard of a werefox before, but technically she wasn't a werefox. Jae sighed running a hand over his face in frustration. The article online said that after the first 100 years of living, a kitsune gains the ability to transform into a human. So, that means Ki must be at least 100 years old. Is that really possible? Ki is a fox that can turn into a human. Werewolves are humans that can turn into wolves. 

"We're not the same, not really," Jae muttered aloud to himself, "How am I supposed to teach a fox how to shift? I don't know anything about kitsune..."

Feeling Ki's presence, Jae turned to see her dressed and ready to go. He gestured with his fingers to follow him and he exited the house. They walked away from the house and into the surrounding woods.

"This is where you were chasing me," Ki finally spoke.

"Yeah," Jae said curtly.

"Why would you chase me? I hadn't done anything wrong."

"You saw. Some of us were shifted, I had to make sure you didn't tell anyone for the safety of my pack."

A small smile forced its way onto Ki's face as she heard the sound of running water.

"Are we going to the river?"

"Yes, this is were you changed the first time. I thought maybe it'd be easier for you to learn here," Jae explained, sitting on a rock next to the water.

Ki passed Jae and walked straight into the water. Closing her eyes and extending her arms, she stretched herself out as much as possible, allowing the sun to completely engulf her.

"I'm going to be honest, I don't know how teach a kitsune how to shift," Jae said embarrassed.

"It's okay, I don't expect you too, Jae."

"What were you feeling and thinking when you changed the first time? Maybe if you could pinpoint those feelings-"

"The river is beautiful," Ki interrupted.

Irked, Jae responded, "Yes, it is. Now can we get started?"

"Is this the river your pack was named after?"

"What? Yes, it is. This has nothing to do with shifting, Ki. Can we focus please?" Jae spoke harshly.

"I know how to shift, Jae."

"What? How? Why are we here then?" he stood, angrily. 

"I don't know. Just standing in this river...I just understand," Ki said before shifting into a fox.

She slid out of her clothes, letting them drift down the river. Jae couldn't help but stare at the fox before him. He watched as she stepped out of the river and shook off. Her legs were damp and dripping with river water. As she trotted into the forest, she left paw prints behind. Jae followed her as she climbed over rocks and through the trees. Looking around the forest, Ki froze as her eyes landed onto a small cave. Slowly she walked towards it. It felt so familiar. The sounds of the nearby river, the smell of the dirt and trees, the view of the forest from the cave... it felt like home.

Ki ran out of the cave after her mother, her siblings following behind her. One of them tackled her to the ground, looking to play, but Ki would have none of it. She quickly shoved her brother off of her and ran to catch up to her mother. 

'Where are you going?' she asked, eagerly. 

'Stay with your siblings. Protect them.'

'Where are you going?' Ki asked again, but this time with worry.

'I must help the Silver River pack, Ki.'

'Why? We have no business with the wolves!'

'Ki, your father is a wolf.'

"What the hell," Ki shouted as she woke from her vision. 

"What's wrong?" Jae asked worried.

Ki sat all the way up, holding her forehead in her hand. Once again, Jae removed his shirt and offered it to Ki. With a thankful smile she pulled the shirt onto her body.

"Jae, I'm half wolf!"

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"I just remembered something! I had a vision! I was raised here! My mother, she said my father was a wolf in your pack! The Silver River pack!"

"Okay, that's ... something. I don't know what to think," Jae spoke slowly, thinking to himself.

"Jae?"

"What?"

"You're kind of ... submissive for an alpha."

"Excuse me?" Jae yelled, defending his position as alpha, "How the hell do you know what an alpha is supposed to be like?"

"You admit too often to not knowing what to do! It shows weakness! I'm not part of your pack, Jae. You are not my alpha. I'm going to tell you what I see when I see it because you being an alpha means nothing to me. Foxes live on their own. We don't need a pack like you wolves do. I just want to offer you some advice," Ki spoke, strongly.

"What, then?"

"Don't let your alpha disposition falter. You show too much weakness. That's something you should only show to a select trustworthy few. A group with a weak leader is more prone to chaos," she finished with affection in her tone.

"And you're one of those few? I read up on kitsune... you're cunning, clever, and manipulative. Foxes are not to be trusted according to the rest of the world."

"Kitsune have been protecting your pack for the past 9 centuries. Maybe you can't trust foxes, but I, apparently, am here to protect you. I know you know you can trust me, Jae."

A loud grumble echoed throughout the trees causing Jae to laugh. He offered a hand to Ki, which she gladly took, and they began their walk back to the pack house.

"Maybe we should have eaten breakfast before coming out here," Jae said lightheartedly.

"That would have been nice," Ki teased.