Fox in the Quarter

C
opyright © May 2015
, Audrey Claire

N
o part
of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express written permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

T
his book is
a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story line are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

“
G
in
,” Nathan shouted and slapped his cards down on the table. He reared back in his chair and hung an arm over the side. First he balanced on two legs and then one. I marveled at his agility for a man so gigantic. Unfortunately, Nathan caught me looking and winked with a big grin on his face. As if I would be interested in him. Wasn’t happening, but that didn’t stop my friend from trying—often.

I harrumphed and studied the cards in my hand. “I can’t get the hang of this game. The most I used to play back in Summit’s Edge was a round or two of pinochle, and that was rare. I lost more pennies than I won.”

Nathan rose and tapped the top of my head before moving to the kitchen. I heard the refrigerator open and the rattle of beer bottles. “That’s because you don’t have any luck.”

“I have just as much luck as anyone else.”

I glared at him when he returned gulping a beer. He set a glass of red wine on the table and slid it closer to me. “Then no one has luck.”

“Nathan, why do you have to try my patience every time I see you?”

“I thought you were losing your emotions?” he countered.

Leave it to the werewolf with no social graces to rub it in. Was it any wonder he didn’t have a girlfriend?

“Give it a try, Rue.”

“I’m not going to attempt to drink wine in front of you. I told you my stomach is funny, and I can’t keep it down.”

“I’m not afraid of a little mess.”

I scanned the apartment, which he shared with his roommate, Dalton. I had met him once or twice, just long enough to confirm he was indeed the ladies man that Nathan claimed he was. Dalton had actually believed I would fall for his charming words and tumble into bed with him. At least he didn’t dislike me because I was vampire, which was refreshing. Not refreshing enough to take him up on his offer.

Nathan and Dalton’s apartment, although sizable—and it had to be to accommodate the two gigantic werewolves—was always cluttered with magazines and books, leftover takeout containers, and an assortment of other items that screamed bachelor. “From the state of this place, I know you’re not afraid of mess. It looks like you invite it even though you claimed you would clean up before I arrived tonight.”

“I did.” Nathan pointed to the two trash bags set by the front door. “It was much worse.”

“If you cared about me at all, you would have gotten rid of that stuff. Just like your nose burns whenever you kill a demon, mine burns with these…smells.”

Nathan had just dropped into his chair. At my words, he leaped to his feet. “It does? You should have said so, Rue! I’m sorry.”

I tried to stop him, but he moved like the inhuman creature he was and whisked the trash bags out the door. Other trash followed, and he raced around the room, gathering every piece of garbage to dispose of it. Nathan might be disgusting, but he was a sweet disgusting, and he was my best friend.

On one of his trips out the door, something came in right beside him. Nathan didn’t notice. I blinked and looked again, but whatever it was disappeared. Perhaps it was my imagination.

The door banged the wall when Nathan was all done, and he jogged into the bathroom. When he returned, he held a spray canister, decorated in pink flowers.

“Hold on, Nathan,” I said.

He pressed the nozzle before I finished speaking the words. A flood of flowery scent filled the air. We both howled and made for the door, clutching our noses. In the hall, we sank to the floor, and he burst out laughing.

“You goof ball,” I chided him. “That was too much.”

“Now you tell me.” He grinned, rubbing his nose. “No wonder the can was still full.”

“You’re the one who bought it.”

He looked thoughtful. “I didn’t. Dalton must have, but it gives me satisfaction thinking he might have done the same thing to himself.”

I bumped his arm. “You’re terrible. Think it’s dissipated enough yet?”

He hesitated, glancing at his apartment door with dread. I pursed my lips. “Fine, little baby, I’ll check.”

In all honesty, Nathan’s sense of smell was far more developed than mine. I was still learning. I hadn’t been a vampire long, but I knew every feature and every one of my abilities would be enhanced as I grew older. New ones might appear, but no one could tell me what they would be.

I stood and pushed the door. In the narrow opening, I tested the air with a sniff and found it safe to venture farther. Nathan waited in the hall for me to give the all clear. I traversed the short hall into his living room with a finger laid across my nostrils just in case. That’s when I saw it, in the corner by the floor lamp Nathan had said Dalton knocked over so many times to have rendered it useless. He kept the skeleton ball gown lamp because it was a “conversation starter and charms the ladies,” but it wasn’t the creepy piece that captured my attention at the moment.

The creature I had seen walk right by Nathan stood at the base of the lamp staring at me. Snow white fur, slanted blue eyes, a narrow snout, and stubby little legs. He was insanely cute and completely wrong. I crouched closer to him and held up a finger as if I were back in my schoolteacher days.

“It’s summer,” I said. “Wrong coat.”

The fox’s eyes widened, and just like that, he disappeared.

“What’s taking so long?” Nathan asked behind me, and I shuffled to my feet.

“Did you see it?”

He scanned the room. “See what?”

“The artic fox.”

“Artic…?” He frowned. “Why would there be a fox in my apartment?”

I pointed to the corner where I had seen the creature. “There was an artic fox over there. In fact, I’m pretty sure he walked right by you when you opened the door earlier. You’re telling me you didn’t see it?”

“Rue, baby, I think the fumes have addled your brains.”

“Don’t call me baby, but I’m telling
you
it was there, Nathan. I’m not crazy.”

Nathan sniffed the air. He searched every inch of the place, even the kitchen and the closets. I opened my senses, which were useful for me to know when enemies were near. I had a lot of growing to do in that area, but I did all right. Besides, my sense of smell made up for awkwardness in other areas. At that moment, I could neither sense the fox nor smell him. In fact, he hadn’t even left behind a residual aroma. Perhaps I
was
losing my marbles.

“I’m pretty sure I’d know if someone or something came in here,” Nathan said. “So, we on for another round or what?”

I flopped onto his couch and drew my legs up. “No more cards. Let’s go with a movie. What do you have for me?”

Nathan’s eyes brightened. “I have three—psycho people, psycho robots, or psycho monsters.”

“Ugh is every one of them a rampage of death and destruction?”

“I like it.”

“It feeds your temper. This is the fourth coffee table you’ve broken, Nathan, because you get worked up with the movies. I think you need bunnies and kittens. Maybe a family movie.”

He grimaced. “It’s the
third
time. I fixed this table before Dalton found out, and bunnies and kittens would send me on a rampage.”

I laughed. “Okay, one more round of cards, but that’s it, pal. Then you can take me out on the town.”

“A date?”

“No.”

He grumbled and dealt the cards. I chewed a thumbnail, trying to recall the rules. No doubt the issue was my lack of interest and my wandering mind. Nathan slapped down a card, and I followed with one of my own. Perhaps I should visit my son Jake. No, he hated when I changed our scheduled visits without notice. We were adjusting to the new life apart. I didn’t stop missing him, but being able to assure myself he was safe was most important.

“Rue!”

I blinked. “What? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Did I play the wrong card?”

“No, a miracle happened. You won.”

I stared at the cards on the table, and it seemed he was right. I didn’t know what I had done, so I couldn’t repeat it, but once was enough. “Read them and weep, my friend!”

“You have a drop of luck after all.”

“Skill, Nathan.
Skill.”

“Whatever, vampire.”

He was gathering the cards and stuffing them back into the box, tossing out suggestions for where we might enjoy a night out. I opened my mouth to offer a couple more and then froze. Right there in the center of the coffee table the little fox sat before me. His fluffy white tail curled around tiny paws, and blue eyes winked at me.

I glanced at Nathan. No reaction at all, although the fox sat inches from his forearm. The cute little beast had to be within Nathan’s vision and definitely within his scent, but Nathan didn’t know. How in the world could that be?

“Watashi o tasuketekudasai.”

“What?” I confess I shrieked in alarm. Nothing much ever startled me these days. “Was that some other language?”

Nathan glanced up. “Huh? I said Fulton’s. We were going to meet there the first night we met, remember? We could go bowling. I didn’t think that would be a foreign language to you, but maybe they don’t have it in a small town.”

“Don’t be silly, Nathan. We have bowling in Summit’s Edge. I meant…”

The fox was still there, watching me, but now I realized there seemed to be a plea in his gaze.

“Nathan, you don’t see the fox sitting right there?”

My friend stiffened. He narrowed his eyes at me, and then a low growl started in his throat. Nathan didn’t have much patience for sneaky nonhumans. His least favorite was demons, and he killed them without reserve. If one wanted to question said demon, one had better meet the creature alone or hold off Nathan. Holding off a rabid werewolf was next to impossible.

“If there’s something uninvited in my den, I will kill it,” he growled in a voice gone much deeper. I noted the fingers on his right hand curling, and it was just a matter of time before claws formed. Nathan could transform almost at will, but it took losing his temper. He wasn’t overly reasonable in his wolf form, so I wanted to head it off.

“Calm down, Nathan. I don’t think the little guy means any harm.”

“Little guy?” Nathan snapped his teeth together, reminding me he had hunted for his meals in leaner times.

I swallowed. “Yes, it’s a cute little fox.”

“Don’t let cuteness fool you, Rue. Demons can look beautiful.”

“Every creature isn’t a demon, Mr. Obsessive. Now, will you give me a chance to question him?”

Nathan folded his arms over a barrel chest and leaned back in his chair. His gaze scoured the room in every direction but missed the fox. “He’s got one minute.”

And then what? You’ll scratch at the air?

“Thanks,” I said and turned back to the fox. “Can you speak English, little one?”

I should note here that I had met several different types of creatures in my time, so it didn’t surprise me that a fox could speak. Although, come to think of it, Nathan couldn’t in his wolf form, which was interesting.

The fox’s tail twitched. A tiny mouth opened to reveal pointed teeth. I waited.

“I think….” it tested. “I think I can. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “Now, can you show yourself so my friend can see you?”

The fox glanced over its shoulder at Nathan. I guessed at its doubt. “He looks hungry.”

“No, I promise. He won’t eat you, will you, Nathan?”

Nathan made no promises.

Then the fox’s body, which I realized appeared to be made up of smoke, changed and became more solid. Nathan knocked his chair over standing and staring. “What the hell?”

“Did you think I was crazy?”

“No. I trust you, Rue.” He narrowed his eyes at the fox and bent down to sniff it. The fox raised a paw and smacked Nathan’s nose.

“How rude,” the fox snapped.

“I could kill you,” Nathan threatened.

“You promised you wouldn’t,” I reminded him.

“I’ve never made a promise like that.”

“Nathan, if you don’t behave, we’re both leaving. Is that what you want?”

He huffed and picked his chair up, but as he sat down, his gaze never left the fox, and I sensed tension in his muscles. “He doesn’t have a scent. I don’t understand that, and I don’t like it. Even you have a scent, Rue.”

“Well, thank you. I don’t like that ‘even’ part. Anyway, little fox, what are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you.” He bowed his head and then looked into my eyes. “I’m Kitsune, and I’ve been told Rue Darrow, the vampire, works as a tracker to help humans.”

“You’re not human,” Nathan snarled. I glared him into silence.

Kitsune continued. “I want you to help me find my companion. Her name is Yukiko. She’s human, and she’s missing.”