Page 48 of Fire of the Fox

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the curling heat his grin caused. Instead, I tried to mentally prepare for what was about to happen.

“Perfect!” Avana clapped her hands. She studied Rune, walking in a slow circle around him. When she stood in front of him again, she pointed at his mouth, which he opened so she could evaluate his canines.

Avana faced me then and watched me intently. She held her chin, mumbling, “I’ll have to alter the color slightly, but that’s fine. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

She stood up straight, and her eyes bore into mine. After a few moments, tingles erupted along my spine and traveled down, ending where my back and rear met. It was such an odd sensation, especially there, and I desperately wanted to scratch at it to make the tingling stop. I fought the urge and remained still as the tips of my fingers began to buzz, followed by my gums. Last came the ticklish vibration on the top of my head. It felt like bugs crawling around on my scalp, and I had to ball my hands into fists to keep from clawing at my head. But when I closed my fists, sharp nails bit into my palms.

“Okay! All done! What do we think, boys?” She grabbed my shoulders and spun me around so that everyone could see me.

“Holy shit,” Bassel laughed. “You look exactly like a Fox Fae.”

I smiled at that, my sharp canines now exposed.

Approval melted into Bassel’s dark eyes, and he nodded. “You look hot, Kitsune-chan.”

“God, you can’t tell that you’re a human at all. You’re stunning.” Akira beamed at me.

Giggling, I glanced over at Rune. His eyes were fixated on me, traveling the length of my body. Heat pooled in my lower abdomen at the intensity of his gaze, and the world seemed to slip away. There was just him, taking in all of me. Drinking in the sight of me. A warm tension started to build between us, and when his eyes locked onto mine again, my breath stilled in my throat. His cheeks had grown rosy, and fire lit his amber eyes.

Rune was blushing.

Someone cleared his throat, ending whatever had been happening between us. My cheeks flamed, and Rune quickly turned for his room, striding away from us. My heart sank a bit as he disappeared. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I had been hoping he’d compliment me. It was clear that he liked what he saw, but it would’ve been nice to hear it from him, too.

Avana nudged me gently. Chuckling, she whispered, “I think he likes it.”

“Pfft,” Akira teased. “Liked it? He loved it. He probably has to go cool off, if you know what I mean.”

I let out a laugh, my stomach suddenly in tight knots. Heat crept up my neck and across my face, and I ducked my head. “Yeah right,” I mumbled. “I doubt it.”

I ran my tongue over my new set of pearly whites. It felt weird talking with two elongated, sharp canines, almost like my mouth was too full. I’d definitely have to practice talking naturally with them before we went to Rune’s home. I refused to fail just because I wasn’t used to talking with some extra sharp teeth.

Akira nudged Avana with his elbow and asked, “So, Avana, have you decided if you’re gonna come with us or not? It would be a lot easier to pull this off if you were there to keep her disguise from wearing off.”

“You’re coming, too?” I asked, suddenly a bit more enthusiastic.

“We all thought it would be a good idea since I’m the sole Fae who can keep up your ruse. I had to pull some strings over at my shop, but yes, I’ll be tagging along.”

Smiling, I let out the breath I’d been holding. “That’s a relief. I’m glad you’ll be coming.”

“What, Bria?” Bassel asked. “Not excited to be going on a trip with all of us boys?”

“You guys are great, but it will be nice to not be solely surrounded by testosterone.”

“I hear that,” Avana laughed. She placed a hand on my shoulder, turning my attention back to her. “You still haven’t seen your new look. Why don’t you go take a peek in the bathroom?”

Realizing she was right, I made my way down the hall. My nerves were an absolute mess the closer I got. I could see my nails, which had turned into claws, and I could feel the fangs poking at my lip. The thought of actually seeing the entirety of my transformation was enough to send my mind reeling. Flicking on the bathroom light, I closed my eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. I was at a loss when I opened my eyes to my reflection.

Two pointy ears sat erect on my head. They blended seamlessly into the colors of my hair at the base and faded into a rich black the higher they went. The strands of hair sticking out of my bun teased the edges of my ears, tickling them. I choked on my budding laughter when I realized I could feel with these things. They weren’t merely an illusion for the eyes but used for touch, too. They twitched at the sensation, and I nearly gasped, watching the motion.

I stood on my tiptoes and turned to the side, bringing my tail into view. The black fur was thick, and my tail was large. I let out a breathy laugh, and I reached behind me to grab it. I nearly leapt out of my skin when my fingers brushed the extremity. Not only could I feel the contact through my hands, but I could feel it through the tail itself, too, which was an odd sensation. It left goosebumps on my arms.

They were all mine. The claws, the fangs, the ears, the tail.

I was a Fox Fae.

At least appearance-wise.

Movement in the mirror caught my attention. Rune stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes met mine in the mirror, and we held each other’s gaze. Heat still simmered in his eyes, and I couldn’t ignore the ache that settled low in my abdomen as he regarded me.

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