Page 18 of Vow Of A Fox

I crouched lower behind the brush I stood near, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure she could hear it, while I continued to stare at her. The logical part of my brain tried to string together some explanation for what I’d seen, something that would make this moment fit into the world I thought I knew.

But it was impossible.

Sienna had transformed into a fox right in front of my eyes. My mind raced, replaying every interaction we’d ever had. The way she seemed so sharp, so attuned to everything around her and the things that she said. The way she’d moved through the woods earlier, quiet, surefooted, and mesmerizing.

It all made sense now.

And yet, it didn’t.

I swallowed hard, gripping the bark of a nearby tree to steady myself. The shock I felt was one thing, but what unsettled me even more was the awe that came with it. Sienna had obliterated the rules of reality—of physics—and somehow, instead of fear, all I felt toward her was wonder.

I focused on the beautiful fox cautiously making her way deeper into the woods. If I didn’t move soon, I’d lose her. Instinct kicked in again, and that undeniable pull I felt toward her lured me forward once more.

7

SIENNA

My fox crept forward, her paws silent against the damp earth, while she twitched her nose, scanning the air for the scent of Xander’s raven. The forest felt alive, and the trees seemed to whisper that danger was close.

Lucius’s grave was nearby.

My fox and I could both sense it. The suffocating heaviness in the air pressed against my fox. She grew more alert as the sharp scent of decay intensified.

Had it always smelled this way in this section of the woods? Or was it because of who was buried here?

When Lucius’s grave came into view, a shiver slid through my fox. She didn’t want to be here any more than I did, but we both knew that we had to figure out if this was where Xander’s raven had decided to nest. My fox lifted her gaze to the treetops, but before she could scan for any sign of a nest, a noise sounded behind her.

My fox froze.

The instinct to run powered through me, but she didn’t react the same way. Instead, she slowly turned around without a hint of the panic I felt. It took me all of two seconds to realize why.

Ben.

He stood a few feet back, partially hidden by a tree. His posture was cautious, but not threatening. It was clear he hadn’t expected to have been heard or seen. The look on his face—a mixture of curiosity and wonder—made my stomach drop.

He’d seen me shift.

He knew what I was.

The truth hit me like a swift punch to the gut. There was no undoing this, no taking it back. Ben knew shifters existed now.

Why hadn’t my fox noticed he was behind us?

When she straightened her posture, I realized that she had. She hadn’t wanted me to know, though. That explained how I’d missed his presence entirely.

Shit.

What was I supposed to do now?

For a long moment, my fox and I stared at him. His gaze was fixed on us, too. Of course it was. Something flickered through his hazel eyes.

Understanding? Admiration? What was that?

Before I could think on it further, the sudden sharp, piercing caw of a raven shattered the silence of the night. My fox tensed, instinct taking over as she crouched low to the ground. Xander’s raven swooped down from a branch high above, his glossy black feathers glinting faintly in the moonlight. My fox zeroed in on him as he landed on top of Lucius’s grave. The air suddenly filled with a darker, more ominous energy, which sent alarm nipping at my fox.

We needed to get Ben out of here.

Before my fox could do anything, the suffocating, invasive reach of Xander’s mind control slammed into her. Pain lanced through her skull, nearly bringing her flat to the ground, and fury surged through us both because neither of us wanted to fucking bow to him again.

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