Page 24 of Vow Of A Fox

“They aren’t fox shifters. We’re a mixed breed,” she said. “We call ourselves the Misfit Shifters.”

There was pride in her tone. It was clear she was glad to be a part of the specific crew.

“Nice,” I said with a slight nod. “So, what are they? Their animals, I mean.”

“There’s a wolf who’s basically our alpha, his mate is a raven who happens to be Xander’s sister, an eagle who’s mated to an owl, and a bobcat who’s mated to basically a shaman. Then, there’s me.”

“Mated to a human,” I deadpanned.

She lifted to the tips of her toes and brushed her lips against mine. “A sexy human.”

Need for this woman slid through me again.

“So, do I get to meet them?” I asked.

She pocketed her cell. “Of course.”

“Should I be nervous?”

Amusement glinted in her eyes. “Depends. Do you do well under judgmental stares and with sarcastic comments?”

“Practically built for it.” I grinned, earning a soft laugh from her.

Her cell chimed repeatedly with text messages.

“Good. I’m meeting them at Last Drop,” she said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “You’re coming with me, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely. I’ll drive,” I offered without hesitation. “So, what are the odds it’s karaoke night again? I still owe you that duet.”

She snorted while we exited her place and walked to my truck. “One crisis at a time, Ben.”

I laughed and popped open the passenger door for her. As we settled into my truck, I cranked the engine to life and a spark of excitement flickered through me. Meeting her crew felt like a big step—like diving deeper into her world—and I was more than ready for it.

9

SIENNA

Ben held the door open for me, and I stepped inside Last Drop, immediately becoming submerged in the rhythm of the place. I led him to the usual table in the back corner and spotted everyone already there. A small smile tugged at my lips. Until I saw the smug look on Waylen’s face as he leaned back in his chair, watching us approach. My fox bristled.

Don’t even think about it, Waylen.

“Everyone,” I said quickly, cutting him off before he could say a word. “This is Ben—my mate.” The words came out in a rush, and my heart raced as I tossed Ben a glance.

He gave a polite smile, raising a hand in a small wave, even though he clearly hadn’t expected me to be so bold with my words. “Hey.”

“Tradition,” Waylen said, lifting his beer in a toast and taking a swig.

Dean leaned forward, his gaze steady but friendly as he nodded at Ben. “Nice to meet you. Welcome to the crew.”

“Thanks. Nice to meet you all,” Ben said, returning the nod as we settled into two open chairs at the table. “Sienna’s toldme—well, not much about you yet, but I’m looking forward to learning more.”

Astrid shifted in her seat. “You’re definitely in good company here,” she said, offering Ben a warm smile, but there was curiosity in her stare. Her gaze shifted to me. “How exactly did you two manage to get a feather from Xander’s raven? I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

“I went to Lucius’s grave to see if I could find where his raven had built a nest since Ben said that ravens could be territorial and would likely be protective of places that hold significance to them,” I said. “The plan was to figure out if he had a nest there. If so, then I wanted to come up with a way we could lure him out and snag a feather. It didn’t happen that way, though.”

“What did happen?” Waylen asked, sounding impatient with my story.

I took a breath, steadying myself. “He was there and got into my head.” I glanced at Ellis. “You’re right, he’s gotten stronger.”

---