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I smile when I hear that whine. My eyes are closed again and I tilt Nero’s chin more to brush my lips across their neck. ”Yes, my little imp?”

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I carry the last bag since Nic has taken it upon himself to be a pack mule. I open the back door so we can set the stuff on the seats after Nic unlocks the doors.

”No. I think I’d like to be the one surprised today,” I say, smiling up at Nic.

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Kimiko’s robe gaps at the top more when she crosses her arms. I try to stop myself from looking. I really do, but my eyes shift to see the top of her breasts swell as she gets angry with me. She tightens her robe, and I shift my feet, taking a step towards staff housing.

”Ya, sure,” I say quickly with a nod. ”I’ll meet you in the living room again.” I said before leaving. Why did I just agree to sit near her and torture myself for another couple of hours?

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I wiggle a little more before I turn and grab his face his face with both hands. “Is there any chance of me accidentally sharing an experience with Avery right now?” I ask, very much hoping the answer is no.

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I look down to grin at her. “I was hoping you’d say that.” I say excitedly. I shut the back once the bags are in and help Cass into her seat before I start driving us towards the Fox River preserve.

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Did I see that correctly? I shake my head - no, Avery was just doing his flirty act. I hurry back into the house. I pull on the sweatshirt I had one before we went for a ride earlier and some comfortable shorts, checking my reflection real quick. Wait? Why do I care what I look like?? I shake my head and put on my glasses, grabbing my phone and putting on some fox head shaped slippers before heading to the living room.

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I almost protested when they grabbed my face as they were ruining my fun, however, Nero’s comment makes me grin. ”No. There won’t be a pack connection for the two of you yet. Why do you ask?” I asked in an effort to tease Nero.

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I remove my shoes and socks once we are back in the car and I start to dry them off with the towel I still have. ”What’s your dad doing today? Should we check in with him?” I remembered the pictures Nic received yesterday of his dad, and once again, I was monopolizing all of Nic’s time today. I was sure the two of them would be worried about the other if they didn’t speak all day.

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I hopped back into the shower once I was in my room to rinse off the chlorine. I was already clean, so it was a quicker shower. I dressed casually but nice enough for supper, doubting I would be returning back to my room before the meal. It was a warmer day, so I kept the fabrics light and loose. I added the gold chain that Cass had gotten me for my birthday one year and double-checked my appearance in the mirror before I lightly sprayed on some cologne.

As I slipped on my shoes and made my way back across the yard, I wondered why I was trying so hard for a meal we were having at home. She was probably going to tease me. I could just use the excuse that I had been hanging out with Caden too long. Ya… ya, that would work.

I opened the back door of the house and walked inside, leaving my shoes by the door, and found Kimiko already in the living room.

”Have you found a game or anything on TV?” I asked, reclaiming the same spot on the couch I had last time.

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I playfully glare at Caden, knowing he’s being purposefully obtuse. “Oh, no reason.” I say, smirking at him with an eyebrow cocked. Two could play at this game.

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I make sure I don’t have the place pulled up on my phone and toss it to Cass. “Kat and Jane said they would take him out for lunch today. You wanna check if they sent any pictures?” I ask with a smile. The directions are pulled up on the SUV’s radio monitor.

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I sit up in surprise at Avery’s voice, feeling like my heart just restarted. I can’t help but stare at him as he joins me on the couch. His outfit was nice and the buttons weren’t clasped completely so I could just see his chest. ”Well, I feel vastly underdressed now.” I say once he sits down and I’m able to finally move my mouth.

“And not yet, I just got here.” I look around for the remote before spotting it by Avery. Not thinking, I lean over him to grab it.

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I grinned, my eyes narrowing when Nero decided to play along with me. ”Mmm, don’t worry. We’ll make sure the wolf doesn’t hear you screaming my name later,” I said.

Now that Nero was facing me, I had to reposition my hands. I tucked my fingers under their chin as I spoke before using my thumb to push on their jawbone and tilt their head away. I placed a kiss over Nero’s pulse before I gently sucked on the spot.

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I smile, catching Nic’s phone and flip through his messages to find a new one from them. It’s a picture of the three of them. Nic’s dad looks overwhelmed by the amount of food on the table in front of them, but he seems happy.

”Smile, but no reckless driving,” I tell Nic and turn the front camera of the phone on. I lean over the console and take a picture of me grinning and Nic driving. I send the photo off before setting Nic’s phone in the cupholder.

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I chuckled when Kimiko inevitably called me out on how I was dressed. ”Blame Caden. I had to vastly improve my wardrobe for when I’m supposed to be a guest of his at places rather than a driver or bodyguard,” I explained.

I get comfortable on the couch while Kimiko looks for the remote. I throw one arm up on the back of the couch and cross my opposite leg over my knee. Just as I’m settled, Kimiko crawls over and reaches around me to grab the remote. The smell of her shampoo and conditioner invades my senses, and I have half the mind just to wrap my arm around her and keep her there.

”Um, hi,” I said. I can feel my wolf very near the surface, and very interested in this entire interaction. My eyes seem to pick up on the details of Kimiko’s clothes, her hair, and her face. I’m certain that means my eyes have shifted, and I work on breathing to get them to go back, but it isn’t simple when all I can smell is her, and all I can think about is how much I want to be buried in that smell.

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That undid me. Wiggling as I get breathless, I place my hands on Caden’s chest, but I don’t actually push him away. ”Th-that’s good.” I manage to mumble, hating that he had this much of an effect on me.

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I flash a grin, dimples showing, at my phone for Cass, only briefly glancing over before I shift my focus back to the road. “I’ll assume since you asked me to smile, all is good?” I ask with a smile as I drive the curved road towards the preservation.

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Am I blind? Why did I think leaning over Avery would be a good idea? I grab the remote and quickly sit back on my side of the couch. I refuse to look at Avery and instead focus on the TV and finding a channel. “Sorry - wasn’t thinking.” I squeak out as I start channel surfing, not really paying attention to what’s even on the screen.

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When I feel their hands on my chest, resting but also lightly pushing, I pull back from Nero’s neck to look at them. ”Do you want me to play the piano for you again?”

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[color=#DB7093]”Oh!”[/coor] I exclaim and laugh, remembering Nic would probably like to know how his father is doing, as well. ”I’m fairly certain Kat and Jane are trying to put your father into a food coma. You’ll have to look at the picture to see the amount of food they ordered. He looks happy, though. Maybe a little tired, but that could be from the momentous task he has to complete in eating that mountain,” I joked.

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I shift in my seat, breathing deeply again to clear my head and relax my body. ”It’s fine. You just caught me off-guard,” I said. I wait for my eyes to shift back before glancing at Kimiko. Her squeak was rather amusing, and I was starting to wonder if I wasn’t the only one having a hard time.

I did see how she looked at me today, and it seemed different somehow, but I wasn’t sure if I was just reading into things because I was looking at her differently.

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I pout, my resolve quickly failing me. ”No, I don’t want you to play the piano again.” I say, my tone a little grumpy now.

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I chuckle, only imagining what the picture could look like. “It used to be the they, my parents, and myself would go once a month to a restaurant just to catch up on everyone’s lives. I think Jane and Kat are trying to start that up again.” I say with a small smile.

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“That makes sense - don’t wanna do that to you or your wolf.” I joke flatly while I find some random sports game to put on. I toss the remote between us and tuck my legs into my arms. I rest my chin on my knees and watch.

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”Ah, you want me to play my other favourite instrument,” I said. I stood up and picked Nero up off the couch. ”I can do that.” I grinned and carried Nero from the music room up the stairs to our bedroom.

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I smiled as Nic explained some of his family traditions. ”Oh, I like that,” I said, nodding in agreement. ”I also like how you’ve created such an extended family… It’s nice not to have to be alone and have people to share things with.”

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I fall silent as Kimiko finds a game for us to watch. I turn my focus to the screen, but I’m not really following what’s happening. I drum my fingers on my leg before I look over at Kimiko.

”Does that happen with you and your fox? Are you two separate entities like the wolf in me, or are you one in the same?” I ask curiously.

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”Well, now that they’re trying to keep the tradition alive, you can join us for future ones.” I offer, reaching over and squeezing her hand gently. I let go to turn into the car lot to find a good spot to park.

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I peek over at Avery, not expecting him to ask that. “Um, well…” I mute the TV and shift to face Avery, knowing this conversation is going to be a bit of a doozy.

“I’m told my habit of getting angry easily is the fox’s effect on me, but there’s a lot of unknowns until I catch up to my mother. You see, fox-spirits can either be messengers of the gods or oni, demons. I would hope my da was smart enough to not have slept with a kitsune-oni but…” I shrug, leaving that to hang in the air instead.

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I smile and beam at Nic. ”I think I’d like that,” I said. I had fun on the double date with Jane and Kat, and I enjoyed having supper with his father last night. It made sense that I would like to spend time with all of them in one room.

We make it to the park and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I can see multiple trailheads plush a few picnic shelters from the parking lot. I’m sure there are more places hidden within the trees. I open up my door and I can smell the lake in the distance.

I hop out of the car, forgoing shoes this time. I can usually figure out where to step and where not to step.

”This place is gorgeous, Nic,” I compliment.

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I stare at the silent TV for a minute before looking at Kimiko when she turns to face me. I just turn my head to look at her, deciding to keep my body away from facing her.

”Oh,” I said, trying to absorb everything she just said. ”So…is that why you’re looking for your mom? To figure out which one she is?”

There was still a lot that I was learning about my wolf, but at least I had people I could call if something new happened to me.

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“I thought so too.” I tell Cass with a grin after looking at the photo from Jane. I went to the back of the SUV and grabbed everything I could.

“I should have grabbed a blanket…” I say when I realize. I poke the towel I used on Cass, but it was still damp.

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I nod, flashing a grimaced smile his way. “Partially, yeah… I’m starting to think the fox might have more control than I’ve bargained for with how I react around you.” I trail off before I twist, letting my legs lay out a little and resting on my hip to watch the TV.

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I grab a couple of bags to help Nic out, and I notice the dilemma. ”I’m sure we could find a bench,” I said. ”Although, I’m sure I’ll just sit on the ground anyways,” I informed Nic. I wiggle my toes on the warm pavement before I step from the parking lot onto the cool grass and sigh. Yes, I would definitely find a nice spot on the ground to sit.

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”Oh,” I said, trying not to sound disappointed. ”With the anger thing or just emotions in general?” I asked. So…maybe she didn’t feel the same way and was only reacting because her fox was reacting. ”The Men of Letters or Caden weren’t able to find anything on your mom?” I asked, moving the conversation forward.

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“Yeah, that will be fine. And we can repack the groceries and use an empty paper bag as a little ‘table’ for putting together the sandwiches.” I turn and smile at Cass as walk. “I should have known you’d be just fine without a blanket though.” I say with a small laugh.

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Is that disappointment in his voice? I turn my face towards him. “Does your wolf have other emotions? Anger has just always been at the forefront of my struggle with the fox but I don’t think it affects other emotions… I really should reach out to some of the kitsune Caden knows but I hate asking for help.” I tuck my legs back into my arms and stare at the television, not really watching.

“I mean, both the Men of Letters and Caden have information on kitsune, but my mother used an alias and my scroll doesn’t actually give me any other info outside of the humans who made the offering and where they are… I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”

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I grinned at Nic and nodded. ”Yes. You should have,” I declared, pretending to be offended as I waltzed into the park. I walked ahead of Nic, letting my feet lead us to our destination.

I wandered down a little path that opened into a much larger area. To the left, through some trees and under some brush, was a smaller, hidden path. Grinning like a child, I hurried for the path and bent myself around trees. It would likely be more of a squeeze for Nic because of his height, but it was worth it.

There were a series of willow trees seeming to lean on each other. The grass was lush and green with little flowers. The space was virtually untouched, but you could see shoe prints that had crushed down the grass in areas. Under one of the willows, there was even a bench. It wasn’t a secret spot by any means, but it was unoccupied for the time being.

I wiggled happily and jogged over to the bench to set my stuff down. I immediately placed my hands on the trees and greeted them like old friends.

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I shift my arm off the back of the couch, holding my hands together as I think about how to word my response to Kimiko’s question. Her second of the day, even though she said she would only ask me once a day.

”He does. He experiences many different emotions like any other animal does. Hunger, anger, grief, desire. But whereas humans can regulate their emotions, animals cannot, so whatever the wolf feels becomes heightened. Likewise, because I am a werewolf, I have a hard time keeping my emotions in check. I feel things naturally, but they become heightened because the wolf and I are one and the same. I’m sorry. I’m probably explaining this badly. The wolf doesn’t influence how I feel. I feel what I feel. It just feels more because the wolf doesn’t know self-control.”

I glanced at Kimiko once I was done to try and gauge how she felt about what I had just said or tried to say. ”I think it would be a good idea to reach out to the other kitsune. Don’t think of it as asking for help. Think of it as research or a history lesson,” I suggested.

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I follow Cass, smirking a little at her response to me. I let her walk ahead of me, following at a slower pace so I don’t catch up as quickly. I duck through and under the trees to follow her, no longer having to slow my pace as she has an easier time. When I reach her, I grin at her reaction. She’s absolutely adorable. I start setting the food down while she does what I can only guess is communicating with the trees. I get to work on getting one of the paper bags to use as a placemat and start setting up a little sandwich station.

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I hadn’t really meant for Avery to give me a detailed explanation, but it’s nice of him to answer it. I nod along to what he says. It makes sense and goes along with some of what he had said the other night when we talked. “You explained just fine. Sorry, I know I promised one question a day, but thank you for answering.” I crack a smile as he continues, encouraging me to reach out to the other kitsune.

“You’re right… Eventually I’ll be able to convince myself of that, I’m sure.”

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The trees are young still with another ten years or so of life left in them. They were planted together and truly seemed like the best of friends. I smiled, looking up to watch the sunlight dance in-between their swaying branches. I lingered for another several minutes before I took a step back and joined Nic.

I sit down, wiggling my toes into the grass while Nic sets everything up. I dig through the bag with the drinks for the sparkling raspberry cider, and pour us a cup each.

”This was a great idea,” I declared. I was in a good mood to start with, but being out here, surrounded by so much nature and with Nic, my mood was ten times improved.

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I clutch my chest when Kimiko says I’m right. I can’t help but to be a smartass sometimes. Well, most of the time. It was just so easy to do.

”I’m right? I’m sorry. Can you repeat that? And say it slowly. I want to savour this moment,” I joked.

I was also glad to hear that my explanation made sense, even though it sounded like I was scrambling for the right words.

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I smile, glad she’s enjoying herself. “Did the trees talk to you?” I ask, curious if that’s something Cass can do. I take my cup from Cass and take a sip before setting it down. “Also, how do you like your sandwich?” I had already made mine and have it off to the side on a plate, but it has goat cheese on it instead of regular cheese.

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Avery clutches his chest and I worry for a second, thinking something is wrong, but of course it’s just him making a smart ass comment. I grab a pillow and start hitting him with it. “No one will ever believe you.” I declare, ending each word with a smack of the pillow.

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I glance at Nic when he asks me if I can talk to the trees. I find myself hesitating for a moment. I already know I'm strange and different from anyone he's dated before, but do I want to be more strange and unusual to him?

”Yes,” I eventually hear myself say. I break open a bag of carrots and start eating them, lost in my own thoughts until Nic pulls me back again.

”Oh, you don't have to make my sandwich,” I said.

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I throw my arm up to block most of Kimiko's blows, but I'm laughing as she hits me. Each word is matched by a blow from the pillow, and it just makes me laugh more.

”I don't need anyone to believe me. I already heard you say it, and that's enough for me to treasure this moment always,” I teased further.

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“First of all, nonsense, I’m already here, let me make you a sandwich.” I say as I place two pieces of sourdough down and spread some mustard and mayo on the slices.

“Second of all;” I turn to face Cass. “The more I learn about you, the more amazing you seem. I wish I could talk to trees.” I turn back to focus on making her sandwich. “What do they even say?”

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“Treasure deez nuts!” I say, hitting Avery harder. It only take a couple of swings with the pillow before it rips open and it rains goose feathers on us. “Oops…” I say sheepishly before I start laughing at the absurdity of it all.

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