Page 26

The flap tilted, and Joss screamed and leaped on a chair while fumbling his phone.

“Don’t phone emergency services.” I should contact pest control, though.

“I didn’t expect an intruder to crawl through that tiny opening.” Poor Joss was screeching.

“It’s not human. Don’t worry.”

A fox, his red fur and black-tipped tail illuminated in the kitchen light tore through the flap.

“What are you doing? Trying to destroy my life.” I glared at the fox. If I tried to catch it, he’d bite me. He’d done it many times when we were kids. And Joss might insist I get a rabies shot. Probably a good idea because who knew what nasty viruses my brother harbored.

“Don’t shout at me. You’re the one bringing a wild animal into the house.”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” This was a disaster, especially as my brother’s beast was leaping from sofa to coffee table to armchair. If he tried to run past me, I’d grab him. Yes, he was a fox, but my shifter reflexes would allow me to grab him, and I’d wring his neck, the human one.

“Call me crazy but I doubt the fox understands you.” Joss was tearing at his hair and had given up on his phone. I had to get my brother’s beast out of the house before I could begin to calm Joss.

“Is this what they mean when they say crazy like a fox?”

Please don’t use that expression. My beast wasn’t amused, but he also questioned why my brother’s fox was having all the fun.

He’s showing off.Ignore him.

The chair Joss was standing on wobbled, and I stabilized it. Gods, if he fell on the floor and the fox jumped over him, my mate might faint.

“Hey, you. You’ve done enough damage.” I pointed to the kitchen door. “Now scoot and I’ll deal with you later.” Did he just wink at me? What the freak?

The fox scooted out with a final flourish of his tail, and the cat flap tilted back and forth, the creaking getting on my nerves. But Joss’s heavy breathing was a worry. He needed to breathe into a paper bag.

“The fox has gone. It’s okay, you can come down.”

“C-c-can’t.”

I pulled out a chair beside him and got on it. “Look at me, Joss.” His lashes fluttered, and his eyes slid to the left and right, constantly moving. “Joss. You’re safe. I’m here, and I want you to breathe with me.” I put out my hands, but it was his decision whether he took them. Eventually he did, and we breathed together and got off the chairs.

I placed him on the couch and put a blanket around his shoulders. He sipped on water, and I waited until he was ready to speak.

“Thank you. Sorry I yelled earlier.”

“I’m sorry too. Didn’t mean to bring up a previous conversation and use it against you. And most humans would have reacted the same way you did.”

“Humans?”

Oops!

14

JOSS

Human. Did he just say human? No. That wouldn’t make any sense, would it?

“Human,” a voice from the other side of the door the fox had just exited through said.

Garner barked in reply, “Go home.”

The door handle turned, the door pushing open as if in slow motion. The scene before me was making absolutely no sense, and it was about to get worse.

Standing there, like it was no big deal, was his brother, Booker. Only he wasn’t the same Booker I knew from work. Nope. He was buck-ass naked. Not a single stitch of clothing on him.