Page 3

Dove

Kairos signed me out from the medical wing the following day, paying a bill for a ridiculously large amount of money for my private room. During my recovery, I hadn’t even thought about what the cost was, and now I wondered how I would ever be able to pay him back.

Seven noticed my expression and nudged my shoulder, his whisper hitting my ear. “It’s pennies to him, Fated. He won’t allow for you to have anything but the best.”

Kairos and Enko glanced at me as Seven said the words, a keen reminder that both had heard him. Kitsune had supernatural powers, which increased with each tail earned from killing demons. And my Fated mates had many. While the magical powers of our element increased, so did super-strength, super-speed, and—privacy notwithstanding—super-hearing.

The healer sidestepped around the desk at the edge of the sterile white medical wing and retrieved a wheelchair, mentioning that any movement threatened to reopen my wounds that she had freshly bandaged. She was a stringent woman, I’d figured that out over the past few days.

When I refused the wheelchair, Enko’s arms wrapped around me, purring in my ear, “Good, I wanted to carry you anyway. I need to be close to you right now, little fox.”

I didn’t fight him as he gently lifted me from the bed, cradling me against his chest, his arms adjusting around my injured back gingerly. The healer looked at us tentatively, too afraid to interject even though she wanted to force me into the wheelchair.

Kairos led the way and Seven brought up the rear, probably to shoot silent threats at anyone who dared look my way. My dark, dangerous mate.

As we walked through the school, we passed a myriad of students, all shuffling to the wall as we passed. Normally, I would have been embarrassed by all the attention, but between the meds and my own near death experience, I didn’t care about the gossipers of the academy spreading rumors about me and my Fated mates. Not after everything that they had done for me, even after only knowing me for a few weeks. It felt like we had already known each other for a lifetime.

When we arrived at the dorm, Enko gently placed me on my bed, depositing a kiss before releasing me completely. Seven watched from near the door, his arms crossed and a scowl causing lines to form on his forehead. But as soon as I moved to relax, I let out a gasp of pain and he zoomed to my side.

“Rhys said he’ll be by later to heal you. You’re excused from classes until you’re back to full health, Fated,”

Seven said.

“I’m going to fall behind if I miss any more classes,”

I groaned, trying to sit up against the pillows. “Did you get my homework for the time I missed at least?”

Kairos rushed forward to stop me, “No, Dove. You need to rest. You heard the healer. Stop moving.”

Seven cracked a smirk. “After all you’ve been through, you’re worried you’ll fall behind? You’re top of your class on kills. You know more about demons than most third-years. You even forged a decent blade. I’d say you’re made to slay demons, Fated.”

A rare compliment from my dark mate. He must have been worried about me, despite that charming smirk trying to prove me otherwise. The scar that ran across his face twitched with the forced expression.

“I’ve been resting for days,”

I argued, slumping back into the pillows as I saw the handle of my katana on the bedside table. The archdemon Zalgore’s swing shattered the blade. The thin scar on my palm remained from its forging, the memory of my first weapon—and my first failure—destined to be ingrained within my skin for a long while yet.

“You won’t need to leave bed for your next bit of training anyway,”

Kairos purred suggestively, prowling forward as he spoke, causing my face to burn all shades of red.

How can he be thinking about mating right now? After we were just attacked by a demon army…

Seven, Kairos, and Enko’s faces contorted as the thought rang out clearly across our linked minds.

Seven laughed robustly. “Whatever you wish, Fated—”

“Seven,”

Kairos began with a warning tone, his eyes focusing on Enko’s clenched fists and heavy breathing. “I wasn’t talking about sex, Dove. I’m talking about training your mind to control those delicious little thoughts of yours. As much fun as they are.”

“Why?”

“Because of me.”

Enko spun around, shaking his head as he strode away from the bed.

Kairos shook his head. “No, Enko. Because the Lord of Nightmares knows how valuable she is to us. He would do anything to break us apart. Just like before.”

The Lord of Nightmares, a Mind kitsune who ran the nearby city of Lethe like a mob boss. I had first met him as Damon, but he was a rogue kitsune who hurt Enko with his Mind powers. While he employed some of the more harmless demons, he also guarded the eternal Hellgate hidden within the city, ensuring the more dangerous monsters didn’t have free range. The Hellgate’s very existence at close proximity required Foxfire Academy to train its students to the highest standards.

“Enko, it’s not your fault—”

I began, but the damage had been done. His eyes sparked with guilt as he dragged his gaze away from me, turning his back to me, his head shaking, and his fists preparing to pummel something...or someone.

Kairos gripped Enko’s shoulder. “We decided together. We made the best choice for all of us. Especially for Dove.”

I huffed in annoyance, causing pain to shoot up my back. The three turned back to me as they sensed my discomfort. As our bonds strengthened and grew, so did the link between our minds.

“Can you three stop doing that? Talking about me like I’m not here? Like I’m not capable of making my own decisions?”

I pleaded, shooing away Kairos’ hand as he tried to readjust my pillow for the third time.

Seven chuckled from the dark corner of the room he had retreated to. “Better get used to it, Fated. Kairos will do what he thinks is best. Can’t wait to see him snatch Rhys’ power out from under him. That will be a nice change for once.”

“We should get to class,”

Kairos began, ignoring Seven completely.

Seven shook his head. “You know she’ll try to sneak out and get herself killed. That or go to the library.”

Seven spat the word like venom. “We can’t leave her alone.”

The door opened and the Archfox stepped in, a disapproving scowl meant for Seven plastering his face. “Thank you for that brilliant commentary, Seven. So…astute. And she won’t be alone.”

The Archfox approached the bed, slipping what appeared to be a master key into his pocket.

“How long have you been listening, brother?”

Seven snapped.

“Long enough,”

the Archfox said disapprovingly. “I think you’ve all said plenty. Dove isn’t ready to hear all of this. Especially not about the Lord of Nightmares.”

My eyes almost rolled out of my head. “You said we would talk later. We’re all here, so tell me why people can’t know I’m Fated to you, your Holiness? Why do I need to learn to shield my mind from the Lord of Nightmares?”

The Archfox watched me for a long moment, his hand reaching forward slowly as though I may flinch away. He pushed a strand of white hair behind my ear, leaning forward and pressing his lips to my forehead just as he had done the day before. His hand cupped my cheek as he spoke, a soothing calm emanating from his fingertips. “Because he’s our enemy, Dove. Just like the demons. You don’t know what he’s tried to do. What he’s done.”

I looked into his speckled green gold eyes. “What has he done?”

The loud reveille sounded from the speakers outside, signaling the last wake up call before training.

Rhys whirled around to the others, an obvious authority laying each word. “You three have missed enough training. Get to class. I’ll stay with Dove.”

Kairos hesitated, striding over to the bed. He grabbed my phone from the bedside table and pressed it into my palm as he glared at the Archfox, an unheard threat lingering behind his stormy blue eyes. “We’re just one call away.”

Enko’s feet remained planted firmly next to my bed, his body twitched as though he fought with himself internally, like a rope tethered us together. His lips skimmed across mine and he only retreated when Kairos cleared his throat.

Seven, Enko, and Kairos left the dorm, leaving me alone with the Archfox. My heart fluttered immediately.

My time alone with the powerful kitsune had been limited, and our interactions had not been a healthy breeding ground for our new relationship.

“He doesn’t trust me,”

the Archfox said, frowning at the closed door. When he spotted my confused expression, he clarified, “Kairos.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know his secrets,”

he said as he jiggled the buttons at his wrists and pushed his sleeves up past his elbows. He raised his gaze to mine with a smile. “And no, I won’t tell you what they are.”

“I thought we’re all on the same team,”

I murmured.

“Take off your shirt,”

he ordered bluntly. The Archfox didn’t see my blush as he occupied himself with organizing an assortment of medical supplies on the bedside table.

As I pulled at the fabric, a sharp pain shot through my back and I cried out.

“Hold on, there’s some blood sticking,”

the Archfox said, grabbing a bottle of clear liquid. The sterile water dribbled out onto my shirt where the pain had come from. His fingers grazed my skin as he worked, drenching it with more water. I inhaled slowly as the warm fingers touched my back and then the cold cloth pressed down. He waited a moment before slowly peeling it away fully, bit by bit. “Are you in any pain?”

“A little,”

I said, gesturing to the orange prescription bottle on the end table. “They have me pretty hopped up on pain meds.”

“There.”

He lifted my shirt fully away from the wound.

I flinched away, letting the shirt fall back down. “Wait! Your Holiness.”

“Rhys,”

he corrected as he let out an exasperated sigh. “The others told me you were sensitive about us seeing your back, Dove. But you have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be embarrassed about. You will always be beautiful to us. Besides, I’ve already seen it.”

My head shook. “It’s not that. I barely know you. You’re the most powerful kitsune in the world. Why didn’t you tell me we were Fated? Why didn’t the others tell me?”

Rhys frowned, his eyebrows scrunching as though the thought pained him. “I told them to keep it from you after we met. It wasn’t the initial plan. Seven was pretty pissed off about it.”

“I shouldn’t have said what I said when we first met, you’re not old—”

The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You did nothing wrong, Dove. This situation is odd for all of us. But we have had time to adjust to the idea. It’s not surprising you will need time too.”

“Rhys,”

I said with determination, crossing my arms as I doddered around on the bed to face him. “I didn’t need time. I was just embarrassed to find you so attractive when I knew I had the others. I didn’t know we were Fated.”

The Archfox slowly set the white cloth he was holding on top of the others on the bedside table, staring at his hands, mesmerized in some thought that he kept hidden from me. I probed at his mind, trying to find something in the empty expanse of his mindspace.

“Why can you all hear everything I think and I can’t hear a thing from you?”

I demanded with frustration.

Rhys smiled, finally meeting my perpetual stare. “Because we’re trained against Mind kitsune. Just as you will be. The Lord of Nightmares will do everything in his power to take you from us. He’ll want your power for himself.”

Damon—the Lord of Nightmares—had been nice enough upon our first meeting, saving me from a potential sexual assault by Vince, fourth top student on demon kills at Foxfire Academy. When I met him a second time, he attacked Enko’s mind, causing the fearless giant to cripple over in pain as I had screamed for him to stop.

“My power?”

“Dove, I told you before, anyone with so many mates is powerful. You are a Disciple—a very powerful kitsune. With only one tail, you’ve been able to fend off what most third-year students struggle to do. The demons will want you dead, and the Lord of the Nightmares will want to use you to gain more power for himself. He is a Mind kitsune, and has done all he can to earn your trust. But you must not trust him.”

“After seeing how he hurt my Enko, I’ll do whatever you guys think I need to fight him.”

The Archfox smiled, a discomfort hiding behind his eyes. “Your Enko? I’m glad to see you have bonded so closely with the others already.”

“So what does this ‘Mind training’ entail?”

I asked, trying to change the topic as I sensed his jealousy.

“Turn around, we can talk while I work on healing your back.”

I slowly turned, lifting my shirt off and covering my front half with the sheet. The breath of cold air licked my skin as I exposed my back to him.

“You should lie down, Dove. This will be very painful. I’m checking for pieces of char that are lodged much deeper and you’re not on a drip of IV medicine for your pain. I know you’re strong and I hate that you’re going to be in pain. But I can’t have you asleep for this part. I need to identify any spots I missed.”

I rested my head on the pillow and a cool tingle touched my back, wiggling into the wound. I sucked in a breath as the pain hit me. The urge to speak evaporated as I struggled to keep my tears in.

“The pain is a good sign, Dove. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it means your nerve endings are still able to recover,”

Rhys said.

The magic surged deeper, and this time I couldn’t stop my cry of pain, the tears leaking from my eyes without my consent as I tried to blink them away.

“Breathe, Dove,”

he ordered. “You need to breathe.”

His hand stroked my hair but little white stars sparkled across my vision. I heard his voice but it was like an echo against the thumping of my heart. “You can do this. I know you can. It hurts, but you’re strong. I’m sorry, Dove. This has to be done without pain medicine.”

I took a shaky breath, squeezing my eyelids shut and shoving the pain down like I had done for the last year since I had first acquired the injury. My words came out in a cruel growl, more for myself than for him. “I’m fine. Keep going.”