Page 42 of Fight (Kitsune #2)

Caden turned back to us. "I've never met him, can one of you confirm it's him?"

Alexis stood easily and joined Caden at the door, she didn't bother to look out, instead scenting the air. "It's Mr. Ridges, his enforcer and someone else, I don't know who."

"You're not alone. I know you have your enforcer with you but who's the third?" Caden asked, still not opening the door.

"I brought my personal physician. I thought he might be useful." Replied the cultured voice of the local leader.

Caden looked at Alexis who nodded acceptance and stepped behind Caden before he opened the door.

The man that stepped in the door first, was nearly as tall as Caden, but he was broader.

He had well-tanned skin and wore a carefully neutral expression on his face.

I recognized him as Bennett, Mr. Ridges’ personal enforcer.

He stepped inside and looked around the room, stiffening slightly as his eyes rested on Caden.

"You four are the only ones here?" he asked.

"We are." Alexis said, from behind Caden.

The Anikitos stepped into the room next, followed by a smaller man. The newcomer was almost tiny when compared to the three men standing near him but he was likely no shorter than 5'10". He carried a black leather messenger bag slung across his body so his hands were free.

"This is Morgan, he's our pack's healer.

From what your Harmonia said when she called, I thought he might be able to help.

" The Anikitos started to step into the room, only to be stopped by Bennett, who's eyes were still on Caden.

The pack leader glanced at his enforcer and followed his gaze to Caden.

"We didn't meet you." He said, the implication that he should have was clear.

Alexis stepped closer. "This is Caden, he's my enforcer.

Considering my position and that I'm our pack's only healer, I rarely do much without him.

He travels with me and goes with me when I have to treat someone.

We didn't bring him in to meet you because I thought it would be disrespectful for us to bring two of our pack's enforcers into your office.

" She didn't lie while trying to pacify him.

"We could have brought him instead of Devon when I met you, but I thought you might want to talk to Devon about his circumstances. "

The Anikitos was silent for a few seconds, considering her words before nodding once. "Logical."

"We weren't hiding him, he was in the building, he just stayed in the waiting area while we met with you."

He seemed to be weighing the truth of the words, whether it was one of his talents or he was considering what his other senses told him, I don't know. He looked back to Bennett. "It's all right." He told his guard before moving around him into the middle of the room.

Alexis stepped forward. "Please, have a seat." She invited. "Can I get you anything to drink?" She played the hostess perfectly.

"I'm good." Ridges replied while the other men simply shook their heads.

"Does someone have a key for these?" I lifted my hands up to show off the cuffs.

Bennett came forward, a small key appearing in his hand.

"Give the key to Devon," Alexis said. "don't touch her, please."

Bennett's hand changed direction, dropping the key into Devon's upturned hand. I twisted my arms so Devon could reach the locks.

"Why couldn't he just unlock them?" Morgan asked, a crease forming on his brow.

Devon deftly unlocked the cuffs, and dropped both the cuffs and the key onto the table in front of the sofa. I fought the urge to rub the abused and purpled skin where the cuffs had been, knowing that touching it would only make them hurt more.

"It seems she's in an advanced state of separation anxiety and skin contact with anyone but Devon is very painful for her." Alexis sat on the edge of the couch beside me. "Give me your arms." She said softly.

I held my arms out toward her and she carefully wrapped a cool, damp wash cloth around the marks on each wrist, careful not to touch my skin as she worked.

The cool cloth helped the burning sensation in my skin.

I lowered my hands back to my lap and shifted slightly burrowing myself closer to Devon.

"What happened exactly?" The Anikitos asked.

Alexis spoke first. "Nickie and I were going for coffee."

"Alone?"

"We were together but we didn't have either of the guys with us, if that's what you mean.

" She answered. "It never occurred to us that anyone would be after us, we weren't meeting with anyone or interacting with any Kitsune.

We didn't see a reason to wait when we could go get it and be back in just a few minutes.

We're use to a lot more freedom than this. " She explained.

The Anikitos nodded.

"We were about half way down the block when everything went black.

I woke up with Caden carrying me. Nickie was gone.

We came back to the hotel to get the car, we followed some sense of Devon's on what direction to go.

We found her several miles away, she'd already escaped.

That's when I called you." She turned to Devon.

"That sense of where to find her is another thing I've never heard of in unsealed matings.

" She said, as if it had just occurred to her and she didn't want to forget it.

The Anikitos turned to me. "What can you tell me?"

I gave him a short version of the events of the morning, adding. "They were human. As far as I could tell from the way they treated me and what they used to tie me down, they had no clue I was anything but human. But someone was paying them."

He watched me for a moment. "Do you know of anyone who would want to kidnap you?"

"Not off hand." I replied.

"Have you had any trouble with anyone recently?" He asked.

I turned and looked at Devon, meeting his eyes. "You tell him." I said, not wanting to go into it.

"We've both had a bit of trouble at home.

We've got some kids who've formed an elitist group.

They think that anyone who didn't shift on their own, or at a normal age, is inferior, and straight humans are even worse, with the possible exception of Nickie for some reason.

We've both been harassed by the group. Me, because I was a non-shifter, then the way I shifted.

Her, because of her association with me. "

"I've heard of groups like that, as far I'm aware, we don't have any of them here. Is that all?"

"Unfortunately, no. Her best friend since childhood was a Kitsune, though she didn't know it. For years though, he knew what she was and under our Anikitos' direction, he watched out for her. He was there when she shifted the first time."

"I don't understand why this is a problem."

"Because after I shifted, Brandon suddenly seemed to think I was his. That I was his mate." I spoke up. "He changed in ways I wasn't willing to put up with. I asked him over and over to leave me alone. Bill stepped in, and punished him more than once." I fell silent.

"A few weeks ago it got to the point that it couldn't be overlooked any longer and our Anikitos banished him."

"Ahh." The local leader nodded. "Do you know where he is now?"

I shook my head. "No idea, Bill might or his folks, but I have no clue." I felt Devon shake his head as well.

"Do you think he could be behind this?"

"I'd like to say no, that Brandon wouldn't do this, but honestly? The Brandon I knew seems to be gone and I couldn't begin to predict what this one might do."

"Have you contacted Bill yet?" The local leader wanted to know.

"Not yet." Alexis said. "I wanted to speak with you first. Deal with more immediate concerns and get a good idea of Nickie's condition before I contact him. He's not going to be happy, and the more information I can give him, the better it'll be."

The older man nodded, understanding. "I'd appreciate it if you'd let Morgan take a look at her, if you don't mind. Anything you need, let me know and I'll see that you get it."

"I don't mind if he looks at her, as long as he can do it without touching her, I don't know how long her skin sensitivity will last, but I know that irritating it will only make her recovery take longer." Alexis said.

Morgan lifted the strap of his bag over his head and sat it to one side before approaching me.

I was unconcerned and remained relaxed against Devon, taking comfort in his nearness and his touch.

Morgan pushed the sofa table away from the sofa and moved into the gap.

He sank down to sit on his heels, his hands hovering barely off my skin as he held them over my hands in my lap.

He closed his eyes while he worked. After a moment he tilted his head to one side and a crease formed between his eyes as if he'd found something strange.

He opened his eyes and pulled his hands away slightly as he spoke to Devon. "Would you mind moving away from him for a moment?" He asked his voice soft, gentle. "I'd like to take a look without the two of you touching."

I glanced at Alexis, saw her nod and turned to Devon, I met his eyes and silently nodded. I got off Devon's lap and moved to sit few inches away. Not far, just so that we were no longer touching. I turned back to the man crouched in front of the sofa.

Morgan again held his hands just over me and closed his eyes. The crease between his eyes deepened. He pulled back again and twisted until he could see Alexis.

"You're a healer too, right?" He asked, when she nodded he continued. "Have you ever seen this?"

She looked confused. "Seen what?"

"You checked her right?"

"Of course."

"Were they touching?"

"Yeah." She said, thinking just a second. "From the time we found her until you asked them not to, I think the only time there hasn't been some contact between the two of them was when she scrambled across the car to throw up."

Morgan looked concerned. "She got sick?"

Alexis nodded. "In the car on the way back, we barely had time to pull over."

"Hmm," He said. "Come over here and look now. Tell me what you see."

Alexis moved around behind the sofa and reaching over the back, she held her hands over my shoulders, after a few moments she pulled them back and let them fall onto the back of the sofa on either side of my head.

"That's strange." She said. "Let's try something. Devon, I'm going to check her again, I want you to wait a couple of minutes and then touch her. It doesn't have to be anything big, any skin to skin contact will do." Beside me, Devon nodded. "Is this okay with you Nickie?" she asked.

"It's fine."

"I'd like to see it too, if you don't mind." Morgan said.

"It's fine." I said again, not really caring.

From the corners of my eyes I saw Alexis' hands settle just above my shoulders again as Morgan once more extended his over my lap.

The two of them were quiet for a moment when I felt Devon shift beside me.

His hand brushed against my arm, I waited a moment before I shifted one hand slightly intending to take Devon's hand but I accidentally brushed my hand against Morgan's instead, sending a shocking wave of pain through my entire body.

"Oh, shit." I scrambled to the end of the sofa and past. I ran through the bedroom, barely making it into the bathroom before my stomach started heaving again.

I bent over the commode, unable to stop the convulsions wracking my stomach.

Devon was only a few steps behind me, he gently pulled my hair away from my face and held it back, running one hand up and down the bare skin of my arm.

His touch helped to calm my system but it was still several minutes before the heaving stopped.