Page 6 of Fight (Kitsune #2)

I stopped by my parents’ house after work one afternoon. As usual, I knocked on the front door, before letting myself in.

"Anyone home?" I stepped through the door.

"In here, dear." Mom's voice came from the kitchen.

I rounded the corner into the kitchen and found Dad sitting at the table, a nearly full plate on the table in front of him.

Mom had gotten up and was gathering another place setting, so I could join them for dinner.

I fixed myself something to drink, pulled out a chair, and sat down, serving myself from the dishes already sitting on the table.

"How've you been doing, dear?" Mom asked.

"Good, keeping busy." I replied in between bites.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, things are going great."

"Not that we don't appreciate the visit, but you don't make the trip out here after work often. Especially with the long hours you’re putting in this summer.

" Mom was right, with the schedule my boss had chosen this summer, I didn't come out often after work.

After a ten hour shift, I rarely felt like taking another twenty minutes each way to make the drive.

"You're right. I wanted a chance to talk to the two of you without the rest of the family around."

"I assume this has something to do with shape-shifting?" Dad asked.

"It does." I took another bite, waiting for a response.

"Trouble?"

"No, Not really." I paused for a moment. "I'm not sure if you're aware that Devin is Kitsune too."

Dad frowned. "If he's a shifter, why hasn't his leg healed?"

"Because the improved healing doesn't kick in until after the first time you shift, and until recently, Devon had been unable to shift."

"I see."

"One of the things I wanted to let you know, other than that Devon's a shifter too, is that he and I are seeing each other."

"That's wonderful!" Mom laid her hand over one of mine.

"That's all?" Dad asked.

"Not really." I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, bracing for the next part. "I'm having some trouble with Brandon."

"What kind of trouble?" Dad asked.

I was silent for a moment, trying to find the right words. "He seems to think I belong to him. He thinks I'm his mate."

"His mate?" Mom was confused.

"It's a Kitsune thing. It's kind of like an enhanced attraction that tells you if someone could be the right person for you. It's not infallible or certain though, and once mated, it's for life."

"There's no divorce among the Kitsune?" Dad asked.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm sure that there are some who marry without being mated, and they may divorce. I don't really know. But a mated pair won't divorce, they’re tied together by more than law and love. It's a mystical, magical thing."

Dad nodded, satisfied.

"Why would Brandon think you're his mate?" Mom asked.

"I may be his potential mate." I said, "but he's not mine. And with his behavior recently, I don't even want to see him."

"What's he done?" Dad asked.

"Recently, he just won't leave me alone.

I don't want to see him, and I've told him so, but he just keeps showing up.

What started my refusing to see or talk to him, is that he hit me.

" I could see the color in Dad's face, the anger rising in him.

"He tried to tell me what to do, I refused to take orders, and he slapped me.

I broke his nose in return." I smiled wryly.

"That's my girl!" Dad said proudly, and he started to calm.

"I told Bill what happened, and he's ordered Brandon to leave me alone. But he's not, it's becoming an issue."

"So why are you telling us? Why now?" Dad asked. Mom seemed content to listen as we discussed the problem.

"Because I'm afraid if that he can't get through to me, he'll come out here and make his case to you. I told him before he pulled this crap that Bill had given me permission to tell you about me and the Kitsune.

I haven't told him that you know, but he may figure that you know by now and come out here to plead his case to you."

We were all quiet for a few minutes, and continued to eat.

"What do you want us to say to him?" Mom asked softly.

"I don't want you to say anything to him.

I would prefer if you don't even let him in the house.

I'm afraid he might lose his temper, and hurt one, or both of you.

If it's up to me, and Brandon shows up here, I want you to call Bill right away.

If you can't get Bill, call Karen. They'll send someone out to get rid of him. "

"But he's always been welcome here."

"I know, Mom." I knew this was hard for her. "He was always welcome at my place too, but I just don't trust him anymore. Not at my place, not here. I won't even take his calls."

"Are you sure you're not being a little rough on him?" Mom asked.

I took a deep breath. "I didn't want to have to tell you all of it, but I guess I'll have to. I don't have solid proof yet, but it looks like Brandon's part of a nasty group of Kitsune. This group believes that anyone who doesn't shift, is inferior."

"But he's never been anything but nice to us." Mom looked back and forth between Dad and I, lost. I'm not sure what she was looking for, maybe Dad to back her up, but he didn't. He seemed to be considering what I was saying carefully, and taking it seriously.

"I know, Mom. I didn't have a clue about how he really felt, until he started making snide comments about Devon.

It's not just that I'm dating Devon, and not Brandon, the nastiness started long before Devon and I started seeing each other as more than friends.

These days, he says human like it's a dirty word.

It's more than a little disturbing to hear, especially after all these years. "

"But-" Mom was at a loss for words.

"Brenda," Dad laid his hand over hers. "just don't let him in. If he shows up while you're here alone, call Bill." Mom nodded.

"I really don't think he'll come here, Mom, but it's better safe than sorry. I'd hate to be wrong and have him come here, lose his temper, and hurt one of you." I said sincerely.

Mom nodded again.

"I understand." Dad said, his hand still covering Mom's.

We continued our meal in companionable silence until Mom had a question.

"You said that Brandon wasn't your mate, what about Devon? Is Devon your mate?"

I couldn't lie to my parents, but how could I explain it to them so that they'd understand? "Devon and I are potential mates. It goes both ways between us, but it's still not guaranteed."

Mom scowled, confused. "But you said mates are for life?"

"I did, but it's a little more complicated. We are potential mates, that means that we both feel the attraction. We can be bonded to each other, a mating isn't permanent until a pair seals the bond."

"Like marries?" She asked.

"Similar, but you don't have to be married to be in a bonded mating or seal a mating to get married. It's a separate thing, a shifter thing."

"Is it a ceremony? Something we can attend? Celebrate with you?" Mom wanted to know.

"Not really, it's a really private thing between a couple." I didn't want to go into details about how a mating is sealed. "But rest assured, if the time comes, we'll have a wedding too."

Mom nodded, satisfied.

I answered all their questions, or at least the ones I could, while we finished dinner. I got them to promise again to call Bill if Brandon showed up, and I headed home, reassured that if he did approach them, he wouldn't be able to take his anger at me, out on my parents.