The Alpha's Fox Mate

Fox

For a brief second, Havelock closed his eyes, concentrating on the mysterious scent. It was pure and delicate, unlike anything I had ever sensed before. The fragrance was soft and slightly sweet, like the whitest vanilla flowers, but also had citrusy notes of lemon. It seemed cold and distant, yet it made me calm like watching the snow fall. What was that?

“I have no idea…” My black wolf reopened his blueish-green eyes, which were intense and filled with lust. “But I want to find out,” he said with determination before bolting through the trees, leaving Midnight Howlers grounds.

Havelock had a powerful olfactory sense, and he followed the bewildering smell as if his life depended on it. I noticed we were straying too far from our starting point, and not knowing the area well, I was afraid we’d step into another pack’s territory. But, at the same time, I was too curious to order my wolf to stop. He kept going until he found a clearing where the full moon illuminated the dark green grass. He stopped dead in his tracks when our eyes caught a glimpse of a shadow lurking through the small trees. The creature took a step closer, allowing the moonlight to reveal its identity. It had long, silvery fur, except for his face, ears, and paws, which were black. A gasp escaped Havelock’s mouth as realization dawned on us.

The scent we had been following belonged to a fox - more specifically, a silver fox.

“Get it!” I ordered, even though it wasn’t necessary.

My black wolf bared his fangs in a sign of aggression as his spiky fur became even more bristly. Recognizing the clear sign of danger, the mystic creature quickly leaped behind one of the bushes, and without thinking, Havelock chased it. The fox was a lot smaller and swifter than us, an expert at dodging the trees and rocks in its way. Trying not to let the obstacles slow us down, my counterpart tore through the forest like a feral beast. The adrenaline of the pursuit helped him disregard the slight pain caused by the thorns and pointy branches that scratched his skin.

Havelock stopped abruptly when we reached lake Okeechobee at the edge of the woods. He looked around, hoping to catch any form of movement before sticking his muzzle into the dirt, in an attempt to find out which direction our prey had taken. For some minutes, he relentlessly tried to catch that unsettling scent again but had no such luck.

“The fucker outwit us.” The frustration in my wolf’s voice was palpable. “Probably dug a hole somewhere. The dirt and leaves would help mask his scent,” he analyzed. “All these cowards do is run, then attack when your guard’s down!” He growled.

“We have to go back and warn Lennard,” I recalled worriedly. “This could be a serious threat to…” My train of thought was cut short by a connection reaching my mind.

“Marcy, where are you going?” I recognized Aaron’s voice.

I didn’t even have time to reply before the majestic blond wolf jumped from behind the trees. His long, light caramel fur was so long it resembled a lion’s mane, but the pointy, triangular ears resembled those of a Samoyed dog. He was covered in dirt - a clear consequence of trying to keep up with me - and his light blue eyes evinced his distress. Zahavi, my Beta’s counterpart, turned to me with a quizzical look.

“There was a silver fox here,” I whispered through mindlink, and Aaron’s eyes widened.

“What? Aren’t those extinct?” Before I could reply, he continued. “You sure it wasn’t just a normal gray fox? Those are pretty common around here,” he insisted, trying to make sense of the situation.

“It was a shifter, Ron! I’m sure of it!” I snapped at him, still mad for not being able to catch the runaway. I looked at the sky, realizing the full moon was almost at its peak. “Come on, if we don’t head back now we’ll miss the festival. We’ll talk to Alpha Lennard once it’s over,” I commanded, watching as the blond wolf nodded at me.

It wasn’t hard to find our way back. Even if I wasn’t paying attention to where we were going, tracking the smell of a werewolf pack was simple - we could easily identify the scent of our own species. As soon as we crossed the border of Midnight Howlers territory, we heard the bestial melody of the singing wolves and rushed to join them. Being late for the event could be considered a sign of disrespect towards the pack’s tradition, but considering the situation, I was sure the Alpha would understand.

Havelock’s powerful voice echoed through the territory as he pointed his head to the sky, howling at the moon. Zahavi stood by our side and joined the choir soon after. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Lennard’s light grey wolf looking at us with a confused expression. He didn’t seem upset or angry though, which was a good sign. We waited a few more minutes until the primordial song ceased and the wolves went back to their usual activities, such as swimming, hunting, and playing.

There were piles of clean, colorful towels by the lake, which were meant to be used by the participants when they desired to shift back. I asked Havelock to allow me back control and quickly grabbed one of the towels, using it to dry myself and cover my exposed body. I caught sight of Aaron doing the same, leaving only his brawny chest bare. He nodded at me before we went over to Lennard, who had also assumed his human form.

“Lost track of time chasing a rabbit?” the Alpha asked me jokingly. Thankfully, he wasn’t mad that we were a little late for the festival.

“A fox, actually,” I corrected him. “A silver fox...” That definitely caught his attention.

“You mean...a shifter fox?” His green eyes widened in surprise, and I nodded. “Alpha Marcy, this is...I mean, are you sure your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you? They’re extremely rare creatures.”

Just like werewolves, werefoxes could be of different species - kitsunes, red foxes, arctic foxes, and lastly...silver foxes. In the wild, wolves tend to prey on foxes, and the situation wasn’t different among shifters. At first, our kind would hunt them down unbeknownst of the fact that they were magical creatures, like us. But then, some of us started doing it for sport - a little brutal, but that’s just the world we live in. Since we are taller and stronger, the foxes didn’t have a chance. Therefore, their population decreased at the same pace that ours grew. Nowadays, the sight of any kind of fox was so rare that it was considered a bad omen.

“Yes, I’m sure, Alpha Lennard,” I replied firmly. “I caught its scent at the border of your territory. If it’s lurking around, you should be wary of its intentions.”

“Thank you for the warning, Alpha Marcy.” He nodded at me. “I’ll send extra men on patrol tonight. Make sure they catch the lil’ trickster if it tries anything...” He frowned, drawing in a long breath. “Well, you must not worry about that. Please enjoy the rest of your stay here.” A sympathetic smile crossed his face and he touched my shoulder before taking his leave.

“I’m tired. Think I’ll go get some rest,” Aaron told me, but I knew he had other reasons for not wanting to remain outside and have some fun. He was well aware of his good looks, and every time an unmated female gazed at him, he took it as an insult to his mate.

“Alright.” I nodded at him. “Goodnight, Beta.”

“If you need anything, link me and I’ll be up in a second.” With those final words, he rushed into the packhouse.

“That leaves me and you, Havey.” I was used to being alone with my wolf. His company was enough for me.

“I told you not to call me that,” he snorted, but I could still feel his smile. “Come on, as far as I’m concerned, we’re still single. Let’s enjoy the night!”

“Your wish is my command,” I laughed before shifting back and joining some Midnight Howlers wolves in the lake.

The party lasted for two more hours - at least for me. We danced, sang, drank werewine and feasted. I had visited this pack quite a few times growing up, so I felt comfortable among the members. Lennard and I had also become good friends, and like his father with mine, he didn’t judge me for having an opposite-gender counterpart. I knew some people thought I was a freak - a daughter cursed by the Goddess, a male wolf trapped inside of a female. Daeva, Beta Female of my pack, definitely was one of them. Fortunately, everyone that was close to me didn’t really mind it. It was good because the subject already confused me enough.

At 2AM sharp I went back to my room. Most of the wolves stayed outside, but I couldn’t do the same. Having spent my first official day as Alpha away from my pack, I knew there would be a lot for me to take care of when I got back. I was hoping to get a minimum six-hour rest before I had to wake up and head back home, but I wasn’t so lucky.

I normally had no trouble sleeping, but the mysterious encounter of the night kept me awake. The image of the silver-coated creature moonbathing in the clearing wouldn’t leave my mind, no matter how hard I tried to shake it off. Few people got to see an individual of the species alive, and that was probably why the event mattered so much to me. It was...mystical, in a way. A part of me almost felt relieved that Havelock couldn’t catch the other shifter.

“That’s ridiculous.” My wolf huffed inside my head. “You know the threat these filthy creatures represent to our species. They are known to have killed entire packs in their sleep!” He growled fiercely.

“I know…” I sighed. “But didn’t we start this fight anyway?” My question made Havelock retreat to the back of my mind, leaving me to recall the Werewolf History lessons I had in school.

After the wolves started killing fox shifters of different species for sport, they almost went extinct. In an attempt to save her children, the fox goddess - I believe her name was Sygin - blessed them with the ability to produce silver, thus creating a new breed. The silver foxes produced the most lethal venom to werewolves, their main predators, so they could defend themselves. But, at this point, they were sick of running and watching their loved ones be murdered for entertainment. So they decided to retaliate.

The creatures started organizing attacks against werewolf packs in a desperate act of revenge. For the first time in history, foxes hunted wolves - but they did it in a cowardly way. Since they were still smaller than us, they had higher chances of succeeding by sneaking in at night, when the packs were more vulnerable. To the foxes, it was payback; to the wolves, it was g******e. That’s how the war truly started, centuries ago.

Some packs joined forces and created special troops with the sole purpose of hunting the enemy down. They were masters at following tracks, which made it easy for them to find and raid dens, mercilessly killing the creatures that were now considered a menace. In less than a hundred years, the silver fox population had been reduced to a tenth of its original numbers. Once the threat had been neutralized, most of the werewolf special forces were naturally disbanded. However, some of them thrived to this day, with the sole purpose of extinguishing the species for once and for all. The most famous one was Silver Hunter Pack, located in Minnesota.

Thinking about how foxes and wolves became sworn enemies eventually helped distract myself. I didn’t know how much time had passed when I finally managed to close my eyes, but I was thankful that my mind had finally cleared - except for one question that I just couldn’t shake off.

Would I ever see the silver fox again?