Foxy (Alpha Doms book 3)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Foxy

Ben had been as good as his word and dropped me to my door the moment the son had peaked over the horizon the next morning. It had been a tense car ride, neither of us having any inclination to make small talk but the silence in the car was nothing compared to the silence that folded itself away me when I shut my front door firmly behind me. Nerves rattled my chest, as I stood there gazing around with wide eyes. It all looked and smelt exactly how I had left it. It was clear that no one had been here, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Even if I couldn’t see any thing out of place.

There was no sign of a break in, or the scent of any other shifter in here but me. I just couldn’t shake the feeling.

Foxes were good at hiding their scent. I knew that better than most. I had hidden what I was for over ten years. It wouldn’t take much for my brothers or cousins to hide from me. Hell, I hadn’t even smelt them coming when they had attacked me.

And it was my family, I knew that. It was just the way they worked. I had grown up being jumped and beaten because e I had done something to anger the elders. Last night’s attack stank of Foxes. As shifters we weren’t much in a one-to-one fight, even as predators we weren’t that scary or intimidating but we made up for it in other ways, foxes were sneaky, and more than one attacker had learnt that lesson the hard way and turned his back in the middle of a fight.

We fought clever and we fought dirty.

I was no exception, not really. I might not be a fighter, but I was wily. It was how I stayed alive all these years.

Taking a deep settling breath that moved my shoulders up and down, I calmed myself down enough to gather my wits about me. I would need to keep my wits if I was to survive. Turning, I threw the bolt across the door. Leaning back against it I needed to pull myself together and then make a plan. A real plan on how I was going to escape again. I needed to disappear, this time for good. It would be hard to leave the life I had built here; I would miss my friends and the club.

And Ben.

I would miss Ben.

Even though I barely knew him, even after being employed by him for years I didn’t know him. The conversation we had had last night as I lay naked and in pain was the longest talk we had ever had, not that it changed how I felt. I would miss him because what he said was true.

He was my mate.

Leaving him behind would be hard but I knew it needed to be done. If my family found me again, I would only have two options. To go back with them and resign myself to a life of childbearing and being the good little housewife or they would kill me. They wouldn’t let me live; I would bring too much shame on the family and that was something they couldn’t stand.

Of course, there was always the possibility that they would kill me anyway. The job I had and loved wasn’t something they would ever agree with. And last nights attack had been frenzied and brutal. They may even attack my friends just for knowing me.

The thought made me pause. How would I live with myself if my own stubborn nature caused my friends to be hurt? How would I live with myself? The simple answer was I wouldn’t be able to. My only option was to run. Maybe even leave the country.

Calmness settled over me as I padded around my tiny apartment, doing a quick check to make sure that I was in fact alone. And as I walked a plan started to form. I would leave the country. Travel the world and not stay in one place for too long. It was the only ay I could think of that would keep them away from me. Not even my family could track where I was going if I didn’t know myself.

I would go into work tonight and speak to Wyatt. Explain to him what had happened, ask for my wages early. He was the only one I could trust wouldn’t be attacked for any information on my whereabouts. Not even the foxes were stupid enough to attack a wyvern.

Ben would be upset that I had left without saying goodbye, but up set was better than dead.

He would get over me, he would find someone more suitable than me for his mate and grow old raising their babies together.

I just wasn’t the settling down and mating type, I would travel. I would see the world with only the memory of how safe I had felt wrapped in his arms just that once.

***

I looked ok, which was surprising all by itself seeing as last night I had taken a beating that was probably meant to kill me. But I was a shifter and even ones far down on the scale like I was healed with superhuman speed. There were dark circles under my eyes but that was from lack of sleep and not anything else. I might have slept like a baby in Bens arms but in my own bed, alone? It had eluded me. Leaving me to stare unseeing at the ceiling until it was time for me to get ready.

Makeup was an amazing thing. I actually looked half decent after expertly applying it.

“You will do.” I told myself as I looked at my reflection in the vanity mirror, my fingers fluffing out my bright red hair into teased waves. Most people thought my hair colour was straight from a salon when in fact it was my natural colour. A bright vibrant unhuman red. The same colour as my fox.

I missed her; it had been years since I had shifted. The risk was just too great. I was easier to track in my animal form.

I shook myself. I had to stop with all these depressing thoughts and go to work.

Bending at the waist, to slip on my heels for the night. A bright red pair with heels bigger than the length of my hand. I had one securely on my foot when the door knocked. I jumped, my hand fluttering to my chest as I forced my heartbeat to settle down before I had a heart attack.

A high pitched escaped my lips I was being silly. Jumping out of my skin because my door knocked. My family wouldn’t knock the damn door, they would come through the window or something. I knew that.

Pulling my foot from my heel, so I didn’t have to hobble to the door in only one. I plastered my face with the smile I reserved for work as I swung open the door.

The man in front of me did a double take as his eyes drank me in. His throat worked as he swallowed. And I had to bite back a laugh as his eyes almost bugged out of his head. It was just the reaction I needed to know I looked ok, in my tightly laced corset and mini skirt.

“Can I help you?” I didn’t know him, and it was clear he didn’t know me. No one who knew me would be surprised by my outfit.

He swallowed hard again, his Adams apple bobbing. “I am your driver for tonight, miss.”

I did a double take. “My driver?” I didn’t have a driver. I usually took the bus or a cab to work. My seductive clothes covered by a trench coat. “I think you have the wrong house Hun.” I smiled to show him I wasn’t mad.

“You are Foxy, right?”

Confused I nodded. “Yeah but….”

“Ben asked me to make sure you get to work safely for the next few days. I am Mav by the way.” He held out his hand formally and I shook it mor out of habit than anything else.

“Nice to meet you Mav but…. are you sure Ben was the one?”

He nodded eagerly. “Big bear shifter, told me he would eat me if I let anything happen to you.” His laugh was nervous, almost like he actually believed Ben would do such a thing.

“I best get my shoes and coat then. I wouldn’t want you to be eaten. Would you like to come in?”

A shadow fell across his face as he shook his head. “No miss, Ben wouldn’t like that.”

I wanted to snap at him that Ben had no say who I had in my apartment but shut my mouth with so much force my teeth clashed together instead. What would be the point of that? I didn’t want to fight with Ben. After tonight I would probably never see him again. He had done something incredible sweet and thoughtful; I should just smile and say thank you.

“I won’t be two minutes.” Rushing back into my flat I gathered up the camel-coloured coat, slipping it over my clothes and belting it around the middle. Leaning heavily against the wall by the windows I shoved my feet into the heels.

And that’s when I saw it.

The giant bear, sat in the shadows between two apartment blocks. His eyes glowing as the animal gazed up at my window high above him.

Ben.

Ben was here to make sure I was safe. I didn’t know how long he had been sneaking around outside but something told me it was probably all day. It made me smile.

“Thank you.” I mouthed silently to the figure below me.

His giant shaggy head dipped once, and then he slunk back into the shadows and disappeared.