Page 83 of Old Secrets

After what felt like a bazillion hours in the air to make it from Tibet to Seattle, I thought we’d earned some screaming. Jake, not to be outdone, howled and warbled complaints over our ruckus, although we did a good job of drowning him out.

As it was three in the morning and we’d arrived without announcement, it came as no surprise when a dark-haired, disgruntled man in a bathrobe answered the door, his scent tinged with fury.

Following our plan, us screaming females swarmed him, and as I lacked self-preservation, I led the charge, plunked my forepaws on his shoulders, and drove him to the floor. Then I bathed his face with fox slobber, paying back all the times Jake had done the same to me.

My mate warbled his amusement but came to the rescue, stepping all over the Inquisition’s enforcer to shove me back.

With a chorus of excited yips, my family bounded into the Desmond home while the sole human of the group laughed his ass off. “Hello, Desmond.”

Rosalie would join us soon, but she had to begin paying her penance for her role in Greenwich, which meant as gentle of an interrogation as the Inquisition could give her while appeasing China’s wrath. She would come back to me bruised and perhaps sore but alive and well.

She viewed it as the first steps of seeking true redemption, and she had gone with the Inquisitors with a smile plastered on her face and a skip in her step.

“Your Eminence, why shouldn’t I kill you for this?”

The Shadow Pope of the Inquisition meeting us at the Seattle airport had unnerved me, but he assured me he was present to make sure everyone had arrived from Tibet safe and sound and to personally thank the Chinese delegate for escorting us. Rather than display any concern, the man dodged everyone, headed for the small, dark-haired woman in pajamas coming down the steps, and hugged her. “I’d be sorry for waking you, but the foxes were edgy, Karma wanted to start screaming, and knowing vixens like to scream, I figured I would give the ladies of the skulk an outlet for their energy. It turns out putting a bunch of foxes on a plane for more than ten hours at a time leads to a great deal of fidgeting. These specific foxes like having their feet firmly on the ground.”

“So that mess in China has been sorted?” Wendy asked.

“It’s been sorted, at least however much we’re involved with the sorting. China and Tibet are handling the rest, as the crimes happened and originated on their soil. One of the foxes is Karma, and the rest are her family, who have suffered through a lengthy captivity in Tibet. They need some tender, loving care, and I couldn’t think of anyone better for the job than you. You’ll find they’re skittish, but I expect you can embolden them in short order. I’m sending over every available psychologist I have, so you’ll have plenty of support. You’ll want to use a gentle hand with Jake, but he’s progressing nicely. I earned a growl out of him for being a little too curious about his mate’s conformity. I think we’ll have him up to bullying entire packs around within a few years. I want Sara to work with him. He’s got a lot to learn and unlearn.”

Desmond grunted, but after a moment, he nodded. “And his pack?”

“I’ve made it clear they won’t put up a fuss when you integrate them with Seattle. Once you’re done with your personal project, you can bring them both into your pack, but they need the stability while you’re doing what you do best. Seattle does not need two Omegas, and if I could give you an entire pack of Omegas, I would. I just don’t have them around. I expect Jake and Karma will bolster your numbers well and make your job that much easier. You’ll have to share them with the FBI and the black market, but once you’re done your other projects, they’ll be yours.”

The enforcer nodded, and he picked himself up. “All right. Which one of you is Karma?”

I sat and lifted my paw.

“As punishment for screaming on my doorstep, you’re staying here until I’m satisfied your mate is properly trained. Wendy, show this fox to her room so she can think about what she’s done.”

Wendy laughed, came over, and crouched beside me, petting my head. “I wasn’t expecting so many people, but I’ll come up with something. We have plenty of blankets and pillows even if we don’t have enough beds or couches.”

I let loose one of my little yips, and as I had lost all self-respect, I whipped my tail back and forth.

“I’ll call Matthew and Sara. They have a few extra bedrooms, and it’s close enough the foxes can skitter back and forth between our properties if they get separation anxiety,” Desmond said, hopping to his feet and heading into a nearby kitchen. “How do you want me to handle this, Elliot?”

“Start with introducing them to Seattle’s pack and taking them out on trips to see the local sights. You’ll want to take them into the mountains often. The cities are overwhelming for them, but they can tolerate it for short periods of time. Some of the foxes get quite upset seeing the sky for too long; they’ve been holed up in a mountain for more years than I care to think about. I’m hoping being on a mountain will be familiar enough to them while they adapt. I’ll have renovators come and transform your basement into guest rooms. That is probably going to be the most comfortable for them. If you need an extension for your basement, we can look into it as well. Perhaps a tunnel leading to a new wing? That would give the foxes a safe space while I come up with something better for them. Were you able to find the people I asked about?”

“Yes. They’re in the area, and I’ve met with them once. I’ll start the introductions gradually, especially if you think integration may be an issue.”

As always, I had more questions than answers, and I wondered who they wanted us to meet and why. Then again, it beat the family drama I had to deal with, as my mother had not known the bastards from Greenwich had ordered my father to kill me as punishment for my survival.

Mellisa believed the sorcerers had made their last fatal mistake with that one terrible order.

Somehow, my father had broken free of his chains, all because of one command he refused to obey, even if it cost him his life.

I still needed to work through my feelings on the matter, as I understood that my father had expected to die for his defiance at the gate leading into his refuge.

Instead, we had slaughtered those who had tormented my family, in cold blood and without remorse.

“After talking with China, I feel that’s a wise idea. Don’t stress too much about their accommodations for the night. Unlike Fenerec, they’re born foxes, and they’ll be plenty happy with somewhere warm and safe to sleep. It’s a good starting point for adapting them from their old lifestyle.”

Desmond raised a brow. “Dare I ask?”

“They’ll tell you when they’re ready, I’m sure. If you decide to adopt the lot of them, be prepared to get into some skirmishes with China over it. Tibet will want them back eventually, as they have a suspiciously high population of people in the region who believe the foxes are what keep the mountains from waking and raining terror and destruction down on their heads—or something like that. When I was on the phone with them, the translator had problems keeping up, especially when the Tibetans were trying to say something. I’ll also be sending a woman over in the morning, assuming she’s feeling better after the rough night she’s surely having. Karma’s attached, and I suspect she’s somehow picked up your tendency to adopt people in need.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” Desmond muttered. “But that’s fine. What time can I expect the woman?”