My phone vibrates, and I answer without checking it.
“Son?”
“Yes, sir.” I straighten as if my father could see me, even though he’s a few hundred miles away, in Phoenix. When we were lone wolves together, he ran our two person unit like a pack so I was used to following an alpha. Technically, I’m now more dominant than he is, but old habits die hard.
“Just wanted to check on you, make sure everything’s all right. My alpha heard from a human named Amber. She said Garrett’s in trouble.”
Fuck. “I’m not sure. Last I knew, Garrett was on his way to Mexico.” I hesitate, not sure how much Garrett wants other packs to know. Garrett’s father is my father’s alpha.
“To search for Sedona. That’s what this Amber said.”
“That’s right.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Look, call Trey or Jared, but if they don’t answer, you’d better get down there. I haven’t been able to reach them.”
“My alpha’s already on his way. I just wanted to see where you were in all this mess.”
“I’m on another job.”
“Tank, did you see my bra anywhere?” Foxfire shouts from the bathroom. “I can’t find it.”
Fuck. I hold the phone against my shirt until I’m outside the hotel room. “Garrett ordered me to go after a stray. Otherwise, I’d be down there already.”
“That’s… fine, son,” my dad says.
I wince under the weight of his disapproval. “It’s just a job. I should have things wrapped up soon. I was waiting to hear from Garrett, but if things have gone wrong-”
“No, no, you have to follow orders.”
“I want to be there.”
“You’re second in the pack. Your alpha relies on you. Don’t do anything to jeopardize that.” Especially not for a female. He may as well come out and say it.
“Yes, sir.”
He hangs up, and for a second, I wonder if I should just pack everything up and hit the road for Mexico.
“Everything all right?” Foxfire chirps. She stands in the open door to the room, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a tight T-shirt, head cocked to the side.
“Yeah, baby.”
“You look like you got bad news.”
Should I tell her what’s going down with the pack? She’ll want to know, especially since it sounds like Amber’s involved.
“I can cheer you up, big man.” She comes to hug me.
“No.” I fend her off. Foxfire stops in her tracks. She may play dense, but she’s actually extremely sensitized to my moods, which makes me feel like an even bigger bastard. “This is pack business. I need to make a few calls. Why don’t you go find your mother?”
Foxfire’s smile is forced, her scent a confusing jumble. Women. So complicated. And, now, my feelings are just as fucking complicated. My dad is right.
“Look,” I try again, “a few people in the pack are in trouble. I don’t mean-”
“No, it’s all right.” She picks up a hotel key and pockets it. “I’ll go. Sunny wanted to visit the market. I’ll go see what time it opens tomorrow-it’ll be a good distraction for her while we search for Johnny.”
“Okay. Thanks, baby.”
A few more calls, and I’ll mobilize the strongest in Garrett’s pack to follow his dad down to Mexico. If I can’t be there personally, at least I can help.
~.~
Foxfire
He’s shutting me out. Again. Not that I had a right to be in in the first place. He’s made it very clear: I’m not pack. Not that I care.
I wander around the empty market area, sniffing around the booths in a half-hearted attempt to find Sunny. I catch a whiff of something familiar, but I can’t place it. The moon rises, and I head back, slowing my steps in case Tank is still talking to his pack. He doesn’t want me to be a part of his world.
Maybe I’m meant to be alone, just me and my fox. I pause in a deserted alley and try to shift. But I can’t. Not even staring at the moonlight.
Great. Now, even my fox has abandoned me.
Back at the hotel room, I knock, but no one’s there. Tank must be out on an errand. I keep my jacket on and go out to lean on the balcony railing in the light of the moon.
So what if I’m alone? I’m used to it. But my fox wants to be around shifters. I can handle a group not wanting me, but this is the first time I’ve wanted to be a part of a one. I hate it.
Stupid fox. Why couldn’t I be a wolf?
“Foxfire?”
“I’m here,” I call.
He comes and silently hugs me. He won’t tell me what’s wrong, but he holds me like he needs me.
“Everything all right?”
He grunts a non-answer.
“You know you can talk to me?”
He leans down and puts his mouth on mine. The kiss is long, and deep, and feels like an apology for something. I wish I knew what.
“Full moon tonight,” I murmur.
“No, baby, it was last night.”
I turn in his arms as he holds me.
“Do you think I’ll ever be able to shift on my own?”
“Of course. It just takes practice.”
“I don’t.” My voice wobbles. “I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Try it.” He leads me back into the room.
“Okay.” I strip off my clothes and take a deep breath, willing my body to morph.
“Relax, baby. This is natural. Just let her out.”
This time, when I take a deep breath, the world changes immediately. I drop to four paws and yip at Tank.
“That’s good, baby.” He growls approval. His scent is a haven, strong and sure. But there’s another one tickling my nose. I trot to the balcony and bark for him to follow.
“No, Foxfire.” He starts toward me. “You should stay inside.”
Before he can reach me, I rush out the door and leap from the balcony.