A Fox's Hostility

by Brandon Varnell

  “Class, I doubt you are aware of it, but a special announcement is being made on TV today. The principal has informed us that we are to let all of our students watch it, so we won’t be getting right into today’s lesson.”

  A round of cheers went up. Lindsay was not one of them. A communications blackout in Arizona had made it so not even cable companies could show televised content, but now there was an announcement on the news? Something seemed fishy about that.

  “Yes, yes. I can tell that you are all so disappointed,” Dr. Spencer’s voice was rank with sarcasm. “Now then, I’d like all of you to quiet down so we can watch the announcement—unless you’d like me start on my lecture instead.” When he received a unified “No!” from everyone present, he nodded. “In that case, try to be quiet, okay?”

  Dr. Spencer turned on the television, which was already set to the news station. The anchor, a woman with black hair styled in a long braid, sat behind a podium-like table, her expression grim.

  “Ghosts. Apparitions. Phantoms. Demons. Everybody in the world has heard these words. The world is filled with stories about vampires and werewolves, of creatures that go bump in the night. They used to be a story to tell children at bedtime, something to scare them into being good. Within the past thirty years, stories about supernatural creatures have become some of the most popular around. But, what if I were to tell you that these supernatural creatures aren’t just a myth.”

  “Yōkai.”

  That single word made Lindsay freeze as ice seeped into her veins. She glanced around. The other students were paying attention. Most seemed confused, but there were a few who, to her surprise, looked shocked.

  “That is the term these creatures go by. They are monsters whose sole purpose is nothing more or less than the complete annihilation of all mankind. Don’t believe me? That is fine. An image is worth a thousand words, and we have more than just one image to reveal the truth about these creatures.”

  The screen cut out to be immediately replaced by an aerial view of what appeared to be a Chinese temple of some sort. Beautiful structures of varying colors dotted the land and numerous people walked to and from these buildings.

  As Lindsay continued watching, a shadow fell over the world. The camera shook as its holder looked up.

  At first glance, Lindsay couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was seeing. Something hovered in the sky, something massive. As she continued staring at it, she realized that what she was looking at was some kind of island—a gargantuan floating island.

  “What you see here is a floating island that appeared above the Ta'er Monastery located in China. It appeared without warning. Several minutes after its appearance, strange creatures who looked like humans with animal parts came out of the monastery and started attacking people. I’d advise anyone with young children watching this to convince their child to leave the room. What you are about to see is live footage of the attack. It is of an extremely graphic nature and not fit for children.”

  The scene changed again, this time to a moving image that appeared somewhat shaky. It was pointed at the object floating in the sky. To Lindsay, it almost looked like someone had taken a mountain, plucked it from the earth, inverted it, and then made it float in the sky. The image swiveled suddenly when shouting was heard. It focused on one of the temples, from which several people in Shaolin monk robes emerged.

  Several people in Shaolin monk robes with multiple tails and fox-like ears.

  Kitsune!

  Lindsay held a hand to her mouth and watched as the monks began attacking people. It didn’t matter who they were. Men. Women. Children. The elderly. Everyone there came under attack. The kitsune, their tails glowing with an ethereal white light, sent out beams of energy that struck the people around them. One by one those who were hit went down in a flail of limbs, crumpling to the floor like puppets without strings. Several kitsune pointed at the camera, and the owner apparently decided to run for it. They turned around. There was a bright flash of light. And then there was nothing. The screen went black.

  Murmurs erupted from the students, but they were quickly silenced by Dr. Spencer.

  The screen went back, but this time, it showed a battle being fought between two kitsune. Lindsay stifled her gasp. The battle was indiscriminately destroying everything around them. Even as she watched, several people—humans—were flung away from the fight, crashing into walls, hitting the ground. One person even became buried under a temple as it collapsed. After nearly ten agonizing minutes of watching nothing but increasing carnage, the screen went black again.

  Then it switched back to the newswoman.

  “What you saw was an unprovoked attack from a group of yōkai known as kitsune, fox-like humanoids with the power to wield elements and enslave a human’s mind. None of the people who were at the Ta’er Monastery that day survived, and it was only because of the monastery's unprecedented devastation that relief forces were sent and managed to recover this video, which miraculously survived the destruction.”

  By now, the murmurs of the students had grown, and Dr. Spencer yelled at the group to keep quiet.

  “These yōkai have infiltrated our world. They live within our countries, our states, our cities, and our neighborhoods. They are everywhere, hidden amongst us. You might be living next to one and never know it. This insidiousness is something that the yōkai have been working toward for a long time. According to our sources, the yōkai incursion has been a plan several hundred years in the making, a plan to enslave all of humanity.”

  The murmurs had now become shouts. Not even Dr. Spencer’s yelling could make the students quiet down. Lindsay silently stared at the television screen, her eyes wide and her heart constricted with fear, not for herself, but for her yōkai friends and the human who was no doubt with them.

  Kevin, Lilian, Iris… Christine, wherever you guys are, I hope you’re safe.

  ***

  Kevin felt surprisingly refreshed when he woke up, though he did have the strange sense that something was wrong.

  Ignoring the feeling of wrongness, he opened his eyes to see a gray ceiling staring back at him. There was something cool on his forehead, which Kevin soon realized was a slightly damp cloth. The shuffling of fabric to his left alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t the only person in the room.

  Looking down revealed the person to be Lilian. She was sitting on a chair, her upper body lying on the bed, her head in her arms. Red hair splayed out before him like an extra silk sheet.

  Kevin reached out and placed his hands on her head. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the feel of her soft locks. Lilian shifted and mumbled in her sleep, but remained otherwise inert. Kevin smiled as her triangle-shaped ears twitched when his fingers caressed them.

  What happened to me? How did I get here?

  A frown came unbidden to his face as he tried to recall what happened before he’d ended up in a bed. He remembered the assassination attempt, driving to Monstrang’s distribution center, being attacked by Justin…

  Justin!!

  That’s right! After battling and defeating Justin’s troops, they had taken him to Monstrang’s newspaper distribution center, where he’d been placed in confinement. Kevin had gone to speak with his friend—former friend—but their conversation had been cut short when Justin broke his bindings and attacked him. He couldn’t remember anything after that.

  Amnesia? he wondered, then shook his head. No, if I had amnesia, I wouldn’t remember anything else either. Maybe I was knocked unconscious or something…

  “Mmm.”

  Kevin looked down as Lilian stirred. Crimson hair shifted as the beautiful vixen lifted her head. Her bright green orbs, which reminded him of an expansive viridian forest, blinked cutely several times, as if trying to get the sleep out of them.

  “Good morning, Lilian.”

  “Good morning, Kevin.” Lilian yawned and raised a hand to her mouth—and then promptly dropped the hand, her eyes widening when she
realized that Kevin was awake. “Beloved!”

  Kevin was prepared for Lilian’s pounce and therefore wasn’t surprised to feel her soft, moist lips pressing against his in an almost feverish kiss.

  He responded admirably, returning the kiss with a passion that equaled Lilian’s. When she crawled onto the bed and straddled his hips, he placed his hands on the small of her back and pulled her close. When her small tongue darted out of her mouth, he met it halfway, granting her entrance into his mouth and caressing her tongue with his own. His mouth was soon filled with Lilian’s tongue and saliva, which they stirred up between them. Her hands went into his hair, delicate fingers threading through each strand and making a mess out of them. Kevin responded by letting his fingers roam her back, relishing in the soft contours of her skin. He wished this moment would last forever.

  Unfortunately, they both needed oxygen to live, and they were running out.

  With a loud gasp and an almost lewd smacking sound, Lilian pulled her mouth away from his. Before she could pull it far, Kevin placed his left hand behind her head and pulled her back down, dipping his tongue into her mouth and cutting the liquid connection between them.

  They lay there for a moment, basking in the afterglow of what they had just done. Lilian pressed her forehead against his, her breathing deep and heavy. Something wet fell onto his face, and it was with startling swiftness that Kevin realized she was crying.

  “Lilian?”

  “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Her tears continued to caress her cheeks like liquid crystals. Since it didn’t seem like she planned on wiping them away, Kevin designated the task for himself, his thumbs tenderly brushing away her tears. “I was so worried.”

  “What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?” Kevin shook his head and Lilian’s eyes darkened. “We were attacked.”

  “A-attacked?” A jolt traveled through his body, causing his eyes to widen until it felt like they were the size of dinner plates.

  “Hm.” Lilian nodded. “About fifteen minutes after you went to talk to Justin, several explosions rocked the newspaper center and the ceiling collapsed on us. A number of soldiers swarmed the place and shot at everything in sight. We fought them off. Your boss was really incredible. He took on a whole company by himself and sent them packing.”

  Kevin knew that Monstrang was a yōkai, though he didn’t know which kind. Still, hearing Lilian talk about how strong the large man was surprised him. He hadn’t realized his boss was that powerful.

  “After the attackers retreated, we went to check up on you, and found you lying unconscious on the ground. Justin wasn’t there.”

  Kevin nodded several times as Lilian finished her tale. He’d learned a lot from what she had said, and also what she didn’t say, like the fact that those troops had only been a distraction to provide Justin with a chance to escape. It made him wonder something, however. Just how high up in rank was his former friend?

  “How long have I been out?”

  “Two days. You had a few busted ribs and a minor concussion. I healed all of the physical damage, but I can’t heal a concussion. We had to let that heal naturally.”

  Placing a hand on Lilian’s cheek, Kevin enjoyed the silky-smooth feel of her skin. “Thank you. I don’t know where I’d be without you in my life.”

  “You probably wouldn’t be in danger if I wasn’t in your life.”

  “Maybe, but I would also be very lonely without you in my life.”

  “Kevin…”

  Lilian slowly leaned in while Kevin raised his head. Her eyes fluttered closed and his slid shut. Their lips made contact in a soft kiss.

  Kevin took her lower lip between his and gently suckled on it, then switched to her upper lip. He followed an irregular pattern, up until the point where Lilian’s tongue once more worked its way into his mouth. Kevin stifled a groan as her tongue gently rubbed against his. He pushed back, but he mostly let her do what she wanted. His hands went from her head down to her backside, where he cupped her cheeks in both hands and molded them against his palms.

  “Hnn!”

  A moan, muffled by his mouth, escaped Lilian’s throat. With little prompting from Kevin, she slowly ground her crotch against his, sending small electric jolts that traveled straight to his brain.

  Their movements became more frenetic. Their kiss became more intense. The feel of Lilian’s tight little ass in his hands was like heaven, and he took great pleasure in massaging her firm cheeks, which his fingers sank into like they were marshmallows. Lilian’s butt clenched as he worked them over.

  Perhaps in response to his actions, Lilian’s grinding grew more frantic, the motions faster, the actions more powerful. Her thighs quivered against his while something massive built up inside of him. He could feel it coiling around him, a knot waiting to be undone. Just a little bit further and—

  “Ara, ara. It seems we are interrupting something.”

  —like twelve gallons of ice water being dumped on top of him, Kevin’s body grew cold. The passion fizzled out. The heat became a deep freeze that chilled him to the bone.

  He and Lilian slowly turned their heads to look at the now open door, through which several people could be seen.

  “You two just love torturing me, don’t you?” Iris’s baleful stare was a clear sign of her displeasure, as was the biting tone in her voice. “Seriously, must you always do this when I’m not around? How come I’m not allowed to join in?”

  “H-hawa!” Camellia’s cheeks flushed a bright red, and she squirmed in place like a young child who’d caught her parents “naked hugging.” “Lilian and Kevin-kyun are… they are… kyun!”

  “Oh, my.” Kirihime held her hands to her cheeks and wiggled in place. “How passionate.”

  Kevin wasn’t really sure what to feel, and, from the gobsmacked look on her face, neither was Lilian. He looked at the group of kitsune, trying to ignore the heat spreading across his face.

  “I take it there’s a reason you guys are here?” he asked, hoping against all hope that the pitiful squeak in his voice was just his imagination.

  “Course there is, boya,” Kiara said, a knowing glint in her eyes, lips peeling back in a grin. Kevin ignored it. “We came to check up on you and Lilian. You’ve been unconscious for a while now, and Lilian hasn’t left your side except to eat and shower. We wanted to make sure you two were all right.”

  “Ah.” Kevin nodded, feeling a little grateful that they cared about him enough to check on him—even though the rest of him was quite embarrassed. “I guess that makes sense.”

  “Now that you’ve confirmed that Kevin is okay, you five can leave,” Lilian said coldly. Kevin could feel her radiating annoyance like a cracked sieve leaking water. She clearly did not appreciate being interrupted.

  “No can do.” Kiara grinned as she placed her only remaining hand on her hip. “You see, the boss man said he wanted to see Kevin the moment he woke up, so that means you two need to stop trying to suck each other’s faces off and get up.”

  Kevin ignored the heat in his cheeks at Kiara’s blunt assessment of what he and Lilian had been doing, and instead focused on the rest of what she had said. Namely, the part about Monstrang wanting to see him. He assumed the man wanted to get him up-to-date on any new developments that happened while he was unconscious.

  “Lilian…”

  “Yeah, I know.” Lilian sighed and slowly climbed off him. “It’s not like we can do anymore anyway. Mou.” Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t believe those idiots totally ruined the moment.”

  “I-I am very sorry, Lady Lilian.” Kirihime bowed in apology.

  Lilian just waved the apology off. “Whatever. It’s fine. I can always work on stealing Kevin’s virginity later.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing, Beloved.”

  “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t nothing.”

  “Heh,” Iris snickered, “so you two still haven’t gone all the way, eh? That’s kinda pathetic, don’t you thi
nk?”

  “Pipe down, Iris,” Kevin grumbled as he sat up in bed. “Unlike you, I actually believe that sex is too important to have on a whim.”

  “Is that why you’re still a virgin?”

  “Stop talking about that!”

  “Stop teasing Kevin, Iris.” Lilian decided to protect her mate. “Humans see sex differently than we do—well, some of them do. Kevin does, and that’s what matters. I’m willing to wait until he’s ready.”

  Warmth suffused Kevin’s chest. Lilian’s willingness to hold back and not force him into having sex until he was ready meant the world to him.

  He knew she wanted to. Kitsune were very physical creatures. They revelled in acts of passion. However, Lilian was willing to fight against her very nature for him, because she loved him and wanted to wait until he was comfortable enough to take that final step.

  That’s why he would initiate acts of intimacy between them. Even though they never went beyond foreplay, he wanted her to know that he wasn’t refusing to have sex because he didn’t love her, but because he felt uncomfortable having sex at his age. He wasn’t even all that comfortable with foreplay, though he would admit that he enjoyed it.

  That said, Kevin felt like he was missing something. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but something about the way Lilian and Iris were staring at each other as they bantered back and forth bothered him. A chill was running down his spine. He just couldn’t figure out why.

  Shaking his head to dispel those errant thoughts, Kevin climbed out from underneath the covers. His bare feet touched the carpet, and for a moment he just stood there, wondering why everything suddenly felt really drafty.

  “Whoo! Way to show the goods, Stud!”

  Kevin wondered what Iris was talking about, but then he looked down and realized something he hadn’t noticed while he’d been lying in bed.

  He wasn’t wearing any clothes.

  “Iyahn!!”

  Kevin’s pathetic cry echoed throughout the base.

  ***

  The place they were in was clearly different from the base they had been at previously. When Kevin asked about that, Kotohime informed him that they had to relocate because their former base’s location had been compromised. According to her, Monstrang had many such strongholds located throughout Arizona. The newspaper distribution center was simply where he spent the most time since it was also where he worked.