Vixen (The Fox and Hound Book 1)

by Catherine Labadie

  “I’ll get it,” I tell Wade before Duncan’s knuckles rap on our front door. Wade’s expression as I see it before the door opens is confused.

  Duncan looks nervous, but not as nervous as I feel; the mellow aura that always seems to surround him is charged with tension, but I’m grateful he’s brave enough to face my family of brothers.

  “Hey,” he says; his voice sounds a little huskier than I expected, but then I remember that his canine DNA affects his voice slightly. Of course, it might just be me who hears that quality.

  “Hi,” I reply, my lips twitching into a fleeting smile. He looks so good standing there, dressed up in a pale grey button down shirt with rolled-up sleeves and fantastically well-fitting jeans that make strange thoughts pop into my head. “Come in.”

  “Thanks. My dad dropped me off a couple blocks down the road on his way to work,” he speaks his lines of our script carefully, and I notice his tawny eyes looking to me for approval. He really has tried to blend in, even if he can’t use the wolf-ears headband for a disguise: he’s enshrouded by the distinctive half-breed

  scent I love about him, and I notice how he’s turned his collar so the fur on his spine is clearly visible.

  I nod, shutting the doors as he enters and avoiding Wade’s eyes. “I’m glad you could find our house,” I finish our performance with my lines, impulsively taking Duncan’s dry hand as he stands by me.

  “Um…could someone explain what’s going on?” Wade questions, standing back by the bottom of the stairs with his yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion; his gaze rests on my hand in Duncan’s, and I cough delicately to get him to snap out of it.

  “This is Duncan, Wade. My boyfriend.” My face colors as I say the words, and Duncan takes a step forward to shake my brother’s hand. It’s a very smooth movement, and I remember that Duncan said he was a salesman for his summer job. He must be used to greeting people, even if they’re staring distastefully at his open hand as he offers it. Harold, ever the peacemaker, swoops in and shakes Duncan’s hand before Wade’s rudeness can extend to action.

  “I’m Harold Maurell,” he says, suddenly every inch

  the successful lawyer instead of the affectionate older brother I know best. “I’m sure Sierra’s told you a lot about us already.”

  “Duncan Ledford. And yeah, your family is a main feature in a lot of our conversations,” Duncan says as Harold steps back.

  “We were planning on leaving right about now, if Eisen ever comes down the stairs,” Harold tells him after they make small talk for a few seconds. I probably should be intervening more, smoothing the semi-awkward conversation with my support, but I’m busy

  glaring at Wade to ensure he doesn’t make an ass of himself in front of someone I care about.

  He does anyway. “You’re awfully human looking for a half-breed, aren’t you?" Duncan looks down at my brother—who stands shorter than my redhead—and I see a smart reply forming in his eyes. Eisen, racing down the stairs and tugging a battered comb through his hair, beats him to it though.

  “And you’re rude, Wade Hampton. Hasn’t Emilee taught you any manners?” Eisen flicks Wade’s scruffy ear as he tucks the comb into his pocket and approaches Duncan with the stride of an arrogant prince.

  “Eisen,” he introduces himself, thrusting his hand out towards Duncan with an expression that looks more combative than welcoming. Duncan calmly takes his hand, accepting one of those rough handshakes that males competing for supremacy hurt each other with.

  “Duncan. I’m dating your little sister,” Duncan speaks in that deep tone of voice again, staring Eisen down as they release each other. Ugh, I think, exasperated. Did you have to deliberately bring up the fact that I’m the little sister? I shake my head and stand next to Harold, impatient for this awkward scene to end so we can get in the car for the drive to Hayley’s country house.

  “You know, Wade,” Eisen says, his lips stern even if he’s keeping his eyes wide and innocent of suspicion. “He can’t help if his human DNA is the strongest thing

  about him.”

  Eisen, you ass, I think angrily. He and Wade both deserve a good kick to the shins. Is he trying to give

  hints that Duncan is more human than Harold or Wade thinks?

  Duncan’s focus flits to me for the briefest second, and I remember I forgot to tell him about Eisen’s foreknowledge of the plan. Perhaps sensing my distress, he wisely chooses to leave my brother’s jibe unanswered.

  “Time to go, all,” Harold cuts in, leading the way to the door. We’re taking Wade’s van so we can all fit; his car usually stays in the driveway, since it can’t fit into our garage. I notice the humorous tone to his voice, and realize that he thinks this whole scene is amusing. If Harold and I hadn’t had that nice exchange before Duncan arrived, I would be inclined to kick his shins as well.

  27

  The Manchester house is in uproar when we arrive. I’m well used to the chaos of Hayley’s younger siblings playing before supper, as well as the ensuing disorder of Eisen and Wade—who enjoy children far more than me or Harold—joining in with reckless disregard for the value of the surrounding furniture, but I’m not sure about Duncan’s acceptance of this scene. Harold abandons us to visit Mr. Manchester in his office. Ordinarily, this is the part where I greet Bernette Manchester as she puts the final touches on dinner, or when I run upstairs to find Hayley if her assistance wasn’t needed in the kitchen.

  Instead, Duncan and I linger in the doorway, taking a moment to catch our breath as Eisen scoops up tiny

  Arabella and bodily tosses her to Wade; the girl squeals, cat tail waving and whiskers twitching, and tabby-furred Kami latches onto Wade’s legs with a loud meow.

  “Is this all okay?” I ask Duncan anxiously, peering up into his face as he scans the room. “It’s bad enough Harold had me sit up front so you were in back with Eisen and Wade…and I forgot to tell you the Manchesters have kids…”

  “It’s fine,” Duncan says, his gaze returning to me; the brown makes him look more intense, but it’s in a way that makes my heart squeeze up with pleased recognition for his canine DNA. “Everything is…better than I expected, actually. Don’t worry.”

  “Better than expected?” I query, smoothing my clammy hands over my corduroys. Duncan nods, looking meaningfully at Eisen and Wade.

  “I was expecting a lot more hostility from your brothers, judging from the way you spoke about them whenever they came up,” he explains, taking my hand. “But so far they don’t seem any more resistant than normal older brothers should be…except for Eisen.”

  I wince sympathetically. “Yeah…I told him about you beforehand, guessing that would be better. Maybe I shouldn’t have, if he’s going to drop hints about you all evening in front of everyone.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Duncan says, looking at me like I’m the only person in the room; perhaps realizing we’re having an only-two-people-in-the-room moment, he self-consciously re-tucks his shirt into his pants with a surreptitious glance at the surrounding mayhem. “The fact that he didn’t spill the story to your other brothers

  right away proves that he’s more likely to be on our side…you’re handling this well, I promise.”

  “Oh, you,” I say, grateful for his reassurance. I’m glad you’re here, and that you want to be here, I want to say, but the words don’t come easily to my lips. “What’s the title of the book you used to teach yourself all the right things to say?”

  “Ouch,” Duncan laughs. “You don’t think I can learn boyfriend skills on my own?”

  “Well you learned so quickly I thought…” I don’t finish my smart comeback because he’s taken my hand again, looking into my eyes as he brings it to his lips and kisses my knuckles. I swallow, my knees feeling weaker than normal as my heart drums forcefully in my chest. Wow…

  Suddenly a small stuffed animal that looks like a badger wearing a scarf sails towards Duncan’s head from across the room. It wouldn’t cause any damage if it hit him, but Dun
can lifts his other hand in the blink of an eye and snags the missile before it hits him. I’m startled by his reflexes, since they’re quick even by half-breed standards.

  “Nice,” I say as Duncan drops my hand and chucks the badger football style towards Eisen, who was examining a potted plant in the corner with too-innocent interest. It hits him before he can turn around, and I realize with a thrill that Duncan can not only pass for one of us, but truly be one of us. No human has that speed, nor do they possess the excellent reflexes that accompany animal DNA.

  “You didn’t tell me your boy was a jock, Sierra!” Hayley’s voice startles me out of my momentary reverie, and I hear her fluffy grey tail swishing against the stair banister as I turn to see her perched on the stairs behind us.

  “I’m not,” Duncan says, examining Hayley curiously. She too is like Wade in that her animal features are very prominent: her hair is long, but it’s a sleek iron grey color that compliments her tufty cat ears and the whiskers on either side of her petite nose. She’s wearing a pale blue peasant top with her floral patterned jeans,

  and her hands are strong looking under the layer of fur that extends to her elbows. Her feet are more like paws as well, so she rarely wears shoes around her house.

  “Well you’d blend in just fine,” Hayley says, and from the mischievous way she’s smiling, I can tell she’s not referring to jocks when she talks about blending in.

  “Hayley!” I exclaim in greeting, feeling in a rush how much I missed my best friend. She bounds up to hug me, smelling like clean cat and faintly like laundry detergent, and it feels like I’m hugging a sister.

  “You took too long getting here…did your brothers harass him on the drive?” she asks me, smiling at Duncan amiably. “That is, did they give you a hard time?”

  Duncan shakes his head. “Not really…Sierra talked too much for that.”

  “I was trying to help!” I whack his arm playfully, knowing full well that I did chatter most of the drive to keep my brothers from asking more stupid questions.

  “I’m inclined to believe Duncan in this matter, sweetie,” Hayley grins, her sea colored eyes bright in her round face; she takes my arm and leads the way to the kitchen. “Let’s not linger by the front door; it’s

  boring. Besides, my mother wants to meet you, Duncan.” Hayley is the one talking a lot now, so I sense rather than see Duncan following us.

  “He does smell good,” Hayley whispers very quietly. “Very canine…but in a good way.”

  “Yeah,” I say, not wanting to gush about Duncan’s attractive qualities when he’s so close to me. Fan-girling in private isn’t an issue, but it’s not exactly wise to feed a boy’s ego so early in a relationship.

  We find Bernette in the kitchen, artlessly finishing the last touches on a homemade banana pudding that she knows I favor greatly. She smiles at me as we enter; the soft lines on her face enhance the depth of her dark eyes. Bernette is the closest thing I have to a mother now, and I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything.

  “I escorted the rabble,” Hayley announces dramatically, hopping up to a countertop to sit precariously on the edge.

  “I see that,” Bernette says dryly, coming over to give me a hug. She’s a very unique person: content with being a stay at home mother, but as independent as she can be sassy at times. It’s a trait that runs in the family, judging by the banter Hayley and her sisters keep up constantly.

  “Hi, Mom,” I say, accepting the hug Bernette offers me. She has a wonderful, clean linen closet smell mixed with the nice cat smell associate with her meek tail and cat ears, and it’s one of my favorite things.

  “I’ve missed you,” Bernette says sincerely, smiling at me before she looks up at Duncan. He’s lingered awkwardly in the wide doorway of the kitchen,

  although he tried to be cool about it by slouching casually against the doorframe.“Who’s this?”

  “Duncan, Mum. I told you this,” Hayley grunts as she snags a vanilla cookie from the box sitting beside the bowl of pudding.

  “As always you are as polite as you are successful with your math skills,” Bernette says, but her tone is light. “Nice to meet you, Duncan. You look like you and Sierra will be good together.”

  That’s a positive sign, I think, swishing my tail back and forth as I relax. If she thinks he’s okay, then he must be. Bernette is a good people-reader, although when she doesn’t like someone she’s been known to inflict verbal blunt force trauma. In this case though, she seems willing to talk to Duncan in a subtle mom-interview way; Hayley motions me over while they talk.

  “She’s going to ask how you two met, why he’s interested you, that kind of thing,” Hayley confides in a whisper as I hop onto the granite countertop beside her. “Of course, she’ll be as subtle as she can about it, but she’ll still do the good cop thing. My dad will probably do the bad cop routine, just a memo.”

  “Excellent,” I groan, although I have an ear cocked so I can attend to Duncan’s conversation; he’s telling her about school, already making her laugh with a description of our stern Sociology teacher with her pursed lips and clip-on earrings. ‘It’s not like my brothers are doing their best at the bad cop routine on their own.”

  “Cheer up, it’s not as bad as it’s going to be later when you spill the beans about the…furry little secret once you get back to your house,” Hayley says

  optimistically. I grimace, covering my face with my hands. “How is your faith in The Plan So Far holding up?”

  “Well enough,” I intone. “If I’m reading Harold right, I think he’ll be reasonable; he was nice enough when I dropped the boyfriend-is-coming-to-dinner bomb. It’s Eisen and Wade…Wade is going to freak, and I don’t know how Eisen will play his cards.”

  “At least you look pretty,” Hayley pats my arm

  affectionately. “And at least tonight is going well so far. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself for now, so your brothers can see how comfortable you are around Duncan.”

  I exhale slowly, then take a deep breath to fortify myself for the next few hours. The kitchen—indeed, the entire house—has an aroma of garlic and tangy pepperoncini from the spices mixed in Bernette’s classic Italian beefs. My mouth waters, my stomach snarling with hunger; I’ve been so anxious I forgot to be hungry until just now.

  Duncan catches my eye as he chats with Bernette and leans on the island countertop; he’s good at this, the easy conversation with people he’s just met. I smile encouragingly at him, letting him know I think he’s doing well. His answering smile is endearing, and I decide tonight is going to be okay after all.

  z

  The dinner plates rest on the smooth wooden surface of the dining room table, full of bread crumbs swimming in the leftover juice from the beef sandwiches we just devoured. Duncan is seated to my left, Hayley to my right, and the dinner conversation has evaded any awkward lulls. Hayley’s little sisters are absent as well: they ate their dinner early, and Hayley set them up with the SMARTvision in her parent’s room

  upstairs. Mr. Manchester cuts an imposing figure, red faced and rotund with a whitening goatee and a distinct lack of any animal attributes but small cat eyes and a hidden tail, but thankfully he conversed more with Harold and my brothers than with Duncan. Right now he discusses the merits of good coffee with Eisen while Bernette asks Wade about Emilee Chirza.

  I’m full and contented, although when Hayley asks me about school today, I remember what the Reis sisters told me about Lyle and that group of friends. I repeat the story to Hayley, knowing she’ll want in on the drama.

  “So Lyle is a skeezebag after all,” she sniffs disdainfully, munching on a bit of the leftover mozzarella cheese.

  “No surprises there. At least Sierra’s lunch plan was a success,” Duncan chips in helpfully; he’s the only one still eating, packing away three whole sandwiches, which is one more than all three of my brothers consumed. “I confess I was worried that her friends wouldn’t like having mine around, but they—Femi and Ha
sida?—were pretty welcoming.”

  “Kind of gives you hope for the future, doesn’t it?” I

  ask quietly, nudging Duncan’s knee with my own under the table. I catch him blush, but I can tell he’s pleased.

  “Y’all are ridiculously cute,” Hayley must have noticed our little exchange, judging by the smirk that angles her kitty whiskers up. “I don’t know if any of the peasants have told you this yet, but it’s true.”

  “Thanks,” Duncan says, giving me a sideways humorous look. “We try.”

  “No one’s told us that, so you’re the first.

  Congratulations,” I laugh, but another troublesome thought occurs to me. “You might be the only one, actually. I don’t know if we’ll get much support…later on.”

  “Probably not,” Eisen’s voice breaks into our conversation as he sticks his neck around Wade to butt in. “Make room, little brother. My turn to talk to the little kids.”

  Wade, busy listing the merits of his new girlfriend to Bernette—the best listener here—switches seats without complaint, and Eisen leans around Hayley to continue speaking. “Once the secret gets out, you’ll have a lot of drama on your hands for a long time.”

  “Thanks for stating the obvious,” Hayley makes a face at him; she and Eisen get along fine, but he did use to tease her horribly when she had braces on her sharp little teeth, so she’s perfectly content to snap at him whenever the occasion arises. “I think they can handle it.”

  “Do you?” Eisen snorts. “Sierra’s a tough kid, but that’s just it: she’s a kid. She’s a teenager who doesn’t know anything about the outside world. The fallout from this story is going to be incredible.”

  “I don’t see how their relationship is anyone’s business, including yours,” Hayley defends me with a coarse meow obviously stuck in her throat.

  “Is that what you really think of me, Eisen?” I ask, slightly embarrassed that my brother is putting me down in front of Duncan. I expect Eisen to soften, but he still has that arrogant, hard look in the flash of his eyes and the scornful lines around his mouth.