A Fox's War

by Brandon Varnell

  Delphine’s smile set him on edge. “You’re too kind.”

  The party continued after Delphine’s announcement. Kevin mingled some more, talking with his mate, letting Iris act clingy as she showed him off to the repulsed Aster and Azalea, conversing with Marigold, and defending Christine from Violet’s teasing. He was exhausted by the time the festivities began winding to a close.

  Later in the evening, Kevin wandered out to the backyard. Much like the front, the backyard was a study in aesthetic beauty. The cobblestone floor gave off the impression of natural ground, and the arched ceiling above him created an appealing contrast to the generally western architecture of the house. Basic Greek columns supported the ceiling. An elevated fireplace sat in the center of the patio, surrounded by several cushy armchairs. This backyard even had a spillover spa that led into a massive infinity edge pool and a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.

  Kevin sat down on one of the armchairs. As the noise coming from inside of the house blocked out the sounds of chirping crickets, he thought about everything that had happened to him; the war, his father, the fact that he was an experiment, and of course, Justin’s death.

  That idiot. He didn’t have to go and get himself killed.

  Kevin had not cried over his friend’s death—not during the small funeral service that was held, nor after it had happened. It was as if he’d become disassociated with what happened, like there was a disconnect between reality and his brain. A part of him expected Justin to randomly appear before him one day.

  Footsteps approached him. They were too light to be Lilian’s, and their pace did not carry the confidence of Iris. However, they were too heavy to be Christine’s. His mom, then.

  “What are you doing out here?” his mom asked. “Are you tired of all those partying kitsune?”

  Kevin didn’t turn around. He looked out at the backyard, which fed into a large desert that stretched out for miles.

  “I guess I just needed some peace and quiet. It’s kind of noisy in there,” he said.

  “That’s true. Those kitsune are a riot.”

  Kevin heard the rustling of fabric and assumed his mom had sat on one of the chairs. He still didn’t look her way, but that was because he didn’t know what he’d do upon seeing her.

  “I met Ethan.”

  “I know. I saw your fight against him on the news.”

  “Oh, I see. You already saw it on the—wait.” Kevin finally turned to her. His mother was, indeed, sitting on the armchair next to him. “What do you mean you saw it on the news?”

  His mother gave him an odd look. “You mean you don’t know? Your face is all over the news, Kevin. There were several security cameras located throughout the White House that caught your fight with Ethan on tape, which was later leaked by someone. You were also seen protecting several human families with Lilian and the others. They’re calling you ‘The Hero Who Saved Two Races.’”

  “W-when did this happen?” Kevin asked, flabbergasted. “I never heard anything about this!”

  His mom sighed. “You really should pay more attention to what’s happening around you, Kevin.”

  “I-I’ve been kind of busy,” Kevin mumbled, looking away.

  His mom studied him with keen eyes that made Kevin squirm. Something about her gaze made him very uncomfortable. A moment later, she looked away and sighed.

  “I suppose you have,” she finally admitted. “Even without seeing that video on the news, I can tell just from being near you that you’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you.”

  For just a moment, Kevin felt resentment for his mom. Images flashed before his eyes, of times when his mom would leave him alone at home, of when she’d abandon him during their travels for her job, of when she’d tell him to man up after he’d come to her in tears because of something that happened when he was younger. Of course, there were also the more recent times when he had been forced to fight for his life. The moment soon passed, however, and Kevin took a deep breath, held it, then released it.

  “It’s fine. I’m not angry.”

  The smile that she gave him made Kevin feel like she could see through his lie. “You really are a kind young man. I’m very proud of how strong and compassionate you’ve become. You’ve even got your own harem.”

  Kevin felt like slamming his face into a wall. “Don’t mention my harem! I don’t have a harem!”

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she teased. “Isn’t it every boy’s dreams to have their own harem?”

  “Where the heck did you hear that?! No, you know what. Never mind. Polygamy isn’t legal anyway, so get your mind out of the gutter!”

  “You never know. Now that yokai are no longer forced to hide their identities, there’s going to be a lot of changes. Polygamous relationships aren’t that unusual in the yokai world.”

  Kevin clicked his tongue as his mother chuckled, but he couldn’t argue with her since he knew that she was correct. Settling down, he leaned back in his chair and looked at the starry night sky.

  “Will you tell me about Ethan now?” he asked. Kevin could practically feel his mom stiffen in her seat.

  “I… suppose you do have the right to know,” she said.

  “I’d also like to know more about the experiments that made me.”

  His mom winced. “I don’t actually know much about those. I only found out after my third trimester, and the report that I read never specified what had been done to you while you were in my womb.” She gave him a weak smile. “It was actually learning about you being experimented on that made me decide to leave the Sons and Daughters of Humanity.”

  “I see.”

  Disappointment hit Kevin like a speeding semi-truck. He’d hoped to learn about his power to negate youki barriers, and he wanted to know if there were any other surprises in store for him. It was hard not knowing what he was and wasn’t capable of. It was even harder because he was worried that some latent power he had might hurt his mate.

  “Now, don’t get too depressed. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with you,” his mom reassured him.

  “Yeah. I’m sure you’re right.” Knowing better than to mope, Kevin decided to change the subject. “So, about Ethan…”

  His mom slumped in her seat as a sense of melancholy washed over her appearance. “Ethan … I met him back when I was fourteen. My father had been killed by a yokai, and that same yokai had also raped and killed my mom in front of me. Ethan came with his group and rescued me. At the time, I had decided to join him after he told me about their cause. I hated yokai for what they’d done to my parents. It didn’t take long before I became one of their best operatives, which I guess was what attracted Ethan.”

  There was an air of wistfulness about his mom, yet he couldn’t help but detect a sour note in her demeanor. Her eyes, staring up at the sky, were lost in a distant past that he couldn’t see.

  “For a while, I thought he loved me. It wasn’t until I accidentally uncovered secret files pertaining to you that I realized he only got close to me because he thought I was the ‘perfect specimen’ to carry his genetically modified child. He was just using me. That’s when I decided to run away. I destroyed all of the files and blew up his base, making it look like I was taken out in the explosion. I cut all ties with him and his organization after that and ran all the way to Phoenix, where I met Davin and pleaded with him to let me live here. Then I had you, and the rest is history.”

  Kevin remained silent as his mom finished her story. He didn’t know what to say.

  “Do you hate me?” she asked suddenly.

  “What? No! Of course not!” Kevin was shocked that she would even ask that. “Why would you think that?”

  His mom’s sad smile kept him from saying anything else. “Because I know that I wasn’t a very good mother. I expected a lot from you. I expected you to be able to take care of yourself, I wasn’t there when you needed me to be, and I did more than just neglect you. If I were in your shoes, I
would hate me.”

  “Then it’s a good thing you’re not in my shoes.” Kevin ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. You’re the only family I have. Despite all of your faults, you’re my irreplaceable mom.”

  “Heh, you’ve turned out to be a really great kid. I might not have any right to say this, but as a parent, I’m very proud of you.”

  “T-thanks.”

  “However, I’m not the only member of your family anymore.” His mom’s grin turned sly. “Don’t think I don’t know about the sexy shenanigans you’re getting up to with your harem.”

  Kevin’s cheeks burned with color. “I thought I already told you: I don’t have a harem.”

  “So, you’re not banging Lilian and her smoking hot sister?”

  “That’s—w-well—that’s none of your business!”

  “How cute. Is this what you anime nerds call a tsundere?”

  “Y-y-you! Shut up, Mom! Just stop talking!”

  Kevin leapt up from his chair and tried to cover his mom’s mouth, but his mom proved to be quite nimble. She flipped over the back and ran from him. As he chased after his mom, who laughed as she teased and taunted him as she ran away, Kevin wondered what life would have in store for him now that the war had ended.

  He was sure his life would be even more interesting from here on out.

  Thank you for reading!

  I want to thank everyone who read A Fox’s War. I hope you enjoyed it immensely.

  I know how important your time is, but if you liked this story and have a quick minute, please consider writing a review on Amazon to let other potential readers know whether they would like this story. Reviews are the life blood of us authors and are imperative for our growth and livelihood. You are essentially helping us continue living by writing a review.

  If you enjoyed this story and would like to know when a new volume comes out, make sure you follow me on Amazon. They don’t update readers when an author’s next book comes out unless you follow that specific author.

  You can also join my mailing list if you’d like to learn when a new volume is out from me instead of Amazon. I also sometimes host raffles and giveaways on my mailing list.

  If you enjoy sarcasm, NSFW artwork, and all things erotic, you can follow me on Twitter.

  My Facebook Page is another place where you can find me. I try to post less on there, so you won’t get sarcastic posts and naked artwork, but you’ll get important stuff like cover reveals, light novel illustrations, WIPs, and the occasional glimpse into what I am writing.

  And finally, you can find me on the Haremlit Facebook group. If you are a fan of harem stories in general, I highly recommend joining as well. You’ll feel right at home.

  Once again, thank you immensely for reading my books. Your support is immeasurable.

  Want More American Kitsune?

  American Kitsune Season 1 has now ended. I do plan to eventually get back to this series and write season 2, but I have decided to take a break because there are many more series I want to write. I’ve got all kinds of plans for new series that span the gauntlet of genres from gamelit to wuxia to reincarnation to isekai. There’s just so much I want to write that I feel like I need take a break from writing American Kitsune.

  However!

  If you, my readers, would like to see me continue this series right now, then there is something you can do to let me know.

  Just review this series. That’s it. I figured if each volume of this series gets 100 reviews, it will mean enough people want me to keep writing that I should just continue. Think of this as a democracy. Your vote (review) will help determine whether I should write American Kitsune season 2 right now or begin writing the many other series I want to write.

  If you are interested in this seeing this series continue right now, you can click on the following links, which will take you to each book’s review page:

  A Fox’s Love

  A Fox’s Tail

  A Fox’s Maid

  A Fox’s Family

  A Fox’s Vacation

  A Fox’s Mate

  A Fox’s Revenge

  A Fox’s Rescue

  A Fox’s Hostility

  A Fox’s Alliance

  A Fox’s Mission

  A Fox’s War

  Thank you all for supporting me as I write this series! I could never have done this without you!

  Afterword

  And thus closes season 1 of American Kitsune. This was the first series I ever wrote. I still remember the first time I published A Fox’s Love and how nervous I was. In point of fact, I still get very nervous when publishing a new book. That said, more than nervousness, I think I felt excitement. The idea of publishing a book was something that a fan of my online work suggested. Had it not been for them, I may have never began publishing in the first place.

  I really do have to thank him for starting me on this journey.

  The closing arc of American Kitsune Season 1 is one that has been packed with action, adventure, and fan service. It’s almost shocking to think this entire series was originally a silly romcom about a boy who was so girl shy he fainted whenever Lilian (or any girl really) would talk to him. Kevin sure has come a long way. Since I created him, that almost makes me his father, and as his father, I am quite proud of how far he has come. He’s stepping into his role of harem protagonist very well.

  Mmhmmm.

  American Kitsune was something I made as a parody series. I have always loved anime and manga since I was a child (light novels were rare and I didn’t know about them back then). I grew up watching anime like Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, and Trigun. These series defined my childhood.

  As you can probably tell, Ranma ½ and Tenchi Muyo were my biggest influencers. I have always been quiet and introverted. I never really got along well with others and preferred to spend time by myself, but I always wanted to be outgoing, to meet people and make friends, and of course to have a dating life. I think that is why these two anime appealed to me. The idea that someone who wasn’t very attractive or cool (like me) could gather a harem of beautiful women was so novel at the time that I became enamored with it.

  Of course, as I grew up, I always noticed the problems in harem anime—namely, the characters never grew a pair of balls. It would be one thing if they manned up and said, “you know, I’m not really interested in you.” I can respect that at least, even if I think they’re being foolish. But all harem protagonists do in anime is panic when a woman confronts them before inevitably falling face first into her tits or accidentally seeing her naked. Since harem protagonists never matured in anime and manga, I decided to write stories where they did mature.

  A Fox’s War is the culmination of this decision. Kevin Swift starts off as a regular anime harem protagonist in A Fox’s Love, and now he’s a dual gun-wielding badass who is dating fraternal kitsune twin sisters… and he’ll probably end up dating a certain tsundere in the near future. The point is, Kevin has changed. Kevin has grown. He’s not the same wimp in A Fox’s War that he was in A Fox’s Love. He has learned, adapted, matured, and become a man who knows how to make decisions and stand up for himself, yet he still retains the kindness that all anime harem protagonists possess.

  Anyway, I feel like I’m just repeating myself like a broken record. I’m pretty sure I’ve said all this before in other afterwords. So let’s get to something more important—my thank yous.

  Thank you, Crystal. She’s been my editor for this series since A Fox’s Family. I think we work well together, and she knows my style and can work her magic on my grammar without interrupting my story’s unique flow. I really appreciate her help.

  I also need to thank Kirsten for constantly delivering sexy AF artwork. I’ve been asking her for lewder and lewder art, and she always comes through for me. She and I are also gonna be adapting this into a manga next. I hope you are all looking forward to that.

 
; And finally, thank you readers. Because of you, I was able to write this series from beginning to end. Because of you, I can do what I love and continue to write stories. Everything that I have accomplished is the direct result of your support. Thank you for reading my books, for writing reviews of them, and for just being awesome people. It’s been a blast working on this series, and I hope you will join me for the next one.

  ~Brandon Varnell

  Did you know that I’m creating an American Kitsune manga?! Production will begin sometime in 2020 on Patreon. Here is a sneak peak!

  If you would like to support the creation of American Kitsune the manga, please head to and subscribe today!

  Hey, did you know?

  Brandon Varnell has started a Patreon.

  You can get all kinds of awesome exclusives like:

  1. The chance to read his stories before anyone else!

  2. Free ebooks!

  3. Exclusive SFW and NSFW artwork!

  4. His undying love!

  Er, maybe we don’t want that last one, but the rest is pretty cool, right?

  To get this awesome exclusive content, go to:

  www.patreon.com/BrandonVarnell