Zero Fox to Give (Misfit Shifters Book 1)

by Rae Foxx

  Poetry jumped, laughing maniacally at Evan's assumption and began to wave her cloud of smoke away.

  "Of course, I know, I help them all you know. Spice it up, keep it secret. Relax..." She puffed on her pipe again before adding back to her smoke halo. "I even know who that cackling hyena was banging on the side."

  "So, if we wanted to find one of those side pieces, someone who might give us some clues…?" I prodded her, rising from my seat as I caught on.

  "If I were you, I’d check between the stacks. Everyone knows that there’s more going on in the library than shelving books. If there is anyone who knows more about the sex that goes on in this town, It's Stacey.”

  29

  Going from the Vagile Ajna to the Cummings Stacks was like going from the circus to a funeral parlor. As we walked in, we were met by a wall of air that felt as if it hadn't moved in the last hundred years. It didn't even have that aroma of old leather books with spines that smelled like magic. The smell hung in the air, the only light in the damned place coming from candelabras with real flickering candles that hung from the high ceiling and cast light between shelves. The light draped over the long, dark tables like everything was occupied by medieval monks with a fear of light.

  There was no one to ask if we needed help at the front desk, no colorful kids’ area or computers to help you find a book.

  The place reminded me of a fucking mortuary.

  To be fair, all libraries for the paranormal looked like this, but after going from a brightly colored store with enough smoke to give you a contact high this place was...

  "Dead." Wulf finished my thoughts and I stiffened. "Not dead like bodies, this building is dead."

  Evan nodded, all of us walking in as though we were walking on hallowed ground. "Are you sure the people aren't dead too?"

  A handful of people were cluttered at the dimly lit table, heads crouched over massive volumes as they tried to read the tiny writing in hardly any light. The one closest to us was so wrinkled, that he might have been melded into the table. Hell, I was pretty sure his shoulders were covered with a fine layer of dust.

  "You might be ri— oh wait, nope, that one moved," Owen pointed to an old man at the far table who sneezed so softly he might as well have been made of air. Well, that was one possible non-zombie. Even the ones who were wandering with stacks of books under their arms didn't seem all there.

  Heavy, ominous energy crackled through the air as though the books were sending electric static to each other. It was the only thing that was alive in here: the books.

  “Are we sure this isn’t a vampire lair?” Evan whispered in my ear as we moved deeper into the library, the deep velvet curtains that hung from the windows shuddering after us as if we were disrupting them for the first time in history.

  "Did Poetry say what this Stacey was?" I asked, shivering against the cold that was starting to cling to my skin. I had assumed the entire town was made up of shifters, but now I was starting to question.

  "Nope, just to look between the stacks," Owen whispered. Well, tried to whisper. My twins were loud enough that even a whisper was turning heads, although not so much from the old dust-covered man at the table. He didn't even flinch. "Perfect place for a vampire to hide."

  "Unless she's not a vampire." I was still looking at the old dust-covered man. "What if she's a succubus?"

  The twins pulled to a stop, staring at me. It took Wulf a few steps before he realized we had stopped.

  "Scar, there's no such thing as a succubus," he whisper-shouted, although he didn't seem convinced of that. He even looked over his shoulder as though this Stacey was going to jump out from the shelves and fuck him to death.

  I shrugged. It was a story told to the children back home to keep them virginal longer, so he was probably right.

  But still, that old man looked a bit too dead...

  Shiny obsidian floors shimmered beneath us with the reflected candlelight from above making it look like the floor was on fire. Even the bookshelves were made of wood, stained so dark gray they were almost black and gave off a scent similar to the entire place: a pungent antique smell mixed with sex.

  The scent of sex grew as we passed each tall shelf. Some of the long hallways were occupied by reading zombies, while others were vacant but for the smell of arousal and pheromones. The ones that were empty had books lying open on the shelves like the reader had abandoned them and fled the place.

  "If there is ever a zombie apocalypse in this town remind me to stay far away from this place," Evan said, speaking in a whisper for once.

  "You scared, cat?" Wulf teased, still strutting ahead of us as though he was ready to take on whatever zombie burst forth with his bare hands. Probably could.

  "Naw, just don't want to fight zombies." Evan shrugged and shivered at the same time, Wulf’s answering chuckle echoing through the high stacks and mixing with what I could only describe as heavy breathing.

  Because this place needed to get creepier.

  Except it wasn't just breathing. It was moaning and grunting. Scratch creepy, the whole place was horny.

  "What is with shifters and fucking libraries?" I asked, following the sounds of sex. Poetry had said Stacey would know more about sex in the town than her, so it only made sense that she would be hovering around it. Feeding on it or some shit.

  "I don't know, but I like it. What do you say, Evan, shall we add it to the list? Wulf?" Evan turned and gave his twin a fist bump, Wulf nodding as he grabbed and tugged at the nearest shelf, as though he was testing its stability.

  "If any of you think I am having sex with you in this creepy-ass library you have another thing coming--"

  "Speaking of freaky asses," Owen said, stopping to stare down the next aisle with a smirk on his face.

  He had found the source of the moaning and grunting. The mayor, pants around his knees, was holding onto the most stereotypical "hot librarian" I had ever seen by the hips. Her skirt was thrown over her ass, his clenched tight as he grunted and groaned, pulsing into her. From where we stood, we could see the slick back cylinder of the mayor’s cock as he moved in and out of her, both of them getting louder and louder as they moved faster and faster.

  "Oh god," I mumbled, tightening my stomach together as I pressed my legs together. I had never walked in on anyone having sex before, and I really hated how hot it was making me. Are we sure that the library didn't catch fire? Because I was pretty sure that the library had caught on fire.

  "You know, I'm kind of disappointed she doesn't look like Elvira," Evan said, his voice as strained as the pants that he was trying to cover without anyone noticing. We all noticed.

  “I'm not. She's one better. Stacy’s mom…” Owen started to sing, but I whirled on him.

  “This is Stacy, not her mom. Wrong song,” I snipped back, stopping his 80s kickback.

  Evan put his hands on my shoulders and turned me back around to face the couple. The pair hummed the entire song while the pair continued in new fury.

  "God, I love your cock, sir," the sexy librarian moaned, pulling all of our focus as the mayor slammed into her, making her squeal and squeak as he smacked her ass, his own bumping against some book that was thicker than my thigh. From the earth to the moon.

  "Please, sir. More, sir."

  "I think I've seen about enough of this," Wulf grumbled, busting his way down the aisle like a charging horse.

  The Mayor continued rocking into her, even when Wulf cleared his throat and they both turned to watch us walk towards them. The mayor just grinned, his focus drifting from where his hard erection slid into her and back to us, slowing his motions as though he was giving us a show, not even caring that they’d been caught.

  Or maybe that’s what they’d intended all along. Didn’t look like they minded one bit.

  "How can I help you?" Stacey asked with half a moan, arching herself so that we could see her a bit better.

  I clamped my legs together tighter. The last thing I needed was my mates smel
ling me and joining in on the fun.

  "We need the librarian," Wulf demanded, still charging the pair.

  "Come back later, I'm using her," Mayor Stevenson grunted, picking up his pace again and sending her jumping and bouncing as she squealed and held onto the shelf in front of her.

  "We don't want to fuck her, we want to talk to her," Wulf snapped, shoving the Mayor back with one hand so hard that he toppled over, staggering into the books with his slick cock jutting out.

  "Patience," Stacey crooned in a voice that belonged on a phone sex line, the low murmur dripping with sex and honey. She aimed her hooded eyes at us, smoothing her skirt as she stood. "If you want to join my family, I demand patience. Interrupting is not something I allow." She smiled, firm but friendly in a customer service sort of way... Well, until she caught sight of Wulf. "Unless you want to join."

  "Oh, hell no!" I snapped, practically sprinting in front of Wulf to stare down the pretty little librarian with her boobs hanging out of her white button-up shirt. My fox was going crazy at just the thought and I snapped at her, snarling and gnashing in warning. "This one's mine."

  "Unfortunate," she said, as though the single word would get us all hot and bothered and we would change our mind. Not going to happen. "I would have any information you want for a taste of that."

  She watched us as she stepped back over to the still-erect mayor, kneeling before him as she began to lick her own moisture off of him.

  "Can we not?" I snarled, but the bitch just smiled and took his full length into her mouth. All of my guys shifted, and it was no wonder, this was like watching live porn. "It's going to be really hard to defend yourself for the butcher’s murder if you have a cock in your mouth."

  I said the first thing that came to mind and she froze, her eyes darting over to me. It wasn't exactly the truth; I don't think any of us thought she had done it. But it got her attention anyway. My heartbeat wildly as she pulled away from the mayor's cock and stood, licking her lips. I had to fold my arms just to keep myself under control.

  "I don't know what you are talking about. I didn't kill anyone," she began, popping her hip a bit and sending her precariously short skirt up enough that it was hiding nothing.

  "Well, one of his partners did. Lover's quarrel. And you are the only one without an alibi." I grinned as I lied, trying to play all bad cop to try to make her crack. If she knew who was fucking who then she had to know who killed him.

  "You have got to be kidding me," Stacey began to laugh, rising to face us as the mayor finally put his cock away, the guy was fuming nearly as much as she was. "I don't know who you are. You're not a cop, and I already talked to the cop. I didn't—"

  "I have proof," I jutted my chin out, trying my best to sound like I knew what I was talking about. Or, you know, was telling the truth. "So, give me one good reason it wasn't you or I am taking it to the police."

  I lifted the very empty black book from my pocket, waving it in the air as though it was full of something besides slightly damp paper. Her face paled to a shade so white that she was nearly glowing in the dark. I almost dropped the book. I had expected a reaction, but nothing like that.

  "Where did you get that?" she gasped, reaching to try to snatch it from me, but was impeded not by me, but by the mayor.

  “She would never do such a thing, you monster. Can’t you see this goddess is perfection?” He began to kiss her neck while he spoke, holding her against him like the lovers they had been a moment ago. But she didn't react, she didn't move. She just stared at the book, her eyes following it even as I tossed it to the twins behind me.

  "Perfection in murder," I plowed on, trying to find more holes to dig into. She was close to spilling; I could feel it.

  “She’s not," the mayor snapped, coming up from her neck for air. "I know you’re new in town, but you should know better. You should be looking for someone with the motive to kill Kent, not this woman.”

  "You were sleeping with Kent," I said to Stacey who had finally looked away from the book to glare at me. "Did he leave you? Did he do something you didn’t like? Or were you just mad when he decided he didn't want to be with you anymore?”

  I took a risk with that last one, hoping to catch them off guard. Instead, the Mayor looked at me and then threw his head back with laughter.

  “Ah, that’s where you are wrong, Ssscarlet. You clearly know nothing of lust, of love, or of murder. You know nothing about this town. Only people who want something or hate something will kill to get what they want. You find the person to do that and you’ve found your murderer - and Sssstacey isn’t it. This woman doesn’t attach herself to anyone. There is no feeling here or broken hearts. She craves cock in all shapes and sizes and will open those sweet legs for anyone who will give it to her. Even if she never saw Kent again, as you can see, this bitch gets what she asks for. There are plenty in line to take up the place that Kent left behind as far as this librarian is concerned.”

  The mayor's eyes slid into slits as he rambled, his ss's slurring as his rage grew, while I stared straight ahead. I was sure he was doing some very interesting things, but I didn't hear much after the phrase that was rattling in repeat in my head.

  Only people who want something or hate something will kill to get what they want. You find the person to do that and you’ve found your murderer.

  "I know who did it," I mumbled as I took off, leaving everyone behind me as I raced through the stacks and out the door.

  The mayor was right, we were looking at the wrong motive, everyone was. Because no one could see the right one, even if it stuck its stank right under our noses.

  30

  "I know you who killed Kent!" I smashed my palms into the clutter on top of Travis' desk, making him jump and sending a wall of papers and sticky notes to the ground in an avalanche.

  "Scarlet!" Phoquin squeaked and jumped up, rushing around the table and slipping on the slide of papers that had made it to the floor. "Scarlet! I stopped by the shop this morning, but they said you were asleep."

  I turned back, expecting the they to bust in right after me. I had apparently run so fast that I had lost them. But who could blame me? It was my first murder and I had solved it. I was a little excited.

  "I was, now I've solved the murder and I need your help." He wrapped his hands around mine, ready to pull me into him. Well, until he heard what I had said.

  "Solved the murder?" a tingle of rage underlined his voice as he froze. "I asked you to leave it alone, Scarlet. It's dangerous."

  "I know, but then I figured I'd wrestled a bear so..." I jiggled my shoulders innocently, grinning at him. It didn't break the block of ice that coated his features. "Oh, don’t be mad! I solved the case."

  "Solved the case by breaking into a butcher shop?" My shoulders sagged as his hands held on tighter.

  "How did you know?"

  "I didn't, not until now." He dropped my hands, running his hand through his hair as he turned back to his desk and began looking for something. "Becky was in this morning, claiming someone had broken in to have sex in her office."

  "We didn't have sex..." I mumbled, grinding my toe into the worn-down carpet of the single-wide police station.

  "I just ate her out," Wulf's dark rumble erupted behind me as the door was thrown open and the three males burst in, scaring the shit out of the receptionist who shrieked and threw the crossword in the air. "And now I know where that musk from her delightful taste came from."

  Wulf grinned, staring at Travis as he licked his lips and growled. Although the sound wasn't as menacing as Travis’, who was downright snarling.

  "You!” Travis’ snapped, forgetting the paper he had been searching for and grabbing his cuff, attempting to push me aside to reach Wulf, who just stood and grinned. "We've been looking for you. Put your hands in the air! You're under arrest.”

  "No!" I darted to put my body between Travis and Wulf, arms out like I was trying to stop a speeding bullet and not a speeding Police Chief. "Stop!"

/>   I guess my accusation from before had done a bit more damage than I thought. Oh well, at least now I could stop him.

  “He’s the suspect, Scarlet!" Travis said, still glaring at the snarling Wulf, even as he tried to break past me. "We need to question him."

  "Did you miss the part when I rushed in and told you I solved the murder? Because I solved the murder, and Wulf is not our guy."

  "Wolf?" Travis asked, handcuffs jangling as he stared him down.

  "Wulf," the twins added on, having joined the fray to pull the towering man back. He wasn't having it.

  "Wulf." The scraggly-haired canine said with more of a bark.

  Even with all of that, Travis did not seem convinced.

  “Travis, look at me," I tapped his chin, pulling his focus for the first time. "He’s not the killer. I told you I was wrong.”

  Phoquin's deep brown eyes turned to meet mine. He stopped fighting against my strength but stood his ground, cuffs still out, fury barreling off of him in waves.

  "Trust her," Owen said, he and Evan finally succeeding in moving Wulf back a step, although he was still snarling. "I don't know what she's going to say, but I know she's really excited about it, so clearly it must be true."

  "You are not helping," I hissed at him, still trying to look all calm and pleading at Travis. At least that seemed to be helping.

  "All right, you’ve got five seconds, mate," the snarling of his animal still rattled his chest, the warning clear as he glared at both me and Wulf. "And it’s only because you’re my mate that I’m giving you that.”

  I rolled my eyes but internally got a little gooey at him calling me mate again. Even when he was pissed as shit it still sounded like honey and sex in my ears.

  "Eddie murdered Kent," I announced, imagining myself ripping off the mask and revealing the monster like they do in Scooby-Doo. It didn't have anywhere near the effect I was hoping for. In fact, they all looked a little disappointed.