33

Dove

I laid on the couch completely naked, my head throbbing with a migraine. I squealed in fear as I noticed myself tangled among the guys, not nearly fitting in our human forms. My noise woke Seven and I hastily covered my boobs as he laughed heartily.

I snatched a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around myself. Something furry brushed against my legs and I screamed.

Was that a fucking tail?

Enko and Kairos woke up, glancing at me. Enko had a huge grin, and Kairos laughed harder than Seven was as he tugged on his clothes.

My cheeks heated to a strawberry red. "What?"

Too immersed in their laughter, they only shook their heads. I ran into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, letting out a scream of horror. Two fuzzy fox ears remained on my head, and it was my fox tail that tickled my bare legs.

A knock sounded on the hardwood. Enko. "It's completely normal, Dove. I haven't seen it since I was a teenager. I'm sorry for laughing."

In the background, Seven and Kairos laughed harder. Mortified, I kept behind the closed door as Enko continued to comfort me.

"It should go away within a day or two."

"A day?! I can't go to class looking like this!" I yelled back at him.

A moment later, Kairos spoke through the door. "Unlock the door. Seriously, it's not a big deal. It happens to lots of kitsune when they get their first tail."

"You guys will just laugh at me!" I yelled back, rubbing at the ears on the top sides of my head.

"I promise I won't laugh again," Kairos responded.

When I opened the door, Seven burst into a second round of laughter. Kairos controlled his contorted grin as promised.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's pretty cute, actually," Kairos said, straining to keep his face straight. He had already dressed in a t-shirt and gym shorts while the other two remained naked.

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, and before the first tear streamed from my eyes, all the guys went stiff. No entertainment at my expense remained on their faces.

"Why is she always crying?" Seven pleaded.

"What's wrong?" Enko asked soothingly, glaring at the other two.

"It makes me feel like you think I'm a joke. I should be happy I have my fox form and now I'm embarrassed."

Enko stepped forward. "You are the most breathtaking kitsune in the world." He reached to the top of my head and stroked my ears gently. A sound came out of me, like a squeaky purr. Why did that feel so good? "Nothing is going to change that. Not even your fluffy fox ears."

When a tear threatened to fall, I quickly blinked it away, swiping with one of my hands. The blanket fell off me, and I used one hand to cover my breasts. When I leaned forward to grab the blanket from the floor, my mistake became apparent.

"What the fuck are those?" Enko growled.

My scars.

I secured the blanket around me once more, avoiding their gazes and my face burned.

"Dove," Kairos said sternly, his voice furious.

Seven's mouth hung ajar as he watched me. "Is that…hellfire?"

I wished I could escape, but the three of them blocked the bathroom door.

"Who the fuck did that to you?" Enko demanded.

Seven's eyes were dark and burning with rage, but he remained silent.

"Demons," I said finally. "When they attacked my shrine last year. Killed everyone I knew." I swallowed the persistent lump in my throat, threatening to suffocate me if I didn't cry. The three men watched me, keeping unnaturally silent despite their entertainment moments before. "I should be dead too."

"Don't say that," Enko said after a pause, fury in his eyes. Not disgust as I had always thought I would see if anyone saw my burns. None of them showed any disgust. Seven's held concern and Kairos' distress.

"I was worshiping when the attacks began. Almost everyone else was in bed. I hid in a closet. I didn't even try to help, to fight back."

"If you had, you'd be dead too, little fox," Enko consoled, reaching forward to touch my shoulder, his thumb rubbing in a small circle.

"I should have died. If I was less of a coward, maybe I could have saved some—"

Seven spoke, "It's nothing short of a miracle you survived, Fated."

"The demons killed my Elder and burned the temple to the ground. I waited as long as I could to escape. Crawling out into the burning massacre. Sometimes I see it, a nightmare I can't escape. Him, standing there, crushing the goddess' statue. My hands and knees covered in the blood of my Elder, my brothers and sisters. Their bodies were so mutilated. I can still hear their screams, smell their blood."

The guys were all silent, watching me in stunned silence, unsure of what to say. I passed by them, going through my things and pulling out the demonology book that was nearly falling apart after my desperate thirst for knowledge.

The three had followed me there. I opened to that page, showing them the picture that I had drawn so long ago. Enko took it.

Kairos peered over at the crude picture I'd drawn. "That's a Tier V. Can't be sure which one though."

Seven stepped forward, locking me in his gaze. Without a word, he pulled me against him. There was a seriousness to his expression, not a kind or reassuring one. But that of a cold-blooded killer. His hand reached up, cupping my cheek. "We'll fucking kill him, Fated. We'll kill anyone who dares hurt you."

I collapsed forward, hugging Seven, though he hesitated to reciprocate the affection, he wrapped his arms around me too. "I lost everyone. I had to start over with nothing."

"I know, me too," Seven said. "It's not easy. Everybody has demons they have to fight, Fated. The worst ones aren't from hell. They're in our heads, destroying us from the inside out. Don't forget about those demons while you're fighting monsters."

"I don't want to lose anyone else," I said. "I can't ever go through that again."

Warmth spread over my back as Enko joined the hug. "We won't let that happen. We won't let anything happen to you, little fox."

Kairos' coolness joined, pressing against my shoulder as the three surrounded me in a hug, Seven and I smashed together in our initial embrace.

"Mercy, let me out!" Seven barked. "I didn't ask for this."

Kairos' laugh rumbled, "Maybe you need it though."

After another few moments of torturing Seven, we released him from the huddle. Enko kissed the top of my head, and Kairos' hand ruffled my hair in the same spot.

I went into the bathroom and changed into some clothes. It proved difficult because I had a tail to worry about. I ended up cutting a hole in some old leggings and staring at myself in the mirror. I looked entirely ridiculous and there was absolutely nothing to be done about it. My body and mind ached, every thought urging me to crawl right back into the comfy bed, but the smell of food lured me out to the kitchenette.

"Your tail is wagging," Seven observed, causing a fresh blush to rise on my cheeks as I hurried to sit on the couch in the seat farthest from him.

"Haven't you been to a healer?" Kairos asked. "To heal your scars? Aren't they painful?"

"The humans found me first. When I finally got to a healer, the damage had progressed too far. She told me to pray to the goddess to be healed. Like that's going to work."

I laughed aloud at my own comment, noticing that Seven grinned at my statement, while the other two looked more concerned. I ate a full plate of food before crawling back into bed, fatigue ruling my mind.

There was one thing that I couldn't stand to tell them yet. One thing that even I hadn't come to terms with most days. That the hellfire char lodged in my back was spreading like a cancer. But now that I had a fox form, I had a chance.