A Fox's Tail (American Kitsune Book 2) Read online

  I feel like I'm at the portal to Yog-Sothoth's domain.

  Standing up with a scowl, she smoothed down her business suit and marched through the living room. Her feet thudded loudly as she stomped across the grease-stained carpet, stormed down the torn up hallway, then ground to a halt in front of the door to her brother's room.

  Kiara glared at the typical male door complete with male paraphernalia on it: traffic signs and a large, horrible drawing of a dog chewing off a man's leg with the words “Beware of inu” written below in sloppy hand writing. The door was also disgusting; covered in dusts, stains, dents and cracks. Seeing this really pissed her off. Chris clearly didn’t realize how much money she spent on him. Ungrateful brat.

  Not wanting to touch the door any longer than necessary for fear of what she might contract, Kiara latched onto the door, twisted and yanked, letting go of the handle as quickly as she could. The door swung wide open, crashing into the wall to generate a loud bang! With the obstruction out of her way, Kiara stomped into the room.

  Much like the rest of the apartment, her little brother’s room was, in a word, abominable. Everything inside of the bedroom looked sickeningly filthy, from floor to ceiling. It looked like the room had gone fifteen years since its last cleaning, and considering Chris had only lived there for a little over a year, that was saying something.

  Kiara stomped up to the bed, and cast a withering glare at the large lump underneath the sheets.

  “What the fuck is up with your fridge?” She didn't swear very often, not nearly as much as her foul-mouthed brother at least, but this situation definitely warranted a bit more vitriol than normal. “The only food in your fridge is several months old and covered in mold, and it looks like someone detonated raw steak inside of it! Are you really so irresponsible that you would even let your fridge get as fucked up as the rest of your apartment?!”

  The apartment being a complete and utter wreck she could understand; Chris had never been one for cleaning up his disaster-zone styled messes. She wasn’t at all surprised that his bachelor pad―if such a sty could be called that―looked like a level-five biohazard. But even then, she had expected that he would be able to, at the very least, take care of his own food.

  And now she’d discovered that he had not only wrecked his apartment, but that all of the food in his fridge dated back to when he had first moved in, which was food that she had gone shopping for.

  By all eight-million gods this pissed her off! He was so lucky that he was injured. If the wounds he had suffered from during his fight with the kitsune weren't so grievous, she would have kicked his ass so hard that he wouldn't be able to shit for weeks!

  “Well?!” Her voice came out as an angry growl. “Answer me, dammit!”

  “Shut the fuck up, sis!” Chris shouted as he slammed a pillow over his head. “Can't you see I'm trying to fucking sleep?”

  Kiara's teeth bared themselves in a fierce snarl that would have had the younger inu crapping his pants had he seen it. Her eyes narrowed, and her sharp canines glinted in the low lighting.

  So the brat wanted to sleep, did he? Well that was just too bad, because she had no intention of letting him sleep―not after what she had seen.

  Leaning over, Kiara shifted her hands underneath the mattress and, without ceremony, yanked on it. Chris unleashed a terrified scream as he tumbled out of bed and onto the floor in a tangled heap of limbs and bed sheets.

  For several seconds, Chris struggled to release himself from the tangled heap of linen, yelping and whimpering as his struggles lit all of his nerve endings on fire.

  Kiara stood over him, arms folded under her chest, watching her little brother squirm and wriggle about. It was almost painful to watch. Painful, and pathetic.

  Finally, the younger inu managed to free himself.

  “Gods dammit, what the hell was that for?!” Chris shouted, panting for breath.

  “That was for being an ass,” Kiara responded in a cool voice. Now that she had gotten most of the anger out of her system, she had finally calmed down. “Now get up. I want you to clean out that fridge.”

  “What? Why?!”

  “Because someone has to buy groceries, and you’re clearly too incompetent to do the shopping yourself,” Kiara informed him. Chris growled at the insult and she smirked. Hopefully, this would give the boy incentive to actually get off his lazy bum and start doing some work around the house, though she wasn’t holding her breath. “When I get back that fridge better be spotless, got it?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Chris grumbled under his breath, “Stupid bitch.”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  ***

  After stepping into the cool morning air, Kevin took in a deep breath, exhaling it all in one large gust. It was the first day of September, and the air had become a bit cooler. While still not as cold as he’d like, he wasn’t going to complain.

  While Lilian came behind him, Kevin strode over to his bike and proceeded to unlock it. At the same time, the two-tailed kitsune locked the front door using the spare key that he kept under the welcome mat.

  “Where are we going for breakfast?” she asked as they walked down the stairs and onto the street. Kevin paused after mounting the bike, and looked back at Lilian with a frown.

  “That's a good question.”

  Faced with the realization that they needed to go grocery shopping, Kevin had completely forgotten about how they hadn’t had breakfast yet. After giving this conundrum some consideration, his face relaxed.

  “I know a place we can go to,” he informed the fox-girl as she got on his bike and leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his torso. “It's close to the grocery store, too, so we won't need to do any extra traveling―and stop groping me, dang it!”

  Lilian pouted and, even though Kevin couldn't see it, he could imagine it well enough.

  “But I can't help it, Beloved.”

  Kevin's right eye twitched.

  “Yes, you can.”

  “Not when you give me such a perfect opportunity to feel your muscular chest.”

  Kevin felt heat rise to his cheeks at the unexpected compliment. It wasn't just the words, but the tone in her voice that made him really embarrassed. He could tell that she wasn’t saying that just to be nice; she really meant it.

  Talk about an ego boost. Nothing made a young man preen more than being told that he had nice pecs by a sexy girl like Lilian. Even he wasn't immune to such compliments.

  Since he didn't know how to respond, Kevin didn't say anything, and instead began pedaling down the road.

  The Le Monte apartment complex grew smaller as they took off down Dunlap Road. Kevin put more power into his pedaling as they rode down the bike lane; trees and buildings passed them by in a blur, the muscles in his legs working overtime to keep up the pace.

  It was difficult to constantly pedal that hard with Lilian sitting behind him, but he actually enjoyed the challenge. If there was a silver lining to having Lilian go practically everywhere with him, it was that she forced the muscles in his legs to work more. He had noticed a couple of days ago that his legs, particularly his thighs, were a good deal stronger than they used to be. He could push himself much harder during track practice. While it wasn't a very noticeable difference yet, he was slowly pushing ahead of Chase in the speed department. Kevin felt positive that pretty soon his speed would completely surpass that of his rival's.

  Not long after they left, the pair arrived at a small café that Kevin decided to have breakfast at. Known as Pineapple Paradise, the tiny café sat between a yoga gym and a pet shop. Due to the early hour, there were only a handful of people present. Kevin was grateful for that small blessing, as he didn’t feel like dealing with a crowd.

  He parked his bike next to the entrance, leaning it against the wall before he and Lilian entered. The door chimed as they walked in, and a young man dressed in gray slacks, a white shirt and a black apron with a pineapple on the front, greeted them fro
m behind the bar-style register.

  “Good morning. How can I help you two?”

  Kevin's right hand clenched into a fist when he saw how the man leered at Lilian, who seemed completely oblivious to the attention. While she might not have noticed, he did. Like an active volcano, anger surged within him at the sight of this idiotic man, who looked well over twenty, stripping his companion with wanton eyes akin to a lecherous old fart. Didn't this jerk know the meaning of the word self-restraint?

  A moment later, Kevin shook his head. What the heck had that been about? Why should he care if this man wanted to ogle Lilian? He didn't like the girl or anything, and he certainly had no romantic intentions toward her. She was just a friend.

  Getting over his strange moment of irrational anger, Kevin looked at the large menu hanging above and behind the register. Considering his options, he placed his order. “I'll have your breakfast burrito, please.”

  The man typed up his order on the register.

  “And would you like that with eggs or tofu?”

  “Eggs.”

  “And what would the beautiful young lady like?”

  Kevin wondered why he felt the sudden urge to deck the man in the face.

  Lilian, still oblivious to the server’s ogling, wore one of the cutest expressions of thoughtful contemplation that Kevin had ever seen. The cashier must have thought so, too, because his cheeks went pink and he lewdly licked his lips.

  Another surge of anger. Kevin felt his desire to cave the man's face in grown stronger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  What is wrong with me?

  “I want the berries and cream parfait.”

  “And would you two like anything to drink?”

  “Lilian?” Kevin looked at his companion, who shook her head. He then turned back to the young man and said, “We'll just have water.”

  “Okay. Just find a seat and we'll have your meal out in a few minutes.”

  “Right.”

  Kevin grabbed Lilian's hand and led her away before the lecherous fool could leer at her any more. He also decided that they would sit outside.

  They found themselves sitting at one of the small round tables near the entrance. Without really thinking about it, Kevin pulled Lilian's chair out for her, which she thanked him for with a smile. He then seated himself at the opposite end and stared at the parking lot.

  It was only a few seconds after sitting down that he became aware of the eyes on him. He turned his head to see Lilian gazing at him, her elbows on the table, and her chin resting in the palms of her hands. She wore a knowing smile, as if she’d just realized something amazing. It made him very uncomfortable, this smile, even more so than the times he caught her staring at him when he took off his shirt.

  “What?” he asked, trying hard not to squirm.

  “You were jealous,” Lilian sang out, her smile growing wider.

  “Jealous?” It took Kevin a second to realize what she was talking about, but when he did figure it out, his face took on a shade that had previously only been thought achievable by anime females. “I was not jealous! I was… I was…”

  “Jealous.”

  “No, I wasn't!”

  “You so were.”

  Wishing that he could do what all politicians did when faced with a situation they didn’t know how to deal with―namely, bury his head in the sand and pretend the problem didn’t exist―Kevin sank into his chair and tried to hide his face within the confines of his shirt.

  “… Shut up…”

  ***

  Now that she was no longer standing in her brother's dump of an apartment, Kiara's mood improved considerably. Oh sure, she was still upset―who wouldn't be after what she had to deal with?―but getting away from that garbage heap made her feel a lot better.

  Still, she really wished her reason for leaving wasn’t because she had to buy groceries for her brother. She clicked her tongue, feeling a mild surge of irritation. If only that idiot could take care of himself, then she wouldn't be in this position.

  Kiara made a mental note to beat the crap out of Chris when he finished healing. It might not solve her problems, but damn if it wouldn't make her feel better. Kicking her brother’s ass was always very therapeutic.

  Walking down the aisles of a grocery store, a small basket in her left hand, she looked at the selection of food available. She didn't really know what to buy. Her brother had proven inept when it came to using fresh foods, or anything that spoiled if not eaten quickly. That meant she would be better off buying the brat canned foods.

  She hated canned foods. They always tasted like tin. Still, it took a long time for them to spoil, and it wasn't like she would be the one eating them. Kiara had her own place and her own stock of food, all of which was picked fresh every week when she went shopping for herself.

  She paused halfway down the canned food aisle. Blinking several times, Kiara sniffed the air, taking in a strangely familiar scent that she couldn't quite place.

  “That smell…”

  ***

  Secure Shopping had the appearance of your stereotypical grocery store; there were aisles upon aisles of shelves lined with various foodstuffs and home supplies. The tiled floor looked like a giant checkerboard, except for the bakery, deli and produce departments, which consisted of faux wooden floorboards. It was, in all regards, a very plain-looking grocery store.

  Kevin and Lilian wandered down the aisles, him pushing the cart, and her walking by his side. Despite the mundane activity, Lilian's eyes shone with an enthusiastic glimmer, as her eyes surveyed the store with a child's enthusiasm.

  This was the first grocery store that she had ever been in, which explained her enthusiasm. Her clan's village relied solely on their open market for foodstuffs; especially produce and meat, and there was only one bakery in the entire village for bread. They were an old-fashioned place reminiscent of a time since past. Buying products that relied on technology like a fridge to keep everything fresh was a novel concept for them.

  “Do you have the list?” Kevin asked.

  “Of course, just let me get it out.” Lilian reached in between her bosom and pulled out a small slip of paper.

  Kevin scowled as two tiny dots of red, like nightlights in a dark room, stained his cheeks. “Do you always keep everything between your, well, you know… like that?”

  “You mean between my boobs?” Lilian asked, not seeming to care one iota if anyone else heard her. Kevin was grateful that it was still early in the day, and that it was a weekend to boot. Most people didn’t get up this early on weekends. “Of course. That's where my Extra Dimensional Storage Space is.”

  “Well, can't you put your Extra Dimensional whatcha mahoozit somewhere else?”

  “Extra Dimensional Storage Space,” she corrected, “And of course not.” Lilian looked at her mate like he should know the reason why. He didn't, of course, so she was forced to elaborate. “It's a fanservice.”

  Kevin didn't really like her explanation.

  “And there you go again, talking about something that I will never understand.”

  “It's okay, Beloved.” Lilian pecked her mate on the cheek before he could think of stopping her. “You just don't understand yet because you’re human, but I'm sure we can fix that. It will just take time.” A pause. “And sex. Lots and lots of sex.”

  “Hearing you say that makes me not want to understand what you're talking about. Ever.” Lilian pouted at him, but Kevin ignored her in favor of changing topics. “What's our first item on the list?”

  Lilian stopped trying to give him the Foxy Kit Eyes, and read from the slip of paper in her hands. “Let's see, the first items on the list are basil, cilantro and oregano.”

  “So seasonings first, then,” Kevin determined. “Do you want it fresh or the stuff in containers?”

  “I would prefer the fresh seasonings,” Lilian told him. “Meals taste much better when everything is fresh.”

  “Though it also means we can't buy
as much,” Kevin informed her. “The stuff in the containers might not be fresh, but it'll last longer and it’s cheaper.”

  “Does that mean you think we should get the container seasoning?”

  “Let's get the fresh stuff,” Kevin decided after a second’s thought. “You're a better cook than I am, so you know better than me.” Lilian was an awesome cook, so if she said that they should get fresh ingredients, then he would listen to her.

  The smile that Lilian gave him thereafter had nothing to do with his decision. Really.

  With their decision made, the pair walked to the produce department, where Kevin heard a voice calling out to him.

  “Hey there, Kevin!”

  The duo turned their heads. Standing a few feet away was a woman with short blond hair and brown eyes. She wore black pants and a khaki colored shirt, the standard uniform for Secure Shopping employees. A red apron had been thrown over her clothes, an added accessory to her outfit.

  “Good morning, Dawn,” Kevin greeted the friendly woman who worked in the produce department. He had known her ever since he started doing his own shopping. He still remembered how helpful she had been when he went shopping for the first time and hadn’t known what to buy. “Keeping busy?”

  “It's always busy here,” Dawn replied with a smile. She always seemed to be smiling. Dawn was a very cheerful woman. “I haven't seen you around lately.”

  The smile on her face became sly when she looked at the beautiful redhead next to him. Lilian, for her part, stared at Dawn in idle curiosity, clearly wondering who this woman was.

  “But I can't say I blame you for not showing up. You must have been too busy spending time with your girlfriend to go grocery shopping, huh?”

  While Kevin's face became a mass of red, and he started sputtering out denials that neither female paid attention to, Lilian's cheeks took on a mild pink hue. She placed her hands against them, as if to mask her pleased response behind a demure mien.

  “So you could tell that Kevin and I are a couple?”

  Kevin stopped sputtering to gawk at Lilian, but recovered admirably seconds later.