His Hidden Kitsune

Episode 7: Lies

I sat in class, my back rigid, hands clenched so tightly atop my desk that my knuckles ached. As though perfect posture and stillness could shield me from the invisible storm churning just beneath my skin. Kael’s gaze burned into the side of my face—unrelenting, intense, like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. His eyes never left me, and each second felt like an interrogation I couldn’t escape.

Mr. Faallen stood at the front of the room, tall and angular, with a voice that grated like chalk on slate. He paced slowly before the screen, gesturing to the projected diagram behind him. "The Alpha bond is both instinctual and political. Strength alone does not dictate leadership—loyalty, control, and bloodline are all crucial."

I tried to listen, tried to absorb the lesson, but the words felt like they were spoken underwater—muffled, distant, irrelevant. My brain couldn’t grasp them. Not with Kael two rows behind me, his presence so heavy it made the air feel thinner, harder to breathe.

Every time I shifted in my seat, every twitch of muscle, every dart of my eyes was met with the press of his attention. He didn’t need to speak to let me know he was watching. My tails—hidden by careful illusion—twitched in agitation, the fur bristling beneath my glamour spell. The magic still held, but it pulsed with strain, a warning buzz in the back of my mind. I couldn’t slip. Not here. Not now.

Kael knew something. He hadn’t said it aloud, but it was in his gaze. In the way he tracked me like prey. And Kael wasn’t the kind of person to let go of a mystery—not when it teased his instincts. Not when it threatened the rigid structure of his world.

I needed time. Just a little more. Enough to figure out my next move. Enough to hold everything together.

But time wasn’t a currency they handed out freely at this academy. You earned it with silence, with shadows, with cunning. You stole it when no one was looking. You didn’t ask. You just took.

Mr. Faallen tapped the screen sharply, the sound slicing through my spiral.

"In pack dynamics, knowing your place is the difference between protection and exile," he said, his tone flat but firm. "Those who pretend to be something they’re not often find themselves unmasked—painfully."

I swallowed around the lump in my throat.

A low, amused sound drifted from behind me. Kael’s chuckle. Dry. Knowing. Challenging.

Heat prickled up my neck, but I didn’t turn around. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He was testing me—waiting for a crack. He didn’t realize how much pressure I was already under.

I forced my gaze to the diagram on the screen. Alpha. Beta. Delta. Enforcer. Omega. The pyramid of power that determined every life here. I pretended to trace the lines of rank, but all I could think about was how fragile mine truly was. One slip, one revelation, and I’d fall from student to hunted.

The bell rang like a gunshot. Chairs scraped back, bags slung over shoulders, a rush of noise and motion. I stood too quickly, my knee slamming into the desk. I bit back a curse. So smooth.

Kael was already waiting by the door, his expression unreadable.

"You looked tense," he said, falling into step beside me with unsettling ease.

"Long lecture," I muttered, keeping my eyes straight ahead.

His lips curved slightly, but it wasn’t a smile. "Or maybe you’re just not good at hiding discomfort."

I stopped. Faced him. "What do you want, Kael?"

He didn’t blink. "The truth. But I’ll wait. Just know—I won’t stop watching."

Then he was gone, swallowed by the stream of students flooding the hall.

I exhaled, shaky. The walls felt closer than they should’ve. I needed space.

Back at the dorms, I walked in silence, the familiar weight of the binder pressing against my ribs with every step. It was a quiet kind of suffocation. Necessary. Unyielding.

"Wait up!"

I glanced back. Jude was jogging toward me, a crooked smile on his face.

Damn. I slowed, knowing if I sped up it’d only make him suspicious.

"What’s up?" I asked, trying for casual.

"Nothing, just checking in. How’s your first week been?"

"Fine. Just… annoyed. Everyone’s excluding me because of my lack of scent."

He frowned. "Yeah, it is unusual. I looked into it, and there’s nothing like that in the records."

I forced a shrug. "Rare family genetics. We don’t know much about it, but apparently one of my ancestors had a powerful spell cast on them—stronger than expected. It’s been passed down ever since."

The lie tasted like ash, but I’d practiced it for weeks. Enough to believe it in the right light.

Jude nodded, intrigued. "Interesting. Which pack did you say you came from?"

"A pack in China. You wouldn’t know it. Most werewolf maps don’t acknowledge that far east."

It was a calculated choice. My features made the lie easier to believe. And proximity to Japan gave me an alibi if anyone ever connected my magic to fox origins.

"That’s cool. So, what’re you doing later? Rook Dorm’s throwing a party. You’re welcome to come."

"Thanks," I said quickly. "But I don’t think the others will welcome my presence."

I turned and left before he could answer, retreating to the sanctuary of my room. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, sliding down until I was crouched on the floor, arms wrapped around my knees. The weight of pretending—of constantly managing my every move, every word—pressed down harder than the binder ever could.

"Tired of playing pretend yet?"

My eyes shot open.

Kael stood in the bathroom doorway, towel slung low on his hips, another running through his damp hair. He was all lean muscle and confidence, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

"What are you on about?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice level.

I didn’t look away. A guy wouldn’t look away. I couldn’t afford to flinch now.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "You’re obviously hiding something. And I don’t think a long day of school justifies a dramatic door-slide. Especially not on a Friday night."

I grabbed for the first lie that came to mind. "I was raised by my sisters."

My heart stuttered. Stupid. I should’ve gone with something safer.

Kael raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure."

He turned back into the bathroom, but the tension he left behind lingered like smoke.

I sat there, heart racing, pulse pounding in my ears.

He didn’t believe me. Not really.

And I was running out of lies.

Running out of time.