The Midnight Foxxx

Chapter 17

VIXEN

Pain radiates up my arm, the aching bones and muscles screaming at me. Maybe taking a swing at the jaw of a shifted alpha wolf while I'm still healing wasn't the brightest idea. A satisfied smirk twitches at the corners of my lips as I look at the blood staining the metal appendage still nestled in my grip. Not a scratch on it after using it as a bat. The shiny custom made prosthetic appears to have biotechnology mixed with some magical properties, allowing it to change forms along with its wearer. In this case, a hand to a paw. It should sell for more than enough to cover the fucker's debt. Now, I just have to figure out how to f*****g kill the bastard. I knew a second attempt wasn't going to be easy, but an ambush like that was not on my radar. I didn't see or smell them approaching, meaning they must have magic users helping them. Fantastic.

Below, the wolf pack is gathering up Wilder and taking his unconscious body back to their den. They growl and grumble to each other, clearly frustrated and flustered. The alpha, who just the other night felt so warm and safe, now radiates anger and rage. The oppressive aura sends shivers across my body. He bellows out a loud bark and all the wolves start to mobilize. I take note of the direction they leave in. Having never gone that far into their territory, I have no idea where their pack house is. They head southwest. The moon is starting to descend out of the sky, signally morning is on its way. I settle in for the night, and wait. Tomorrow is my last chance to complete this assignment.

It doesn’t take long to find the pack house. The scent alone was enough to guide me there. It’s just becoming dusk, reds and oranges are painting the sky, and it's oddly peaceful. It’s quiet out here, surrounded by woods. It’s nice. All I’ve ever known is the city and the club. I was never allowed to set foot outside Midnight Foxxx, until recently when Silas decided he wanted me to start doing his dirty work. My life before meeting Silas is hazy. I don’t remember much of anything, other than he found me when I was a teenager, coerced me into signing over my soul to him, and the rest is history. The tranquility here is enticing, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about just staying. Just not go back and live the rest of my life hiding in the woods, but Silas could easily track me down and drag me back. As a cruel joke, he'd probably send Brax to retrieve me. One can dream, I suppose.

The sun finally sets, darkness blanketing the large manor. Most of the windows in the main house are black, just a couple on the upper floors emitting light. The smells here are so potent it’s hard to pick out Wilder’s from all the others. As I creep closer, the various scents become increasingly pungent, but the distinctive smell of blood starts peaking through. I lock on to it, following it to one of the adjacent buildings attached to the main house. Peaking inside one of the dim windows, I see hospital beds and medical equipment. A woman with dark hair sit hunched over at a desk working on a computer, her back to the window. She’s wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope hanging around her neck.

The entrance to the medical bay is unlocked and unguarded. Most of the lights inside are dimmed, creating plenty of shadows to sneak around in. Wilder is definitely in here; His scent is strong, guiding me further into the room. The woman at the desk remains oblivious as I sneak past her, typing away on her keyboard and sipping on what smells like coffee.

Wilder’s scent leads me to a set of closed curtains. I slip inside and find my target laying unconscious on a medical bed, tubes and wires attached all over him. A low steady beep from a monitor fills the space. I pull out a knife and hover over the sleeping male. After some contemplation, I bring the knife to his neck, deciding on slitting his throat and letting him die slowly.

“Stop what you’re doing!” I freeze. The doctor is standing on the other side of the bed, a scalpel held up in her hand defensively.

“Just walk away,” I growl, “I’m not here for you.”

“What kind of doctor would I be if I let you kill my patient?” she spits.

“I’m only here for him. I don’t want to hurt you,” I plead. The doctor narrows her eyes at me, clearly not believing me. She obviously cares about her patient, she likely wouldn’t follow if I slit his throat and ran, opting to stay behind to tend to him. I brace myself, ready to strike and take off only for the door to the infirmary to swing open with a loud creak.

“Nat?” a deep, unmistakable voice calls out.

“Help!” The other woman screams. Heavy footsteps start running this way. I growl before hastily making a cut across the Gamma’s throat. I don’t check to make sure it’s deep enough to finish the job, instead quickly cloaking myself and dart out of the curtains. A large hand grabs my throat, preventing my escape.

“That trick won’t work on me again,” The Alpha snarls. I grab at his wrist, clawing and struggling to loosen his grip. His fingers tighten the more I squirm. He lifts me up until my feet are no longer touching the ground. I try to calm myself, but the lack of oxygen makes it difficult. With a gasping breath, I focus on a nearby window. It’s too dark to see what’s on the other side, making it incredibly dangerous to try and teleport without a clear visual, but I don’t have much of a choice.

I pull it off successfully, my knees dropping into soft grass as I gasp for breath. A door slams open somewhere behind me, fueling a new sense of urgency and take off towards the woods. Adrenaline surges through my veins, pushing me onward. Once in the tree line, I start teleporting, putting as much distance between us as quickly as possible. A howl rings in the distance, sending a shutter through my body. The last thing I want is to tangle with the Alpha again.

By the time I make it to the highway, I’m exhausted with barely any energy left for magic. A headache throbs in my temples and curse myself for always over doing it. At least I seem to have lost the Alpha. I make the rest of the journey home doing a fast jog. The sun is just barely rising over the horizon as I walk through the back door, pointedly ignoring Elliot on the way in. Silas’ office door is cracked open, a soft glow filtering through. I knock before entering.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you had company,” I say in surprise to a woman with long blonde hair sitting across from Silas.

“We were just finishing up, actually,” he says, surprisingly not angry at my intrusion, “Imogen, it has been a pleasure doing business with you.” The woman stands and shakes Silas’ hand.

“Like wise,” she replies in a sickeningly sweet voice. As she walks past me to leave, her blue eyes glare daggers at me. Shrugging it off, I step forward and present the warlock with the prosthetic.

“My, my, what do we have here?” A grin stretches across his face as he inspects the offered item. “If you have this, I assume the deed is done?”

“Yes sir,” I confirm, though something uncomfortable twists in my gut. I don’t actually know if he’s dead.

“Wonderful, I have a new project for you. My newest client wishes to become Luna and I know a certain alpha who has taken a liking to you.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” I grimace.

“You are to seduce Maddox Drake, Alpha to the Red Mist pack. Once he’s ready to mark you, I will swap in the client disguised as you so she may receive the mating mark in your place,” he explains.

“Are you serious? What do you even get out of all this?” A maniacal smile splits his face.

“In exchange for helping her get what she wants, she will lace herself with Love Haze so that when he bites her he’ll ingest some of it. While he’s high out of his mind, I’ll make him sign his soul over me.”

“Controlling him means you’d control the entire pack,” the dawning realization hits me like a truck. “I don’t want any part of this,” I take a step away and Silas scoffs.

“It’s adorable how you think you have a choice.”