Secrets of the Silver Fox

Part One

I had been hunting the Fox Guard for months while they had hunting the golden bear. It wasn't hard to follow behind them without their notice.

I had watched from afar as the fight began. The bear was old but he was stronger than they expected. They had done damage but the bear had gotten away. They didn't bother going after him, knowing his wounds would kill him anyway.

But that was a risk I wasn't going to take.

I hadn't felt anything since she had died, and now all I felt was hatred.

I didn't hesitate as I extended my claws. With silent feet on the forest floor, I stalked the golden bear that had killed my sister.

"Athens?" My voice broke the silent night as we laid on the grass.

"Hmmm?" She hummed staring at the stars.

"Have you ever loved someone?"

She turned her head to look at me with a smirk. "Of course," her hand reached over and pulled me towards her, cocooning me in her warmth as she tickled me. "I love you silly."

I giggled uncontrollably, squirming away from her hands until I could catch my breath. "I know that. But what about someone else? Have you ever loved someone else?"

She smiled. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

I looked back to the stars and thought hard. "Because I don't think I love anyone."

She put a hand to her chest and gasped. "So you don't love me?"

I stopped, blinking at her question. "But loving someone makes you weak."

She snorted loudly. "Loving someone makes you smart."

I rolled on my belly, eyes wide, opened mouthed, staring at her in total shock. "I don't think I'm smart."

She laughed. "You're the smartest."

"Why?"

She gave me the smile that she had only for me. "You don't love everyone you meet but when you do love someone, it could change the world."

"Why?"

"It's the way you were made."

"Why?"

"Say 'why' one more time and I'm throwing you into a trench."

I wisely closed my mouth. For a minute. "How do you know if you love someone?"

She thought for a second. "Love is when you care about someone. A lot. You care if they're dead or alive, sad or happy, safe or in danger. And when you care, you would do anything for that person. That's love."

"Hm." I flopped onto my back and stared at the sky deep in thought. "I don't think I love Bangkok."

She chuckled. "I don't think anyone loves Bangkok."

"I love you though." I contemplated. "And I think I love Rey."

"That's good. Rey's little. He needs someone to love him."

"I'll do it." I decided.

"Goddess help anyone that tries to hurt him."

"I think I'll kill them."

"I think you'll do far worse than that."

"Do you think mom and dad love us?"

She was silent for a few moments. "I think in their own way."

"I don't think they do," I told her. "I don't think they care about us."

She ran her hand through my hair. "Our family loves one of two things. Power or money. When you love those things so much, there isn't a lot of room to love anything else."

I shook my head. "I'm different."

She raised a brow, pride lighting her eyes. "Yeah?"

"I love both. Money and power." I said proudly.

"Of course you do." She snorted again. "But you know V, that's not how families are supposed to work."

I knit my brows and looked up at her. "What?"

"Families are supposed to look out for each other. Love each other unconditionally. The way I love you."

I laughed. "How do you know?"

"Because I saw it." She explained. "Just before you were born. We were in Austria and dad took me to visit a family in the woods. A family of wolves."

"It's called a pack, Athens."

"No, Vienna." She mimicked, poking my nose. "They technically weren't a pack."

"So rogues." I pointed out as if she was so dumb to forget what they were called.

She rolled her eyes and poked my nose again. "Some consider them rogues, but they're not really. They are a family. They're called the Blessed Warriors."

"Warriors?" I grinned.

"Yes. Super badass."

"Cool."

"But as dad and I were with them, I saw how the family treated each other. Protected each other. Cared for each other. They loved each other. They would give anything for each other. And I knew that was how a family was supposed to treat each other."

"They don't try to kill each other?" I asked p, shocked.

"Not even once."

"Sounds boring." I huffed.

"In that moment, I promised that no matter who little Vienna was, I was going to love you." She pulled me closer and whispered in my ear. "No matter how wickedly terrible you turned out to be."

I beamed back at her.

Her wild grin turned soft as she watched me. "But I don't think you're wickedly terrible." Her hand ran down my hair. "Wicked? Absolutely. But not terrible. I think you turned out pretty good."

"Athens?"

"Hmmm?"

A spark lit my eyes as a slow smirk spread across my face. "Why?"

"That's it." She yelled, jumping from the grass.

But I was already running as fast as I could, giggling the whole way.

Now as I stood over the dying bear, all I wanted to do was ask why. But no one was going to be there to answer my questions.