Secrets of the Silver Fox

Part Three

I laid in the bed staring at the ceiling of the house I was visiting. Technically I wasn't a guest because they didn't know I was sleeping in the spare bedroom, but they wouldn't have to worry because they would never find out.

I groaned again not being able to sleep. My brain flooding with memories, ideas, plans.

One memory in particular I couldn't forget. No matter how hard I tried.

"I want to be on the council one day," Sydney yelled in excitement.

"No, I want to be a council member," Bangkok screamed over her, glaring daggers at our sister.

I pushed past my siblings. "You can want to be on the Council all you like," I gave them my smirk that made them grind their teeth together. "But I will be on the council."

Bangkok clenched his fists and tried to shove into me. I easily sidestepped it, making him even madder. "The only thing you're going to be is dead, Vienna."

I smiled wickedly. "And who's going to be the one to kill me?" I trialled my eyes along him. "Cause it's not going to be you."

He shoved his face into mine, baring his teeth. "Wanna bet?"

I grinned at the challenge. "Yes, I do."

Sydney's eyes snapped to silver as she glared at me, stepping toward us. "First thing I do when I'm on the Council is banish you from the foxes so I never have to see your pathetic face again."

I let out a laugh, knowing exactly what I was doing. "What are you going to do Sydney? Sleep your way onto the Council? Hate to tell you but that's not how it works."

Without any control, her claws elongated as she stepped towards me.

My smile widened, taunting her.

Bangkok pushed her back so he could growl in my face. "I'm not going to banish you, I'm going to execute you."

"Good thing I don't have to worry about that because there's no way your dumb asses will get near that title. I'm surprised you even have the brainpower to think about it."

His eyes flashed silver as he tried to shove me again.

Freaking Bangkok.

"Enough." A voice hissed through the tension between us.

My siblings snapped to attention as she walked into the room. Yet, they weren't able to flash their eyes back to blue.

I gave them another sickening smile before I turned to face my mother with perfectly wide blue eyes.

She glared at my siblings and rolled her eyes at my sweet smile. She didn't care if we fought, she only cared if we got caught. I, of course, was never caught. That was what made riling up my siblings so much fun.

"If any of you want to be a Council member, you will have to fight for it like everybody else." She told us.

"You mean they're going to have to kill each other for it." Athens retorted with venom from across the room.

I felt Sydney and Bangkok's glares settle on me, wishing. I didn't care.

"Enough with the attitude, you know how the Council works. And if it were up to me, no one would be on that Council. But let them dream."

Athens glared at my mother. "No, if it were up to you they would be running around the world stealing all the jewelry you could ever ask for."

My mother sighed deeply. This was a conversation we had all heard before. "Athens, darling, if you hate how we do things here so much, then leave."

Athens' eyes slide to mine, but she closed her mouth.

My mother knew she wouldn't leave. Not yet anyway.

"V," Athens called. "Come here a sec."

With a final smirk to Bangkok and a withering glare from him, I went to my eldest sibling.

"I have a job from the Council and I want you to take care of this." She grabbed my hand and placed the ring on my right hand.

I knit my brows together. "Why don't you wear it?"

"Things could get messy, I don't want to lose it." She winked.

"If you hate the Council so much, why do you bother doing jobs for them?" I asked the question, but I already knew the answer. She just didn't know I knew.

She gave me a wicked grin. "Somebody's gotta do the dirty work."

I couldn't help but grin back.

Her dirty work was far worse than what the Council thought she was going to do.

She wasn't working for the Council, she was betraying them. Just nobody knew that part.

There were only hushed rumours, secrets told behind closed doors about the female that was changing things. Changing things for the entire fox species. And if the Council found out, they wouldn't be happy.

It was badass.

I didn't care about the Council members, I only cared about the title.

"Now," she interrupted my thoughts with the look that I only got when she was catching me red-handed. "Let's see it."

I grinned at her. Knowing there was no hiding.

I pulled my hand out of my pocket and handed her Sydney's precious gold bracelet and Bangkok's wallet that was full of cash.

Athens wasn't even surprised at this point. She raised a brow. "I've wondered why you bother arguing with them, to rile them up or to steal from them."

I shrugged. "Both."

She laughed. "Either way, you're good at it."

I flipped my hair over my shoulder. "I know."

She looked at me for a long time. "V, you're so much better than them."

"I know that too."

I felt her hand smooth my hair like she did when I was younger. "You're so much better than all of this. Don't ever forget."

"It's hard to forget." I smiled arrogantly.

When she had said those words, I thought I knew what she was talking about. But now I understood what she really meant, and I didn't agree anymore.

Athens had been fighting for change. I didn't understand what that change meant. How it would affect the fox species. But it didn't matter now, that change was never going to come. The Fox Council had made sure of it.

I cursed loudly rolling off the bed.

Before I left, I grabbed some food and a first aid kit I found in the bathroom.

I didn't do it because it was the right thing to do, or because I cared for the bear, or because I was going to start some change, or even because it is what my sister would have done. I did it because I hated the Fox Council.

I did it because I refused to let the Fox Council get everything they wanted.