Tempest

Chapter Four

A/N~ It's been forever since I updated this... And I hate using caps for someone yelling, but the situation called for it...

The next morning, I woke up to a delicious smell wafting from the kitchen. Checking to make sure Adriana was still sleeping, I trotted out of my room and towards the smell, which turned out to be maids making blueberry pancakes. A couple of them nodded to me, others smiled, some glowered, a couple wanted me to introduce them to Adriana (which I did, much to the maids’ fright when they saw her personality) and one had the boldness to ask me if I was Master Taz’s new girlfriend. I told her no but couldn’t help grinning shyly, and she giggled and zoomed off. Speaking of Taz, was he up yet? I turned down the hallway to where I thought his room was, but it didn’t appear so. Instead, there was a smallish golden figure sleeping in front of his door. I crept up on it, curious, to see that it was a golden fox, sleeping with its head on its paws. I didn’t recall Taz saying he had a pet fox, and I was going to step over it to ask him, but then the door flew open, nearly smacking me in the face and sending the fox flying into the wall. I covered my mouth with my hands as Taz stumbled out, his hair messed up and rubbing his eyes. His gaze traveled from my horrified one to the fox that was sprawled on the ground and gave a small sigh. “He’s fine.” Taz heaved a great sigh before bending down to the motionless figure. “Come on, you’re not hurt, get up.” he snapped at the fox.

The fox didn’t take very kindly to that, because it sprang up and chomped down on Taz’s arm, making him yell. He sprang to his feet and the fox was hanging from his arm by his teeth, swinging slightly. “Get it off!” he yelled, shaking the fox back and forth. I nearly cracked up but poked the fox’s stomach. It growled, still hanging on. “Get off! And stay still!” Taz shouted and the fox detached itself from his arm, seemingly with chagrin. It plopped to the floor and sat there, curling its tail around its paws, as if with satisfaction. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought that it was smiling, almost wickedly. Taz’s arm was dripping with blood and he stared at the fox in disgust.

“Are you okay?” I asked Taz, trying to put on a concerned face unsuccessfully.

He glared at me. “This is what I mean about giving specific orders. I told him to get up, and he did, but chomped down on my arm instead,” he grumbled.

Whoa. “You mean this…” I poked the fox and he swatted me with its fluffy tail. “Is Kyran?” I asked in amazement and Taz nodded, frowning.

Kyran contentedly wrapped his tail around his paws again and proceeded to lie back down. “He’s a shapeshifter. He often sleeps in places where he’s more likely to get hurt, just so he’ll have an excuse to bite me.” I glared at the fox, which tilted its head slightly as if to say yeah, I do, so?

I bent down and looked up at Taz. “He looks fluffy. Can I pet him?” I asked Taz and he laughed.

“I guess, but if you lose a finger don’t blame me.”

So reassuring. “Kyran, can I pet you?” I asked the fox tentatively. I didn’t get a response, so I uncertainly placed a hand on the golden fur. A growl rumbled in his throat and I quickly ran my hand down the fur and retracted it. “He is fluffy,” I declared softly and Taz smirked.

“While you try and pet a monster, I’ll go and get some breakfast,” Taz chuckled and walked over to the kitchen, yelling for someone to get him a plate. Eh. Maybe a little snooty.

I stood up and brushed myself off and shot a pointed look at the fox, who was staring at me with one eye open. “If you’re not going to let me pet you, I’m getting breakfast,” I told the fox, frowning, and turned around.

I began to walk away but I felt something sharp on my hand. I slowly looked down to see Kyran had bitten my hand softly and was up on his hind legs like a circus fox, staring at me, my hand still in his jaws. “Yes? Do you need something?” I asked him frostily. He released my hand and curled up in front of me. “What, now you want me to pet you? Not going to happen, buddy,” I snapped, somewhat offended. He opened both of his eyes and looked up at me mournfully. “Don’t give me that look. You had your chance.” The fox’s eyes traveled from mine to the kitchen, at Taz, then back at me. I sighed. “I get it. You didn’t want me to pet you in front of Taz, right?” I got a blink, which I took as a confirmation. I rolled my eyes. As annoying and freakish as Kyran was in human form, he was positively adorable right now. I permitted a small smile and bent down, rubbing his silky back.