Unstable

Chapter 20

--- Xander's POV ---

I called for a time out, staggering back. I was out of breath, but Preston was sweating as heavily as I was.

I hadn't managed to strike him, but I hadn't been hit as many times as when I was fighting Fox.

I didn't like the way Fox looked at him, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

Other than smothering him in his sleep.

"Here's some water," Preston handed me a cup. I drank it greedily. "So, how do you know Fox?"

I swallowed, "Aither, Raiden, and I are his friends from the human world." It feels weird to say that.

But... Could I really call Fox a "friend"? Isn't he more than that?

"Oh. Is she doing okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I haven't known him for that long."

"But she likes you enough to tell you her secret?" He crossed his arms, looking at me like I was an entirely different person.

Do I really have that bad of a first impression?

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He cleared his throat, uncrossing his arms and picking his sword up. "Nothing."

I took an aggressive step forward, "Tell me."

He gritted his teeth, "And why should I?"

I growled, "Because it feels like he's still not telling me something! And everyone else knows what it is, except for me."

"...You're not wrong." His voice had gone flat.

"What happened?" I took another step closer.

"I can't tell you."

"Then who can?" I was almost yelling now.

"Fox. Or either one of the twins." He turned his back to me, examining the blade of his sword.

"The twins?"

"Fox's cousins. Dion and Dia."

I ran a hand through my hair. There was so much more to Fox than I had thought. But why are they hiding it?

I glanced at the large group of soldiers, which Fox had ditched us for. I chuckled, seeing him sitting on the side, in fox form.

Well, should I call it his fox form? Because I call him Fox...

I tried not to think too hard about it.

He was laying on his stomach, looking mournfully at something in the grass. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Why does he look so sad?" I muttered.

"What'd you say?" Aither appeared next to me, slinging a towel around his neck.

"Why does Fox look so depressed?" My voice cracked in the middle of the sentence and I looked down at my shoes, hoping he didn't notice.

"Huh. Maybe because they got taken out of the practice."

"Really?"

"Actually, probably not. They wouldn't be that miserable."

"You sound like you know him well."

"They were-have been my best friend for several years," He scoffed. "Of course I'd at least know some things about them."

"Then why is he so sad?"