Chapter 32 – The Fox Among Shadows
(Maise's POV)
We'd known for three days that Chyron was following us.
He didn't bother hiding anymore. His silhouette slipped between trees when the light dimmed, a whisper of red fur and gold eyes flashing through leaves. Always at the edge of reach. Always watching.
Luka had wanted to chase him off the first night.
Nox hadn't bothered. "If he meant us harm, we'd know."
Maybe he was right. Or maybe I just didn't want to admit that the thought of the fox watching me didn't feel like a threat. It felt like a challenge.
Now, as the morning stretched across the valley, I caught the faint sound of him again — the soft pad of paws keeping pace with our steps. I didn't turn around.
"He's close," Luka muttered, voice low beside me.
"I know."
He looked at me sidelong. "You don't seem worried."
"I'm not."
That earned me a narrow-eyed look. Luka was steady and careful, built for patience, but I could feel his disapproval simmering beneath the calm. "You think you can tame a fox?"
A small smile tugged at my lips. "No. But I can decide whether he bites."
Luka's sigh was heavy enough to draw Nox's attention from ahead. The lion slowed, glancing back once, a quiet exchange passing between us. He didn't speak — he didn't need to. The bond between us hummed, a silent reminder that he trusted my instincts.
I lifted my chin toward the ridge line. "Come out, Chyron. We're not pretending anymore."
The forest held its breath. Then, with a rustle of leaves and a shimmer of sunlight on fur, he appeared.
He came down the slope with that fox-born grace — fluid, precise, unhurried. His coat gleamed like fire through smoke, and when he stopped before us, his golden eyes locked onto mine with something halfway between reverence and mischief.
"Was I ever really hidden?" he asked, voice smooth as silk over gravel.
Nox's growl rumbled low, instinctive, but I raised a hand. "Enough. If he wanted blood, we'd have spilled it already."
Chyron's mouth curved in a faint smile. "You trust easily."
"I trust what doesn't flinch when seen," I replied.
For a moment, no one spoke. The air between us thickened — wild, restless energy thrumming beneath the calm. Luka's hand brushed his blade hilt, ready but restrained.
Finally, I took a step closer. "If you plan to keep following, you might as well walk with us. Pride doesn't wait for shadows."
His ears flicked, tail swaying once behind him. "You'd invite me in so easily?"
"Easily?" I laughed softly. "No. But I'd rather see my fox than chase him."
Something flickered in his eyes then — amusement, maybe respect. "Then you'll see me, Maise. But be careful what you invite into your light."
I met his gaze, unflinching. "I'm not afraid of a little fire."
He bowed his head just enough to be teasing. "Then perhaps, lioness, you and I might understand each other."
Behind me, Luka exhaled — half frustration, half relief — and I felt the first crack in the distance between us all begin to close.
But even as Chyron fell into step beside us, part of me knew it was only the beginning.
Because foxes never truly followed.
They always chose their own path — even when it led straight into the heart of danger.