Chapter 317: Chapter 317 - The Fox Commits To Harder To Believe Stories
Werewolves have quite good hearing. As such, there is usually no reason to turn the volume up on this or any device too much. In quiet places, only one or two touches above muted is fine.
However, the last time I was playing ’media’ on something other than the setup in my apartment, the video had terrible audio quality. So, I bumped that up to account for making sense of the distortion.
Almost all the way. Which means that, because of that past failure to remember to turn it back down... Kyrie’s teasing voice filled the space around us with little chance of going unheard.
"Alright, Princess. Since you seem to need a tutorial on making my bed after you sleep in it..."
The phone slid right out of my hand - and I fumbled my first three catches. Once I secured it, I began desperately trying to tap the pause button before she says anything else *incriminating*. But I accidentally restart it twice.
> I did not need to hear her saying that title *that way* three times... No, this man did not need to either. <
"That sounded like Kyrie Voss. The Rimecoat Alpha. And..."
"I don’t know what you think you just heard. However, I can assure you that-"
"Ma’am. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot here."
Rick held up both hands in a gesture of surrender, all but daring me to take advantage of the moment. Though his lips twitched. With an infuriating amusement in his eyes.
"No. It sounds like we are *about* to. There is absolutely nothing going on between myself and anyone. Especially not..."
I point at the now silenced phone clutched against my chest. Holding tight to the aluminum casing like it might start playing again on its own if I do not.
Were that stupid, silly, sick wolf actually here I would... I would...
> No, I don’t actually know - Yes, I’m panicking again! <
"I will pay for every drink you’ve had tonight and every drink you plan to have for the next month if you forget whatever you think you just heard."
The hunter who only a minute ago had turned defensive and threatening to the werewolf I am, now leaned back in his chair. Completely replaced by someone who looked like he was trying very, very hard not to laugh at me.
"Easy there. I’m not looking to blackmail anybody, especially not someone who has any kind of connection to our local leadership."
"What do you mean *connected*? We have a professional arrangement involving... mutual assistance with... business matters!"
My phone is shoved back in my pocket before I turn to the side and close my eyes. My voice pitched really high just now. The back of my skull - and therefore my neck, ears, and probably my cheeks - all feel like it must be as red as the eye watering hot sauce I can smell from that table over there.
By the Goddesses, this body... never would I have gotten away with lying about my dalliances if it was the one my fox shifter self had taken on. Vrika eyes me as I clench and unclench my fists in the mindscape.
Not because I took on my old human form again, but surely with the sorts of impressions and ’clips’ it sends... because it feels I am trying to deceive myself. Maybe I shouldn’t have shared so much with the spirit about how my interactions with those women often went.
> Then you wouldn’t be able to point out all the ways these have been different. Just... shush! <
When I open my eyes, I see Rick finishing a long sip of his final beer. The glass thuds on the thin pub-style table before he exhales heavily.
"Look, I apologize for coming at you sideways like that. In my line of work, when new faces show up around the same time trouble starts brewing, you tend to assume the worst."
I slowly sat back down... or rather, hopped back up on the seat - so there was nothing especially slow about it other than the initial reluctant step that way.
"No apology necessary. There is still a part of me thinking that you reaching out to me all of a sudden means you are involved in their movements as well, you know."
"I am a community liaison, like I said. Among other things. So, reaching out and testing the waters with people is what I do. Especially when they show up at my establishment."
Ah. That does explain more of his confidence in this location. Not just an old haunt he hangs out at, but the proprietor himself. Well, at least that means I don’t need to actually buy any of his drinks.
"You said you’d been ’attacked’ yourself. Is this related to the current escalation between your old pack and... new friend?"
I hesitated to agree, even though he probably wasn’t wrong. The first time after my clinic visit I can’t entirely be sure... as I didn’t get to question him much before Kyrie showed up. But the last time?
"Rogues claiming to work for Chad Duskpaw."
"Yeah, we’ve got a file on him. He’s been recruiting heavily through private messages these last months. Snapping up almost every desperate or aggressive member of your kind that has been tossed out or left their territory for their own reasons. Promising protection in exchange for... services."
I thought about the silver poisoning immediately. About the Whitecrest potentially being set up... and although I couldn’t entirely connect it to Chad considering all of it felt like a coup and he would have no claim...
"Services like kidnapping and sabotage?"
"You know something specific."
"Perhaps. But I’m afraid that I will have to ask you not to question me on something which I am not at liberty to speak on."
Tapping his fingers on the table as I stared him down, I raised an eyebrow when he took out his phone. Looking quite identical to mine, minus the blue fox sticker on the back.
"I hear things from hunters that don’t always make it to the forum. You’ve got access to a figure I can’t touch unless I want burned."
My phone chimed as a notification with the hunter’s app symbol about a contact being shared, questioning if I wanted to add it, appeared on the screen. Giving him another look, he raps his knuckles on the table.
"You hear anything helpful about Chad making moves you can share, you call or text me. I find out where he and his new ’pack’ is holed up or what he’s planning next, I call you."
The way he said the organizational term made my eyes narrow. A gathering of rogues is not usually termed that way in this profession, because while one might be more dominant than the others they usually don’t consider that their Alpha.
> Just like I don’t think the humans I am adding to the system interface’s ’pack roster’ should call me that... <
"Why? I don’t think I’ve done anything to earn an ounce of trust from you."
"Call it a hunch, call it whatever you want. But a direct line to the leadership could mean whatever I tell you doesn’t get intercepted by the people I don’t want it to."
"People... like?"
"Luca Stroman. Victoria Whitecrest. Or worst of all, Claire Thomsson."
My cheek twitched. He seems so confident, so... *in the middle* of all of this. But does he really think there are things I can hide on this phone from that ’tech witch’? One of the very people who monitors all ’secure’ communications?
> Maybe her BoundaryKeeper persona is more of a secret than anyone told me. The other hunters... don’t know the identity. Shouldn’t she have told me to keep extra quiet about it?! <