Faline

Turning down the same way, we start towards the bathroom.

"Orion? How many other animals are missing that you're looking for?"

He rubs his neck before answering, so I take it that the amount isn't pleasant.

"We don't have a specific count. Was my...were these ones part of the ring that your sister is going after?"

Furrowing my brow, I think back to everything I'd seen in that woman’s head. Tabitha, Eddie, Bruce, and Geoffry.

"I didn't get a sense of that when in the woman’s head. This was all their specific operation that she was aware of. From what she knew and was told, the ones brought in were randomly picked up or sought after specifically. It's possible that one of the others could have been involved, but she herself was not. The Mistress can more likely get you more information than I can, if she's in a giving mood."

My acidic tone has him glancing down at me, but I avoid his gaze.

"Little birdy told me that you're not just the head of the kitchen anymore; that you've taken a very big piece of the pie. Possibly more than your smart mouth can handle."

I snort. Trisha's on my left, him on my right and Seth behind us. Got quite the train going.

"Probably, but I never go small. It's all or nothing, baby."

His head shakes. I'm already nervous about it and he isn't helping matters at the moment. When we come up on the bathroom, I hang back and let the lion go first.

Seeing to the females is 'easy' enough, but how or who do I put with the guys? If any are as Thessily was, I'll be able to care for them just fine, but the others? Most men have too much pride to let a female help them.

Even the male submissives already living here, they may not be very assertive, if at all, but you can see it in their faces. I'll be seen as too female to help. Trisha might be able to since she’s older and the healer, but that's only a maybe.

Guess we'll see when it comes up. When I hear Orion's cursing, I wince and stop going forward. Having the hearing we do, there isn't much privacy, but even the illusion helps.

I turn and take a few paces away, Seth follows but the older woman holds back. Nodding to her, she steels herself and goes in with them slowly. Hard to not be intrusive when it's family, but she's a healer, it's her job.

Pressing my back to the wall, I sink down slowly and cross my legs. Fox weighs maybe ten pounds. Maii was heavier. But he was also a different animal. That could have some part in it.

Should probably start listening to my sister when she's rambling about this or that animal. Could look through the books in one of the hundreds of bookshelves here, but that'd take forever, and I don't see me having much free time anytime soon. Can always observe those here, but that isn't the same and wouldn't tell me what I would need to know.

I try my best at blocking everything out that's going on in there and focus on the pup in my lap. He let me set him on my legs, but he hasn't moved. Looking up to Seth, who seems to have become my secretary, I go to ask.

My mouth opens then closes. I actually don't see him knowing much about a different species, let alone a whole different race.

"So how long had you been gone before being assigned to me?"

Never asked and don't really care to know either way, but knowledge is always good to have and may come in handy at a later date. Have to be careful just how I look at the wolf, since the way he keeps standing either has the loincloth useless or just not enough. Noticed that about quite a few of the male animals actually.

Loincloths are not ‘one size fits all’. Fine for most of the human males, but Shifters and Weres are packing a little more heat. Not sure if it's an animal thing or if Lady had gone shopping for penile increments. That actually wouldn't be surprising.

Someone should really tell her that length isn't everything. As Kierra would say, ‘you have to factor in width, texture, and if they even know how to use what they have’. She's pretty scary at times. She and Lady in a room together would probably not be the greatest idea. Would put new meaning to catfight.

"About a month. When I got back the tales about you were flying everywhere. You and some Silver Wolf. I'd actually gotten back a few days before you had left, just never got around to meeting you."

My fingers play in thick, coal colored fur as I grunt at him.

"As you've heard me tell the others, more than likely 98 percent of what you were told is rubbish."

His turn to grunt at me before he stretches.

"Gah. Eye bleach! I need eye bleach. I've seen horrors that must be purged. Warn me next time, will ya?"

You ever hear the term 'Balls and Johnson dance'? Yeah, it's as bad as it sounds. Upon my rejection of the pointless cloth 'covering' him as he stretches, he goes into said dance.

It's such a stupidly embarrassing thing that I can't help but laugh, but I turn my head away while putting a hand over the fox’s eyes. So of course, that's when Danica comes running up. Her face goes red and she spins around so fast she almost falls.

Scarlett catches her, her own face tinged pink.

"Now see what you've gone and done? I think you broke them. Contain yourself, man."

He's hunched against the wall laughing like an idiot, which has the ones currently in the bathroom coming out to see what the commotion is. Trisha, upon seeing the young girl's beet-red face and Seth's inability to stand upright, looks about ready to cuff him a good one as she hurries to the girl. Orion and his nephew come out looking a little confused.

"Orion, you have got to tell the Mistress that if she is shopping for... err, quantity, she needs to elongate the cloths given."

His black eyes jump to Seth as his brows raise, the younger lion with a fresh towel around him also looks at the wolf. Doesn't seem to understand until his eyes drop to the loincloth at the dog's waist. Amusement sparks in his eyes, but is tempered by what he had been through at the hands of a wolf.

Honey eyes then jump to the young girl who's covering her painfully red face, then back towards me with my hand over the fox’s eyes. That's when his brow rises, so I smile at him.

"There's not enough eye bleach or brain chlorine to go around, so I'd be careful if I were you. Ditz over there seems to have forgotten he's in public with civilized folk."

Orion almost chokes at that but coughs to hide it, hand going up to hide his smile. I shoot Trisha and Scarlett a smile as they also look amused. Seth has calmed enough to put his hand over his chest.

"How you wound my pride with your sharp tongue. That's alright, my heart is made of sterner stuff."

My eyebrow shoots up, gold eyes glinting.

"Viagra doesn't count."

Orion laughs aloud this time, the women turn their faces as if to hide their expressions, Alastor is gaping at me, and the Werewolf puts on the perfect performance of looking crushed. I roll my eyes at him as I gather the fox in my arms once more and stand. Seth moves my clipboard to cover his groin, it being more effective than the damn scrap of cloth. I mock scowl at him.

"I don't want to walk to a chorus of thumping there, sir. You need a cup or learn to start tucking."

He blinks at me as Orion has to turn and walk away. Healer is covering her mouth while Danica looks confused, Scarlett's eyes are wide but sparkling merrily, and the young lion now has a smile on his face. I'll count that as a win.

The little guy in my arms is getting antsy. Not because he wants down per se, but because where I keep holding him is tender and painful. Can try re-adjusting, but his whole body is touchy.

"Alright guys, I need to get this one into some hot water. Alastor if you know anything about the others, I need to know. Even something seemingly small could be helpful."

I start heading for the big tub, Seth, Danica, and Scarlett hold back, but I motion my head to the female red fox. Her eyes drop to the one in my arms and appears to understand why she was called on. The lions also fall in on the way over.

"I don't know much, I was only there for four days."

Orion's face hardens, but I shoot him a look before he can start spouting aloud.

"Do you know any of the others' names? I got all the girls' names, but aside from yours, I know none of the guys."

Walking around till I get to the steps leading into the warm water, I step in to my knees so the small fox can get into the water easily. Scarlett comes up behind me and lowers till she's sitting on the steps, uncaring that her own scrap of cloth is getting soaked. Small fox treads water for a minute before moving away to swim around.

I step out, my jeans becoming very uncomfortable. Alastor watches me curiously before turning to the foxes in the tub, nodding to the pup.

"That's Diego. Kid is very brave, I'm glad he's out. I'm glad we all are. Youngest one there since the one boy had...died."

Look on his face has me wondering if he needs a vomit bag. His eyes close and he takes a deep breath, shaking himself of past visuals. I can just imagine.

"When I was able to get him to talk telepathically, he said he's thirteen. We all had to watch when he tried shifting to get away...he'd had his legs broken and still molested by that wolf."

The venom in his voice alone could scorch. My gaze falls on Scarlett, tears filling her blue hazel eyes as she watches the little one. Not sure how foxes are with young in the wild, let alone how Shifter foxes do things, but she's clearly sympathetic.

What was done to him is horrible, yes, but if I try to cry over every single one's woes, I won't be of use to any of them. Can get upset and rage later.

"He'd been there long enough to see me come in, as well as a few others. The two girls that were with us in the basement, and a couple that were upstairs. He knew one to be a coyote, but he didn't recognize the scent of the other. Even on the way here, it was hard to tell, so many smells coming from everyone."

His pitch has lowered, so I nod in understanding.

"The Mistress called him a 'Changeling', I've never seen one before."

Orion looks startled before his expression darkens.

"Orion? What do you know?"

His head shakes, but he answers me. Hard and low, his voice is already extremely deep so now it really feels like it vibrates in your chest.

"Changelings are rare this far into cities, they usually stay out in the wilds. They're much like Shifters, but still a whole different race. Born of a Were and natural animal pairing, not too much is known just because they're so elusive. For these humans to have found one is a one in a million chance. They clearly didn't know what they had."