Silver Fox (Silver Shifters 2)

“When were you going to tell us?”

“He’s from China, isn’t he?”

“Do you have a new mission from the Empress?”

“One at a time,” Joey said, amused. His new

“houseguest”, a Chinese qilin shifter named Xi Yong, had arrived the night before from China, carrying (as the twins had guessed) Imperial orders from the dragon empress. “You two were out hunting all night, and asleep when I left this morning. I’d have told you otherwise. I hope you haven’t been harassing poor Xi Yong.”

“When were you going to tell us?”

“Why is he here?”

“What’s the mission?”

“Can we help?”

Joey briefly considered trying to keep them out of it, but he’d found out in the past how well that worked. “Close the door,” he told Vanessa, who quickly obeyed. “I’m on assignment to help hunt down a renegade dragon.”

The twins uttered whoops of excitement, which Joey uselessly tried to hush.

“When do we start?”

Joey held up a warning hand. “His name is Fu Cang Long, and he’s extremely dangerous. He nearly killed Mikhail Long—a very formidable dragon knight, and a friend of mine.”

“They’re both named Long?” Vanessa asked. “Are they related?”

“No. ‘Long’ just means ‘dragon.’ In China, our names reflect our animal. Hu means fox. Joey is an Americanization of jiu wei, which means nine tails—”

“Back to Fu Cang,” Vanessa said eagerly. “Where do we start the hunt?”

“Since you two are all over the neighborhood in your shift forms at all hours anyway,” Joey said dryly, “you may as well start looking for his scent. I’ll bring you something to smell from his abandoned house.” The twins looked delighted at the prospect of adventure. “And I can’t caution you enough, if you find any fresh trails, or anything at all, come straight to me. Do not begin the hunt until I can go with you.”

Their eyes flicked up, and he knew that at least a couple of his seven tails had flashed in and out of visibility.

“Got it, Uncle,” they both said.

Joey saw them out. He hoped that he wasn’t making a mistake. Still, if he hadn’t told them, they would only have found out anyway, and at least this way he could keep an eye on them.

But he wished this mission hadn’t come along at this particular time. One could not refuse an Imperial order. Normally, he would have been glad to serve the Celestial Empress. But now, he had a mate to worry about. The last thing he wanted was to attract danger to Doris.

He considered whether it might be better to stay away from her.

But I haven’t found anything yet, he reasoned. After being defeated at Mikhail’s hands, Cang had fled the town and environs. Neither Joey nor Mikhail had seen any sign of him lately. It was likely that Joey’s hunt for Cang would take him far from Playa del Encanto, and therefore far from Doris, for an unknown length of time.

All the more reason, therefore, to make good use of the time he had left.

On Friday night, Joey dressed more carefully than he had since leaving the imperial palace, rejecting item after item as too fancy or too casual. He tried to see himself through Doris’s eyes, but failed. What would she like? What would impress her with his worthiness as a mate?

He arrived at the bakery in plenty of time. Make that too early. A quick glance showed the back room to be empty. He retreated to his car to sit and wait in the dark, laughing at himself for what he recognized ruefully as the behavior of a callow youth. Well, what of it? He was experienced in many ways, but not when it came to his own mate. Love was his specialty, but only when it concerned others. Now that it was his own turn, he felt as lost as any of the people he’d helped in the past.

The writers began to arrive. He recognized Godiva’s white braid and small form. There was tall Jen. And then his breath caught when he saw Doris’s short salt-and-pepper hair and confident stride as she emerged through the bakery’s open door, from darkness into slanting golden light.

She wore pants and a tunic top that only hinted at her figure. But he could see the shapes and shadows of soft curves. He made himself look away, lest she feel his gaze and be made uncomfortable.

Now that she was here, it was time to join the gathering. His heart thudded against his ribs as he walked toward the bakery door.

Our mate! yipped his fox. Go to her, sniff her all over—