Hidden Fox

Four

That day, I spent hours researching schools that seemed like good options. I even considered medical programs in case I got the inclination to study under a Pack Doctor. Who knows? At that point, I was open to anything. When I narrowed down a few, I used the map of USA Packs that hung on the wall of my father's office to locate which schools were closest to packs and what my options were with that.

Finally, I settled on James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. There were two packs fairly close, with the Menai Moon Pack not being too much further out. Though I doubted I would be associated closely with the Royals, it was still a feeling of safety having them that close to me.

The two packs that were close to campus were the Crescent Moon pack and the Rising Moon pack. They both bordered each other, and the school, with the Crescent Moon pack being close enough I could probably get to Campus by walking. The Rising Moon's packhouse was a few miles further out. So, I made a plan to contact the Crescent Moon pack first thing tomorrow, as my dad and I both agreed we shouldn't bother them on a Sunday. If they said no, we would contact the Rising Moon pack.

I had suggested just living in the dorms like a regular college kid, but when there were two werewolf communities nearby, it seemed pointless not to try those resources first. And we all agreed I would enjoy living in a pack setting more anyway, especially being that far from home. Besides, Mom continually expressed her worry about my safety, and she felt a lot better about me living with other wolves than on my own. Plus, it gave a more likelihood of meeting my mate when surrounded by wolves—my personal reasoning!

Because of the safety thing, my parents went through a list of some rules I needed to follow. For the most part, I didn't enjoy my parents deciding things like that, I was an adult, I could take care of myself. But I also knew where they were coming from: they were sending their oldest daughter off on her own to the other side of the country. It was a big deal, especially because most werewolves didn't attend college unless they wanted to become a pack doctor.

It was an argument at first. I had tried to shut down the idea of staying a secret. "We just want to keep you safe!" They had exclaimed. My retort was, "Safe? I think you mean hidden!" But eventually I agreed that only select people would know: the alpha pair of the pack I stayed with, and as I met people it would be open to discussion. Basically, I had to pretend to be human around everyone I met until it was determined safe.

"Why?" I finally asked, "Why is it so important I stay hidden from people, even my own mate if I find him?"

Mom's smile was almost like a grimace. "We just don't know who could be out there, hunting you down. Wolves are hunted bad enough as it is, a shifter that is anything but a wolf might be even a bigger target. Because we don't know, we have to play it safe."

A shiver traveled the length of my spine. Hunters were a problem. A few years ago this hunter became well known across the wolf packs. Thankfully, he hadn't involved the innocent, naive humans of the country, but he made himself quite a name among the wolves, especially in the East. The Shining Moon pack, along with the help of a few others surrounding it—I was pretty sure it was how Queen Natalia lost her mate—eradicated the threat. But with hunters, there was always a threat. Just because Jack was gone, it didn't mean more wouldn't spring up in his place. It was constantly a giant game of hide-and-seek with those guys, and a wolf could never be too careful around the humans. So, a fox? I had better be double cautious, just in case.

I nodded, "Okay. I promise I'll be careful. I'll be safe, I'll stay hidden."

A huge breath of relief escaped my mom's lips. "Thank you." I gave her a small smile, I knew she just worried about me, mostly because I was part of the unknown in this world. And unknown things brought extra fears, especially on top of her oldest child leaving home in general.

After that, they left me alone in Dad's office to do what I needed. I applied to the school, even though it was fairly late in the game to get in for fall, I crossed my fingers and prayed to the Moon Goddess it would work out. Turned out—whether this was coincidence, my own willing, or the Moon Goddess Herself on my side—after only minimal digging, the dean of the school was in fact a member of the Rising Moon pack. I sent him a quick email explaining my situation and what my plan was, even telling him I was looking for a social outlook other than my own pack in hopes of finding a mate.

It was risky, talking about pack matters and using werewolf terms over the internet, even though it was a direct email, but I decided to take the risk. If it became tracked, we could deal with that later. However, most humans didn't notice the strange terminology, or if they did, they didn't catch on to the shifter thing.

By the evening, he had replied and I was enrolled, planning to start the end of the month: August 22nd. That gave me two weeks.

The next day after breakfast, I found myself sitting in Dad's office in one of the chairs across the desk from him. He dialed the number to the Crescent Moon pack's alpha and I held my breath.

It was silent for a moment as the other side picked up. "Hello, this is Alpha Rymer of the Glowing Moon Pack."

I sat very still—my knees curled to my chest on the cushioned armchair—listening to one side of the conversation between the two alphas. Dad explained what was going on, and that as parents, they would feel safer sending me to another pack rather than a dorm, especially when that pack held relatives of the royal family. He didn't dare mention the details of the reasoning behind my safety. Not over the phone; that could wait until we met them in person.

"Thank you so much, Alphas," Dad said finally, alerting me to the close of their conversation.

I let me legs drop and leaned forward, closer to his desk. "So I take it as a go-ahead?"

He grinned, "Yes, they are expecting you in just under two weeks. He says his luna is overly delighted! She's actually not too much older than you, just a few years.

Jumping up, I darted around the side of his desk to wrap my arms around him in a giant, squeeze-the-air-out-of-your-lungs kind of hug. "Thank you, Dad, for everything."

"Of course, sweetie. I only want what's best for you, what will make you happy."

I kissed his cheek and ran out of the room, practically floating up the stairs from the excitement building up inside of me. In less than two weeks, I would be starting a turning point in my life, and I absolutely could not wait.