Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves - K.A. Merikan Page 0,48

a variation on pasta carbonara that smelled nothing like the real thing but was, apparently, delicious, and they settled on the sofa to watch their new favorite crime show.

As the evening passed, Radek rolled over, and Yev’s hand gravitated from his side to the tummy, gently scratching as the credits rolled on their small TV.

“Who do you think is the killer? Martha? Sergey?” Yev asked, lowering his head to kiss the top of Radek’s head. “Right. Yes or no questions. Martha?”

Radek let out a little bark. He was pretty sure she was the villain with her cozy baking show and sweet demeanor. It was all a facade. She probably put the bodies in her pies.

“I know, right?” Yev chuckled before switching off the TV. He rolled into a sitting position and stretched as he walked off to the kitchen. “I’ll just hang the laundry, and it’ll be time to sleep. We’re having an early start tomorrow.”

Laundry. Radek sat up in attention, his tail wagging on its own. Oh, this would be good. He loved playing pranks on Yev, and even though this one lacked any sophistication, he would still enjoy seeing Yev’s face once he realized he’d been duped. Radek’s little revenge for all the comments about the cushion.

He could hear the washing machine open, some rustling, and then silence.

“Motherfucker,” Yev said before storming back toward the living room, his heels banging loudly against the floor. He waved a small red towel at Radek. “Everything is pink! I keep the reds separate, you monster!”

Radek yelped, then cackled as he sprinted off the sofa in a bid to make Yev chase him.

Yev took the bait and rushed up the stairs, then along the short corridor, into the bedroom, drunk on the thrill of this big bad softie chasing him. He jumped on the bedside table, which served as a springboard for a hop on top of the wardrobe, but Yev was tall enough to reach there. When his fingers came all too close to Radek’s tail, he took a leap of faith and jumped straight to the bed.

But the freakishly large hands grabbed his ribs, and moments later he was hanging in the air and facing Yev’s scowling face. “You’re a bad, bad fox,” he said but was already cracking up.

Yev spun around and landed on the mattress, squeezing Radek to him with one arm and rubbing the top of his head with his fist. “Naughty, naughty fox, Ember!”

Radek whined and made high pitched barks as he pushed with his paws at Yev, but he wasn’t really trying to get away. He loved being so close to Yev, and no place felt as safe as his giant arms. The rubbing morphed into petting Radek’s belly, and he stopped play-fighting too, settling into the embrace and licking the inside of Yev’s elbow.

All his muscles softened, relaxed, and while there were shivers rushing up and down his back, it was more like a full-body purr than something to be afraid of. The covers rolled against Radek’s body as he stretched with pleasure, curling his toes as heat flashed through his body. He only opened his eyes when Yev’s hand froze, refusing to give him any more pets.

He made a needy whimper and smiled, but when his gaze met Yev’s, he knew what happened. The bed wasn’t gigantic anymore, and his skin had no fur. Or clothes for that matter.

He was bare.

“Hi?” Radek uttered, his voice rusty, as if he’d forgotten how to speak.

Yev shook his head, pulling back as if he’d been struck. “Why? I asked you who you were!” he said, taking shallow breaths.

Radek whined, far too used to making that sound now. “Because we got off on the wrong foot, and… I’m sorry, I was scared how you’d react.” He reached for Yev’s hand but gripped at air. Which made no sense, because Yev’s fingers were right there.

His stomach plummeted. It wasn’t Yev’s hand that was missing, but his own. His forearm ended mid-way with a healed stump, and for a moment Radek couldn’t believe what he was looking at.

Then, he screamed at the top of his lungs, waving the arm around as if that could help the truth from sinking in faster.

“Shit,” Yev uttered, rising off the bed. “Calm down. You’re all right. You need to breathe,” he said but didn’t try to come any closer.

“No! No! This can’t be happening to me! It’s my right fucking hand!” Radek cried, not even caring that he was naked, because what the