Chapter 2
10 days later…
Harper marched through the crowded hallway, tracking the directions toward the luggage carousel. She fidgeted anxiously with the brim of her baseball cap, though there was little chance anyone would spot her. The temporary brown dye she'd applied to her hair, combined with its tight plait hidden beneath her oversized plaid button-down over worn denim and simple navy tee, made her unremarkable. She'd decided against dark shades - that would draw more attention than it deflected. The chunky reading glasses balanced on her face completed her wholesome, bookish appearance, the type that people's eyes naturally skimmed past. Just another face in the crowd, nothing worth noting. Keep moving along.
She prayed she'd spot Katerina among the waiting crowd. The Northeast Warden, Maroulla Kazakis, had forwarded an image showing a petite young woman with wild, short black hair and wide golden eyes. Jake, who had worked with her in San Francisco before moving back to the Hudson Valley last year, had filled her in on Katerina's tale - about Beatrice, the deranged female shifter who'd staked a claim in the Hudson Valley region above NYC and embarked on a mission to eliminate any otherfemale shifters from what she considered her domain. The unstable shifter had targeted a local animal doctor named Troy Shelton, who happened to be Katerina's Chosen mate. A Djinn…. Djinn! She still had difficulty wrapping her head around that… had finally apprehended the violent rogue during Beatrice's attempt to murder both Katerina and Troy.
A chill crept down Harper's spine at the thought. How horrifying that must have been! That had been last year, however, and Katerina and Troy were married now, Jake had found his Chosen in Becca, and from what she’d heard, shifters were flocking to the Hudson Valley region. Including, as fate would have it, herself.
A wave of melancholy washed over Harper. The vast expanse of northern California had captured her heart - those towering redwoods, the majestic vistas of Yosemite, and countless other wild spaces where a fox could dash and frolic without care. Back then, spotting a fox in such terrain hadn't raised any eyebrows, because who would think a fox there remarkable? Except, well… now, everyone.
Arriving at baggage claim, Harper scanned the digital display until she spotted her flight number. She hovered near the carousel, shifting her weight from foot to foot while checking her phone. The belt remained motionless, though a mechanical whir in the distance promised action soon. Her carry-on dug into her shoulder as she waited.
“Harper!”
The sound of her name made her spin around. A woman - surely Katerina - was enthusiastically waving from the terminal's opposite side, moving in her direction. Behind her loomed a familiar stocky figure with a shock of reddish brown hair, and Harper's feet carried her forward before her mind could catch up.
"Jake!"
She threw herself against his chest and burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. His embrace was half-hearted - one arm wrapped around while the other patted her back uncertainly, a typical male discomfort with female tears on full display. A soft laugh sounded nearby, followed by the appearance of a pristine white tissue hovering at the edge of her vision.
"Good thing I came prepared. I'm Katerina." The woman's voice carried a musical lilt, warm and friendly as she offered the tissue. Her short dark hair bounced in playful wisps around her heart-shaped face, and her golden eyes sparkled with an understanding which made Harper's tears slow.
Drawing away from Jake's awkward hold, Harper accepted the proffered tissue, dabbing at her face before clearing her sinuses.
"Sorry," she whispered, feeling heat rise to her face.
The luggage carousel whirred to life with a harsh electronic buzz.
"Let me handle the luggage," Jake offered, stepping closer to the conveyor. "Tell me which ones belong to you."
"They're navy hardside suitcases, a matching pair," she explained. "Wait - those are mine!"
"Whoa. That’s a lot of daisies," Jake commented, hauling the sticker-bedazzled luggage from the carousel.
When he returned with her suitcases, Harper murmured quietly enough for just their small group to catch her words. "They were originally foxes," she admitted with a defeated gesture. "I couldn't remove them completely, so I plastered daisies over top. I didn’t want to… you know… draw any attention"
“No, I get it,” Katerina assured her, gripping the smaller suitcase's handle and wheeling it as she guided them toward the terminal doors. "Smart thinking, actually."
"Folks are obsessed with foxes these days," Harper exhaled wearily, scanning the area to confirm they were alone as their group headed into the concrete structure. "Over in the national park, tourists have been attempting to trap them, or at least track them down and point their lenses at them, praying they'll witness one transform. Some are genuinely curious, others just want their chance to go viral, too."
Katerina rolled her eyes. “Good luck to them with that.” Snickering, she paused behind a metallic blue Chevy Silverado, while Jake pushed the buttons on a key fob, unlocking the doors. “You think Yosemite is nuts, you should see the animal shelters! It’s crazy.”
Harper stopped in the act of tossing her heavy backpack into the back of the truck, to pause and stare at Katerina. The statement caught her so off guard she almost dropped the bag onto her toes. "Animal shelters?"
"Yeah. People are adopting cats like crazy, plus any dogs who might possibly be mistaken for a wolf... wolf hybrids, huskies, those sorts of breeds..." Katerina shook her head in frustration, her wild dark hair bouncing with the motion. "All in hopes of adopting themselves a shifter. The shelters can't keep up with the demand, which would be great if these people wanted actual pets instead of supernatural creatures."
Unbelievable. “I’m sorry, but can I facepalm now?” Harper asked.
Katerina grinned at her in sympathy. “You can even head-bang if you just feel you have to.”
"Just keep it away from my vehicle," Jake chimed in, after loading the baggage and moving to the driver's side. "You'll mess up the paint job."
“God forbid,” Katerina muttered, climbing into the rear seat, giving Harper no choice but the front passenger spot.
Harper climbed into the pickup, clicked her safety belt into place, and rested her head against the cushioned support, experiencing her first moment of security since this nightmare began.
“Thank you for having me here,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do… everyone looking for me, and all…”
