Page 49 of Outfoxed

The Alley.

The storms hit Tulsa at dusk, and rather than take shelter in my cellar or head into Asylum, I hopped between open stores and bars until an hour before my time to meet with Anna. Wet fox fur pleased exactly nobody, but beyond a few disgruntled looks my way while I dripped all over the bar and grill’s nice, clean floors, I escaped notice. With my check and freedom from rent, I decided to treat myself, ordering two foods I hadn’t been able to enjoy in years: steak and salad.

Most salads came from greenhouses located in the questionable safety of Inner Tulsa and cost a fortune. I had no idea where the steak came from, but I ordered mine rare fringing on raw.

The fox in me deserved a treat, too.

Like me, Anna showed up early, she sat across from me, and without missing a beat, she ordered dinner for herself, taking a page from my book.

Since I could guess what she thought about me ordering such an expensive dinner, I said, “I got paid today.”

“And you’re free and clear of rent, although you lost your landlord. Sorry about that. A lot of dead folk, lately. No judgment from me, little vixen. Enjoy your supper.”

Right. I could work with that, and I perked my ears forward. “I figured if you were going to slip me a note, you weren’t going to be trying to corner me this time.”

“Right you are. Here’s the deal. You have a huge live bounty out for you, and they want to take you to the East. I only vetted it so far, but if I can snag you and bag you, I will. Business, and frankly, you’re better off there. I’ve done some talking with most of the other bounty hunters in the area, and because you help out so much, we want to give you a two-day grace, to make sure you have your prized possessions with you. Those stay yours, per the bounty, but you only get to keep what goes with you. You’ve helped others, so we’re helping you. Starting on the morning of the seventh, you’re fair game.”

“I don’t suppose you’d care to clue a woman in on what’s going on, would you? One day, I’m minding my own business, and the next, you’re jumping me like a fresh steak nobody has claimed.”

Thanks to Noah and Sandro, I had a good idea of what was going on, but I wanted to know what Anna thought—or what she may have learned that men would’ve discounted as important.

“You’re a first generation fox with a good pedigree, and a family in the East wants you to be their uncontested courtesan, specifically for the heir of the family. The family name is sealed, but you’ll be sent to one of the more exclusive auctions. Normally, up to ten women and men are auctioned off at a time, and these auctions send half the proceeds to charity, the other half goes to the woman to begin her empire with her new family. Sometimes, the woman gets the entire bid amount and the auction house sets a base fee, half of which they’ll contribute to charity. There are a few other auction types, too, but all of them funnel money to one charity or another. Participation is restricted. Vixens like you are considered to be the cream of the crop, and the auction is less about figuring out which family gets you and more about forcing that family to demonstrate how badly they want you in the line.”

I questioned how I went from generally disliked by most for being different to a desirable among the wealthy and influential. I wouldn’t blame Sandro for his interest. Some men liked when women challenged them, and I’d done the equivalent of smack him upside the head with a gauntlet with my disappearing trick. “Has everyone forgotten most people don’t even like vixens?”

“That was before people realized just how versatile you hybrids are. Yes, it was a rather unexpected development. People don’t tend to like what is different from them.”

I believed that. “And this somehow turned into me having a big bounty how?”

“You’re a first generation vixen, you have a good reputation, you’ve been evading bounty hunters for years, although for a much smaller sum. Between your looks and pedigree, you caught someone’s attention. You’ll become the new matron of the household once the current family heads step down. This is where things get sketchy, and where it stops being a good deal for you. You have to make serious effort to provide the family with at least one child, but afterwards, you’re no longer required to maintain sexual relations with your husband. The entire point of the auction is to secure an heir for the family line. Weddings are planned in a rather brisk but ceremonial fashion.” Anna wrinkled her nose. “They’ll turn you into a princess, and while I dislike the whole damned thing, at least you’ve earned being turned into a princess. Ain’t nobody with a working pair of eyes who can dispute that, seeing what you’ve been doing in the outskirts. And word got around you sheltered one of the bounty hunters out for your head before giving him the slip. Sorry about that cellar of yours, though. You burned it?”

“Somewhat. You can use it if you need it.” To prove my point, I gave her its location and how to get into it. “I’ve got better places.”

If she wanted to find out about my Asylum pass, she’d have to work harder for it. I’d have to take care with when and how I accessed the underground city, but it was a small price to pay. Once I had a few minutes, I’d evaluate my situation and figure out how best to handle those after me right along with figuring out why they’d picked me.

My parents had a little wealth, but not enough to warrant interest from a major family line. More importantly, beyond having a child with fox ears and a tail, they brought little to the table in terms of their magic. They had enough to be respected, but they’d never be powerful or influential enough to give me standing among the top-tier men and women ruling over the East.

While I could still vote, I wondered how my vote stacked when compared to those who bought and sold people to improve their family lines on their quest for more power for the next generation. I could only assume my parents were a symptom of the system, as neither discussed how they met each other, and most days, it impressed me they’d gotten along well enough to have me in the first place.

“Yes, you’ve proven to be quite resourceful. I’m more impressed a little vixen from the East is capable of doing so well in the Alley. Most imports tend to die during the first storm season.”

No kidding. If I had to guess, one in ten survived to see their second storm season, and the smart ones left when the weather was calm. “Why me?”

“You’re a rarity, and foxes are trendy right now. Not just trendy, but useful, especially for families hoping to develop new powers. That you’re capable of dodging bounty hunters for so long has sent a message to the buyers: you’re smart. They want smart matrons. Smart matrons make and break empires. But that’s a double-edged sword, and the buyers know it. If they want your cooperation, they’ll have to win you over. However much it disgusts me, this might be a good deal for you, but I get your type.”

“You do?”

“You’re proud. You’re going to give your buyers nothing but trouble, and they know it. That’s part of why they’re paying so much for you.”

I couldn’t tell if she complimented me or scorned me, judging from her wry tone alone. “Do you know who the buyers are?”

“No. It’s anonymous. The influential families in the East likely know who it is, and they’ll counter bid a while just to make the buying family earn you. This sort of auction tends to go over rather amiably. They know if they bid up too high on the interested buyer, retaliation will come, and the auctions will become much more ruthless. Generally, two or three competing families will bid first, and they won’t go more than a couple of hundred thousand unless they want to be a contender, but even as a contender, they won’t go over a million. Those bids mostly establish approval for the uncontested courtesan. It’s considered to be bad form not to bid on someone like you. The higher the bids, the more approval you and the buying family have garnered. I believe it’s to send a message to the courtesan as much as it is to send a message to the buyers.”

“What message? That they have more money than sense?”

“That you’re worth the price they’re paying for you. If a family overbids, and the original buyers back out, they win you and the clauses of the contract all apply. I’ve heard of people buying out the original buyers before on purpose, though.”

“The odds of that happening with me?”