The Fox And The Last Dragon

Kane met Elias's amber gaze, maintaining his composure despite the dominating energy radiating from the wolf spirit.

"I'm Kane. Just started this week." He kept his tone casual while noting how Thorne's nostrils flared slightly—scenting him, analyzing.

"Interesting timing," Elias said, his voice dropping lower.

"Cyrus rarely brings companions to these events. And never... assistants."

The way he lingered on the word made Kane's fur bristle beneath his human glamour. He forced a polite smile.

"I handle specialized matters for Mr. Drakhal."

"Specialized?" Elias leaned closer. "I'd be curious to know what specialties a fox spirit brings to—"

"Matters that don't concern you, Thorne."

Cyrus materialized beside Kane, his presence sudden and commanding. The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees.

Kane felt the karmic bond between them pulse with protective energy—whether intentional or not, he couldn't tell.

Elias straightened, maintaining his smile even as his eyes hardened.

"Cyrus. Still dramatic as ever."

"Still overstepping boundaries as ever," Cyrus countered smoothly. His hand settled on Kane's shoulder, the touch light but unmistakably possessive.

The wolf's gaze flickered between them, calculating.

"How fascinating," Elias murmured.

"This evening just became much more interesting."

"The dragon who trusts no one suddenly has a fox at his side. One wonders what changed." Elias continued, circling them with predatory grace.

Kane felt the karmic bond tighten between them—a warning pulse that made him acutely aware of Cyrus's tension.

"Business evolves," Cyrus replied, his voice glacier-cold.

"Speaking of which, I heard Moonfall's territory acquisition fell through."

Elias's smile thinned. "Temporary setback."

"Of course." Cyrus's tone suggested otherwise.

A server passed with champagne flutes. Kane grabbed one, needing something to occupy his hands while trapped between these apex predators.

"You know," Elias said, addressing Kane directly, "Cyrus and I have... history."

"Perhaps you'll grow tired of dragons and seek more… grounded company. Should that day come, my door is open."

"That's enough," Cyrus cut in, his fingers tightening imperceptibly on Kane's shoulder.

The wolf spirit's amber eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He'd found a nerve.

"Just being friendly," Elias said, raising his glass in mock salute. "Welcome to our world, little fox. Mind the teeth."

As Elias glided away, Kane turned to Cyrus, whose expression had hardened to stone.

"I'm guessing you two aren't on each other's Christmas card lists?"

Cyrus's jaw tightened, his eyes tracking Elias's retreat through the crowd.

"Thorne and I have a complicated history," he said, voice low. "He's more dangerous than he appears."

Kane nodded, sipping his champagne while processing the exchange. The tension between the two powerful spirits felt ancient and personal.

"Complicated how?"

"Not here." Cyrus guided Kane toward a less crowded corner of the ballroom.

"Thorne's company has been attempting to acquire spirit territories, and his methods are... questionable."

The bond between them pulsed with something Kane couldn't quite identify—anger? Concern?

"He seemed pretty interested in me," Kane observed.

"Because you're new and unknown." Cyrus's expression darkened.

"And because you're with me. Thorne will use anything—anyone—as leverage."

Kane's investigative instincts sharpened. This rivalry could reveal useful information about both spirits.

"So I'm a pawn in your chess game?"

"No." Cyrus's response came quickly, surprising them both.

"You're... complicated."

Kane studied Cyrus's face, searching for deception but finding only that same guarded intensity.

"Complicated," Kane echoed. "That's one way to put it."

Across the ballroom, Elias watched them, his amber eyes calculating. Kane didn't miss how the wolf's gaze lingered, assessing their every interaction.

"He's still watching us," Kane murmured.

"Let him," Cyrus replied. "Thorne has always been too curious for his own good."

The dragon's hand remained on Kane's shoulder, a silent claim that spoke volumes in this den of predators.

"Are you still hungry?"

Kane swallowed the last bite of a tiny pastry thing—his sixth or seventh, he'd lost count—and brushed an invisible crumb from his new suit jacket.

"I'm fine," he lied, despite the hollow feeling in his stomach.

The tiny hors d'oeuvres had barely subdued his hunger. Each miniature bite only reminded his body how long it had been since his last proper meal.

"These fancy appetizers are... sustaining."

His stomach chose that moment to growl, betraying him.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been amusement.

"Sustaining," he repeated flatly.

Kane shrugged. "Look, stuffing myself with bite-sized food isn't exactly my idea of dinner, but I'll manage. I've gone longer without eating."

Something flickered across Cyrus's expression—concern, perhaps, though Kane couldn't be sure.

"We won't stay much longer," Cyrus said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"There's a restaurant on the lower level of the hotel. We'll go there after I've spoken with a few more people."

"When you say restaurant..." Kane glanced toward the hotel's lower level.

"Are we talking actual food or more of these fancy crumbs masquerading as dinner?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"A burger. A real one—thick, juicy, with actual substance." Kane's stomach growled again, more insistently.

"Something that doesn't require a microscope to locate on the plate."

The dragon spirit studied him for a moment, clearly weighing the indignity of fast food against Kane's obvious hunger.

"There's a... place nearby," Cyrus finally said, the words sounding foreign on his tongue. "Not quite what I'd normally consider, but it serves burgers."

Kane's ears would have perked up if they weren't hidden under his human glamour.

"Seriously? You'd go for burgers?"

"Don't make me reconsider." Cyrus straightened his already immaculate tie. "We'll make our exit in fifteen minutes."

Kane watched as Cyrus moved through the crowd with effortless authority, wondering if the dragon had ever eaten a burger in his centuries of existence.

He glanced around the ballroom, noting Elias still watching them from across the room.

The wolf spirit raised his glass in silent acknowledgment, a predatory smile playing at his lips.

Something about that smile made Kane uneasy—like Elias had seen something significant in their interaction.

When Cyrus returned, Kane noticed a subtle tension in his shoulders.

"Change of plans," Cyrus murmured. "We're leaving now."

"What happened?"