Behind The Alpha Book 7 Graham

(Chapter song ‘Saved The Best For Last' by Vanessa Williams, ‘The Dark Half' by Aesthetic Perfection)

KITA

I fix my hair and black skirt before raising my fist and knocking on the door to the office of ‘Professor Graham Mitchell’

I wipe a smudge off the name plate and smile at it. Teacher is always a noble profession.

“Come in!”

I open the door and peak in. “Professor?”

He's sitting behind his desk with mountains of books around him and piles of papers under him.

I haven’t seen him in a week and I was worried he did something unwise. Instead, I heard he went on ‘vacation’. I’m just glad he’s safe, but for some reason he doesn’t look…sound.

He raises his head and smiles. His tired face brightens a little bit as I walk in.

He leans back in his chair. “Kita. How are you?”

“I’m well, Professor.” I stop in the middle of his office and look around at the disarray.

“Kita, call me Graham.” He says with a sigh.

My eyes meet his and I smile. “I apologize. Graham.” I nod.

He gets up and walks around his desk to two chairs. He scoops a pile of books off one chair and looks around. “Uh…Ah.” He walks over to a table with other books and plops them on top. They start to sway and he quickly holds them. He removes his hands slowly. “Stay.” He holds two fingers up to them.

I giggle at the sight and he turns to me with a smile.

“Normally, it’s not this messy…” He looks around and sees the other seat. “Right.” He mutters like he just remembered what he was doing. He clears the papers off it and puts those on his desk. “We…um…we just discovered a new species and…”

I watch him with fascination.

He was about to sit, but stops. He looks at me then the chair then back at me. “Please. Sit down. Join me.” He motions to the chair.

“Thank you.” I walk over and sink into the smooth, brown chair with metal buttons on the arms. I inspect it as I get comfortable. I look up at him. “It’s nice.”

He huffs a little laugh. “Thank you.” He sits back and crosses his leg. He leans on the arm and rubs his bottom lip.

I fold my hands in my lap and curiously look around the floor and walls, trying to find Graham in this room.

It was very quiet for what felt like a long time before curiosity got the better of me. “How was your vacation?”

He drops his hand down. “It was good. Shorter than I wanted it to be.”

“The new species?” I ask.

He nods. “Yes. A new type of shifter called a Dire wolf.”

I’ve heard of such beast. Where have I heard? “What is it?”

He adjust himself in his seat. “Well, it was an animal from the Ice Age. Not really a wolf. A different type of canine. According to, well fact, now that we can talk to an actual cave shifter, 5000 years ago, one of these wolves was bitten by the First Beta. That Dire wolf became a Dire Shifter. They were soldiers. Commanded by fierce men. They died off some 1000 years ago and are now back in beautiful living color.”

“That’s sounds wonderful. To have a second chance at life. Life is truly magical.” I smile and cross my legs.

“I wouldn’t say magic when science explains a lot. The genetic code is complex, but still remains factual. As the scientific world expands, magic is always explained in some way.” He says as he fixes his coat.

“I think it’s nice to believe that magic exists for no reason and the creatures that reside in it only exist to bring love and hope to the world.” I say softly. Being of magic, it’s nice to see how he feels about it.

Something changes in his eye and smile. His face becomes gentle. He rubs his bottom lip again. “I agree. It can be said that science does destroy the thought of magic. The concept of something just existing for no other reason but magic, does create a feeling of wonder and imagination. Science and technology does destroy the beauty of, say, a simple flower when we break it down to its genomes and molecules, but it has a purpose.”

His eyes stare into mine and I feel a warmth inside me.

“Science gives us the mechanisms to care for that beautiful flower. Making sure it gets the sun and water it needs to grow and be beautiful. One thing science will never be able to answer, though, is why.” The corner of his lip turns up and I look at him curiously.

“I thought science was all about why.” I state.

“It is. To a point. We can answer why a flower is a flower, but we can’t answer why the flower is here.” He says.

“I think that is the true magic. The magic of a pretty petal isn’t necessarily destroyed by fact. It's still a wonder when we look upon it because we can’t answer why. Why is this gorgeous blossom blooming before my eyes, granting me permission to gaze upon her and see her colors. Feel her warmth.”

His eyes meet mine and I feel my cheeks heat. I lower my eyes and tuck my hair behind my ear. I felt a funny flutter in my belly when he said those words to me.

He clears his throat. “That’s the question man’s been asking for centuries.” He winks and wags a finger.

“Maybe, it’s best not to question and ruin the magic.” I whisper.

“Probably not.” He responds.

I turn away and look to his shelf. “Where did you get that?”

“Get what?”

I get up and walk around his desk. Tucked between two books, is a small statue as big as my hand. A big grin grows on my lips as I turn it to face me. I run my fingers softly down its head.

He stands beside me. “I got in a market in Tokyo. I don’t know. I thought it was cute.”

I turn to him with the statue between us. I raise my eyes to him. “You don’t know?”

He shakes his head no.

I smile. “You are very lucky she found you. It’s a Kitsune.”

He scrunches his face. “Kitsune?”

“Hai. Kit-soon. A fox Spirit.” I hold it up by its base and turn it to face him. “Every fox is born with a single tail. She is a bit of a…trickster? I think is the word. As Kitsune grows and gets older, she grows another tail. Each with a power.” I lift my finger and tap the small stone tails with my fingernail. “9 tails. This Kitsune is the wisest. She is very special. She holds the greatest wisdom and love. She’s a guardian to those she loves the most.”

He looks at the Kitsune and then up at me. “She falls in love?” His voice is low and delicate.

“Hai. Yes. She does. If you are loved by Kitsune it means you are truly special for she will love no other and make great sacrifices for that love. She uses her tails power to protect the love she treasures so much. The last tail. This one.” I tap the center tail. “The portal to her heart. The man who opens this portal will only be allowed to do so if he’s shown her great honor.” I search his eyes and witness his reaction to my tale.

He blinks and lowers his head to the figurine. He lifts his hands to it and wraps my hand and the statue in his.

I feel a rising warmth and his gentle touch feels like my realm. There’s an energy that makes it possible and somehow I feel it in him.

He bites his lip and raises an eye to me. “How will you know?”

I smile softly. “She will show you. She cannot hide her heart from him. If she has chosen. All will be revealed.”

“Just like that.” He whispers.

I slowly nod. “Just like that.”

He takes the statue from me and holds it. Our eyes meet again and his hand raises to my cheek. His thumb rubs my skin and he leans to me.

His soft lips meet mine and I’m lost again. My mind fills with his essence. My lips part and his tongue dances with mine. Like a soft shower of tree blossoms, I felt surrounded by him.

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in. He deepens the kiss and my realm enters my mind. Sounds of storms off in the distance fill me as I feel his touch. I feel a calm presence in a fiery storm. The gentle sway of a typhoon. The rolling hill on the unforgiving mountain. I don’t know what it means, but to say I do not want it, would be entirely false. My spirit purrs for his gentle heart. We have never felt this in our lifetime. My heart stutters with every movement of his lips.

He pulls back with my lip in his. His hand holds my head. He breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on mine. Our eyes lock and our hearts pound. He raises the statue. “Take it.”

“It’s yours. I couldn’t.” I say.

“I want you to have it. My gift to you for the wonderful gift you just gave me.” He whispers.

I blush again and bite my lip. I lift my hands to the statue and hold his hands in mine. “Thank you.”

“Dou itashimashite. You're welcome.” He smiles.

“I should go.” I lift the Kitsune from his hands and he nods.

“Yes.” He straightens his tie and backs away. “I…uh…I’m sorry if…” He motions to me.

“No. No. It’s OK. Really.” I reassure.

“Good because I don’t normally kiss students.” He laughs. I see his face go almost red. “Uh. Oh…Let me walk you out.”

He guides me to the door and opens it. I spin around. “There’s always magic, Graham. Please remember that.” I say.

“Of course.” He smiles.

“Goodbye.” I slowly nod.

“Goodbye.” He nods in response.

The door closes and I turn away. I walk down the hall with my fingers on my lips. They tingle. I’ve never been kissed before.

I walk by a window and my daze was clouded. I almost missed it. I stopped, turned back and looked out the window. My eyes widen at the sight before me.

The clouds darken and light pulses as the blue and gold veils flash across the sky. Lightning streaks across the sky like wicked, deadly fingers and thunder booms so loud, it shakes the building.

“No.” I whisper as I step to the window.

“AHH!” I drop the Kitsune and grab my arm.

I fall to the floor as searing pain fills me. My arm shakes as tears fall. I watch in horror as one tattooed tail lights up in fire. It burns down to ashes then absorbs into my skin. Forever gone if I don’t repair the veils.

The 8 tails rearrange to replace the missing tail. My fire power.

My chin quivers as I look up at the sky. The cosmic storm recedes and this world brightens.

The pain in my arm fades and my breaths are shallow. I reach out and pick up the Kitsune.

I run my fingers down the carvings nose. I turn to the hallway.

Wiping my cheeks, I take a deep breath and stand. Fixing my hair and clothes, I repeat the words Inari told me.

“Have faith. Trust the Gods.”

I look between Graham and the window. “I’m trying, Inari.”