"You have any better ideas?"
"We'll explore on foot. It's good for you to learn how to use your nose to track, in whatever form."
"Sounds good." We order and the food comes, and she tears into her plate. We both got extra orders of meat.
Under the table, Foxfire's foot rests on mine. When she finishes her meal, I slide her leftover sausage my way, and dig in.
Her foot slides up my inseam, resting on my crotch.
"Careful," I growl at her.
She just smiles, the sweet curve of her lips making my dick hard. Naughty fox.
I ask the waitress if the cook wouldn't mind making a few burgers to go, although it's not their lunch hour yet, and after she brings them, I put them in the truck. When I turn around, Foxfire is heading toward a craft and farmer's market. It's early enough it's sparsely attended. The booths are still getting set up.
"She used to sell here. I'm going to ask them if she's been around," she says when I catch up, growling at her for leaving without me.
I ask first. "Excuse me. Do you know where Sandra Hines has her booth?"
The man frowns at me.
"Sunny," Foxfire adds. "She goes by Sunny. My boyfriend hasn't met her yet." She grabs my hand, and the man's look of suspicion disappears when Foxfire adds, "She's my mom."
"Oh yes, Sunny. Usually she's set up over there. Haven't seen her since Friday, though."
"Thank you." Foxfire tries to hide her disappointment, but I can see the devastation in her eyes.
Fuck. We have to find her mom.
~.~
Foxfire
We do a round of the market. I meet as many of the stall owners as I can. They all agree my mom often shows up to sell there, but not every day. I give them my cell number and ask for a call if they see her.
We take a break to step into a cell phone store. Tank buys me one to replace the one he crushed.
"So what now?" I ask as we leave the store and head for the truck. I lower my voice and wait until a few tourists pass before murmuring, "You wanna do the four-legged thing?"
"I'm not sure it will help. Your mom has been all over this town. Her scent is here. Besides, you have a phone now. if one of her friends spots her they'll call you." He puts the truck in gear. "Let's try her house again, see if we sniff out any clues."
Back at the trailer, he shifts. I keep a lookout as a huge black wolf sniffs around carefully. It's amazing how big he is. Just massive. Real wolves are pretty large but he's taller than them by a head.
He hops up into the bed of the truck, and waits to shift back until I close it up. When he climbs out, fully clothed and breathing hard like he's run a four-minute mile, I hold up the burger I've unwrapped from its paper.
"Who's a good doggie?"
He snatches the sandwich from my hand and inhales it in one gulp. "Don't ever call me a dog. Not unless you want a red ass."
I hand him the bag with the rest of the food from the diner. "Wolfie?"
He shakes his head.
I lean against the truck bed, admiring the flex of his strong jaw as he chews. "I love teasing you."
"Keep it up, baby. There will be consequences."
"I love consequences."
"You don't have to tell me that. I've felt how wet your pussy gets."
"My foxy bits," I correct. "That's what they're called."
Tank shakes his head.
"You know you love it, Big Daddy."
"Keep talking, baby. I'll still be on top tonight."
I turn away to hide my happy grin. Tank finishes his food and uses a water bottle to wash his hands.
I flop onto the truck bed. "Now what?"
"There was something in the trailer. It smelled… I think you should see it."
Reluctantly, I follow him inside. I should've visited my mother more. She drives me crazy, but that's what family is about. Even though I never lived in this particular trailer, it smells like my childhood. There are a few things I recognize -the stained glass design I helped Sunny make, a small gold statue of Buddha, the Japanese tea set we bought at a thrift store.
"Here," Tank beckons. Beside a little bench used as a seat and storage he taps a panel and opens a hidden compartment. Out pours a stack of envelopes.
I pick through them. They're all addressed to Sunny, but only a PO box is listed as the return address. "They're empty."
"Recognize the address?"
"No. Why did you think these were important?"
"Because," Tank says quietly. "They smell like fox."
~.~
Foxfire
Back in the truck, I finger the address. We took one envelope and put the rest back.
At this point, it's my only link to my heritage.
It's lunchtime, and even though he's already eaten, when we stop for tacos, he orders twenty.
"We might try the community center. Find out if she still works there and if anyone's seen her."
I nod. I'm still thinking of those empty envelopes.
"It's okay, baby," he says. "We'll find her."
"Do you think someone…?" My throat clogs. Even if I don't visit often, Sunny is family. She's all I got.
"I think they scared her. She left a message for you and she's lying low. Foxfire, she's not a shifter."
"But what about-" I lift the envelopes.
"Those are the only thing in there that smell like fox."
"She could be dormant, though. Maybe her fox is like mine-she never felt safe, or protected enough…" My voice trails off at the pity in Tank's eyes. I can handle being called a weirdo or freak, but don't fucking pity me.
"I don't think she's a shifter. I think you got the gene another way."
That only leaves my male parent. My missing male parent. Is it possible? The one who made me a fox is the father I never met?