He walked to her room, finding her lying motionless on the bed. She looked peaceful, almost human, as if she hadn't just caused a scene days ago that could have exposed them both. Cain studied her for a moment, his sharp gaze softening despite his annoyance. She had been asleep for hours—something rare for Pittaria.
"It seems she was really tired," he murmured to himself, leaning against the doorframe. Despite his irritation, he didn't disturb her. He hated the fact that she had just disappeared like that—in front of those humans no less—but for now, he let her rest. Her experience with humans as a fox demon hadn't been pleasant, and he knew the weight of it lingered in her silence.
---
A few days later, Pittaria could be seen jogging along the edge of the forest near their temporary home. The early morning air was crisp, biting at her skin. She wasn't running to exercise or burn energy—she was running to clear her head. It had been a while since she had taken in her surroundings, and she wondered, briefly, how her mother was doing. Was she still alive? Or had time, as cruel as it often was, finally caught up to her?
Cain's voice replayed in her mind like a nagging echo.
"What in the seven hells were you thinking, Pittaria?" he had barked at her the moment she woke from her long sleep. "Disappearing like that—without waiting until we reached the parking lot! Do you have any idea how reckless that was? What if someone saw you? What if someone recognized you?"
Pittaria had crossed her arms and leaned back against the couch, her expression defiant. "No one saw me," she'd replied curtly.
Cain's eyes had narrowed dangerously. "Your little stunt could have been a disaster. Our appearance alone is enough to make humans stare, but pulling something like that? You're lucky we're not being hunted right now."
She respected Cain, truly. But he could be exhausting with his constant worrying. She knew how to handle herself. She wasn't some fragile flower in need of constant tending. Still, the memory of his words stuck with her.
---
Pittaria's jog was interrupted suddenly when she collided with something—or rather, someone.
BAM!
She stumbled, nearly falling backward, when a firm hand shot out, steadying her before she could hit the ground.
Her gaze traveled from the hand, pale and strong, up to the man's face. Her breath hitched.
Him.
The human.
The one who had taken her to his home after hitting her with that…thing. What was it called again? She couldn't quite recall. A car, maybe? Humans and their strange contraptions.
She prayed he didn't recognize her.
"Watch where you're going," he said gruffly, releasing her arm. His tone was clipped, impatient.
Pittaria blinked up at him, momentarily caught off guard by the vivid green of his eyes, sharp against his ash-blonde hair. He looked down at her with a furrowed brow, clearly expecting some kind of response.
"Sorry," she muttered, her voice uncharacteristically small.
As he turned to leave, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank the stars, she thought. He doesn't remember me.
The last thing she needed was Cain finding out about this. He'd never let her hear the end of it.
---
Cain had pulled a lot of strings to blend them into the human world. It was necessary, he claimed, for her to understand the humans better if she was going to survive among them.
"You need to learn their ways, their knowledge," he had told her firmly. "We're not here to cause chaos or draw attention. If you're going to stay here, you need to adapt."
Adapt. The word left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't need to adapt. She was a fox demon, proud and capable, not some meek creature desperate for acceptance. But Cain had insisted, and to her annoyance, he had arranged for her to enroll in a human university.
"Environmental psychology," he had said, sliding the acceptance letter across the table toward her.
She had stared at the paper for a long moment, the words meaningless to her. "Why this?" she had finally asked.
"Because it's useful," he replied simply. "And it's broad enough that you'll blend in without raising too many questions."
Blend in. Another phrase she despised.
Still, she had agreed, if only to get Cain off her back. And now here she was, jogging through a human neighborhood, trying to familiarize herself with the world she was supposed to fit into.
---
As she reached the edge of the neighborhood, Pittaria slowed her pace, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings. Everything felt strange and foreign to her—the way the humans moved, the way they spoke, the strange devices they were always glued to. She didn't understand any of it, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.
But then her thoughts drifted back to the man she had run into earlier. The human.
There was something about him that lingered in her mind. She couldn't quite place it, but it unsettled her. And she hated feeling unsettled.
She shook her head, pushing the thought away. She had bigger things to focus on. Like figuring out how to navigate this new life Cain had thrust her into.
As she turned to head back home, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, half-expecting to see the man watching her. But the street was empty, save for the quiet hum of the morning.
Pittaria picked up her pace, her jog turning into a sprint as she put more distance between herself and the place where their worlds had collided.
---
Back at home, Cain was waiting for her, his arms crossed and his expression stern.
"You were out longer than usual," he noted.
"I was clearing my head," she replied simply, brushing past him.
"Did you see anyone?" he asked.
She paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. "A few humans. Nothing worth mentioning."
Cain's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't press further.
"Good," he said finally. "Remember, Pittaria. We're here to stay under the radar. No more stunts."
She rolled her eyes, though she didn't argue. Cain might have been her servant, but she respected him more than most. And, in his own annoying way, he was right.
For now, she would play along. But deep down, Pittaria knew she couldn't stay in the shadows forever.
And neither could the humans.
" Oh before I forget, pack your stuff " She heard Cain's voice from behind..