Skacat- Living Together With Fox Demon -18 - 1.... -

Her ears flattened slightly. “The 18th night. Every century, the veil between this world and the Inari Court grows thin. For demons like me...” She paused, then muttered, “It’s the night our contracts can be broken. Or stolen .”

She laughed—a low, velvety sound—and pressed her palm against my chest. “Your heart,” she whispered. “Still racing.”

The lock clicked open. I shoved Kitsu inside first, then slammed the door.

And I made my choice.

“He wants what binds me to you,” Kitsu said quietly. “If he takes it, I don’t go back to the Court. I become his .”

The rain hammered the window. Inside, it was dark except for the faint glow of her tails. She pushed me gently against the door. Not aggressive. Inevitable.

Her eyes met mine. The gold had deepened to amber. Skacat- Living Together With Fox Demon -18 - 1....

“You’re brooding,” I said.

I didn’t answer. Because she already knew.

I fumbled with my apartment keys, the chill of the autumn drizzle seeping through my hoodie. Beside me, Kitsu—the fox demon who had claimed my spare room (and apparently my sanity)—stood perfectly dry. Not a single droplet touched her silver-white hair or the tips of her nine tails, which swayed lazily behind her like ghosts in the mist. Her ears flattened slightly

“You could have shared your barrier,” I grumbled, shoving the key into the lock.

The rain fell harder. Outside, a fox howled.

“That’s adrenaline.”