Fox Life

It was painful to admit her deepest fears, but Iris was glad she managed it. Once Kyro realized the truth, he would take a step back and let her leave. Her heart shuddered at the mere thought of it, but she wasn't selfish enough to ask him to tolerate something like her.     

Even if there was no blood on her hands, they weren't human hands.     

The next moment, she was crushed into a tight hug. "Can you not look down on me that much?" Kyro asked in her ear, his voice a whisper that sent a shudder down her back.     

"Look down?" she squeaked out as her breathing went ragged. She didn't want to react to his closeness, but it wasn't within her control. His presence was like a personal drug, chasing away all the horrible thoughts and bringing unwarranted hope.     

"Yes," he said while planting a light kiss on her cheek. "Do you think I fell in love with your family tree? Or an image of you I created for myself? I don't give a damn what others say, you're you and that's what matters."     

Tears rivulet down Iris' cheeks, and she sniffed, not knowing how to make him see. "I can turn into a fox! What if we have children and they—"     

"That's a good thought. Maybe we should do it and see what happens," he said with a laugh, his smile bright enough to turn night into day. "I like that plan."     

"You're not listening to me!" Iris shouted out, fury mixing with embarrassment. Why did he have to take the conversation in such a direction?     

"But I am," he said still in a light tone, but then his expression grew serious. "I care about you, and that's why even the idea of letting you go sounds preposterous. I've always known that you can change into a fox, so what? I love you for who you are, not what you can or can't do."     

He kissed her on the mouth then, stealing all her will to resist. The taste was salty from her tears, but the gentleness and care she felt burned away the last of her doubts. Hell of high water, it was too late to change course.     

When they were both out of breath, Kyro pulled slightly away, and their ragged breaths mingled together. He raised his hands to cup her face and whispered, "I love you, Iris."     

If a person could melt from the intensity of their emotions, Iris would have ended up as a puddle at that moment. There had been no doubt that Kyro cared about her, but there was just something special about hearing the L-word. For a minute, her brain just disconnected and danced a jig while butterflies were rioted in her stomach.     

"I-I lo-love you t-too," she stuttered in reply, unable to control her nervousness. There were so many thoughts in her head that she was coming up blank on everything.     

The smile that stretched across Kyro's face was contagious, and Iris grinned back at him, giddy with the excitement. She wondered if he'd kiss her again when a childish voice interrupted them.     

"What are you doing?" Mila asked with scrunched up eyebrows and a small finger pointing at them. There was accusation in her voice.     

Iris instantly pulled back, and Kyro gave her a dark look. Her cheeks went even redder, if that was possible, but luckily Kyro had already turned away.     

He walked to the girl and crouched down by her side. "Iris was unhappy so I gave her a hug. It worked magic."     

"Really?" The girl looked at him with cautiousness, then a sly smile came onto her lips. "I'm unhappy." She tried to pull her lips down to fake bad mood, but she wanted to smile too badly to manage that.     

Still, Kyro pulled her into his arms like he believed her words. The girl wrapped her hands around his neck, still holding onto the menu in the left one, and giggled.     

"Careful, she's gonna be a danger to all men when she grows up," Iris said with a laugh while brushing the remnants of tears from her eyes. Lucifer chose that moment to meow as if in agreement.     

Once Kyro let the girl go and asked how she felt now, she said she was better. Her words were followed by a couple sagely nods.     

"Little devil," Kyro murmured in good humor, then ordered the food she had selected.     

For the next couple days, they didn't do much, just enjoyed each other's company while Sophie with her team took care of everything. They contacted the government with carefully selected pieces from the video Iris had taken.     

The special forces had some questions, but they agreed not to ask them in exchange     

for silence. It wouldn't be good for anyone if the matter with the lab and decades of experimenting on humans came to light.     

With that, no one had any idea about Iris' involvement, and her name was cleared. She returned to being just a normal girl without any hidden past.     

All of the scientists, her aunt included, were charged with jail time, their sentence length dependant on their involvement based on the data found in the lab. Iris had thought about visiting her aunt, but then changed her mind. She was still angry and disappointed. Maybe at some point she could forgive her, but not yet. The wound was till too raw.     

Tyler's family was located with Sophie's help and put under the government's protection. It was hard to guess what their future would entail, but the authorities had said that they would be allowed to live their normal life, just under surveillance.     

Mila should have been returned to her home, but she refused. No matter how Iris or Kyro tried to explain it to her that those people were her family and they wouldn't do anything to her ever again, the girl didn't listen. She cried, screamed, begged, and held onto them with claw-like fingers the moment they mentioned it.     

In the end, they gave up and filed for her adoption. It wouldn't have went through normally since her parents and family were alive and fine, and wouldn't mistreat her again, but under the special circumstances, an exception was made. Still, it was only when a couple children psychologists confirmed that it would be better for the girl to be removed from the environment in which she felt threatened every second of the day. After all, she was too young to fully understand what had happened and that it was all over.     

"Let's go home," Kyro said, and Iris looked up at him with a smile.     

They were standing in the airport, near where Gale's jet was parked. There was no rush to leave, but they had already finished up with everything. It was time for them to say goodbye to UK.     

"Don't forget to invite me for any special dates," Luca said with a knowing expression. "Okay?"     

"Sure, sure," Iris agreed without daring to look Kyro's way. "Take care of yourself. We'll see each other in no time."     

"I certainly hope so!" Her expression dimmed then. "Will you invite…"     

She didn't say the name, but she didn't need to do that. Iris knew who she was talking about, but she had no plans to invite that traitor. In the data from the lab, they had found out that Shadi actually worked for them and reported on Iris every week. It was also her who was the first to notify the lab about her changing in class.     

But that was something too hard to explain to Luca, so she didn't understand why Shadi had suddenly fallen out with them. "No, but you will HAVE to come. I might even introduce you to a few people…"     

That instantly lifted Luca's mood, and she grinned like everything was good in the world again. "Don't forget that!" She hugged Iris. "I'll miss you."     

"I'll miss you too. But I promise to write ten messages a day so we don't lose contact ever again!"     

"Just ten?" Luca asked with a frown. "Well, it's fine. I'll write you a hundred for the both of us."     

"Good, good. Bye now!"     

They let go of each other, repeated their goodbyes again, and Iris turned to leave with a wave. Kyro caught her free hand, which wasn't holding Lucy's cage, and she smiled back at him. It still amazed her how lucky she was to have someone like him by her side. He was even good with children!     

Mila was sitting on his shoulders like a proud queen and looking mighty happy. She giggled from time to time, urging her steed forward.     

"Let's go home," Iris said, and hand in hand, they walked to the jet. Not once did she glance back. The past was in the past, and she wasn't going to let it interfere with her future anymore.     

It was time for her to start a life of her own, without anyone watching over her shoulder to make sure it was the one they liked.