Chapter 2

All my life, no one had ever chosen me without hesitation.

When my parents wanted to buy Chloe a piano, I was the one they decided to sacrifice.

They abandoned me by the side of the road to fend for myself. I only survived because a police officer found me and took me home.

After that, they saw me as an even bigger burden they couldn’t get rid of.

I wasn’t like Chloe. She knew how to please them and got good grades. I only ever did what I wanted to do.

In high school, I met a boy who made my heart race.

For the first time, I worked up the courage to get to know someone I liked. He was kind to me. He checked whether I’d eaten and reminded me not to stay up too late.

He clearly liked me too. But then Chloe appeared.

For her sake, he humiliated me in public and left me with no way to save face.

All to make Chloe happy.

Remembering that only strengthened my determination to stay with Julian forever.

He treated me so well. He was the only person who had ever made me feel that no one else would do.

On our way home, I noticed several white tails starting to appear behind him.

I quickly moved behind him to hide them.

“Your tails are showing.”

Usually, Julian’s fox tails only appeared when he was extremely angry, happy, or embarrassed.

I hurried him into the car.

I didn’t know what was wrong, but I knew I couldn’t let anyone notice anything unusual about him.

“It’s okay. I’m here. Don’t be scared.”

I soothed him.

Julian leaned into my arms, his body trembling with little sobs.

“Nora, I’m going to make up for all the love your parents never gave you.”

I froze. So that was why.

Julian knew what things were like between me and my family. That was why he’d gotten so angry when Chloe mocked and criticized me.

“Okay.”

I stroked him again and again until his tails disappeared.

Seeing him so vulnerable reminded me of our first meeting.

I’d been walking home from work when I tripped over something by the roadside and fell.

My face twisted in pain. I was about to look for whatever had tripped me when I spotted a man lying nearby.

He was filthy, and he seemed to be injured.

I’d turned to leave when the man suddenly opened his eyes.

He reached out and caught the leg of my pants.

I looked down, meeting his gaze.

His eyes seemed to have some kind of magic. I was bewitched.

And then I took him home.

While I waited for him to finish showering, I kept asking myself how I’d ended up bringing him back. Why had I done that?

After his shower, his pale skin made him look even more enticing.

He had a beautiful face, and his foxlike eyes were full of tenderness.

To my surprise, I felt rather pleased.

Taking him home hadn’t been such a bad idea.

“Come here. I’ll take care of your wounds.”

Julian stood awkwardly in the bathroom doorway, refusing to move. Thinking he was embarrassed, I walked over.

What I saw nearly blew my mind.

Nine tails filled the bathroom. They seemed to have minds of their own, carefully avoiding every bottle and jar.

My gaze followed those tails back to Julian. They were growing out of his body.

I nearly forgot how to breathe.

He fidgeted with his fingers and apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m hurt, so I can’t put them away right now.”

Julian thought I would be afraid of him. Instead, I walked straight past him, my eyes fixed on those nine fluffy tails.

“Can I touch them?” Without waiting for an answer, I reached out.

I had never been able to resist anything fluffy.