The woman felt sudden resistance as the man quit following her, causing her to stop as well. She faced him and let go of his shirt, placing her hands on her hips instead. She looked absolutely indignant, weight shifted onto one leg and her chin held high, but she was listening. It irritated her to no end that this human insisted on acting like he had control over the situation, but she was pleased he was willing to go to his apartment. She knew generally where he lived from tailing him, but caution prevented her from getting close enough to know exactly which apartment was his.

A couple blocks over, a dog barked, causing the fox to hiss as her ears strained to make sure the offensive beast was not headed in her direction. Reluctantly, her eyes went back to the young man, and she sighed, “You said so yourself, if I wanted you dead it would have happened already. I have no intention of taking your life.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Unless you give me reason to.” There was another moment of silence before the man offered to help her get dry and for the first time since their meeting, her face softened, even if only a bit. Glancing down as if she were embarrassed, she muttered, “I would appreciate that…”

Shaking off the momentary glimpse of vulnerability, the fox spirit straightened her stance and grinned, “I know how to get to your place without being seen, but you have to turn around. You won’t see me again until you’re at your door, sound good?” She waited for him to comply and once he did, she transformed into her true form, a dainty white fox taking place where the woman had been. Taking refuge in a nearby alley, the ghostly animal waited for the human to lead the way. She wasn't sure how the man would react to seeing her true form, but she thought it best to keep it secret from him. The fewer of her tricks he knew, the better. It still unnerved her how confident this man was despite the obvious threat to his safety. What could he possibly know that she didn't? It all seemed like a bluff, but the cautious fox was not willing to take the chance.