The sea was calm, twilight filtering down in ribbons of pale light as the Foxes drifted together near a reef. It was their usual haunt after a long hunt—Neil and Kevin trading sharp words, Nicky circling like he couldn’t sit still, Dan and Matt hovering close with the quiet ease of long familiarity.

Then Neil noticed it. A flicker of movement that didn’t belong to any fish. He stilled, fins brushing against the current.

Someone sat perched on a shelf of coral, tail draped in the water like it had always been theirs, casually flipping a small notebook made of pressed kelp sheets. Their posture was loose, almost careless, as though they weren’t trespassing on one of the Foxes’ private resting places.

The Foxes froze.

Strangest of all—Andrew floated just below the stranger, arms crossed, expression unreadable, as though this was perfectly normal. Aaron lingered nearby, utterly disinterested, while Nicky darted in and out of the water’s shadows, clearly chatting with them.

Neil narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell is this?”

Dan tilted her head. “Why are they here? Nobody comes out this far.”

The stranger glanced up, smiling. “Oh hey! You must be the Foxes. Took you long enough. Andrew’s told me plenty about you.”

Kevin blinked, fins flicking in disbelief. “Andrew talks?”

The stranger laughed, flipping another page of the kelp-book. “Nicky’s a troublemaker, Aaron never looks pleased, and Kevin’s too loud for his own good.”

Nicky gasped, delighted. “Wait, he talks about me?”

Aaron groaned, muttering under his breath. “That’s what you’re focusing on?”

Andrew tilted his head, unimpressed. “I told you to stop talking about me.”

“Too late,” the stranger teased, unfazed. “You like it.”

The Foxes exchanged uneasy looks. Finally, Neil pushed forward. “So you’ve been spending time with Andrew?”

The stranger shrugged, tail fin flicking lazily in the water. “Yeah. Just hanging out. Nothing dangerous.”

And then, from deeper in the reef, Wymack emerged, slow and steady as always. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave them all a flat look. “They’re not a problem. Leave it.”

The Foxes stared. Kevin sputtered, “You knew about this?”

Wymack’s gills flared in a silent sigh. “Of course. If it was an issue, I’d handle it.”

Neil rubbed his temples, exasperated. “So Andrew’s been spending time with someone else out here, and none of you thought to mention it?”

Andrew didn’t move. He didn’t need to. His silence said enough.