Tricky. That was one word to describe Tobias. Obnoxious is another. He always seemed to be the loudest person in a room and yet the one who hid the best. Like the fox he was, he could find his way out of anything that got him stuck. Except the wire that got his foot caught. The only thing he couldn’t seem to do was untie that damn knot.

He didn’t make a sound other than the crunching of leaves under him. His shaking hands worked to break the wire, albeit nothing came of his efforts. He was trapped for once. Toby felt his heart race, panting in fear. If a human caught him out here, it could mean his life. That wasn’t something he would be fond of losing. His ears rang, twitching at every sound in the forest. He wanted to scream for help, but he knew that was danger within itself. He wasn’t human enough to be treated like anything more than a wild animal.

“Shit…” He cursed under his breath, ripping at the wire as if that would do anything. It wouldn’t snap, he couldn’t untie it. There was no use to his efforts. His ears snapped upward as he paused his movements. Footsteps. He heard footsteps coming closer.

Running closer. Were they that desperate to kill a fox?

Yet, whoever it was wasn’t anything of a hunter. They emerged from the bushes and trees, breathing heavily as if they were the one caught in a trap. Before Toby knew it, their eyes landed on him. His own gaze, predatorial even in his predicament. If he could, he would scratch and claw until his last dying seconds. Hell, he’d exhaust himself trying to get away from death’s clawing hands.

“Get away. Touch me and I’ll bite your hand off!” He was like a yipping fox, backing away as far as he could with that wire pulling him.