Minutes later, the man who bought me walked in, along with the woman. Sila, I remembered. She was the one who wasn't happy with me being here. I growled softly as Thoysal greeted them. "Alpha, Ira, thank you for coming here."

Oscen nodded at him. "No problem. It's about the illusion in a bottle, is it not?"

"That is the thing. She is not an illusion. She is a living being, and has been trapped in there for a long time." The two stared each other in the eyes for a moment before looking back at me.

"I see... And how do we get her out?"

"It seems to be as easy as pulling the cork off the bottle. However, she will grow in size, and I didn't want to attempt that in here. We would have to do it outside, and the pack would notice if there was a commotion like that. You'd have heard about it sooner or later had we gone through with that," Thoysal said.

The Alpha huffed. "That's right. You better be glad you told me first, vampire."

"We all know you can't do without me, Oscen." He grinned, baring his fangs in a grin.

Oscen shook his head and gestured at me. "Considering how long she has been in there, we should get her out as soon as possible. I know next to nothing about taking care of a firefox, though. Do you remember any lore or myths about them, perhaps?"

"It might be better to ask Zanixa herself."

I perked up at the mention of my name and mentally called out, 'Yes?'

'We need to know how you live before we can let you out. What do you eat or drink? Where do you like to sleep? Are there things firefoxes absolutely cannot touch, like werewolves cannot touch silver?'

Internally, I whined. This meant even more waiting before I could go out. I shook my head and replied, 'Generally, I don't drink, but molten metal isn't all that bad at times. Hot coals is what I usually eat. You should try it sometime, it's delicious. Cold coal does too, but it's not as good. As for where I sleep, that fire looks great.' I scratched at the glass, in the direction of the fire.

The vampire smiled a little. 'You really do like fire, don't you? Eating fire, sleeping in fire, a tail made of flames.'

'Yes. Fire is great. Water, however, is not great. Snow is awful. Snow is like water, but even colder! Can you believe it? Something more miserable than water...' I trailed off with a shudder.

'Then it's best you don't go outside for too long. Winter has just started, and the first snow has fallen,' Thoysal said.

I groaned before panicking. 'Wait, do we have enough wood to keep the fire going all winter? We need to have a safe cave, stuffed full of wood to keep our nest heated. We can't get through the winter with nothing.'

The warmth that had calmed me earlier seeped in again. Within seconds, I relaxed again, and Thoysal said, 'Don't worry, Zanixa. We have got plenty of wood to keep the fires going.'

'Then it's okay. As long as we have a lot of fire. Then the winter is bearable,' I said.

'So you dislike water and snow, and you eat coals?' Thoysal checked. I nodded, and he relayed what I just said to the Alpha and Ira.

"We could build a fire in one of the depleted mines. That way, she wouldn't have to brave the snow," Sila suggested. "Someone will have to look after her, however."

"Ira, may I suggest something?" Esna asked, though she didn't look straight in the woman's eyes.

Sila nodded. "You may speak, Esna."

With a nervous glance at the vampire, she started speaking. "Although we'd love to have Zanixa with us, we Omega's cannot communicate with her. The only one who can is Thoysal. If he is willing, he would make the best chance at getting somewhere with her."

Thoysal did not look impressed, and Esna cowered under his intense gaze. Oscen stepped between them. "What she says is reasonable, Thoysal. Besides, it would do you good to be with someone instead of lurking at the edge of the pack territory. You could even lurk together, once the snow has gone."

"Lurking together does sound very tempting," he replied sarcastically. After a stern look from the Alpha, he said, "Alright, fine. Though if she accidentally gives me my final death by burning me, I will find a way to retrieve my soul and come haunt you for the rest of your life."

"I give you permission to haunt me if that unlikely thing ever happens. You and I both know your soul is lost, so we just have to keep you undead for as long as possible." Oscen patted the vampire on the shoulder in a friendly way. Thoysal bared his fangs and hissed, although it didn't look like he was about to attack.

"One day he will bite you," Sila warned.

The vampire grumbled, "And that day will come sooner rather than later."

The Alpha merely chuckled at the two of them. "Let's go build a fire and release her. We can clear an area of snow and wait for a clear day to introduce her to the rest of the pack."

"Do you wish for us to help or can we return to our duties, Ira?" Esna asked.

"You may return to your duties. Thank you for this discovery. We'll help her get out as soon as possible," the Ira promised. She and Oscen walked out. Thoysal gently took my bottle, nodded at the Omegas, and followed the two.

"Which mine do you think fits best, Sila?" the vampire asked. "There's only two depleted ones. All the others are running."

"Let's not put her in the mine next to Lake Nian. That said, ferals have been spotted along the northern border. I trust you can protect her?" she said.

"Oh, they won't get past me, that much is sure."

Sila nodded. "Very well. Thoysal and I will handle this, Oscen."

The Alpha gave her a quick kiss and walked off. Thoysal cleared his throat. "Time to head north."