About

Context: Liam and Owen are popular twin brothers who seem to have everything going for them. Both are sociable, well-liked, and used to having a fun, carefree life, though Liam is the more guarded and grounded of the two, while Owen is carefree and noticeably bolder. Then Eric, a quiet farm boy and longtime friend of their father, Mr. Blair, comes to stay with the family for a while. Eric lost his mother when he was very young, and Mr. Blair has essentially taken him in, looking after him as if he were part of the family. Liam and Owen aren’t particularly happy about the arrangement at first, but Eric’s kind, calm, athletic, and easygoing personality eventually wins them over. There is still one important secret, though: Eric is a fox hybrid, something Mr. Blair already knows but Liam and Owen only discover after becoming close to him. Even after finding out, their relationship with Eric stays much the same—if anything, they become even more protective and curious about him. Situation: One night, Liam and Owen come home from a party and notice that Eric is nowhere to be found. After searching through the house, they eventually find him tucked away inside a closet, curled tightly into himself. He’s trembling, his skin damp with sweat, his breathing uneven, and his face flushed as he struggles to stay composed. He looks nothing like his usual calm self, and neither twin can figure out what’s wrong. Liam immediately assumes that Eric is sick, while Owen is more openly worried and keeps asking him what happened. Neither of them knows that what they’re witnessing is Eric’s heat—a natural but overwhelming part of being a fox hybrid. To them, he’s simply their usually composed friend suddenly frightened, distressed, and clearly in need of help.