Prologue: The Mistress and the Black Fox

The club was packed like always.

The black wolf kept an eye out over the club as he watched for the guests to arrive. He hated the conclaves, but Mr. Big paid well for his services, and it always amused him to see the guests flustered at the end of the evening.

The club had only been open for an hour and was already jammed. The wolf had no idea how a club that only opened its doors once every six months could be so popular. But then again, the club was a cover for an even bigger event, an event that happened every six months: the conclave.

The special guests began to arrive, and he was charged with taking them one by one to a meeting room above the club. Once the last guest had arrived, he closed the doors and locked them before turning to the darkened room full of special guests.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman. As always, Mr. Big welcomes you to his conclave. The rules are simple: you may bid on any merchandise that has been brought and all purchases must be paid for before the items may leave tonight. Remember, the Mistress may interfere on any action, and as Mr. Big's representative, her word is law. Any questions?" the wolf paused. "Good, we shall begin with the first item up to bid tonight." The wolf began going through item after item, always keeping an eye on a figure in the very back of the room. He couldn't see her, no one could, but he knew she was there, watching. He wondered if the evening would end peacefully, or if there would be any action. He hoped for the former, not that he didn't like action, it was just a pain.

The last item had finally come. The wolf announced the name of the item before displaying it. Once again, he looked to the back as he talked. No movement. The wolf opened his mouth to start the bidding when one of the guests stood up.

"How dare you let this sale go through! That item is a prized possession of my family and was stolen just last week! I demand you end this now!" The angry guest turned his gaze to the hidden figure in the very back as he said the last statement. The wolf smiled, knowing what was to come. He turned to look at the figure along with every other guests. Then a light slowly grew, illuminating the hidden figure in the back.

The Mistress smiled as all the guests stared in shock. The wolf knew they weren't expecting a bunny to be the Mistress. She wore a lovely blue dress with long matching sleeves, a matching choker and shoes, and several pieces of matching jewelry. But the most iconic piece was the matching blue ribbon tied around her right ear, a symbolic item that only she wore.

"I apologize," the Mistress' sweet, but silky smooth voice sang. "But I was not informed of this. If you'd like, you and the seller can make private negotiations. Otherwise, the sale will go on as planned."

She gave a smile towards the upset guest, but it only fueled his anger.

"How DARE YOU!" The guest stood and took a step towards the Mistress when a growl stopped him. Suddenly, the guests began to realize that the Mistress wasn't sitting alone, but on someone's lap. Slowly, the light above the Mistress glowed a little brighter to show a fox dressed in black with a pair of black shades, and his teeth bared.

The room was quiet and the wolf cleared his throat. "Well?"