by Cree Storm
“There, what is that?” Jewel asked as he pointed to the left.
Orion shifted his gaze to where Jewel was pointing and saw nothing but a field of daisies. Then suddenly something fluffy and white poked up over the flowers and bobbed up and down, as if whatever it was attached to was hopping.
“A bunny maybe?” he said.
“I don’t think so. Rabbit tails are more round and closer to their bodies. That one is longer and flapping as it moves,” Jewel replied.
“It’s my fox,” Nelson’s voice came from behind them, and Jewel and Orion turned to look at him. The deep sadness Orion heard in his mate worried him.
“Sweetness, are you okay?” Orion asked as he stepped closer to Nelson and took his hand. It was a little disconcerting knowing they were in a dream, yet he could still take his mate’s hand and feel it’s warmth.
“I’m fine, Orion, but my fox keeps running from me. I almost caught him over there under the willow tree, but he took off as I approached,” Nelson answered, his voice despondent.
“Let’s go see if we can get him to come out,” Jewel said, and headed into the field of daisies with Nelson and Orion following.
After what seemed like they had been searching for hours, but was more like five minutes, not spotting even a tail glimpse of the fox, they all stood still in the center of the field looking in all directions.
A slight ruffling behind them followed by a low growl had the trio turning in its direction. Orion’s eyes widened, and a bright smile spread over his face as he peered down at the most adorable thing he had ever seen. It was smaller than a house cat, but with jet-black fur covering all of its body, except for a patch of snow-white fur on the chest that ran around his neck like a collar and a big, puffy white tail. The creature had the biggest brown eyes, that showed intelligence behind them as Orion stared into the creature’s gaze. It also had a beige colored muzzle with a cute little pink nose, and two of the smallest, cutest, little white horns sticking out of its head and two floppy ears. Then when it lifted a paw and clawed at the air in their direction as it growled, Orion could see that the bottoms of the creature’s feet were a soft pink that matched its nose.
“Oh my Gods, it’s so adorable,” Jewel declared as he knelt down. “What kind of creature is this? Is it something you made up in your mind, Nelson, or is this your fox? Because I have to tell you, when you say fox, this is not what I pictured.”
Before Nelson could answer, Orion did. “That’s my Nelson’s fox. I would know those eyes anywhere.”
The fox stared at Orion and tilted its head to the right, then after a few moments, he shifted it the other way and tilted it to the left as if studying Orion.
Nelson got down on one knee and moved closer as he held out his hand, but the fox took a step back as he bared his little fangs and growled, then raised a paw and scratched again in Nelson’s direction.
Orion watched as Nelson’s shoulders dropped in defeat and he released a small sigh of distress. Orion’s heart was breaking for his mate and he had no idea what to do. He moved to stand behind Nelson, then knelt down and placed his hands on his mate’s shoulders. As he did, the little fox began to bark and growl as he scratched and pawed at the ground. His little body jumped around, hopping up and down and spinning in circles.
“What is he doing?” Jewel asked.
“He’s not happy. He’s downright pissed actually. See how he keeps scratching at the ground and his tail has puffed up to twice its size? He’s trying to make himself appear bigger and more menacing. When he drops the front of his body down to the ground but leaves his ass in the air with the tail sticking straight up, then watch out because he’s going to attack.” Nelson replied in a monotone voice.
“But he’s just a bitty thing, how much harm can he cause?” Jewel asked in a sweet little voice that most people used on babies and puppies.
Nelson chuffed. “He can kill you within a blink of an eye if he’s mad enough at you, so don’t underestimate the little hellion, Jewel. Remember, Santorini foxes are pretty powerful beings.”
Nelson looked back to his animal as he sat on the ground and folded his legs in, then began talking to him beseechingly, “Please, my friend, my soul partner, my other half… please don’t be mad at me. I know you’re not happy because I ignored your warnings with Fallon, but… maybe I should have stopped for a moment and talked to you, heard you out… but my heart was so full of rage and revenge… as well as frightened that he would harm everyone that we love and care about… I just didn’t fully think and acted on my shame and anger. You know what he put us through. I couldn’t just let him and his followers walk away. They needed to go so they wouldn’t take anyone ever again and cage them up—or worse, like they did with us. I was just trying to protect us.”
The fox leaned his chest down low to the ground with its ass in the air as it barked, whined, and growled at Nelson. But before it attacked, like Orion thought it would, the little thing quickly turned and took off in the other direction, disappearing in the flowers.
“Well, it looks like he’s not going to make this easy on you, my friend,” Jewel said, as he stood and brushed off the dirt from his knees.
“I know,” Nelson said on a sigh as he stood.
Black clouds began to move in as the wind whipped up.
“Um, Nelson, could you maybe stop this?” Jewel asked nervously.
Nelson gave him an incredulous look. “I may be pretty powerful when my fox and I are on the same page, Jewel, but even we can’t control the weather.”
“You can in a dream.”
“Oookay,” Nelson drew out the word. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
Jewel sighed in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. “Because we are all in your freaking dream, remember?”
Nelson now looked at his friend like he had lost a few marbles. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nelson protested.
Just as Jewel went to move closer to Nelson, his face red in frustration, Orion stepped forward, getting between the two. “It’s obvious he doesn’t remember that, Jewel, so I think we’re going to have to play along with this dream.”
Thunder clapped so loud they each had to cover their ears. The wind picked up speed and was now gusting with force. “I have a bad feeling about this!” Jewel cried out over the roar of the wind.
Lightning began to strike around them, but nothing close, as the sky darkened to almost pitch-black. Clouds rolled violently across the sky and suddenly a downpour began.
“We need to get out of the elements!” Nelson yelled as he frantically looked around.
“Shit! Nelson, this isn’t real. You’re dreaming! Remember we talked about this in Ezzy’s office. We were coming in to find your fox. Please remember and stop this storm before someone gets hurt!” Jewel yelled.
“Look, over there is a shed, we can hide out there until the storm blows over,” Nelson said, as he pointed to a shed that just appeared in the distance. Then without waiting for Jewel or Orion, Nelson took off through the field, toward the shed.
“He doesn’t believe you, Jewel. You go with him and try to convince him to stop this and I’ll keep looking for his fox,” Orion said, close enough to Jewel’s ear to be heard over the storm.
“But it’s too dangerous out here, Orion. What if you get struck by lightning? I have no idea if it will affect you in the real world.”
“You know the old saying, if you’re about to die in a dream, then you wake up.”
“Yeah, but you’re not asleep, Nelson is,” Jewel pointed out.
Orion sighed as he shook his head and wiped the rain from his face. “What other choice do we have right now, Jewel? We need to get Nelson to understand this is a dream and we need to find his fox. The animal seemed to be okay with me, so I’ll go after him while you talk to Nelson.”
“Fine, but for the record, I hate this plan,” Jewel said, then before allowing Orion to respond, he turned and took off toward the shed.
Orion looked up into the tumultuous sky and sent out a silent prayer. He needed Nelson to calm down, so they didn’t get killed in here. He also needed to find that cute little fox, then the hard part would begin. Convincing the creature to trust Nelson again and become one with him.
CHAPTER 4
Orion was drenched and miserable, and his underwear was creeping up his ass and not in any good way. The only saving grace was that he couldn’t feel the cold that usually came from being soaked in a storm. Which again was odd considering that he could feel the warmth from Nelson’s hand earlier when he held it. This dream shit was confusing and trippy.
Orion had been searching around this field for what felt like two hours, but really had no clue how much time had actually passed. What they said about dreams might possibly be true—that while you were in them it felt like hours, but in the real world it was only a few minutes that passed. What he did know for sure was that he was tired of stumbling around in this treacherous storm and getting nowhere. He knew there was an end to it in all directions, because he had hit a blank, grey wall a few times and couldn’t move on, then turned and went another way. Orion was sure he had circled this dream garden at least twice and still there was no sign of the little fox.
He finally came to the conclusion that this wasn’t working and maybe they needed to try something else. Resigning himself to his failure, Orion headed in the direction the shed sat in. As he walked, his gaze landed on the large willow tree that he had passed a few times, then suddenly Nelson’s voice sounded in his head. “I almost caught him over there under the willow tree, but he took off when I approached.”
Could it be that easy? Could he have just walked past the creature a number of times and not even realized? Shit! Orion headed toward the willow tree and as he got close he could hear a soft almost purring sound.
Lifting his hand, he pushed the long branches aside and stepped in under the canopy. Orion stopped and looked around, a smile coming to his face. There was a whole new world under here, and one that was dry. How the hell did that happen? Yes, it would have taken the rain a little longer to reach inside the cocoon the willow branches made, but with this downpour and for how long it had been going on, it should have been just as wet under here. Dreams. Orion thought and shook his head.
He let the branches drop behind him, closing him in, then was shocked again at how warm it felt, like he was in a comfy bed, wrapped around his mate while they lay under a thick comforter with a fire crackling in the fireplace. This place felt so inviting and comfortable that Orion felt like he was home. Like he was being wrapped in a great big hug of love.
Moving closer to the center where the very large, thick trunk sat, Orion’s gaze ran over the many thick branches that jutted out from the trunk, some making great places to sit and rest, as others looked like he could lay down and stretch out on them just to relax and enjoy the nature surrounding him.
Orion reached the tree and sat on one of the horizontal branches, resting for a moment, hoping the little fox would appear. He remained quiet and listened for the soft purring noise that had drawn him here.
After a few moments, he heard the noise again from above him and to his left. He turned his head and looked up, his gaze searching all the upper branches, then finally, there, about twenty feet above him, sat the cutest little creature ever created.
The Santorini fox just lay there, his head resting on its paws as his big, beautiful eyes remained glued to Orion. He smiled and gave the critter a little wave. The fox raised its head and tilted it to the side as his eyes filled with curiosity, causing Orion’s smile to broaden. Damn, it was adorable as hell when the fox did that.
“Hey, cutie, do you know who I am?” Orion asked, turning his body a little so that he could face the fox better.
The fox didn’t move or acknowledge that he had heard him. Maybe he didn’t understand what Orion was saying. Orion sighed in frustration, but he knew he couldn’t give up. Looking back up at the critter, he met the foxes gaze.
“Can you at least tell me if you understand me? Nod your head or something.”
The fox’s head tilted the other way, then straightened and he nodded.
Orion blew out a breath of relief. “That’s great. Thank you for letting me know. Nod again if you know who I am.” Again, the fox nodded, but then he surprised Orion by standing and jumping down a few branches, bringing him about six feet closer.
The fox then stretched its body, arching its back as it gripped the branch. Once he was satisfied, the fox sat on its hind legs and stared at him.
“We’ve been looking for you.”
The curiosity in the fox’s eyes left and was replaced by a stern look of unhappiness. “Do you think you can come closer, so that we can talk? I promise I don’t bite.”
The cutie looked at him with raised brows and Orion was sure he was smirking—if animals could smirk, he supposed.
“Yes, I see the irony in my words being a vampire and all and the biting, but I promise I won’t bite you.”
The critter’s forehead crinkled as his brows drew down, like he was contemplating Orion’s request. Then he just huffed and looked away.
“Are you angry with me, or afraid of me?” Orion asked.
The fox looked back at him with wide eyes and shook his head.
“I’ll take that as a no. Which thrills me, little one, because I would never hurt you. I would rather cut off my own head with a rusty knife or lay out in the sun, than hurt you. You are the safest creature on the planet when you are with me.”
The fox’s eyes filled with delight and he opened his mouth, his little pink tongue sticking out slightly, and his tail began to twirl around. Orion would take those actions as the fox being happy. He sure looked happy right then. Almost like a puppy.
“I was wondering if we could talk. Maybe we could come up with a way that you could speak with Nelson.”
With those words the fox lowered his chest to the branch and raised his hind end, his tail sticking straight up, and he began to growl.
“Oh, don’t be silly, little one, Nelson loves you and would never purposefully harm you. Just like I know, even with all your blustering and bravado, that you love him just as much. You are a part of him. His other half. And I know for a fact that he misses you greatly and is so lonely and sad without you.”
The fox stood and tilted its head again, studying Orion, who guessed it was to see if the fox could find the truth to his words. After a moment the fox hesitantly moved forward, then leapt off the branch. Orion’s heart clenched, worried his mate’s animal would get hurt.
He blew out another breath of relief as the fox landed safely on the same branch as him, only a few feet from where he sat.
“I’m not trying to upset you, little one. I was just hoping we could find a way for you to forgive Nelson. He never meant to hurt you or scare you. When Nelson saw Fallon there, ready to harm those he loved, his anger at Fallon for taking his life away—your life away, for so many years, and everything Fallon had done to him—just took over and he needed to stop the evil fairy,” Orion explained softly.
When anger filled the fox’s eyes and his lips curled in a growl, Orion wasn’t sure if it was directed at Nelson, or the reminder of Fallon, but he knew he had to talk quickly.
“You’re right for feeling hurt because Nelson ignored you and your feelings at that time. Hell, I was just as pissed at Nelson for putting you guys in danger, but I had to remind myself of something. Nelson honestly didn’t do it because he doesn’t trust you or your advice. He didn’t do it because he didn’t believe I could help. He just needed his revenge on Fallon so he could move on, and in that moment, what he did was the only thing that came to him.”
The fox took a few steps closer as he kept his gaze locked with Orion’s. When he reached Orion, the fox lifted his front paws and rested them on Orion’s thigh. Relief of maybe getting through to the other half of Nelson’s soul, thrilled him.
“I know what you’re
going to say, that revenge is wrong, but in certain circumstances it’s very understandable. If Fallon had done to me what he did to you and Nelson, I would have made the bastard suffer more before I took his life. At least Nelson made it quick,” Orion said with a shrug, and he could swear the fox rolled his eyes at him.
They remained quiet for a moment, before the fox moved closer and hopped up on Orion’s leg completely. Orion placed his hands on either side of the little creature’s body and adjusted himself until he was sitting cross-legged, making a more stable place for the fox to sit.
“You’re so soft. May I pet you?” Orion asked, and the fox’s mouth opened, that little pink tongue coming out again, and his eyes filled with happiness as he nodded.
Orion gently ran his large hand over the critters head and side. Never in all his years had he seen something as adorable as Nelson’s fox or felt anything as soft. Nelson’s beautiful skin did come close though.
As Orion petted the fox, the animal slowly relaxed, then melted into the touch, pressing his body against Orion’s torso. He wasn’t sure if the fox would let him get away with what he was about to do, but he was going to give it a try.
Orion slid one hand under the fox’s bottom and lifted him, holding the cutie against his chest as he continued petting him with the other hand. A smile came to his lips as the fox nuzzled against his chest and that cute rumbling noise, like a purr, started again. He could feel the vibration against him right into his heart. In that moment Orion new he was in love with all of Nelson, not just the human part of him, but the animal as well. This critter was the soft side of Nelson as well as the fierce side. The fox might have been small, but he was brave. Orion could tell just by seeing all his actions since meeting him in person.
They remained just like they were for a few minutes before the fox shifted around. Orion got the picture and stopped stroking the soft fur, as he looked down at the fox. “You’re just a cuddly bunny, aren’t you?” Orion asked in a whisper.
