Vixen’s Run

by Zenina Masters

  She winked. “I think I have to take a quick drive to the local hardware store.”

  Davus asked, “Why?”

  “I need to get rope and wood to make a swing. I know just the perfect spot to hang it.”

  He grinned. “Can I come with? I rarely made it out to this side of the county line.”

  “Of course. You can drive.” She grinned.

  Her gran flinched. “You are not going to make him…”

  “He’s my mate, Gran. For better or worse and dealing with my truck is definitely worse.” Tiff got to her feet. “Ready if you are.”

  Davus took a napkin and piled some sandwiches on it. He rose to his feet and smiled at Annette. “It was lovely meeting you. I look forward to continuing our conversation when I return.”

  “As do I. Drive carefully.” Annette inclined her head and lifted her book again.

  They were dismissed.

  Chapter Nine

  She watched him trying to acclimate to her right-hand drive land rover.

  “World War II surplus?” He shifted gear again and they rocked forward.

  “Yes, I had it imported. It was my one real extravagance when I turned eighteen.” She admired the way he handled it with respect instead of trying to slam it around.

  “It is in excellent shape for its age.”

  “Oh, I fiddle with it when I get bored. I have enough parts in the garage to rebuild this from the ground up two times over.” She patted the dashboard and grinned.

  “Did you name it?”

  “No. Well, sort of. It is simply called, Tiff’s Thing.”

  “Good name.” He handled her vehicle easily around the corners.

  “Well, on another note, my gran seems to like you.”

  “She looks just like you.”

  “I think I look just like her. Our features are pretty consistent throughout our line.”

  They arrived in the small town of Middleton and she directed him toward the hardware store.

  Tiff introduced Davus to ten of the locals who just casually happened to wander through the hardware store. Old Bill had obviously sent out a text or an email the moment they had walked into the shop.

  Davus carried the rope and the wood to the rover. “It seems that many have an interest in your love life.”

  “It is just because I haven’t had one before. It is like seeing a tornado for the first time. You are both curious and terrified at the same time.”

  He grinned. “I think they are all genuinely concerned for your happiness. Their curiosity as to your future is obvious.”

  They got into the vehicle and he drove them back to Grayson house. “Do you know how to make a swing?”

  She smiled. “Of course. I investigated the one at the Crossroads, and I can have a sitting platform made up in about an hour. The hanging part of it will be a little trickier. My tree climbing is a little rusty.”

  “I am sure you can manage something.”

  “I can, but it isn’t ladylike.” She chuckled.

  “You do seem a little tomboyish for someone who wears skirts all the time.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “The skirts were my grandmother’s doing. She thought that they would slow me down. I just learned to do what I wanted to despite the clothing.”

  “You do run around very well. It is the heels that surprise me.”

  “Well, I could hardly wear an above-the-knee sundress and flats.” She focused on putting a bland tone on it instead of giggling. She was a girl and she liked to dress in skirts. Nothing wrong with that.

  “Of course not. What was I thinking?”

  He was laughing at her as they drove home. She liked the sound.

  Two hours later, she had the seat for the swing and was looking for a likely spot to hang it with Davus following her, carrying the rope.

  “I think I have just the spot. Close to the house but far enough for privacy.”

  “I trust your judgement.”

  She grinned, “That was your first mistake.”

  “One of many but one that I do not regret. Oh, wow.”

  They entered the glade where she spent a lot of her spare time. “I think I will hang the swing there. It is high enough to get a good swing going and the branch is far out and thick enough to hold the weight.”

  “How much weight were you thinking?”

  She shrugged. “We will have to figure it out. Give me the rope.”

  Tiff put down the swing base and kicked off her shoes. With Davus watching, she wrapped her skirt, tucked it into the belt around her midsection and shimmied up the tree.

  She got up to the base of the thick branch and scooted out along it until she was ten feet away from the trunk. She hummed and dangled a length of the rope down until it touched the ground. A knot took her some time to manage, but when she was done, she took the remaining length and scooted down another few feet. When she was finished, there were two lengths of rope hanging to the ground and Davus was watching with amusement in his gaze.

  He laughed outright when she grabbed the ropes, took a deep breath and flipped herself off the branch. His hands caressed her calves, and as she relaxed her grip, he caught her.

  “Well done. Shall I set up the seat?” He set her on the ground.

  “Please. I think I got some bark in my butt.” Tiff dusted her butt off and tugged her dress back into even lines.

  She slipped on her shoes and looked over at Davus’s progress. He had one side looped in with the rope going in one side, under the wood and back up to be knotted to the rope at a height that was suitable for adults.

  Tiff watched as he finished setting the second knot in place, and he sat on the swing. The rope creaked but the branch didn’t quiver.

  “I think we should test the weight limit on the swing.” Davus held out his hand to her.

  She laughed and approached him, “Do you want me sitting or standing?”

  “I want you anyway I can have you, but for now, you can sit across my lap, for safety.”

  “Well, if it is for safety.” She kicked off her shoes and climbed astride his lap until they were pressed tight from crotch to breast.

  He cleared his throat. “It seems to be holding.”

  She squirmed against him. “We might want to swing to test it. Seeing as how it is a swing after all.”

  He groaned and pushed with his legs. The rope rubbed at the bark but the branch remained stable.

  Tiff rested her head against his chest as they swayed, but she lifted it when she heard something. “Cars are arriving.”

  He sighed. “Of course they are. Just as things were getting interesting.”

  “The swing will still be here when we come back. That is why we put it up, after all.”

  It took some manoeuvring to get her off his lap, but once she had her shoes back on, they held hands and returned to the house.

  Davus’s family was a little nervous, but his father looked her over and nodded. “You will do.”

  She played dumb. “I will do what?”

  Daniel Fergus looked flustered. “Um, you will be a suitable mother for the next generation of Ferguses.”

  “Oh, Davus is taking my name. I will be the matriarch of the next generation of Graysons. The Ferguses are on their own.” She smiled brightly.

  Daniel’s face changed to a bluey-green and shouted, “Davus!”

  Davus excused himself from his conversation with Annette and he approached warily.

  “This woman has just told me that her children will not bear our name.”

  Davus put his arm around Tiff’s waist. “You did tell me to find a woman that would have me. Tiff has restored my colouration and healed the wounds to my soul. She can call our offspring anything she wishes as long as I can remain at her side.”

  Daniel blinked and stepped back, “Davus, you are throwing away your heritage.”

  “Father, it was taken from me, I have merely chosen to spend
what remains of my heritage on a woman who appreciates it.”

  Annette came to Daniel’s side. “Let’s discuss this matter, Daniel. It will all be settled to our satisfaction. That, and by sending him to the Crossroads, you gave up all right to comment on your son’s choice.”

  Tiff remained with Davus, talking to his sisters as her brother and his mother were in earnest conversation.

  Aidan had hugged her and congratulated her on her new mate. He was nearly as pretty as Davus, and the way that the peahens were looking at him, there might be another cross-shifter mating in the future.

  Tiffany and Davus walked out onto the patio and watched the moon rise.

  She smiled, “It seems everyone is getting along well enough.”

  “Yes, my father is adapting better than I thought he would.”

  “I am actually thinking of hyphenating the last name of any children to Fergus-Grayson.” She leaned back against his chest.

  “Whatever you like, Tiff.”

  “What do you want to do with your life, Davus? I mean, aside from being blissfully happy with me.” She chuckled.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I have some investments to deal with, but I think gardening is my true calling. Maybe I will open a nursery in the area. I do love plants.”

  Tiff laughed, “That will be all you then. I only like to run on the ground, not dig in it.”

  “You don’t object to my opening a business? My father was never one to get his hands dirty.”

  “You are not your father, I am not your mother. Do what makes you happy as long as you come home to me. I will support you in anything.”

  He squeezed her tight. “Getting me away from your side will be the difficulty. How did I get so lucky?”

  “Right place at the right time. If not for you, I would still be running around the Crossroads, looking for places to hide.”

  “I am glad I found you.”

  “You freaked me out.” She laughed. “There I was having a nice little nap and you landed on the rock I was curled up against. The next thing I knew, there was this sad-looking peacock staring at me and I was lost.”

  He laughed and squeezed her until she squeaked. “You don’t seem to be complaining about my appearance.”

  “I have improved you.” She turned her head and gave him a quick kiss.

  He cupped her jaw and the quick kiss turned into a long, slow duelling of tongues that left her shivering in his arms.

  “And I have improved you. I will have to go with my family tonight to pick up my clothing and my car. I will be back first thing in the morning.”

  “That is quite the thing to spring on me.” She thumped her head against his chest.

  “You knew I would have to pick up my things sooner or later. I want it to be sooner so that I can settle in with you and we can get into a normal blended life.”

  “I doubt that it will be normal, but at this point, anything different is good.”

  He nuzzled her cheek. “I would have to agree.”

  His sister Rita called out, “If you want a lift, Davus, we are going now.”

  Davus sighed. “And there goes my plans for the shadows next to that hedge.”

  Tiff sighed. “And mine. All right. Let’s get you out of here. Do you have your phone?”

  “I do. Full charge. I promise to text you fanatically all night long.”

  She chuckled. “Good. I promise to reply to every one.”

  They continued their silly murmuring all the way to the front door where Davus left with the Ferguses.

  Tiff turned and saw her gran grinning at her. “What?”

  “He’s a good one. He will be devoted to you for life, not like a fox. Your brother is a good sort, but he has his moments where I see his father in him.”

  “Aidan means well. He is a victim of his own beauty. Women fall all over him so he catches them.” Defending her brother was unusual for her but it felt right.

  “Well, your Davus will not be catching strange women. He looks at you with his heart in his eyes. We will hold the wedding next month.”

  “Where are we holding it?”

  “Here on the grounds, of course. Wells is going to take charge, and the Ferguses will invite their family while we invite ours.”

  “Are you going to take charge of that, Gran?”

  “Of course. You have business matters to attend to. You will be far too busy.”

  Tiff snickered. “Thank you for ordering me to the Crossroads, Gran.”

  “It was time, Tiffany. You need to put your own legacy into action and to do that, you need a mate.”

  Tiff smiled and headed up the stairs. She had texts to answer. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Ten

  Davus had been delayed in leaving his house, so Tiff went to her appointment alone.

  “So, Tiffany, it seems you could be pregnant.” Doctor Miller read the information on her chart.

  “Yes, so I would like to skip the internal exam for this year.”

  “Fine. Did you want me to run a pregnancy test?”

  “No, thank you. I will wait a month or two. I just wanted to be forthright on the paperwork.” She fidgeted.

  The doctor ran through the standard non-invasive exams and smiled. “Your blood pressure is perfect, the sample indicates your blood sugar is ideal and I will order the standard blood work. Are there any questions or complaints?”

  “Nope. Everything seems to be working just like it should.”

  Dr. Miller finished his paperwork and handed her the test requisitions and dismissed her.

  Once she was done with the annual blood work, Tiff headed for home, a familiar car in her rear-view mirror.

  The silver sedan was unremarkable in every way, but it looked like one that had followed her and Davus back to the house the day before. It was a common-enough vehicle, but the road she was on was not well travelled and seeing it behind her twice in two days was unusual.

  She pulled into the long drive and the silver car continued on the road, just as it had the day before.

  An unfamiliar vehicle was parked in the front drive, and she smiled with anticipation. Davus was home. It felt so good to think that thought that she ran it through her mind, home, home, home. Grayson house had gone from a burden to a blessing. There was no way she wanted her bedroom anywhere near Gran’s. Privacy suddenly was a primary concern.

  It was funny how a week in an alternate dimension could change her attitude on so many things.

  In the middle of the night, Tiff suddenly sat straight up. She recognized a scent that was filling the room. Her head spun and she quickly clapped a corner of the sheet over her face while she shook Davus awake. She clamped a hand over his mouth and he nodded.

  Tiff crept to the door and saw the tube under it. She did a partial shift and pulled the door open, snapping and snarling at the man on the other side.

  Dennis Miller fell back on his ass and screamed. She punched him and delivered a kick to his head that knocked him out.

  Davus turned off the gas canister and called the police.

  When he had finished summoning assistance, he asked, “Who is he?”

  “One of the four men who attacked me. Dennis Miller. The doc must have told him that I was in a relationship.”

  Tiff put on a nightgown and robe, shifting her head back to human. “I think I scared the hell out of him, anyway. He peed himself.”

  Davus pulled on some pyjama bottoms and a robe that he didn’t fasten. The police arrived and he headed down the stairs to let them in.

  Tiff stood near Dennis’s unconscious form before she realized that her grandmother should have come out, as should Wells.

  “Excuse me, Officer, but my grandmother lives here and so does my housekeeper. They should have come out during the commotion. Will you come with me?”

  One officer remained with Davus and the form of Dennis. The other came with Tiff to the far wi
ng where Annette made her home. The fabric stuffed under the door was clue enough that her sleep was unnatural.

  The officer opened the door and when they stepped inside, the scent of the gas was thick. Tiff went to the window and pulled it open.

  She returned to her grandmother’s side and slapped her cheeks. “Gran, Gran, wake up. The police are here. Someone gassed us.”

  The officer asked, “Why did you wake up?”

  Tiff sighed, “I think I recognized the smell. A decade ago, Dennis and three of his friends raped me. The other three have left the area, but Dennis has always been here.”

  The officer looked at her as if she was lying. “Why was he never arrested?”

  “My mom was dating Dr. Miller at the time and didn’t want to cause a fuss by dragging his son into court. My mom wasn’t exactly parent of the year, and she refused to allow me to proceed.”

  “Did they take evidence?”

  “Oh, sure. Clothing, rape kit, all of it was submitted and filed.”

  “There is no statute of limitations on the sexual assault of a juvenile in this state. You can still proceed. In light of tonight’s events, Miss Grayson, I would definitely reactivate the case.”

  Her gran finally opened her eyes. “Lara never told me.”

  “I know, Gran. I have to go check on Wells.”

  “Is he hurt?”

  “I don’t know, Gran. Sit up and get some fresh air. I don’t know how long this gas will stay here.”

  The officer came with Tiff to the main floor and Wells’ room.

  “Does he always sleep down here?”

  “Of course. He keeps odd hours. He lives here and draws a salary for being a housekeeper. Why?”

  “I was just wondering if the assailant was expecting to find him upstairs.”

  Tiff moved forward when she saw the blockage in front of Wells’ door. “It seems that he knew exactly who was where.”

  Tiff moved through Wells’ room while holding her breath. She heaved the window up and gasped in the fresh air.

  “Wells!”

  He groggily sat up and looked at her with surprise. “Tiffany? What are you doing in here?”