Page 30 of Becoming One
CHAPTER 11
The crowd let out a collective gasp of pain and Nelson spun around to see what was happening. He and his fox both cringed from the sight of their mate’s blood.“Wait. We have to go back really quick.”
“But the mage…”
The fox turned back toward where Jewel stood, saying,“Will still be there when we get to him. This is important.”
Nelson’s fox rushed back toward Jewel just as Orion flew through the air and landed on his back with a grunt. His arm was twisted at an awkward angle. The crowd gasped when he got to the opening of the ring, but his fox remembered what Ezra had said, if anyone entered the ring the match would be over and since Orion was currently on the floor, that would mean Napal would win. Careful not to get too close, his fox plucked several hairs from his body and blew them towards Orion. Each follicle floated through the air, then landed on his mate and Orion hissed as his back arched. His arm returned to its natural position as his body began to heal. All injuries the bastard Napal had caused because of his magic were gone and Orion was back to his healthy self, ready to continue this fight. Turning, the fox said,“Now we can go.”
“I had no idea you could do that,”Nelson mentally murmured to his fox.
“We, Nelson… we. It seems to me you often forget that we are one. You are as much a part of me as I am of you. Our fox and human are not separate entities. When that gets through your head, maybe then we can be who the Gods intended us to be. And there are a lot of things we can do you don’t know about,”his fox said in annoyance.
“I know that. I just said it wrong,”Nelson quietly muttered.
“No, Nelson, you don’t. You think on the terms of I and him. You never use the word we in anything you say when it comes to me. You act as if I’m your underling, when in fact I’m your equal. You make decisions and choices for both of us, and that has always been our downfall. It is not only demeaning to me, it is very hurtful,”his fox said, putting his inner agitation into his tone.
Just as he turned around, a wave of magic flowed past him going toward Orion. His mate stood there as butterflies fluttered around the ring and Jewel hissed, “Damn it! I said for Orion to make his butt fly, not butterflies.”
The butterflies fluttered around Napal and Orion took the opportunity Jewel had given him, saying, “I’ll make his butt fly for you.” Rushing forward, Orion brought his leg up, leapt into the air swinging around, his foot connecting with Napal’s face. His head snapped to the side as his body lifted into the air twisting around and the prick landed on the mat.
“Yes, I knew Jewel could help us,”the fox said, letting his joy flutter through his mind.
Nelson and his fox were beginning to believe that things were going their way. Napal was lifted high into the air, his arms open wide as he started turning in circles, his face seemed to flicker and distort, but then quickly went back to normal. Every cut, injury, and bone began to heal. Nelson’s fox looked towards the mage as he stood high, with his own arms open wide, chanting.“Damn it, we need to stop this fucker, now.”
Napal dropped back to his feet, and gave Orion an evil smile, as he said in a loud mechanical like voice, “Now you will die.”
Orion went into his fighting stance. Napal moved so fast no one saw the roundhouse kick coming until Orion’s head twisted and he flew across the arena. Again, Napal lifted up into the air and seemed to fly towards Orion, coming down hard. Orion rolled out of the way just in time and Nelson’s fox mentally shouted,“We need to move, now!”
Quickly making his way up into the stands, Nelson and his fox had one goal in mind… getting to that mage and stopping him from helping Napal. The crowd screamed out in horror, but the fox didn’t look back. If he got distracted now, the mage might see him coming and use his magic to stop them from helping Orion.
As Enoch and Cassidy’s men were making their way up the sides the mage saw them coming. He flicked his wrist to the right and the other to the left, and half the men went flying off the stands as the others ducked for cover. The people in the stands started screaming and running down the stairs. Nelson’s fox had to dodge and weave to avoid being trampled. Ezra’s booming voice shouted, “Everyone stay calm, our men are taking care of the problem. Trust in our soldiers!”
The crowd began to calm, and Nelson’s fox continued on. The mage spotted him seconds before they reached him. Nelson saw through his fox eyes as the hideous face looked at him. The scars and tightened skin made him look like Freddy Kruger from those horror movies his brothers liked to watch. His nails were so long it made the look all the more real and fuck… he was pointing one of them at him.
“Move right!”Nelson shouted to his fox.
Thankfully the fox in him listened just as a magical light flew past him and a hole appeared where he and his fox had just been. Nelson’s fox, hissed, and leaped at the mage, biting down on the fucker’s thigh. The mage began to scream in pain lifting his leg as he dug his claw shaped nails into the sides of Nelson’s fox. The pain was intense, but they were not letting go. Instead, he removed his teeth and dug his own claws into the man’s leg higher up, pulling them further up the man’s thigh, then he bit down even harder.
The mage screamed and pulled on Nelson. This time his fox lost his hold and they went sailing through the air, landing on an empty seat. His fox didn’t move as the mage continued to scream in pain. Nelson mentally hissed,“We need to attack again.”
His fox gave a mental scoff,“No, we don’t. Like I said, Nelson, there is a great deal about us you don’t know. Your parents never had the chance to talk to you about our lethal side. You see, they tell you about the quick shift causing the people and objects around you to explode because they don’t want you to accidently kill someone on your first shift. They tell you about the use of our fur opening portals, so you can escape anyone trying to take us from our homes to use against the enemy. What they don’t tell you, until you are much older is why. I will explain all of this to you later. For now, trust me, the mage is taken care of. Let’s get to our mate.”
The mage lifted his arms into the air shouting, “I will be back, fox! Next time when I return, I will kill all that you love! You will suffer before you die!” Then he disappeared before their eyes.
Nelson’s fox took off as quickly as he could down the stands as the crowd stood shouting and cheering. Once at the bottom, his fox looked around until he saw Orion standing in the center of the arena with only the referee. Nelson and his fox were both shocked to see him in a hula skirt with a flower wreath on his head for a crown.
“I accidently did the naked on Orion and I didn’t think you’d appreciate everyone looking at his bits and pieces. I said shirt but the skirt kind of appeared. My magic seems to have a flower theme to it, Jewel said walking up to them with a shrug.
The Referee lifted Orion’s arm and the crowd went wild. Jumping, clapping, and screaming his name, “Orion! Orion! Orion!”
The announcer picked up the microphone and handed it to Ezra as he made his way to the center of the ring. Ezra lifted the mic, saying, “This battle was not what it should have been. The contender not only fought without honor, he fled when he was being beaten by the best man for the job as our Regal. However, this fight showed everyone here how, if you work together, no matter how the cards are stacked against us, together we can beat anyone who threatens our lands and our people. Together we are strong. Together, no man, paranormal, or mage will defeat us!”
The crowd went wild. The sounds deafening as their feet pounded on the stands over and over again. Ezra lifted Orion’s other arm into the air, shouting into the microphone, “Orion Leventis… Regal to all… second in command to your Re!”
The people cheered, screaming Orion’s name. Nelson and his fox were filled with pride in the man they called their own. Not able to stand another second without him, Nelson’s fox scurried to their mate and leaped onto him, careful not to scratch his already marred body. The referee and Ezra must have let his arms go, because Nelson felt his mate cuddling his fox close, whispering, “I love you, Cuddle bug.”
Surprisingly, his fox called on their shift and Nelson found his body pressed to Orion’s, whispering, “I love you too, Sexy.”