Page 6 of Becoming One
“Now is the perfect time, Nelson,” Jewel countered
“Would one of you tell us what you two are going on about?” Ezra insisted.
Jewel turned to his mate, explaining, “Nelson wants to be able to officially mate with Orion, but can’t because it requires his Santorini fox. As you all already know, Nelson has not been able to shift since he awoke from his coma, nor has he felt his fox since the day of the attack. I suggested that his fox is scared and untrusting of Nelson. He is confused as to why his brother soul would betray him as he did, and his fox has dug inside Nelson deeper than ever before. I suggested a Nocta.”
“You want someone to go searching inside my mate for his animal? No! Absolutely not. I will not have a virtual stranger invading my mate’s mind and body like that,” Orion insisted.
Nelson sat up. “It isn’t only your choice to make, big guy. I have a say in this as well.”
“And you’re okay with a stranger walking through your mind and body, seeing whatever he may see, knowing all your innermost secrets? Because if you allow this man in, he will do just that. There will be nothing secret to anyone who enters your mind, Nelson. It’s like they say, you can lie to the outside world, but you cannot lie to yourself. Your subconscious mind knows the truth even if you don’t wish to admit it,” Orion stated.
Nelson looked at Jewel. “I-I don’t know, Jewel. I mean, I don’t have any major secrets, but the things that happened to me at Fallon’s are not something I really want a stranger to know about.”
“But it won’t be a stranger, Nelson. I am a Nocta,” Jewel whispered, turning to Ezra and then back to Nelson. “The only one who knows this is my Ezzie. I don’t use the ability often, and I won’t lie, I have been inside your mind a time or two. I didn’t invade your privacy, but it was when you were in a coma and I was trying to help you find your way back. It’s how I knew your fox was begging you to stop during the attack.”
Nelson blinked in surprise, but Orion was just dumbfounded. His best friend’s mate was a Nocta? “How—When—Do you—?”
Jewel didn’t seem offended Orion couldn’t formulate a sentence. Instead he seemed to cuddle closer into Ezra, saying, “I’ve had the ability since I was a child. I used to accidentally jump into my father’s dreams, at first. I soon found myself invading others—always while I slept. It wasn’t until I accidentally jumped into the mind of a grand wizard that he took the time to explain to me what I had done. He helped me gain some control and understanding of my ability. It isn’t a power, but it is a gift. Kind of like when a human can touch something and have a vision. Anyway, I gained full control over it when I was around one hundred. I hadn’t used it in years, until Lucian. I did a walk through on him and came out of there needing a serious shower and knowing I had to follow him to that bar. I didn’t use it again until Nelson came to us in the coma and I only did it twice to try and get him to wake up. I swear to you, I don’t just go skipping around in other people’s minds. To me that’s rude, let alone an invasion of trust and privacy.”
“I want to try this, Orion. I want my fox back and I want us to join as mates should. If Jewel can help us do that, then I say let’s give it a try. Besides, with a threat to you and me out there, having my fox around could come in really handy,” Nelson stated.
Orion didn’t like it. He didn’t like someone other than himself being that intimate with his mate.
“Orion, when I do the walk through, I will need you right there with me. It will be up to you to help me find Nelson’s fox and convince him to return to his human counterpart. We are both going to see many things we might not like, but we also have to ignore what it is we are witnessing and understand that it is part of Nelson’s past. Our sole focus has to be his Santorini fox,” Jewel explained.
Orion looked at Ezra. “And you’re okay with this? You’re okay with Jewel walking into my mate’s mind and body.
Ezra looked directly in Orion’s eyes. “It doesn’t thrill me, but I also know that my mate wants to help his best friend and if that means that he can bring Nelson’s fox back so that you can finally claim what is yours, then I will swallow my reservations and give my full blessing.”
“Orion, please. I miss my fox and I want him back. Between you and me maybe we can do that. I love you, Orion, and I want to make you mine,” Nelson finally whispered.
Orion felt tears come to his eyes. Gently running his fingers down the side of Nelson’s face, Orion softly replied, “I love you too, my light. I don’t like it, but if it is what you want to do, then I will not deny you. Besides, if we can get him back, we can join for our eternal life and the bonus is that you can shift once more and hopefully keep whoever this threat is at bay.”
Turning to Jewel, Orion asked, “So when do you want to do this?”
“I say, there is no time like the present,” Jewel stated.
Nelson stood up, saying, “Okay, so where do we go now?”