Page 9 of Becoming One

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.