Page 3 of Fight (Kitsune #2)

With him settled I fought to control myself enough that I felt safe I wouldn't just jump him.

I grabbed the bottle of baby oil and squirted some into one hand, before setting the bottle on the floor near the foot of the bed.

I rubbed my hands together, coating them both with the oil, and started with his feet.

I grabbed his left foot and massaged the muscles, digging my thumbs into the stiffest parts of them, loosening the tight sore muscles.

I worked my way up his leg until I reached his calf, after working those muscles until they were soft and pliant, I switched legs, starting again with his foot and moving up.

When I finished with his right calf I switched legs again, moving to his left thigh.

I dug my fingers deep into the muscles that had been stressed while compensating for the weaker muscles in his right leg.

Up until now, I'd worked without saying anything, concentrating on loosening the tight muscles, but as I moved to work the stiff and sore muscles in his injured thigh, I spoke again, hoping to distract him, at least a little, from what I knew was going to be a painful event.

"Have you thought about how you're gonna to tell your parents you shift now?" I started out gently, kneading his thigh carefully, relaxing it some and finding where the tensest spots were.

"Some," He said, not opening his eyes. "I'd like to tell them about us at the same time. It would be easier if you would go with me, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," I dug my fingers deep into the tighter muscles in his leg. "I haven't seen your parents in years, I'd like to see them."

"I'll call Mom, find out when's a good time to go over there." He flinched, as I hit a particularly stiff muscle. "I'll warn you though, when she finds out, she'll start dreaming of grandkids again, and you'll be part of that."

I felt a smile form on my lips. I might not be ready for kids yet, but the thought of a tiny version of Devon, made my heart skip a beat.

"I'm not worried about it." I assured him, I picked up the bottle of baby oil, and moved closer to the head of the bed.

After pouring a small pool of oil onto his back, I spread it out and started working on the stiff areas of his back.

It may only have been his thigh that was injured, but compensating for those weakened muscles, put more strain on the rest of his body, leaving overworked muscles that he probably didn't even notice until I started kneading them.

Once I finished with his back, and both legs, I sat back and admired the long lines of his body spread across my bed, wondering if I was ready to ask him to stay.

Before I'd made up my mind he pushed himself on to his hands and knees and crawled off the side of the bed, careful not to get the oil still coating his skin on the bedding.

He pulled on his jeans and slipped his t-shirt over his head before bending down to kiss me.

His lips played over mine, teasing and caressing my lips, coaxing my mouth open so he could sweep his tongue inside. I moaned softly, stretching up into the kiss, reluctant to let it end. Then he broke away.

"I'm gonna go call Mom," He said picking up his socks and shoes, "thanks for dinner tonight," he bent and kissed me again, lingering a moment. "and the massage."

"No problem."

"It's a good thing I have to get up in the morning, or I'd be tempted to stay."

"Mmm." I gave a non-committal sound, not inviting him to stay, but not telling him I wasn't quite ready for it yet either. I walked him to the door, kissing him again before he left, then closing and locking the door behind him, just in case Brandon decided to come back.

A few days later Devon knocked firmly on the unfamiliar door in front of us, and let his arm drop while he waited.

He reached back and took my hand, weaving his fingers with mine.

I think he was more nervous than I was. Before I could say anything, the door opened.

A beautiful woman in her mid-fifties opened the door, a smile splitting her face.

She was a couple inches shorter but probably weighed within a few pounds of me, her blond hair was carefully cut into a short, but attractive, style.

"Devon, I keep telling you, you don't need to knock." She swept us inside, hugging Devon before turning to me. "So nice to see you again, Nickie. " She hugged me too, and I smelled the sharp tang of her skin that reminded me of rosemary. "Devon's told me so much about you."

"I'm so glad to see you too, Mrs. Wilson."

"Please, call me Amber. Mrs. Wilson makes me think of my mother-in-law, may she rest in peace."

"If you say so," I smiled in return, extending the platter of cookies I held in one hand. "I brought these for you and Mr. Wilson."

"Oh, you didn't have to." She graciously took the offering.

"Please, come in and sit down. Shawn, Devon's father, is in the back lighting the grill, but he'll be in soon.

" She led the way into the main room of the house.

Amber took us to a seating area, Devon sat down on the sofa, pulling me to sit beside him.

"You said you had something to tell us, dear?" She prompted.

"Can we wait until Dad's here? I'd prefer to only to do this once."

"Of course, he shouldn't be long. Can I get you something to drink while we wait?"

"You don't have to wait on us, Mom. Just relax, I promise, it's nothing bad."

She seemed to soften and become friendlier before my eyes. Amber filled Devon in on what she'd heard from his brother and sister while we waited.

A few minutes later, an older man came into the room. I knew this had to be Devon's father. His blond hair was fading to silver, but his eyes were the same clear gray as the man seated beside me. It was like seeing a glimpse into the future, this is what Devon would look like in thirty years.

"Dad." Devon stood and moved to meet his father, he greeted him with a one-armed hug. "Do you remember Nickie? I used to hang out with her older sister, Payson, in school." He motioned to me. "Nickie, you remember my dad, Shawn Wilson."

I shook his hand., "Nice to meet you again, sir. It's been a long time."

"You're the girl the Anikitos is so protective of." Shawn said, it wasn't a question.

"That would be me." I smiled, not knowing what else to say.

He quickly dismissed me and turned back to Devon. "Something's different, your scent has changed."

"Sit down, Dad. I'll explain, but it's complicated." Shawn scowled briefly at Devon for telling him what to do, but did as directed.

Devon took a deep breath, and let it out in a big burst, before he started. "I guess this all starts with Nickie. You may not remember her, but I knew her in school. Her sister Payson used to spend some time here, along with the rest of the crowd I hung around with."

"Payson Daniels?" Amber asked. I nodded.

"Impossible." Shawn put in. "That girl was human."

"She still is." I said. "Payson, Raine, Shiloh and I, are all adopted, at different times, from different families, of course."

I watched his face as he thought about that, Devon continued. "Nickie didn't know about the Kindred, or that she was one of us, until she shifted unexpectedly a couple of months ago.

"We ran into each other while I was moving into my apartment, she already lived in the complex.

She didn't know that I'm Kitsune until she caught my scent that day.

She invited me up to eat, and we've become good friends since.

" He paused a moment, squeezing my hand gently where it lay between us on the couch.

"What does all of this have to do with your scent changing?" Shawn wanted to know.

"I'm getting there. I told you, it's complicated.

"When we met that day, Nickie was still discovering her talents.

She'd already learned that she could call animal forms, but she was just starting to learn to control it.

We didn't realize until later that she's also able to sense power, energy.

It was that talent, along with her ability to call animals that lead to our discovery.

You see, she kept insisting that she could feel my wolf, and she thought she could call it. "

"That's not possible. You can't call someone's animal form until after they've shifted the first time."

"For most, that's true." I put in. "We believe that's because most people who can call animal forms, can only sense the animal form after that first shift; but it seems, with my particular combination of talents, I can sense it before someone has shifted."

"What are you telling us, son?"

"I'm telling you, that thanks to Nickie and our Harmonia, I can shift now."

Shawn was speechless, but Amber let out a high-pitched squeal much like that of a high school girl. When he could speak again, Devon's father wanted to know. "Was it really that simple, she could sense your wolf, and called it?"

"Simple?" I repeated. "No, not really. There was actually some kind of defect. Alexis called it 'almost genetic' and the process to get him to be able to shift took both of us. Neither of us could have done it alone."

He nodded again, not really understanding, but taking me at my word. "I assume the Anikitos knows?"

"He does, he was there when it happened."

Shawn stiffened. "The Anikitos was there to see our son finally shift, but we weren't." He sounded hurt though his face showed no emotion.

"That was my decision Dad. Not that he be there, but that as few people as possible know. What we were doing was experimental. As far as we know, no one has ever done this before. I didn't want to get your hopes up again, in case it didn't work."

Shawn seemed to understand, he nodded. "I guess I can respect that. When did all this happen?"

"A week ago. I wanted you two to be the first people I told, but between my job and yours, we haven't been able to get together sooner."

"Is this something you wanted, Devon?" Amber seemed suddenly concerned. "I thought you'd come to terms with not being able to shift. The Anikitos didn't pressure you into being their guinea pig did he?"

"Actually, Ma'am," I spoke up. "that's one of my stipulations.

I won't even try to shift anyone who doesn't want it.

No pressuring from pack, family or loved ones, is allowed.

In fact, Bill didn't even speak to Devon about the whole thing, until Devon had made his decision.

" I saw their eyebrows rise sharply when I used Bill's first name.

"The Anikitos is Nickie's father's best friend. Nickie's known him all her life and has called him, and our Alekto both, by their given names for years. He doesn't want that to change.

"And as much as all this is to absorb, there's more." Devon continued.

"What else could be as wonderful or momentous as your being able to shift?" Amber asked, tears of happiness running unchecked down her face.

Devon took another deep breath, his hand gripped mine tighter where they sat out of sight on the couch between us, before he exhaled slowly. I knew he was bracing himself for the reaction he knew was coming.

"Nickie and I are potential mates." He quickly pulled his hand from mine and covered his still extremely sensitive ears as his mother all but screamed her delight. Shawn and I both winced at the piercing noise.

When she calmed down enough so we could speak again, my ears were ringing.

"Amber, Amber!" Shawn tried to get her attention. "Give it a rest, you're hurting him." He motioned to where Devon was still holding his ears, in case she started again.

"I'm sorry, dear." She apologized. "It's just so exciting,"

"Don't get too excited, there's no guarantee it'll work out, but we've agreed to see how things go."

"It's still wonderful news. I'd given up hope that you'd know the wonders of a mated bond." More tears spilled from her eyes, and ran down her face.

Devon took my hand again, this time he didn't bother to hide it between us.

He ran his thumb back and forth over the back of my hand.

I knew he was comforting himself, something about telling his parents had him unsettled.

I moved my thumb over his skin too, offering both comfort and understanding with the small movement.

We stayed for dinner, I enjoyed getting to know his parents again.

Once she calmed down, his mom wasn't bad, just easily excitable, and as I spent a little more time with his father, he seemed less abrupt.

He cared, but he had a gruff manner. It was different than I was used to, but I could see how much he cared about Devon.

By the end of the evening, I knew I would like his parents.

I didn't know how they felt about me, but their feelings were less important to me than Devon's.