Page 23 of Foxin’ Around (Mated to the Monster: Season 3)
Chapter
Twenty-Two
S yrix was surely facing punishment from the gods for his deceit. Although every word he’d spoken to his mate was true, he still understood that he had acted less than honorably when it came to being truthful with her. She was right—he had plenty of opportunities where he could have explained the situation, where he would have been in a position to be able to help her work through her sense of fear and betrayal. And now, in consequence, he barely saw her.
She never ate with him or read with him anymore. He only caught glimpses of her when she passed through the kitchen to get her food or something from the living room before going back to her room again. She did not reproach him and was pleasant in those brief interludes, but she never lingered long, and he desperately missed the closeness they had shared. It was difficult to find any pleasure without her. There was no distraction great enough. Even the book they were reading together remained untouched on the table beside the couch, waiting for her return, because he could not bear to continue it without her.
Some males might have given up or fallen into despair. He could vainly scoff and call them lesser males, but he did not delude himself. He would mourn the absence of his mate as one who was widowed if it was not for one very important thing: he had not lost her yet. He had given her the space she asked for, but it was the quiet look of regret that he occasionally caught sight of, and the confusing mix of emotions that drifted from her—none of which bore any resemblance to hatred or even lingering traces of deep anger—that gave him hope. So long as she was not indifferent or avoiding him altogether, he could patiently wait.
He stared down at the book melancholily, a frown settling on his lips. He trailed his thumb down the cover, recalling the way she had held the book in her hand as she gave it to him with a pleased smile. It was a pity that they had not finished it yet.
Shaking off his maudlin thinking, Syrix rose from the couch and walked to her room. He paused at the door, his ears pricking in his hesitation.
“Krystal, are you awake?” he called through the door.
There was a rustle of fabric, and the bed creaked before being followed by the quiet sounds of her footsteps as she approached the door. Opening it partially, she peered up at him, her eyebrows raised.
“Syrix? Is something wrong? I thought you already left to go hunting for the evening,” she asked as she opened the door a little farther with a look of concern. “You mentioned that you were going hunting to fill the ice box a bit more while the lamia was to ground.”
“I am preparing to leave now,” he quietly replied, his ears twitching.
His heart softened with adoration when her eyes immediately went to them with a look of fascination since he was no longer glamouring his appearance. She was slowly becoming accustomed to his true appearance, and it was gratifying to see curiosity and interest in her eyes now, rather than the apprehension that she felt upon discovering what he was. He waited patiently, however, until she refocused on him and met his eyes, a blush climbing into her cheeks.
“Sorry. That was rude.”
“No, do not apologize,” he countered in reply and smiled. “I like that you find interest in my true appearance.”
Her blush deepened. “I’m gawking like a child who hasn’t learned the good manners not to stare at someone who is different than them.”
“The difference is that I like it.”
Her eyebrows climbed once more, and the ghost of a smile teased the corners of her mouth. “You do, huh?”
He nodded in the affirmative. “I do.”
Her mouth hitched in a teasing smile that made his heart clench. How he missed being looked at that way! “I will remember that, then. You may regret saying that when you cannot complain about being stared at.”
“On the contrary, I look forward to it.”
His mate chuckled, the sound sinking into his heart like a balm. “You are such a ridiculous fox.”
Inclining his head, Syrix sketched a small bow before straightening with a quiet laugh. “A fox is good at finding amusement in everything, but most especially themselves. What you call ridiculous, I call finding enjoyment in life.”
Her expression sobered as she regarded him. “And can you find enjoyment in this situation despite everything?”
His smile gentled, his heart going to his poor female who struggled not only with her feelings and thoughts over what he did, but also her own guilt for hurting him. He could practically taste it in the air between them, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her.
“Any moment I am with you—however brief it may be—is a moment where I can find enjoyment in this life of mine,” he softly replied.
The blue of her eyes deepened with warmth and she smiled as she leaned her cheek against the door. “So, is that why you are here? Trying to steal another moment of enjoyment?” she teased.
He flashed a wicked smile at her. “I have been caught, it seems.”
A soft chuckle rose from her, and she shook her head, but her smile quieted as she continued to regard him warmly. “I’m sorry that I’ve been so distant. I’ve just had a lot on my mind with everything. You know—coming to terms with it all and my feelings about it.”
“I understand. I am waiting as patiently as I know how. And when you are ready, our book shall be waiting for us again. There is no hurry.”
A winsome smile brightened her expression. “Yeah? You didn’t read it without me?”
“Reading now feels incomplete without you,” he replied earnestly in a quiet voice. “I will wait.”
Her lips curved in a smile of appreciation. “Thank you. I promise that it won’t be too much longer. How about tomorrow we have dinner together… just to talk.”
That was a start and one he gratefully accepted with both hands. He drew in a deep breath and nodded, his smile widening. “I would enjoy that very much. But I am not here to make any demands on you. Truthfully, I was curious to see if I could draw a bath for you so that you can luxuriate while I am out hunting.”
A look of surprise stole over her expression momentarily before her smile returned, more radiant than ever.
“Thank you, that is so very sweet of you.”
Syrix nodded as he dropped back away from the door a pace. “I will see to it. When you hear me scratch at the door, that will be a signal to you that it is ready at your pleasure.”
Krystal nodded with a blush of delight as she shut the door, and he stood there for several heartbeats afterward, savoring the rush of emotions filling him. His tail quivered and he finally turned from the door with a new lightness in his step. True to his word, he filled the tub with the ridiculously hot temperature of water she seemed to favor and even found some scented salts to scatter over, the soothing hints of lavender mixing with another sweet fragrance that he was not familiar with. He glanced at the faded label. Vanilla.
Whatever that was, it was quite pleasing. But the atmosphere needed something else. He immediately recalled the candles scattered throughout the cabin and hurried out of the bathroom to collect several nubs of differing sizes, and painstakingly ignited each one with the snap of his claws. In the end, it was such an appealing scene that he was still smiling several minutes later as he scratched her door in passing.
He was in such a cheerful state of mind upon entering the forest that he could not focus on hunting overly long, and even Fixi seemed to be more in the mood to play than focus on any task seriously. It was a hopeless case for both of them, and Syrix was so distracted by thoughts of his mate’s lovely smile that he gave up after bagging a couple fat birds, just so that he did not return empty-handed. It was also with his mate in mind that he cleaned them thoroughly and plucked them, so as to not draw any unpleasant smells or messes that she had mentioned especially disliking too near to their den. Only when this task was done and the birds were packed into his sack did he head back to the cabin at a brisk trot, eager to return to her side so that he could perhaps catch a glimpse of her warm and rosy from her bath.
He did not think anything could possibly distract him further, but it was on the way back, however, that he slowed and drew to a halt as his eyes fastened on a large wild rose bush in full bloom.
“It is not the season for roses,” he quietly observed, glancing down at the fox at his side. The small male gave him an inquisitive look, conveying his question. Syrix sniffed the air delicately and shrugged. “I do not smell anything wrong with them. Perhaps they were influenced by a portion of the magic coming up from my forest gardens.”
His eyes glittered as he peered at them with interest. Fixi whined unhappily, his tail lowering as he paced nervously away. Syrix gave the male a disgruntled look. “Do not be ridiculous. It is just a flower. I don’t smell any taint to them. Besides,” he said as he turned back to the bush, “Krystal will love them.”
The fox whined again but he ignored it as he sheered numerous stems with his claws and carefully peeled every thorn one by one. Several of the damned thorns pricked his fingers, a few catching him hard enough to draw tiny drops of his shimmering blood. He hissed in pain but ignored it. The few drops were worth the sacrifice as he finally stood with an arm full of roses. He knew just the vessel to put them in. It would make a perfect arrangement to await his mate for when she came out of the bath. He would put them on the small wardrobe dresser that faced her bed, where she would immediately see them upon entering. It was the perfect surprise.
More than that, he just knew that Krystal was going to love them. And that was what truly filled him with pleasure as he returned to the cabin. The pleasure took root within him, creating a haze of bliss as he stood within her room a short time later, artfully arranging the roses. He had to get every blossom just right, and his eyes fluttered shut at the at the scent of their rich musk filling the room around him. It truly was potent inside and for a moment, he worried that she would not like something that smelled so strongly, but another wave of euphoria swept over him, and his concern rolled away. Human senses were duller than that of a fox, anyway. She would likely find them highly enjoyable.
He smiled to himself in anticipation, and his smile grew as his ears pricked at a soft melody floating through the walls. Krystal had to be in a good mood if she was singing. The bath had done more than he expected. He had thought only to help her feel relaxed and happy, and yet there was far more within her voice. He could hear the heavy desire within it as his name drifted sweetly to him, and his tail stiffened and then curled with delight.
“Syrix.”
She was in need and calling to him. A shiver ran over him and he walked from the room, eager for his mate.