Page 6 of Foxin’ Around (Mated to the Monster: Season 3)

Chapter

Five

S yrix stared at the darkening sky outside the window. He had only just returned a short while ago, but he did not understand what was taking his mate so long to arrive. Had she decided not to come back after all? His hands clenched tightly at his side as his imagination ran wild with all of the possible reasons for her delay. How did human males so casually court females when the uncertainty of everything was something he personally found distressing?

A soft rumbling sound trembled in the air around him that seemed to drag him deeper into the overwhelming feeling until Fixi suddenly yipped, startling him from it. His gaze shifted down to the fox as the small male darted out the door in a streak of silvery red. Syrix blinked slowly after him. The cabin was silent now and his hand rose so that the tips of his claws brushed his throat. Had the sound come from him?

He drew a deep breath and allowed it to release with a slow shudder. He simply could not be growling without even the slightest provocation and be so entirely unaware of it, not when he was trying to pass as a human for Krystal. Gods, she was already afraid of him, what would she do if she discovered that he was not even human? His stomach twisted in response and he pushed the thought away as bitter bile filled his mouth. The possibility did not even bear thinking about. She could not discover the truth.

She would not.

He startled, his tail stiffening in surprise when a small light sprung to life and danced in the near distance. as if emerging from the grove. He took a step forward, bristling. If there was a fairy hunting in his territory and trying to lure away his mate, he was going to personally tear his wings off. His tension fled, however, when Fixi yipped excitedly and Syrix slowly expelled the breath he had not even realized he had been holding when he heard her responding laughter. There she was. Finally.

His tail lifted in excitement, but he quickly tucked it tightly against his legs once more. Tails peeking out were a notorious give away. He had to keep it contained. But he did not bother to hide the pleased smile curling his lips as he stepped out onto the porch, his robe catching the slight breeze and flaring around him as he peered down at the little human female. She paused just in front of the bottom step and gave the cabin an uncertain look.

Syrix glanced back at it and gestured to her invitation. “You must be tired. Come, take your rest. I will prepare our meal.”

Her pink tongue swept over her bottom look, the uncertainty in her expression deepening in a way he found greatly unpleasant. His head cocked as he regarded her with concern.

“What is wrong, sweetheart? Are you still afraid, even after wandering safely and unaccosted through my territory?”

Her lips thinned slightly with displeasure, but her fear waned in the face of it, just as he hoped that it would.

“I would like to remind you that just because you are here does not make it yours,” she replied, her voice calm despite the disdain behind each and every syllable.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment, but his smile grew as he peered back at her calmly, unruffled by her attempts to dislodge him from his new home. “As you like, but it does not change anything, and my offer still stands.”

“Of course it wouldn’t,” she muttered sourly. “And stop calling me sweetheart.”

“You did not provide me with a name,” he reminded her and chuckled quietly at the fleeting look of frustration that crossed her face.

She certainly was a delight. He enjoyed bantering with her almost as much as he had enjoyed curling up with her beneath the cherry tree throughout the afternoon. He would happily enjoy the passing centuries with her in his den. He even enjoyed the adorable way she was crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to communicate her dominance. She had yet to realize that dominance games with a fox mate were not so much about winning. It was a clever little dance that could give much pleasure to both of them.

A tiny, exasperated huff escaped her, and her eyes rolled in a way that greatly amused him. Humans were so expressive! Or at least his human was. He loved it! He would have to try the expression in the mirror at the first opportunity.

“It’s Krystal,” she muttered. “My name that is.”

“Krystal.” He savored her name as he said it, caressing each sound with his tongue so that it made him shiver erotically with pleasure.

He said it twice, and three times, enjoying the experience more and more. She had such a beautiful name. It was positively magical, like the name of some lovely water sprite dancing on reflective pools. What made it even better was that her eyes took on a glazed look as she reacted to the way he verbally caressed her name. It seemed that they were both affected, and he took that as a positive sign.

“Dinner then, my precious jewel? Night will come soon, and I am sure that you will be far more comfortable in here.”

She hesitated for a moment and a sly look gleamed in her eyes that filled him with excitement. Ah, she was a true vixen. The gods had chosen well for one such as he.

“I would,” she agreed as she put her foot on the top step and slowly ascended. His eyes fastened on her eagerly and he waited with bated breath to see what she would do. She was so close that he could almost touch her if he lifted his hand. “I wouldn’t even object to you cooking for me since I’m sure you have access to much better stuff than I have, but there is just one little thing.”

His ears pricked with interest. They were bargaining, were they? He nearly grinned, eager to play the game, but bit it back so as to not betray his excitement.

“And what do you require for your comfort?” he whispered, his lashes lowering seductively. “I put the entire cabin at your disposal and everything within it for whatever you may need tonight. What is mine is yours.”

A smile curled her lips. “I’m so happy that you agree… now get out.”

Syrix blinked and barked a laugh at her clever manipulation. She did not even know what he was and had cleverly trapped him within his own words. “For tonight,” he agreed easily in reminder as he swept past her, “since my offer did not extend beyond that. If it helps you sleep easier for this one night I will sleep in my woods and relinquish my home for your comfort. Enjoy it, clever little vixen,” he teased.

The blush that rose into her face was just as charming as her sly plotting just moments earlier, and Syrix sighed wistfully as he left the cabin. There was no trickery he could play with this time. He was stuck out in the cold, but his smile did not slip from his face as he walked into his woods. The gloom deepened around him as he walked and his smile grew until he threw back his head with laughter, sharing his joy with the woods around him.

Krystal would make a good mate for him, indeed.