Vixen’s Run (5 page)

He pulled her tight against him and held her while their hearts slowed to a normal beat once again. He pressed soft kisses to her neck.

Smiling, she ran her hands through his hair this time, feeling the slick strands moving across her skin. “So, what do you think we should do when we get home?”

He laughed. “Get married in the human world to keep things neat. Will your family want a large wedding?”

She shrugged and looped her arms around his neck, resting against him with her head on his chest. “No. I am fairly sure that a small or civil ceremony will be fine. Mind you, my gran has taken me by surprise before.”

“My family will agree to whatever yours will plan. I will make sure of it.” He nuzzled at her hair.

She sighed and her stomach growled. “I think we should take another dip and then raid the basket. I can smell the food and it is almost as good as your scent.”

He chuckled, and with a light grunt, he got to his feet with him still inside her.

“Nice trick.”

“You feel like heaven, so why would I want to leave?”

She blushed and kept her arms around him as he walked to the pond.

He simply jumped in, and they tumbled underwater for a moment before they floated apart.

The sudden chill of the water against her made her quick bath a necessity. She shivered and broke the surface with a gasp. Tiff headed for the edge of the pond and she climbed out.

Davus was swimming leisurely, so Tiff decided she would be warmer in fur. She shifted and walked a few feet away from the edge of the pond, watching her mate cruising around.

He came out of the water, and his dripping form resembled nothing as much as an ancient statue of a lithe warrior. If she weren’t focusing on keeping her jaw shut, her tongue would have been hanging out.

Davus smiled, “Feeling foxy?”

She turned her back and trotted toward the blanket once again. She heard a strange thumping and turned around to see a fully flared peacock walking toward her.

Tiff cocked her head. His colour was wonderful and the seductive strut was entrancing.

She returned to him and sniffed him as he pounded his feathers and rattled the long tail that was arched on top of him. He undulated his neck and she rubbed her cheek against the glowing surface.

She shifted to human and stroked his back. “You are looking much better.”

He preened and twisted from side to side so her hands could get at all of him. He shook his tail feathers and slowly turned on the spot until she had seen all of him.

“You are wonderful, Davus. You look bright and glowing. If I was a peahen, I would be all up in that blue and green.”

He shifted into his human form, kneeling in front of her.

The kiss that he gave her was sweet and filled with an emotion that brought a lump to her throat.

He lifted his head. “Thank you for everything. You have given me a new start and a new life to look forward to. For my part, I am going to make sure that you never regret your offering of help.”

She held his cheeks and kissed him. “I won’t. Once we get over the next month, things will be easier. We can thrash around and get into a pattern together.”

He grinned. “Together?”

“I said yes, remember?”

Davus laughed and got to his feet, lifting her to hers. They headed back to the blanket, and he said, “You did say yes. I am still in a daze.”

Tiff laughed and reached for the picnic. “Get over it. We are going to have to deal with two very arrogant groups. It is better that we brace for it.”

“So, we eat lunch, get dressed and return to the human world?”

She blushed and looked toward the swings. “Well, there has always been something that I wanted to try.”

Davus grinned. “Let’s see how we feel after lunch. I am sure installing a swing on the grounds around your home would not be difficult.”

Now there was an idea. “Fine. Eat, get dressed and then we will sign the contract. They will have to respect that if nothing else.”

It was a good meal, but Tiff’s mind was on what would happen when they returned home. She didn’t think it was going to go smoothly.

Teal was grinning like an idiot as they signed their contract. “I had no idea you would find a way around your own rules, Tiffany.”

Tiffany finished writing her name on all the copies of the mating contract before handing the pen over to Davus.

“I had no idea that the man I hadn’t dared dream of would walk up to me and strike up a conversation.”

It was leaving a lot of details out of their meeting, but it seemed to satisfy Teal.

Davus finished his signatures with a flourish and stood by while Teal and Tony fixed their own names as witnesses.

With everything ready, they took their copy and stood together at the departure point with Tony and Teal on opposite sides of them.

A flare of energy and they were standing together on the Grayson family property. Tiff straightened her shoulders and took Davus by the hand. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

“I love your enthusiasm, sweet.”

She heard the laughter in his voice and began the walk toward the family home. It was a hulk of a mansion, built in the days when a house denoted social standing. Her great-great-great grandmother had had the house built, and it had seen hundreds of parties in its day, until Tiffany got hold of it. Once she was in charge, maintenance came first, fun second.

Tiff pulled out her phone and thumbed a short message to her housekeeper. She hated surprising Wells, but there was really no other option today.

“Are we going in the front or the back?”

“We are heading for the front door. It is symbolic.” Tiff grinned. “I can’t carry you over the threshold, so this is as good as we can get.”

“I am fairly sure that you can do whatever you set your mind to, but you are right, this is about introducing me with your traditions.” He squeezed her hand.

Their journey brought them to the front doors and Wells opened the left side of the door.

“Welcome home, Miss Grayson.”

Wells was a striking young man, but she had never had any interest in him. He was a beaver and had the amazing ability to organize a household in a matter of minutes.

“Hello, Wells. This is my mate, Davus Fergus. Davus, this is my housekeeper, Wells.”

The two men eyed each other and shook hands.

* * * *

Davus looked at the young man and noted his wistful looks at Tiffany. “Hello, Wells. I am pleased to say that I will be residing here from now on.”

Wells nodded. “Of course. I will prepare your room, Tiffany. Will you take tea with your grandmother?”

Tiff nodded with a grimace. “Yes, Wells. We will just drop off our things and go down to see her.”

Davus stifled a laugh when Wells smiled.

“I will take your things up, Miss Grayson. Just leave them in the foyer.”

Tiff snarled at him, but she stepped into the house still hauling Davus with her.

He laughed outright and dropped his own bag next to hers.

The interior was understated but elegant. The fixtures were new, and it looked like the electrical was all upgraded. For the age of the building, it was in amazing shape.

“So, we are having tea with your grandmother?” He murmured it to her as quietly as he could.

Tiff was heading for the back of the house. “We are. Once she gives the all clear, my brother can scamper off with his chosen female.”

“Do foxes really scamper?”

She turned and smiled at him. “I have been known to from time to time, though I prefer to run.”

He put his arm around her waist and walked with her to the rear doors. A wide flagstone patio waited, and a table and chairs sat under the shade of an awning.

He looked at the woman sitting at the table reading a book and memorized her features for reference because her resemblance to Tiffany was uncanny. He would have pegged her as mother, not grandmother if he had not known better.

* * * *

Tiff straightened her shoulders and put her hand on top of Davus’s around her waist. They approached her grandmother and she cleared her throat.

Her gran looked up and blinked in amazement. “Tiffany? My goodness, who is this?”

“Annette Grayson, matriarch of the Grayson family, this is Davus of the Fergus family. He is my mate.”

Davus bowed respectfully, still with his arm around her, which Tiffany appreciated. “Pleased to meet you, madam.”

“You went through with it? I am so proud of you, Tiffany.”

Tiff grinned, “Well, I had to grit my teeth and put up with it, but I think with some heavy grooming, he will soon be up to snuff.”

Davus squeezed her side and she huffed a little.

Annette was staring at him with narrowed eyes. “What are you, Davus?”

“A peacock, madam.”

Annette looked flustered. “A bird?”

Tiff put her arm around him. “My bird. He is beautiful in either form, Gran.”

Davus grinned down at her. “Thank you, Tiff, but you flatter me.”

Wells approached with a tray loaded with a teapot, cups and a tiered tray covered in sandwiches and tarts. He nodded to them all as he deposited the tray and set out the tea service.

Wells took the tray and turned to Tiff, “Your doctor’s office called. Your appointment is tomorrow.”

She winced. “Thanks, I completely forgot.”

Davus was concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Annual physical. I have had the appointment for so long, I forgot it was due.”

Her gran was still busy staring at Davus, so Tiff poured tea for her.

“Are you one of the Ferguses from Fergus County?”

He put some sandwiches and tarts on a plate for Annette and slid it in front of her. “I am indeed, madam. My father is Daniel Fergus.”

Annette nodded. “I knew your grandfather, David. He was a good man. Incredibly handsome. How is it that you were at the Crossroads where my granddaughter found you?”

“I was one of the harvested shifters rescued from the lions’ den. I have been a little under the weather since.”

Annette flinched. “I should say so. How long were you there?”

“One year.”

Tiff looked at the exchange between her gran and her mate and was amazed by the sympathy her grandparent was exuding. Wells was inside and working on dinner if the noises coming from the kitchen were any indication.

Tiff watched her gran question Davus with more sensitivity than she thought possible, and when she was on her third cup of tea, her gran finally looked at her. “Well done, Tiffany.”

“Thanks, Gran. Did anything come up while I was away?”

“There was a quote on the windows on the back of the house. Wells has it and is urging us to take additional bids.”

“I trust his judgement when it comes to construction work. He hasn’t steered us wrong so far.” Tiff smiled.

Davus asked, “Wells does your contracting as well?”

“He is a beaver, so he knows plenty of folks in construction, but he is an artist with pastry. He can do a repair in a pinch, but it isn’t his first love.”

“So, he has been the man about the house.”

“Well, him and Aidan when he bothers to show up. Gran, has Aidan brought his female here for you to meet her?”

Gran paused “Now, Tiff, don’t get mad. He has not finalized anything with his female. I didn’t believe it was appropriate if you hadn’t found a mate yet. So, I will let him know he is free to pursue, but we will see what happens from there.”

Tiff groaned. “So, sending me to the Crossroads was an elaborate ruse?”

“It was fairly straightforward as ruses go. You went, you found your mate, you can now continue the family line and be a matriarch of your own one day.”

Tiff leaned toward Davus and he put his arm around her shoulders for support.

He said, “It was rather sneakily done. You know she would not have gone on her own.”

Annette nodded. “I am well aware of that. It is something that ran through my mind several times over the last few years. It was time.”

“Time to lie and manipulate.”

“Precisely.” Annette grinned beatifically.

Tiff gave her a narrow-eyed look and sent a text message to Aidan about her new mate. Knowing her brother, he would be home as fast as his sports car could drive him.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, she received a text saying,
On my way.

“Was that Aidan?”

Tiff sipped at her tea. “Yes, he is on his way.”

Annette cleared her throat, “In that case, I should admit that I may have exaggerated his interest in his current paramour.”

Tiffany put her teacup down and rubbed her temples. “I get the feeling that I am going to throw a tantrum in the very near future.”

“It was for your own good, Tiff. I mean, look at the man that you managed to find. You wouldn’t have gotten Davus if I hadn’t sent you to the Crossroads.”

Davus stroked the back of her neck. “Tiff got me because she was the only woman there who looked past my looks and into my personal pain. It sounds pompous but that is what endeared her to me beyond her flame-coloured hair and perfect complexion.”

Tiff smiled at him and leaned over for a kiss. “Flatterer.”

After an all-too brief kiss, she sat straight again and sipped at her tea. “So, Gran, you lied to get me to go to the Crossroads? I think your allowance is going to take a hit.”

Her gran shrugged. “It was worth it. I am going to talk to Wells and invite the Ferguses for dinner. I am guessing a higher starch content for dinner will be needed.”

Davus smiled, “We can eat anything.”

Tiff squeezed his hand. “Foxes eat primarily meat. It would look like a roasted massacre if it was prepared in a traditional way.”

“I am part of your family now. I will live as you do. You will do nothing outside your culture for me.” He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

“It isn’t culture, it is tradition. Traditions can be changed.”

Annette smiled. “They can indeed. My great grandmother took the family finances into her own hands and built this home as a family base. If she hadn’t done that, we would be in a tiny shack somewhere waiting for the males to come home with funds.”