Wolf’s Fox by Juniper Hart

13

Nicholas spent the next few days mostly in his wolf form. He only shifted to cook or when he was forced to deal with people, but for the most part, he remained in his animal body, slowly drawing Ruthie out of the shell she had created for herself.

At night, they curled up on his California king bed, as if there wasn’t enough room for them both, and he relished the feel of her warmth against him. He could barely stand the suspense of waiting for her to shift, knowing that they had so much to discuss when she did.

For Ruthie’s part, she seemed to understand that she wasn’t a prisoner, not in his house. Catherine called frequently, but Nicholas avoided her calls. He knew his mother was trying to determine if he was holding up his end of the deal. Of course, Nicholas had no intention of forcing any such agreement. Even if Ruthie were not so vulnerable, the deal he had made with his mother was unenforceable, but desperate times had called for desperate measures.

Catherine, however, was not a patient woman, and Nicholas hardly found himself shocked when she appeared at the house on the night before the full moon.

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” she told him, slipping inside without an invitation. “Avoiding me isn’t going to get you very far, Nicholas.”

“I’m not avoiding you,” he countered. “I’ve been busy, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” Catherine sounded unusually tense, and her eyes darted over the main floor. “Where is she?”

“She’s upstairs resting, Mom. She’s had a long life of running to make up for.”

Catherine fixed her gaze back on her son.

“I hope you’re doing other things than sleeping, too,” she growled. Nicholas balked at her blatantly disrespectful suggestion.

“Honestly, Mother, you being here isn’t helping anything.”

“Well, if you don’t answer my calls, how else am I supposed to check on my investment?”

Fury shot through Nicholas’ veins. “She’s a living, breathing being,” he snarled. “Not a stock option. Have a modicum of respect.”

The sound of creaking on the stairs caused them both to turn. Ruthie’s white head peered down at them curiously.

“There she is!” Catherine called out with too much enthusiasm. Nicholas could tell she was embarrassed at being caught speaking so brazenly. Being two-faced was part of Catherine’s personality, but she was usually better at hiding it. “Come down, dear. Why don’t I make us some lunch?”

Nicholas gaped dubiously at his mother, who strode toward the kitchen. He couldn’t recall the last time she had made her own meal, and he was almost afraid to allow her near the stove.

“Wait!” he called out worriedly, hurrying after. “I’ll do it.”

Catherine had clearly anticipated his concern and sat at the island as Ruthie tentatively made her way down the steps to join them. Her wariness was tangible. Catherine was fully to blame for it.

“Aren’t there services today?” Nicholas asked hopefully. “Surely you have things to prepare for at the Ministry.”

“Nothing is more important than family, dear. Don’t I always say that?”

Nicholas snorted but quickly covered the sound with a cough as he turned to the fridge. It was getting to be slim pickings in the house. He needed to go to the grocery store, but he didn’t want to leave Ruthie there alone.

Unfortunately, Catherine noticed.

“Good gods, Nicholas. Is that how you’re living? Without any food?” she chided him. “How many times have I told you that you need a good maid in here?”

“I don’t need a maid,” Nicholas growled, finding a leftover lasagna in the back of the fridge. “I can handle my life without servants.”

Unlike some people, he added silently, wisely keeping his words to himself. The sooner he got Catherine out of there, the easier they would all breathe.

“Come in, dear,” Catherine said, turning toward the timid fox lounging in the doorway of the kitchen. “We don’t bite.”

She laughed merrily at her own joke. No one else was amused. Cautiously, Ruthie padded forward, sticking closer to Nicholas, but her eyes were trained on his mother.

She doesn’t trust Mom. Not that I blame her.

He tried to stroke her fur reassuringly, but she stayed just out of reach, as if she were ready to flee at the first sign of danger.

“Why don’t you shift into your human form, dear? I realized that I haven’t heard your voice since you arrived here.”

“She likes to stay in her fox form,” Nicholas said quickly, shooting Ruthie a reassuring look. She turned away.

“That’s very odd, isn’t it? I mean, she can’t stay like this forever,” Catherine insisted, her eyes narrowing as she peered at Ruthie.

Nicholas glowered.

“She can do whatever she damn well wants,” he grumbled. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t affect you, Mom.”

Catherine wasn’t willing to let it go so easily. “Is there another reason she won’t shift? Is there something that you aren’t telling me? What’s going on here?”

The rapid-fire questions did nothing to ease the mounting tension in the room. Ruthie looked from Catherine to Nicholas, and he could see she was trying to figure out just how much the older shifter knew about her predicament.

Can’t she see that she’s making everyone uncomfortable?

“I’ll get in touch with some witches I know,” Catherine offered. “And have them come and look her over.”

Nicholas tensed, catching the stiffening of Ruthie’s back out of the corner of his eye.

“No,” he said firmly. “You won’t.”

Catherine ignored his response. “It can’t hurt to have her examined after all this time in the wild,” she went on in a cooing voice that ground on Nicholas’ nerves.

“Mom, Ruthie is my responsibility now,” he said, his voice raspy and firm. He stared evenly at his mother, but she seemed transfixed with Ruthie.

“Why do you prefer to stay as a fox, dear?” Catherine continued thoughtfully. “Can you tell me that?”

“It’s kept her out of harm’s way this long, hasn’t it?” Nicholas interjected. “Why can’t you leave well enough alone?”

Finally, Catherine eyed her son. “I suppose so…but it’s a little odd.”

“I wish I’d thought to stay in my animal body more,” Nicholas muttered, rolling his eyes. “It keeps me from having these painful conversations.”

He slipped the lasagna into the pre-heated oven and sat back against the counter, folding his arms over his chest.

“I suppose she doesn’t need to have a human form,” Catherine went on slyly, shooting Nicholas a look that made his skin crawl. “I mean, she can live a full life like this if she chooses. She can still be bound, I’m sure, have babies.”

“Mother!” Nicholas’ anger ricocheted off the walls and caused Ruthie to draw back in fear. He immediately lowered his voice. “That’s not really appropriate.”

Catherine shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s just such a waste of her talents if she doesn’t,” she insisted. “Don’t you want to have children, darling?”

Ruthie’s bale was palpable, and Nicholas pushed himself between her and his mother.

“I think you really should get back to work, Mom. The Ministry just doesn’t run well without you there.”

Catherine opened her mouth to argue, but she read the naked ire in her son’s face and changed her mind.

“Maybe you’re right,” she agreed, rising from her spot. “But I will be back to check on you.”

The threat in her voice was clear. Nicholas hoped that Ruthie didn’t hear it.

“How about I just call you if I need you,” he replied, ushering her out toward the door. Catherine wasn’t in any hurry, and she paused to give Ruthie a final smile.

“You’ll be safe here, dear, as long as you fulfill your earthly purpose.”

Nicholas all but shoved her out the door, almost slamming it behind her. His heart pounded in his chest as he sank back against the door.

A cold muzzle made its way into his hand, and he looked down at Ruthie’s worried face.

“Ignore her,” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “She’s always meddling. It’s nothing to worry about.”

But as he led the way back into the kitchen, he couldn’t help wondering what Catherine might do if he didn’t live up to his end of the bargain.

She can’t expect me to act so quickly, he told himself dismissively. But his mother was not one to wait. He was going to have to figure out a solution sooner or later. He just hoped it was later rather than sooner.

* * *

There were no moreinterruptions over the next day. Even Catherine stopped calling, and Nicholas was grateful for the small reprieve.

He and Ruthie stole out into the woods for another night run, enjoying the crisp springtime air. They did a small hunt in their animal bodies, licking each other’s fur clean before falling exhausted into each other’s paws in front of a fire in his living room.

In the morning, he made breakfast and drove them out to Bear Lake for a swim. It was still too early in the year for campers and tourists, but the temperature was perfect for two wild beasts among the tame waves.

By evening, they had returned to his house, spent but revigorated, and Nicholas fell asleep in front of the television without realizing it, Ruthie’s head in his lap.

He dreamt that Ruthie had been taken. He searched the entire house for her, including the fenced yard, but there was no sign of her. In his mind, he knew that she had been kidnapped and had not left of her own accord.

“Ruthie!” he yelled out into the empty rooms. “Ruthie, where are you?”

He heard her voice.

“Help me!” She sounded so far away and yet so close. In a blind panic, he tore through the house again, pulling open doors to closets and finally finding himself at the front of the house.

A massive red dragon stood looming over Ruthie, her fox frame quivering below him.

“She belongs to me,” the dragon breathed, smoke emanating from his nostrils as he spoke. “You have no rights to her.”

“Get back!” Nicholas snarled, shifting to confront the beast, but Ruthie screamed out, her snout parting.

“NICHOLAS!”

His eyes popped open, and a pair of vivid blue irises peered down at him. The soft strands of platinum hair fell over her shoulders as concern colored her face.

“Nicholas, it’s me,” Ruthie whispered. He sat up with a start, shaking off the nightmare as he studied her face in disbelief. “It’s me, Ruthie.”

His spine stiffened, and he gazed at her beautiful face, the confusion slipping out of his body. The darkness outside told him that the midnight hour had come. He had missed her initial shift, though not by much.

“You’re here!” he choked, relief overcoming him. She smiled tentatively and nodded, cupping his face with her long fingers. His arms went out to embrace her, drawing her close to inhale the scent of her skin. It had been a long month of waiting, but it was finally over. Ruthie had finally returned to him in her human form.

“I’m here,” she rasped, emotion taking over her. “I—”

He didn’t let her finish her sentence, his mouth crushing to hers. Ruthie didn’t pull away. She had wanted this as much as he had, and resistance was futile.