Tame Me by Jayda Marx

Chapter Two

Archie

I shouldn’t be here. For the third evening in a row, I was hiding amongst the foliage of the forest, watching the gorgeous stranger I’d discovered. Alpha Torrence didn’t like me to leave the skulk lands, and he definitely didn’t allow me to fraternize with humans, but I couldn’t stay away.

The first night I found the man by accident. I was following a moth, watching its pretty wings as it flitted through the woods and I guess I lost track of where I was. Once I realized that I'd traveled outside skulk lands, I knew I needed to turn back, but something else caught my attention; a scent.

It was like no other aroma I'd ever smelled before; clean, crisp, and alluring. I had to find the source, so I followed it to the edge of the woods, where I found the mystery man.

I didn't think he'd find me; I stayed hidden, but he saw me and tried to run after me. I was terrified. Alpha Torrence told me about humans; they were hunters and wanted us for our bright pelts when we were foxes, and if they knew of our special abilities, they'd want us for studying. I ran away before he could catch me.

But something inside me told me that the man meant no harm. Even though I knew I should stay home in my den, I was drawn to visit the man again. I needed to see his handsome face and smell his delicious scent. I tried to tell myself that I was just curious about him because I hadn't seen any humans besides my skulk mates when they shifted, but I knew it was more than that.

Last night proved it; when I visited him, not only did the man not try to capture or harm me, he even gave me delicious treats. They were much better than the fish I usually caught from the stream, or the berries I picked from bushes. I hoped that he might give me more tonight.

I didn't tell Alpha Torrence about the man because I didn't want to get in trouble. Besides, what harm could it do? The handsome stranger wouldn't know that I was anything more than a fox and if he wanted to hurt me, he would have already.

My heart raced when our eyes met from across the grassy field. The man had the most beautiful eyes; light blue and soulful. All of him was beautiful; his kind eyes, his black, shiny hair that swept across his forehead, his dark, stubble beard, and his broad, thick body.

My breath caught when he smiled at me. His eyes actually sparkled when he smiled. The man slowly lifted his hand and motioned me towards him. I wanted to go closer, but I was still a little nervous.

My nerves subsided a bit when he picked up a foam container from the table next to him and opened it. My nose twitched as I took in the scent of raspberries coming from the box. It was mixed with something I couldn't quite place, but it smelled wonderful. My mouth watered. I need whatever that is.

The man waved to me again and I swallowed hard. I took a few tentative steps forward and he smiled wider. What if this is a trap? I stopped in my tracks and considered running back home.

But then an overwhelming sense of peace and safety blanketed over me. It was the same feeling I got the day before when I visited him. It has to be a sign. I slinked towards him, and the closer I got, the more soothed I became. I quickened my pace; I couldn't get to him fast enough.

When I finally reached him, I skidded to a stop. My pulse and breathing raced, but not from my run. The man was even more handsome up close, and his crisp, wonderful scent was even better than whatever sweetness awaited in the container.

"Hello there," he greeted, and his warm, smooth voice washed over me, making me shiver. "Are you cold, wee one?" The nickname made me shiver again, and concern grew in his pretty eyes, so I shook my head to show that I was fine.

Uh oh. Luckily, he didn't appear concerned that an animal answered his question. Maybe he didn't notice. The man lifted the open box and held it out, showing me the treat inside. "I've got something different for you today; a chocolate chip raspberry bun."

I licked my lips and the man chuckled a deep, warm sound. "Oh yeah, they're delicious." He placed the box on the ground and I dug in, scarfing the bun down quickly. It was delicious; the sweetness of the chocolate (which was the scent I couldn't place earlier since I'd never tried it) balanced out the tartness of the berries.

When I finished the last bite, I looked up at the man, who was smiling down at me. My chest warmed at the care in his cool blue eyes. I wanted to thank him for the sweets and his kindness, so I laid down on my stomach in front of him and rested my chin on his shoe.

My heart slammed against my ribs as the man slowly reached down towards me. When his hand brushed across my head and down my spine, my whole body relaxed, nearly melting onto the ground. No one had ever touched me that way, and it felt amazing.

The man scratched behind my ears and my eyes slid shut as I relished the feeling. "You're safe with me, wee one." I believed him. With his big hand touching me so gently and his kind actions towards me, I knew I was safe. "I'd love to talk with you. Will you please shift?"

What? How does he know what I am? My breathing quickened as I looked up at him with wide eyes, but before I could panic too much, peace settled over me once more. Is he doing that? How?

"It's okay," he said quietly as he stroked his hand over my back. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable, so I've got some clothes for you to change into." He removed his hand from my fur to retrieve a bag from next to his chair. "I wasn't sure what size you'd need, so there's some of mine in there, plus I borrowed some from my friends." I was touched by his thoughtfulness and extremely curious about what was happening, but still unsure about what to do.

"I don't mean to sound pushy," the man said, looking guilty. "But…I'm running out of time."

Running out of time for what? What's happening? I didn't understand, but I wanted to help him if I could. I certainly didn't want to put him at risk in any way, and my curiosity was off the charts, so I nodded.

"Thank you." The man stood up and motioned towards the back door of his home. "Come on inside so you can have some privacy."

He wants me inside his home? The offer warmed my stomach. He was inviting me into his private space. He knew what I was and was still showing me kindness. I couldn't explain how, but I knew this wasn't a trap. This man wouldn't hurt me.

He opened the door for me, allowing me to enter his home first. It was nothing like the den where I lived, which was forged from packed dirt, logs, and stones. The man's home was spacious, beautiful, and full of comfortable looking furniture.

Even though I didn’t own any furniture (or used any for that matter), I knew all about his home and the things inside. I’d overheard many whispered conversations between other shifters as they described to each other the things they’d seen when they ventured out to places they weren’t supposed to explore.

Luckily, I usually went unnoticed, and could listen in on the discussions without anyone knowing I was there while I pictured it all in my mind. Seeing them in person was better than I ever imagined. I wasn’t as brave as the other shifters in my skulk, so I’d never visited anyone’s home or human cities. Until now.

I followed the man to a door, which he opened for me before saying, "Here's the bathroom. Please take your time and let me know if you need anything. I'll be waiting right out here." He pointed to a sofa and then put the bag of clothing on the bathroom floor. Once I scurried inside the room, he closed the door behind me and I heard him walk over to his sofa.

My bones popped and my fur retreated. My snout morphed and my spine elongated as I shifted from animal to human. I finally stood upright and wiggled my toes; it had been a while since I was in this form. Alpha Torrence preferred the skulk to stay in fox form as much as possible unless we were in the safety of our den.

As I bent down to get the bag of clothing, I got a glimpse of myself in a mirror hanging on the wall. If I didn’t know I was alone in the room, I wouldn’t have recognized myself. There were no mirrors in the den, and the only time I saw my reflection was when I was drinking from the stream, always in fox form.

I stepped closer to the mirror and ran my fingers through my unruly red curls. My hair was longer than I remembered; the back brushed against my shoulders and the front flopped over my eyes.

It was also filthy, as was the rest of my body. Dirt was speckled on my skin, all across my thin body. I hated to meet the gorgeous man this way, but I didn’t want to use his room to wash up without his permission or make him wait. At least I had clothing to cover up with.

I dug through the bag, finding several tops and trousers in all different sizes. There were a couple that looked like they would fit me well, but I was drawn to a different set; a plain white jumper and a pair of gray sweatpants. They were much too large for me, but they smelled just like the man waiting for me on the other side of the door. The clothes belonged to him, and I wanted them on my body.

I slipped the shirt over my head and it fell halfway to my knees, and the sweats wouldn’t stay up on my hips without assistance, so I gathered up the extra fabric in my fist so that they wouldn’t fall down. I took a deep breath and turned the knob.