When evening dawned, he forced himself to remain calm and steady as he helped Christian dress again in borrowed clothes and drove him to his campsite.
"You're always welcome to visit, you know."
Scott nodded, unable to vocalize his needs. He wouldn't put Cris in the position of having to chose, no matter his body was demanding. The mate bond was so strong; he could feel his heart ripping in two with every breath he took.
"I'm going to miss you,” he finally settled on, knowing it was only a drop in the bucket of his feelings, yet was a safe statement. “And my home is always open to you. Should you wish to come back ...” Scott's voice trailed off as his throat tightened.
Cris nodded and stepped into his arms, his warmth and affection almost enough to help Scott bring himself back under control. His fox was clawing at his insides, demanding he convince Cris to stay.
With a bittersweet kiss, Scott pulled away and said goodbye. Without looking back, he climbed back into his truck. The other shifter had promised he would come back to visit as he cuddled against Scott's chest, but Scott didn't allow himself to hope that Cris actually would.
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It was heading into early June when a volunteer came hurrying into the center, jabbering about someone really needing to see Scott. Heaving a soft sigh, he wearily turned from where he was examining a hawk with a broken wing, gave instructions to the volunteer working with him to finish up, then headed out of the room. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Scott tried to summon an urge to give a shit about whatever it was someone needed to see him about. The last two months he hadn't slept well, and had even less interest in eating.
May had come and gone, the school semester had ended, and still his mate hadn't come back. Despite knowing it happened that way sometimes, that one mate would feel the bond stronger and long before the other, it nonetheless tore him in two thinking about Cris, wondering if he had found someone else. If he would ever come back.
As he stepped out into the lobby, Scott came to an abrupt stop. Silhouetted against the setting sun stood a familiar form. Blinking rapidly to push away the tears that sprung to his eyes, he tried to force his mind to quit playing tricks on him. The other man may have a similar shape as Cris, but it wasn't him.
As the other man moved towards him, Scott's heart skipped a beat. Soft knuckles brushed against his cheek, whipping away the tear that had broke free.
"Miss me?” As Cris’ voice broke, Scott grabbed the other shifter and pulled him close, his lips slamming down over him. Uncaring about what his co-workers thought, he laid claim to his mate's mouth, determined that he show Cris just how much he had missed him.
Hands trembling, he cupped Cris’ cheeks and pulled back, staring into his beloved's golden eyes. “Don't leave me again,” he whispered, unable to stop himself. He knew that the other shifter had to see in his eyes just how badly he had hurt.
Christian's half smile melted his heart. “I won't. It tore me up to leave you, but I needed to finish my degree. I couldn't walk away from it, not since I was that close. I figured I had time that I could come back and we could see where things went. I didn't know you had bonded to me, I didn't know until just now."
He wrapped his arms around Scott's waist and pressed his face against his chest. “God, I missed you so much."
At his lover's pain laced words, Scott's arms tightened for a moment, then he forced himself to pull back. Clasping Cris’ hand in his, Scott led him into the back room and away from prying eyes. He needed to finish up, but at the same time he couldn't bear to let the other man out of his sight.
It only took him an hour to wrap up the last minute details, far longer than he would have liked but it was unavoidable. He had responsibilities that he couldn't shirk, something that he knew Cris would understand.
Then, finally, they were able to head home where they spent the night, and every night thereafter, in each other's arms.
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About the Author
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Born to ride on the back of dragons, to journey among the stars in a ship traveling faster than light, or to dance the night away in the arms of a mysterious vampire, Michelle Houston willingly shares the worlds in her mind in an effort to bring them to life.
Writing everything from short and sweet stories, to hot and spicy tales of kink, from contemporary tales of romance to erotic romances featuring Greek gods, vampires and were-creatures, she has crossed sexualities and has gone wherever her mental muse has guided her, a journey she has never regretted.
Beyond that, she has a love of the natural world around us (except for insects, spiders, snakes, scorpions, and she reserves the right to add more at any time) and hopes to share the enjoyment of the earth with her students once she finally earns her degree in secondary Biology/Earth Science Education.
In other words, she is an ordinary woman with an imagination that is only held in bounds by how fast she can type.
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Visit www.phaze.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Healing the Fox Page 3