Yippee!My unicorn was excited.

Now that Grams was able to stay by herself overnight, Errol and I spent more evenings together. I’d been planning on taking him to the orchard for a while, and today was the day.

About time. My beast wasn’t a happy camper, because while we had shifted during that time, it had been rushed, after work or when we grabbed an hour at lunch. But with the drive there and back to the office, he couldn’t graze and wander the rows of trees. Instead, it was a snatch-and-grab and back into my skin.

“Great. Can I go back to sleep or are we getting up early this morning?”

Errol answered by yanking the covers off and tapping his watch. “The early bird gets the worm.”

I made a face, hoping there were no worms in the fruit because my beast would freak.

“I’m guessing there’s no breakfast in bed today.”

“Toast and coffee. One’s made, the other isn’t,” Errol shouted over his shoulder as he left the room.

I trudged into the bathroom, inwardly excited Errol would meet my unicorn but wishing I could have slept in. Work had been a beast this week.

There is no other beast in your life but me!

You’re right.

As I drove through the city streets, Errol was bouncing in his seat beside me.“I’m so excited to be in a place where you’re so happy, plus we get to pick yummy fruit and make pies later.”

Hmm, I suspected once he’d caught a glimpse of my unicorn, the fruit picking, eating, and baking might be forgotten.

“This is lovely.” He had the door open before I’d stopped the car, and he twirled around, arms outstretched. My unicorn was pleased he loved the place because it was special for us.

Maybe I could go outside the orchard with both you and Errol watching me, he suggested.

My shifter friends said I was a fuddy daddy not allowing my unicorn to frolic in nature because I was scared some wild animal would attack him. They might be right, but it was our life, my life, not theirs.

Taking Errol’s hand, we strolled through the rows of trees to the more secluded area where my beast fed.

Errol did a 360. “This area is different from the rest of the orchard. There are many varieties of fruit here, rather than a row of one and then another.” He leaned over and sniffed a flower. “And there are flowers here.”

He picked up on that. Good.

“That’s part of what I want to show you.”

I pulled my shirt off my head, but my mate ignored me and grabbed a fistful of cherries. Ruby-red juice ran over his chin as he sucked the flesh and spat out the seeds. With his stained mouth, he looked as I did after my unicorn had eaten.

“These are delicious.” He held out fruit in his palm, but I was anxious to get on with the reveal.

“Why have you taken your shirt off?” He shaded his eyes. “Did you bring sunscreen?”

“Nah.” I wriggled out of my jeans.

Errol closed one eye. “Here? Someone might see.” He unzipped his pants.

“No. Not sex.”

“Then what? Sunbathing? We could have done that in your garden.”

“I’m going to show you a part of myself you’ve never seen.”

He tapped his lips. “Pretty sure I’ve licked, touched, grazed, fondled, been in, or been penetrated by all of you.”

How wrong he was.