Page 14 of The Calling of Caellaias
“It's okay. From what I've heard, he wasn't a great guy. Anyway, tell me about yourparents.”
“Well, I've always been pretty close to my parents. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, but my dad was a workaholic. Throughout my life, they've always supported me in my endeavors. When I told them I'd be moving out here for work, they were concerned. They tried to convince me not to move out here at all.”
“Why?”
“My parents have always been very protective of me. I went through a really rough spot while I was in college, and they had to help me put the pieces of my life back together. Thankfully, I wasn't far from home at the time. Moving out here, I'm over a day's drive away, so they can't save me if something bad happens.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. It's in the past, and I'm not the same person as I was back then. I've done a lot to make myself more comfortable and confident; I don't need my parents to save me from everything anymore.”
“That's good to hear. It's a great way to look at things.”
“It is.” I looked down at my empty plate and then back up at her. “I should get home. I appreciate everything today.”
After taking the last bite of her food, she reached to grab my plate. “Let me go put these away. I'll be right back.”
When she returned, she sat on the edge of the couch. “Would you, um, like to come over again tomorrow? There's another place I'd like to take you.”
“I'd love that! I'm enjoying spending time with you.”
“I really enjoy spending time with you, too.”
“Should I meet you here at the same time as today?”
“Sounds perfect.” Smiling, she rose from the couch and offered me her hand. Taking it, she helped me off the couch and walked me to the door.
After putting on my shoes, I wrapped her in a quick hug and said, “Have a good night. I'll see you in the morning.”
“I'll see you in the morning.”
Theentire drive home, my stomach was full of butterflies. Being around her, talking to her, it all felt so natural. She made me feel comfortable like no one else had before. The day had been perfect, and I found myself giddy about seeing her again.
When I got home, I went into the kitchen to grab some water. Walking past the sink, I glanced out the window. The floodlights were on, and the black fox sat just inside the tree line again, staring intently at me. When I reached for my phone, it scurried into the darkness.
After a few minutes of hoping the fox would return, I gave up and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Despite my exhaustion from the adventure with Maeyve, my mind was stuck on the beautiful creature. I was amazed to hear that Maeyve hadn't seen it, especially because she'd been in the area for so long. The fox wasn't a pup and seemed comfortable in the area, which led me to believe it had been around for a while.
Before heading to bed, I took a quick shower and then texted my sister to tell her I was okay and had made it home safely. With my eyes heavy, I crawled into bed and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.
Chapter nine
Maeyve
After I walked Anevae to the front door, I rushed to the back door, ripping my clothes off piece by piece as I went. Throwing the door open, I shifted and took off. I had to make sure she got home; the need to protect her was overwhelming.
When I approached her property, I got as close as I could without getting hurt or forced back. I wasn’t willing to find out what would happen if I crossed the threshold without permission. The power behind the ward was so intense I was worried it could kill me.
Anevae’s SUV pulled up on the other side of the cabin as I waited. Foxes are able to run about thirty miles an hour, and with the added advantage of cutting through the woods, I made it well before her.
The light turned on in the kitchen, and I spotted her crimson-red hair through the window. On her way to the fridge, she glanced out the window and paused.Shit, I triggered the floodlight.She stared at me with those breathtaking blue eyes. Her beautiful, plump lips slightly parted with awe. I knew my fox was beautiful; numerous people hadtold me, but I wanted her to look at me—in either form—the way she was then for the rest of my days.
We stared at each other until she shifted her stance, reaching into her pocket. She was likely trying to take a photo again. I couldn’t let that happen because I knew she’d have too many questions, so I turned tail and ran.
I panicked when she brought up my fox form earlier in the day. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I couldn’t let her know about me yet. Call me selfish, but I wanted her to think I was just another creature in the woods until I could figure her out. I needed to start being more careful about how much she saw me.
I ran for about a mile before I stopped. I knew I’d be out of her line of sight, so I waited several minutes before returning to her property line. I couldn’t help myself. She was like an invisible force that kept pulling me back to her. She was supposed to visit again in the morning, but that wasn’t enough.
While I sat there, I spotted her in her bedroom window again. I’d caught her when she was fully undressed and getting ready for bed. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, illuminating all of her perfect features. Her voluptuous hourglass figure was facing the window, displaying her large breasts, beautiful belly, wide hips, and thick thighs. The stretch marks that spread across her stomach and large breasts were a light pink. One day, I’d love to kiss all over her body and show her how beautiful she really was.
