The Fox’s Tale

“Are you ready?”

I gripped the steering wheel of my car with both hands, refusing to accept that we were going to have to separate. Just the thought of it made my guts clench and my stomach roll.

“No, I’m not ready.”

“Alexander, it’s just for a few hours.”

“I know, but I still don’t like it. Why do we have to go back? Shouldn’t we have been given a break or something?” I whined as I leaned my head back on the seat.

“We have already had the equivalent of a four month honeymoon.”

“Four months, four years, four decades; no amount of time with you will ever be enough for me, Ellery.”

Ellery put her hand on my thigh. “I know, Foxy, I feel the same way. But we have to do this.” She glanced out of the windows and then turned back to me. “I promise it will be okay. Lunch isn’t that far away and you’ll like what I have for you.”

“Is it your pussy? Please tell me I get to taste your pussy at lunch, Elly.” She rolled her eyes at me as I leaned in to place a kiss on her neck.

“You could have tasted it this morning, you know.”

“Oh no, that was entirely your fault and I will get you back for that.” I continued kissing her neck and she melted against me.

“Alexander…people are staring.”

I nipped her neck. “Let me give them something that will really get their juices flowing,” I said with a grin. I moved my mouth from her neck to her lips and pulled on the bottom one before capturing her mouth for a kiss.

I pulled her into my lap, taking the kiss and my hands as far as I dared while still retaining the ability to think. When we pulled apart Ellery rested her forehead against mine.

“How am I supposed to function now, Alexander?” she whined.

“Sorry Princess, I couldn’t resist showing off just a little.”

“Proud of yourself, are you?”

“I’m proud of you. Climb off of me and I’ll go get your door.”

Our arrival, antics in the car, and apparent relationship status tore through the school like wildfire. Someone had taken a video of us kissing and by the time we reached my locker people were either watching it or gasping as we walked by hand-in-hand. By the time we’d stopped at her locker the halls were borderline bedlam. Even teachers watched us in open mouth shock.

Ellery ignored everything, but then she’d had years of practice. Their reactions raised my hackles and it was only because Ellery rubbed the palm of my hand with her thumb as we walked that I didn’t lash out at someone.

Considering that they had started taking photographs and filming us as we walked to her American History class I thought I deserved a medal.

If their reactions while we were together were bad, they grew exponentially worse once I was by myself and heading to English. I ran into Lee halfway there which helped me keep my focus off the whispers that were everywhere around me.

“So you finally figured things out?” he asked, a grin on his face.

“Yeah, I did. You could have said something. I know you knew.”

Lee shrugged. “It wasn’t my place. Besides, I’m not sure you deserve her.”

“I’ll tell you what, neither am I. Thanks for keeping her safe over the years.”

“Yeah, well.” Lee actually blushed. “I suppose you’re not that bad, and it’s been a privilege to keep her safe.”

I mock punched his upper arm. “You like me, you know you do.”

“Let’s just say you’re growing on me, and you’re a hell of a ball player.”

“Thanks man. Same to you.”

We walked through the door to our class and a guy I’d never spoken to smacked me on the back.

“My man! Tell me how you managed to conquer that summit,” he crowed.

“What?” I asked, totally lost.

Three other guys in the class stood up and applauded.

My eyes darted around the room. “What the hell?”

Lee shook his head and made his way to his seat.

“No one has ever managed to even get a date with the Ice Princess and you’ve got her making out with you in your car,” one of them said.

“Hell, I tried for a year, a whole year, to get her phone number and came up empty. Tell us how you did it!” cried another.

I was spared from answering when the bell rang and our teacher called the class to order. Unfortunately, the rest of the morning followed the same pattern with guys, almost all humans and not Shifters, acting like I had single-handedly managed to win World War III.

The girls either gaped at me or else they slung barbs at Ellery like ‘I hope he breaks her heart, if the bitch even has one.’ By the time my third period class was winding down I was on the verge of losing my mind.

“What is the deal with everyone?” I hissed at James as we were leaving. James, as it turns out, had only been prickly with me because I hadn’t realized that Ellery was my mate. Now that we were together he was much more agreeable to be around.

“Everyone’s just in shock,” he muttered. “Elly lets so few beings get to know her, she’s like a legend or a fantasy around this place.”

“Elly’s right. People need to get their own lives,” I grumbled.

“Look dude, you’re going to have to get used to it. The Sinclairs draw a lot of scrutiny and attention from all walks of life, if you catch my drift.”

“Drift caught. Doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying as hell.”

“Small price to pay though, isn’t it?”

I was about to agree when yet another guy I didn’t know came up to me and asked to shake my hand.

“Come on man,” I groaned, pushing past him. “This shit is getting old.”

“But what you’ve accomplished is epic. Epic!”

Even James was starting to get pissed. “Knock it off,” he growled, but the dude kept on talking, following us down the hall.

“At least tell me if her rack is one hundred percent real.”

James and I both froze and turned as one to face the idiot. “What the fuck did you just ask me?” I demanded.

“Come on, we’ve got to live vicariously. Just a few details, that’s all I’m asking.”

James had him against the lockers before I could react.

“You disgusting maggot,” he growled. “I bet you and your friends have never even touched a girl. Only scum talks about those things.”

His eyes were wide with shock and I grabbed him by his face, forcing him to look at me. “You tell all of your fucking friends that my girl is not to be spoken of in this manner. In fact, don’t even discuss her at all. Are we clear?”

“Yeah.” He gulped. “Yeah, crystal clear.”

James and I let go of him at the same time and he slithered to the ground as we stalked away.