The Fox’s Tale

The next morning as we were getting ready, Ellery called to me from the bedroom.

“Alexander, you’ve forgotten. I showed you my wings, but you still haven’t shown me your fox.”

I came out of the bathroom, half dressed with my toothbrush in my mouth. “Right now? You’re joking, aren’t you?” Ellery still had on her silk bathrobe, her hair damp from our shower and was sitting on the bed.

“You did promise me,” she insisted, fluttering her eyelashes at me.

I had, I knew I had, but I was seized with shyness. “Give me a second.” I went back to the bathroom and finished brushing my teeth. I came back out and fidgeted. “I’ve never shifted in front of anyone except my parents on my tenth birthday.”

“Shall I close my eyes, until you’re done? I don’t need to see you do it; I’ll feel it.”

“Would you mind?” I asked as I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t know why I’m nervous about it.”

“Because you want me to like your fox too,” she said with the certainty of someone who knew my feelings even better than I did. She relaxed on the bed and closed her eyes. “Jump up beside me when you’re finished.”

I squinted at her to make sure she wasn't peeking, then pulled my pants off before shifting. I jumped up and sniffed her hair as she opened her eyes, rolling over onto her side to get a better look at me.

Shifter foxes are larger than normal red foxes, although not nearly as large as some other shifted forms. We’re about the size of a standard schnauzer.

I gazed into her eyes, unsure if she wanted me to do something while in this form and of how she was going to react. Whatever I had been expecting it was not for her to begin crooning in Gaelic as she reached out to stroke my fur.

Nor did I anticipate her scratching behind my ears or under my chin. I rolled over onto my back and she continued to scratch under my chin.

“Ta tu gleoite, oh, do chosa beaga!” (You’re so adorable, oh, your little feet!). She held my front feet in her hands, playing with them as you do a puppy. Disgruntled, I shifted back and grabbed her hands.

“Ellery,” I admonished, “I know foxes are cute, but I’m still a man.”

She cast her eyes over my naked body. “I can see that.” She stuck her lower lip out. “But I didn’t even get to your tail.” She pulled her hands, but I didn’t let them go.

“My tail?”

“Yes. It was so fluffy. My stuffed fox Alexander’s coat wasn’t as soft as you are. Would you mind shifting back?” Her voice was sweet, but her eyes brimmed with mischief.

“I’m not going to let you cuddle me like a stuffed toy. It’s degrading. Besides, we’ve got to get ready.”

Ellery managed to retract her hands from my grasp and scratched under my chin again. The mischievous intent I had seen in her eyes was now clearly evident on her entire face.

“What are you….oh fuck.” My eyes rolled back and I groaned. My body tensed, then relaxed, and then tensed again. She moved to scratch behind my ears and I lost all sense of reality.

I shifted back and forth between man and beast as she scratched me with one hand and stroked my back and tail with the other, managing to only get part of her name out between each shift.

“El. Er. Ry. Oh. Gods.”

At long last she stopped. When I managed to regain control of myself I was breathing heavily. I sat up with a growl and she giggled at me.

“You’re going to pay for that, my little minx.”

“Am I? Just how do you plan on making me pay?”

I pounced, pinning her to the bed with my body. “Like this.” I pressed against her and whispered into her ear.

“The next Unseelie outfit you wear isn’t going to come off right away.” She gasped and I continued to purr in her ear. “I’m going to leave you trussed up in it for my viewing pleasure as I take you, just like you thought I would last night.” I sucked on her earlobe for good measure.

Her eyes darkened and she squirmed beneath me, her bathrobe slipping open. “Take me now, Alexander.” She pushed her hips up and I pressed a finger to her mouth. As tempting as it was, I tried to be the responsible party. Besides, teasing her was rewarding in its own way.

“Ah, ah, ah. We have to go soon, or we’ll be late. Wear the skirt you wore when I first saw you. I’ll take care of all your needs later. If you hadn’t been so naughty this morning we would have had time.”

I kissed her fast and climbed off, stopping to grab my boxers and pants off the floor, before disappearing into the walk-in closet to find a shirt. When I came back out Ellery was dressed in that skirt, with white thigh highs on and an electric blue cashmere sweater.

I clutched the door frame as I tried to control my breathing. “Fuck. Maybe we can be late after all.”

“Ah, ah, ah.” She mimicked my teasing tone of voice from earlier. “Being late will just create more problems. I’m holding you to your promise of servicing me later.”

She ran her hand down my chest to my crotch and gave me a gentle squeeze. Then she grabbed her bag and headed out our bedroom door.

“Damn it,” I growled as I followed her, adjusting my pants to alleviate the discomfort from my raging hard-on. When it came to teasing someone to distraction Ellery still reigned supreme.