Chapter Three
Caylan’s mind was racing from Tansy’s episode that afternoon as he went about working in the kitchen to prepare some sandwiches to tide the both of them over until dinner. What could possibly have happened? One minute she was fine, being a little cantankerous and guarded for sure, but the next she had passed out in the middle of the path! Caylan could understand keeping secrets, not wanting to trust people, but this was something different entirely. She was hiding more than just secrets at this point, and he was determined to find out more about the mysterious woman.
“Amazing what a shower can do for the soul,” Tansy smiled as she walked out of the bathroom towel drying her hair.
Caylan took in her appearance. She was wearing his grey basketball shorts and blue t-shirt. He was quite larger than she was, so the clothes practically drowned her, but something about the sight of her in his clothes excited him.
“Feel better?” Caylan asked as he set down a plate filled with a sandwich and chips.
“Much.”
“Tansy?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Caylan. Please, just let it go,” Tansy said, pulling the plate closer to her as she sat down at the table.
Caylan frowned at his own sandwich before taking a bite, “Fine, I won’t force you. Just know that I’m a good listener and tend to not judge others, because there’s always more to a story than there might seem.”
“That’s pretty deep for a guy,” Tansy said around a mouthful of sandwich.
“Just saying, you never know someone’s story until they tell you it. There can be a lot more to them than what meets the eye,” Caylan shrugged.
Silence passed between them for a moment before Tansy spoke, “So what’s your story? What makes a big guy like you move out to the middle of the woods?”
Caylan raised an eyebrow at her before smiling at her curiosity, “To tell you my story, you have to be brought into the loop with everything else. Last time I mentioned something about it, you thought I was insane. I think it’s better if I show you.”
“Show me what?” A look of concern flashed across Tansy’s face.
“I don’t think you’re going to believe anything I have to say unless I give you proof that what I’m saying is true.”
Tansy nodded, “You’re probably right.”
“Thought so. Now this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to show you why you need to believe me when I tell you everything tonight.”
“What if even after you show me whatever you’re going to show me, I still don’t believe you?”
Caylan smiled deviously, “I’m completely sure that you’re going to believe me after I show you what I’m about to show you. Finish up your sandwich.”
Tansy narrowed her eyes at him, “You’re strange.”
“Yeah, you’ll learn to accept it though,” Caylan nodded, popping the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.
“Will I? I’m not planning on staying for long,” Tansy said as she finished chewing the last of her food.
“You’ll find I can be quite... Persuasive.”
“We’ll see about that,” she challenged.
Caylan nodded towards the door, “Come on then, let’s go.”
He tried not to laugh at the look of concern that was painted on Tansy’s face. Caylan could tell she was the kind of woman that was used to being in charge and didn’t do well with orders. A challenge like her brought all sorts of thoughts of arousal to the forefront of his mind. The things that he could do to her body. Turning the knob on the door to go outside, Caylan worked to refocus his mind. He couldn’t risk Tansy seeing him aroused when he was trying to earn her trust. He wondered if the couples had experienced issues like this when they first met. Having this constant, throbbing need for someone he knew he couldn’t have was not going to bode well for him. He was going to need to take her to the wolven so they could help her stay safe from Khain.
Caylan remembered right around the time that the news of the getting to the foxen community, there was a big protest by the foxen that were still loyal to Khain. They wanted their own mates. When Khain had destroyed the females, he had been thorough with it. He had ended all options for mating for all of the shiften, even though he had created the foxen himself. The paranoid bastard had fucked everyone over. It’s why Caylan was out to settle the score with Khain. He had been the one to start organizing the rebellion within Khain’s loyal foxen families. He was going to watch Khain burn for what he had done to the shiften.
As they came to the other side of the fire pit, Caylan took his lighter from his pocket and set about starting the fire. The cool fall air didn’t bother him, but he knew that it might bother Tansy, even though she was too filled with pride to admit it. Once the fire was going, he turned to see Tansy seated on one of the log benches, arms folded, eyeing him like she thought he was up to something.
“How did you end up at the top of that hill anyway?” Tansy asked, her voice filled with suspicion.
Caylan winked over his shoulder, “Thought I smelled cookies. I don’t know how I got so lucky as to run into something as sweet as you.”
“What’re you doing? I thought you were showing me something?”
“I am. Patience, Tans; You’ll see soon enough,” Caylan winked as he grabbed the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are you doing?” Tansy stood, crossing to grab Caylan’s shirt and tug it back onto him. Caylan tried not to laugh at how many shades of red her cheeks had turned out of embarrassment from him taking his clothes off in front of her.
“Woman, I’m going to show you something that will help you believe what I’m saying is true. Would you just go sit down? I’m sure I won’t be the first man you’ve seen naked. I’m not going to try and get frisky with you, I promise.”
Tansy glared at him in defiance.
“Suit yourself, but you might be warmer next to the fire than over here by me,” Caylan said, pulling his shirt off and dropping it on the ground next to him.
Tansy turned around and walked back to her bench as Caylan undid the button on his jeans and stepped out of them and his boots at the same time.
“Alright, now you’ve gotta face me. If you don’t watch me, you won’t believe it, okay?”
“Fine,” Tansy said, turning to face Caylan.
As soon as Caylan’s eyes met with Tansy’s, he willed his body to shift. His bones began to pop and crack as they shift into new positions. He watched Tansy’s eyes fill with fear as she watched his transition from man to beast. Red and brown fur grew from his arms while his body molded and shaped into the large foxen body that he called his own. As his body fell forward on all fours, he gave his fur a shake. Lifting his head in the direction Tansy had been sitting, his eyes followed her as she walked forward with inquisition in her eyes.
“How is this possible?”