home.”
He had yipped and then ran off into the woods, chasing his new lady. I had cried for days.
But now he was back and it was like my family was complete again. Even Arach got up and came over to hug the nurial. We all sat there together, petting the huge Dexter (he was over six feet long now) and hugging him occasionally.
“I told you he'd be back,” Arach said gruffly as he stood but I caught him swiping at his cheeks. He walked to the still open door and shouted, “Isleen! We need Dexter's bed brought back in!”
We had removed the miniature version of our bed that we'd made for Dex because every time I looked at it I cried. But now he was home and his bed would be back besides ours again.
“Did you have fun?” I scratched his chin and he flopped his head into my lap and started to purr. I was covered by his thick mane but Arach still gave me a look while he pulled on his clothes.
“They'll be others here soon,” he said. “Faeries whom I don't wish to see my wife naked.”
“I don't care,” I hugged Dexter. “Everyone knows you can't move when you've got a cat in your lap.”
“He's not a cat,” Arach rolled his eyes. “He's not even a lion, he's a nurial and he's been gone for months. He can wait five minutes for you to pull a dress over your head.”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Throw me a dress.”
Arach made a face at me but obligingly handed me one of my dresses.
“I gotta put this on because Daddy is being stupid,” I said to Dex as I scooted him off my lap. He whined and stared up at me with his huge, crimson eyes. “I know, give me a sec,” I pulled on the dress. “Okay, come back to Mama!”
He flopped back into my lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I hadn't realized how much stress it had been for me to be without him. It was like my son had gone away without leaving any word of when or if he'd return. Say what you will but I've always had deep connections to my animals and even now, having birthed babies in this life, I could still say that I loved this nurial as much as my own biological children. I raised him, he was my child, just like my gray tabby, Nick back in the God Realm, and losing Dex had been traumatic, to say the least.
“Welcome home, Dexter,” Isleen smiled as she strode in. Two fire fey men came in behind her carrying Dexter's bed. “I knew you'd return to us once your mating season was over. I tried to reassure the Queen but she was inconsolable,” Isleen came over to scratch Dexter's head. He was so tall now, even sitting, that she didn't have to bend to reach him. “Your horns are looking mighty and majestic,” she tapped their curving tips. “Was your mating successful?”
Dexter yipped.
“Well done,” she nodded smartly and then turned to the men. “Over there please,” she indicated a spot next to our bed and the men put Dexter's bed down carefully.
“Thank you,” I said to them and they smiled wide, bowed, and then each one gave Dex a few pats before leaving. “Thank you, Isleen,” I added.
“My pleasure, Queen Vervain,” she smiled at Dexter. “I'm glad to have our boy home. I'll tell the rest of the castle the good news.”
She gave Dex one last stroke and then left. The whole castle loved my Dexter. And Dexter loved his bed. He jumped into it excitedly, kneading at the thick comforter before settling down for a good nap.
“Oh, no you don't,” I scolded him and his eyes popped open. “You've got two babies to meet.” His floppy ears perked up as he lifted his head. “Yeah, didn't you notice the belly's gone?” I waved my hands at my stomach. “You got brothers now.”
“Vervain,” Arach sighed. “I hardly think it's appropriate to call a nurial bro-” he stopped when he saw my stare. “As you wish.”
“That's what I thought,” I looked back to Dexter. “And you haven't even greeted Blossom yet,” I waved to the nostradim flower in her tall pot near the window.
Dexter jumped up and ran over to the pot,
He had yipped and then ran off into the woods, chasing his new lady. I had cried for days.
But now he was back and it was like my family was complete again. Even Arach got up and came over to hug the nurial. We all sat there together, petting the huge Dexter (he was over six feet long now) and hugging him occasionally.
“I told you he'd be back,” Arach said gruffly as he stood but I caught him swiping at his cheeks. He walked to the still open door and shouted, “Isleen! We need Dexter's bed brought back in!”
We had removed the miniature version of our bed that we'd made for Dex because every time I looked at it I cried. But now he was home and his bed would be back besides ours again.
“Did you have fun?” I scratched his chin and he flopped his head into my lap and started to purr. I was covered by his thick mane but Arach still gave me a look while he pulled on his clothes.
“They'll be others here soon,” he said. “Faeries whom I don't wish to see my wife naked.”
“I don't care,” I hugged Dexter. “Everyone knows you can't move when you've got a cat in your lap.”
“He's not a cat,” Arach rolled his eyes. “He's not even a lion, he's a nurial and he's been gone for months. He can wait five minutes for you to pull a dress over your head.”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Throw me a dress.”
Arach made a face at me but obligingly handed me one of my dresses.
“I gotta put this on because Daddy is being stupid,” I said to Dex as I scooted him off my lap. He whined and stared up at me with his huge, crimson eyes. “I know, give me a sec,” I pulled on the dress. “Okay, come back to Mama!”
He flopped back into my lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I hadn't realized how much stress it had been for me to be without him. It was like my son had gone away without leaving any word of when or if he'd return. Say what you will but I've always had deep connections to my animals and even now, having birthed babies in this life, I could still say that I loved this nurial as much as my own biological children. I raised him, he was my child, just like my gray tabby, Nick back in the God Realm, and losing Dex had been traumatic, to say the least.
“Welcome home, Dexter,” Isleen smiled as she strode in. Two fire fey men came in behind her carrying Dexter's bed. “I knew you'd return to us once your mating season was over. I tried to reassure the Queen but she was inconsolable,” Isleen came over to scratch Dexter's head. He was so tall now, even sitting, that she didn't have to bend to reach him. “Your horns are looking mighty and majestic,” she tapped their curving tips. “Was your mating successful?”
Dexter yipped.
“Well done,” she nodded smartly and then turned to the men. “Over there please,” she indicated a spot next to our bed and the men put Dexter's bed down carefully.
“Thank you,” I said to them and they smiled wide, bowed, and then each one gave Dex a few pats before leaving. “Thank you, Isleen,” I added.
“My pleasure, Queen Vervain,” she smiled at Dexter. “I'm glad to have our boy home. I'll tell the rest of the castle the good news.”
She gave Dex one last stroke and then left. The whole castle loved my Dexter. And Dexter loved his bed. He jumped into it excitedly, kneading at the thick comforter before settling down for a good nap.
“Oh, no you don't,” I scolded him and his eyes popped open. “You've got two babies to meet.” His floppy ears perked up as he lifted his head. “Yeah, didn't you notice the belly's gone?” I waved my hands at my stomach. “You got brothers now.”
“Vervain,” Arach sighed. “I hardly think it's appropriate to call a nurial bro-” he stopped when he saw my stare. “As you wish.”
“That's what I thought,” I looked back to Dexter. “And you haven't even greeted Blossom yet,” I waved to the nostradim flower in her tall pot near the window.
Dexter jumped up and ran over to the pot,
Similar Books
