Page 60 of Earth-Bound

I shook my head. “Nah, she won’t come inside the garden. Doesn’t like it. She always waits for me at the gate.”

“Huh.”

Arram tilted their head. “I believe I was right to like you so much when we first met.”

Dee’s voice turned sharp. “But not as much as you like me?”

“No, not as much as I like you. You are my mate. But Joe has an affinity with the earth which dryads find endearing.”

Dee nodded and I realised that the sharp sound of her voice had made the hairs on the back of my arms stand up.

Dum prowled nearer and I wished his boyfriend was there to keep him under control the way Dee’s partner was, but Matty and Anthony were back at work in the basement.

“She doesn’t seem afraid of me at all.”

The fox wasn’t even watching him. She was leaning against my leg and I had my hand resting on her head.

Terrund said, “She knows she is safe. With an earth spirit and a dryad nearby.”

“She likes your- she likes Joe, I’ll give you that.”

Terrund’s eyes lifted to mine and held my gaze. His were such beautiful eyes, full of patience and gentleness and ancient wisdom. I had no idea how old he was, but I got the impression he was more long-lived than a human.

“Yes, she does like him,” he said.

The satisfaction surged inside me. It felt good to have the fox trust me, but to have Terrund admire that made it ten times as good.

Chapter 25: Terrund

Watching Joe all day was a pleasure I didn’t think I’d ever tire of. What made it better was that, with each hour that passed, I could see more cares falling from his shoulders.

He’d been so suspicious and hurt by his past that he’d nearly left. The thought still sent shivers through me. I didn’t want to contemplate how I’d have faded away as I searched endlessly for my mate.

No, I wanted to feel the certainty that he was there. It meant I might have watched him closely all day and touched him whenever I could. He never pulled away from me, not any longer. The worry that had pressed him down was gone, and it was as though he could finally be himself without restraint.

I heard him talk to the animals and the plants more. He did it openly, and I leaned towards him, my body drawn to him just like the plants were. I felt them reach out for my mate, soak up his words the way they soak up sunlight, and thrive from it just as much.

My mate had a strong affinity for the earth.

In fact, I was by his side all day and never strayed from him. It didn’t occur to me to go anywhere else. And when he went home at the end of the evening, it didn’t occur to me to separate from him. Where Joe went, I went.

We walked across the fields together and Joe held my hand. His grip was firm and I could tell from the way he tested it occasionally that it was new to him, that he was testing out the feeling and getting used to it. It made me feel special, to know that I was experiencing new things with my mate.

When we reached his camper van, Joe stopped. He turned to me. His free hand went to the back of his neck and my eyes flickered to his biceps and back to his face.

“I, uh, was wondering if you wanted to, uh, stay a while.”

I smiled. Little did he know, but we were going to stay together forever. “I’d like that,” I said.

“Great.” He popped open the door to the van.

“You don’t lock it?”

“Nah. Nothing worth stealing. The only thing that’s worth anything is the van, and I’ve got the keys.”

I eyed the dark interior. I didn’t relish the idea of going inside. I’d been into the house, and that had been fine, but I’d been glad to get out again. Standing inside a metal box didn’t sound very fun.

“Can we stay outside for a while?”

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