Page 29 of Finding His Fox

"You really have a thing for Nate, don't you?" Owen asked.

"Nate can be frustrating and hard to understand, but beneath his tough exterior, he can also be incredibly sweet at times," I said.

Owen chuckled. "You sound love struck."

"Maybe I am. At first, I was ticked off that Nate didn't remember me at all, but now I understand that forgetting is a defense mechanism. Nate has also been through his own private hell, so he doesn't open up to others easily."

"So you think you're the one who can break through his barriers?" Owen asked kindly.

I was pretty sure Owen and I were around the same age, but he was acting like an old man, doling out advice.

No, I realized, Owen had put on his lead alpha mask.

I was no longer just talking to my friend. I was conversing with the leader of my pack.

As the lead alpha, Owen was concerned for the well-being of all his pack mates.

"I said he could do his photoshoot here, at Redtree Lake," I replied.

I wasn't ignoring Owen's question. I simply didn't have an answer for him yet.

Although my fox knew what he wanted, I wasn't entirely sure Nate saw me as potential mate material.

Heck, it didn't escape me that Nate was human. He didn't understand our culture, but he was aware of my affections. It wasn't a completely one-sided situation.

"We'll take things step-by-step," I concluded.

"That sounds like a good idea," Owen said, patting my shoulder. "I wish you the best of luck. Nate's not the easiest puzzle to solve."

I had to agree with Owen on that.

Chapter 9

Nate

“Did you manage to pack everything you need? Max’s Toys? Treats? Bear spray?” Rory asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Yes, mom,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Rory could be a little too cautious and overprotective at times. I didn’t blame him, though.

He basically looked after me ever since my dads died.

“Don’t you ‘mom’ me. And don’t you roll your eyes at me,” Rory said sternly. “You know Josie would kill me if I didn’t at least make sure.”

“Give me some credit. I know it’s been years, but I still remember everything you taught me all those years ago,” I said, flashing him a smile and nudging him lightly. Rory was still driving, after all.

We were on our way to Cal’s place near Redtree Lake.

When Cal called last night offering to pick me up, Rory overheard our conversation. He heavily insisted on taking me there himself instead.

‘Heavily insisted’ meant Rory putting my head under his armpit and rubbing it until I said yes.

We were like a couple of teenagers again. Josie had to threaten us by taking away dessert. It definitely wasn’t our finest moment.

“I know, but ever since that day…” Rory began, but trailed off.

I scratched my right shoulder absentmindedly. Rory didn’t need to finish his sentence.