-Julien Grayson:
For a moment, I didn't move.
I just stayed there on my knees, my hands still resting against him, fingers buried slightly in the warmth of his fur, as if I let go too quickly, this would disappear. Like it would all unravel, and I'd blink and find him standing there again, human, quiet, unreadable.
But he didn't disappear.
He stayed.
The fox—Ember—leaned into my touch instead.
Slowly at first, cautiously, like he was testing something he had never felt before. His body pressed just a little closer, his head nudging forward until it brushed lightly against my arm.
My breath caught.
"Hey…" I whispered, softer now, my hands adjusting, one sliding gently along his back, the other resting under his jaw.
He didn't pull away.
If anything, he moved closer.
His nose brushed against my wrist, then higher, lingering there for a second before moving again—curious, searching. When he reached my neck, he paused, inhaling softly, like he was memorizing something.
