Ok, so I kind of idled my way into the images for this one during my down time at work.  I hope you enjoy this.  And so you know, this may or may not be the end of this one.

And as always, comments are appreciated and requested.

**fixed a couple typos that people found**

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

continued from "Mated in Truth..."

            Drawing a quiet breath, Redtail laid his red furred muzzle on his arm, the room dark and silent around him, far more silent than usual.  There was always something about the small hours of the morning, before even the first glimmer of dawn, that made the darkness seem to draw close.  Something that made the dark parts of a person's imagination come to life, made all the fears and anxieties that were so easy to dismiss in the daylight tower ominously.  Though he tried desperately to banish his thoughts, tried to focus on the wonder and pleasure of the weekend, all the questions and doubts seemed to come through, refusing to go away, no matter how much he focused on the memories.  Listening closely with his sharp vulpine ears, he could hear the quiet breathing of his lupine lover as he slept on obliviously beside him, and it was most certainly impossible to miss the warm paw draped across his back, the tickle of their mingling fur wonderful to feel.  Despite the hours that had passed since Greystone had fallen asleep, he could still scent the lingering notes of their last mating upon the air, a scent when stirred even more memories from his mind.  Turning his head, Tom looked at the handsome, sleeping form and despite all the anxieties, he smiled for a moment.  More than anything else in the world right now, Tom wanted to snuggle up to the canine, just wanted to nestle in close, breathe his scent, enjoy his touch and most of all, sleep in his arms.  But despite the desires, he didn't move closer, his smile faltering slightly.  Drawing a breath and heaving a near silent sigh, the fox turned his head away, knowing that the handsome grey wolf was the source of most of his discomforts, try as he might to focus on everything else.

            For tonight, this quiet, peaceful night, was the last of this life changing weekend; In a few short hours, he would have to leave The Realm, returning to his humanity and his normal life.  Maybe he should have desired to stay awake, to luxuriate for the last few hours in this form; maybe he should have been enjoying being Redtail the fox instead of Tom the human.  Maybe he should even have awoken his lover to spend a few more moments awake together.  But no, his utmost desire was to spend them asleep, in the arms of his wolf; to wake the next morning to see his face beside him.  And that of course, brought him right back to his anxious thoughts.  Round and round... he thought, turning towards the door.  It was a testament, he supposed, to how much he felt for his companion that that was how he wanted to spend these precious hours.  And yet, that very thing was what kept him his mind spinning, kept him from doing what he wanted so very much.

            Troubled by the paradox, the fox gently slipped over to the edge of the comfortable bed, sliding out from under the paw that belonged to his lover.  For a moment, he paused there, waiting, but Greystone didn't so much as stir and Redtail sat up, swinging his legs over to set his feet on the floor.  Restless, Tom stood up, negligently draping the orange robe around his shoulders before walking out of the room.  The cabin spa was nearly silent, only the gentle burbling of the hot tub to be heard, and so dark that he knew if he were his human self, he would be blind.  But even the pale starlight coming in through the windows was more than enough for him now.  Not entirely sure of what he was doing, or why, Redtail walked to the door leading out onto the balcony and slid it open, embracing the exhilaratingly cool night air of the high mountain valley as it slipped beneath his robe, tickling his fur.  Stepping out under the stars, he walked to the edge of the deck, resting his paws on the railing, looked out on what he could see.

            Far off, he could see the main building of the spa, its outline unlit, kept dark so as not to disturb its patrons this late.  Closer, the valley floor waved gently in the soft breeze, the scent of sweet grass and mountain dew filling every breath, a scent that humans only ever got the barest taste of.  Above, the stars lit the dark sky brightly, more stars than he had ever perceived before, the light they cast lending a strange and almost eerie beauty to the valley.  He could hear the rustling in the grass of the creatures that dwelled in the brush, the distant footsteps of deer in the forest, and a hint, just a hint, of a feral fox as it went about its business in the shadows, nearly soundless.

            Drawing another slow, sweet breath to steel himself, Redtail turned his mind away from his feral cousin, finally turning his mind to the task at hand, confronting the thoughts head on.  First and foremost, he could feel the unmistakable giddy ache in his heart every time he thought about Greystone, and the feeling didn't change a single iota when he thought about the wolf's human self.  Tom knew he loved him, loved him so much it hurt, and had loved him for who knew how long; far, far, longer than this weekend, that seemed certain.  Nothing about the feeling felt wrong, not even slightly odd, and why should it?

            They had been best friends for almost twenty years now, inseparable, and nobody knew him better.  It stood to reason that if he were ever to fall for someone without meaning to, surely, it would be Chris.  Actually, looking back, he was a little shocked that it had taken him as long as it had.  Having puzzled over the subject in his head a few times that weekend, the closest he had come to pinpointing the moment he had started feeling this way about his friend was sometime during his last steady relationship.  When he and his girlfriend had started having problems, he had talked about it with Chris, asking his advice, and he had remembered commenting, jokingly at the time, 'Why can't the women I meet be more like you?'  The only thing that he could figure that had kept him from seeing it at the time, was that all his life, he had just kind of assumed that another guy was not an option for romance, not even entertaining it as a possibility.  And, with the benefit of hindsight, he should have realized that his ideal of the perfect partner was already in his life, was actually already living with him.  And yet...

            That very thing, the very reason that he had not realized it, was what made him doubt the most.  For all of those feelings, despite the certainty that he felt, here, in the quiet dark and silence of the middle of the night, all the little doubts came out to play, all the fears he had quieted nagging him once more.  The peaceful near-silence almost seemed to shout the question at him, echoing inside his mind.  What if?  It seemed to ask, What if it's just this place?  What if this body is just making you think that is what you are feeling?  Try as he might to shrug off the question, he couldn't deny that it had occurred to him, always in the back of his mind.  If the magic, for lack of a better term, that could change his body into that of Redtail, in fact, into the exact form that had only ever truly lived in his own imagination, could it also change his mind; make him remember things differently; think about things in a different way?  Why not?  It certainly seemed within the realm of possibility, if that was even the right word for such an impossible subject.  And couple that with what Chris had told him about the others that had had this happen...  Shaking his head and heaving a deep sigh, Tom leaned on the railing, resting his chin on his crossed arms.  It would have been much simpler if he hadn't known.  Ignorance would have made this so much easier; he could have slept, blissfully unaware of the possibility that this wonderful, incredible and deep feeling was just a product of the form he wore.  Then, scowling, he clenched his fists, his tail thrashing back and forth suddenly, denial roaring to life in his chest.

            What it came down to truthfully, was that he didn't want any of this to go away, didn't even want to take the chance of it vanishing.  He wanted to feel his heart ache for Chris every moment of every day for the rest of his life.  Right now, he wanted to fight for it in every way he could.  But what scared him, truly scared him, was the 'Right now' part.  He was terrified that when he went back to being human, he wouldn't feel it anymore.  And worse, that it would forever tarnish the friendship they had.  That, at least, he knew was a fear his human self would share.  He never wanted to hurt Chris, no matter what.  But what if he did?  What if he really didn't love him like that and it was just something about this place that made him think he did?  And even thinking that that might be a remote possibility made him despise himself.

            Clenching his fists so hard his arms started to shake, Tom felt a growl building in his throat, the restless feeling he had been struggling with for hours almost taking over.  He wanted to do...something.  Anything.  For a wild moment, the thought occurred to him that he and Chris could run off into the wild together, or maybe just refuse to leave this place, refuse to return to humanity and the lives they lived there.  It was so strong a desire that he could feel his legs tensing, as if he was going to leap over the railing at any moment and take off into the woods.  All he needed was Chris beside him, and he would do it...

            “Tom?  Are you okay?" A familiar voice asked, full of concern and at once the fox unclenched, the voice sending a flood of warmth through his body that was so strong and so pleasant, he instinctually didn't fight it.  Turning back towards the door, he found Chris standing in the doorway, his robe draped as his own was, his ears lying flat, his tail tucked, looking so apprehensive that the fox immediately strode to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace once more.  Tom held the wolf tight until he felt the ears perk back up, his tail starting to wag at the closeness of his lover.

            “I'm okay." Tom replied softly, not releasing the grip until he felt his wolf ease his own hold.  When the two lovers released each other, walking back to where Tom had been leaning, he continued talking. “I'm just thinking."

            “About what?" Chris asked, taking a place beside him at the railing, mirroring his leaning posture.  “It's not like you to be awake this late."

            “Nothing, really." He stated, then, when he felt his friend's inquisitive eyes on him, he sighed, giving a slight, helpless shrug.  “Hell... everything."  Chris didn't reply, didn't even nod, just looking out over the valley like Redtail had been doing.  And again, he was struck by how well Chris knew him.  He knew that he would elaborate when he was ready, and that he didn't need to push.  And that made another pang of guilt spear its way into his heart, making him frown.  “I love you Chris.  Right now, I love you so much it hurts.  I want to be with you forever, and the thought of being away from you makes me want to throw up.  And I like feeling like that; it's how I've always wished I could feel about someone..."

            “But..?" the wolf questioned, sounding a little sad, though even in the dim starlight, Tom could see the blush of pleasure under the grey fur of his cheeks.

            “But.  But I can't help it." Tom continued, turning his back on the valley and crossing his arms across his chest. “I can't help but wonder if whatever turned my body into this, is also messing with my head.  I'm scared that when I go back to being human, that feeling will go away, that I'll lose it.  That I'll lose you.  Not just as a partner or boyfriend or mate, or whatever, but as a friend.  I don't think I could take that.  But I can't help but wonder.  Every second that that moment gets closer, the feeling gets worse.  It all makes me want to scream."

            “I understand Tom, believe me." Chris said, putting a paw on his shoulder and the fox met the wolf's gaze once more, the look in his eyes making him hate himself for his doubts even more.  “I wish I had an answer; hell I wish I understood how this all happens.  But nobody understands it, unless it's the guy who created this place, the one who makes those drinks."

            “The bartender?" Redtail asked, surprised.  “You gotta be kidding me.  He is just so...normal looking."

            “Yeah, I know what you mean.  And he never tells when we have asked.  He just kinda gives you this mysterious smile and changes the subject."  The wolf replied, shaking his head.  “Really freaks me out, honestly.  But, I've never pried too hard, I like being like this too much to push it.  Honestly," the sudden change in Greystone's voice made the fox look at his friend closely once more, though the wolf wasn't looking in his direction. “I'm scared too, Tom.  I've been scared of losing you since I first realized how I felt for you.  I hate it when you are sad, or scared or angry.  I just want to take it all away, even if it would mean feeling it all myself.  I just want you to be happy, whatever that means."

            “Awww, damnit." Tom said, rubbing his face with both hands, then looking up at the sky, his emotions roiling around inside him in one big confused mess.  His reaction made Chris look back at him with an almost comically canine expression of confusion on his face.  “What the hell is wrong with me?  I have gotta be the biggest idiot in the world."  Looking the wolf right in the eyes, Tom continued, his words coming out in an unbelieving tone. “You really are perfect, you know that?"

            “Ah, come on." Chris said, sounding embarrassed and looking away again.

            “I'm serious, Chris." Tom said, shaking his head.  “I can't think of a single reason why anyone wouldn't jump at the chance to be with you.  And here I am, doubting whether I really feel like that.  I'm really sorry.  You don't deserve doubts.  You deserve to have everything you want."  Chuckling slightly, the wolf reached out and took his hand, clasping it gently.

            “Tom, I do have everything I want.  I have had everything since I was seven and my family moved into your neighborhood." He said, making the fox grin, blushing bright red beneath his fur. “Look, until we know for sure, one way or another, the fear is going to be there.  There is just no getting around it."  The pair fell silent, holding hands beneath the starlight for a few minutes.  Then, finally, Tom spoke again.

            “I guess we are stuck." He said, and it was the wolf's turn to grin.  “As long as I am awake, I can't stop thinking about all this.  But its not like I can sleep either."

            “I know how you feel.  You know," Greystone began, pulling Redtail gently away from the railing, and towards the hammock that was still strung behind them. “Every time I have thought about this, this weekend, I have held you close and it has all just kinda faded away."

            “Well then..." The fox replied, feeling his grin widen. “I guess we are just going to have to hold each other close until morning."

            “Oh darn." The wolf replied softly, the sarcasm in his words obvious.  Chuckling lightly, the wolf slid smoothly into the hammock, scooting over so Redtail could lay beside him.  Then, with the stars above them, and the cool night breeze swaying the cloth sling lightly, they held each other in silence, nestled close, Greystone laying his head on Redtail's bared chest.  It was a pleasant few minutes until either spoke, but finally, the wolf spoke up again, his words a whisper. “Redtail?"

            “Hmmm?" The fox replied, gently nuzzling the wolf's ears.

            “Whatever happens in the morning..." Chris said, “I'm glad we had this weekend."

            “Me too Chris." Tom said, gently raising the wolf's chin, their muzzles meeting in a soft kiss.  Whatever happens...

***

            Tom woke with a start, for a moment not remembering anything more than the extremely pleasant dream he had been having.  He and Chris had made up their minds in the middle of the night, running off into the woods side by side, leaving everything behind.  Then, they had curled up together in a distant clearing, far away from everything and everyone, rather than face any chance of losing what they had.  Yawning, the fox peered around blearily for a moment, wincing when he looked right at the brilliant yellow disk just cresting the red-orange horizon.  Moving an arm to shield his eyes from the sun revealed that at least part of the dream had been real.  Chris was still curled up against him, his head pillowed on his chest, the wolf still holding him close even though he was fast asleep, as if keeping him from running away.  For a moment, Redtail just watched him, then an odd thought occurred to him.  Despite the worries, despite the fears that were even now starting to come back to his mind, he had gotten his dearest wish after all.  Smiling, he stroked his paw gently along his lover's spine, making the wolf stir at last even as he admired the grey furred canine's face.

            “Good morning." Tom said, giving the wolf a kiss before his eyes were even fully open, making his lover chuckle.

            “Good morning." Chris replied, finally opening his eyes and smiling.  Then, after a moment, the smile faltered and he gave a sigh, obviously remembering their conversation of the night before.  “We better get going, checkout needs to be done before check in starts."

            “I know." The fox stated, but he didn't make any move to comply. “In a minute."

            “If we wait a minute, we aren't going to get going at all." Greystone replied, disentangling their limbs with obvious reluctance, his smile returning when Redtail kept adjusting in the hammock so he couldn't move away from him.

            “Would that be so bad?" Tom asked, returning the smile.

            “You really are not making this easy." The wolf said, laughter in his voice as he finally managed to shift back enough that the fox had to let him go.

            “I know." Tom replied as his friend shifted over to the edge of the hammock, setting his bare paws on the decking. “But it shouldn't be, and I don't want it to be."

            “Me neither." Chris said, scooting over a little as Redtail joined him.  “But we have to."  The pair sat together in silent for a few moments, waiting for the sun to rise the rest of the way over the ridge line, then, with a sigh, Tom pushed himself to his feet, the wolf following him as they walked back inside the cabin.

            “You know what?" Tom asked as he tied the sash of the robe closed, arranging the fabric into a less disheveled orientation as he passed the door to the bedroom. “I just realized, I never did ask you how leaving here worked."

            “Well, its not as complicated as you might think." The wolf replied, zipping up his bag and slipping the strap over one shoulder.  “Come on, I'll show you."

            With that, the wolf led the way out of the cabin and back to the garden path that they had walked their first day.  But this time, instead of leading him into the gardens, he led the way in another direction, passing by several other cabins, the occupants all still asleep, until they were up against the hillside once more.  The path dead-ended, or more probably began, at the door to a little building of honey colored wood, built right up against the ridge.  If he didn't know better, Tom might have said it was a utility shed, except that its door was as finely carved as the banister of the stairs into the Onyx Commons, the same black stone paw print set into its center as the door to the room where this whole adventure had begun.

            “After you." The wolf stated, opening the door and gesturing for the fox to proceed him inside.  Honestly, Redtail had no idea what to expect, but there wasn't actually much there at all.  in fact, aside from an ornate light fixture in the ceiling, the only thing that was present was a stone stair way leading down under the ridge, a wide open space between the door and the top stair puzzling Redtail for a moment.  “Its so we can carry the people who drank their drink too fast in the Commons to their cabin."

            “Is that why I passed out?" Tom asked, surprised that the wolf had known what his question was going to be.

            “Well…  Yes and no.  Its very rare for people doing it for the first time not to pass out, but yes, if you chug the transformative drink, it will put you out, no matter how many times you have transformed." Greystone explained as he shut the door behind them and led the way down the stairs.  “We are always warned when we complete training to space it out so we don't end up unconscious.  But believe me, it can be awfully hard to resist the temptation at times."

            “Oh, I believe you." Tom confirmed, following a step behind the handsome wolf as he strode off along the passage at the bottom of the stairs.  “So this is how people have never noticed furs coming and going from the main building..."

            “Yeah, it also wasn't on the original plans for the spa.  I think the owner of this place worked out a deal with the contractors or something." The wolf replied over his shoulder, his words echoing slightly along the smooth walls.  The passage was tall enough that even the tallest of furs would be able to move along it without stooping, and there were recessed lights every few feet that provided plenty of illumination.  It was also pleasantly cool in the passage, and not at all stuffy, which meant that there was some sort of ventilation down here, though Tom had yet to see any sort of vent.  It must also, he realized, be conforming to the shape of the ridge because it twisted and turned gently as they walked, but since no passage branched off, it wasn't like he could get lost down here.  Then, suddenly, they came around one last bend and the path forked.  Distantly, down the passage straight ahead, the vulpine's sharp ears caught the distant strands of music that almost certainly came from the huge common room.  But, Chris turned without hesitation down the other fork, the fox following him after a moment.

            “So, what exactly happens when someone doesn't quaff their drink?" Tom wanted to know and he sensed the lupine grin. “I mean, it can't just have been chance that I happened to walk into the common room when there weren't any furs there."

            “Yeah, we kinda try and avoid that." Chris replied, chuckling. “Regular Oynx members know to finish their drink slowly, and when its gone, they walk out along that passage we passed.  You didn't see, but between the common room and the fork, there is another room where the person that is supposed to take care of their needs waits for them to take them to their cabin.  Of course, there are usually a couple others waiting there to help when people pass out.  Most of the time, they get to their cabin before they start changing."

            “Huh." Redtail said, slowing down for a couple of steps, his nose detecting a faint tendril of scent from up ahead.  It was a strange odor, in truth, a riot of smells, but none of them strong enough to pick out, like faint echoes of what they were.  Giving the wolf ahead of him a perplexed glance as he hurried his pace again to catch up, Tom started to talk, but thought better of it immediately.  Ahead of them, the passage opened up into what was almost a locker room, but that mundane description didn't really do it justice.  The room was filled with row upon row of wooden cabinets, finely crafted, each one with a hand written label on it.  Greystone walked into the room confidently, his stride unerring towards the center of the room and Tom followed almost reluctantly, the realization of what the cabinets had to contain sinking in.  He knew his guess was right when he read the label on the first cabinet he passed, seeing a human name and a date of arrival scrawled on it.  Finally, he came to a sudden halt behind Greystone, the wolf having stopped beside what he might have described as a normal, run of the mill fountain, had his enhanced senses not immediately told him it wasn't.

            It was made of stone, more than six feet across and had a wide basin about waist high, completely encircling a central pillar, down which a clear liquid that looked like water was flowing.  It scented like mountain spring water, clear and fresh, untainted by chemicals, and he didn't doubt that it would be fresh and clean in taste.  The stone was carved in intricate patterns that seemed almost random, but when the water, or whatever it was, flowed over them he knew they weren't, the light upon the liquid dancing artfully over the surface.  Around the wide edge, small wooden cups, not much larger than large shot glasses had been set.  Each was plain and unadorned, and very smooth, clearly masterfully carved.

            “Well, here we are." Chris said, sounding wistful as he took one of the carved wooden cups in each hand.  Dipping the first cup into the fountain had an effect that Redtail didn't expect.  From the point where the cup entered, spreading out with the ripples, a faint glow swirled through the fountain, not unlike the swirls of brilliant color that had filled his pint glass when the bartender had flicked the rim, but this was utterly without color, almost like the ripple of a mirage in the distance.  The ripple of light seemed to flow all the way up the central pillar, disappearing into the inner workings of the stone object, repeated as the handsome wolf dipped the second cup beneath the surface.  Then, turning around, the wolf held out one of the cups towards his friend.  “Drink up Tom."

            “No." He said, defiance flaring in his heart, shaking his head and refusing to take the cup, crossing his arms across his chest.  “I won't.  I want to stay here, like this.  With you.  I don't want to leave."

            “I know." Chris said, his voice quavering, but he didn't pull back the cup. “I want that too.  But we have to go."

            “Why?" Tom asked stubbornly, his own heart fluttering at the tone of his mate's voice.  “Give me one good reason why."

            “Because if we don't, we are risking this place." The wolf replied sadly, giving a sigh and moving to one of the wooden benches set up around the edge of the open space.  When he had settled into place, Tom walked over and sat down next to him, puzzled by what the wolf said.  This time, when Greystone offered the cup, he took it reluctantly, though he didn't drink the clear liquid inside.  “Think about it Tom...  If we just up and disappeared when everyone knows we were here last, what do you think would happen next?"

            “They would come looking for us." Tom replied, immediately grasping what his friend was talking about.

            “Exactly.  And if that happened, how long do you think it would take before they discovered the Onyx Commons, and all of this?" The wolf said, sounding resigned, putting both of his hands around the cup he held. “Would you do that?  Would you take this place away from everyone of our community that would cherish it?  I couldn't do it.  You have no idea how badly I want to stay here, like this, just the two of us.  But I would rather have this weekend, and the possibility of more in the future, than to be responsible for the loss of all of this for everyone."  When he said it, the fox beside him sighed, closing his eyes against the truth that had just exploded in his head.

            “You're right." Tom finally said, shaking his red-furred head, his ears folded flat to his head. “You're right.  I can't do that either."  Giving a last sigh, finding no way around the truth, he finally spoke again, his tone matter of fact. “This really sucks."

            “Boy, you aren't kidding." Chris agreed, shaking his head.  “Well, here goes.  Its last call, time to drink up and go home.  To us?"  With that, the wolf held out the cup, and the fox nodded, tapping his own against it.

            “To us." Redtail said, then brought the cup up to his lips and drank, swallowing it all in one gulp.  The cool, clear liquid didn't really have a taste per say, but it also didn't seem quite like water.  It certainly had the clean taste he had expected, and it was as refreshing as drinking a tall glass of ice water on a hot day, but it sort of tingled on the tongue, kind of like it was carbonated.  But, even as he lowered the cup, the tingling sensation spread quickly outward from his throat, making him shiver, but it wasn't an unpleasant shiver.  Rather, it was like cooling off after being too hot, the exhilarating sensation seeming to spread all over in a heartbeat.  It even seemed to be crawling up every one of his hairs, his fur standing suddenly on end.

            And then, as the tingle reached the tips of his ears and tail, he suddenly shuddered, gasping as he looked at his hands.  The red fur was shrinking, almost like it was being sucked back into his body.  The effect was more than little unsettling, so much so that he totally missed the dull claws on his fingertips becoming fingernails, the familiar outline of his human hands returning.  The fur was nearly gone already, his usual sparse auburn hairs in their place, and then the effect was spreading, like a wave surging back into the ocean, traveling up his arms, as if the fur was retreating under his robe.  Closing his eyes against the unsettling image, he shivered again as an odd feeling that took him a moment to place came over his vulpine features.  It was exactly the sort of the feeling you got when you doused yourself with a bottle of water, only it started at the farthest tips of his ears, nose and tail, spreading until it engulfed all of them.  Then, the feeling almost seemed to flow inward, towards his heart and he understood what was happening.  They were going away, retreating back into his imagination, becoming their human versions once more.  And then, all of a sudden, it was all over, the tingling sensation fading into nothingness and the former fox heaved a wistful sigh.

            Taking a deep breath, Tom marveled at how empty the air seemed, lacking the hundreds of varied scents it had held mere moments before, only the faint scent of wood and rock remaining behind.  Opening his human eyes to find Chris sitting there beside him, wearing a similar expression on his face, Chris the human, not Greystone the wolf, he frowned slightly.  It was amazing really how fast he had gotten used to the heightened senses of Redtail, and so disappointing to no longer have them.

            “How do you feel?" Chris asked and Tom took a moment to think how to reply.

            “Limited..?  I guess." He replied and Chris nodded.  “But otherwise about the same I suppose."

            “Well, I guess that is as good a description as any." The spiky haired platinum blonde replied, taking the cups and returning them to the lip of the fountain.  “Come on, we should be getting dressed."

            Nodding in agreement, Tom stood up gingerly, surprised that he would feel so...unbalanced without his tail.  But, after a couple of steps following his green clad friend down one of the aisles, he felt normal again.  Well, not quite normal, as in how he had felt before he had tasted the Foxfire, but he didn't feel weird at least.  Then, suddenly, the thing that had concerned him the night before returned to his memory and he looked at Chris as he stopped beside a locker with his name scrawled on the label.  Puzzling over his thoughts as he found a locker with his own name across from Chris', he pulled the door open, finding all his belongings inside, his clothes neatly hung on hangers, his phone and the other stuff he had had in his pockets stacked neatly beside his shoes.  But even as he undid the sash to his robe, a peculiar flash of crystal clear clarity hit him and he paused, glancing back over his shoulder.  As different as his body felt to him now, he didn't feel any different about his best friend than he had in the moments when he had realized who the wolf really was, his heart giving a sudden longing ache that hurt just right.  Joy surged to life in his chest, but before he could fully comprehend it, he realized that he was staring at his friend like Chris was in the middle of a strip tease, his eyes glued to his friend while he disrobed, the sudden stirring in his loins making him turn away, trying to think of something else.  Now was really not the time for those kinds of thoughts...

            Quickly taking off the robe and replacing it with his normal clothes, he tried to figure out how best to explain it, how best to tell his friend what he felt.  It didn't seem right to just blurt it out, nor did it really seem like now was the best time to bring it up in conversation either.  But, on the other hand, Chris was probably dying, or maybe fearing, to hear about it, to know for sure.  Maybe it would be best to wait until they were both back home, and they could talk about it privately.  Or Hell, he thought, reaching for his phone and pressing the power button, surprised to find it reading at full charge when it blinked to life. Maybe I should just forget about telling him in words and just kiss him until he gets it...  He was actively contemplating doing that when the phone he was about to put in his pocket suddenly rang, making him jump.

            “Uh...Hello?" He questioned, accepting the call and putting the phone up to his ear.

            “Hey Tom, its Steven.  I didn't expect to catch you." The voice on the other end said, and Tom took the phone from his ear.  Thumbing the speaker button and setting it on the bench, Tom listened while he slid his arms into his button down shirt.  Steven was the coworker who had been taking him around to the dating clubs of late, and it surprised him that he would be calling as well, especially this early in the morning.  “How was your weekend in the mountains?"

            “Way better than I hoped.  Life changing, even." Tom replied, doing up the buttons, Chris grinned silently at his description while he too dressed himself in his usual street clothes. “What's up?"

            “Listen, I know things haven't really been working out for you at the clubs," Steven continued and Tom unconsciously nodded at that.  There was a very good reason for that, he thought, and it's standing right within arm's reach...  “But I thought you might like to give it one more try before work tomorrow.  This last one seems much more up your alley.  I promise there will be more prospects for you there.  I checked it out last night."

            “Nah man, thanks, but I'm going to pass." Tom said and he saw Chris look up, a surprised expression coming across his face as he dared to hope.

            “Aww, you giving up so soon?"  The voice from the phone asked, sounding disappointed.

            “Oh no, nothing like that." Tom said, looking Chris right in the eyes and smiling. “I just, found what I was looking for, is all."

            “I thought you struck out at the clubs." Steven's voice stated, sounding surprised, Chris' face starting to light up with a wild sort of joy.

            “I did." Tom said, tying his shoes.  “Turns out, it was right in front of me the whole time.  So, thanks, but uh... I'm good."  The look on Chris' face as he blushed bright red made Tom instantly feel warm all over and he knew for sure that his fears of last night had been utterly unfounded.  It wasn't just this place, or being Redtail after all.

            “Alright..." Steven said, obviously skeptical. “You will have to tell me about it one of these days.  Well, enjoy the rest of your day off.  I'll see you at work tomorrow."

            “See you then Steven." Tom said, tapping the end call button and standing up.  There was silence in the room for a moment, then Chris suddenly trapped him in a tight hug that said it all, without needing words.  Returning the embrace just as tightly, Tom spoke again, whispering his words, the statement meant for his mate's ears alone.  “I really mean that Chris.  You are everything I have ever wanted, like this or as Greystone, or any form you decide to take.  I love you.  And nothing is going to change that."

            “I love you too Tom." Chris replied, finally breaking the embrace, clearing his throat to banish the happy tears that were starting to gather in his eyes.  “More than anything.  Now, we really do need to get going.  Rules are rules after all..."

            “Yeah...  I'm really going to miss this place.  You are lucky to work here Chris." Tom said.  “We definitely need to do this whole thing again."

            “Absolutely." Chris said, nodding eagerly, picking up his bag and leading the way towards a set of stairs leading up to a door.  Grinning, Tom followed his mate, somewhat surprised to find the tropical atrium beyond the door.  The pair were standing just around the corner from the check-in desk, in the same sheltered alcove, the door completely out of sight of anyone standing at the desk.  Putting his weekend bag over one shoulder, Tom started walking out towards the parking lot, side by side with Chris, but he stopped in place when the man behind the check in counter, the same odd guy who had shown him to his room when this whole thing had started, beckoned to him.  Curious, the auburn haired man walked over to the desk, setting his bag down at his feet.

            “I trust that you enjoyed your stay sir?" The man said, a knowing grin on his face.

            “It was..." Tom replied, groping for the right word.  “Unbelievable."

            “Good." He stated, “That is what we like to hear.  And this is for you," with that, he took a small black case with a zipper on it out from a drawer, setting it on the counter before Tom.  It was exactly the same type of case that Chris had at home, the one that he had pulled the membership card out of.  Eyes wide, Tom unzipped the little case and opened it, finding a pair of cards with the Oynx paw print on them, one blank, exactly like the one Chris had given him, and one inscribed with the word 'Redtail' embossed in the same red-orange color as his fur.  Looking up in shock, Tom was surprised when the man winked at him. “Compliments of the management.  You will find all relevant membership details in the compartment on the back of the case.  We hope to see you again, soon."

            “For sure." Tom said, stunned, zipping the case back up and sliding it into his bag.  “Thank you so much."

            “Its our pleasure." The man replied with a slight bow.  Picking up his bag once more, Tom walked back to where Chris was waiting.  As they turned to leave, the platinum blonde spoke up again, grinning at him.

            “Didn't I tell you this place was great?" He asked, his breath catching as Tom wordlessly took his hand, lacing their fingers together while they walked.

            “Yes you did." Tom replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, completely ignoring the odd looks the two of them were being given by a visitor passing them on the way to the check-in desk. “Like no other spa in the world.  You know, I do still have the rest of today off of work.  Want to pick up where we left off?"

            “That sounds like a really good plan." Chris said, mischief already coloring his words, but he sighed.  “Unfortunately, I have a couple things left to do before I can clock out today.  I'll see you at home as soon as I can though."

            “I'll be counting the seconds." Tom replied, giving his lover a quick kiss.  “Don't keep me waiting too long."

            “I wouldn't dream of it..."

The end...?