WingedKatt here. This is the last super-spicy chapter for a while, so have your insulin shots and metformin handy.
Under the gnarled old oak tree, Nick continued his assault on Judy's mouth, even as a flock of eastern bluebirds flitted down from the sky to roost in the tree above them. Their songs mixed in with the songs of several goldfinches and a couple of skylarks that were already perched in the tree and singing. Their songs went completely unnoticed by the two small mammals knotted together and kissing under the tree.
It wasn't long, though, before Nick's knot shrunk enough to pop out of Judy, but neither of them was quite ready to put an end to their 'mandatory cuddle time'. Nonetheless, after a few more minutes Nick pulled back and rested his head against the bark of the tree as he took several deep breaths. Listening to Judy's own heavy breathing, Nick lightly ran his claws up and down her back.
After a moment, he chuckled, then murmured, "Whenever you turn into my avenging angel, I can't help but kiss you senseless." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "No one has ever stood up for me or was willing to fight for me as you do. Finnick will fight for me when it comes to physical bashing, but he doesn't have any more status than I do, so he can't do more than take a few hits for me or dish them out."
As Nick fell silent, Judy let her eyes follow the wide swath of creamy fur from the tip of his chin, down his throat, and over his chest. Unlike her sisters, Judy had never understood the hype of ogling the hundreds of bucks they saw, but Nick . . . she could sit and ogle him all day long. Touching her tongue to her lips, Judy asked, "Finnick is the fox you were with that day, right? Your partner?" He had told her about Finnick—the fox who stitched him back together—and since both he and his pawpsicle-hustling partner owned a van, she assumed it was the same fox.
Nick nodded but didn't look at her. He was afraid he'd start kissing her again, but their time was up for the moment and he needed to get his head back in the game.
"Is he here in Bunnyburrow, too?" Judy asked curiously. She was interested in learning about the little fox who had spent so much time with Nick.
Shaking his head, Nick explained, "Finnick left the city a week and a half after I got knifed. He has a sister living in little town about a day's drive south of Zootopia, so he went to live with her to get away from all the violence." With a chuckle, he slid his paw down Judy's back and grabbed onto her lightly twitching tail before saying, "But the Big Guy might be coming to Bunnyburrow soon enough."
"Oh? Why?" She was enjoying Nick's attention to her tail while she played with his chest fur. Judy didn't think she would ever grow tired of running her fingers through his thick fur.
Combing his claws through his angel's silky tail, Nick answered, "Because once he finds out Ben is trying to restore a '69 Mustang Boss you won't be able to pay that fox enough to keep him out of Bunnyburrow. Finn is such a classic car geek that he'd be willing to pay your brother to let him help with the restoration."
Judy giggled as one of her ears twitched. "Ben told you about his Mustang?" Her brother treated that old car like his baby and didn't let too many people get near it.
"Once he found out about my classic Triumph TR6, Ben asked me to look at his Mustang and see if I could give him some pointers on getting it up and running. Since Finnick is one of the best mechanics I've ever met and did the actual restoration on my own car, I promised Ben that I'd look at his car and then call Finn up to come help."
Judy smiled while running her fingers back and forth through Nick's fluffy, white fur. She was glad to hear how well he was getting along with her brothers and was actually looking forward to meeting the salty little fox again. Remembering how well he played the kit wanting to grow up to be an elephant, and how he threatened to chew Nick's face off if Nick kissed him again made her laugh. She could still hear his raucous laughter when she hustled Nick into helping her.
With another giggle, Judy considered how his loud presence would definitely make her family's burrow a lot more interesting while he was there working on the car. Now her mother and aunts might not appreciate the colorful language his presence would bring, but she was sure the small fox could win over some of her other, more mechanically inclined siblings and uncles. Her dad might even start calling him son if Finnick could help him get some of their old farm tractors up and running again.
While thinking of the little fox crawling all over her brother's classic old car, it dawned on Judy that Nick had just confessed to owning his own classic car—a fully restored classic car. Although she didn't know what a Triumph TR6 was, it sounded like a shiny hotrod . . . a shiny black hotrod convertible. With a groan, Judy slapped a paw over her face while muttering, "That was you!"
Nick's ear flicked in confusion as he looked down at his sexy little angel. "What?"
Judy rubbed her forehead while saying, "I was riding through the back allies of town Tuesday morning when I saw a beautiful, black convertible parked behind Gideon's bakery." Dropping her paw to look at Nick, she poked him in the chest, saying, "That was your convertible!?"
Nick's ear flicked again. "You saw my Triumph?"
Judy slapped a paw over her face again. "Not only did I see your car, but I saw you." She jabbed him in the chest again while meeting his startled gaze. As Nick lifted a brow in question, Judy explained, "I saw you and Gideon stumble out of the back door covered in flour and coughing your guts out. But you weren't wearing your loud Pawaiian shirt and khaki pants." (These were the only clothes he wore the 4 days she'd been with him in Zootopia.)
Twisting her fingers in his chest fur causing Nick to wince slightly, she lifted herself up so their faces were inches apart and demanded, "Why weren't you wearing your Pawaiian shirt!?" With one paw still gripping his fur, she poked him in the chest with the other. "Don't think I forgot about you teasing me for coming from some carrot-choked podunk town."
Nick's ears flicked back and nearly disappeared. "I…that is…I…shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
Releasing him, Judy stood up and folded her arms. Glaring down at him, she said, "Yes, well, you should be sorry. I would have recognized you right away if you weren't dressed like a cowboy." Throwing her paws up in the air, Judy exclaimed, "After the way you teased me, I didn't think you would be caught dead in an outfit that screamed 'carrot-choked podunk'!"
Nick's ears completely disappeared against his head. Staring at his fuming angel, he chose his words carefully. "Well, for starters, when I think of 'carrot farmer', I think of overalls. Cowboys make me think of the wild west which has far more class than a carrot farmer." Judy started thumping her foot, and Nick swallowed realizing he'd just put his foot in his mouth. Again! So much for being careful with his words.
Coughing into his paw, Nick hurriedly said, "The main reason I changed my clothes, though, is because I wanted to impress you and make it easier for your family to accept me as your friend."
Judy's ears perked up and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. With her stance relaxing, she asked, "Really? You wanted to impress us?"
Nick nodded. "After making the decision to stay, I didn't think it was a very smart idea to stick out like a sore thumb when over half the population is shorter than I am. Plus," pointing at Judy, he said further, "if I showed up at your burrow wearing my loud city clothes, not only would they scream 'Stranger', but with me being a large red fox in a rabbit's burrow, it would be screaming, 'Danger! Danger! Run and hide!'" Pointing at his clothes crumpled on the ground behind Judy, he added, "Wearing local clothes, I hoped to hide some of my red fur's 'Danger' sign that makes you bunnies so tense and afraid of me."
Judy's ears dropped against her back at Nick's explanation even as her shoulders slumped. Reaching forward, she softly combed her fingers through his cheek fur. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Nick's in a soft kiss full of love and acceptance.
Slipping his paws around Judy's back, Nick pulled her against his chest and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, though he kept it slow and soft as he returned her love and acceptance.
Pulling back slightly from the kiss, Judy rested her forehead against Nick's and murmured, "You shouldn't have to hide who you are, Nick." Running her fingers through his fur again, she added, "Especially not your beautiful red fur. I love it and I'm looking forward to a lifetime of exploring it."
Nick grinned as he slid his claws through her soft, silky gray fur. "I think you're the only bunny who feels that way."
Judy shrugged even as she smiled. "You only need one. I'll be quite jealous if I discover you're letting some other bunny enjoy your luxurious coat."
Nick chuckled lightly but didn't say anything. He was too relaxed and comfortable to interrupt the peace with idle chatter.
They stayed like that for several precious moments, then Judy stood up straight. Still caressing his cheek, she took a deep breath, saying, "You shouldn't have to hide, Nick, but as much as I hate to admit it, you were right to change your clothes. Dealing with my huge family, it was a smart move to dress in something familiar." Running two of her fingers up his nose and between his eyes, she added, "You certainly impressed my dad seeing as he invited you over for dinner."
Nick nodded, then squeezed her tight as he asked, "And you? Did I impress you?" As much as he wanted to make a good impression on her family, Judy's opinion was the only one that really mattered to him.
Judy's ears perked forward and then relaxed as she considered his question. "I really didn't pay much attention when you first arrived. I was a blubbering mess, as you recall." Stepping back to look him over, she added with a cheeky grin, "But I was certainly impressed as I peeled you out of them and enjoyed myself immensely."
With a chuckle, Nick nodded. "Yeah, I enjoyed that part, too."
Smiling teasingly at him, Judy ran her paws through his chest fur, saying, "I could help you back into them so I can be properly impressed."
Nick laughed. Flicking her nose, he said, "That would be counterproductive don't you think?"
A small frown touched Judy's lips as she let her eyes travel down and then back up her handsome mate. "Yeah, you're probably right." With a heavy sigh, she dropped her paws and turned to their pile of clothes. Digging through them, she found her bra and slipped it on, then picked up her shirt, all the while she was flicking the snow-white of her cottony tail at Nick.
With a groan, Nick slapped a paw over his face to block the provocative view. Hearing Judy chuckle, he said, "You really want me to pen you to the tree again, don't you?"
Glancing over her shoulder, Judy smiled. "Maybe." As her smile faded, a sigh escaped her as she looked down at her shirt. As she buttoned it up, she murmured, "But you're right, we don't have time." Smoothing her shirt down, Judy leaned down and grabbed Nick's pants (his underwear still inside) and tossed them to her mate. "Hurry up and get dressed," she told him, "before I pen you to the tree."
Catching his pants, Nick stood up, saying, "You know, I'm tempted not to get dressed just so I can experience that."
Judy glanced over and rolled her eyes. She had made the comment just to get him moving, but as she watched him pull his pants on, she had to admit—it was a very tempting idea. With her ears turning several shades darker, Judy turned her attention back to her own pants and underwear, while muttering under her breath, "Bad bunny."
With a smug grin, Nick glanced over at Judy's soft murmur that was almost too low for him to understand—almost. Licking his chops, he watched her for a moment, but as she wasn't looking at him, he returned his attention back to getting dressed as there was something else he needed inform her about. With his pants on, Nick reached down and picked up his shirt, even as he said, "There's something else you should know about my claiming mark, Fluff."
Judy glanced over as she slipped a foot through her pant leg. "What's that?"
Slipping his shirt on, Nick turned to watch her dress as he explained, "In fox culture you're now considered my wife."
Judy froze on buttoning her pants. Staring at Nick with wide eyes, her ears were ramrod straight and perked forward. "Wife?"
"Yes—wife." Buttoning his shirt as he met her stunned gaze, Nick said, "For those foxes who can afford it, they still have the marriage ceremony with the white dresses, bridesmaids, a big cake while surrounded by friends and family. But a lot of foxes can't afford a big wedding, so those who can't will have a simple ring ceremony—if they can even afford a pair of wedding bands. The Claiming Ceremony, on the other paw, requires no money and is a lifetime commitment. There's no divorcing yourself from it." Bending down to pick up his bolo tie, Nick slipped it on as he walked the few steps to Judy. Brushing her paws away, he finished buttoning her pants and zipped them up while repeating, "So, yes, in fox culture you're now my wife."
When Judy did nothing more than stare at him with wide eyes and a furiously twitching nose, Nick felt his heart drop down to his feet. With his ears canting to the side, he muttered, "Unless you don't want to be my wife?" He hadn't explained anything to Judy before she scent marked him, so maybe scent marking didn't mean the same for her? Maybe marriage wasn't something she wanted. She wanted to be with him, of that he was sure, but marriage? Did she view marriage differently than he did?
Hearing Nick's question and seeing the uncertainty in his eyes snapped Judy out of her shocked stupor. Although she wanted to marry Nick, she didn't think it would happen this quickly. Nor did she think that scent marking him was the way to go. But to be his wife! She just about exploded with happiness.
Reaching up, Judy grabbed Nick's bolo tie and pulled his face down to hers, saying, "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting out of this one that easily, Slick." With an exuberant smile and excitement twinkling in her eyes, she said in a happy, teasing voice, "You better take responsibility for your actions, husband." Then she kissed him. Hard!
As Judy's small tongue wrapped around and teased his own, Nick just about died from the elation he felt at knowing Judy wanted to be his wife. Hearing Judy call him husband was far better than he could ever imagine. There were simply no words to describe the incredible feeling he was feeling right now. Picking Judy up, he kissed her back with all the warmth and love he had inside him, even as his tail was wagging a mile-a-minute.
Finally breaking for air, they gazed into each other's bright, excited eyes. With a happy chuckle, Nick said, "Say it again."
Judy giggled. Brushing her fingers through Nick's cheek fur, she rubbed her twitching, pink nose across his black one and repeated, "My husband."
With another happy laugh, Nick whispered, "My wife," then he kissed her again.
With her legs wrapped around Nick's middle and her arms wrapped around his neck, they kissed for several more minutes, then Judy finally pulled back to breath. With a bright smile, she said, "As much as I'd like to stand around kissing you," she ran her finger along the outside of his ear, "or better yet," she lightly grazed his nose with hers, "let you pen me to the tree again," Nick licked his chops and Judy pulled back to say, "we need to get going before my Dad calls Shaylee wondering where you all are."
Leaning back in his arms, Judy ran her paws down Nick's black cowboy shirt (and yes, she was impressed). Glancing back up, she met Nick's hungry gaze and said, "I'd hate to be interrupted by a phone call just when things were getting good."
Nick's ears flicked back as he chuckled. "Yeah, that wouldn't be good." As Judy dropped her legs from his waist, he released her and watched her land lightly on her feet. She was so agile and quick on her feet that he could watch her all day.
Seeing the appreciative, hungry way in which Nick was watching her, a coy smile spread across her lips. Looking down, Judy smoothed out her shirt as she stepped back. Thinking of Nick penning her to the tree again had her ears turning a darker pink, but thinking of being interrupted had her ears turning bright red. Trying to get her mind on something else, she turned around and started heading around the tree. "I need to get Bobby's ATV back to him before we head to the burrow."
Nick froze for a moment in surprise. Reaching forward to grab Judy's arm, he pulled her around to look at him. "Say what? Aren't you going to have dinner with Bobby and his family?"
Judy tilted her head in confusion. "Well, I was, but now that you're here, I planned to reschedule with Bobby."
Nick shook his head as he gripped her shoulders while his tail swished in agitation. "That's not a good idea."
Judy's ears drooped. "You don't want to have dinner with me?" The hurt in Judy's voice couldn't be mistaken. Was Nick ashamed to be seen with her? Even after everything that just happened between them?
Nick rolled his eyes. "Don't be absurd." Reaching up to caress her cheek, he explained, "Of course, I want to have dinner with you, but I have to meet your parents and family in just a few short minutes and make a good impression on them." Nick caressed her cheek again.
Feeling the faint scars under his finger-pads, Nick forced the scowl from showing on his face. He hated the idea of anyone else leaving a mark on Judy (his Claiming Mark is the only mark she should have). But for it to be such a traumatizing mark done by a fellow red fox had his instincts boiling for a fight. Even though Judy had already forgiven Gideon, and Nick knew his friend was no longer the same hateful fox of his youth, Nick was still spoiling for a fight to defend his mate.
Pushing the irrational, instinctive feelings aside (there was no one to fight), Nick focused once more on Judy and the important conversation they were having. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself why they couldn't go to her family's burrow together. "If I go straight from here to your home with no break from you, there is no way I'm going to be able to face your parents and pretend I didn't just have the most glorious hour of my life while penning you to a tree and rutting both our brains out."
Judy's ears were now flat against her back, but she was no longer feeling rejected. Her ears were bright red as she considered why he didn't want to walk into her family's burrow together with her. Nick had a very valid point. She doubted she'd be able to hide the fact she was madly in love with Nick, nor would she be able to keep her paws off him. Taking a deep breath, she murmured, "Right." With a head shake, she repeated, "You're right. A break would be good."
Nick slipped his paws down her arms and lightly gripped her paws. "That's right, because if you ride back with me, your taste will remain fresh on my tongue and your scent in my nose and the feel of you under my paws and I'll be left with just one thought on my mind."
Judy raised a brow. "Oh? And what would that be?" She could guess at what it was seeing the hungry glint in his stunning, emerald eyes.
Raising her paws so he could kiss her fingers, a smile spread across his lips that revealed his sharp, ivory teeth. "The only thought on my mind would be how soon could I drag you behind locked doors and enjoy the second most glorious hour of my life, quickly followed by the third and fourth."
Judy's twitching nose turned bright red and she had to take several deep breaths in order to keep her body from responding in the way it wanted to while picturing what Nick planned to do to her and for how long. As much as she hoped it would happen, she doubted they could find five minutes alone together at the burrow because once her family knew she was home (and good friends with this handsome fox) they wouldn't leave her alone for a second. Chewing on the inside of her cheek a moment, she murmured, "So, uh, when can we meet again?" With a flick of her tail, she explained, "I'm going to my friend's house tonight for a get-together before leaving for the mountains at first light."
Nick grinned. "Yeah, I know all about that. Ryan stopped by to invite me on the trip. His arrival inspired me to call you again."
"Oh!?" Judy said in surprise. "You've already met Ryan?"
Nick nodded. "You have quite the friend there. Ryan learned from his sisters that I was in town and came straight over to learn what my intentions towards you were. He assured me that you two were just friends and then invited me over tonight so I can join you on your trip tomorrow."
Judy's jaw dropped and Nick was tempted to kiss her again. Snapping her mouth shut, Judy squeezed Nick's paws and started vibrating with happiness. "So, does that mean you're coming?"
With a happy swish of his tail, Nick replied, "Of course, I'm coming." Taking one of his paws back, Nick raised it in the air with one finger pointed up and said, "But you'll have to give me a crash-course on bird-back riding because I've never been on a bird in my life." Judy's buck-toothed grin couldn't get any bigger and he added, "For that same reason, Ryan suggested we ride double tomorrow, otherwise they'll have to load up another bird that I won't know how to ride."
Dropping Nick's other paw, Judy threw herself against him and hugged him tightly. "Of course, I'll teach you to ride, Nick." Rubbing her cheek against his chest, she added, "And I would love to ride double with you tomorrow."
Nick squeezed her back and then started petting her ears. With a grin, he said, "You know, Carrots, once I get you up there, I'm not going to be content coming home Saturday morning."
With her tail twitching, Judy lifted her face to see Nick's bright green eyes darken with desire.
Scratching behind her ears, his voice turned husky as he stated, "I want a real honeymoon, Judy, and spending several days with your friends doesn't count in my book."
Judy's eyes widened, even as her nose and tail began twitching furiously. The idea of being alone with Nick up in the mountains had her body getting hot and tingly again. Taking a deep breath, her own amethyst eyes darkened with desire. With a groan, she whispered, "Nick, you're not being fair."
With a laugh, Nick picked Judy up and turned around. Penning her to the tree once more, he ran his nose along her jawline, saying, "How am I being unfair?" Running his nose back up to her ear, he ran it up along the edge making her ear shudder at the light touch, even as Judy's breathing sped up. "Just think about it, you and me, up in the mountains with no one but the birds and the bees to hear us."
A shiver of desire ran through Judy's body and Nick didn't miss the spike in her scent. With a hungry grin, he followed the scent down her throat and growled softly as her fingers twisted in his fur again.
Judy was picturing herself alone with Nick—skinny-dipping in the hot spring, rolling around on the bed or the couch inside the cabin, having Nick chase her around the cabin and through the woods, along with what he would do to her once he caught her. With the memory of their first mating still fresh in her mind, Judy's body was responding to the images playing out in her mind. With a moan, she whined, "Ni-ick, I'm getting wet again."
"Yeah, I can smell it," he murmured while resting his nose between her legs and breathing in deeply of her intoxicating scent.
Judy's head hit the trunk of the tree, her eyes squeezed shut, as a long, drawn-out moan escaped her throat. If Nick kept teasing her, her pants were going to be soaked clear through.
With a toothy grin as he rubbed his nose back and forth across her crotch, Nick asked, "Should I take care of this for you?"
Opening her eyes, Judy glanced down into Nick's burning, green emeralds. Licking her lips, she whimpered, "We don't have time."
With a flick of his ear, Nick replied, "My tongue is very effective." With his tail wagging behind him, he added, "It won't take long."
Judy met Nick's heated gaze for several moments, then growled. Reaching down, she unbuttoned her pants, even as Nick moved her legs over his shoulders. With a happy whine from him, she pushed her pants down while muttering, "I hate you, Nick." He laughed at her words, so she said again, "I really hate you."
With his laughter rumbling through him, Nick stuck his muzzle between her legs and licked her juices. He loved how reactive Judy was to him, the way she twitched and shuddered against him. Listening to her moan again as she kneaded his fur between her fingers, Nick thrust his long tongue deep inside her.
Judy's eyes shut and her head dropped back against the tree trunk. Panting, she wrapped her legs around Nick's neck and pulled him closer. No one's tongue should feel this good, least of all a fox's! Nick was truly criminal! But true to his words, Judy felt herself quickly pushed towards her climax. As the pressure built under Nick's fierce teasing, it didn't take long for her climax to crash through her. Moaning under the onslaught of his touch and her body's response, she clamped down on Nick's tongue and shuddered as she rode out her release.
As her body finally relaxed, Nick pulled his tongue out and licked her clean before he looked up while licking his chops. "Are you going to survive dinner now?"
With a shaky laugh as she tried to get her breathing under control, Judy nodded while saying, "Yeah, I think so." Taking a deep breath, she tried to slow her fiercely beating heart. After another deep breath, she repeated, "Yes, I think I'll survive now."
With a nod, Nick set her back on her feet and reached down to button and zip her pants up, then stepped back to give her some breathing room. Judy stepped away from the tree and raised her arms above her head in a long stretch which allowed Nick to fully appreciate her lithe body. Enjoying Nick's appreciative gaze, she leaned side to side and complained, "My muscles feel like Jell-o now." Turning a critical eye to her lover, mate, and husband, she added, "It's all your fault so you better take responsibility for that, too."
Laughing, Nick reached over and caressed Judy's cheek. "How about I give you a full body massage tonight?"
Judy's ears immediately perked forward and a wide buck-toothed grin spread across her face. "Deal." She met Nick's warm gaze for several heartbeats, but after feeling her body getting tingly again, she spun around and headed around the tree. "Come on, we need to go. We've been here long enough."
"Yes, ma'am," Nick replied as he followed her twitching, cottony tail around the wide trunk of the gnarled old oak tree. Watching her pick up her phone and slip it back in her pocket, she then picked up his black Stetson which Nick didn't even remember dropping. He must have lost it during those first few heated kisses. After Judy turned around and handed him the hat, he plopped it back on his head and fiddled with it a moment until it sat comfortably.
"Um, so when exactly am I seeing you again?" Judy asked after Nick got his hat on right (boy, did he look good!). She really didn't want to wait until nighttime to see Nick again.
Reaching forward, Nick ran his fingers up both of Judy's ears. As she hummed at the enjoyable touch, he said, "After dinner, of course."
Judy's eyes widened. "But you said—"
Nick placed a finger over her lips and cut her off. "I said we needed a break, I never said you shouldn't come to the burrow at all." Cupping her cheek, he ran his thumb back and forth across her lips. "I would really like it if you were there to see me perform. And dinner should be long enough apart for us to get our heads back in the game."
With her nose twitching, Judy asked, "And which game are we playing this time?"
Moving his paw up to rub around the base of her ear, Nick replied, "Didn't I mention it already? It's called the 'Let's Pretend We're Just Friends' game."
Judy's ears drooped. She hated the idea of fooling her parents about her relationship with Nick but knew that revealing their love too soon would cause a lot of problems. There were already several of her siblings wanting to run Nick out of town all because she liked him. What would they and some of her more conservative aunts and uncles and cousins do if they learned she had already taken Nick as her mate? That she had already let Nick taste all of her? What would her parents do if they found out that she had already rutted Nick with no other thought than that she wanted to keep him?
Judy could just imagine the tirade her mom would go on about the evils of sleeping with a fox. How no respectable buck would want to touch her now? And how was she to have kits when she was no longer marriageable material? Oh, the horrors of never being with a buck!
Resisting the urge to pull on her ears, Judy heaved a heavy sigh. "You're right, Nick." Reaching up to caress Nick's muzzle, she whispered, "I hate the idea of hiding our relationship from my parents and the rest of my family, but too many of them are wary and suspicious of foxes. It's best to let them get used to you and the idea that we're friends before revealing we're mates."
Nick nodded. "Especially your mom?" At Judy's raised eyebrow, he explained, "I had lunch with Bonnie today. Seeing how determined she is to get you married off to the first buck that'll take you, I have the feeling she's going to be absolutely devastated once she finds out you took a fox as your mate and is now married to him."
Judy's ears drooped. "Yeah, that's my mom." With a half-hearted wave of her paw, she said morosely, "Happiness is marrying a buck and having a ton of kits. Yay."
Nick rubbed Judy's cheek and said, "Don't worry. You have me now and I'll be sure to chase off any unwanted pests that try to get too close."
With a weak laugh, Judy replied, "Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate that."
Nick shrugged. "You're my wife and I don't share."
Judy stared at him for several heartbeats with her nose twitching furiously. After a moment, though, she sprang into Nick's arms, wrapped her arms and legs around him and kissed him senseless. Nick wrapped his arms around his hot little angel and stumbled backwards against the tree. He hadn't been expecting her to attack him, but he wasn't complaining, either.
As they finally broke for air, Judy rubbed her nose against his. "Say it again."
With a wide, toothy grin, Nick said, "You are my wife and I will not share you."
As a happy giggle bubbled up inside Judy, she tightened her hold on Nick's neck and kissed him senseless again. Hearing Nick call her wife again warmed her clear through and filled her soul with love and joy.
Kissing Judy back, Nick suddenly caught the spike in her mouth-watering, intoxicating scent. Breaking off the kiss, he growled, "Hold on, time out! Carrots, we really don't have time for me to take care of you again. So, um, we should get going." Taking a deep breath, he added, "Besides, Shaylee, Melanie, and Marty can see what we're up to now so unless you want to give them front-row seats of our love-making, we really need to go…like now."
Judy took several deep breaths, then groaned as she dropped her head against Nick's chest. Penning Nick to the tree and having her way with him was a very tempting idea, but he was right. They needed to get going. The sooner they parted the sooner she could see him again. And she wasn't sure how, but she was going to find a way to be alone with Nick sometime while they were at the burrow. Now that Nick was her mate and husband, she didn't think she could wait till tonight to experience his loving attention again.
With another soft groan, Judy lifted her face to meet Nick's stunning green gaze again. "You're right, we need to leave." Dropping her legs, Nick set her back on the ground. Turning around, she walked over to Bobby's ATV she had borrowed and spoke over her shoulder. "Get on. I'll drive you over to Shaylee's jeep."
WingedKatt again. Nick and Judy have finally left the tree. About time! In the next chapter, one of our characters is going to be forced to make a severe and unexpected choice. Find out who in the next chapter.
Ch. 30: Ultimatum, is going to post in 2 weeks. Take care and have a great week. If you have any thoughts or questions, let me know.