Chapter 2 My Fated Mate is a Fox - Poppy's POV

Poppy

I blinked, and the fox blinked back at me.

“Did you just—” I began, then stopped. “No, I must be dreaming.”

His ears twitched as he tilted his head to the side. “Why do you think you’re dreaming? Shouldn’t it be me freaking out right now?”

“No, no, no.”

“I assure you that I’m equally dissatisfied with the current situation,” the fox said in a remarkably calm voice.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the cinnamon rolls began singing again. “Oh, just stop it already!”

The singing died immediately. The fox slowly looked toward the tray of pastries on the counter before turning his amber eyes back to me. “So, this happens often. Did they just…obey you?”

“That’s not important right now. What is important is the fact that I’m about to open up the bakery and there’s the contest,” I said, my voice cracking on each word. “It’s the Harvest Festival.”

“And?” He asked.

“And you’re a fox,” I snapped.

“So I’ve gathered.”

I shook my head, still not believing what I was seeing. “My magic has never done anything like this before.”

"Really?" he asked. "Because from where I'm standing—well, sitting—it appears your bakery is full of enchanted household objects, singing pastries, and a glitter cloud that thanked you."

I glanced toward the glitter, which had now landed on the cabinet. It waved at me as if to remind me that it really happened.

“Hello,” it chirped.

I groaned. “That’s hardly the point.”

“I think that’s exactly the point,” he replied. “Your magic is…different.”

“Please don’t use that word. It makes it sound bad.”

One furry brow arched. "Is there another word you prefer for it? Because I was considering temperamental...or perhaps hazardous to innocent bystanders."

I rolled my eyes. "You're being awfully judgmental for someone I accidentally turned into a fox."

He opened his mouth, ready to make another comment about my magic, but his eyes went to the right of me. “Is your broom glaring at me?”

I looked over my shoulder, and the broom was, in fact, leaning against the wall in what I could only describe as a very judgmental posture.

“Just ignore him.”

His jaw hung open for a moment before he shut it, shaking his head. “The broom is a he?”

“Uh,” I murmured, looking back. “Yes.”

“Fine,” he huffed.

“Look, I said I was sorry.”

He lifted his amber eyes, glaring at me. “You hadn’t yet, but even if you had, it doesn’t improve my situation.”

I smiled despite myself. He was right, and I hadn’t said I was sorry. “Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

He studied me for a long moment before giving a single nod. “Accepted.” Relief flooded through me, but he wasn’t done yet. “But there’s one condition.”

My relief vanished just as quickly as it came. “There’s a condition?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “Change me back.”

“I plan to fix this,” I murmured, my voice lacking confidence.

And he noticed.

“No,” he muttered, gesturing to himself with a tiny paw. “I want you to successfully fix this. So say you will confidently.”

“I’ll figure this out,” I gulped. “It will all be fine.”

“Why do you sound like that?” His ears flattened against his head. “You sound like you’re giving yourself a pep talk. I don’t like that.”

I glanced toward the shelves lining the kitchen walls, searching for inspiration to fix this. There were spellbooks. My grandmother’s journals were next to those. The problem was I didn’t know where to start. I had never turned anyone into a talking animal and I most certainly didn’t know how to undo it.

“I have books,” I said, more to myself than to him. “My grandmother wrote everything down.”

“Your…grandmother…” he began, then stopped. “Wait. You can cast magic that you don’t know how to fix? Is that what this is?”

I winced. “When you say it like that, it sounds irresponsible.”

“Because you are being irresponsible. You turned me into a fox,” he growled. “I’m the Lord of the Autumn Court, and I’m a furry animal.”

I paused, my mouth falling open in surprise. The Lord of the Autumn Court? That’s who my fated mate was? And here I had just turned him into a fox.

I looked down at him, swallowing hard. “The Lord…of…”

“Yes,” he said softly. “Keep going.”

“You’re the Lord of the Autumn Court? I thought you were just some fancy traveler. Not the actual Lord of this place.”

He let out a heavy breath as he rolled his eyes. “How did you not recognize me?”

“I—”

“I suppose I should be flattered,” he said dryly. “You thought I looked fancy.”

“I didn’t…Oh, my fates. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sadly, I didn’t have time to explain further. The town’s bell tolled, and I knew it was time to open my shop. People were already coming this way as I glanced at the window.

I looked back at the Lord of this Court and stared at him for three seconds, deciding that I had to do something. “You can’t be here.”

“What do you mean I can’t be here? You have to fix this, and I’m not leaving until you do.”

I glanced out the window and huffed. “Look, my shop is opening now and…I can’t have you here like this.”

“Then let them come see the disaster you made.”

There was something almost impressive about the way he managed to sound offended while sitting on four tiny paws. “You're not helping.”

“I wasn't aware I was supposed to.”

I pressed my fingers against my temples, trying to think. Outside, the village was already filling with people. The Harvest Festival brought everyone out early, and my little bakery sat directly along the main road leading toward the town square. Through the front window, I could see villagers carrying baskets, children running between the stalls, and merchants setting up colorful displays beneath strings of autumn leaves.

The crisp morning air had turned colder, and a thin layer of mist still clung to the cobblestones. Someone had already started playing music near the square, and the cheerful notes drifted through the open windows of neighboring shops.

Normally, I loved this morning.

Today, I had a talking fox in the front of my shop. A talking fox who happened to be the Lord of the Autumn Court.

I looked down at him again.

He stared back. His amber eyes were far too intelligent for a creature with such a fluffy tail. Someone was bound to notice and figure out who he was.

“I need to hide you,” I said softly.

“No. Absolutely not. If you dare—”

“Yes, I’m out of time.”

“No,” he said, shaking his little body as I reached for him. “You will not take me.”

The door swung open just as I finally snatched him up into my arms. I glanced up, and there stood the owner of the cheese shop across the street from me.

“You have… a fox?”