“Interesting,” Caitlyn said.
“It is. Funny, that bear actually reminds me of him a bit. There’s some kind of underlying resemblance.”
“There is! I didn’t see it at first, but now you mention it –”
“Hey, what’s this?” Raven cut in. “There’s a green dot at the top of his profile that wasn’t there before. What does it mean?” Caitlyn looked closely.
“It means he’s online now!” she said, and they both shrieked.
Chapter Nine
Several hours earlier
Timo lay on the bed of a budget motel on the outskirts of Russellville, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling fan as it clunked with a dull whine. Raven was nowhere to be found. He’d walked every street of the town – literally walked along every single strip of sidewalk, to the point where he felt like a street mapping vehicle, and he hadn’t been able to pick up her scent. As he’d pounded the baking streets, day after day, there had been moments when he’d thought he’d caught a whiff of her, but then it was gone again, drowned out by the stink of hot tarmac, industrial chemicals and fast-food outlets, and he concluded that he’d imagined it. He was so desperate to find her that his nostrils were conjuring up her scent. He’d tried talking to the locals, lots of them. But they weren’t friendly. He hadn’t picked up the impression that anyone knew her, but he also sensed that even if they had, they wouldn’t have given out any information to an outsider.
He felt sluggish and exhausted. Living so far away from nature wasn’t good for him. It drained his energy. His bear was curled up in a ball inside him, as if it was trying to block out its surroundings. At first, it had been eager, full of energy at the prospect of finding his mate, and it had encouraged him to keep up a fast pace, but now they were back at the motel, and Timo had acknowledged to himself that Raven wasn’t there, it was being grouchy. Absently, he counted the flakes of paint on the ceiling. What do I do now? he wondered. At the thought, his bear pricked up its ears. It kept urging him to find somewhere where he could shift and go for a run. But there was no wild green space for miles. “I’ll have to wait till I’m back in Hope Valley,” he muttered, and his bear lay down again with an exaggerated yawn.
The thought of going back to Hope Valley empty-handed filled him with gloom. He had to find her, even if it was to be told that she wasn’t interested in him. He just had to know. He took out his phone and looked at the map app yet again. If he stared at it much more, he’d be able to draw a picture of it from memory. He worried at a ragged fingernail. He must have been mistaken about Raven naming this town. He tried speaking the names of the neighboring towns out loud. None of them felt familiar. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he needed to find someplace cheap where he could buy a steak tonight. He couldn’t survive another day without a decent hunk of meat. He tapped on the internet browser app to look for restaurants, but at the same time a text message appeared. It was from Lauren. His brow furrowed. He didn’t hear from her very often. He opened it:
Timo, go on Shiftr and remove the location filter. Then tell me what you find!
Huh?” he muttered. He started to tap a reply, and another message appeared:
Trust me on this, Timo. Just do it!
He laughed. Lauren was nothing if not feisty. Although, who knew what she wanted. He was about done with Shiftr and all those 82 or 85% matches that never worked out for him. He located the little orange paw print app and tapped it, then went right to the filters and removed ‘location’. Then he tapped ‘put in order of compatibility’, and ‘update’. Then he laid the phone on his chest and waited until the app pinged, telling him that it was ready. Halfheartedly, he picked it up and looked at the screen. And he dropped the phone in surprise. It bounced off the bed and hit the floor. He dived off the bed and snatched it up, anxious that something had been pressed. But no, she was still there. He tapped the thumbnail of the woman with the 100% compatibility rating, right at the top of the list. It was her. Raven. He gave a shout of joy that made the walls ring, and his bear roared. I’ve found her! He zoomed in on her photo. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She had these little freckles on her nose that he hadn’t seen in the dark, and her skin was lovely and translucent. He swiped left on her photos, but there was only the close up. It didn’t matter. He’d had intimate knowledge of that deliciously curvy body. He became aware of his cock straining against the zipper of his jeans as he recalled their incredible mating. His bear scrabbled at his insides, telling him to stop wasting time. Right. I need to find out where she is. He scrolled to the bottom of her profile to see if she had her locator switched on, and when he saw the name of the town, he almost dropped the phone again. “How is she in Hope Valley?” he muttered. His bear purred. “You’re right. I need to send her a message.” He thought for a moment, wishing Lauren or one of his clan was here to help him with the words. He wasn’t good at this stuff. Eventually, he wrote:
Hey, Raven. Looks like you couldn’t stay away from Hope Valley?
Bare seconds after he hit ‘send’, the app’s message alert pinged. Adrenaline jolted through his veins. It’s from her! It said:
The definition of irony: me being in Hope Valley and you being in my home town ;)
Timo gave a shout of laughter. He was starting to remember her sassy humor.
Well, I was just passing by, and I thought I’d check it out, he typed.
“Really?”
He swallowed. Maybe humor’s not my thing. I’d better just be honest.
T: No, of course not. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since we met. I’ve been looking for you ever since the tour finished. I’ve walked every single street of this town, trying to track you down.
R: Wow. I’m blushing here. I didn’t expect to see you again, but I haven’t been able to forget about you either. Timo’s heart thudded and his bear purred in satisfaction.
T: Are you coming back to Russellville soon? I’d like to have the honor of taking you out on a date. A real date with dinner and dancing, and anything you want.
R: That sounds lovely, but I don’t have any plans to come back.
T: Oh. Why?
R: Because I’ve moved to Hope Valley, silly! His bear let out a roar of joy.
T: Wow. Are you serious?
R: Yes : ) I’m sitting in the national park right now, outside a cabin that I’ve just rented out, and I have a feeling that you don’t live too far away.
T: I don’t! I live right in the heart of the park. So maybe we should have that date somewhere a little more local?
R: Haha, yes, let’s.
T: How about tomorrow night?
R: My diary’s looking clear right now.
T: Great. I’ll pick you up at eight.
R: I’m staying in the rental cabins on the east side of the park. The one with the green door. If that’s not enough information, can you ask Lauren to explain?
T: I think I know it.
Timo had a good idea where she lived, but he knew that he’d be able to scent her the moment he entered the forest.
R: I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow, then. Maybe we can swap stories about my hometown.
T: I’d like that.
R: Haha, I wouldn’t. I’ll see you then xox
T: I can hardly wait to see you, Raven xox.
Timo let out a long breath. And then he leapt from the bed as if he’d been electrocuted. It was a long, long way back to Hope Valley, and there wasn’t a minute to waste. He grabbed his things and threw them in his duffel bag, then he hurtled to the reception and checked out. Another minute later, he was in a taxi, heading to the bus station. On the way, he looked at the bus connections. And he repressed a howl of frustration. The next possible set of connections wouldn’t get him back to Hope Valley for more than forty hours.
“Can you stop for a moment?” he called to the taxi driver. Hesitantly, he searched for a flight website instead. Bears didn’t fly. They were creatures of the earth and need
ed to keep their feet on the ground at all times. But if he took the bus, he wouldn’t get to see Raven tomorrow, and he’d probably have to wait another 24 hours. That would be unbearable. The website told him that there was a flight leaving in two hours from an airport that was 30 minutes way from his current location. There was nothing to think about.
“I’ve changed my mind. I need to go to Hudson airport instead,” he told the driver.
Timo clung tight to the armrests as the plane took off, certain that it was going to plunge straight back to the earth again. His bear whimpered and yowled in terror, and he pressed his lips together to keep the sound in, and tried to send it calming thoughts. It’s worth it; I’ll be seeing Raven, my mate, in less than a day, he reminded it.
Before long, the plane leveled out and his stomach unknotted itself. Air stewardesses started walking up and down the cabin, offering food and drinks to the passengers. He took a beer and it helped to take the edge off his nerves. He occupied his mind with thoughts of Raven. He couldn’t wait to spend time with her, to get to know her better. He wanted to know everything about her. He knew she was passionate and feisty, but he felt like he’d only scratched the surface and that hidden depths lay beneath her sweet exterior. He imagined them lying in bed together after mating, her snuggled into his arms, telling him all her secrets.
An hour and a half after takeoff, his stomach lurched again and his ears began to hurt. He shook his head violently. It was an awful sensation.
“Are you ok, sir?” a passing air stewardess asked him.
“I feel like I’ve got a wasp buzzing in my ears or something,” he grunted. She suppressed a small smile.
“Is it your first time flying in a plane, sir?” she asked.
“Yup. And hopefully my last.” She smiled again, kindly.
“It’s normal to feel some discomfort in your ears as the plane begins its descent. Try chewing some candy.” She passed him a couple of pieces. “Just hang in there, we’ll be on firm ground very soon.”
“Thanks,” he said.
The next minutes dragged on and he felt like his eardrums were going to burst, but at long last, the plane bumped onto the runway and his bear purred in relief, causing the people in the row in front to jump and whip their heads around to look at him. Timo closed his eyes. He didn’t care. He was on firm ground again, and only an hour from Hope Valley, where he’d be meeting Raven in less than a day.
As he waited to get off the plane, Timo switched his phone back on. There was a message from Connor:
Hey, Big guy. Just wondering how you’re doing so far away from home and how the search is going? The clan misses you! I also wanted to let you know that we’re doing a final show in Hope Valley tomorrow night. We’ve been holding off as we were hoping you’d be back by then, but tomorrow is the last slot the town hall has available for us for a few weeks, and we didn’t want to disappoint all those ladies who keep asking when it’s gonna be ;) It’s a shame you won’t be there, but we’ll just have to cope without you! Catch you soon.
Timo gnawed his bottom lip. He would be back in time to do the show, but only because he was flying back to see Raven. What should he do? Go and see your mate, his bear urged him, pushing at his skin. But he couldn’t let his clan down. They were all in this tour together. He couldn’t stand the thought that they’d all be working while he was having fun. He’d have to postpone with Raven. But after waiting to find her for so long, he also couldn’t stand the thought of waiting another day. What a dilemma. He hated being stuck in situations like this, where, no matter which option he chose, he’d end up upsetting somebody.
A thought struck him as he walked out of the airport and took a long, grateful sniff of fresh air. He could ask Raven if she’d mind having a late date that night. He slapped his hand across his forehead. He was such a simple bear. Sometimes, the most obvious thing was the one he thought about last. He tapped the orange paw print app on his phone and messaged her, asking if she’d be willing to have dinner at 9.30 tomorrow night.
Outside, he climbed into a taxi and spread out on the back seat, watching the scenery speed by for the next hour.
Chapter Ten
Raven couldn’t stop smiling.
“I can’t believe he’s in Russellville” she said. “He went all that way to look for me! What does it mean when a guy goes on a wild goose chase like that, having no idea whether he’s going to find me or not?”
“I think it means he likes you a lot!” Caitlyn said with a grin.
“I just can’t wait to see him again. It’ll be so cool to get to know each other. Do you think I can trust the app, and that we are perfectly compatible?”
“Lauren seemed pretty confident.”
“And she and her husband seem really in love, at least from the way she talks about him,” Raven said, gazing dreamily at the soft, purple-hued sunset. Then she gasped and laid a hand on her stomach. “How’s he going to react when I tell him that I’m carrying his baby?”
“I think he’ll be happy,” Caitlyn replied. Raven looked into her eyes, trying to figure out whether she was being honest.
“Really? It’s going to be weird being on a first date with him and then going, hey, guess what? You’re the father of my unborn child.” Caitlyn giggled.
“It’ll be one of the more unusual things to say on a first date, I guess.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell him immediately. Have a few dates first, and feel him out a little. What I said earlier still stands. If we’re not compatible, I don’t want to have him in my life. I’d rather just be a single mom, and that’s it.”
“In that case, I’d say you should wait to find out whether he’s the right guy for you, and the right father for your baby.” Raven let out a long breath.
“Ok, I’ll do that.”
*
The next day Raven worked in the morning and had the afternoon off. She was so excited and nervous about the date with Timo that she couldn’t keep still. She cleaned the cabin from top to bottom, not that it needed it. And then she looked at some local apartment rental sites on the Internet. She and Caitlyn were happy living together for now, but it wouldn’t be long before they each wanted their own bedroom. She wanted to find somewhere in the national park, but all of the apartments seemed to be based in the town. She’d have another look later when she was more focused, she decided. She closed her laptop and headed out of the cabin to take a walk.
The woods were even more lovely than last time she walked there, so verdant and shady. She wished she knew the names of all the trees and bushes. She didn’t see another soul, and the only sounds were birdsong and her feet treading on the soft earth. She kept picturing Timo, wondering what he’d be wearing, whether he’d kiss her when they met. Whether he’d do more than that. The thought of him touching her again made her breath catch in her throat and her nipples stiffen. She longed to see that incredible torso again, to run her hands all over it, and cause him to make those deep growly noises of need.
The track she was walking on was long and almost straight, and right at the end was a shape that didn’t seem to belong to the surrounding foliage. She squinted at it as she came closer, shielding her eyes from the sun. Is it an animal? No, maybe it’s a bush with dead leaves. As she came within 100 feet, it suddenly moved, bounding away in the opposite direction, and it was gone. She blinked hard. What the hell? Had she imagined it? Should she be scared that a large – scratch that – very large animal was running around in the woods. Probably. But, weirdly enough, she wasn’t at all scared. In fact, she felt peaceful, almost drawn to it. But there was no point being stupid. It could be a bear or a wild dog or something, and she could be putting herself in danger. She turned around and walked quickly, retracing her steps. Once she was back on the porch, she called Lauren.
“Are there any bears in the woods?” she asked. Lauren gave a little chuckle.
“There are a few, here and there,” she said in a careless tone.
“Are they dangero
us to humans?”
“No, not at all. They’re kind of tame in a way. If you ever run into one, don’t freak. There’s no way they’d hurt you. Why, have you seen one?”
“I’m not sure. I was walking in the middle of the forest and I saw something, something alive, in the distance. It was big and brown, and it wasn’t moving at first, but after a while it sauntered off.”
“It sure sounds like a bear,” Lauren said with a warm laugh. “He probably wanted to get acquainted.”
“And he’s not going to follow my scent to my cabin or something?”
“No, don’t worry. The bears in the park here are nothing like the ones you read about in the papers, I promise.”
After speaking to Lauren, Raven took a nap, waking when Caitlyn came back home. Then she started to get ready. She didn’t have a huge choice of date clothes. Since there was nowhere nice to go out in Russellville, she usually dressed down, like everybody else in that town. Eventually, she picked out a black wrap top, which flattered her full cleavage, and a black full skirt with roses on, which finished just below her knee. She matched it with black, ankle-strap heels.
“Sexy mama,” Caitlyn said from the bed. She was lying on her front, alternately giving Raven style advice and looking at her phone.
“Really?” Raven said.”
“Uh huh. Timo’s eyes are going to pop out when he sees you, girl!” Raven studied her reflection, her cheeks pinking a little. I look sexy, she told herself, and she tried hard to believe it. She eyed her figure critically, wondering how long it would be before she started to show, her belly growing big and tight. She could hardly wait, she realized, with a shock of pleasure.
“What are you so absorbed in, Caitlyn?” she asked, glancing at her through the reflection in her hand mirror as she applied her make-up.
“Just checking out a few guys on Shiftr!” Caitlyn said with a grin. “I think a couple of the other guys from the strip show are on here too. Like this one.” She held her phone out and Raven walked over and looked at a photo of a handsome guy with black hair and sparkling blue eyes.
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love Page 8
