He stares at me for a moment without releasing my hand. “I’m Larry. Do you have a name you’re willing to give me?”
How strange. He’s rather nice for a human. “I’m Veda.” He pumps my hand once then drops it and begins walking between other large vehicles. “This truck stop has decent food if you like burgers.”
I don’t know what burgers are. We go inside and he sits on a bench with a table in the middle and another bench on the other side. I sit opposite him and copy every move he makes. He picks up a stiff, shiny paper off the table and looks at it. I do the same. It has pictures of food. I can read, but I don’t understand what most of the food is. A woman walks up to our table.
“Drinks?” she asks.
“Coke,” he says and looks at me.
“Water please.”
The woman walks away without another word.
“I met my wife at a truck stop. She was waitressing. It’s a rough life.”
His wife. Another sense of calm comes over me. “Your wife doesn’t travel with you?”
“She did for years. We have grandkids now and she takes care of two of them during the week while our daughter works. Her good-for-nothing ex-husband left her right after the second baby was born. I should have kicked his ass when I had a chance.”
“Yes, you should have.”
Larry smiles again. “I like you. You never know what you’ll get with a stowaway. I don’t see you being wanted by the cops. And don’t worry about it if I’m wrong. Your business is your business. You have family in the city?”
“Uh, no.”
He assesses me for a minute before he speaks again. “It’s a big place. Not safe for a young woman. There’s a diner there, kind of like this place. My friend Becky runs it. Well, she’s my wife’s friend, actually. She’ll give you a place to stay if you’re not afraid of hard work.”
What do I do now? “I’m not sure.”
“Think about it. You have some time before we reach the city.”
Our drinks are placed in front of us. “What do you want?” The waitress looks at Larry first.
“Burger, fries, and a coffee after those are up.”
She looks at me. From the picture on the paper, I figure out that a hamburger is meat. “I’m sorry, I don’t eat meat is there something else available?”
“Vegeburger.” She mumbles before turning and walking away. I look at Larry in consternation.
“Hard life,” he reiterates.
Larry doesn’t ask me where I’m from or anything personal. It puts me even more at ease. He’s very nice and I know I’m quite lucky. The vegeburger is good, but the fries are terrific. I slather them in red sauce just as Larry does. The only food I eat that I don’t gather is the occasional sweet brought by a needy she-bear. This food is so different. The waitress pours us coffee. Larry adds several packets of sugar and also packets of cream. I copy him, but I’m not sure that I like this drink.
“You need to use the ladies room before we take off. I’ll meet you out front after I pay and use the facilities, too.”
I feel bad that he’s paying for my food, but I have little choice. I stand out front after I go to the bathroom. Several men openly stare at me and I don’t like the look in their eyes. Larry doesn’t have that look and I trust him. He walks out whistling and I follow him to his truck. The front is large and comfortable. Much better than the hard floor in the back.
If he’d first opened the door in the back after I first climbed in, I’d have run. It’s smart that he let me stay inside and sleep before speaking to me. Humans are more intelligent than my mother led me to believe. I settle in and Larry turns a dial in front of us. Music comes through speakers. Bears enjoy music. I’ve listened before when someone in the bear clan played a radio. I haven’t heard music like this, but I like this woman’s voice.
“Take a nap if you want. It’ll be dark shortly. Don’t forget to think about my offer. Becky’s a nice lady.”
I close my eyes and picture Tyboll. He’ll know I’m not dead. It was stupid to think I could fool him. The mate bond is like an invisible, thick rope linking us. My stomach hurts and it’s not only because I ate too much. I need him. I need to feel his touch against my body. I crave him with my entire being.
“Hey there, don’t cry. I’m taking you to Becky. You need a friend.”
I wipe my eyes and don’t argue. I do need a friend, but I need my mate more. How long will it take him to find me?
Chapter Ten
Tyboll
The damn she-bear has been gone for two weeks and I’m not safe to be around. Even Patreous went to stay with Mandy and Honey. Now that Mandy has shifted to her wolf form so the babies will come sooner, a child Patreous’s age can be at their cabin. My son found them having sex on the kitchen table once and it took months before he would go back.
I grab another piece of wood, set it on the tree stump, and swing the ax. There’s a four-foot pile of wood that I toss the split halves onto. There aren’t enough pieces of wood in the entire forest to alleviate my anger. Damn woman.
“So why don’t you go after her?” Mandy, my sly she-wolf daughter, says telepathically after sneaking up on me.
“Why should I?” I grunt as I swing the ax again. “If she wasn’t interested, that’s all she had to say.”
Mandy cocks her head, her thick wolf’s coat shining in the sunlight. I can hear the derision in each word she sends into my brain. “Like you’re some kind of catch or something. Have you looked in the mirror? You probably scared the poor woman away. I know you don’t have fleas, but does she know?”
I stop mid swing. “Fleas?”
“Father, if someone took your picture in the woods, they would have positive proof of a Bigfoot sighting. I know you bathe because you don’t stink too badly, but when’s the last time you combed your hair? Not to mention cut it. I’m sure there’s a nest somewhere in your beard. I swear I heard chirping coming from it a few days ago. The babies are probably feeding off the lice.”
I won’t listen to any more. I fling the ax away and stomp into the house. Only my daughter can get away with speaking to me like this, but it doesn’t mean I like it. I slam the door behind me and place the wooden bar in the slots so Mandy can’t follow. I storm into the bathroom and gaze into the mirror.
As angry as I am, I see exactly what Mandy sees. Well, not fleas or lice. She said that to irritate me. The Bigfoot reference isn’t far off, though. Is this why Veda ran? Is she afraid of me? Does she think I’m ugly? I open the cabinet door beneath the sink and pull out scissors and an old razor. I begin hacking away my hair first. I check it for lice just in case. Stupid wolf. She knew exactly what she was doing.
It takes an hour. My face is bleeding in several places when I’m finished. I storm out my front door to find my daughter. She’s sitting in her human form on the porch with a wicker basket beside her. She’s wearing clothes, so I know she went back to her cabin. I also know for whatever reason she decided to shift forms, it’s important. She’s delayed the babies’ births by doing this and I have a feeling I won’t be any happier than Honey with the reason.
“Don’t think you’re finished.” She holds up the basket and stands. “We’re taking care of your chest and back so Veda knows the difference between your bear and human forms.”
I grunt. I’m smarter than Honey and know when to cut my losses. She follows me back into the house.
“I need you sitting down so you don’t pass out.”
She’s lost the few brain cells she had. “What the hell do you have in that basket?”
“It’s old, but I ordered it online for a smoking price. I don’t care for it, but it’s exactly what we need to take care of your bear rug.”
“The women have always liked my bear rug,” I grumble.
“Don’t kid yourself. A little hair is one thing and a nice thick coat on a bear is great. But when a woman runs her hands over a man’s chest she likes to feel some skin. Finding your nipples through t
hat forest would be downright impossible.”
My clean-shaven face heats up. Nipples are one of those things that are not discussed between a father and daughter. “Humph,” is all I say.
She pulls out some strange contraption. I can barely make out the writing on the white plastic. Epilady. This is not good. The damned thing says lady.
“Sit,” Mandy orders.
I sit on the couch.
“I brought an extension cord so this will reach.” She connects everything while I wait impatiently. “Let me grab a pillow for you.”
She leaves the room and I holler after her. “I don’t need a damned pillow.”
She walks back in and throws it at me. “Cover your face to muffle your screams.”
“Ha. Ha.” The contraption doesn’t look that bad. It’s like an electric razor. I really needed it earlier for my face.
“Lean back.” Mandy pushes against my chest. “Did you find any lice?”
“You know I didn’t.”
“Well, we had to be sure. Here we go. I know you’ll take this like a man, so you really should use the pillow.”
I roll my eyes and three seconds later the highest pitched scream of my life echoes throughout my cabin. I swear she’s torn my skin from my bones. My hand comes up and knocks away the torture device. Mandy is thrown back several feet. “What the hell are you doing, you stupid wolf?”
She’s biting her lip and I can see the laughter in her eyes. “This,” she holds up the electrocution machine. “It grabs the hair and pulls it out by the roots. I told you to use the pillow.”
“You didn’t say anything about roots or stripping off my skin. That damn thing is not coming near me again.”
Her face scrunches up and I know I’m in trouble. “May I remind you that I still have mushrooms and I owe you for what you said about Veda. You’re her mate. You know, the one who burned down the only home she’s ever known just to get away from you.”
Damn wolf. I lean against the back of the couch and cover my face with the pillow.
Twelve hours later, my voice is hoarse from cussing.
“That wasn’t so bad and it only took forty-five minutes.” Mandy carefully places her inquisition torture machine back into the basket. “I still think you should use it to manscape your privates. Veda would really appreciate it.”
“That damn thing is getting nowhere near my man parts. Take it with you and I never want to see it again. I’ll let Veda use sandpaper to remove all my skin before I go through that again.”
I rub my tender chest. Mandy did my back hair, too, and I don’t know which side of me hurts worse. There is man-pain like a hammer striking your finger and then there is Epilady pain.
“So when are you leaving?” Mandy asks with her hands on her hips.
“In a month or two, after I’ve recovered,” I pout.
“Leave tonight or you’ll be on the toilet all day tomorrow. It’s the only warning I’m giving you.” With that she walks to the door of the cabin. She stops and turns. “I had no idea you are such a good-looking man. Veda will be proud to have you as mate.” She closes the door behind her.
“Humph!”
I plan to leave tonight, but first I need a shower to wash the sweat from my body. I trembled like a baby through most of the procedure. I’m lucky I didn’t piss myself. Who in their right mind could think up a machine like that?
Chapter Eleven
Veda
Larry left me in wonderful hands. Becky is his age and the toughest person I ever met. She cooks for the diner and makes a mean hamburger and vegeburgers for me. She likes to cook and prefers to stay out of sight from the restaurant patrons. That is unless she needs to knock a few heads. The woman allows no disrespect to her employees. She also works around my severe learning curve. Put me in a forest and I easily survive. Place me in the middle of the city and I’m a newborn child.
I’m also sick. Sick at heart. The longing for Tyboll is so strong my entire body shakes at night beneath the covers. It’s a physical pain and runs so deep I feel it in every bone and muscle. I’m not sure how much more I can take.
A customer slapped my butt this morning and he’s lucky I only broke his fingers. My bear almost exploded from my human skin. The man yelled out, but Becky was on him before he could lift his uninjured fist. She told him if he came back she’d personally castrate him.
“You need to teach me that move, sugar,” was all she said before returning to the kitchen.
Not that I could teach it. The power from my grip crunched his fingers.
I look at myself in the small mirror above the sink in the very small bathroom. I live in a one-room apartment over the diner. Becky’s home is behind the diner. Not that she’s ever there. Even when the diner is closed she sits at a table drinking coffee while keeping an eye on the neighborhood.
I bring my focus back to the mirror. Haunted eyes stare back at me. I need to escape the confines of my room for a while. Maybe I can find a park and shift when it’s late at night. This is the only thing I can think of to alleviate the pain I feel. Not having my herbs is hard, too. The great texts and my runes aren’t helping me either. I can find nothing on resisting the mating call and the runes suggest patience.
I wait another hour before leaving the apartment. I must be sneaky so Becky doesn’t see me. She wouldn’t like me going out this late. I haven’t traveled more than a few blocks from the diner since arriving. The city noises make me uncomfortable. I can’t take the constant clatter or the smell.
I make it around the corner without alerting Becky and move quickly into the shadows. I need an area with large trees and low brush that will hide me once I shift. I walk for miles. Several men whistle and a few say “Hey, baby,” but no one stops me. I’m wearing a hoodie pulled low over my brow and it’s hard to tell my human age. Becky gave it to me along with a bunch of clothes her last waitress left behind. I like the jeans best.
“They never stay for long, sugar. The clothes are yours now. You can take them when you leave if you want. Don’t feel bad either. There’s always someone else who needs a little help and a place to stay. You’ll know when it’s time to go.”
I love Becky. She reminds me of my mother.
I travel several miles and the streets become a little nicer. Couples now walk hand in hand. I hear music before I realize where I am. The beastkind scent gives it away too late.
Two bear shifters stand to the side of double doors. A line of people wait outside the building where the music pours from. I freeze for a moment then turn away. This is Dmitri’s nightclub. A large hand lands on my shoulder and I know it’s too late to run. He doesn’t say anything and I think he tries to communicate telepathically. I’m not part of the bear clan and can’t hear him.
“Come with me,” he finally says aloud.
“I’d rather not,” I reply while trying to jerk my arm from his grasp. I’m no challenge for a full-grown Kodiak bear. With a loud sigh, I give in far too easily. “Okay, but I do not answer to your clan. I know the club offers safe passage for beastkind.”
He grunts, turns me around, and pushes me slightly in the direction of the door.
It’s dark inside. And loud. He leads me through the large main room and then down a hallway. He opens the last door at the end. Dmitri sits behind a large desk with a grin on his face.
“I wondered how long it would take you to find your way here,” he says. The bear that escorted me leaves, closing the door behind him.
“I’m requesting safe passage,” are the first words I say.
His eyebrows lift. “Are you in danger?”
I’m the only beastkind who doesn’t need a vampire’s bite to keep me alive. That never stopped Dmitri from visiting from time to time. He’s always polite, asks after my welfare, and doesn’t stay long. I made it clear I didn’t particularly want him in my cabin. It never stopped him from coming. You need to walk a thin line with vamps. They can easily kill even the largest beastkind. Dmitri didn’t get
the name Black Demon Bringer of Death without a good reason.
I try my menacing glare that usually lets the diner’s not-so-nice customers know I mean business. “Only from bears and a pompous vampire at the moment.”
From the look on his face I would swear he’s silently laughing at me. “You have nothing to fear from me. I grant you safe passage,” he says with a dismissive wave.
I let out the breath I held. “Thank you.”
His gaze grows intense. “I have a question, though...”
He lets the sentence hang and I had no choice but to ask. “And your question is?”
His eyes harden. “What did my Goliath bear do to chase you away?”
Oh dear he doesn’t sound happy. “He did nothing.”
Dmitri leans back farther in his chair. “I find that hard to believe.”
How can I explain so this vampire will understand? “He, well… I cannot take a mate. The great texts do not allow it. It goes against my lineage. I had no choice but to leave.”
Suddenly, Dmitri’s in front of me and my back hits the door. He sniffs the large vein at my neck. “I hear witch blood is the sweetest on earth. I also know it kills a vampire if taken against a witch’s will.”
Shit. “Why are you doing this after you’ve granted safe passage?” I can’t stop the tremble in my voice.
“You are beastkind… but not. The rules of our existence do not govern you and that makes you dangerous. I allow you in my territory because you cause no harm and help where you can.” His breath warms my cheek. “Leaving behind a true mate causes harm.” He shifts to my ear and his whisper grows more dangerous with each word. “You have broken the rule.” Dmitri steps back and I take a breath. “But as you say, I’ve granted safe passage. You will think about Tyboll and what you have done. He is special to me and you left him in great distress. I can smell the same on you. Forget your great texts. The Goddess changes with time. Old debts are forgiven and the old laws washed away. It’s time for a new chapter in your book. One you write and leave to your children.” He smiles gently. “My bear will take you to a place where you may shift. You will return next week and tell me your plans.”
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