by Crystal Dawn
“What’s that tell you Bro?”
“That no one understands my side of things.”
“Maybe she would understand if you explained it to her?”
“Females always cry and beg. I’m not putting myself through that.” Herk admitted.
“I’ve heard a bit about your female and I don’t think that sounds like her.”
“You’ve not been stalked by females or have them hound you.”
“That’s what you get for dating werewolf bitches.”
“Very funny. You’ve had what? Three relationships in four hundred years? Your females leave when they find their mates.” Herk observed.
“You are a real bastard bro. Good luck with life. I’m out of here.” Hal sprouted wings and flew away.
Maybe he’d gone a bit far. His second, Julio, approached. “What’s up man?” Herk asked.
“Your female, the one you won’t claim, she’s out on the plains not far from here.” Julio explained.
“What the hell? Why?”
“I don’t know. I expect she wants to talk to you. She’s pitched a tent and she’s here for the long haul. Bite the bullet and talk to her. It’s not safe here and some of my guys are giving her the eye.” Julio admitted.
“They shouldn’t do that. She’s my mate.”
“An unclaimed mate is not a mate. She’s free to do as she will.” Julio observed.
“This is getting no one anywhere. You go and tell her I’m not here. Maybe she’ll leave.”
“Is that the feeling you get from her?” Julio asked with a chuckle.
“There’s nothing funny about this.”
“Not for you maybe.”
“What kind of friend are you?” Herk asked.
“A good one since I let you know what’s going on and no one else did.”
“Fine, I’ll go talk to her and get her to leave.”
“You do that Boss.” Julio chuckled as he responded.
Herk stomped off then morphed once he was away from his second. The herd ran together and even the natural horses took direction from him and Julio. The unicorns were Julio’s immediate herd as the pegasus were Herk’s. It had been so long ago when they decided to join. Julio had been glad to let him take the lead role. The herds were scattered and there were still thousands, but they would all come if he called.
Only the supernaturals would come immediately. Their presence here had helped protect the natural kinds, but not enough. They’d been losing horses slowly over the last hundred years. It had picked up in the last thirty or so. There was a possibility nothing would stop this decline. At that point, the supernaturals would have to find another place to hide.
His mind moved on to the most current issue. Herk’s lovely mate was knocking on the gate. What had made her come looking for him? Julio was right, she wasn’t the clingy type. Herk flew in her direction landing just out of her sight. The aroma of her drifted on the air filling his nose. It tempted him to do what he’d decided not to. He couldn’t claim his sweet one. Life was too troubled right now.
Moving towards her, he let his full form show knowing she would be impressed. Once near enough he knew he had her eyes on him, he reared up and shook his mane from side to side as his front legs moved as if treading water. He knew he looked magnificent. The pose had never failed to pull in supernatural females. His legs dropped to the ground and he took his human form.
“Pru.” He said and grimaced because his voice sounded low and soft. It was the tone he took in the bedroom.
“What?” She asked. Her tone was angry.
“Why are you here?”
“Someone promised me forever, but they lied. That’s okay, shit happens, right? I thought we were mates, which must have been a mistake. Just release me and I can move on. Tell me I’m not your mate so I can go looking for the right one.”
“What?” Herk asked. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Tell. Me. I. Am. Not. Your. Mate!” She repeated as if talking to an idiot.
“No!”
“No I’m not yours? Great, I’m out of here.” Pru said.
“No, wait. I can’t tell you that because we are mates.” Herk admitted.
“What?” Pru asked looking stunned.
“We. Are. Mates.”
“Then how can you be such an ass?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve tried, but I just haven’t managed.” Pru admitted. “Maybe I’ll find an excuse for you given time.”
“Very funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be. Just release me and I’ll be out of here mates or not.”
“No.”
“Why do you want to hold on to our mating when you don’t act on it?”
“This is no time to mate. War rides the winds and will come to the four corners of our world. I can’t secure you myself. We need to wait until this time of danger is over.” Herk explained.
“That’s what this is all about?”
“Why do females never understand? I want you safe and out of harm’s way.”
“I’m a warrior witch. I fight with spells. When you look for me later, you’ll need to look where the fighting is the hardest.”
There was a snap, roar, and then a pop. His mate was gone with all her camping gear. He’d admit that it had never occurred to him that his mate might be in the fight. It wasn’t that he’d never known female warriors, because he had. No, it was that his soft and sweet mate didn’t seem to have a killer instinct which warriors needed in the heat of battle.
“I guess she told you.” Julio said with a chuckle.
“You’ll be in charge for a while.”
“Where are you going?”
“To chase a mate.” Herk explained.
“I hope she’s calmed down before you catch her or you might get hurt.”
Herk flashed back to his winged form. He moved so fast that no one natural could see him move. That was how they were protected in their supernatural form. His animal wasn’t a blur, he moved so fast he was invisible. Knossos was who he would see because he had no idea where Pru lived. It shamed him that he knew little about his mate.
She’d not shared and he’d not asked. All he knew was she was gorgeous and not at all shy. He was aware her sister, Annie, was mated to Ram and her cousin, Sophie, was mated to Knossos. By Zeus, he hoped that would be enough to help him find her. Knossos had always been a good friend. They’d gone wenching together a few hundred years ago. Good times. Not times he had any desire to repeat, he’d grown mentally and emotionally since then.
The parties, the drama, the wenches, and all of it were a thing of the past. Being mated would replace all those things and he knew it would bring him joy once he accepted his Pru. He landed at Knossos’ house morphing into his human form so fast no one saw his supernatural form. It was time to find out where Pru was.
Herk pounded on the door until a grouchy old dragon opened it. “What do you want?” Knossos asked.
“I’m looking for my mate.” Herk admitted.
“You didn’t act like you had a mate.” Knossos pointed out sarcastically.
“Look, you’re my friend. You’re supposed to be on my side.” He insisted.
“Not when you’re wrong.”
“I was trying to keep her safe and do what would be required of me. This is war.”
“Did you discuss that with her or just make all the decisions?” Knossos asked.
Herk thought about that a moment. “Don’t the males make the decisions?”
Knossos laughed like a donkey braying. “If they’re fools.”
“That’s not funny or true. My father always ruled the roost.”
“Are you a chicken or a male? I knew you’re father. Your mother allowed him to say he made all the decisions. She knew he had his pride. The real decisions were made together. That’s what a real male does. He includes his female when he tries to decide what road to follow. They have an interesting way of seeing things. Our females often see
things we miss. You messed up royally, but maybe if you crawl to her, she’ll forgive you.”
“That’s crazy.” Herk observed.
“You know what’s really crazy?”
“What?” Herk asked suspiciously.
“Going throughout life without the mate the goddess gifted you. You’ve been with her. You’ll find it difficult if even possible to be with anyone else. It’ll be a life without love or sex. Give that a thought.”
“When this war is over, I’ll get her back.”
“You poor fool. When the war is over, she won’t want you back. Pru is a strong female and she too has pride.”
“Are you trying to tell me I’ve stepped into it?”
Knossos smiled. “Finally, you’re getting it.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Send her flowers. It’s a small thing, but females like them. Tell her you’re sorry in the card. You didn’t mean to hurt her you were trying to keep her safe. That’s what you said, right?”
“What happens if she gets hurt?” Herk asked.
“What happens if she gets hurt anyway?”
“I see you’re point. It seemed the way to safeguard her.”
“There is no way to safeguard her. We will all be drawn into this thing. Even those of us who refuse to fight. Our enemy plans to bring the battle to our doors. Not just the soldiers, no. He is already attacking everyday people, even humans. His army is enslaving those who refuse to fight him. No one, anywhere is safe from his reach. I hadn’t planned to fight, I wanted to go back to sleep. They showed me the way the fight is already going. You’ll take a side or be mowed over.”
“I’ve seen only a little so far. Now I guess I’d best see the rest. Meanwhile, my Pru will keep me more than busy.”
“How do you intend to find her and don’t say through me.” Knossos asked.
“Come on, Dragon. You’re my friend, one of my best friends. Help a buddy out.”
“You aren’t the most helpful friend yourself. You should understand.”
Herk smiled big. “Maybe, but when you ask me to the meal at Ram’s, I went and that was for you. What’s that saying? Tit for tat. You got yours, now I want mine. Come on, it’s only fair.”
“What’s going on out here? Herk, what in the world are you doing here?” Sophie said and her words were cold as ice.
“Nice to see you too, Sophie. Don’t put too much effort into being pleasant.” Herk observed.
“After what you did to Pru? You must be nuts.” Sophie noted.
“You know we are mates. She’ll never be happy without me.”
“Didn’t seem to bother you before.” Sophie observed.
“Have you never made a mistake? We need to work things out and I can’t if I can’t find her. Once we talk it out, she’ll be grateful. I plan to send flowers this afternoon and I hope to see her in the morning. Flowers will soften her up. She’ll want to talk to me then.”
Sophie giggled. “Apparently you don’t know Pru. She makes Knossos look like a choir boy when she’s pissed. You definitely made her angry. There’s a chance you might end up as slime or if you’re lucky a toad.”
“Wouldn’t she have done that already if she was so inclined?” Herk asked.
“We have a brave one here, Mate. He believes in testing angry females. What do you think? Let him have his shot even if he may go down in a blaze without much glory?” Sophie turned to Knossos and asked.
“Can she fix him back after it’s all said and done? We’ll need warriors for this battle.” Knossos reminded.
“Toads get eaten. No guarantees there.” Sophie said.
“True, but he’ll be no good to us until he’s seen her.” Knossos observed.
“Fine. She works at Wicked Witch. Pru’s there from eight to four weekdays. Guests come in often and they aren’t strict although we’ve heard other places are. Most people are afraid of witches. Go at your own risk.” Sophie cautioned.
“Thank you. I’d best get those flowers ordered. Any particular place to order from?” Herk asked.
“Plants and Things delivers there daily. One of our cousins owns the place so she’ll help you with what Pru likes. Come on, Sweetie. We can get back to what we were doing.” Sophie told Knossos.
“Next time, don’t just drop by.” Knossos said.
It didn’t surprise Herk. The two were like honeymooners with a dragonlet already on the way. Knossos had changed in many ways, but he was still grouchy with his friends and strangers. The sweetness was only with Sophie. It looked like mating was good for him. Maybe it would be good for Herk too. The way things looked, he would soon find out.
First he needed to call the flower shop. He found the number online and called.
“Plants and things. You want it? We have it. Fern speaking. What can I get you?”
“My name is Herk.”
“The unmentionable mate of Pru?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“I’ve been expecting your call. Pru is a real jewel you know.”
“Okay. So what should I send her?”
“Yeah, well it would surprise you to know she’s a real traditionalist in lots of ways. A dozen roses and some words from the heart would go a long way.”
“Alright. How about I truly care about you and just wish to talk to you?”
“Do you mean it?”
“If I didn’t I wouldn’t say it.” Herk replied feeling insulted.
“You’d be surprised how many say it and don’t. Don’t feel insulted, I don’t know you.” Fern observed.
“Fine, just send her the flowers. You can get them there today?”
“Certainly. Just give me your credit card info.”
He did and he felt better. He’d done something to get on the right path to claiming his mate. Hopefully it would help. All this was new to him. Never before had he cared about pleasing a female. No, the females always tried to catch his eye and wanted to please him. It wasn’t conceited when it was true. Now everything was different. Not only did he care about what she thought, but he’d turned her away. This was crazy and he wasn’t sure what to do.
The flowers would hopefully help her see how he felt. If they didn’t, he supposed he’d live life as a toad. Surely she wouldn’t do that to her mate? Herk couldn’t say he was certain what she’d do. Pru hadn’t acted angry, more like she was resigned. That was scarier than anger.
For now, he needed to find somewhere to stay until morning. He went to see Ram. Herk traveled in the blink of an eye turning back to human as he landed. It was the only way to travel. He stood in the parking lot of Ram’s company and stared at the door. Walking to it, he opened it and approached the front desk.
“May I help you?” The secretary asked.
“Yes, I’m here to see Ram. Tell him it’s Herk.” He smiled at the lady and she turned a light pink.
“I’ll let him know.” She agreed.
He sat in a chair and waited. “He said you could come in to see him now.”
“Thank you. I know the way.” Heading to the office, he wondered if Ram would let him stay.
Ram’s office wasn’t far from the lobby and he was there quickly. Knocking on the door, he opened the door so he could enter when he heard a shout of come in. Ram sat his desk with his computer screen to the side and a phone headset on. Since he was talking into it, Herk sat down to wait. It wasn’t long before Ram quieted and looked up at him.
“To what do I owe this honor?” Ram asked. It didn’t sound like he considered it an honor.
“I hoped you would help me with Pru. My reasons were good and true, but I’ve been shown that they weren’t the best way to deal with this. Pru is my mate, but I feared for her safety and felt the best way to protect her was to keep my distance. I’ve had it pointed out to me that Pru is indeed a warrior as well.”
“She is and tougher than most. Not only with her spells, but she also has basic fighting skills.”
“I didn’t know therefore I made my decis
ion without the facts I should have sought.” Herk admitted.
“If you put it that way, I suppose we can try to help. What do you need?” Ram asked.
Herk grinned. “A place to stay until tomorrow. I sent her roses like Sophie advised. I plan to visit her tomorrow to talk to her. Can you think of anything else I should do?” Herk asked.
“Maybe ask her out on a date. There are nice restaurants around here. Talk to her then, she might be relaxed.” Ram observed. “Have supper with us tonight. Annie is good at these things.”
“I’d be delighted. Maybe she can give me some insight into my witch.”
Ram got up and moved to the door. “Follow me and you can rest, relax, and clean up before supper.” He led Herk to a guest room. The building was huge and only a portion was used directly for business. There were large sections of suites and guest rooms as well as recreational and dining facilities.
Herk suspected Ram was a phoenix of high birth and position. In time, he’d know since they’d be related by mating. He’d wear Pru down if need be. There was no way she’d be able to resist him because he’d decided there was no limit to what he’d do to win her back. The witch was his and she’d best make peace with it.
Now it was time to shower and change clothes. Ram had clothing in the closet that looked like it would fit him fine or he could glamor his clothing. It was just magic made him nervous. Funny the goddess would match him with a witch.
The shower felt marvelous. He was used to cleaning by running in the rain or in a river. His beast didn’t mind, much anyway. The human side on the other hand craved this luxury. Hot water, scented shampoo, and clean, soft towels were nice for a change. Once he claimed his mate he would spend a good amount of time living the good life in a place similar to this.
Maybe it was time to get back to his human side and save his pegasus for when he was needed. Ram had made it clear that he would be needed in this coming war. He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. It felt comfortable and real clothes felt different than glamor. Now that he was ready, he left his room and made his way to the dining room.
As he entered the room, he remembered when he’d been here last with Pru. He’d made a mistake, but now he intended to fix it. The memories of the night he’d met her were so real for a few moments, it was like it had just happened.
