Chapter 02
2
HUGHES
S houldn’t have left so early. What kind of biker is up and gone before the sun rises?
Me. Clearly.
I’ve been driving for an hour when my stomach rumbles. Grunting, I press a hand to it. My fox is demanding. We hunted yesterday, and he’s already asking for more. Never has enough.
Ever since I retired and started my cross-country search, my fox has been losing his sense of limits. He nudges me to shift at midday. Hunt in the middle of the afternoon. Sometimes even if I’m in a big city. I’m telling you, no limits.
Even when I know the reason he’s acting like this, there’s nothing I can do. I mean, I’m already doing the best I can. A shifter past fifty without his mate? Unthinkable. It’s torture.
But we live in a world that would fear us. Hunt us, destroy us. This is a millennium-old dilemma. We stay secret and preserve our lives, our very existence. But for that, we have to sacrifice the very thing that keeps us alive.
We have an awful time finding our mates. I mean, take me for an example. I’ve been waiting for her for years. Moving with the motorcycle club a couple of times, traveling loads. Guess what. Didn’t happen.
And my case is no exception. Several shifters settle with other shifters, just to preserve the species. Others insist on finding their mates, just to die single.
But I’m taking the problem in my hands, and I’m solving it. Now that the MC is settling in a new city, I’m off. This woman has to be out there, somewhere. Yes, the world is wide, and I may have to cross continents before I find her. But if that’s what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do.
My fox’s been getting more and more impatient by the day. I increase my hold on him and speed up. If there was an easier way, I’d take it. But there isn’t, so we have to keep looking.
A sign to my right tells me of a tiny city the next exit. There are a gas station and restaurants, and that’s all I need to know. It won’t be bad if I take some time to drive around and sniff for her. Dog for her scent.
I dreamed of her yesterday. Sometimes she’s a silhouette. Sometimes just a shadow. Tonight she was the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. Her dark curls shimmered to the light of the moon, her deep eyes fastened on me.
Mine mine mine
The word repeated itself across my mind inside my dream, and I knew that was a sign. Seeing her when I fall asleep is what keeps me moving. Keeps me searching. It’s a promise. Hope of seeing her.
This city is rather small. Passing the gas station, I see the post office and several clothing stores. At a corner, a coffee shop. I park behind a white Mazda, stepping down from my bike and stretching my limbs. The day sure is nice. Sunlight makes me squint, but I cross the street just fine. It’s too early for traffic, I guess.
A bell above the coffee shop’s door chimes and a tall, skinny boy behind the counter bids me good morning. He can’t be older than twenty. I approach him with my eyes glued to the big menu scribbled onto the wall.
“Morning,” I grunt and clear my throat. Since I’ve spent the last three days or so shifting into my fox to sleep in the woods bordering this county, I haven’t really used my voice. The hoarseness proves it. “A black coffee, no sugar.” My fox tugs inside me. He jerks, in fact. To one side, then the other, a caged animal, trying to free himself. I cough, gripping the edge of the counter for balance.
What the hell is he doing?
“Anything else, sir?” The boy asks, a bright smile on his face.
My stomach coils. Churns. That’s new. I’ve never felt such a lack of comfort. My fox wrestles me, and I curl my hands in fists and stick them inside my pockets. This is not the time for overreacting.
“Sandwich,” I manage to pass between my lips. “Ham. Make it extra.”
The boy nods me on and gives me the total. I pat my pockets for my wallet, grinding my jaw to control my animal. He’s never been this upset, this...
No. He’s not upset. It’s a warning. He’s growling at me, clawing at me. A warning. The sirens go off inside my head and I look to both my sides as I slide the cashier some money. My spine straightening, I expect something to happen. Danger. Does anyone here know I’m a shifter? Did anyone notice?
Impossible. It never happened.
Then why...?
My gaze meets hers and everything slows down. No sound reaches me. The very beating of my heart stops.
The dark curls sprinkled in gold. Big eyes, so deep I could dive into them. Flawless face. Perfect lips. A body I would die for. Curves to no end.
Mine mine mine
My mate. She’s here.