“And how do mine lay?” she asked dryly.
He tilted his head to one side and studied her a moment, then made a humphing sound.
“I’m not sure and doubt I’ll find out,” he said, his tone quiet and annoyingly soothing. “I was told to fly to you and deliver a message.” Without preamble he continued. “There is a male Cariboo lunewulf at the Hampton Bed and Breakfast who is searching for you. The Hampton nest has no problem allowing their guests to hire owls like me to hunt and return with information that he is paying to have delivered.”
Magda glanced away. It wasn’t like a werewolf to have someone else do their hunting for them. But the owl hadn’t just said werewolf, he said Cariboo. Why would Ayden ask owls to find her?
“What’s his name?”
“That isn’t part of the information I’m ordered to tell you.”
“You know his name?” She looked at the owl. “You do know his name, right?”
“When I return to the Hampton’s, I will give the Cariboo lunewulf the information he has paid to receive,” the owl said, ignoring her question as if she hadn’t just asked.
Magda knew owls didn’t lie. It wasn’t just because of the stench of the lie. Owls didn’t see the logic in lying. If asked something they didn’t want to answer, or believed the answer might be detrimental, they would probably do what this owl had done just now—avoid the question.
“What did he pay to receive?” she asked, hoping he would give her at least that much.
“To know exactly where you are.” The owl looked away from her for the first time.
Magda felt as if a spotlight had been trained off of her. She didn’t have a lot of experience with owls, but the howlings seemed accurate. Their logical manner, and void of emotional aromas, was as annoying as what she’d heard.
“Why would he want to know that?” Maybe with the right questions, she would confirm the owl was sent by Ayden.
Not that she really had any doubt. There wasn’t another Cariboo who knew about her. Magda was sure she hadn’t raised any suspicions, or grabbed the attention of any werewolves since running from the cave. If someone she didn’t know recognized her as a Malta werewolf, they would try killing her, or alert their pack, who would then hunt and kill her. They wouldn’t bother with owls.
“While the Hampton nest has no problem with providing information to their guests, they won’t do it if it is to bring harm to someone innocent of a crime. It’s clear to us that you aren’t being pursued because you have done harm to anyone. I will return and share the knowledge that you are a Malta werewolf, something their guest didn’t reveal to us. I’m not under the impression that is why you are being hunted.”
Hunted. The word, and thought that Ayden hunted her created an instant swelling between her legs. Her pussy began throbbing and she shifted her weight, then walked a small circle. It was to put distance between her and the owl while forcing her thoughts to remain neutral. Magda hoped it appeared she was antsy, a common werewolf trait, and standing still too long when the urge to run was part of her very make up, caused her to pace. Of course, on the small patch of grass with two small trees surrounded by the cement parking lot, there wasn’t much room to pace.
“What impression are you under?”
“If your mate has harmed or dishonored you, our parliament will offer protection.”
She stared into his large, round eyes. He had spoken with Ayden directly. How else would he know that she carried his scent and vice-versa?
Magda smiled. The male’s neutral expression didn’t change. As frustrating as that was, it was part of the owl culture. She’d be the last to dislike someone because they didn’t behave the way she thought they should. Some howled that owls were incredibly violent in their feathers because they used that form as a way to release emotions they kept too suppressed in their flesh. He was being honest, and she would honor him by doing the same.
“I’m not running from an abusive mate. I’m running from a stubborn one who refuses to smell the truth.”
Once again he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. It was likely a lot of reaction for an owl.
“Why did you mate with a Cariboo lunewulf if you knew you would have to run from him because your species is hunted and killed?”
Did she pick up on the slightest smell of curiosity?
“We aren’t officially mated,” she offered. Like he would understand if she told him it was because she’d fallen in love.
“Interesting.” He gave a quick nod. If it all made sense to him then he understood her relationship with Ayden better than Magda did.
The owl turned and began walking away from her.
“Wait,” she called out, and was forced to run after him. His long legs allowed him to move fast, even if he was simply strolling across the parking lot.
The owl looked over his shoulder at her. “Yes?”
“So that’s it? What happens now?”
“I tell the Hampton guest the information he has paid to receive.”
“You need to tell him to return to his pack and find a female he can actually have a life with.”
“Do you wish to return with me and relay your message?”
“No, I do not,” she said, fighting to remain calm. “I want you to tell him.”
“There is a charge for delivering information.”
Magda sighed. The owl wasn’t mocking or making fun of her. He simply stated a truth that in his mind was unwavering.
“Fine.” She waved him off and this time was the one to turn away first. “Oh,” she said, spinning around again.
The owl had begun walking again. A car drove between them, turning at the next row of parked cars. It drove slowly, probably searching for a place to park. It left fumes of exhaust and the steady thumping of hip-hop music in its wake.
“How soon will you tell him where I am?”
“In twenty-three minutes.”
She frowned. “Twenty-three minutes?”
“It will take me fifteen minutes to fly to the bed and breakfast. More accurately, nine minutes to walk to the edge of town, one minute to change, and five to fly. I will spend another five minutes briefing the Hampton nest on what I have learned. It is a courtesy to honor those who bring me employment,” he offered. “I haven’t factored in the precise amount of time it takes to climb the stairs. There is the unknown variable of how long it will take the Cariboo lunewulf male to answer his door once I knock on it. Since he smelled anxious for the information, I believe it won’t take him long.”
Magda stared at the owl. “Twenty-three minutes, huh.”
“Obviously an approximation.”
“Obviously,” she grunted.
“Hunt well, female.” The owl walked away from her.
Magda stood frozen staring after the male. Hunt well? Ayden hadn’t told the owl about the message she’d left on the cave floor, had he?
“Fucking tail,” she grumbled under her breath. It was a common expression used among all species. She needed to get a grip.
And she needed to start running. Twenty-three minutes wasn’t a lot of time to get out of Banff.
Magda wasted most of the twenty-three minutes walking the streets, hoping she headed the right way, and making sure the smell of humans remained really strong. Earlier, she’d used the humans’ public bus but it had quit running at midnight. Now she relied on landmarks she’d spotted on the bus to help guide her. How anyone might use their sense of smell while anywhere near public transportation was beyond her.
At first she’d considered going to the bus station and waiting for the bus that would take her out of town. If Ayden didn’t find her at the human night club, the bus station would probably be close to the top of his list of places he’d search for her. She thought of putting some muscle into it and running. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself, though, so she walked.
Diverting from the sidewalk, Magda crossed a small parking lot and headed into a busy convenience s
tore. Searching the walls, she found a clock. It was just after one AM. Two hours until her bus left the bus station. All she had to do was maintain a low profile until then.
Her stomach growled when she breathed in the salty smell of bagged potato chips and peanuts that were on an end display. Then the too sweet smell of what were probably pretty stale donuts distracted her for a moment. Sugar would help boost her metabolism and keep her wound up while she did her best to remain surrounded by humans.
The bell over the glass doors of the store rang and more people entered. Alcohol and body sweat were an even mix on the customers. Magda looked away, not wishing to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. A row of red packages hung on a rack in a display directly in front of her. She almost salivated from the spicy smell of beef jerky.
Magda groaned at the cost of the jerky. “Seven dollars is ridiculous.” She shook the package, trying to see how much meat was actually in there.
All the money she had to her name was stuffed in the inside pocket of her coat. It had been money she’d split three ways between her and her littermates in case they were separated when they’d first run off their mountain. She hadn’t needed cash while in her fur. Nor had there been a need for money over the past two weeks in her cave. Nonetheless, she didn’t have a lot to spend.
The bus ticket would take her to the border and it was a pricey way to travel. Without a passport, it was as far as she would go on it. After getting across the border in her fur, she’d worry about how to get to Colorado.
She endured waiting in line to pay for her jerky, then headed for the sign that said bathroom. Turning into a short hallway, she stopped short at the line of women standing there.
“End of the line is right there,” a human wearing so much make up it wasn’t clear what color her eyes were, informed Magda.
Magda decided her eyes were red, bloodshot from whatever she’d put in her system that night. “I see that,” she said, fighting the urge to curl her lip and growl.
It might get rid of the line for her.
Sometimes keeping a low profile really sucked.
“She sees that,” the human female standing next to the one who had spoken first said to her companion.
Both females, who were probably close to Magda’s age, found their exchange hilarious and fell into each other laughing. An older woman standing just outside the bathroom door, glanced at them before turning her back and facing the door. She disappeared inside quickly when it opened. A lady with a toddler exited the restroom without making eye contact with the other humans or with Magda. Humans dominated the planet yet lived in a world where they ignored each other. It was something she’d never quite understood. They feared each other as much as they did other species.
Waiting for the bathroom killed ten minutes. The females in front of her went in together and were inside long enough that Magda actually did have to use the facilities by the time it was her turn.
As many times as she had urinated outside, Magda decided each of those occasions was more sanitary than where she found herself now. Locking the door until it clicked, she tore open her jerky and downed the first slice, barely tasting it. She tried savoring the second piece more. It was slightly stale and the plastic it had been wrapped in had left a residual taste on the meat.
“Waste of money,” she complained, but then ripped another bite with her teeth as she glanced in the mirror that was level with her face. “Fucking tail,” she moaned at the sight of herself.
After finishing the second piece of jerky, she slid the remaining pieces, still in the packaging, into her coat pocket. It was an old Army jacket, and kept her warm in her human form. When she changed into her fur, it was bulky enough to wrap her clothes in and tie around her waist. At the moment though, she thought she resembled a human transient.
Her hair hung in strings from how she’d managed to put it up before entering the night club. The blouse—one that Ayden had given her—was almost off one shoulder from the weight of the jacket. The jeans and boots she wore were comfortable, and didn’t make her stand out. Werewolves seldom went clubbing the way humans did. There were much better ways to have fun. When it came to sniffing out members of the opposite sex, nothing beat a group run through the wilderness. That club had provided a camouflage. She had thought it almost impossible for anyone to sniff her out amongst the smell of humans, their perfume and colognes, and the never-ending smell of alcohol.
In truth, she was grateful to the owl for finding her. It had been more enjoyable hiding in a cave than in that repugnant night club. Magda finished messing with her hair. It wasn’t as if she needed to impress humans with her appearance.
Unless she was primping because she believed Ayden might still sniff her out. She left the bathroom. Of course now there was no line. After glancing at the clock on the wall, and noticing her bathroom adventure had killed another fifteen minutes, Magda headed out into the night air. If only breathing it in revitalized her. The smell of car exhaust was as strong as the smell of humans.
Two human males, one pumping gas into a fiery red sports car and the other one looking out the rolled-down passenger window, both gave her a noticeable once-over. Maybe she should just put herself in a position where Ayden would find her. Magda turned away from them and adjusted her coat as she pulled it tight around her.
“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be walking alone at night,” one of them called out.
Human females might believe it was dangerous to take walks alone during the night. Magda rather relished the idea. Ignoring the humans, she walked to the side of the convenience store building and sat, pressing her back against the brick wall.
Granted, if she were part of a pack, they wouldn’t permit her to leave her den at night since she was a single female. More than likely, those packs knew a single female could kick ass as well as any male. It was done to protect the honor of the female.
“Which is a crock of shit,” she mumbled under her breath. No one seemed to care about the honor of the male.
It was a morose line of thinking. The chances of her ever being part of a pack were slim. In fact, the only pack she had the slightest chance of joining was the Malta werewolf pack in Colorado. There were howlings about packs not being quite so concerned about Malta werewolves in the states as they were in Canada. American werewolves were all mostly mutts anyway. Breeding, or maintaining a species’ pedigree, wasn’t something they cared about. Hopefully, if even a bit of what she’d heard howled was accurate, she’d make it to Colorado. Then, if she were lucky, they’d take her in.
Suddenly her mood plummeted. Her life, so terribly interrupted, had ripped her out of the only world she’d known and loved. Magda barely remembered her last group run. Furthermore, she wasn’t sure when she’d last given thought to attending one. Since leaving her mountain, the only thing on her mind had been survival.
That was until she met Ayden. Magda pulled her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Living like this seriously sucked.
What was worse, prior to meeting Ayden, she hadn’t given a lot of thought to how terrible running and hiding day in and out actually was. However, two weeks in a cave with the male and her entire perspective on life had changed.
“It’s true,” she muttered to herself, staring blankly at broken concrete in front of her boots.
Ayden had given her hope. Living in a cave had seemed unacceptable until she had run from it. Now, trying to decide which way to run, and hoping she sniffed out the safest neighborhoods in a town she didn’t know, definitely wasn’t better. Would it be better enduring this human obstacle course with Ayden. She sighed, and cringed at how pathetic she suddenly smelled.
“I already miss him,” she whimpered and turned her head to rest her cheek on her knees while hugging herself and letting the pity party flow.
If she had met Ayden on her mountain, things would have been so different. If her sire and mother hadn’t been murdered they would have loved him. Magda imagined
their responses to her smelling seriously mated so soon after meeting him. Her mother would smell concerned, but a hint of happiness and pride would be there, too. She’d make a fuss, insist he spent time in their den, and demand to know about his sire and mother.
Magda’s sire, on the other paw, would be outraged. He would puff out his chest and interrogate Ayden until it exhausted all of them. Then, because he’d find no fault in him, and since Ayden would be at their den all the time, her sire would start insisting Ayden do work around the place.
Letting her imagination get the best of her, Magda pictured Ayden chopping firewood for her den. Her sire would let him do it, in spite of his being able to break logs down into firewood with his gift. That would be one rule he would insist on—no one in her litter would mention anything about Malta werewolves.
Of course, Ayden would see that her sire was full-blooded Malta werewolf. Magda repeated the words in her head that Ayden had already said to her. She believed he didn’t care what species she was.
The image of him glistening with sweat as he swung an ax faded in her mind. A tear irritated her skin when it slipped down her cheek. He had been nothing but honest with her. From the moment he’d first seen her, when she’d run from the leopards, he hadn’t smelled disgusted by what she was. Not once had he implied her being part Malta werewolf bothered him in the least. She sucked in a staggered breath and smelled him on her. Would his scent ever fade?
She wouldn’t deny the truth to herself. She wanted him. The male did things to her that she’d never experienced before. Like turn her insides upside-down, making her question if she were doing the right thing. When of course she was doing the right thing. If Ayden didn’t see how being with her would destroy his life, he wasn’t smelling things clearly.
“Does he love me?” Did she love him?
The pain that instantly imploded on her heart seemed answer enough. But she was doing the right thing running from him. Wasn’t she?
With Her Capture Page 12