I carry her up the stairs of Mandy’s porch.
“Harder, Honey, don’t stop,” Mandy yells from inside.
I’m sure the entire clan can hear them. This is normal and always worse after they argue, which is every other day. I chuckle softly. The clan will need to adjust to the sounds Veda makes when I take her as mate. I’ll have her screaming louder than Mandy ever has.
I pound my fist on the door. “Hurry it up in there. Your hellion child needs her parents and I have things to do.” I need to clean my entire cabin. I can’t move Veda in in its current state of filth. Mandy complains all the time, but Patreous and I don’t care. We actually like it. Our bear cave wasn’t made for women. Until now.
Honey opens the door a few minutes after Mandy gives a loud wail. The two of them have no shame. “I see you’re feeling better,” I say as I thrust Deme into his arms.
“Mandy is shifting for the birth in the morning and we want to celebrate.” Honey’s guilty smile says everything. Mandy wins again. Not that I had any doubt about the outcome. Will Veda wrap me around her finger the same way Mandy does Honey? Hell no. I’m not a milksop.
“You smell funny,” Honey says as he steps closer and sniffs the air.
“I said the same thing yesterday,” Mandy responds as she leans over his shoulder. Her eyes grow large. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes,” I say back. “I’m mated. And I have things to do, so my babysitting duty is over for the day.”
“Father,” Patreous shouts from across the clearing as he runs toward us. “Look,” he says as he points into the sky.
A trail of smoke rises into the air. It’s far away. It’s my mate’s cabin. Without waiting for anyone, I take off running and shift at the same time. “No!” I yell.
I say it again. “No,” but this time softer. She will be okay. I will get rid of the stove and fireplace in my cabin. The stupid woman will do all the cooking outside. I refuse to acknowledge the terror eating at my soul. She is okay. I would feel it if something happened to her. And the Goddess cannot be so cruel.
The cabin is completely engulfed in flames by the time I arrive. The heat keeps me back. Dmitri appears beside me without warning, as only a vampire can. I don’t remember calling him. I also have no idea how I ended up on my knees with my hands gouged into the dirt.
Dmitri touches my shoulder. “There is no one alive inside,” he says softly.
I know this, but I can’t handle the vampire saying it. “No,” I cry out.
“That doesn’t mean she’s in there.” He knows about the mating. I must have cast my thoughts to him as I ran. A liege vampire always knows what happens within his clan. The gift of their bite keeps us alive. We are only as strong as our vampire and Dmitri is one of the strongest of his kind.
“Stay back and I will check.” He blinks from my sight and I know he’s gone into the fire. He can feel pain. But then again there is no greater suffering than mine at this moment. He blinks back holding the shirt Veda wore earlier. My heart stops.
“This was on the bed. She’s not inside. What did you say to scare her away?”
I’m so completely lost in heartbreak that it takes a moment for his words to sink in. She’s alive. “Me?” I don’t speak aloud, but Dmitri hears my thoughts.
“Yes, you. She lives here in peace. You saw her once yesterday and once today. She burns down her cabin and runs away. I have no doubt that it’s you.”
My fury ignites. If that wily witch was in front of me right now, I’d have her bent over a tree stump while I beat her ass.
“If that’s what you told her, no wonder she ran.”
My growl fills the woods.
Mandy and Honey run through the trees saving me from committing suicide by vampire. “Was she inside?” Mandy asks as she cautiously looks between me and Dmitri.
It must be obvious that I’m barely in control of my temper. “No, but I will burn her ass with my hand when I find her.”
“She’s your mate?” Mandy asks with the same shocked look I know I had earlier.
“Curse the Goddess, but she is.”
“This is wonderful.” She throws her arms around me.
With calm deliberation, I peel her fingers from my skin. “Go home with Honey. I will find her and bring her back. By the time we return, we will be a mated pair and this silliness will end.”
Mandy shakes her head. “Umm, Tyboll, that may not be the best idea. You need to give her time to adjust.”
I look at Mandy, unable to keep my rage in check. I’m all but roaring when I speak. “There will be no soft mating ritual with that damned witch. She burned all her chances away.” I point one long finger at Mandy. “Stay out of my life and I will stay out of yours. I’m going to claim my mate whether she wants me or not.”
The crazy she-wolf bats away my finger. “Sheesh, you grumpy old bear.”
I give Honey a look that says, “If you don’t control her, I will.” Honey growls and I decide not to have the bear brawl I really need at this moment. I have a she-bear witch to find and drag back by her mangy red hair.
***
It’s three days before I return without my mate. I’ve gone between anger, worry, hatred, and experiencing pain so deep it will never go away. Rejection. It’s not the first time. Patreous’s mother left me after his birth. She mated with a human to have him and then left, rejecting us both.
The damned she-bear witch can run as far as she wants. I will not chase her anymore.
Chapter Nine
Veda
Every muscle that rests against the vehicle’s floor aches when I wake up. And I’m starving. The truck slows down, turns, and comes to a stop. The rumbling from the engine immediately shuts off. I scramble to grab my pack when the door rolls upward.
The unexpected voice startles me. “I know you’re in there. Come on out and I’ll feed you. There’s an inspection station a few miles from here and you need to ride up front.”
My eyes adjust to the light coming through the doors and I lower my arm. The man I’m staring at reminds me of Tyboll. Scruffy hair covers his face, though he’s much older than Tyboll. Well, not older. Tyboll has lived for centuries and only looks like he’s in his thirties. The man smiles and I relax a bit. He has a nice smile.
“I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t be. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. I’ll buy you a meal and give you a lift to the city.”
I know I’m still too close to bear territory, but I’ll have a chance if I can lose myself in the city. “Thank you.”
He places his hand out and I tentatively take it. His soft smile remains in place. “You’re a young thing. Is there someone I can call to pick you up?”
No one’s ever said I look young. “No thank you.”
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 rig
ht 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 that 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 throug
hout 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.
Fang Chronicles: Tyboll Page 4