Luke's Dream

What did she see in him? Long, shaggy hair, more facial growth than a yeti, obvious low intelligence based on his delay in establishing a Claim—a girl like Gabby could do a lot better than Clay. Like me. My hair was styled. My clothes were neat and trendy. I looked put together, like a human. Yet, she’d barely looked twice at me.

Annoyed, I shoved the key into the ignition to slide the shifter into neutral and pushed the car so it pointed at the entrance. Why was I even helping her? Because she was so small and pale and looked exhausted to the point of breaking. Fragile. Something about that called to me. I was mental. That was the only explanation. I needed to start avoiding distressed women. They were nothing but trouble.

With the car moved, I strolled around the Compound’s parking area. Whatever had Gabby ready to run, I didn’t want to be left behind to deal with the fallout. And, I had the feeling Clay wouldn’t be willing to let me tag along with them. So, I needed a mode of transportation. My four paws would be quick, but too easy to track. A motorcycle caught my eye. The key was still in the ignition. Grinning, I took the key and went inside.

Walking the deserted halls reaffirmed that I needed to leave soon. The single males were long gone after their failed chance at Gabby’s latest Introduction. I should have beat it, too. But I hadn’t. She’d asked me to stay just before she’d passed out two days ago. Then, her Neanderthal protector had dragged me back to her room so she could ask for my help. Again, I regretted not leaving. It was too late now, anyway. I’d committed to this course and wouldn’t quit until I saw it through. Besides, it wasn’t as if I had anything better to do with my time.

Just outside the apartment where Clay and Gabby were staying, I paused and listened. Both inside the apartment and everything around me in the halls remained quiet. Good. Gabby had made it clear she’d wanted to leave without anyone knowing. Our kind were naturally good at sneaking around. But we did it better at night.

I eased the door open and slipped inside. A low murmur of sound came from the only room in the small apartment. They were talking. They could do that later.

Crossing the room, I opened the door and stuck my head in. Clay had his teeth out, glaring at me. Sasquatch. Why had he gotten the girl? Pushing my resentment aside, I focused on finishing my job. Help Gabby, then get the hell out of there.

“Better hurry. You carry her, and I’ll grab her things,” I said.

Clay nodded and tossed some blankets over Gabby and lifted her off the bed, wasting no time. I moved into the room and started throwing her things into her bag. Girls liked their things. Plus, I wanted my scent on her clothes the next time she dressed…just to annoy him.

He didn’t wait for me. Carrying her, he left the room. I wasn’t far behind them. The contentment she was radiating as she laid her head on his shoulder irritated me.

How could she possibly be content with him? He was an ungroomed mess and a stalling pushover. The pairing made no sense to me. If I ever found my Mate, I wouldn’t hesitate to Claim her. Nothing would stop me from making her mine.

Outside, I led them to the car and opened the passenger door. As Clay set her on the seat, I impatiently scanned the building and listened. The idiot was taking too long to buckle her in. Someone was bound to hear us. When he finally moved away, I handed Gabby her bag and started to close her door.

She held up a hand, and I impatiently waited for her to dig in her bag for a pencil and paper. She scribbled something on it and handed it to me. It seemed a bit late to give me her number. As I closed the door, I read the note.

Search Virginia around Roanoke and Lynchburg. There’s a girl like me there.

Stunned, I reread the lines. A girl like Gabby? Did she mean a potential Mate? I crushed the note in my hand as Clay started the engine. This information was priceless. With a racing pulse, I quickly mounted the bike. If I could reach the woman before any others, I’d be able to establish my Claim first. A Mate. I wouldn’t screw this up.

Gravel sprayed from under the car’s tires as Clay gunned for the gate. I started the bike and beat him through the entrance.

I wasn’t going to stop until I found her and made her mine.

****

Two days later, I reluctantly checked into a cheap hotel. There was a lot of area between Roanoke and Lynchburg; and, according to the map I’d checked, too many small towns to hide one special female. Finding her would take time. Hopefully, not too much, though. I was tempted to contact Elder Joshua, the one who had given permission to approach Gabby, to ask if there were any of our kind in the area. He had been quick to help me and a few other packless Forlorn before and would probably help again. But, I didn’t want him wondering why I was here or why I wanted to know.

The uncertainty of whether or not I was alone in the area meant I’d need to find my female as quickly as possible. I studied the map for a while and planned my next few days. Public places like shops and business districts would be my best bet. Since it was the middle of the week and the middle of the day, I left the room, determined to walk local businesses.

I shifted through the various scents as I strolled along the sidewalk. Female versus male was easy enough to discern. Yet, none of the female scents I encountered held that flavor of appeal that sparked the curiosity I’d felt when I first scented Gabby. Disappointed, I spent my evening walking the town’s shops.

The next day went similarly with three other small towns. During the weekend, I focused on the bigger towns and their points of interests. Malls, theaters, pubs. Although I didn’t encounter any unique scents, I did meet a trim yet well-endowed woman sitting alone in a pub. The idle way she sipped her drink and the sad look in her eyes reeled me in. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back as she looked up and met my gaze.

“Hello,” I said, taking the seat beside her. “Can I buy you a drink?”

She turned to me, her soft brown eyes sweeping me from head to foot. A slow smile curved her lips. “I’ll let you buy me several.”

“Celebrating a special occasion?”

“The Redwings lost to the damn Blackhawks.” She shook her head in disgust and mumbled something about a cane before taking a long drink and eyeing me once more.

“My name’s Amber. What’s yours?”

“Luke.” Her passion over a hockey game genuinely interested me.

“Nice accent. Makes my ovaries tingle.”

Oh, I liked her. Grinning, I waved the bartender over. Having a human woman notice me wasn’t unusual. Having one interest me enough to hold my attention for more than a few minutes was. We talked for a bit and when our drinks emptied, she declined another and invited me back to her place.

I knew I should say no. Most human women weren’t out for a quick, good time. They wanted relationships. Commitments. I couldn’t offer either. But, I was tired of being alone. Tired of the continuous cycle of hopeless Introductions. Tired of searching for a girl who seemed impossible to find.

Amber leaned forward, her ample cleavage on display in her snug top.

“Before you decide, I should tell you…I don’t believe in the Easter Bunny or underwear.”

No man could say no to such a blatant invitation.

The morning after I felt a great deal of shame sneaking from her home. I shouldn’t have ever gone home with her, yet I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. I’d craved a feminine touch for too long, and experiencing it only pushed me to increase my efforts to find my true Mate. I slept less and moved around more, always searching for the scent that would call to me.

Two weeks passed without a trace of anything interesting. I doubled back and searched some of the bigger towns again. How could one female be so hard to find? The piece of paper from Gabby had rounded corners and loose creases from all the times I had reread it in an effort to figure out where to look next.

Irritated with my failure so far, I went to bed early on Saturday and checked out of the hotel the next morning. I was running low on funds. Unlike my Forlorn brethren, I wasn’t opposed to employment. Prior to my parents’ untimely deaths, my father had worked in a shop in England. We’d rented a modest cottage with numerous neighboring fields on which we could run when the mood struck. After their deaths, I’d used the money my parents had saved to come to America. Since then, I’d worked and built myself a half-life. Living with others like me, bouncing from place to place, I’d saved what I’d earned with the hope I’d find a Mate and we could use the money to make a comfortable life for ourselves.

Seeing that money disappear on hotel rooms for an increasingly pointless search rankled. As I drove to the mall, my last stop before leaving the current town, I considered ringing Gabby to ask if there was anything else she could tell me to help with the search. But, that would be like admitting I was inadequate for the task. I wouldn’t admit defeat.

The crowded parking lot indicated a busy mall. Neatly dressed and perfumed women exited cars and walked toward the entrance as I got off the bike. I studied the females I passed. I couldn’t help it; I craved a woman of my own. Holding the door for a few, I inhaled and enjoyed their scents and wished just one would call to me.

The shops were just opening as I walked the main thoroughfares. The scent of sweetbread filled the air and led me to the food court. I inhaled greedily, having not yet eaten, and was about to find the source of the sugared cinnamon scent when a group of adolescent females caught my eye. Two were kissing. My feet slowed. What man wouldn’t look? It made me wish I was young enough for high school again.

A blonde girl stood to the side, slowly shaking her head at the pair. The taller of the two kissing girls had streaks of vivid pink in her hair and several piercings on her face. Pretty, but not my type. I couldn’t see much of the shorter girl’s face, only her dark hair, tense back, and fisted hands. If I had to guess, I would say she didn’t care for the kiss.

My gaze swept over her thin long-sleeved shirt, dark skinny jeans, and sneakers, noting everything. The slight bumps of her spine and prominent wrist bones hinted at a weight issue. The wrinkles in her shirt and loose shoes hinted at a disregard for hygiene. Altogether, the signs screamed poor self-image. Yet, someone with a poor self-image usually had a very natural scent.

I discreetly moved closer, sampling the air as I moved. The other two had normal feminine scents. The one who had my attention smelled of chemicals, which was odd. There was so much covering up her scent I wouldn’t have known if she was female or male if I couldn’t see her. It wasn’t just her body spray, but also exhaust imbedded in her clothes as if she’d stood next to a freeway for hours. The unnatural bitter scent of hair dye clung to her as did something sour.

Something about her and the way she held herself hinted at desperation. I couldn’t stop staring. When the two broke apart, I saw her face. Yesterday’s makeup was smudged around her eyes. She was pale and sickly looking. Her hands shook, and she swayed on her feet. She was beyond fragile. She was already cracked and broken.

Suddenly, I felt it. A slight pull. The reality of the situation stunned, then angered me. Jaw clenched and hands fisted, I watched her nod at the pierced girl. This broken girl was the woman Gabby sent me to find?