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Chapter Seven

Dimitri

I met the fox as I was returning from my visit to the desert floor. Compared to all the runs I’d made outside the city, this one was so much better. Even though I’d been going to a state park, it had been difficult to avoid humans out for a walk or, worse, poachers who wanted a bearskin for their hearth. My bear didn’t care, particularly, figuring he could take anyone who confronted him, but I worried. And it took some of the pleasure away from our runs.

Out here, in the desert, I felt better, as if I could see danger coming more easily, be prepared if I needed to. Many others from Animals were also down here. It was just so unlikely that a penguin would be out here unless it was a shifter. And many of the birds above me were not of the nighttime variety.

But when I met the fox, my bear faded into the background so I could take my skin and speak with this beautiful male. His fox was stunning but so was his two-legged form, and my bear was insisting he was our mate.

Could he be right? He’d never said it before. First time for everything, but who was going to tell the fox?

I grabbed his hands and we sat down right where we met and faced one another. “I’m Dimitri, and I’m very glad to meet you.”

“Tyler,” he said, offering me a shy smile. “And this is my first time at Animals.”

“Mine, too.” I took him in, the moonlight highlighting the sparkle in his eyes. “My cousin owns the place, and I came to visit.” I didn’t want to let go of his hands, to let go of any of him. Things had changed in a split second. How could I mourn losing a job when I’d found my mate?

“I hadn’t ever heard of Animals, but someone back at the motel where I work told me about it and it sounded like such a great place, I had to come and check it out.”

I stroked the back of his hands with my thumbs, sitting cross-legged in front of each other on the ground as if it were the most natural thing ever. Maybe it was. “I spent the day here, but I haven’t had a chance to see how it looks at night. It’s kind of like it’s sleeping during the day.”

“That must have been really interesting to see. Behind the scenes.”

“Yes, but how did it look when you got here? Had the live band started? They’ve got quite a DJ booth too.

“Honestly? I never made it inside. When I got here, I was overwhelmed with the need to shift. It was extraordinary. Gary, he’s the guy from the motel who told me about Animals gave me a ride and I just took off and ran. He told me where to shift, along the way, and here I am.”

“I’m glad you are.”

“If you’d like, we can go inside. Maybe even get a look at the club with the lights on?” I stood up, drawing him with me, not letting go of his hands. “Let’s go get our clothes.”

We got back up to the top of the path and found out things, got dressed. It wasn’t until we reached the inside of the kitchen and saw a wall clock that I realized we’d been talking for much longer than I thought. It felt like seconds.

“Oh my gods, I need to get back home. I start work at six in the morning. Gary might not be ready to leave, though.”

“I’ll take you home.” We entered through the side door which a bouncer had told me was where guests went in and out if they were going to go to the trail. “Let’s find your friend. I want to thank him for bringing you.”

Gary was sitting at a high-top table with a cougar shifter who gave us the side-eye when we approached. But when Tylerexplained that I was giving him a ride, the cougar smiled big. I had a feeling Gary was not going home tonight at all.

And since we were inside we took the time to wander around and absorb everything. Indeed at night it was different. What had been mere light bulbs during the day had become multi-colored displays that brought everything to life. A vampire band—and I never thought I’d be saying those words together—performed on the stage while shifters and people of all kinds danced. There were some animals about, but not as many as I’d expected when I learned that shifting was allowed inside. A sign informed attendees that there was no flying on brooms, and I wondered if something had happened to make the sign necessary. With all the lighting and sound and other equipment above, I could see that it could cause damage if someone was not careful with their broom.

Still, Tyler and I both thought it was funny.

A sense of humor was a good thing in a mate. Especially a shared one.

After seeing the sights, we headed back outside to the employee parking lot where I had left my car, and I opened the door for Tyler and helped him in.

On the way back to the motel, we talked some more, and it was like catching up with an old friend. If by friend you meant mate. I was hungry to know everything about Tyler, his growing up in the skulk, his family, and how he’d ended up here.

“I didn’t agree with the mate my father had picked out for me.”

When he said that, I nearly drove off the road. “Picked out? Does your father think he’s Fate? Why did he think you should marry this person?”

“Business reasons,” he said. “And I was willing to try, for the good of the skulk, until…until I caught my betrothed cheating on me.”

My anger grew, but I needed to be careful while driving. I was carrying precious cargo, so while my mate went on to explain about how he had been thrown out with fifty dollars, I counted in my head. Our family was huge and spread out, and we supported one another. Many of our relatives worked for Animals or the other clubs connected to it, and nobody was ever turned away if they were in need.

I decided right then that unless my mate expressed a real desire to reconnect with his family, we’d spend our time with mine. The bear hugs alone made it worth it.