CHAPTER 1
Rain watched as a guy with short colorful spiked hair got out of his car. It looked like the brand new Buick Encore GX and the guy looked clean cut and really nice.
“This is the guy.” Rain murmured to himself as he watched the guy go to the gas pump. “Please pay inside. Please pay inside.”
Once the guy pumped his gas, he walked into the Shell and Rain did a mental fist pump as he quickly rushed to the burgundy SUV, looking inside and seeing a thick warm jacket lying in the back.
Careful to watch as the man went to the coffee machine, Rain waited for the moment he knew the man wasn’t looking at his vehicle, before rushing to get inside and carefully close the door behind him.
Bring five seven meant he was small for a guy but a bit larger then was comfortable to get onto the floorboard so no one could see as he quickly stripped off his sweats and shoved them under the jacket before shifting into his elephant shrew form.
At a quick look most people that might see him would believe he was a typical mouse, but if they looked closer, they would see his snout was far longer than any mouse, and in fact he was no mouse at all, but more closely related to moles and tenrecs.
Rain loved his animal, but it sucked at how bad he was at climbing. The good thing about his little guy was that he was a pretty good jumper and could get up to at least three feet… so he jumped onto the seat and made his way into the far corner of the coat and burrowed in so he couldn’t be seen… at least, he hoped he couldn’t be, because Rain needed to get as far as fuck as he could from Montreal.
The driver’s door opened and closed. Rain didn’t make a sound or movement as the man started his vehicle and began to move.
He’d done it.
He’d escaped.
Now all Rain could hope for was wait and hope he didn’t get discovered.
* * * *
The sound of a phone ringing had Rain jarring awake.
When the fuck had he even fallen asleep?
Okay, he hadn’t slept in what seemed like forever, but still, he now had no clue how long he’d been traveling and that wasn’t good. Then again, he knew that he’d needed sleep or else he’d make mistakes… and that couldn’t happen. His life depended on it.
“Hey, Bren,” the man said.
“Jude, where are you?” Bren asked.
Sighing, Jude answered, “I’m about forty-five minutes from Val D’or. I still have to stop for groceries, but I should make it to the cabin before dark. Mackie said he’d have everything ready for me when I get there.”
“I still can’t believe you’re in fucking Canada,” another voice said.
“Yeah, well I knew it would be one place Casper and Smoky wouldn’t know about and come looking for me. Thanks again,Rylee, for letting me know that they were on their way to San Antonio,” Jude said.
Snorting, Rylee replied, “You got lucky with that one. I think Casper just missed you by about thirty minutes, tops.”
“I don’t see how you find this funny, Ry. Casper and Smoky are really hurting,” Bren said rather harshly.
“I know that, Bren, and I’m not laughing. I’m… I’m… hell, I don’t know what I am. Jude, are you sure you can’t just talk to them?” Ry asked.
Jude sighed, his voice sounding so pain filled Rain hurt for him. “I tried, Ry. I tried so many times to talk to them, but every time they brushed me off. You know I’ve wanted a baby more than anything. Seeing all the kids at the New Mexico branch and Gordy with his mates having Asher, then Bren, Pit and Azul had Dash…” Jude sniffled, before saying, “I love all of the babies both in Drago and in New Mexico, but I want one of my own. I want to hold something that makes up Casper, Smoky and me. I want to watch my child grow, call my mom grandma or mee-maw or whatever he wants to call her. As much as you guys are my family, I want one with my mates.”
Mates? Wait… Rain lifted his long nose and sniffed.
Although Jude had a strange scent to him, he still smelled human… but then how did… wait! He said mates so that meant he was bonded to someone that was other.
But what?
“We know, Jude, and we get it,” Ry softly said.
“And we’ll give you time, but you know as well as we do that we can’t be parted from our mates for long periods of time. It’s not healthy,” Bren warned.
