The Mating Rules

I end up spending the night in the forest, climbing a tree and using my bag to tie myself to one of the branches so I don’t fall while I sleep.

As the first rays of light peek through the leaves, I jolt awake, stifling a scream as I wobble precariously, not remembering where I am, only the feeling of falling breaking through the haze of sleepiness.

My arms wrap around the branch instinctively as I stare down at the ground below me, trying to slow my heartrate as yesterday comes back to me. Caden missing, our guard dead, running for my life. The two men who were looking for a woman that I assume was me.

Unclipping the strap from the bag, I unwrap myself and reclip it again, slinging it over my shoulder before swinging my leg over the branch and starting the painful job of forcing my exhausted, cramped muscles to move and get me back to the ground.

Jumping the last couple of feet, I’m thankful that my ankle gives no protest, looks like Skarla finished healing me overnight. I concentrate on her to thank her but the soft snoring in my mind tells me that my wolf is still recovering so I leave her alone.

Stretching my hands over my head, I wince as my body protests, wiping the sleep out of my eyes and rummaging in my bag for some food before setting off again through the trees in search of somewhere I can hopefully get a room and a shower.

Hours later and I finally fall through the edge of the forest, stumbling slightly as I stare out at the field in front of me and, thank the Goddess, some sort of town on the other side.

‘Thank you!’ I whisper to myself in relief and push my protesting body onward, dragging my feet across the field between me and my shower which is more bog than anything, sucking down on my sneakers and fighting had to pull them from my feet.

I battle my way through, reaching the far side and hauling my exhausted body over the wooden gate, landing on my hands and knees on a paved road. Taking a moment, I breath deeply before pushing up to my feet, shoring up my wobbly legs and looking each way down the road before crossing over and following a small path toward the town.

My route passes between tightly built buildings that block out the light and warmth of the sun until it opens up onto a cobbled street that is lined with old style housing. Each home is positioned right on the pathway, the front door opening straight onto the street. To my right I can see a small wishing well, surrounded by a foot tall wooden fence. It sits in the centre of the road, the cobbles arching around either side like a makeshift roundabout.

To the left there are a couple of stalls set up, sleepy looking vendors, sitting behind them under canopies to protect them from the sun. There are hardly any people out and the old sound I can here is the chirping of birds from a large tree that grows in a small area of grass, a tyre hanging from one of the branches.

Mentally flipping a coin, I head right, keeping close to the housing despite the lack of vehicles, studying each house I pass, searching the windows for a room to rent sign.

A woman opens her door as I walk past, stopping short and glaring at me as I duck my head and hurry past, OK, the locals are not friendly it seems.

Moving around the wishing well, I continue down, heading toward a small church that I can see the spire of in the distance. On my left a curtain twitches drawing my attention, turning toward the movement I want to cry at the sight of the small white board in the window declaring it a bed and breakfast.

I walk across to the other side, stopping in front of the peeling red door and lift my hand to knock. Hesitating for a second as uncertainty courses through me, I tamp down the worry and rap my knuckles on the door before stepping back slightly and waiting.

A few minutes pass before the door cracks open an inch and a stormy grey eye peers out at me.

‘What do you want?’ the rough voice demands from behind the safety of the door between us.

‘Oh, I uh, saw your board’ I reply quickly, pointing toward the window, ‘I’m looking for a room for the night.’

The eye studies me suspiciously, ‘you have money?’ the faceless man demands.

I nod, opening my bag and pulling out some bills to show I can pay for the lodgings.

A huff of annoyance comes from inside the building before the door shuts again and there is the sound of a scrape of a chain being removed. The door then opens wider and an old man in an ill fitting shirt and baggy jeans that have seen better days waves me in.

‘Come on’ he grumbles, ‘I’m not heating the damn street girl.’

I move my a*s, hurrying over the threshold and into the dingy hallway that looks like it hasn’t been decorated since the late seventies.

Moving past me, the guy who must be in his early seventies unhooks a key from the wall and shuffles toward the stairs without looking back at me.

I reluctantly follow behind him, keeping a tight grip on my bag as we ascend the stairs, reminding myself that I’m a werewolf and this guy is undoubtedly a human, an old human at that, I can easily overpower him if he turns out to be a psycho who wants to carve me up and keep my organs in a jar in his basement.

We reach a door with a tarnished, brass four in the middle, the man opens the door and waves me in to what turns out to be quite a nice double room.

‘Umm do you need me to sign anything?’ I ask as I slide past him, breathing in so I don’t accidentally touch him.

The old man stares at me in confusion, ‘like what?’ he growls.

I shrug, ‘umm, a contract for the room or a receipt of some kind?’ I offer uncertainly. In honesty, I’ve never rented a room myself so I have no idea what kind of paperwork you are meant to fill in to rent a room.

The owner rolls his eyes not even trying to cover up that he thinks i’m an i***t, ‘it’s thirty five bucks for the night’ he huffs, ‘bathroom is down the hall at the end. Don’t take all day in there, we got other renters who want to wash up and take a sh*t. We don’t do dinner, only breakfast and that will be put on a tray outside your room at eight am. If it’s still there at nine, we take it back.’

‘Oh OK’ I reply, a little taken aback at his brusqueness.

He holds his hand out toward me and I stare at it for a second before reaching and grasping his fingers with my own to shake it. His incredulous look immediately informs me that I’ve read this situation wrong, and it takes a second for me to realise that what he actually wants is for me to pay him for the room.

I quickly release his hand, colour crawling up my cheeks as I pull out the money from my bag and count out thirty five dollars before pushing it toward him. He pulls the notes from my hand and stuffs them into his front pocket of his shirt before turning and shutting the door behind him without another word.

Dropping my bag on the small table beside the door, I quickly turn the lock and back away, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.

Looking around me, I take in the flowery décor that makes me think that old man grumpiness didn’t have any input in the decorating side of the business. Beside my bed is a small chest of drawers, a pink lamp perched on top next to some bath towels that despite their dated look are clean and smell freshly laundered.

On the other side of the room is a vanity with a mirror perched on top and a stool pushed underneath. Standing up to investigate, I find a hairdryer in one of the drawers along with a leather bound bible.

Shutting the drawer, I glance down at myself, wrinkling my nose at the state of my clothes. I swipe up the towels before rummaging in my bag for the clean underwear and the pair of shorts I packed in there and unlock the door. Peering out of my room warily, I slide out and shut it behind me. Locking it securely before I hurry down the corridor to the room that has a picture of a bathtub on a plaque and try the handle, thankful that the door opens, meaning no one else is using it.

I step into the small bathroom to find an avocado coloured suite awaiting me. Right now I don’t care, the thought of hot water and a clean body is all that’s keeping me upright at this minute.

I turn on the shower, mildly surprised that there are dispensers on the wall for shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Placing my bag and clean clothes on the hand basin edge, I test the water with my hand and m**n softly as hot water bathes my fingers.

Stripping out of my clothes, I throw the outer clothes in to the bottom of the tub and my place my shirt with my clean shorts and underwear before I step under the hot stream. Pulling the shower head from the wall I use it to try and wash the mud from my clothes as I squat at the other end of the bath, shivering from no longer being under the spray of the shower.

I do the best I can to remove the dirt before wringing out my jeans and hoodie and hanging them over the curtain rail.

Putting the shower head back, I stand underneath it, allowing the water to cascade over me, removing as much of the dirt from my body as I can before grabbing the shampoo and squirting some into my hand.

Massaging gently, I work it through my long knotted strands, using my fingers to try and free the tangles as I silently curse myself for not bringing a comb with me.

Next it’s the conditioner and finally body wash that gives me that clean feeling I’ve been needing for the last twenty four hours.

Shutting off the water, I step out and grab one of the towels, using it to dry my body before pulling on my clean clothes and my original shirt. I’lll need to find somewhere to buy another top at some point but right now beggers can’t be choosers and it’s not muddy as my hoodie protected it from my various times of slithering about on my stomach.

I use the second towel to scrunch dry my hair as best I can before gathering all my things up and heading back to my room. Unlocking the door, I quickly scurry inside of the room, locking it behind me and I carry my wet clothes to a small radiator under the window.

Spreading out my clothes to dry, I then hang both towels up over the edge of the bed and clamber underneath the sheets.

Snuggling into the warmth of the mattress my eyes are suddenly like sacks of flour and I can barely hold them open. Yawning loudly, I roll over onto my side, sleep taking me immediately, dragging me into a world of fear filled dreams.