Taken by my mate
Chapter two

Evadiene

I liked to be busy, but a recent mistake and my unwillingness to go to my dad had me working two jobs nearly back to back. I didn’t mind it, except for how often I had to leave Sequoia, my cat at home. I took a risk and invested in a bad business, losing everything that I had taken to start my new life in Peine .

After that I had been a nanny, a temp, worked in a warehouse, sold car insurance, and a gardener, but now I wanted to work my way to the next big move. Never staying somewhere too long, never getting attached, always trying new things; that was how I had been living my life for a while and it was going pretty well up until that last risk.

My mornings I was usually working in a fancy brunch place for the rich, and then at night I danced downtown. That stuck me going to my night job in the heat of traffic if I wanted any downtime at home, but I had made that the best part of my day. I had a well curated playlist of all my favourite songs to belt at the top the very top of my lungs, and mobbed to work each day happy as a clam.

In the winter my cheap convertible was so cold that I needed to dance just to keep from freezing over, but the minute the rain backed off I was more than happy to drop the top. Something about making unabashed eye contact with complete strangers while living your best life just *chef’s kiss* made my day. The few that glared back at my antics probably weren’t happy in their own lives, and I knew the ones that smiled back had had at least gotten a good laugh, so I had made their day slightly better.

The bustle of the city had always attracted me, even if I currently lived on the other side of the water. I liked there being enough people to never really know everyone, or enough for it to matter, but if you kept a consistent routine you could have casual relationships with random people wherever you went. Between my different routines and the many jobs I had gone through, I knew people all over the place.

My drives had gotten less enjoyable for no reason that I could figure. I started getting dressed around the same area of stagnant traffic every Friday, and it was starting to drive me mental. After a few weeks of it not improving I decided it was time to change something about my day. I delayed taking my anxiety medication until after my morning job and didn’t start drinking coffee until I was at my night job setting up.

It didn’t erase the problem completely, but I did feel better for quite a while, until it was warm enough to drop the top on my car. The first day of the ‘good’ weather season that feeling returned, stronger than before, but I ignored it heavily. These drives were my therapy for everything I refused to acknowledge and I looked around to those around me while I turned my music up.

That was when I caught sight of a rather muscular man across the bridge staring in my direction. There wasn’t much of him that I could see across the gap between the lanes now that I was on the bridge, but from the size of his arm I hoped he was proportionally muscular. His head was definitely faced in my direction but I tried to ignore the intense feeling of his eyes on me.

My favourite blue sunglasses were hiding most of my face and my eyes from anyone knowing if I was really liking at them, but they honestly made it hard for me to see the details of faces as well. I was very tempted to pull them down to get a better look, but luckily I was saved the choice as my lane started moving again. I was turning away from him to focus on driving but I could have sworn that I heard a growling sound.

—

May 12

Covyn

I sat in traffic with greater excitement then ever before, the anxious feeling now a dull thrum that encouraged me to keep my eyes to oncoming traffic. A different anxious feeling started to build as my exit was in sight and I still hadn’t seen her car. I was worried up until I actually took the exit but it quickly shifted to anger.

“Where is she?” I roared in his car, smashing the steering wheel so hard I was worried the airbag would go off.

—

Evadiene

I nearly threw a coffee into a to-go cup in sheer panic. The return of my afternoon caffeine addiction was inevitable but today it was also necessary. I had gone to my morning job, not at all expecting the large party that came in to run me absolutely ragged. After that, a nap was the only option if I had any hope of performing at my night job. All of the steps were thought out thoroughly, except the one where I considered setting an actual alarm to get to up on time.

I was very dangerously close to being late, and showing up late meant that I wouldn’t start at the main bar. Being banished to the corner, or worse clearing tables, meant that my take home tips would be so much less than usual.

That was not ideal to my long term goals so I entered my destination into a GPS, pulling and dragging the waypoints to try and avoid all of the red and orange traffic zones. This new route had me getting there in time and I set off, however shortly after starting my adventure I realized why my GPS had never suggested this route. The neighbourhoods I ended up venturing through nearly made me wet myself, and I vowed to never be late again.

—

May 19

Covyn

My anger faded over the week as I worried that she had changed her routine and I would never see her again. I had nothing to go on except the general look of her car and hair colour, and if that was all I had I would still try but I knew my chances of replaceing her with that were slim. Still, I watched for her car even as my exit came into view and I thought my heart would wither in my chest.

At the last possible moment, I saw that beat up car finally come into view. I was so relieved I didn’t even think to gather more information about it incase something did happen that would leave me never seeing her like this again.

—

May 26

This time I was going to leave early, and did so to pull over in a painted meridian so that I could wait for her car to pass. I couldn’t be rash, because not knowing if she could sense our bond at all was definitely a concern. She didn’t look like a wolven, and certainly didn’t appear to sense me as she drove past. If she was human just running up to talk to her would be creepy as hell.

With her plate number I could have some of the wolven on the police force dig up more about her. A home or work address, her name, and, I cringed at the thought, marital status.

I would hate to be a homewrecker but knew that once I got my hands on her, she would not leave leave my side easily. If I couldn’t convince her to come with me, I would gladly kidnap my mate so that no one else could touch her.

I saw her car coming towards me and focused on reading her plate first. When I looked up to her face she was sobbing, tears streaming down down her beautiful face. My heart clenched in my chest, wanting to wrap my arms around her and dry her tears.

Before I could think to do anything but stare, she was gone and I felt desolate. The worst part was that I forgot her plate number.

Evadiene

I wanted to try something new on my drives and a good friend recommended audio books to me. I listened to it secretly all morning at my first job and kept the top up to hear it in my car on my way to my night job.

The biggest problem was that stuff started happening. There was a big fight, someone almost died, and then two people did die. All I could do was cry, feeling like I had lost a dear friend. I was already mentally preparing the hate mail I would send my friend made entirely of magazine clipped letters and words for recommending such a heart clencher.

My car inched along and I started promising myself that I would not put myself through crying in traffic again. Music. Music was my happy place, and well I will always love books there was clearly a wrong time and place for them.

When I arrived at work all of my makeup was smudged or smeared on my face and it was faster to take it all off and start over. I continued to listen to the book while I got ready, just needing a happy or conclusive ending to my heart ache from a fictional loss.

—-

June 2

Covyn

I got her license plate number and sent it off to my friends on the force. By the time my meeting was done there would be a folder on my desk at in my condo. The very least I would get from it was her name.

… And after a long meeting that was exactly all I got. Evadiene Vesper, 25, no residence listed, record of employment; not submitted, and her car was a ten year old convertible that she had inherited. She had no record, no listed medical history, never gotten a ticket, … she had never even filed taxes.

My mind was running wild looking at this single sheet in a file folder on my desk. I searched the name through every search engine I could think of, even the shifter database, just in case. After a few hours I was sure that this had to be a joke, but after threatening my source they assured. That was everything.

I needed to know who Evadiene Vesper was. I put a bulletin out with every shifter on the force across the city, to watch for her plate. I needed more about her, and at this point any information would be appreciated. After my message was submitted I sat back in my chair and took a long, deep breath. Now, all I had to do was wait.

—

June 3rd

Evadiene

I parked my car behind a strip mall on my way to work. I had just killed my eyeliner and mascara and lost half of a set of false eyelashes. The lot was full at this time day, but I knew the staff at the receiving end in the warehouse that would let me in.

I was just getting out of my car when two cops walked into the alley.

“Afternoon miss,” a tall man with dark skin, dark hair, and piercing eyes began, and if he didn’t look like he was going to give me a ticket I would say he was very attractive.

“Evening officer,” I returned, noting the slightly shorter partner to his side with his hands moving from his pockets. “Is there a problem?”

“Afraid so miss, your license plate was spotted at the scene of a crime and we’d like to ask you a free questions.”

I couldn’t help the short laugh as I shook my head and smirked. I had met a number of officers in this sorry city, and they always started a conversation, even friendly ones, by showing me their badge number and name. Every cop wore cameras on their lapel and needed to inform you that they were police and that you were being recorded. I’d even met a few off duty and they started reaching for their badge when they’d go to talk to me out of habit.

I pulled a bat from my backseat and they both stop suddenly. “Miss, do you realize you have pulled a weapon on an officer?”

These two stared at me like they thought their eyes were badge enough. “I have no reason to be wanted by the police-“ I gasped comically, “-unless you found the bodies!” They both looked surprised and I rolled my eyes. “You aren’t real cops, and I know every officer that works on this block. They’d never stick two newbies together for this side of town. So who are you?”

The back door opened and Rijash stood before me. He was unassuming in his size but I had seen him toss baby strollers up onto the stock shelves like they were loaves of bread. My knight in shining armour stood without bauking that I was holding a bat toward two cops. That was the sort of trust I infused people with; he knew if I was doing it, it was for the night reason.

“Is there a problem with my little princess, sirs.” Rijash asked, and it didn’t slip by them that he said sirs.

Rijash was pulling out his phone when the smaller officer tipped his hat. “No problem, our mistake.”

Despite the taller one looking like he would snarl at me, they turned and left. I tossed my arms around my friend and squished my nose into his neck as I shook my head.

“My hero!” I crooned cheekily and he laughed, pulling me away from him.

“You want to tell me what that was about Chitti?” He asked, watching the officers go at the end.

“The hell if I know? Maybe one of the mob bosses I served last night thinks I watered down his drinks.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m a wanted gal, very desirable. You could probably go to college for the price on my head alone.”

He boomed a laugh. “You know that no one would dare sell you out Evadiene, and you know where to go if they start harassing you again.”

I kissed his cheek. “Yes Ash, I know. Thank you.”

He let me in to grab my stuff and escorted me back to my car on my way out. It was nice knowing people all over town. Made me feel safe, and protected despite the places I lived and worked.

——

Covyn

My men reported in that they had stopped Evadiene behind a strip mall and she had pulled a bat on them. Despite my frustration that I didn’t gather anymore information about her I had to laugh. Just like I thought, a firecracker.

They told me about the rest of the interaction and my teeth ground at hearing she had hugged another man, called him her ‘hero’ and he had pet names for her. I was pretty sure she was joking about a having a price on her head, or possibly upsetting any of the gangsters in town, but it still left a pit of worry in my stomach. I wanted to replace her, to meet her, to know her, and maybe after I did I could finally get a good nights rest without the return of that dream.