Only two minutes to ten. I hastily grab my backpack and the basket with the egg from the backseat, and say bye to Jo and Tressie who gave me a ride to this human town, Fregsford.
I run to gate 4, an old cracked island platform. There's a grey-and-navy bus with tinted windows parked at the gate. At the windshield's top left corner a digital display made of yellow dots says 43A.
Feeling relieved I didn't miss the bus, I board it. It's almost full. I find my seat and slide my backpack into the rack above, and place the basket on the window seat I'd booked just for the egg.
After settling down, I send a text to my friends, and turn to the egg. "It's gonna be fun."
I was going to spend my post-exam break at my mother's place, but decided to first look into the Yates and Ivana lead that Hayden told me about. I'll stay a couple of days at Bolrent looking into it. Then I'll head to my mother's.
The bus purrs to life, and starts to reverse from the platform, before it abruptly comes to a stop. I hear voices at the front, and look over, and see Hayden coming in. I hide.
"Riva!" he shouts.
I slide down on my seat. Why is he here?
"There you are," his voice says from right next to me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Came to pick you up and head to Bolrent."
"You're going to Bolrent too?!"
"Yes," he says and pulls down my backpack from above. "Let's go. You're keeping the bus waiting."
"What? No wait—"
He's left with my bag. I grab the egg basket and rush out to follow him. "What are you doing? That's my ride."
"Not anymore," he says.
I hear the bus behind. It has reversed back from the platform and is making a turn.
"It's leaving!" I say. "Where are you taking me?"
"To my car," he says.
"I don't want to ride in a car with you," I say.
He stops, thrusts me my backpack. "Alright, take the bus then."
I gape at him and then look back. The bus is gone! "You're so fucking unbelievable," I say, following him. The next bus will be tomorrow.
At the parking lot we reach a wine-red SUV. I leave my bag and the egg basket at the backseat, with the basket secured by the seatbelt, and hop in at the front. I want to ask him how he found me, but then I kind of don't want to know.
We're now far from my coven's territory, Hayden's too, so I can relax a bit about being seen with him.
Leaning back, I feel excited for the journey. It's the first time I'm exploring human territories. My friends and I have visited the small human town closest to our coven twice. It was interesting. So I'm eager to see more such places.
Hayden says, "So the egg is coming wherever you go now?"
"What's your problem with the egg? Leave it alone."
"Geez, I was just asking," he says, before muttering, "You seem more interested in that egg than your mate."
I pretend I didn't hear him. He can't ever know how he makes me feel.
Hayden says, "How were the exams? Or I can't ask about that either?"
"They all went well. By the way, why are you also going to Bolrent? I told you I'll look into it."
"Four eyes better than two," he says, "It's more efficient if we both look into it."
Why is he so eager? He said he didn't want to break our bond just yet.
He pulls out his phone and hands it to me after opening a photo on it. The photo shows the front of a bakery shop named, "Boldman Bakes."
"Boldman as in—"
"Yates Boldman," Hayden says, "at least that's what I think it is."
"This shop is at Bolrent?"
"Twenty miles south of Bolrent, in a small town called Buckram."
I stare at his phone. The shop looks vintage with its gilded windows, printed awning, and wooden frames. The faded dark green board at the top has the shop's name inscribed on it in silver paint.
"I was thinking about something," Hayden says.
Partially lost in my own thoughts I respond with "Hmmm?"
"Hypothetically speaking," he says, "Let's say we decide to... consummate our bond."
My brain becomes alert.
He continues, "Is there a way we ca—"
"There's no way for you to fuck me without breaking my bones — literally," I say, with my face feeling hot in both anger and embarrassment. Why is he brining up sex out of the blue?
"There must be some—"
"Nothing," I lie, "Nothing can be done about it. You hurt me twice already, remember? Why are you even thinking about it? You're not taking the problem we are in seriously."
"I am taking it seriously. You're the one who doesn't seem to get it. I told you before, you haven't ascended yet so you can't feel it, but I can. It's tough for me to stay away from you. I just... Can't we at—"
"No," I quickly say and look away before he sees the blush on my cheeks.
I hear his smirk. "Your answer doesn't match what you feel," he says, "I know you're into me."
I cuss inwardly at his werewolf mate senses. Even though I can't really sense him as my Alka, it's impossible for me to not be swept away by his gushing male hotness. Witch or not, I'm a girl first. And he's one hunk of a boy.
"Stop feeling my emotions!" I say.
"It's not like there's a switch I can turn off," he says. "Now you sure there's nothi—"
"Nothing! There's nothing that can be done about this. Now please drop the subject already. I get you are horny because of the bond, but you don't have to remind me of that. We cannot have sex. Stop thinking about sex!"
I breathe out and suddenly remember the egg at the back. What if it the baby inside heard us? We shouldn't talk like this in front of the egg.
I reach to the back and check on the basket.
"Of course," Hayden says, "That's all that matters to you."
