I Saw Mami Biting Santa Claws (gxg)

Chapter 9

Karano' phone alarm woke her up at 6am the following morning, and after using her paw to turn it off, she stretched, then shifted back into her human form. "Let's go find our mate," she whispered to Eowyn.

"Yes! I need to know she is safe," Eowyn replied softly. "And hurry, tonight she shifts."

Once she was dressed, she slipped out the back door, sniffing the entire time. The scents of her home island were different from those of the Everglades, and she enjoyed the new changes. This early, there was nothing but the sound of the occasional birds, but even they could sense a predator, and were quickly silent. There were ruts in the backyard where a truck had driven, probably Angel's since he'd always loved them, and she followed the ruts to the street, where the dirt on the tires showed her which way they'd gone.

Karano broke into a jog, staying on the road as long as there were no intersections. Several miles down the road, she stopped in shock. She could smell her wife! Wait. Her face broke out in a grin as she realized that she had the smartest wife ever. It wasn't much, but she could sense the little droplets on the road that her wife had left her like breadcrumbs to come find her. With a growl, she set off again, pausing every time she came to a fork in the road so she could sense the direction they'd gone.

Puerto Rico was a big island, and she was on foot, so she knew this could take a long time, but she was going to do everything she could to find her lovely mate. It was almost noon when she realized where they were going. Angel had a fishing boat, it was how he made his living, and they were no doubt headed for it. But at the rate that she was travelling, it would take at least another hour to get there, and she'd be exhausted and hungry. She wished that she could shift, but that would be hard in the daylight with potential witnesses. Wolves aren't something that anyone would normally see on the island.

Her stomach started to growl as a new scent invaded her nostrils, and she followed the smell to a little food truck located in a nearby corner strip mall parking lot, and quickly got in line. Honestly, her stomach was growling so much, she was shocked that she didn't scare people away, though she did get a few grins from people that didn't understand just how hungry and desperate she was.

"Two of the pork mofongo, por favor," she told the older woman who took the order. She nodded happily, and then sent the ticket over to a pair of men that were cooking while Karano paid, getting a bottle of water as well. At this point she was ready to eat the whole truck. She stood near the truck window, trying to silently will the workers to cook faster, though she knew from the smell that this mofongo would be delicious, and time was being taken to ensure it was done right.

Finally, the woman called her over, and handed her two containers, which she quickly took over to a nearby bench. There was no pretense at good manners, she just inhaled the first container in seconds, belatedly realizing that it truly was scrumptious, and then took a little more time on the second. Karano had been expending a lot of calories running over the island, and she knew she'd be expending even more over the coming afternoon. But she was feeling better, knowing where she was headed. She just needed to get there, and then find that damn boat, which was a little bit of a worry.

But she had little doubt that she would find her mate. Their connection was still strong, and nothing would keep her from being able to sense her if she got a little closer. In the meantime, she couldn't help but groan in appreciation of the salt cured port and cracklings with the fried plantains. It was the kind of comfort food that always made her feel good. A taste of home for sure.

Several of the other customers were watching her curiously, though none seemed frightened. That was good, as they were safe from her impending wrath. With the food gone, she drank down the water, and set off back down the road, loping easily along with the food giving her newfound energy to power through until Hazel was back in her arms.