Outback Love

"Mate"

Sunlight streamed through the thin, dusty curtains that graced the windows of Blanes room. He woke with a start to find some clothes in a pile on the equally dusty armchair in the corner. He sat up, putting his feet down on the floor. The bed squeaked terribly; it had woken him often during the night.

A banging on the door brought him all the way to wakefulness.

“Blane, Doc left some clothes on the armchair for ya and there's a little charge in the dog and bone if ya wanna have a go at contacting someone. There’s also a little bit of hot water left in the old donkey mate but be quick,” Davo called out.

“Uhh, thanks.” Blane replied. What the hell was a dog and a bone and what did a donkey have to do with hot water?

He grabbed a towel which felt remarkably clean considering the rest of the room and headed down the hallway to the bathroom. He turned on the water and let the hot water stream out. He looked at the water splashing on the off-white tiles. Was it dirty? He shrugged and turned the cold on before stepping in. He spent the next 5 minutes trying to get the temperature somewhere between scalding and icy. He sighed as he finally got it right and stepped in. He put his head back, letting the dirty water fall over his face.

Blane had a feeling he might regret that, but he was too tired to care. Just as he was about to wash himself, the water suddenly turned icy cold. He gave up, it wouldn’t be his first cold shower and if he was going to be meeting Mira for the day, it might be a good idea.

He finished his shower, using the cheap hotel soap that had sat on his folded towel. He stepped out and dried himself, wrapping the towel around his waist as he walked out of the bathroom towards his room. He had just reached the door when he heard the melodic giggle that could only be Mira.

He turned, hand on the door knob and smiled.

“One minute, I’ll just get dressed.” He smiled before racing into the room and shutting the door behind him. Why did he feel like a randy teenager being caught out?

He picked up the clothes Doc had left and was surprised to find they were almost a perfect fit and actually something he would wear. He put on some socks and the casual shoes he’d had on the day before and walked out into the hallway towards Mira.

Mira stopped, looking at the T-shirt as if caught up in a memory and that’s when it clicked…. These were Jacks' clothes.

“Mira, I’m sorry, these clothes….” Blane began.

Mira shook her head and smiled, holding her hand over her heart. He wasn’t sure what that meant but he felt like she was OK.

“There you are, my friend. Toast and Vegemite for breakfast?” Davo asked.

“And coffee if you have some.” Blane smiled.

Davo returned minutes later with toast covered in a black tar substance and a coffee.

“It’s instant, don’t have any of the fancy stuff left.” Davo winked.

“Instant is fine.” Blane said before sipping the coffee. It was hands down the worst he had ever tasted. He picked up the toast, looking at the black coating.

He looked at Mira, who smiled and encouraged him to eat. What was the worst that could happen, right? He put the toast in his mouth and took a bite.

“Ohh, uhh.” He stuttered trying to chew and swallow the toast.

“That’s the good stuff right there, the old mite.” Davo winked.

Blane smiled and took another sip of his bitter coffee.

“So, the old dog and bone? I’ve told everyone to bugger off and leave it alone so you could call someone.” Davo said, pointing to a telephone behind the bar.

Blane suddenly clicked. “Ahh, dog and bone, of course.” He said, taking another bite of his toast.

Davo brought the phone closer to Blane and he looked at it for a moment. If he could only get one call in, who should it be?

He dialled Emily’s number and listened as the phone rang out. Hearing her voice made his heart feel heavy. He still had no idea what they knew about the crash. Emily’s voicemail picked up.

“Em, it’s me. I’m alive, I’m ok. I’m at the site of the Kimberlies contract. If you can safely, please get someone here. Luke knows the details.” He was just about to add ‘I love you’ when the phone cut off. He looked at it, frustrated. All he wanted was to know that she knew he was alive.

Mira walked over and put her hand on his. He looked up surprised but quickly realised she was just trying to get his attention. If only she knew what her touch did to him.

She held out an old hat and boots.

“You’ll need them mate, bush is no place for sneakers.” Davo winked.

Blane wondered if these were more of Jack's clothes but he took them with a smile and put them on.

“I’m very grateful to you all.” Blane smiled.

“Well, we kinda need ya to fall in love with the place or we’re stuffed.” Davo shrugged with a grin.

Mira took Blane by the hand and led him outside to a large 4WD. She opened the passenger door and he got in. She went around to the other side and opened the back door, taking out some paperwork. She opened the front door and handed it to him. It was the proposal for the site he had flown in to see which included a map.

Mira pointed to a spot on the map and pointed to the small town.

“This is here?” Blane asked. Mira smiled in response and nodded as she started the car.

Blane nodded as she pulled out onto the dirt that passed as a road and headed off down the track. The first thing Blane had noticed after the plane crash was how red the dirt was here. He had never seen anything like it before. It coated the car and stuck like metal shavings to a magnet.

Mira put a cassette tape in the stereo and for the first time Blane realised how old this car really was.

“I haven’t seen one of those since I was very young.” He laughed. Mira smiled in return.

As they drove Mira hit a pothole and suddenly Blane realised the reason for the old technology. No reception for radio or blue tooth and cds would be scratched in seconds on these roads.

Mira suddenly pulled over to the side of the road and put her finger to her lips. She turned off the engine and got out of the car, leaving the door open. She gestured for Blane to follow her, and he got out, leaving his door open also. As he walked around the car, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared. There was a huge bird with long legs being followed by 6 chicks.

“Emu?” He whispered.

Mira nodded as she walked slowly towards them.

“Mira, no!” Blane hissed.

Mira stopped 2 metres from them and stood still. The larger bird walked over to her and stood beside her as the chicks scampered around her feet.

Blane stood mesmerized as she put her hand up to warn him to stay still. The larger bird moved his head towards Mira’s. Blane watched horrified, ready to shift and take the large bird down.

The emu rubbed its head against Mira’s, and she smiled. Blane drew in a sharp breath as he watched how the wild bird responded to her. The emu turned and began to run into the bush, the chicks running along behind.

Blane stared after them until they were completely out of sight. They were ugly and beautiful all at once. He had only ever seen them in documentaries on tv and had not been prepared to see one like this.

Mira moved back to the car and got in. She started the engine as Blane got back in and they made their way down the seemingly never-ending dirt track.

At a signpost, Mira indicated to turn right. Blane couldn’t help but laugh. There was no traffic anywhere, they hadn’t seen a single car in 2 hours.

She turned onto yet another dirt track and headed to a rocky outcrop. They seemed to be heading steadily up but it was hard to tell if he was correct. They reached some trees and Mira parked in their shade. She got out of the car and waited for him. She put her hands over her eyes and pointed to him.

“You want me to close my eyes?” He asked.

Mira smiled. She held out her hand so she could lead him.

Taking her hand, he closed his eyes. For the hundredth time today, he wondered if she felt what he felt when they touched. Mira walked slowly to minimise his chance of injuring himself, but he still stumbled over some loose stones. She stopped and held onto his hand, squeezing it to let him know it was time to open his eyes. When he did, she was the first thing he saw. Goddess he wanted to kiss her; he was drawn to her in a way he had never felt before. It was then he looked to see what she was looking at. His breath caught in his chest as he looked out over the land. They were at the top of a mountain and the view stretched on for what seemed like forever.

He was speechless. The red dirt was still everywhere but he could see deep gorges with water holes. It was like an oasis in the blazing heat.

“Can we go down there?” Blane asked.

Mira nodded. She began to walk back to the car, still holding Blane's hand. When she got there, she took out the map and pointed to a spot.

“This is part of the mining contract, this land?” Blane asked.

Mira nodded.

Blane was starting to understand what this was about. Mira wanted him to see and feel what would be destroyed through this mine.

He nodded his head. She stood there, holding his hand. He couldn’t quite read her face, but he felt the same way. He didn’t want to let go.

Mira gently slid her hand away from his and got in the car. She drove back up the track they had come down onto what passed for a main road. She followed the road for another 2 hours as Blane looked out the front and side windows.

“Wait, is that where we were?” Blane asked, pointing to a mountain range.

Mira smiled and nodded.

They drove between two rocky outcrops and Mira again stopped the car. She got out and waited for Blane to come around to her. He was nervous, more nervous than he had ever been in his life. She walked around to the back and took two towels out of the car. She held out her hand and he took it; grateful she had made the first move.

They walked together to a water hole and again Blane was struck by the absolute beauty of the place. The red dirt had partly given way to soil and the water hole was surrounded by rocks and trees.

Mira sighed. She pointed to the water and held one hand flat, pointing to the underside with her other hand.

“The water comes from the ground?” He asked.

She smiled and nodded her head.

“And if we move forward with the mine, we will drain that water?” Blane asked.

Mira smiled sadly.

“I understand.” He smiled.

She walked towards the water, stopping at a large rock. She sat down and began to take off her shoes and socks.

“Are we swimming?” Blane asked.

Mira nodded.

“I have nothing to swim in.” Blane couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, but he instantly regretted them. He sounded like a teenager.

Mira laughed, that beautiful, musical laugh he felt in the pit of his stomach. She unbuttoned her pants and pushed them down, stepping out of them. She then pulled off her shirt and singlet top.

She stood there, in all of her glory, watching him. It was his turn and he would have to show her the way his body reacted to her.

He sat down and took off his boots and socks. He undid his pants and pushed them down. His raging manhood popped out and she blushed slightly.

To hell with it, he thought, and completely stripped off. Mira put her hand to her mouth and smiled. She hadn’t looked away though, so she wasn’t repulsed by his erection.

He walked towards her and held out his hand. She took it and they ran together towards the water. It was shallow around the edges, but the further back they went the deeper it got. He was surprised by how cool the water was, it was refreshing after the almost unbearable heat. He ducked under the water, surprised at how clear and clean it looked. Mira did the same and as she stood, the water glistened off her skin.

Blaze was prowling in his head, desperate to get to Mira. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep him under control.

Mira was watching him trying to keep Blaze under control. Could she see what was happening? She moved towards him so that their bodies almost touched and gently tapped his head. She put two fingers from each hand to her head like ears.

“My wolf? Can you feel him?” Blane whispered.

Mira nodded and tapped her own head and again put her fingers to her head like ears.

“You have a wolf?” Blane asked.

Mira shook her head. She put her finger up in the air and drew letters.

Blane shook his head.

Mira put her hand over Blane's eyes and, all of a sudden, Blane could see a dingo in his mind.

“Dingo?” Blane asked. “You have a dingo?”

Mira smiled and clapped her hands.

“You’re a shifter?” Blane confirmed. Mira nodded.

“Are you my mate?” Blane asked.

Mira shrugged and flicked water on Blane. He smiled and flicked water back at her. He dove into the water, coming up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her under the water with him. As they came up for air, she turned in the circle of his arms and kissed him.

Before Blane had a chance to even think about how far to take this contact, Mira deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He snaked his arms around her waist and held her tight. Blaze was prancing around in his head encouraging him to take it further.

Blane reached down and lifted her, holding her to him while she wrapped her legs around his waist. He could feel his erection rubbing against her. His body wanted her, his head was swimming, but something held him back. He moved towards some rocks on the edge of the water near the cliff face and sat down. She still had her legs wrapped around him but she had read the situation and slowed down.

“I want you so badly.” He breathed into her ear. “I just want to make sure it's me you want.” The minute he said those words he regretted them.

Mira pulled back a little and looked at him. She pointed to her heart and then she pointed to his. She leaned forward, her lips next to his ear and whispered “Mate.”