Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 11

Echo Pov

After a long time of nothing but me and a dirt road, a small building finally appeared in the distance. Normally, I would run in my wolf form to save myself time, but I couldn’t risk being spotted by my mate as a wolf before he even learned my name. I experienced a low, dull ache in my feet as I continued walking, but I had already convinced myself that I was faring better than others would in my journey to find my mate.

I had traveled to four towns without having any luck before making my way here. No one had any information about who the red fabric could have belonged to. While it sometimes felt like a shot in the dark, these towns were small enough for all of the people who lived there to know each other. I didn’t rule out the possibility that some could’ve lied to me. Most of these townees didn’t trust passersby and would choose to protect their own in every circumstance. I had no choice but to move on when they responded that they didn’t know anything about a man wearing red.

Despite my first failed attempts, it all led me here where I finally had a lead in my investigation. When I checked into a small inn, the innkeeper’s eyes lit up in recognition at hearing my question about the red fabric. He shared with me that there was a man in this town who everyone called Red because of how attached he was to a red hooded sweatshirt.

A spark of hope ignited in me at his words and I immediately dove into more questions to find out everything he knew about this man. Though he gave me a cautious look at my fascination with this man, he told me where I could find him anyway. I followed his directions to the pub where Red could be found almost any night of the week.

This newfound information about someone who could possibly be my mate had me wanting to run to the pub. However, I had forced myself to clean up at the inn before setting out to the pub shortly before nightfall.

Since I did travel in my wolf form between towns, I needed something to help mask my wolven scent. I couldn’t take three showers every time I was done shifting. In the second town, I purchased a lavender perfume that helped me smell more like a fresh meadow than a canine that slept in the woods.

The pub was a shabby little establishment that didn’t appear to offer much beyond its four walls. By the way the innkeeper described it, the pub was a staple of the town, having stood through generations of residents. Though the building looked behind on basic upkeep, the tan paint held little to no chips and only a few scuff marks, appearing as though it had been painted in the last few years.

I had barely approached the door before the common smells of a pub invaded my nose. The scent of vomit lingered around the building from the men who ran outside, unable to handle their ale. On the inside, the pub smelled musty with ale stained floors and the body odor from the excess of male bodies who frequented the establishment.

Among the mixture of scents, it was clear my potential mate was not there. Even still, I scanned the half of the tables that were filled before making my way up to the bar. If the hunter was here as frequently as the innkeeper said, there should have been traces of his scent lingering, but I couldn’t pick up on it with the strength of other mingling smells.

A tall bearded man, looking a little less burly than the two sitting to my right at the bar, moved around and poured the drinks on tap. I had a feeling that if anyone knew about my potential mate being here, it would be this bartender.

When he finished serving the ales in his hands, he walked over to stand in front of me. “What can I get for ya, lass?”

“How about information?”

The bartender’s brows rose with intrigue. I then noticed a few grays in his beard. There was no telling how long he had worked here, but he had to have been a more seasoned bartender than most. He picked up a rag, taking the opportunity to wipe off the counter if he wouldn’t be making a drink right away. “Customers who only want information tend to be my favorites, believe it or not.”

I took that as an invitation to share with him who I was looking for. “What do you know about a regular who goes by the nickname Red?”

“I should say I know a lot about him. He works for me.”

This shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. “You’re the owner of this pub?”

He nodded. “And proud to carry out my family’s legacy as the best barkeep in town. So what has you interested in our Red?”

My game of hot and cold with my potential mate had somehow gone from frigid to incredibly warm in the past day. Now that I knew I was exactly where I needed to be, I couldn’t give away the whole truth.

“I met him in passing once, and he seemed like he was someone I would like to get to know.” I added a shrug, as though I had the most innocent intentions. And I did. All I wanted was to find out if he was my mate, regardless of his status as a hunter, but I definitely couldn’t explain the mate bond to this pub owner.

He looked at me with a hint of skepticism, but it doesn’t take long to size me up. Everyone in the pub was at least twice my size. I couldn’t possibly be that much of a threat to any man in his eyes. And if he brushed off a pretty girl wanting to connect with his worker, he would be the worst wingman in history.

“If you’re looking for a chance to get to know him, we could use a little help around here. Ya have any pub experience?”

He wanted me to work there? If this hunter was in fact my mate, working with him could be one of the best ways to get closer to him.

The only experience I had that was remotely close to working in a pub was when I was waiting tables as an early teenager before my mom kicked me out. I couldn’t lie to him, so all I said was, “Not really.”

“Then we’ll start you off slow.” He tossed me the white rag he had been using to wipe off the bar as a clear way of saying the job was mine.

“Okay, boss.”

“I’m Mikey, by the way.” He smirked.

I smiled back at him, just now realizing we hadn’t had a proper introduction. “I’m Echo.”

While he went back to serving customers, I took to cleaning tables that were sticky with ale. I wondered how many tables I would have to scrub before getting the chance to meet my mate. Thanks to the work of the moon goddess, it wouldn’t be long before I found my answer.