The bus was hot and extremely uncomfortable in the summer heat and I wondered why I had travelled during the day when the night would have been much cooler. I sighed out my nose heavily and then looked out the window. My reflection peered back at me, and my hazel eyes looked exhausted. The bags under my eyes were a clear tale of how long I had been travelling and for how long I had been awake.
I glanced at my phone to check the time; it was almost three in the afternoon. I would arrive at my next location soon. I had already visited several large cities in England, including the one closest to where we lived, and I still had found no one whose scent stuck out to me as being my promised soul mate.
I was wondering if I would ever find them. For all I knew, they could live all the way over in Australia and I’d never know it.
As the bus pulled up to its next stop, I glanced at the sign. Piccadilly Circus. I mulled over my options. I could get off now as the hotel I wanted wasn’t too far from this stop. I glanced at the number of other passengers that were in my way and then decided that if I didn't go to the doors now, I’d miss the stop. This time of the day was the worst for rush hour.
Grabbing my rucksack from the overhead storage unit, I battled my way through the crowds as the bus pulled to a stop. There were just as many people waiting to get on, and half of them were impatiently waiting right near the door. I groaned silently in my throat at the annoyance.
‘The bus won’t drive off before you get on, so let people off first, idiots,’ I complained in my mind, though I knew they couldn’t hear me. I really hated enormous crowds as I was never sure if any of these people might be a group of Hunters or other werewolves that might take issue with me just being near them.
After my battle for escapism from the stuffy transport, I took in a deep breath of air. Big mistake. I coughed out as the equally hot air of vehicle fumes met my nose. I cursed inwardly for the wolf-sensitive nose I possessed. Why any werewolves wanted to live in such awful places, I couldn’t guess.
I pulled out my phone again and looked on the GPS for directions. Finding where I needed to go, I walked in that direction. The sights and smells around me were almost overwhelming to me, but so far I had noticed no scent that stuck out to me in particular.
The streets were so overwhelmingly crowded and it made me feel rather uncomfortable, yet I knew that thousands of people, if not more, passed through London every day. I gathered that if anywhere, this would be one of the best chances I’d ever have to find the person I hoped to find. High rewards usually came with high risks, however, so I had to be vigilant with my surroundings.
Pausing in my steps as I neared my hotel, and looked up from the GPS on my phone. I noticed the entrance and sighed out of relief. What I really needed was a nice cool shower and something to eat after a long day of travelling in boiling and uncomfortably crowded busses.
Moving out of the way of the busy pathway, I pulled out my booking form for the hotel and stepped into the entrance with a curious look around. I knew it was going to be something rather fancy, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as lavish as it was! I let out a small but impressed sound and slowly stepped up to the counter to the lady waiting there.
She was friendly and perky, and although older than me, I found her rather attractive even so.
“Business trip or pleasure?” She asked me with a dimpled smile.
I gave a smile in return and replied, “pleasure. Thought I’d travel and do some sightseeing.”
“Oh! I wish I had the time for that,” she said with an airy laugh as she continued to process the information on her computer. “I hope you find London to your liking, then. It is even busier this time of the year than most, though it is always busy in London!”
I gave a small chuckle. “You can say that again, the busses are an absolute nightmare,” I agreed, and she nodded her understanding with another airy laughter.
“Well, you are on the third floor, sir,” the lady said to me while handing an envelope and my card key for the room to me. “The swimming pool here is heated and both it and the gym are open to all guests. We have free Wi-Fi here, you will find the password in the envelope. We have twenty-four-hour room service and a fully stocked mini-bar in your room. The restaurant is open from eight until eight. Just show the host or hostess the ticket - also in your envelope - and you’ll be able to claim your free meals. Have a wonderful day!”
I inclined my head in thanks to her. “You as well. Have a nice day,” I offered, bidding her farewell and heading to the elevator. There were a growing number of people in the hotel lobby. Some of them I could smell were not human, but none were who I was looking for. I didn’t know what I had expected, really, but I was a little disappointed all the same.
The ride up to my floor was uneventful. Several people shared it with me and that made me feel even more hot and bothered than before, but I did my best to keep to myself and not bother any of the other guests here.
It wasn’t long before I could escape the hotel’s elevator and I wandered down the hall to my room. It was a large room with beautiful decor and a rather lavish bathroom with a walk-in shower. I smiled to myself. Even if I didn’t find my bond partner here, this was still worth the trip.
I tossed the rucksack on the end of the bed and moved to the window. The view below was quite nice, and I realised just how vast London really was. I let out a low whistle and shook my head. First things first. I needed a nice, cold shower.
After a nice cold shower and a quick meal at the restaurant, I took a stroll around the area near the hotel. I had booked to see one of the musical shows tomorrow, but tonight I was free to explore and enjoy the sights and sounds of the afternoon atmosphere. It was still busy and crowded, but at least I didn’t need to catch any further busses or trains to rush to my next spot.To my surprise, there weren’t as many Hunters in the area as I thought there might be. Or at least, I hadn’t run into any. There were quite a few people that didn’t quite smell human, but so far many of them didn’t seem phased by my presence there. I wondered if maybe people were simply used to seeing werewolf tourists in the area, or if they were just too busy rushing to their next destination that they just hadn’t noticed me.I shrugged it off and continued to wander along the streets. I had to admit; it was all rather overwhelming; I h
The night passed by uneventfully. The loud drunkards had thankfully gone by the time my ride on the London Eye ended, and I made my way back over the river. I headed back to my hotel room and laid down on the bed to watch some TV. Nothing too interesting was on, but it made for a relaxing evening. I wondered if it was worth going out again after a nap.I didn’t want to overwork myself trying to find my mate, and even if I didn’t meet them in person, their scent would have lingered around long enough to know they had been around either way. I realised I would need a lot of rest after a long day of travelling and not to mention all the sightseeing I planned for tomorrow.I turned off the tv and got changed into something more comfortable for the night. I then headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. As a werewolf, I had more stamina than a human, but I soon realised just how tired I actually was. It had been a long day, even if I ha
At the half-time break for the show, I left to grab myself another drink and to stretch my legs a little. The theatre was as jam-packed as I knew it would have been. Not that I had been paying too much attention, but I knew my mate was not here tonight despite the crowds.However, what I did smell was a few other werewolves, a few vampires - which you can tell by their life-less smell which very few can pick up on, and of course, a few other scents that I wasn’t too sure on. However, I assumed they were other supernatural beings. I prayed none were Hunters.I heard an announcement shortly after the quick break that the show would resume soon, so I quickly made my way back to my balcony seating area. I looked out over the edge to the swarming mass below. That was when I felt something that made my skin crawl.Someone was watching me. I scanned the area, but I saw nothing unusual. Had I imagined it? I furrowed my brows in deep thought,
The oldest one of the bunch, a man who looked old enough to be my great grandfather, was lazily swinging a leg over the wall of the park. One of the youngest was crouching down on top of the streetlight, as though something like that was as natural as the moon at night. The others were here and there, some on the ground, some on lampposts, and others on the wall. If a Hunter saw them, they would easily know they were not human.I counted at least ten of them, and I knew right away that they outnumbered me. I knew that even one of these people could easily overpower me if they were looking for a fight. So far, their only actions had been to intimidate me unseen until I had been alone.“What do you want?” I asked, turning my full attention to the oldest. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what they were, but I hoped he was the leader of the group and was the one I needed to address. I prayed to the Goddess that I was right. I tried to h
After the little game of tag between me and the two hunters, I realised I had left behind my mother’s gift I had just brought. It was back at the area where I had run into that group of golden-eyed people. I sighed and wondered if I should try to loop around and try to head back to the area. I hoped it might still be there, seeing how late in the morning it was.I couldn’t transform back into my human form, with no clothes to put on, and I wasn’t sure if it was safe for me to just wander around in my wolf form. I was a bigger target in this form than I ever would be in my human form. Luckily for me, there were enough back allies and things around that I could easily navigate without too much risk of running into people.The only downside was the smell most of these places had. Sick from drunkards, piss and other scents were often overpowering. Even to where I might smell nothing else there and that anything else could include Hu
As the Hunter turned the corner, he paused and looked at me. I could see the smug look on his face as he looked me up and down. I wanted to bite his face clean off, but I had to keep my cool. There was no use in gaining even more attention than I already gathered.The fur on my tail was standing on end. This Hunter made me anxious. So far, he hadn’t pulled a gun on me, which was a good sign that I could carry out my escape plan without him shooting at me and potentially hurting or killing me before I could get far in my escape.“Oi, Jones! Come ‘ere! We got ourselves a little mongrel!” The Hunter called out to one of his friends. I seethed at the insult. It was always the same kinds, and I loathed it. Though what had given me away?As this ‘Jones’ person joined his friend, they both let out a laugh. “Shit man, when I heard the guy’s account of his size, I was expecting some actual wolf but al
After finally getting back to the hotel and crashing out almost instantly, I awoke to the sound of the late morning sounds. Last night almost didn’t feel real to me. Today I had plans to do a bit more sightseeing and other more relaxed activities. I hoped that the Hunters would have given up their search for me, but part of me doubted it.After showering, dressing for the day, and grabbing something to eat in the hotel, I was ready for one last day as a tourist. This time, I was more cautious about my surroundings and who took notice of me. I visited several famous statues, fountains and other landmarks around the area and visited some excellent restaurants too.The day passed by quickly, and I was thankful that the Hunters didn’t seem to be around during the day. Or I assumed not. It made sense; it was far too busy during the day to actively hunt d
The journey into Wales had been far less stuffy and hot than my trip into London. I was rather thankful for a bit more space on the bus this time around. I had stretched my legs in the aisle for most of the journey, as no one had sat next to me. What was even more surprising to me was that I had even got a nap in for a couple of hours, so by the time we had arrived in the city; I was well-rested.The hotel I was staying at was a short walk from where the trains and buses came and went. The area itself was rather open and even had a pub which also worked as a restaurant right near the corner of the street. My mother had been right, Cardiff was not as large seeming as London had been, but it was still quite busy for the late afternoon hours.I looked at my phone to check the location of my hotel and nodded. Luckily, it wasn’t far away at all and I could easily walk there from where I had arrived. With a small smile to myself, I headed to the