DAG 2
Hearing my woman’s voice, even if just in passing, has given me a renewed purpose in finding her. Since seeing her photo, I have known that she’s mine. When I found out that the Desperados were hunting her, I was ready to go out and kill every single one of them. But Tor is adamant that we do not start something yet, because we need to find out first who is behind the trafficking.
Hearing her voice today has made her so much more real to me and has given me a semblance of calmness, knowing that she’s still alive and on the run. I know that the Desperados are still after her, but I will do everything in my power to get to her before they get too close. The others are also out there looking for her. My MC brothers will do everything in their power to find Esmeralda, not only because she is mine, but because we stand against the mistreatment of women and children.
As Elementals, we have abilities that humans don’t have, which help us in sticky situations, but after hearing my woman talking to me tonight, I realize that she has the ability of the senses, too. I want her to carry on talking to me, so I know that she is fine, but I understand that she is frightened. I’m not a patient man, so knowing that my woman is out there unprotected and in danger does my head in. There are days that I’m ready to lose my shit, but I know that losing my shit is time that I will be wasting, time which I can be out here looking for her.
I sense that she won’t speak to me anymore today, but at least I have managed to speak to her, and I know that she can hear me. I will have to convince her to trust me, make sure that she realizes that I just want to help her, and that I’m not out to hurt her.
When I think of the possible things that could have happened to her in the Desperados care, I cringe in anger. The Desperados are not known for their soft side, or for their compassionate view of women and children. As Elementals we are trying to stop the trafficking of women and children in Cape Town, especially the women that could potentially be other Elemental’s mates. The Desperados are one of the main gangs in Cape Town involved in trafficking them, but we haven’t been able to stop them until recently, thanks to Esmeralda placing Sean’s ledger into a woman from the club’s bag. We were able to find a lot of information that we have been hunting for.
I look up and down the deserted street; I know that Esmeralda is close. I just don’t know where she is yet. But I know that I will find her soon, and then I will make sure that no one else ever hurts her again, because if they do, they will have me to contend with and my whole club. Being part of the Elementals Cape Town Motorcycle chapter is what has kept me sane throughout my exceptionally long life. The men I ride with, I trust with my life. They are my family.
We might be different. We might be unruly and hellbent on fighting those who wrong us, and sometimes hard to control, but we are true to those we protect. Finding our mate is part of our destiny. To know that mine is close, and I can’t be with her, is a torture of its own. Knowing that my mate is out here in danger has left me restless. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can’t concentrate. All I can think about is bonding with my mate, so that I always know where she is, and can keep her safe from all the evilness out there that is after her.
“Esmeralda?” I call again, but I know that I won’t be getting a reply. “I’m here to protect you; I will keep close. If you need me just call out.” I don’t want to frighten her, but I want her to know that I will be here in case she needs me. Stepping into the entryway of a building, I lean against the wall as I pull out my pack of smokes. Lighting one up, I take a puff as I look up at the fog rolling in. I sense someone approaching and tense. There aren’t many people around at this time of day, therefore any presence is suspicious, that is, until I sense Tor’s energy.
Tor is our leader and a force to be reckoned with. I know that he’s worried about me with how unstable I am at the moment, but until I have Esmeralda somewhere safe, there is nothing he can do that will make me leave my woman out here by herself when she’s in danger. Tor comes into view, rising through the fog like an apparition from the past. His Viking-like appearance only lends to the vision as he makes his way towards me with a deliberate stride.
“You haven’t been answering your phone!” his deep voice booms, resonating through the night air as he comes to stand before me.
“I’m fine, Tor. You guys gotta stop mothering me,” I mutter. I know they are worried about me, but if I need help, I will ask.
“If we phone, you answer. You know the rules.” His voice is firm, there’s no flexibility in its tone.
I know that we need to be careful out here. We have too many enemies, and now we are at war with the Desperados, so it’s necessary for us to log in periodically.
“I don’t fucking care how messed up your head is, you check in.”
I grunt in reply because Tor isn’t someone you want to argue with.
“Is this what you have been up to?” he asks, moving his hand up and down the street.
“Yeah.” I incline my head for Tor to come stand next to me. Pulling out my phone, I start typing. I want to tell him what’s happening, but I don’t want Esmeralda to hear, and I don’t want to leave her. Lifting my phone up, he looks down at it and reads the words I typed out. I see his eyes widening. I wrote that Esmeralda is listening and that he needs to be careful about what he says, because I don’t want to spook her. I see his eyes start to scan up and down the street, and I know that he is looking for evidence of anyone else here besides us. When he clearly can’t find any sign of her, he turns towards me and raises a brow.
“Are you sure?”
His question has me nodding. I lift my phone again, typing out what happened earlier and how I think she is close, but I don’t know where.
He crosses his arms against his chest as he leans a shoulder against the opposite wall, a pensive frown on his face. Suddenly, his head turns towards me and then he is winking. “We have needed you back home. The fucking Desperados are hot on the heels of that girl.”
I scowl, wondering what his game is? “I know you want to find her and try to help her escape their clutches, but maybe it’s time you leave it alone.”
Now I know he’s up to something, because as Elementals we only have one mate, and once we find her, there is nothing that will keep us away from her. I now understand what it’s like. Since the moment I saw her photo, I’ve felt a drive like nothing I’ve ever felt in my exceptionally long three hundred and forty-six years. It has every fibre in my body in a frenzy to find her, to bring her close and keep her safe.
“You know I can’t.”
“Who am I?” I frown at his question. Tor is a crazy motherfucker, but he has always led us with courage and perseverance.
“Our leader,” I state, knowing that he’s going somewhere with this conversation, but still not sure where exactly.
“Yes, and as the leader of all the men in the Elementals’ Cape Town Chapter, I assure you that we will do everything to keep Esmeralda safe.” He then growls deep in his throat. “I looked into her background. I can assure you that she has had enough pain and sorrow in her life to last her a lifetime.” He takes a step towards me, placing his hand on my shoulder before squeezing it lightly. “That woman out there has helped us more than she knows with the ledger she handed us. For that she has my gratitude, and the rest of the Elementals’ gratitude. We now have an idea of how to stop those motherfuckers from kidnapping and transporting some of our women, and that is all thanks to her.”
Now I know what he’s doing. He is trying to assure her that we are here to help her and not to harm her in any way. He suddenly leans next to me; his lips close to my ear. “Be patient, Brother, she just needs reassurance. If you have made contact and she is talking to you, she will soon come to you.” I know that Tor has a hard shell, and he guides us with a strong hand, but even though he hides it, we all know how fierce he is when it comes to the welfare of his men.
He moves back and then nods. His long, dark blond hair looks even darker in the blackness of the night as he turns to leave. He steps out into the night as he starts to walk away. He calls back, “Dag, make sure to answer your phone, don’t make me come look for you again.” He continues walking without looking back, the fog rising to obscure him from my view. I have been fortunate to know Tor for centuries and have been able to call him a brother. We have fought together, laughed together, and even cried together. Tor is much older than me, and if I’ve been fighting my demons desperately for so long, I can just imagine the fight that Tor goes through every day with the darkness that wants to pull him in.
As Elementals, we might be awarded with a longer life than humans. Be stronger, faster, and more in tune with earth than humans, but we are also cursed with the fury that drives our every waking hour—the fury that can turn us into darkness itself. If we don’t find that one woman that is meant for us, or if we give up the fight before she comes into our life, we change into Keres.