Free Her Mates by Suzanne Thomas Page A

employment open. I am experienced in clerking, and I am hard worker,” she said softly.
    The man shook his head. “I am sorry, miss, but my wife and I run this store, and we don’t need any help. If you had come at the beginning of summer, I might have hired you temporarily.”
    “Do you happen to know of anyone in town hiring right now?” she asked.
    “I think Harry’s had a sign up a couple of days ago, but I haven’t been down there to see if it was still there. Harry’s is the cookhouse about ten buildings on your right. Walk out of here and turn left,” he said as he was called away by a customer.
    She walked out and followed the directions. She made sure that none of the train’s passengers saw her as she walked along the boardwalk. She saw a dog hiding under the walkway in front of her. She could hear the growl from where she was. Well that would top her day, she thought as she envisioned the bite those teeth could inflict. She slowed down, let the men behind her go first, and followed quickly. She heard a yelp in front of her, along with a curse that was muffled. A man turned a reddened face to her and apologized. She smiled demurely and lifted her skirt to sidestep him.
    She muffled a giggle so the gentleman wouldn’t hear. The nice thing to do would have been to thank him for taking the bite. Her father would have laughed with her, she thought sadly. He would have probably done the same thing. She stifled another giggle. She missed him.
    The only sign she saw was a small plaque that said Harry’s. No help sign, she thought in despair. Oh well, she should try anyway. She paused to straighten her dress before stepping through the doors.
    Harry turned out to be a rotund little man in the filthiest apron she ever had the misfortune to see. His personality, she found, was just as vile. If one more of these Neanderthals suggested she try the local brothel, she was going to be spending time at the local jail because she was going to kill him.

     

 

     
     

Chapter 2
     
     
    The bustle of the small town flowed around him as he stood breathing deeply. His senses filled with an overwhelming musk. His whole body absorbed the elusive scent, eliminating everything else. He didn’t smell the dung and filth of the streets that usually permeated the air. He centered his focus on finding the direction of the smell. He let it flood his nostrils as he followed it.
    Mate.
When he entered the general store, he clenched his fists as his cock hardened. He knew she had been here recently. The whole store permeated with her intoxicating scent, telling him she had spent some time here. The small store had merchandise packed on top of merchandise. He went up and down the aisles as he tried to follow her progress. The strongest scent, he found by the candy section while it lingered over the jars. He smiled as he took in the seductive aroma near the honey drops. He scooped up the jar, took it the counter, and purchased the entire contents. He had the clerk package it and leave it there so he could pick it up later.
    He stepped out onto the boardwalk and trailed his mate to the next stop. He paused briefly from his pursuit, held back by a furious growl. He looked down as a dog came out from under the lip of the walkway and went to bite him. He felt himself growl low in his throat, causing the dog to stop and cower. The ragged mongrel took one sniff of the man, turned tail, and ran yelping. He didn’t miss a step as he went on.
    His mate’s scent mixed with the smell of food as he stopped before entering the door. He went into the chow hall and watched the hustle of the workers and the men eating at different tables. Only a few women sat with the men, and, as he crossed the floor, none of them possessed that aroma he looked for.
    “Steak and eggs or hasher and eggs?” asked the little man in a dirty apron.
    “I’m looking for the woman who was here a couple of minutes ago. Did you see where she happened to go?”
    “The