The Search

I was helping out behind the counter of my brother’s bar one day, hoping that the computer in the back would go down so I could go do something else, when I picked up a strong scent of peaches and roses. It was so enticing and intoxicating that if I wasn’t already leaning on the counter, I’d probably be on the floor. I looked around to see a tall, young woman who looked to be in her late 20s or early 30s. She wore her hair in a short reddish-brown afro. The color of her golden, star-shaped earrings complemented her skin tone. Her t-shirt had a reference to a superhero. Beautiful and nerdy. My twin brother must’ve seen my reaction from the corner of his eye because he asked,

“Dante, you good?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and I barely had the voice to answer him.

“Oh, I see. Want me to go scope the group out for you?”

“Nah, man. I got it.”

“You sure? I don’t mind.”

“I’m sure. We’re not kids anymore, Max.”

Truth be told, going over there and attempting to shoot my shot was intimidating as hell. Even as an adult, the idea still made my heart pound against my ribcage. She and the group of women she came in with kept to themselves, only ordering drinks. They didn’t interact with anyone else except the server. Something with their body language told me that they didn’t want to be bothered, so I didn’t approach or interrupt them.

An hour later, shouting came from the pool tables, followed by a crash and someone yelling, “Security!”

Max and I rushed over to help separate the two men before teeth, claws, or weapons came out. The men were shifters, and what originally started as a friendly night of hanging out and gambling soon turned into a fight with a little too much alcohol and a lot of ego and testosterone. We threw them out of the bar and started cleaning up. I turned to check on the woman and her companions, but they were gone.

Six Weeks Later

I think that fight may have spooked the woman and her friends, because I hadn’t spotted them in the bar again. Either that or she came in when I wasn’t aware. I even asked my brother and his fiancée to keep an eye out for her, but they hadn’t seen her either. I even resorted to whispering silent prayers before each shift to whoever was listening that I’d bump into her again. After all these weeks, her scent was still fresh in my mind and committed to memory.

One Saturday, I called off to go to a supernaturals-only Comic-Con in Columbus, OH. I dressed up as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. After a while, the mask made it hard for me to see and smell my surroundings, so I took it off unless someone wanted to take a picture with me. I was at a booth looking to buy some merch when the familiar scent of peaches and roses hit me. Once again, my knees almost buckled. I looked around to see where the scent was originating from and where it was going, but the smell went away almost as fast as it came, and all I saw was a sea of people. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to the group chat with my siblings,

“She’s here.”

I ignored the incoming messages that came after and let my wolf side go into hunt mode. Out of my five siblings and me, my sense of smell wasn’t as great as theirs, so while I could remember a scent and commit it to memory without issues, it was also easy for me to lose it in a large crowd. To compensate, I learned how to quickly match scents with something visual about them. In this case, it was her hair. Still, I was determined.

I walked around the booths slowly, trying to look as if I were just browsing, and trying not to make my sniffing audible. My heart pounded when I got to an area where the smell was the strongest. A group of people all dressed up as other Green Lantern Corps characters spotted me, cheered, then grabbed me for a photo op. I obliged and got into character, struck a few poses, and had fun, but I couldn’t stay there. I felt a pull to continue my search. I flared my nostrils as I took in the scents of the people immediately around me. She wasn’t among them.

The longer I walked around, the less confident I became that I would find her, or at least, encounter her scent again. I loved seeing so many supernaturals all in one place. I even came across some who I sensed were dire shifters, like me. My wolf side was still determined to find her, but my human side started losing hope after another group of people from the DC comic book universe grabbed me for a bit of play and photo ops. After a bit, I decided to stop wandering and enjoy the rest of the convention. There was a no-shifting rule at the convention, so it took a lot for me to convince my wolf to chill out and not force a shift because he wasn’t finished trying to locate her.

I stopped to get something to eat when, mid-bite, I picked up the scent again. This time, she was close. I turned around to see the woman walking away from the food court, wearing a cape, skirt, and boots. Her legs were so long, and she walked so confidently. Before I could swallow my food and get up to talk to her, she disappeared into the crowd, and I lost the scent again. Instead, a group of vampires dressed as characters from a tv show for supernatural kids, walked by giggling and hissing at everyone. I couldn’t help but turn away and wrinkle my nose at their scent. Thankfully, I stopped being able to smell them as soon as they walked away.

Two Months Later

So much time had passed that I began to lose hope. I was behind the bar, running updates on the registers and talking to Ward, who was my brother and the bar’s owner.

“You run into this mysterious woman again?” He asked.

“Nah, and I’m starting to think that I missed my chance. Maybe she doesn’t live here, and was visiting when she first came in.”

“Or she’s a homebody.”

I nodded in response and served myself some soda. We weren’t supposed to do that while working, but there weren’t any customers, and I was thirsty.

“And it’s not like you’ve been out much recently.” He added

“Not true. I went to Comic-Con a couple of months ago.”

“Besides that. When was the last time you went out with people who care about you? When was the last time you went out on a date?”

He had a point. Since the first time I ran into her, I hadn’t felt like going out much, and I really didn’t feel like going out on a date. Something about spending time with another woman just didn’t feel right. I didn’t know why because it’s not like this mysterious woman was my woman or even knew I existed.

“How about a double date. It’ll be you, me, Kiri, and a new friend of hers.”

“I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Why not. You’re single. I’m guessing that you’ll be free because the bar will be closed on the day we’re going out. Just say yes.”

Kiri came over our way, and Ward wrapped his arms around her.

“Say yes to what?” Kiri asked, kissing Ward.

“Double dating with us so he doesn’t turn into a depressed little wolf.”

“Babe, why would you say that? Wolf, yes. Depressed, most likely. Little… far from it. More like… big emo wolf.”

“Emo?” I raised a brow.

“You’re wearing all black today, and you’re pouting,” Kiri grinned.

“So, not only do y’all got jokes, but you’re also going to bully me into being social.”

“Not bully… persuade,” Ward responded, grabbing my empty glass to wash it.

“Fine,” I said, slightly irritated.

The four of us sat in the middle of the restaurant with three small tables pushed close to each other. Ward, Kiri, and I needed the room because we were tall. Kennedy, at least that’s what I think her name was, was a tiny woman, a witch, standing at what seemed to be no taller than 5’4. Her hair was slicked up and back into a long ponytail, and both her lashes and nails were long. She was pretty, friendly, carried herself well, and was easy to talk to, but I didn’t feel anything for her, nor was I attracted to her. There was no spark, no deeper connection, and I think she may have sensed it too. Now and then, I would catch the loving glances that Ward and Kiri gave each other. They were also playing footsie under the table because at one point, Kiri’s foot accidentally knocked into my calf. I was happy for them, but if I were being honest, I was also a little jealous, and at times it felt as if they were flaunting their love and status as mates in my face.

Kennedy and I were engaging in conversation (well, Kennedy was talking, and I was listening), ignoring Ward and Kiri feeding each other, when that familiar scent hit me again. That time, it was strong and stood out from everything else. I looked up, trying to make it seem as if I were casually looking around. She had just walked in and was being seated at a table nearby. And as if on cue, she looked at me. There was a look of familiarity on her face as she smiled. Kennedy continued to talk about something, and I feigned attention while eating.

“Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom and take this call.” Kennedy excused herself when her phone vibrated. I glanced over at the mysterious woman, and she was still there, still alone. Ward and Kiri looked at me, then followed my gaze.

“Is that her?” Ward whispered.

I nodded, and he added, “Go talk to her. Don’t worry about Kennedy.”

“Kennedy’s a yapper, but if she comes back sooner, I’ll stall for you,” Kiri added.

I blew out a nervous breath and walked over to her table. When I approached her table, and she looked at me, all words nearly flew out of my head. All I could manage was,

“Hi.”

“Oh, hi. You look really familiar. Have we met?”

“I work at The Den. I’m the tech guy. I used to occasionally fill in as manager, too.” I decided not to tell her that I saw her at Comic-Con because I wasn’t sure if that would freak her out.

“Yeah, that’s right. You were working behind the counter when I went there, and that fight broke out. I had been working up the nerve to go up and talk to you, but after all of that went down, we left because we didn’t want to end up on the news or anything.”

I felt my nervousness lift, and a smile crept across my face, “We wouldn’t have let that happen. My brother, the owner, is big on making sure that everyone who comes in feels safe and at home. I’m Dante, by the way. Dante Sands.”

I placed my hand out for a handshake.

“I’m Harmony. Harmony Jackson.”

“Sorry, Ms. Jackson…” I started with a grin.

Harmony laughed, “You got jokes, I see.”

“Anything to make you smile.” I was aware that it was a cheesy line, but she laughed anyway, and that was enough for me. I continued, “I wanted to talk to you back at the bar, but you were with your girls, and it looked as if you all didn’t want to be bothered.”

Harmony gestured to the seat in front of her, and I sat down.

“You were partially right. None of us had the intention of meeting anyone that day. We just wanted a girl’s night out. I’m the only one who had their eye on someone.”

“So, we noticed each other and wanted to say something, but didn’t. Ain’t that something.”

We talked for the next few minutes. In that short span of time, I felt a spark… a connection. I wanted to stay there and listen to her talk, and look into those beautiful dark brown eyes, which seemed like they were trying to read into my soul. I almost forgot that I came here with other people.

“Well, I’m glad that we had a chance to meet and chat, if only for a bit. I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Stop by the bar sometime. Be sure to ask for Dante.” I reached out for her hand to kiss it, and she smiled shyly.

“Will do, Dante.”

On my way back, I stopped at the server’s station and told them that I would pay for her meal. When I got back to the table, Kennedy was still gone, and Kiri had stepped away, too, leaving Ward by himself. I sat down to finish eating, still watching Harmony. She was absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking. When we talked, I felt at ease and drawn to her on a level that felt different, deeper. She also had an air or something about her that attracted me like a moth to a flame.

“Well?” Ward asked.

“How do you know when you’ve found your mate?”