Bigfoot’s Mate (Mates for Monsters: Sasquatch #3)

2. Dafydd

CHAPTER 2

DAFYDD

Seventeen days ago...

Shuffling from one furry foot to the other I crane my neck to see over the sea of Squatch heads as the transport van with the human women finally rolls into Grotto. This is it. The moment we've all been waiting for.

The doors open and out they come, one by one. They’re human alright. Odd looking, but beggars can’t be choosers.

And then I see her.

My heart skips a beat. She's different. Unique. Stunning. Gorgeous.

She’s mine.

I know it. She has to be.

We've been told not to bombard the women, forbidden to even approach them right away. We were instructed to give them a chance to grow accustomed to their new surroundings and keep our distance until the first meetup at the square dance. Unless, of course, our soulstone sings for one of them, in which case all bets are off.

I wait for my soulstone to start its mate song. Nothing. I smack my limp dick urging the stone at the tip to light up, to vibrate with song, to glow. Crickets. Well, not actual crickets, we're underground, after all.

No matter. Soulstone or not, she's the one for me, I’m sure of it.

I try to play it cool, but who am I kidding? I’m far from cool on my best day.

I need to get closer to her. Maybe I’m too far away for my soulstone to start up. Slowly I wind my way through the crowd, never taking my eyes off her.

Suddenly, I see her wobble. Oh no. No, no, no. I break into a run using hard elbow shoves to clear a path. Sorry, cousins. It's for a good cause.

Her eyes roll back, and I lunge forward catching her just before she hits the hard ground.

She fits perfectly in my arms, like I knew she would. Hugging her tightly to my chest, I lower my face to hers.

Please be breathing, please be breathing.

I nearly collapse in relief when I feel a soft puff of air against my cheek. She's alive, just taking an impromptu nap. Can't blame her. Meeting us is probably a shock to the system.

I can't help but notice she smells...off…odd, even for a human. But it’s fine. I’ll take her just how she is. I’ll appreciate everything about her. I’ll care for her and protect her. I’ll worship her.

The beauty in my arms needs a soft place to rest. She needs to be removed from the gawking eyes of the Squatch onlookers. And she needs someone to watch over her. No, not someone . Me. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with her care.

With the human cradled in my arms, I head toward my cave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Colywnn blocks my path, his arms crossed over his chest and his face twisted in a scowl. Great. Just what I need. The fun police.

I growl threateningly. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I don’t want Colywnn anywhere near my tiny human female. I don’t even like him looking at her—so I growl again. "Out of my way. She fainted. Clearly, this is all too much for her. She needs somewhere comfortable to recover."

Colywnn’s eyes narrow. “You know the rules. Your soulstone isn’t singing for her. She’s not yours. You have to give the other Squatches a fair shot.” I can practically see the gears turning in his brain. If he refuses to let me pass, it could create problems, especially since I’m not backing down.

Time for some Squatch diplomacy.

"Look," I say, trying not to sound like I'm pleading (I totally am), "do you really think she wants to wake up with everyone still gawking at her? She needs privacy."

Colywnn sniffs the air, then looks at me with concern. "She smells...strange. What is that…" Nostrils flaring, he attempts to lean down and get a closer whiff, but I twist my body keeping her from him, and growl again.

“Back off, buddy. She's not a science experiment.”

Colywnn raises his hands in surrender. "I simply meant she smells as though she might be...unhealthy."

Is she? Great. Now I'm worried. But I'm not about to let it show. "I'll take care of her."

Colywnn eyes me suspiciously. “I’ll let you take her on one condition. Promise me you’ll release her and make sure she gets to the dormitory with the other human women as soon as she's feeling better. I want your word on that.”

"Cross my heart and hope to shed," I say solemnly. (Squatch humor. It kills in the caves.)

Finally, he steps aside, and I make my way through the winding corridors of Grotto to my cave. Once inside, I gently place her on my bed, which suddenly seems both too big and too small.

"There you go."

I stare down at her, wondering what her name is.

I've wanted a mate of my own for so long, dreamed of having a female to cherish. Even though I’ve always regarded human females as homely and a bit funny-looking, I had no qualms about agreeing to settle for one just to have a mate of my own.

Clearly, I was wrong about human females.

This one is gorgeous with her dark brown skin and beautiful black curls. She’s the most beautiful female I’ve ever laid eyes on, bar none. She’s even more beautiful than any of the Squatch females here in Grotto.

I reach out and ever so gently stroke her soft cheek with a finger.

"You're safe now, precious," I whisper. "I've got you."

Precious. Yes. The word feels right on my tongue. That’s what she is. She’s precious.