Romance in Moonspell Read online

  She thought back to the two men who’d rescued her. Of the two, she was more drawn to Seaton. Was that because of his golden good looks or because he was her mate? Or perhaps it was both? Xander was no slouch in the looks department, either, but she had to admit that Seaton had made her heart race. Just the thought of those piercing blue eyes and those full, sensual lips made her want to grab him and kiss him hard.

  A few minutes later, they pulled into Bellamy’s driveway and she tensed. Her mama was waiting on the porch, wringing her hands in front of her, her hair in a cockeyed bun with wisps flying in every direction. It was obvious her abduction, however short-lived it was, had been hard on her mama. Bellamy had been missing less than six hours, but it seemed to have pushed her over the edge.

  She watched as Hayden pulled her wheelchair out of the back of the Jeep, then the alpha lifted her into his arms and settled her in her chair. Her papa hurried up the steps to calm her mama. Wheeling herself up the drive and then the special ramp her papa had installed for her, she rolled across the porch and came to a standstill beside her parents.

  Her mama fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around Bellamy. The air felt like it was being squeezed from her lungs and she gave her papa a pleading look. He gently pulled her mama away. “Come on, Elaine. Let the girl breathe a little. She’s been through enough without you attacking her the moment she comes through the door.”

  Bellamy snorted. “Technically, I didn’t even make it to the door.”

  Her papa grinned. “No, I guess you didn’t. Your sisters are all out back around the pool. I had them throw an impromptu party the moment we got the call that you were safe. Why don’t you put on your suit and join them? Getting back to normal is probably the best thing for you right now.”

  What she really wanted to do was hole up in her room and analyze her thoughts and feelings where one certain wolf was concerned, but she knew it was an argument she would lose. Once her papa set his mind to something, it was best just to go along with it. So she nodded, thanked Hayden once more, and wheeled herself into the house. Her room was at the back, past the stairs and living room. It had been added on after her accident and was rather spacious.

  Pushing the door closed, she dug around in her dresser until she found her bathing suit, an aqua and pink bikini. Dressing and undressing was always a chore, but she managed to pull off her knit top and capris. Once she had her suit on, she wheeled herself through the back door, down the ramp and out by the pool. The first lounge chair was always reserved for her so it sat empty, waiting. When her sisters saw her, they squealed and gathered around.

  “We’re so happy you’re safe, Bells,” Harmony said. “When you didn’t come back from breakfast, Papa was so worried.”

  “I told you going out with a human was a bad idea.” Acacia pushed her bangs out of her face. “You should stick to shapeshifters from now on.”

  Rowanne shook her head. “She should date whomever her heart leads her to date. But I would have to agree in this instance. Dating a human was a bad idea.”

  Her youngest sister hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re home.”

  “Thanks, Paisley. I’m glad to be home, too.” Bellamy smiled. Being surrounded by her sisters felt pretty wonderful. Maybe her papa had had the right idea after all.

  She looked around and waved to a few friends, mostly people her sisters hung around. Bellamy’s friends hadn’t known what to think after her accident and most had drifted away. She had a select few who still stayed close, though. Pulling herself out of her chair, she eased down onto the lounge chair and stretched out. Squinting up at the sun, she realized she’d forgotten her sunglasses.

  “Acacia, would you mind getting my sunglasses for me? I think I left them on my dresser.”

  Her sister smiled. “No need. You can use a pair of mine. I somehow ended up with two out here.”

  Bellamy accepted the golden frames and perched them on her nose. Lying back, she sighed and closed her eyes. The sun felt warm on her skin and she smiled as she listened to her sisters and their friends squeal and splash in the pool. Swimming wasn’t something Bellamy could really do anymore, but she did enjoy sitting on the steps when it got really hot, or lying on a float.

  She heard a top flip open and smelled suntan lotion, then a shadow fell across her. Pulling her glasses down her nose, she peered up at Rio, one of Rowanne’s best friends and her papa’s favorite raven. Bronzed to perfection, he had midnight black hair and dark brooding eyes. He was easily every woman’s fantasy. She’d certainly drooled over him a time or two, even if he was a few years younger than her. But now that she’d found Seaton things had changed.

  “You should put some of this on, Bellamy. You don’t want to burn,” he told her, crouching beside her chair.

  “I don’t think I’ll be out too long.”

  “Still, better safe than sorry.”

  She held her hand out, but he merely smiled and squirted some into his hand. After rubbing his palms together, he smoothed the lotion on her legs. Things would be simpler if she could feel something for the raven shifter, especially since he knew her secret already, but all she could think was that she wished it was Seaton rubbing the suntan lotion on her skin. Not that Rio didn’t have nice hands, but they just weren’t creating magic for her. Then again, she’d never met a man who’d had the magic touch. Being in Seaton’s arms had been nice, but she hadn’t been there long enough. There was a connection, but was it that of a mate, or just a woman interested in a man?

  Rio smoothed the lotion up her arms and over her shoulders. When his fingers glided along her stomach, she reached out and placed her hand over his.

  “I think I can finish up.”

  He gave her another one of his devastating smiles and winked. “As you wish, Bellamy. I’ll be nearby if you need anything.” His smile dimmed a moment. “You know, we were all worried about you. You may not be a raven, but you’re still very much a part of our community, and would be greatly missed should anything ever happen to you.”

  Bellamy gave him a small smile, and then she finished rubbing the lotion into her skin and set the bottle aside. She really shouldn’t have let him touch her in such a familiar way, but it was Rio for heaven’s sake. What harm could there be in it? He was practically family. She could hardly remember a time when he wasn’t sitting at their dinner table, or popping by just in time for breakfast. She’d always thought he had a crush on Acacia, or one of her other sisters, but now she had to wonder. Could he see her as something other than the boring older sister? Just what she needed. Of course, perhaps he’d just felt the need to touch her to be assured she was safe and in one piece. As he’d said, everyone would be devastated if something happened to her.

  As the sun baked into her skin, her mind turned back to her rescuer. He’d had a sense of humor, which was good. She liked to laugh. And he’d had kind eyes. There was nothing sexier than a man his size who had a kind, gentle soul. He’d been tender when he’d lifted her into his arms, carefully placing her in her chair, as if she were made of glass. And he’d seemed worried about her once he’d taken her outside. She didn’t think that was strictly duty to the pack. Had he maybe felt something for her?

  There was only one way to find out. If he showed up in the next several days, then she’d know that he’d sensed something, felt the pull. Or he was just attracted to her. She didn’t think that was likely though. She’d only been on a handful of dates since her accident. At one time, she’d had more self-esteem than was probably healthy, but since losing the use of her legs, she’d lost part of herself. Few men looked at her with desire in their eyes, most looked at her with pity. Was it really so much to ask for just one man to look at her the way her papa looked at her mama?

  A throat cleared beside her and she looked up at her papa. He held a heart-shaped box in his hands. With a frown, she pushed herself into a sitting position.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “It was left on the porch with your n
ame on it.”

  She took the box from him and opened it, only to scream and toss it aside. Rio rushed to her side and pulled her shaking body tight against his.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The box. It… it’s full of dead mice.”

  Her papa picked up the box, along with a scrap of paper that had fallen out.

  Your favorite treat.

  Her papa and Rio shared a look. “Do you think someone knows the secret?”

  “But why leave her such a gift? Surely they had to know it would upset her,” Rio said. “No, I think something else is going on.”

  Her papa gathered the box and its spilled contents and carried it to the trash. Bellamy shivered in revulsion. She hated mice! Or any rodents for that matter. How had someone known that though, other than her family and closest friends? Or had she mentioned it to someone else and she just didn’t remember? Acacia had brought home a hamster one time and Bellamy had freaked out. There was just something about those beady little eyes that she couldn’t stand.

  “All gone,” her papa said. “We’ll figure out who sent it and take care of it, okay?”

  She nodded and extracted herself from Rio’s embrace. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Try to relax. I’ll get someone on this immediately.”

  With one last shiver, she lay back on the lounge chair and closed her eyes again, trying to blot out the horrible image branded in her mind. But all she saw were the bodies of dead mice. Was it a message of some sort? She felt like she was missing the piece of a large puzzle, or maybe she’d just been given a small piece of one. Who would send her something like that? What did it mean? Was someone trying to tell her they knew her secret? Or had they somehow known about her fear of the small rodents and used that as a way to terrify her? She wouldn’t rest easy until the mystery had been solved.

  Chapter Three

  Seaton smoothed a hand through his hair and picked up the bouquet of flowers from the passenger’s seat of his truck. He climbed out and closed the door. Facing the large two-story home, he felt his nape prickle. Something told him that this was the start of a new Chapter in his life. Meeting Bellamy had been fate’s way of telling him it was time to settle down, to quit fucking around with anything in a skirt. He’d turned down more dates in three days than he had in his entire adult life. But he wasn’t sorry. Well, perhaps a little sorry for the way he’d lived his life up to this point, but he wasn’t sorry for turning all of those women away.

  He’d only been in Bellamy’s presence a matter of minutes, but it had been enough to leave a lasting impression on him. He didn’t believe in ridiculous things like love at first sight, but he knew he wanted to get to know her. Could she be his destined mate? There was something about her that called to him. Was it possible she was meant to be his? He’d found her scent both pleasing and intriguing, she didn’t smell like any raven shifter he’d ever smelled before, and she was beyond beautiful. All right, so she was in a wheelchair. Who cared? That was such a small point in the scheme of things.

  Jogging up the porch steps, he knocked on the door, and waited. With his wolf senses, he could hear people moving around inside, and a moment later, the door was opened. Elaine Crawford looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  “Mrs. Crawford, my name’s Seaton McCullough. I’m one of the trackers who found your daughter the other day. I came by to see her, if she’s available.”

  She smiled. “Yes, of course. She’s out by the pool.”

  Seaton followed her through the house and out into the backyard. What he saw didn’t please him at all. Bellamy was sitting up on a lounge chair, with a young man right behind her. His beautiful damsel in distress was breathtaking in a bathing suit. He suddenly felt overdressed in jeans and his green Lucky Brand T-shirt.

  Bringing Bellamy flowers was a little awkward with such a large audience. All of her sisters were present, along with a handful of other raven shifters. If this didn’t go well, he’d be the laughingstock of the community for weeks to come. He only had to hope that she’d felt something the other day, too. He thought he’d caught a flash of something in her eyes as she’d looked at him, but he might’ve been wrong. There was only one way to find out. Man up and approach her.

  As he neared the small group huddled around his target, the talking died down to a minimum. The young shifter behind Bellamy narrowed his eyes and set his jaw, clearly wanting to stake his claim. Seaton wondered just how close the two were. Did he have real competition there? Or was the young man just fantasizing? Getting a good look at him, he realized it was Rio, a raven known for his penchant for getting into trouble. He had to be a few years younger than Bellamy, didn’t he? She seemed older, anyway. Not that her age mattered one whit to Seaton.

  He paused beside her chair and waited until he had her attention. When she looked up at him, he presented her with the bouquet he’d picked up on his way over. Her smile lit up her face as she accepted the blossoms, inhaling their scent.

  “Thank you, Seaton. They’re lovely.”

  “You’re welcome. I thought I’d come by and see how you were doing.”

  One of the girls pulled away from the group and dragged a chair over for him. He settled himself and placed his elbows on his knees, studying Bellamy. With the sun kissing her tanned skin, she looked like a goddess. The scent of suntan lotion drifted to him on a breeze, mingled with what he knew was Bellamy’s own unique scent. It was an intriguing mixture.

  “I’m doing well, thank you.” She smiled. “I never got a chance to properly thank you and the other trackers.”

  “No thanks were needed. We were tasked with a job and we did it. I’m just glad we found you before something bad happened to you.” He paused. “We did find you before then, right?”

  “Yes. He merely yelled and threatened before you showed up. I have no doubt he would’ve harmed me if you hadn’t arrived when you did, though. I really do owe you and your friends my life. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

  This wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to ask, but he’d take what he could get.

  “There is one thing.”

  “Name it.”

  “Go to dinner with me, tomorrow night.”

  Her eyes widened slightly. “Dinner? As in a date?”

  Seaton nodded. “Yes, I’d very much like to take you out on a date.”

  A delighted smile curved her lips. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more. What time should I be ready?”

  “Say, seven?”

  “Seven sounds perfect.”

  He rose. “I’ll let you get back to your pool party. I didn’t mean to intrude. If I’d have thought about it, I’d have called ahead to make sure it was okay to stop by. In the future, I won’t drop by unannounced.”

  “We have an open door policy here,” Bellamy told him. “Stop by any time you want. I seldom go out so you can find me by the pool or reading in the sunroom most days.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to do something about that. Can’t have you cooped up in the house all day every day.”

  One of the girls snorted. “If you can get Bells out of the house, more power to you. We invite her to the movies or out for ice cream all the time, but she almost always turns us down.”

  “She even turned down my invitation to the bookstore the other day, and everyone knows how much she loves to read,” another said.

  “Well, I do believe I’ve just been challenged. I’ll have to come up with something that lures you out of the house,” he told Bellamy.

  “If anyone can do it, I’m sure it will be you.” Her cheeks flushed. “I look forward to seeing you at dinner tomorrow.”

  He lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. “Until then.”

  He felt her gaze all the way to the back gate. Letting himself out, he walked back to his truck, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. He’d had countless women in his life over the years, so what made thi
s one so special? What was it about her that made her stick with him? She’d burrowed under his skin and he couldn’t get her out of his thoughts, night or day. He’d always thought that when he found his mate he would know for certain she was the one. Was that what this was? Was it his body’s way of telling him he’d found his ideal match?

  As he started the engine, he glanced at the house once more. Elaine Crawford was watching him, her blonde hair glinting in the afternoon sun. He frowned. Bellamy didn’t look like either of her parents. Why was that? Something seemed off, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. His wolf senses were telling him that things weren’t as they appeared, but he brushed it aside. It was obvious she was Ely’s daughter. The man doted on her, had been worried sick when she’d gone missing. No, he was making something out of nothing, mountains out of molehills as his mother used to say.

  He had a date with Bellamy. That’s what he needed to focus on at the moment. Now that she’d said yes, he had to figure out where the hell he was going to take her. There were limited choices in Moonspell. Obviously he wasn’t taking her to the diner, that just wasn’t anywhere near classy enough for someone like Bellamy. She deserved better than that. That left New Moon Café and Bad Barton’s Steakhouse. Being a raven, he wasn’t sure whether or not she was into steaks or not. Of course, they would have grilled chicken, too. He winced. Did ravens eat chicken? That seemed a bit cannibalistic to him.

  He had a little more than twenty-four hours to figure it out. Maybe he’d ask Hayden’s opinion on the matter. He seemed to be friends with the Crawford family. Surely he’d know what Bellamy liked to eat.

  * * *

  Bellamy smoothed pink gloss over her lips and fluffed her hair. She’d opted for makeup for once, even going so far as to use eyeliner and mascara. It was a rather dramatic effect and she was pleased with her look overall. It was the dress she was second-guessing. A pale pink sundress, it dipped low over her breasts and the hem stopped at mid-thigh. Was it too sexy? Was it dressy enough? She had no clue where they were going. To dress it up a little, she’d added her white kitten heel sandals with the heart buckles.