Bets nodded and smiled brightly at the blue woman who opened the door.
“Welcome to the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast. I am Teebie and I will be your host during your stay.”
“Thank you, Teebie. I am Bethany and I am delighted to be welcomed into such a comfortable situation.”
Teal nodded and took her leave.
Teebie led her inside with a gentle smile. “I am delighted to have room for you. Your timing was ideal.”
“Once my family knew I wanted to come, they got me the funds immediately.”
She looked around at the charming portraits and the elegant furnishings. Having enough exposure, she could feel fey magic as well as the rarer shifter enchantments.
Teebie gave her a commiserating look. “Family can be rough, but here, you are encouraged to stay until you know you have a good fit. After you have mated though, you are asked to leave quickly so that you don’t cause any uproar with the unmated males and females. The scents of a new couple can be overpowering and impair judgement in those around them. It is not a nice complication.”
Bets made a face. “Right. My sister and brother-in-law were disgusting to be around after they first connected, and when they started having sex, it caused a lot of rage in the unmated members of the family, not just myself.”
“That rage is frustration and it spreads quickly. We try to keep things moving smoothly here and that kind of hostility becomes difficult to control.”
“So, until I find a mate, I can run around with impunity, and after I find him, I have to leave.”
“Correct. Don’t worry; there is a very high success rate here.” Teebie paused and pointed out the breakfast room, the dining room and the study with the cozy fireplace.
Teebie leaned in. “Are you a nocturnal sort of bat?”
Bets whispered softly. “Yes, and no. I am a fruit bat. A flying fox. I don’t use radar when I hunt so dim light is usually my forte.”
“Good, so we don’t need the uppermost room. First floor or second floor?”
“Second floor is fine as long as there is a window that opens.”
“Excellent. Second floor it is.”
There was a flicker of fey magic and Bets smiled. “You just moved my bag.”
Her host grinned. “I did. Well spotted.”
They walked up the flight of stairs, and at the second floor, Teebie led her to her room, showing her how to unlock the door with the charm on her wrist and telling her to settle in.
“How fancy should I dress for going out this evening?”
“As fancy as you are comfortable with, or as casual as you want to be. Listen to your inner beast and let it choose. Since the human part of you has been unable to find a match, this is the time to let your instincts run the show.” Teebie winked and closed the door.
Bets looked around the comfortable and cozy room before she went to the window and opened it. She could see all of the Crossroads from her room, and it was a charming sight.
Down there, the man for her might already be waiting. It was an old-fashioned desire to want a mate and family, but it was what she was programmed for. Generations of women in her family had found their mates within the community, but she was the odd one out. She was alone already by virtue of her particular bat, but now, she was the only unmated woman in the family. She wanted to leave, to run, to hide, but not to do it alone. That was why she was here, she wanted someone to hide with and shut out the world.
Hopefully, he was somewhere in the Crossroads.
* * * *
Weller entered the Night Star Diner after dark. It seemed that the fairy who ran the place preferred evening shifts.
The tall, elegant man was cleaning the counter, and he smiled as he looked up. “Good evening. Menu?”
“Just coffee, thanks.” Weller took a seat at the counter and settled in, slowly stirring sugar into the coffee moments after it arrived.
The proprietor continued his casual clean up and Weller wondered where to start. Finally, he asked, “Did Josh’s son come by?”
“Yes, he and his friends are on landscaping duty for the next five years. They can’t come i to the diner, but Josh will know if they are holding up their end simply by driving through the parking lot.”
“Good. Good.” Weller made a face and blurted it out. “The woman who was here, Bethany, does she live nearby?”
“Yes, but you won’t find her at home right now.”
Weller nodded. Of course, a woman with her charm had evening plans.
“She is at the Crossroads as of this afternoon.”
Weller heard his spoon clatter to the counter. “What?”
“Running into you and knowing that there was no proper way to meet you again was the final straw. She is looking for a man she can keep, one who will hold onto her as well. If I am not wrong, you are a fox, yes? Male foxes are not known for their fidelity.”
Weller shifted and he felt colour heat his cheeks. “No, we are not known for it, but bound by the magic of the Crossroads, no male has strayed.”
“Is that what it takes to create fidelity in your kind?”
“Fey are not any more faithful than foxes from what I have heard. What does it take for you?”
The proprietor smiled and inclined his head. “I suppose it would take a binding charm.”
“Then don’t lecture me about what it takes, sir.”
“My name is Dromer. Bethany is a friend. I don’t want her hurt.”
Weller blinked as the elf was suddenly in front of him and staring down at him from his incredible height.
“You do not need to worry about it. I can’t get at her if she is at the Crossroads.” Weller sat back and gave him a narrow-eyed look.
Dromer smiled with a knowing gleam in his gaze. “Right. No possible way you could get there, unless you know a transporter and can get to the next window location.”
Weller gulped down his coffee and tossed three dollars on the counter. “Thank you for the information. I am glad that the issue with Jerry sorted itself out.”
He walked across the diner and was out the door in seconds. He grabbed the phone in his pocket and was dialling in seconds.
“Hey, Norm, this is Weller. I was wondering how soon you could get me to the Crossroads?” He waited for the answer while Norm got his location and turned to see the elf in the doorway of the diner giving him a thumbs-up.
If he did manage to find Bethany and their beasts agreed on it, he was never going to live this down.
Oddly enough, when he asked his beast, it didn’t care.
Chapter Three
The first night at the Crossroads was fun, but no one sparked her interest. Bets went home with feet sore from dancing and a light buzz.
Teebie greeted her when she wobbled in. “Did you have a nice evening?”
Bets grinned. “I did. Everyone was so nice, and we were all just trying each other on for size, so to speak. I saw a few couples connect, and it was wonderful to watch.”
“Did you want a nightcap before you head up?”
Bets sighed happily, “Thank you for the thought, but I want to get up and explore tomorrow. I would rather do it with a clear head, and one more glass of wine might tip me over the edge.”
Teebie’s smile was gentle. “Then enjoy your night and get to bed. I am very happy you had a nice time.”
Bets headed up to bed and relaxed the moment she was inside her room. She opened the window and changed with the air blowing in. Once in her sleep shirt, she climbed between the sheets and inhaled deeply. The night air brought her pollen, the scent of fruits and the occasional pheromone burst from couples in the distance. The air of the Crossroads was alive and she wanted to learn as much as she could before she took flight.
She fell asleep smiling and targeting the fruit for her change the following day.
The scent of bacon and freshly baked something or other was floating into her nostrils and that was enough of a wakeup call for her. Bets got out of bed and took a shower, putting
on her clothing and pulling her hair back in a ponytail.
With a spring in her step, she headed down the stairs toward the smell of breakfast.
A few couples were sitting in the breakfast room and Bets waved shyly. “Hello.”
They welcomed her and she settled in, muffins and bacon with anything she could imagine as an accompaniment. The large platter of fruit that waited caught her attention and Bets went in with no restraint.
She enjoyed the glow from the new couples, and when they left, she was a little sad. Teebie came in as she was finishing up the last of the grapes.
“What are your plans today?” The djinn waved her hands and the table was clean of crumbs while the dishes cleaned themselves and waltzed back onto the sideboard.
“I want to head into the forest and shift for a while then back here to change before dinner and more dancing at the Crossed Star.”
Teebie collected her plate with a flick of her fingers. “It sounds like you like the dancing.”
Bets sighed and propped her chin on her hands. “It is the closest thing to flying on the ground that I have ever done. I like it a lot.”
Teebie sighed and said, “Well, you can hang around here or you can go out to experience the day. Your choice, but I have to prep for a few new arrivals. My business day is just getting started.”
“Understood.” Bets got to her feet and headed out the door and for the dense forest down the lane. There was a world to explore and no one to tell her no.
* * * *
“Good morning, Weller. I understand you were a last-minute addition to our roster here.” The hostess smiled at him, her teeth white in the blue of her skin.
Weller inclined his head. “It was a sudden decision. I have been thinking about it for some time, but then, there was a woman who got away because of species protocol and I decided that I was tired of having formalities keep me from a woman I know is mine.”
“Your room is on the first floor. Did Tony offer you a tour of the Crossroads?”
Weller nodded. “He made the offer, but I prefer to find out on my own. I thought I would go for a run before I join in this evening’s festivities.”
“I will show you to your room and you can do whatever you choose to enjoy.”
He followed her up the stairs, but the scent he was looking for was lingering in the air. Bethany was staying in the same building. Something in him relaxed. “Did many of your guests find matches last night?”
“Yes, three of them left this morning. It was good to see, they had been looking for a week or more.” She smiled at him over her shoulder.
His room was the second on the first hallway. His bag was dropped off and he changed into running clothes before heading out of the Open Heart and toward the woods. Bethany’s scent was in those woods, and he wanted to put himself in her vicinity.
Half the work in fox courtship was putting a male in a female’s territory. She may be a different species, but the basic rules were the same. They simply needed to be close to each other and their beasts would judge the rightness of the match.
He was deep in the woods, his nose sniffing and his tail twitching as he sought out her scent. It moved quickly from one tree to the next and that gave him the hint that his prospective mate was a flier of some sort, but the odd thing was that she still carried the aura of fur.
He heard a sound above him and craned his head up to see the shadow that passed through the light filtered by the leaves. He blinked and shook his head, looking again when the sound repeated.
He sat down and stared upward as the creature with Bethany’s scent flew in lazy circles through the trees. She was large for a bat but had complete command of her wings.
He settled in the shelter of tree roots and waited for her to come down. It took about an hour, but she fluttered ground-ward and stopped at a pile of clothing neatly nestled in the crook of a branch. The bat crawled along using its wings as legs to pull it toward the clothing.
Seconds later, Bethany was naked on the limb and putting her bra on.
Weller should have looked away, but the dark pink nipples disappearing into the cups of her bra had him hypnotized. She was made of caramel-tinted cream all over, and he watched her slowly covering the delicious silk of her skin.
When she was dressed, she hopped out of the tree to slip on her shoes. Her path took her right past his hiding place, and she paused for a moment, a smile on her face. “Got an eyeful, did you?”
He whined and cringed backward. It was embarrassing to be caught ogling like a teenager.
“Well, I won’t press you for your identity, but if you ask me to dance tonight, be polite about it.” She crouched and offered him her fingers to sniff.
The scent of her was wind and fruit. He blinked and licked delicately at the digits extended to him. Definitely fruity and the scent of the afternoon air rode her skin under the floral, feminine scent that was all Bethany.
She stroked his cheek and got to her feet, striding out of the woods like a warrior nymph.
Dancing was the least athletic thing that he wanted to try with her. Those lithe legs would look amazing over his shoulders.
He shook himself from head to tail and returned to his clothing. A cold shower was in order, or perhaps some serious time to think about all the things he wanted to do to her once he convinced her that they were meant to be together. His beast was sure of their connection and now he had to woo a bat. He had some research to do.
* * * *
Bets inhaled and exhaled slowly as she hiked back to the Open Heart. She knew that fox. His scent was unmistakable even though his body was not the one she had met the first time. Weller had followed her to the Crossroads and she didn’t know if she was pleased or appalled.
At the path that led to the front door, she paused and blushed. He was staying here. She had literally tracked him back to the building and his scent was on the front door.
Inside, Bets could smell coffee and the lighter scent of tea. She went in search of an apple and found Teebie, Teal and Spike sitting around and having a nice chat.
“Excuse me. I was just looking for some of the fruit I saw earlier.” She bit her lip.
Teebie grinned. “Come on in. I hid it in here in case you came back. I figured you would track it and join us.”
Spike leaned forward. “So, fruit bat? I have never met one.”
Bets snickered and took a seat, accepting the fruit that Teebie put in front of her. “Yes, you have, you met me yesterday.”
Teal grinned. “Your species doesn’t come here often.”
Bets nodded. “True enough. My kind are usually fairly insular, but there were none of my bat species around. Golden-crowned fruit bats are native to the Philippines, and they tend to be set up by their parents. When you are almost but not quite the right kind, you end up being a practice date for a lot of guys. I am exhausted.”
Spike winced. “That blows.”
Bets bit the apple. “Well said.”
Spike asked, “Do you have to eat fruit all the time in human form as well?”
“Not all the time, but my body doesn’t manufacture Vitamin C, so I go through a lot of groceries. Fortunately, with a supermarket nearby, I no longer have to bankrupt myself on figs.”
Teal smiled. “Figs?”
Bets put the apple core down. “Figs. The moment I first shifted, my parents did the research necessary and began to find traditional foods for my beast to eat. It was a good move, because when the beast woke, my human form went a little haywire and the other changes kicked in. I can make do with apples and oranges for the most part, but I simply love figs.”
Spike nodded. “I understand. I have my own set of favourite foods, and if my mate ever figures them all out, I will weigh nine hundred pounds.”
Teal smirked. “He is the chef at the restaurant here in town. Spike is in endangered species protection.”
Bets smiled and accepted the tea that Teebie handed her. “That is a story that begs to be told,
though everyone here knows it.”
Spike leaned back, “Then, sit back because it all begins with bunny day.”
Two hours and two pots of tea later, they were all giggling together and Bets had an armada of bunny stories to tell if she ever got into that kind of company.
“I have one actual question.”
Spike leaned back in the antique chair and grinned. “I am off for another hour. Shoot.”
“Have you ever seen the golden bunny, or whatever it is? Has it occurred in recorded bunny history?” Bets nibbled at a cookie.
“Once in recorded history. The bunny became Warren mistress, and she was the cause of wealth and prosperity throughout the land. She was heralded as a great and just ruler, and she spread wealth to the surrounding human lands as well.”
“Wow. Nice. All my kind are known for is spreading disease. Mind you, I can’t carry much more than my body weight, so I am out at delivering riches.”
They all giggled, and at that moment, Weller walked in. They froze with all the subtlety of deer caught in headlights even though they had not been doing anything or discussing anything risqué.
He smiled and bowed with the shopping bag in his right hand rustling softly. “Ladies, you are all looking magnificent this afternoon.”
Teebie glowed, literally glowed, with the compliment. “Thank you, Weller. Everyone, this is one of my guests, Weller Umbridge.”
Bets stared at him and his green eyes glowed.
She whispered softly, “We’ve met.”
Chapter Four
Weller set his bag down and walked toward her. He took her hand again and raised it to his lips. The kiss was soft, warm and she could feel the curve of his lips against her skin.
“So we have, but each time seeing you is more memorable than the last.”
“You have been shopping?” She bit her lip as he slowly stood straight again. The old-world charm had the other ladies sighing and smiling.
He grinned. “My brother forgot to pick up a souvenir when he and my sister-in-law were here. He asked that I pick something up for him.”
Batty for You Page 2