Romance in Moonspell

by Jesica Coulter Smith

  She looked at the red roses on her dresser that had arrived earlier that day. At some point during their evening, she’d have to remember to thank Seaton for them. He hadn’t signed his name, but who else could they be from? The message had simply read I’ll be seeing you soon. She’d have to tell him the florist forgot to remove the thorns though. She’d nearly punctured herself on them, but her papa had caught her just in time. It was odd, really. Bellamy hadn’t received flowers too many times in her life, but she’d never had roses delivered with thorns on them before.

  The doorbell rang and she let out a breath. She’d waited for this moment all day, and now that it was finally here, she found that she was nervous. What if she said something stupid, or did something that turned him off? After catching a whiff of his scent yesterday afternoon she knew without a doubt that it was Seaton she’d scented at the cabin, that he was her destined mate. The fact that he was willing to overlook her wheelchair and ask for a date was a good sign. She knew wolves didn’t have the same senses that cats did. Perhaps he couldn’t scent that she was his mate, even though she knew Hayden had known Daniela was his from the first moment he’d scented her. There was a very good chance Seaton was drawn to her, but had no idea she was his mate. She often wondered if that was why the wolves and their mates were marked, just to make sure the poor creatures didn’t miss the signs. After all, everyone knew cats were superior to dogs.

  Bellamy wheeled her way through the house, then froze when she saw Seaton. Dressed in dark jeans and a navy tee, he made her mouth water. The fabric of his shirt clung to his broad shoulders and lovingly caressed his biceps and pectorals. She thought she might actually be jealous of the shirt, getting to touch that oh so perfect body. What would those muscles feel like under her fingertips? Would his skin be rough or smooth? Did he have a hairy chest? She somehow thought her parents might have a problem with her whipping his shirt off in the middle of their front hall just for her to get a good look at him.

  Moving further into the room, she smiled up at him when he noticed her. Having those electric blue eyes focused on her did strange things to her libido. Her body flushed hot and she felt her pussy grow moist. She’d never wanted someone as much as she wanted Seaton. Of course, she had a lot of pent up lust to work through, not having had sex since her accident. As far as her parents were concerned, she was still a virgin, and she’d let them continue to think that. She’d had a few nights with her boyfriend before her life had been upended.

  “Ready?” Seaton asked.

  She nodded and rolled forward. She craned her neck as he walked around behind her and was a little surprised when he grasped the handles of her wheelchair. Most men just let her move on her own, which she usually preferred, but the idea of Seaton wanting to take care of her thrilled her. This was the man who was supposed to stand by her side for the rest of her life. That he would even think to do something like help her to his vehicle made her tingle.

  After saying goodbye to her parents, who stood on the porch to wave bye to them, Seaton lifted her into his truck before storing her chair in the back. She was a little mortified that her parents were treating this like a high school prom or something, but waved back then turned away, hoping they’d take the hint. They were on the road a few minutes before Seaton spoke again.

  “I’m glad you agreed to dinner tonight.”

  “I’m glad you asked.” She toyed with the hem of her dress. “Honestly, I was afraid I’d never see you again.”

  He cut his eyes over toward her before looking at the road again. “You wanted to see me again?”

  “Yes. I was going to ask Hayden about you.”

  He looked a little uncomfortable with that idea. “I’m not sure what my alpha would say about me.”

  “I’m sure he would only have nice things to say.”

  “Maybe.”

  She smiled at him. “Before I forget, I wanted to thank you for the flowers.”

  Seaton frowned. “What flowers?”

  “You mean you didn’t send them?”

  He shook his head. “No, but now I wish I’d thought about it.”

  She bit her lip. “Then who could’ve done it?”

  First the dead mice and now a mystery bouquet. Who was behind the two deliveries, and what did they mean? The flowers seemed harmless enough, except for the thorns. Had they remained on the stems on purpose? Had someone tried to injure her, even in a small way? She didn’t like the path her thoughts were taking.

  “How about that black wing that was so friendly with you yesterday?” he growled softly.

  “Rio? No, he would’ve signed his name. And I don’t think red roses are really his style. He’d be more likely to give me Gerbera daisies or something.” She smiled. “Besides, we’re just friends so I don’t see him delivering flowers to me anytime soon.”

  “Well, if you figure out who it is, I’ll be happy to give them a little talk.”

  “Talk?”

  He gave her a heated look. “I don’t deal well with competition.”

  Bellamy let the conversation die and sat in silence the rest of the way to the restaurant, which turned out to be Bad Barton’s, one of her favorites, much to her papa’s horror. Ravens, as a rule, didn’t eat steak. She wondered how Seaton had known it was her favorite, or if he’d just brought her to a place he enjoyed.

  Parking wasn’t going to be easy as the place was crowded. If she’d thought about it, she’d have borrowed the handicap placard from her papa’s SUV. Much to her surprise, there was a neon pink sign stuck to one of the handicapped spaces that said Reserved for Bellamy. It warmed her from the inside out that he’d called ahead and thought to ask for something like that. No one had ever been so thoughtful before.

  He pulled into the space and killed the engine. Flashing her a smile, he got out and walked around to the passenger’s side of the truck. He pulled out her wheelchair first, then lifted her out and settled her in the chair. Bellamy placed her hand on his.

  “Thank you, Seaton. You’re the first man to ever think about my issue with getting in and out of regular parking spaces. My wheelchair makes it next to impossible.”

  “Then you haven’t been dating men, you’ve been dating boys. Because a real man thinks about things like that.”

  She hadn’t really thought about it, but he did seem older than most men she’d dated. Not just in years, but he had a confidence that came with experience. She’d never really dated anyone over her own age before, but if she had to guess, she’d say Seaton was closer to his late twenties. Not that there was a big age difference between them, maybe four or five years, but that difference was huge when comparing men.

  Bellamy allowed him to wheel her up the ramp and into the establishment. When they entered, Barton himself greeted them at the door. The man smiled warmly when he saw her and shook Seaton’s hand.

  “I’ll show you to your table.”

  “And here I thought you had hired help for that,” Bellamy said with a smile.

  “Not when it comes to special guests.”

  She flushed. He always made her feel special. It was one of the few places that always made her feel welcome and gladly rearranged their dining room to cater to her needs. Not that she got to eat here as often as she’d like. Her papa brought her on special occasions, and she talked her mama into it sometimes, but until she got a handicapped equipped vehicle, she couldn’t drive, which meant she was at the mercy of her parents.

  Barton showed them to a small table in the back corner. A white tablecloth draped the surface and a yellow rose in a crystal vase set in the middle. Cloth napkins were neatly folded to the side of each place setting, silverware placed on top just so. A candle flickered beside the rose, the glow giving the atmosphere a romantic feel. She’d never eaten dinner at Bad Barton’s before and was impressed. During lunch, it was more like your typical steakhouse.

  Seaton sat across from her, nudging her menu closer. “Aren’t you going to see what you want?”

&nb
sp; She smiled. “I always order the same thing when I come here.”

  He glanced up at Barton. “In that case, I think we’re ready to order.”

  Barton smiled. “I already know what Miss Bellamy wants. What about you, Mr. McCullough?”

  “I’ll have the sirloin, medium, with a loaded baked potato and baby carrots. And whatever you have on draft to drink.”

  Barton nodded. “Very good. I’ll put your orders in with the kitchen.”

  He was drinking beer? And driving? Seaton must’ve noticed her look because he hastened to reassure her.

  “I won’t have more than one or two. I promise, it takes a lot more than that to get me drunk. I’ll switch to water after the second one.”

  That set her mind at ease a bit, but she’d still prefer it if he didn’t drink at all. After her car accident, drinking and driving made her nervous, no matter how sober the driver insisted they were. She wanted to argue, but… maybe he just needed to know why she didn’t want him to drink.

  “I don’t think I ever told you how I lost the use of my legs. It was our senior year of high school. I was riding home from a movie with my boyfriend when a drunk driver ran a red light. He hit my side of the car and my legs were pinned for an hour while the firemen tried to pry the car apart enough to get me out.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Bellamy. I had no idea.”

  Seaton signaled a waitress and the woman came over immediately. “Is there something I can get for you?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I need to change my drink order. Instead of a beer, can I get a Dr. Pepper?”

  The waitress smiled. “Of course. I’ll go change that right now.”

  Bellamy gave him a grateful look. She hadn’t expected him to be so understanding, even if she had hoped for it, but she was glad that he’d listened to her and acknowledged her fears. It was just one more reason to like him.

  “What do you do when you aren’t tracking for the pack?” she asked.

  “I build and remodel houses. I work with a crew of wolves.”

  “It must be nice to be able to work with your hands.”

  He grinned. “I like being able to build something from nothing, or take something someone has trashed and make it beautiful again. What about you? What do you do?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “You saw it the other day. My parents wouldn’t let me go to college after the accident so I don’t have a degree. I wanted to take some online classes, but Papa won’t finance it and I don’t have any money of my own. The idea of taking out loans scares me to death.”

  “So how do they expect you to take care of yourself?”

  She laughed. “They don’t expect me to ever move out. What they think I’m going to do when they’re too old to take care of me, I have no idea. I’ve tried to snatch my independence back from them, but it always blows up in my face. You saw how well it turned out when I tried to go on a simple date.”

  “So if you could go to school, what would you study?”

  “Graphics design. That’s something I could do from home so I wouldn’t have to worry about commuting to a job, and I could work for any company anywhere in the world.”

  He nodded. “Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

  “I still have the brochures at home for the schools I was considering.”

  “Well, you obviously aren’t going to live with your parents forever. You’ll get married and move out. I’m sure your husband will be supportive of your ideas and feelings.”

  “I hope so.” She fiddled with her silverware. “But it’s doubtful I’ll ever get married.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Let’s just say that I did find my mate, and he finally figured out that I belonged to him. What if he decided that a lifetime of helping someone with a disability was just too much of a hassle? Just because I find my mate doesn’t mean he’ll want me for the long haul.”

  Seaton covered her hand with his. “Bellamy, any man would be lucky to call you his, chair or no chair. The fact that you can’t walk doesn’t define who you are.”

  “Yes, it does. To an extent.”

  “Fine, to some extent it defines who you are, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a vibrant, beautiful woman. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sit here and not do more than just hold your hand?”

  Their food and drinks arrived and the conversation was momentarily put on hold. After the waitress left, Seaton gave her a heated look, one that sent shockwaves of pleasure rippling through her. Could he mean it? Did he really see her and not her wheelchair? Did he truly see her as a desirable woman and not someone whose handicap would hinder his life?

  Feeling bolder than ever before, she voiced her desires. “I’ve wanted you to touch me. Ever since I saw you at the cabin.”

  His eyes darkened. “I’m not taking you home when we leave here.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “No?”

  “No. I’m taking you home with me.”

  His words thrilled her. No one had wanted her in that capacity in so long that she’d forgotten what it felt like to be desired. Her few attempts at dating hadn’t worked out all that well. The men had asked her out because they felt sorry for her, not because they desired her.

  As they ate, she questioned him more about his life, finding out he was an only child and that his parents had moved away from Moonspell, opting for the more tropical climate of the Florida Keys. He told her a little more about his work and his day-to-day life. In return, she told him about herself and her family. Not that there was much to tell. And she kept one important thing to herself. She never dissuaded him from thinking she was a raven shifter. She knew it was wrong, but something told her it would be a mistake to divulge that information so early in the relationship, even if he was her mate.

  Relationship? Was that what it was? Just because he’d said he was taking her home with him, just because she knew they were mates, didn’t mean they had a relationship. As far as she knew, he was clueless as to who she was to him. He obviously felt some sort of pull or he wouldn’t have asked her out, but was it enough to tell him she belonged to him, that she was his mate, his one and only?

  Only time would tell.

  Chapter Four

  When they arrived at Seaton’s, Bellamy was pleasantly surprised. She hadn’t known what to expect of his home. It was small, but it was cozy. A two-bedroom cottage, it was quaint, with a porch running along the front. White with black shutters, it looked freshly painted and fairly glowed in the moonlight.

  A stone path led from the house, where three steps led up to the porch. Hydrangeas filled the front flowerbeds and a red crepe myrtle set off to the right of the path. She could see a wood privacy fence on either side of the house and wondered if the backyard was as enchanting as the front.

  Seaton got out of the truck and came around to her side. Opening her door, he lifted her into his arms. After pushing the door closed, he started up the path, much to her surprise. Wasn’t he going to get her chair? Surely he didn’t mean to carry her into the house.

  Her wolf unlocked the door and pushed it open. Being carried over the threshold made her feel like a bride on her wedding day. Her first look at his home gave her a little more insight into the man holding her in his arms. An olive L-shaped microfiber sectional dominated the living room. The walls were painted taupe, but there was a wolf mural painted on one. The coffee table and end table looked new and she wondered if he’d gotten them recently or if he just took very good care of his things.

  To the left of the living room was a small dining room, with a glass top table and six chairs. The wood floor was a warm honey color and there was a beautiful oriental carpet under the table, with vibrant reds, blues and greens. The pictures on the wall were classy and not something she could picture a man like Seaton selecting for himself. Had a previous girlfriend helped him decorate? Or did he just have hidden depths?

  She was surprised when t
hey bypassed both rooms and moved down a short hall to what had to be his bedroom. The oak furniture was large and masculine looking. The patchwork quilt covering the bed wasn’t something she would’ve pictured him owning, but it suited the room.

  He deposited her on the bed. Leaning over her, caging her between his arms, he gave her a smoldering look. That look scorched her from the inside out, leaving her pussy wet and wanting. As she looked up into those intense eyes, she wondered when he would kiss her. She knew it wasn’t a matter of if, but when. He wouldn’t have brought her home with him, wouldn’t have brought her straight to his bedroom, if he didn’t plan to seduce her. She welcomed that seduction, wanted it more than anything, wanted him.

  Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she reached for him, pulling his head down to hers. She brushed her lips against his, softly at first, but that wasn’t enough. She had a thirst for him that couldn’t be quenched with simple kisses. Deepening the kiss, she twined her fingers in his hair, holding him to her, taking what she wanted from him. It had been so long since she’d kissed a man she was surprised she remembered how.

  When he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, she went willingly, pressing her body against his. His hard angles and planes felt so good against her softer curves. She trailed a hand across his shoulder and down his arm, feeling the flex of muscle in his bicep. The power in his embrace only served to make her hotter and wetter. She wanted that power over her, filling her, claiming her. Bellamy wanted to belong to Seaton in a way she’d never belonged to anyone ever before. She knew it was the mating call she was feeling, but she welcomed it.

  Tugging at his shirt, she stopped kissing him long enough to pull it over his head and toss it across the room. She feasted her gaze on his impressive chest, dusted with just the slightest bit of hair. Unable to resist, she explored his hard contours with her fingers, loving the way the hair tickled her palms. Her eyes sought his and the desire she saw blazing in their depths was enough to set her ablaze.