“I heard about what happened,” he told her, moving further into the room.
“Just what I need. Pity from the whole shifter community.”
He gave her a sad smile. “I don’t feel pity for you, Bellamy. I’m sorry that he couldn’t accept your cat, but that’s his problem, not yours. You’re a beautiful woman, in both of your forms, and if the wolf can’t see that, then it’s his loss. Only your family and close friends know what happened. Your papa would never let the community know, especially since most don’t realize you aren’t a raven like the rest of us.”
She grinned. “You’d think after not seeing me shift, ever, they’d start to wonder.”
“They probably did, before your accident. Now they just figure you aren’t able to, or that it’s painful.”
She nodded. It made sense. “So who nominated you to come and drag me from my room?”
“No one. Not exactly. Your papa mentioned you’d been in here a while and I wanted to see how you were doing and let you know that I’m here for you if you need me. I know your sisters would’ve been here for you if they were around, and I thought you might need a shoulder to cry on. I’ve always felt like one of the family, have always been included in everything, and it seems like it’s time to pay some of that kindness back. I’d love to be your friend, if you’d let me.”
She held out her hand and waited for him to take it. “I appreciate that, Rio. I can use a good friend right now.”
“What do you say to getting some sunshine and fresh air? Your sisters went shopping, except for Rowanne, and she’s in her room. There’s no one out by the pool right now.”
She lifted her arms and waited. Rio scooped her up and cradled her close. With long-legged strides he walked through the house and out the back door. He was right, she should be enjoying the beautiful day. Yes, she was sad, but maybe the sunshine would help brighten her mood. After all, she still had her friends and family. Really, nothing had changed except that she had a baby on the way now, which no one knew about yet, not yet anyway. The moment she changed into a bathing suit, they would discover her secret, see her mark.
He settled her on a lounge chair. “I’ll be right back with a glass of sweet tea and your sunglasses.”
She smiled her thanks and watched as he walked away. In a perfect world, she would’ve been mated to someone like Rio, someone who accepted her. Biting her lip, she wondered if perhaps she’d been unfair to Seaton. Was it possible that he could’ve grown used to her cat if given the chance? Maybe he just hated regular cats and not cat shifters. But then he’d said he hated large cats, too. Maybe… Maybes weren’t going to get her anywhere. No, what was done was done. She’d set him free and now she had to deal with the consequences.
Rio returned with her drink and glasses. She accepted both and motioned to the other chair, hoping he’d join her. The hour in her room had proven to be enough solitude for one day. Now she wanted company, and his was just as good as anyone else’s.
“Rio, can I ask you something?”
“Sure. I’m an open book,” he said with a grin.
“I know you used to be interested in me in a non-brotherly way before. Are you sure you put that behind you?”
“I’ll always care about you, but yes, I can see you as a friend and nothing more. I’ll just learn to care about you in a different way.”
It wasn’t quite what she wanted to hear, but it would have to do for now. She cared too much about Rio to shove him out of her life, but not in the way he’d like. She’d never think of him as more than a friend.
“Let me get you out of here for a bit tomorrow,” he suggested. “I’m sure your papa wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
“I have a mate, remember?”
“Just as friends. Besides, do you see him anywhere?”
“All right. Talk to Papa about taking me around town. Maybe we could go get ice cream tomorrow at the Lemming Drop.”
He smiled. “Wait right here and enjoy the sun. I’ll be back in a minute.”
While Rio was gone, Bellamy closed her eyes and soaked up the sun’s rays. She’d prefer her bathing suit for lying out, but she was comfortable enough. It seemed like Rio had only been gone mere seconds when he returned, a smile on his handsome face.
“He’s agreed to let me escort you around town.”
“That’s wonderful! So, ice cream tomorrow, then… I don’t know, maybe pizza the day after?”
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, Rainy.”
“That’s the first time you’ve called me that,” she said softly. “My grandmother used to call me that.”
“I just thought… Everyone calls you Bells. I thought I’d call you Rainy, short for Rainelle. Besides, it seems to suit you. But if you’d prefer, I can continue to call you Bellamy.”
“No, it’s fine. You just took me by surprise is all.”
“Very well.” He smiled. “I’ll pick you up right after breakfast tomorrow, Rainy, and we’ll make a day of it.”
“Why don’t you come by before that, have breakfast here?”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “As you said, I could really use a friend right now. I know my sisters will rally around me, and they mean well, but they can all be a little overbearing at times, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. I’ve watched them over the years as one by one they’ve been hurt by someone, and I already know how they’re going to react. I’d rather avoid it if I can.”
“I’ll talk to them.”
She took his hand. “Thank you.”
“Now, close your eyes and relax. Your mama said she’d come get us when dinner’s ready. I figure a nap in the sun is just the thing for you right about now.”
“Rio, how is it that you’re here so often? I mean, don’t you have to work, or go to class?”
He smiled. “I take classes online, and as for work, I don’t have to. Dad invested well and set up a trust fund for me. I’m only going to college because I want to. If I don’t overspend, I could easily go the rest of my life without having to get a job.”
Her eyes rounded. “I never realized.”
“Most people don’t, and I’d like to keep it that way. They think all raven shifters are thieves and poor as church mice. Your dad has obviously done well for himself, judging by the size of this house and these grounds, and mine did well for himself, too. It just goes to show that people’s perceptions aren’t always right.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s allowing you to be here right now. I haven’t had a friend in a long time. I could really use one right now.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Then that’s what I’ll be, for however long you need me.”
With a smile, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift as the sun beat down on her. At least something good had come out of the afternoon. She’d lost her mate, but she’d gained a friend.
Chapter Six
Seaton prowled his home, feeling unsettled. Why the hell had Bellamy thrown him out? Hell, he hadn’t even made it in. Last night had been wonderful, or so he’d thought. Discovering she was his mate had been… well, it had been something, that’s for sure. He hadn’t expected it, but perhaps he should’ve seen it coming. He’d been so focused on her, determined to be by her side. Those were all indications, surely.
What was he going to do? He couldn’t lose her, not after just finding her. It had taken all of his willpower not to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off. He just knew if he could get her alone that he could make her see reason. Whatever had upset her, whatever made her think they wouldn’t suit, he would change it. He didn’t know what had happened between last night and this afternoon, but whatever it was, surely it could be fixed.
Not knowing what else to do, he called his alpha. Not only would his pack leader be able to give him sage advice, as one who had already found, and kept, a mate, but he also knew Bellamy and might understand what she was thinking, be able to explain her reasoning for wh
at she did.
He was starting to think no one would answer, when an aggravated Hayden picked up the phone.
“What do you want, Seaton?”
He was taken aback. “How did you know it was me?”
“Caller ID.”
Oh. He cleared his throat. “I was calling because I need some advice.”
“Is this about Bellamy?”
“How did you know?”
Hayden gave a mirthless laugh. “Because I’ve been on the phone with her father for the past hour. I’ve never known anyone who could screw up as much as you have. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Um, no. Which is why I’m calling.”
Hayden sighed. “Bellamy should’ve told you more about herself, but I can understand why she didn’t. It would’ve reflected badly on her mother. Bells is carrying a secret with her that very few people know. It isn’t really my place to tell you.”
“Hayden, you’ve got to tell me something. We spent an incredible night together, then I get to her house this afternoon and she completely shuts me out. I don’t know what I did to make her think we wouldn’t suit, but she seems to think we’re too different. I know a wolf and a raven are as different as night and day, but --”
Hayden laughed. “You’re more different than that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Look. I really shouldn’t be telling you this, and Ely may have my hide for doing so, but I’m going to tell you right now that Bellamy isn’t a raven.”
“Not a raven? You mean she’s human, then.”
“No, she’s a shifter.”
“Then how can she not be a raven? Ely’s her father, right?”
“In every way that matters.”
Seaton processed that. “So he isn’t her birth father, then. Which means…”
He groaned. Holy hell! “Bellamy was the cat, wasn’t she?”
“Give the man a prize. And you growled at her and called her a ‘damn cat’ from what I heard,” Hayden said. “Not exactly something to endear you to your mate.”
“How do I fix this? You know how I feel about cats, everyone knows how I feel about cats. They might as well be spawned from the devil as far as I’m concerned.”
“Yes, but do you feel that way about Bellamy? Knowing she’s a cat, does it make a difference?”
He thought about it a moment. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Then I suggest you haul your ass back over to the Crawford house tomorrow and get on bended knee and beg your mate for forgiveness, plead your case, and hope she lets you back into her life.”
“Thanks, Hayden. I appreciate it.”
Hanging up the phone, he began to pace. Bellamy was a cat? He would’ve never guessed. Of course, he’d been willing to accept her when he thought she was a raven, so why not accept her as a cat? Sure, he hated the creatures, had ever since he’d nearly been mauled by a were-tiger as a child, but Bellamy was different. She wasn’t just any cat, she was his mate. Now he had to convince her of that.
Going into the kitchen, he grabbed a beer out of the fridge. The thought of losing his mate was enough to make him drink. And he knew that if he couldn’t make her see reason that he would lose her. It made him ache, thinking of his life without his mate by his side. Yes, they’d just met and yes, they barely knew one another, but already she was important to him. She’d been important to him before he’d discovered she was his mate. He’d been drawn to her from the very first.
Standing in front of his living room window, he stared out into the night. What was Bellamy doing right this very moment? Was she tucked safely away in her house? Or was she hanging out by the pool with her sisters? Going for a late night swim sounded pretty good to him, if only he had a pool.
He stopped and looked around his humble abode. His home was much smaller than Bellamy’s. In fact, you could probably fit his entire house into one half of her lower level. Would she be happy here? When he’d bought the place, he hadn’t thought far enough ahead to having a mate and children. Would she want children? He wasn’t sure if it would be difficult for her to be pregnant in her condition or not. These were things he needed to ask, but couldn’t if she didn’t speak to him.
Draining his beer, he went to the kitchen to get another. Good thing he’d restocked earlier in the week. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night. Maybe if he drank enough, he’d stop thinking about Bellamy long enough to fall asleep.
* * *
Loud voices woke Bellamy from a sound sleep. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was nearly three in the morning. Who in the hell would stop by at this hour? She dragged herself out of bed, not caring that she only wore sleep shorts and a tank, and into her chair. Still groggy with sleep, she made her way to the front door to see what was going on.
“I have to see her,” a voice slurred. A voice she recognized all too well.
She nudged her papa out of the way and opened the door wider. Her jaw dropped when she saw Seaton leaning against the porch post, shirt halfway untucked, belt only half-assed fastened. What the hell happened to him? And then the smell hit her. He was drunk! Falling down drunk.
She scoured the street behind him and saw his truck parked at the curb. Well, on the curb was more like it. He’d driven? Was the man insane? She was beyond furious with him, that he should do something like that after hearing her story, well… the man should’ve known better.
She glared at him. “Get in here.”
Seaton pushed away from the post and staggered his way into the house, where he promptly sank to his knees in front of her. She wasn’t sure what to make of him in his present condition.
“I can’t believe you drove while you’re like this! You could’ve killed someone. Yourself even!”
“No one’s out. It’s late.”
“That’s hardly the point. What are you doing here anyway?”
He took her hand in his. “I had to see you.”
“Why?”
“I know it was you on the porch earlier, and I’m sorry. If I’d had any idea… I do hate cats, but I don’t hate you. I could never hate you.”
She tried to tug her hand from his, but his grip was surprisingly strong for someone three sheets to the wind. “If you hate cats, then you do hate me, because I am a cat.”
“You’re my cat.”
Her heart melted a little at his words. Surely he didn’t mean it, not after his behavior earlier. And how had he figured out it was her on the porch? Had someone told him? A glance at her papa showed her that he was just as puzzled. She knew none of her sisters had spoken to him. So that just left… Hayden! Why had the alpha told her secret?
“You only want me because the marks show I’m your mate.”
He shook his head, then weaved a bit. “Not true. I wanted you the first moment I saw you.”
“You did?” she asked softly. “Truly?”
Instead of answering, he groaned, closed his eyes and fell face first into her lap. Her eyebrows lifted and she combed her fingers through his golden hair. Just when the conversation was getting good. She looked to her papa for help.
“Papa, can you put him in the guest room?”
Her papa snorted. “Carry him up the stairs? I think not. He can sleep it off on the sofa.”
She frowned, but didn’t argue. Seaton was a good bit heavier than her papa, she supposed. And as drunk as he was, he wouldn’t notice if he slept on the floor. Still, she would’ve preferred to get him into an actual bed.
She watched as her papa half carried, half dragged her mate through the entry and into the family room, where he deposited the wolf unceremoniously on the sofa. Bellamy wheeled herself closer and removed Seaton’s boots. Pulling an afghan off a nearby chair, she draped it across him, tucking the edges around his broad shoulders.
“Do you think he meant it, Papa? Or was it just the alcohol talking?”
He gave her a long look. “Alcohol tends to loosen the tongue, so I doubt he was lying. He was proba
bly telling you things he might not have said otherwise. The question is what are you going to do about it?”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to have breakfast in town with Rio, but maybe I should cancel and be here when Seaton wakes up.”
Her papa smiled. “No, I think it will do the wolf wonders if he wakes to find you gone with another man. Don’t be surprised if he hunts you down, though.”
“But I’m his mate, Papa.”
“Yes, and you’ve pushed him away. Make him work for it, honey. He may accept your cat, but don’t let him think he’s off the hook too soon. A little groveling will be good for him.”
She eyed Seaton skeptically. “He doesn’t seem like the groveling type.”
“He was just on his knees before you, wasn’t he?”
“Good point.”
Bellamy moved closer to her mate. With a gentle hand, she smoothed his hair back, letting her fingers burrow in the thick locks. If there had been more room, she would’ve curled up next to him, just to feel his heat near her, have his scent surround her. It had only been a day, but she’d missed him. Just the thought that she could have her happy ending was enough to make her smile, to give her hope. If he’d meant what he’d said tonight, if he truly accepted her, then there was no reason they couldn’t be together. Nothing could spoil her good mood now.
Chapter Seven
Bellamy sat across from Rio eating a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, and pancakes. She’d woken this morning starving and, despite her sleeping mate at home, was eager to join Rio for breakfast. Now, as she sat across from him, she enjoyed the friendship that had grown between them. In all honesty, if she weren’t mated, she might’ve considered dating the young raven. He made her laugh, and that was a hard thing to accomplish.
“I’m surprised you left your wolf sleeping this morning,” Rio said.
Romance in Moonspell Page 5