Romance in Moonspell

by Jesica Coulter Smith

  A smile tilted his lips as he thought about his little wild cat killing her attacker. He knew she was a passionate woman, but he’d have never thought it possible for her to take on an assailant like that. It was good to know she could take care of herself if she had to, even if he did like to play the part of hero every now and then. At least, he did where Bellamy was concerned.

  He scanned the waiting room and his gaze landed on Rio, the young black wing who had refused to leave. He didn’t know what to make of the young man. It was no secret the raven had feelings for Bellamy, but to what extent? They’d been together when she was shot. Had it been a date? Was that why she’d pushed him away yesterday? No, she’d pushed him away because of his insults to her cat, Hayden had said as much. Surely if there was more to it, his alpha would’ve prepared him. Perhaps the two were just friends.

  The doors at the end of the room opened and a doctor in scrubs and a surgical mask walked out. He approached the Crawfords and Seaton moved to join them, not wanting to miss anything the doctor had to say.

  “Mr. Crawford?” the doctor asked, addressing Ely.

  “Yes, I’m Bellamy’s father.”

  “I came to tell you that she pulled through surgery just fine.” The doctor shook his head. “That is one stubborn daughter you have.”

  Ely grinned. “You have no idea.”

  “Thankfully she passed out about ten minutes into the surgery.”

  “Passed out?” Seaton questioned. “Shouldn’t she have been sedated?”

  “She refused, said she didn’t want to harm the baby.”

  Seaton felt as if the earth shifted beneath his feet. Baby? Bellamy was pregnant? And she hadn’t told him? He felt both overjoyed and betrayed at the same time. Why would she keep something like that a secret from him?

  “Can I see her?” he asked.

  The doctor glanced at Ely, as if seeking permission.

  “Let the man see her. He’s been wearing a hole in your floor out here,” Ely said. If Bellamy’s father was surprised over the news of his daughter’s pregnancy, he hid it well.

  “Very well. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to her room.”

  The doctor turned and headed back through the double doors, with Seaton right on his heels. Seaton, unsure as to where she’d been moved since the incident earlier, followed, not wanting to get lost in the maze of halls.

  They moved past Bellamy’s first room, which now had yellow police tape across the door, and down three more doors. When the doctor pushed it open, Seaton stepped inside to find Bellamy propped up in bed, looking worn out. Why hadn’t she let them sedate her? He was certain pregnant women were sedated all the time.

  Crossing the room to stand beside the bed, he took her small hand in his. She looked so pale lying there, so lifeless. He could see a bandage sticking out of the gown she wore and wished there’d been some way of taking away her pain and suffering. If they’d only realized sooner that someone meant her harm, had figured out that Humes had a brother, maybe all of this could’ve been avoided.

  Her eyes slowly blinked open and she looked around the room until her gaze rested on him. She gave him a sleepy smile and tried to squeeze his hand, but her efforts were puny at best. He wanted to sit on the edge of the bed and pull her into his arms, but he was too afraid of hurting her.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “My shoulder still hurts and so does my leg.”

  He frowned. “Did they ever x-ray your leg?”

  She shrugged her good shoulder. “If they did, it was while I was asleep. What happened anyway?”

  “The doctor said you passed out a few minutes into surgery. Which was probably a blessing.” He gave her a stern look. “Why didn’t you take the anesthesia? And why the hell didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”

  She winced. “You’d made it clear how you felt about cats. If you weren’t going to be part of my life, there was no reason to tell you about the baby. Not right now anyway. I would’ve eventually told you. It isn’t like I would’ve kept you from getting to know your child.”

  “And now?”

  “Do you still hate cats?” she asked.

  He grinned. “All cats except ones named Bellamy.”

  “Then we’ll discuss it again once I’m healed.”

  “You can heal at my place.”

  “No. I’ll do my healing at home, thank you.”

  He growled. “Where that black wing will be circling like a vulture.”

  She snickered. “Rio is not a vulture. He’s very sweet, and yes, he’ll probably be around. He feels responsible for what happened to me, even though no one was at fault except for that piece of crap I stabbed.”

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I took a life, but I have to remind myself that it was him or me. He didn’t give me any other option.”

  “Maybe you could talk to one of the counselors here at the hospital before you go home. I’m sure they’d be happy to listen to you and maybe give you some advice on how to deal with it.”

  She nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

  He caressed her hand. “I’d be happy to listen, if you want to talk about it with me. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what may come. You know that, right?”

  She squeezed his hand.

  “Bellamy, I have to know. Do we have a chance?”

  “I have some thinking to do, Seaton. You hurt me, badly. Just because I’m your mate doesn’t mean we should live together. It’s obvious you hate my kind, and whether you like it or not, there’s a fifty-fifty chance that this baby is also a cat and not a wolf. How are you going to feel when your son or daughter shifts into a feline?”

  He swallowed the knot in his throat. “I’ll love him or her no matter what they shift into. That’s my son or daughter you’re carrying, Bellamy, my blood. Even if you decide you can’t live with me, I’ll never turn my back on my child.”

  The thought of her not wanting to be with him cut him to the quick. But he only had himself to blame. If he’d only been on his best behavior, hadn’t reacted to her cat the way he had, then none of this would be happening now. She’d be in his arms, begging him to take her home, to their home. Instead, she wanted to return to her parents’ home and needed time to think about whether or not she even wanted him in her life. How had he possibly screwed up this bad?

  “I’ll leave so everyone else can come see you. You have a waiting room full of people.”

  “My parents and sisters, I’m assuming.”

  “And Rio,” he muttered.

  “Be nice to Rio. His quick thinking got me here in less than ten minutes of me being shot. It isn’t his fault that someone was stalking me, or that they followed us here.”

  “Fine. I’ll be nice to him, as long as you promise to get better.”

  “Seaton, I want things to work between us, I really do. I just need to work out a few things in my head first. Give me a day or two then come by the house. I’ll have your answer for you then.”

  He leaned down and brushed a kiss against her forehead, wishing he had the right to kiss her properly, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate it at the moment. Soon though. He hoped.

  * * *

  Bellamy watched Seaton walk away and knew what her answer would be. She could call him back and tell him now, but she decided to wait, let him think about it, stew over it for the next day or two. A little worrying never hurt anyone, right? The disappointment she’d felt when he hadn’t kissed her on the lips had spoken volumes to her. The fact that she wanted his kiss told her that she wasn’t ready to let him go.

  Her mama may have watched her mate walk out of her life, but Bellamy knew she wouldn’t be able to. She placed a hand over her belly. Her child needed Seaton just as much as she did. It wasn’t that she needed him for survival. If her parents would ever give her any wiggle room, she could stand on her own two feet, metaphorically of course. No, she needed his strength because it complemented hers. Needed his passion
because it set her on fire. But mostly she just needed him.

  Tears gathered in her eyes and she pressed a hand to her shoulder. The pain was intensifying with every breath she took and she knew whatever drugs they’d sneaked to her while she was passed out were now wearing off. But she refused to take anything stronger than Tylenol, knowing that painkillers couldn’t be good for the baby.

  The door to her room opened and her parents stepped inside. Her papa saw the tears and narrowed his eyes. He moved swiftly across the room to her side and took her hand in his.

  “Whatever he did, I’ll gut him,” her papa said.

  Bellamy laughed, then groaned in pain. “No, Papa. He didn’t do anything. My shoulder just hurts something fierce.”

  “You should take the painkillers they’re offering you,” her mama said.

  “But the baby --”

  “Will be fine,” her mama assured her. “I can’t stand to see you in so much pain. Not again.”

  “I’m strong, Mama. I can handle it.”

  Her papa shook his head. “Not this time, baby. Your mama is right. If you don’t take the medication willingly, I’ll have to force it down your throat.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Wouldn’t I?”

  She grumbled under her breath, knowing he would. If she’d gotten her stubborn streak from anyone, it was her papa. They might not be blood related, but she was very much like him, always had been. But then, she was daddy’s girl, and always would be.

  “Can I go home now?” she asked.

  “Just as soon as we receive your discharge papers,” her mama said.

  Bellamy snorted. “Since when do we wait on paperwork? I want to go home.”

  “She has a point,” her papa said. “Come on, Bells. Let’s spring you from this joint.”

  Carefully lifting her, he settled her in the wheelchair at the foot of the bed and began wheeling her out of the room. Oddly enough, not a single nurse stopped them. Of course, if she knew her papa, he was giving them all fierce looks, enough to keep them at bay, and for that she was thankful.

  * * *

  At home, Bellamy stretched out on the sofa, a pillow propped behind her. The TV remote was nearby, as well as a bowl of popcorn. She’d chased everyone out of the room, saying she wanted to be alone for a while. In all honesty, she just didn’t want them hovering over her with worried looks on their faces. Her mama would smother her if given the chance.

  Clicking through the stations, she found a movie that she’d seen a dozen times or more, but one she was rather fond of. Her shoulder throbbed, even with the medication they’d given her. The pain in her knee had subsided and they’d been assured there were no fractures. The doctor had called to fuss at her for walking out before checking out and had told her that if she took it easy and put ice on her knee for the day she should be fine by tomorrow.

  More than once, she’d caught herself reaching for the phone, wanting to call Seaton. But each and every time, she dissuaded herself, convincing herself it was better to leave him alone with his thoughts, at least until tomorrow. She wanted to reassure him that everything was okay, as far as her health was concerned. Bellamy had no doubt that he was questioning their relationship, wondering if she would take him back. It was cruel of her to not answer him right away, but she felt she’d done the right thing.

  At some point, she dozed off during the movie. A gentle hand on her arm woke her as the credits were rolling. She smiled at Rowanne, hoping to ease the worry she saw etched on her sister’s face. Yes, she’d been shot, and nearly stabbed, but she was still here, and all things considered, she was in pretty good shape for having gone through something so terrible.

  “Mama wanted me to see if you wanted anything for lunch,” Rowanne said.

  Bellamy glanced at the mantle clock. It was well past one in the afternoon.

  “Lunch sounds good.”

  “I’ll bring you a tray. Mama said you shouldn’t get up until it’s time for bed, or unless you have to go to the bathroom. I think the parental units want you to ice your knee as much as possible. They’re worried, even though the doctor assured them you were fine.”

  “A tray would be appreciated.” Bellamy smiled. “Try to convince Mama that I’m not dying. I may be in pain, but I’ll survive.”

  Rowanne smoothed a hand down Bellamy’s hair then bustled off to the kitchen, their mama’s domain. Bellamy tipped her head back and closed her eyes for a moment. The painkillers were starting to make her groggy and she didn’t know how much longer she could stay awake, but she knew food was essential. For one, her stomach was starting to rumble.

  Maybe seeing Seaton tomorrow would be too soon. Perhaps she should take a little longer to get back on her feet. If he got impatient, he could always come to her, but something told her he would wait until he was summoned. He’d seemed genuinely interested in getting back in her good graces. And while he hadn’t been thrilled that she’d kept the baby a secret, she felt that he was happy about the event. She still didn’t know him very well, having known him only a few days, but deep in her heart she felt he would be a good papa, a good mate, someone she and her child could depend on through the years.

  Now she just had to mend and get back on her feet, well, relatively speaking. Once she was up and moving around again, she could visit with Seaton and see where things went. They definitely had a few things they needed to discuss.

  Chapter Nine

  Two days later, Bellamy was second-guessing herself as she stared at the house in front of her. Seaton had given her the space she’d requested, but now it was time for them to talk. Since he hadn’t come to her, she’d decided to go to him. Her papa had been kind enough to drive her, but now she was ready to face Seaton on her own. Bypassing the stepping stones, she wheeled herself through the grass and up to the front porch. Her shoulder still ached, but she had mobility again. When she reached the steps, she maneuvered herself from the chair to the top step, then slid her butt along the porch to the door.

  She knocked as hard as she could, and then hoped he’d answer. At first, it was dead silent in the house and she wondered if he was, perhaps, avoiding her, but then she heard footsteps coming toward the door. As it swung open, she looked up at him and smiled.

  “Surprise!”

  He blinked down at her. “What the hell are you doing on the ground?”

  “Well, I couldn’t very well bring my chair up the stairs.”

  “I’ll put in a ramp.”

  They stared at one another for a moment.

  “I don’t suppose I can come in, can I?” she asked.

  He seemed to shake himself out of a stupor and bent to lift her into his arms. After he’d carried her into the house and situated her on the sofa, he stepped back outside to retrieve her chair. Seaton closed the door and joined her in the living room, leaving her chair by the front door. She wondered if that was his way of making sure she couldn’t escape.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but he surprised her by gently lifting her over his shoulder and carting her off down the hall and back to his bedroom. He eased her off his shoulder and onto the bed, where she bounced once before he leaned down, pressing her against the mattress. Her lips parted to speak once more and he leaned down and kissed her. Not a gentle kiss, but a deep, passionate, soul-searching kind of kiss. The kind of kiss you feel from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, that makes your whole body flush with desire and makes your heart thrum against your breast.

  When he pulled back, he gazed down at her tenderly. “I shouldn’t have been so rough with you. Did I hurt your shoulder?”

  “No. It aches a little, but Mama convinced me to take the painkillers. She insists the doctor wouldn’t have given them to me if it would harm the baby.”

  “Your mother is probably right. I don’t like the idea of you being in pain if you don’t have to be.” His thumb caressed her cheek. “You being here, does it mean I’m forgiven?”


  She smiled. “Yes, you’re forgiven. I actually forgave you two days ago, but Papa wouldn’t let me leave the house. Besides, I figured it would be good for you to do a little worrying. Well, that and I couldn’t wheel myself around until this morning.”

  His jaw tensed for a moment, and then he smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. As long as you’re mine in the end, that’s all that matters. That is what you came here to say, isn’t it?”

  “We belong to each other,” she clarified. “But, yes. That’s why I’m here.”

  He gently touched the bandage on her shoulder. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I want you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then I guess you’ll just have to be extra careful.”

  Helping her stand, he wrapped an arm around her waist for support and assisted her in removing her clothes. Once he’d stripped her bare, he laid her back down on the bed and quickly removed his own clothes. There was a tense energy about him, a restlessness. Something told her this was going to be quick, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that she was with Seaton.

  “It’s my turn to play this time,” she told him. “Get on your back.”

  He lifted an eyebrow, but did as she commanded. Stretching out, he folded his hands behind his head and waited to see what she was up to. With a wicked grin, she settled between his legs. She watched his breath catch as her hand wrapped around his hard cock. Reaching out with her tongue, she licked the drop of pre-cum from the tip before taking him in her mouth. She’d never had a chance to suck someone’s cock before and hoped she was doing it right.

  Her tongue swirled around his cock as she took him in her mouth, then she sucked long and hard, hollowing out her cheeks, as she pulled back. He groaned and reached for her, sifting his fingers through her hair. Encouraged, she repeated the motions, curling her tongue around the base of his cock. As his cock disappeared between her lips again and again, he began tugging on her hair and lifting his hips. Knowing she was pleasing him sent a rush of desire through her.