The Snow Leopard's Love

by Raines, Harmony

  “It sounds as if Valerie is worse than me for keeping stuff,” Belle joked.

  “You have no idea.” He pulled open the door and stepped out into the corridor. “I’ll be back in a flash.”

  “Okay, kids, let’s start getting our teeth brushed and our faces washed. Your Mom is going to go out for some fresh air, so you’ve got me to put you to bed and read you a story.” Katrina held out her hands. “Is that okay?”

  “Yes! I love your stories,” Rosie ran to the adjoining bathroom.

  “I’m beginning to feel a little obsolete,” Belle joked. “Rift is good at entertaining and you are great at bedtime stories...”

  “But you have the best hugs, Mom,” Jack told her as he jumped into her arms.

  “And that is my most favorite thing.” Belle kissed his cheek and held him tightly.

  A sense of peace and happiness settled on her. She was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  Things would work out, she could feel it in her bones.

  Chapter Eighteen – Rift

  “Are you busy?” Belle met him at the door when he returned with the pajamas that Valerie had washed, dried, and pressed. The smell reminded him of his childhood, a happy childhood. He hoped he could one day recreate moments of that childhood for Jack and Rosie.

  “Not really.” He’d planned to go for a run in the mountains to let off steam and clear his head. He needed to be prepared for tomorrow’s meeting with Oscar where they would make a plan on how to deal with the threat to Belle and her family. “Is there something you need?”

  He’d be more than willing to get anything Belle wanted or needed. No matter how far he had to travel or what it cost.

  Have you listened to yourself? His snow leopard chuckled to himself.

  And you wouldn’t do the same if she asked you for something? Rift retorted.

  True. His snow leopard settled down and rested his head on his large paws. Maybe she wants to see me. Maybe she wants you to shift so she can spend time with me. Would you do that if it’s what Belle wanted? His snow leopard arched his eyebrow, as if he had an eyebrow.

  You know I would. Belle is our mate. Not mine. Not yours. Rift knew his other side was teasing him. There was no jealousy between them even where time spent with their mate was concerned.

  “I wanted to get some fresh air. My head is filled with so much stuff going around and around like a tornado.” She twisted her hands together and looked down at the floor. “You probably have stuff to do. And you’ve already given us so much of your time. Thanks for looking after the children.”

  “No problem at all.” He held out the pajamas to his mate. “I can wait while you put the children to bed.”

  “Oh, Mom said she’d do it.” Belle rolled her eyes with an amused smile. “And they’ve already made it clear that they enjoy her bedtime stories more than mine.”

  Rift smothered a smile. “They don’t mean it.”

  “Oh, they probably do. I suppose I tend to rush things sometimes. There’s always a pile of dishes or laundry waiting for me after they’ve gone to bed. The perks of being a single working parent.” Her mouth curled up at one corner and he itched to lean forward and kiss her.

  “I know how hard it was for Valerie. And Penny, too.” He took a step back. “I’ll be loitering in the corridor. Take your time.”

  “Thanks.” She lingered in the doorway for a moment before she backed away and closed the door.

  He leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. He’d wait forever for her. But he sensed Belle returning almost immediately.

  Straightening up, he brushed his hands down the front of his shirt. If he’d known he was going for a walk with Belle, he’d have gotten changed when he went to get the pajamas. Luckily, he’d had a chance to shower in Valerie’s apartment earlier.

  She didn’t ask you for a walk so she can smell your armpits, his snow leopard told him bluntly.

  Rift ignored the taunt as he led Belle down the stairs and into the reception area. Jeremy was behind the desk, watching everything from under his lashes as usual. The guy might have been a pain in the ass when he first arrived at the hotel, but he was good at his job and conscientious, if a little too nosy. Nothing passed the guy by.

  Something we might be thankful for one day, his snow leopard remarked.

  “So, where do you want to go?” Rift asked.

  “I don’t know. We could walk the grounds of the hotel. Or do you have a suggestion?” They exited the hotel and Belle stopped on the steps, her mouth hanging open as she stared at the full moon hanging in the sky above the bay. “Wow.”

  “I forget how beautiful it is.” Rift stood by his mate’s side and stared at the moon. It had never been so full or so bright. Or maybe it was the effect of having his mate by his side. Everything seemed bigger and brighter, colors more vivid, smells more potent.

  “Can we go to the beach?” She didn’t take her eyes off the moon. “I’d love to lie on the sand and stare at the moon.” She lifted her hand. “I feel as if I could reach out and touch it.”

  “Yes. We could find another wish stone. Wishes are more potent when made under the full moon.” He held out his hand and she entwined her fingers with his as they ran down the steps and across the parking lot.

  Belle fished her car keys out of her purse and unlocked the car. She took one last look at the moon before she slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Rift darted round to the other side and climbed in.

  “How is Ivan?” Belle drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the beach. She didn’t ask for directions and Rift wasn’t sure if she remembered the way or if she was simply pointing the car in the direction of the moon.

  “He’s okay. He managed to get through dinner with the help of Elise. She said he’s a little shell-shocked but he’s better than he was. This has come as a shock to him.” Rift side-eyed Belle. “And you? How are you, Belle?”

  “I’m okay, I guess. I don’t know if it’s truly sunk in yet. You know, the danger we’re in. Coming here to Wishing Moon Bay has left me feeling as if it was all a dream. It’s as if I’ve become detached from my other life.” She shrugged. “Does that make sense?”

  “It does. And it’s probably helped. You’ve had something else to focus on. Tomorrow, when we meet with Oscar, you’ll be able to see things clearer.”

  “Because I haven’t spent the day running around like a headless chicken in panic mode?” She gave a short laugh. “You’re right. I don’t know what we’d have done if we’d gone home instead of coming here.”

  “Katrina said they went to her house. Do you recall anyone suspicious visiting you? Maybe they didn’t ask about Reggie, but maybe they were checking out where you live.” Rift clenched his fists. His temper flared at the idea of anyone intending harm to Belle or her family.

  Belle’s not the only one who needs fresh air to clear their head, his snow leopard said. Let go of it for tonight. It’ll all still be there in the morning.

  You’re right, Belle wanted to clear her head. All I’m doing is filling it with troubling thoughts.

  “I don’t remember anyone like that.” Her forehead creased and her hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Maybe I missed something. But most of the time I’m so busy, I don’t have time to think.”

  “So this is like a mini-vacation,” Rift said lightly.

  She grinned and nodded. “Yes, it is. I get to stay in a hotel and be served delicious food. There’s also a great babysitter who my children adore.” Color crept across her cheeks as she glanced sideways at him.

  “I adore them, too. You have two wonderful children.”

  “Thanks. I always worried when their dad left that I might fail them. I was terrified of letting them down. At first, the responsibility was crushing but my mom was there for me.” She took a breath. “I reminded myself that I turned out okay even though I was raised by a single mom.”

  “You turned out more than okay.” He rubbed his hand over
his chin and chuckled. “That was a cheesy line.”

  “I liked it.” She slowed the car and stopped in the parking lot next to the beach. “Can I be honest with you, Rift?”

  “I hope so.”

  She switched off the engine and put the keys in her purse. “I don’t want anything complicated. If we’re going to have a relationship, I want everything laid out in the open. I need honesty and trust.”

  “That’s what you’ll get from me. I promise.” He reached out and covered her hand with his. “We’re not young and naive, Belle. You have your kids, and I am happy to fit in around that. Whatever that means.”

  “I don’t want you to sacrifice your happiness just to make us happy. This has to be a two-way relationship.” She lifted her thumb and rubbed it over his fingers, sending a shock of electricity coursing through him. “If you’d told me a week ago that I’d be contemplating making a life with a man I’ve just met, I’d have told you that you were crazy. Honestly, after the breakdown of my marriage, I had sworn off men at least until the children were older.”

  “But then you met me.” He winked at her. “Modesty is a natural trait of mine.”

  “You’re right, then I met you. And then with what followed.” She stared out at the moon high above. “This...our relationship seems like the only sane thing in the world right now.”

  “Belle, we’ll figure the rest out.” He leaned across the car and kissed her cheek, his lips soft on her skin as he inhaled her scent.

  “I know we will. And then we’ll figure the rest of it out.” Her eyes shone with tears as she turned to face him, her eyes lingering on his lips. “Can we just kiss now and get it over with?”

  He let out a short laugh. “Well, if you put it like that...”

  She half-turned in her seat to face him and cupped his cheek with her hand. “I’m going to struggle to look at the moon when all I want to do is stare at your lips. And the only wish I can think of right now is for you to kiss me.”

  Her bottom lip trembled as she lowered her eyes. She seemed so lost and vulnerable in that moment. Rift covered her hand with his and leaned forward, his eyes fixed on her lips as he closed the space between them.

  Belle sighed and ran her tongue along her bottom lip, inviting him to taste her mouth. How could he refuse?

  Rift steeled himself, fighting for control as their lips met. A frisson of excitement raced up his spine and he wound his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, wishing they weren’t trapped in the confines of the car.

  He wanted to pick her up and carry her to the beach where he’d lay her on a blanket and make love to her beneath the full moon.

  His lips moved against hers and she placed her hand on his chest, resting it lightly over his heart. Could she feel it thumping? Did she know it beat only for her now that they’d met?

  Belle ran her tongue along his lower lip and opened her mouth. He tasted her, her sweetness lingering on his tongue as their kiss broke.

  “I can’t remember the last time I made out in a car.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, hiding her face from him.

  “I’m here for you anytime you want to make out.” He kissed her neck, nuzzling her soft skin.

  “We should go look at the moon and make a wish.” She didn’t move. It was as if they were caught in a spell neither of them wanted to break.

  “I don’t think I have any wishes left to make,” he murmured against her ear. “I have everything I want right here.”

  “Me, too.” Her fingers curled around his neck and she lifted her head. “Everything I didn’t know I wanted.”

  He smiled and stroked her cheek. “You are everything I know I wanted. And more.”

  Chapter Nineteen – Belle

  “It’s almost as bright as day.” Belle plonked herself down on the sand and lay back, not caring that she’d get sand in her hair. This was one of those moments she’d remember for the rest of her life.

  “I used to come and lie under the full moon when I was younger. I’d question what my life was supposed to be. When I was going to meet my mate. And all the other stuff that seems so important when you’re young.” He sat down next to her and lay back, his fingers touching hers as they stared at the moon.

  “I used to dream about what my life would be like,” she confessed. “When I was growing up, I used to want to be an artist. I loved to paint.” As she stared up at the moon, with all its imperfections, she wished she had a canvas and paints. But she hadn’t painted for years. She’d never do it justice.

  “What stopped you?” Rift asked.

  “My mom worked so hard to raise me alone. As a teenager, I saw that and so I got a part-time job to help out and that led to me realizing that I needed to earn a good, regular wage. I went to college and became a PA.” She turned her head to face him. “And I’m good at it. Even if I do say so myself.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “I do. I get a great deal of satisfaction from making sure things run smoothly.” The prospect of giving up her job hit her in the stomach as if someone had punched her. Was she ready to give up everything she’d worked for?

  “Have you ever thought of going into the hotel business?” Rift propped himself up on one elbow and stared at her. Which she found totally disarming.

  “The hotel business? You mean your hotel?” Her heart rate increased, and a surge of excitement coursed through her. Then she tempered her excitement. “Are you making up a job for me so that I’ll stay?”

  “No.” He stroked her cheek, and she shivered, her eyes drawn to his lips. However, she wanted to hear what he had to say and dragged her eyes back to the moon above them. “Valerie isn’t getting any younger and the operation on her leg, although a success, it isn’t getting stronger... She’s going to need help soon.”

  “What about Ivan?”

  “Ivan runs the kitchen, there’s no way he’d take on the day-to-day running of the hotel. Logan and Dario have the candy store, and their mates are both expecting babies.” He chuckled. “And Logan has tried running the hotel when Valerie was recuperating. He can do it, and he could do it, but he doesn’t enjoy it. At all.”

  “If it’s what Valerie wanted and I wasn’t pushing anyone out, then I would consider it,” she replied tactfully.

  “Does that mean you would move here to Wishing Moon Bay?” Rift held his breath and so did she. This was a momentous decision. One she should give more thought to.

  “Yes. The children love it here. I don’t think Jack would ever forgive me if I gave up the opportunity to live in a place like this.” She sucked in a deep breath. “It’s scary, that’s all. The thought of giving up everything we know, my job, the house, the kids’ schools. I think it’s scarier than those guys that are after us.”

  “We’d all be here for you. And Katrina.” He took hold of her hand and ran his thumb across her skin. “She’d come with you, wouldn’t she?”

  “I asked her,” Belle admitted. “Yes, we have already had this conversation. She said she would. I think it would be a good choice for all of us. A fresh start.”

  “Then my wishes truly have come true.” He lay back and stared at the moon.

  “Lying here, it all seems so simple.” She sat up and brushed the sand off her hands. “Come on, you said we could find a wish stone and that the wishes are more potent if they’re under the full moon.”

  “I did.” He got up and leaned down, offering her his hand. “Does this mean you do believe in wishes now, too?”

  “If I’m going to live in a town called Wishing Moon Bay, it’s only right I believe. And since you are proof that dreams can come true, then I’m willing to be a believer.”

  She only had one wish as they searched the shoreline for a gold-colored stone. As exciting as it was to talk about their future together, none of it could happen unless she dealt with the specter of the past that hung over them. She didn’t want to move to Wishing Moon Bay because they were in hiding. She wanted it to be a choice.


  It could never be a choice unless they solved the mystery of Reggie’s and Murray’s involvement with the dragon treasure.

  “Here’s one.” Rift pointed to a half-buried wish stone that had been brought in on the tide.

  “Are you sure you don’t want it?”

  “I told you all my wishes had come true.”

  She picked it up, holding it in the palm of her hand as she went to the ocean and washed it off in the waves that gently lapped the shore. Then she held it out with her palm open, so the moon’s rays shone down on it. When it was dry, she clutched it tightly in her palm and closed her eyes.

  With her wish fully formed in her head, she opened her eyes and threw the stone into the ocean. As it disappeared beneath the waves, Rift stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned back against him, the heat of his body warming her as the night grew chill.

  He kissed her neck and she shivered in anticipation as he stroked the underside of her breasts.

  She closed her eyes, reveling in his touch, wanting more. Perhaps they could find a place a little more private where they could spend some time alone. As she opened her eyes, something flew across the moon and she stiffened.

  “What was that?” She pointed at the shape although it was harder to keep track of it as it flew across the sky.

  “I don’t know.” Rift’s arms dropped to his sides as he tracked the flying thing. Perhaps his senses would help him figure out what it was.

  “Is it a big bird? A shifter bird?” Belle followed the direction of Rift’s eyes, but she could only make out an occasional blurry movement. “Do shifter birds normally fly at night?”

  “They can and they do, but I’ve never seen a bird that big.” His forehead creased as he swiveled around. “I’ve lost sight of it.”

  “Was it your brother?” Had she just seen her first dragon shifter?

  “No. He’s at the hotel.” Rift checked his watch. “Unless he’s left Elise in charge of the kitchen.”