“Sure you did,” I answered him, instantly feeling weird. Could he even understand me in his raven form?
Cole flapped from headstone to headstone, each time rising a little higher, flying a little longer. When he reached the end of the row, he doubled back, this time clearing the entire width of the cemetery in a single graceful swoop.
“That’s it!” I cried, clapping as I watched him soar higher. “You’re doing it.”
Cole zoomed across the cemetery, moving in swift circles about my head. He moved so fast he was nothing but a black blur. A couple of times I lost sight of him as he swooped and dipped between the blackened trees.
With a self-satisfied croak!, Cole soared back down and landed on the tombstone, gracefully folding his wings away. He tapped the stone again, then morphed back into his human form. His feathers slid back into his skin, his bones cracked as they rearranged themselves, and within a few moments I was standing opposite a very naked, very smug-looking Cole.
“Well, how did I look?” he asked, spreading his arms wide and giving me a very unrestricted view of … all of him.
“Um … you look great. I mean, you flew great. Nice and straight.” I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. I tried to avert my eyes from his sculpted chest and the deep Adonis V that led my eyes straight down to … “I particularly liked the barrel roll.”
“Yeah, well. I’ve got a girl to impress.” Cole smirked, and wrapped his powerful arms around my neck. I breathed in the scent of him, that woody, natural scent that drove my body wild.
‘Cole ...” He was looking like he wanted to kiss me again, and I just couldn’t handle it. “Please …”
“Do you really want me to put my clothes on?” He asked gently, his lips an inch from mine. His breath sent a shiver through my body. My fingers itched to run all over his body, my tongue felt heavy, desperate to have his slide over it once more. I could feel his hard on through the thin fabric of my dress. All it would take was for him to lift up my skirt and … the thought made my stomach turn with fear. Not yet. I wasn’t ready.
“Belinda? Should I get dressed?”
No. “Yes.”
Cole sighed, and backed away slightly, the spell between us broken. “Fine. Give me a moment. We’ll go visit your friends, and see if we can’t find a way out of this mess. And maybe then, you might consider allowing me to do all the naughty things I’ve been imagining since the day I met you.”
I gulped. Damn, that was tempting. “We’ll see.”
11
Belinda
We rode back toward the village, and pulled into Holly Avenue, a beautiful tree-lined street in the nicest area of town. There were no terraced houses in sight – the whole street was lined with beautiful Tudor mansions and Regency manor homes. Raynard Hall dominated the entire view. A stately gothic manor, it was one of the grandest houses within the boundary of the village itself, although there were plenty of other manor houses and castles dotting the landscape of Loamshire county. The area wasn’t just famous for witches; it’s been a favourite haunt for the English nobility for centuries.
The iron gates had been left open for us. Cole tore down the drive, coming to a screeching halt in front of the tall doors. He swung himself off the bike and turned to help me. “I can manage,” I mumbled as I tried unsuccessfully to swing my leg back over. My thighs had turned to jelly.
“Of course,” Cole stepped back, watching me struggle over the heavy frame with an amused expression on his face.
I was still trying to disentangle myself from the bike when Alex opened the door. “Hey, you two.” She descended the steps, wearing a beautiful strapless emerald dress that perfectly accentuated her bright eyes and stunning body. Cole had told me to dress for comfort, and I felt thoroughly inferior in my dusty jeans and grey jumper. I finally managed to swing my leg over and slide off the bike, using the handlebars to steady my shaking legs. A biker chick I was not. Alex embraced me, her familiar sweet perfume making me feel instantly at ease. Miss Havisham, her calico cat, wrapped herself affectionately around my legs.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you outside the bakery,” she grinned. “And on a motorcycle, too? Who are you, and what have you done with my friend Belinda?”
I laughed, and jabbed my elbow in Cole’s direction. “You can blame him for the bike. And trust me when I say I won’t be getting one of my own.”
Cole tucked a stray strand of black hair off his face. “She likes cuddling up close to me, is her problem.”
I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks again. If Alex noticed, she didn’t mention it. She stepped forward, her hand outstretched. “It’s nice to meet you—” she started to say, but then Cole looked up at her, and Alex gasped.
“I recognise you,” she whispered. “You were following Isengrim.”
What? My face flushed again, but this time it was anger. Cole had told me Isengrim was a very bad wolf shifter, but he’d never told me he was acquainted with the guy. And now Alex was staring at Cole with terror in her eyes, I suspected it had something to do with the shifter war that erupted at Ryan’s exhibition opening. Is this some other secret that Cole’s been keeping from me? He’s secretly in league with some secret shifter society that had attacked my friends?
Cole nodded. “Please,” he said. “I need to talk to Ryan.”
“If you’re involved with Isengrim, you must understand I’m not going to let you anywhere near him … how did you survive?”
“I wasn’t at the cemetery.” Cole said. “You have to understand, I’m have no loyalty to that crazy wolf. I’m glad he’s gone. I was only part of Isengrim’s pack to collect information for my master. I had no interest in taking part in his insane necromancy fantasies.”
I stared at Cole, not certain whether to believe him, but Alex laughed. “I’m not sure I trust you,” she said, “but you’ll win some points for that remark. Ryan will soon cut your throat out if you’re a danger to us. Come inside, both of you. Ryan’s in the yellow drawing room. I can’t even believe I’m living in a house with enough rooms we have to categorise them by colour.”
Inside the grand hallway, Alex took our coats and hung them. I embraced my friend. “He’s gorgeous,” she whispered into my ear.
Meow. Miss Havisham concurred.
“I know.” I grinned back. “Hopefully he’s legit. I’m worried that you recognise him from some dark event.”
“Ryan will know,” she grinned, and took my hand, leading us down a wide corridor lined with dark furniture and stuffy portraits in gilded frames. “Come on, it’s through here. I’ll have to lead the way. It’s pretty easy to get lost in this place. I put a cup of tea down once my first week living here, and I still haven’t found it.”
I cringed. There is nothing worse to an English lady than losing a half-enjoyed cup of tea.
We entered a large room toward the back of the house. Unlike the other rooms we’d passed, this one was light and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall overlooking a lush back garden. There were no ancient mahogany furnishings here; the room was painted a soft pastel yellow, with bright modern art adorning the walls and Scandinavian-style couches seated around a roaring fireplace. Ryan was sitting close to the fire, one leg crossed casually over the other, a glass of Scotch in one hand. He stood as we came in, and embraced me as if I were an old friend. Miss Havisham took the opportunity to settle herself down in his spot.
I’d met Alex’s fiancé only twice before, both times at her exhibition openings. He was lovely, but slightly stiff. Here, he looked truly comfortable. I suspected it was all those years of being a recluse – he must have built a tender familiarity with these walls. Even though Ryan was in the public eye again, he still preferred to be in his home or wandering in the forest to going out.
“It’s wonderful to have you here, Belinda. Cole,” Ryan reached out his hand. “It’s good to meet you.”
“And you, sir.” Cole shook his hand vigorously, his eyes locked on Ryan
’s. “It’s an honour. You’re quite infamous in my circles.”
“Indeed.” Ryan gestured for us to sit. I relaxed into the couch, enjoying the softness of the suede fabric. A butler hovering in the far corner sauntered over and offered me a glass of champagne, which I gratefully accepted. Cole sat next to me, his warm hand resting on my knee. Alex settled next to Ryan across from us. I noticed the table between us had been set with a platter of cheese, crackers and pate. My stomach rumbled at the sight of real food I hadn’t had to bake myself, and I reached forward to cut myself a wedge of brie.
Cole cleared his throat. “I’ll just dive right in here. I asked Belinda to arrange for us to meet because I know who you are, and I know you’ve already discerned what I am. I’m in some danger, and I’ve inadvertently put Belinda in danger, also. I don’t have many people I can turn to, and when Belinda said you were a friend I thought perhaps you might be able to give me some advice. You have some experience with rogue Bran.”
“Wait.” I lowered my wine glass and leaned forward. “Ryan knows about rogues and Bran? How?”
Cole nodded, and so did Alex. “What’s going on here?” I demanded.
“She doesn’t know?” Ryan asked Cole.
“She knows about me, but not about you. I didn’t think it was my secret to tell.”
Ryan grinned. He set his glass down and stood up. Alex reached up and grabbed his wrist. “Oh, babe, don’t.”
“I hardly ever get to do this now,” Ryan said to her. “Let me have my fun.” He turned to me and grinned harder. “Are you watching?”
I nodded, leaning forward in case I missed anything. I had a suspicion I knew what I was going to see. Cole squeezed my knee.
Ryan’s change started immediately. Like Cole, it was his nose that shifted first, growing out from his face. But instead of forming a long, hard beak, Ryan’s face grew a thick snout. Tawny hair bristled from his skin, and his ears pulled back across his head, sprouting a covering of dark hair and growing into triangles.
Ryan collapsed forward, narrowly missing the glass table as he landed hard on the rug on all fours. He shuffled his shoulders down and shrugged himself out of his shirt. His torso twisted, becoming long and lean. His back legs bent up like a dog’s, and he stepped out of the black jeans that fitted his human form like a glove. He no longer had hands or feet – instead, four small paws sank into the rug.
A few seconds more and any sign of Ryan the human had disappeared. The large fox looked up at me with gleaming, mischievous eyes. He gave a sharp bark, and then darted from the room.
Alex sighed, and bundled up the pile of clothes on the floor. “Excuse me,” she said. “I’ll go take these to him.”
Alone with Cole now, I squeezed his hand back. “I can’t believe my friend’s fiancé is a fox shifter, and you didn’t even tell me!”
“He’s not just any fox shifter, either.” Cole grinned. “He’s a hero. That wolf Isengrim had amassed a pack of rogue shifters and was going to reveal the existence of shifters to the world, but Ryan stopped him.”
“Ryan’s against that?”
“All sensible shifters are against it. Humans vastly outnumber us, and contrary to what the stories say, we’re not immortal. No one – except Isengrim – wanted a witch hunt, which is exactly what would happen if the world knew about shifters. Ryan wasn’t just protecting the people of Crookshollow, he saved the entire shifter population. For that, he’s pretty beloved.”
“What happened?”
“Isengrim and his pack were in the cemetery, trying to raise an ancient demon to usher in a new age of shifter domination, or some such nonsense. But Ryan and Alex stopped him, and killed most of his pack in the process. Isengrim escaped, and showed up at Ryan’s exhibition, where Ryan disposed of him in a rather cunning and ingenious way, while managing to keep the existence of shifters secret. It was quite the scandal in my world, although I suspect Harry’s death is about to eclipse it somewhat.”
Ryan and Alex returned a few moments later, holding hands and grinning. Thankfully, Ryan was once again human and fully dressed. He sat down next to Cole and the pair started talking quietly. I dragged Alex into one of the room’s darker corners. “I can’t believe this,” I exclaimed. “Ryan is a total fox!”
Alex snorted, narrowly rescuing her champagne from going up her nose. “Oh, we’re going to play that game, are we? You are absolutely fowl.”
I burst out laughing. The champagne spread through my stomach, filling me with a warm sensation. I finished my glass, and the butler rushed over to refill it. “What are the odds that we’d both fall for shapeshifters?”
“Pretty high in Crookshollow,” Alex replied, grinning. “There are lots of shifters here. But what do you mean ‘we’ve both fallen for’? Are you dating this guy?”
“Um …” I wasn’t really sure how to explain. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. But he’s sort of ... living with me at the moment.”
“He’s what?” Alex’s nails dug into my arms. “Is that a good idea? Aren’t you moving awfully fast?”
“It wasn’t like that. I found him in the park in his raven form. He’d been injured, and I was going to take him to the vet. But then I discovered …” I gestured to Cole and Ryan, who were involved in a deep discussion beside the fire. “So the vet wasn’t really necessary. He just needs a place to hide out at the moment, and he’s helping me out in the bakery in exchange for some space on the couch.”
“And you haven’t even—”
“I don’t think he’s interested.” I mumbled, my face flushing as I remembered our kiss in the cemetery.
“Oh, he’s interested,” Alex grinned. “He was checking out your arse when you walked down the hall.”
“Really?” I clamped my hand over my mouth, but there was no way Alex hadn’t heard the enthusiasm in my voice. The memory of our kiss surged through my body, and I felt my cheeks reddening.
Alex shook my wrist. “Look at you, Belinda. You’re all flushed. You are completely smitten for this guy.”
“I’m not, really—”
“Hey, I’m not one to judge. But you have to be careful. Trust me when I say the shifter world is dangerous. And you have to be gentle with yourself. You’ve only just had your heart broken. Are you sure you’re healed from all that?”
“It’s been months since Ethan left. I’m ready again—” I gulped as a lump formed in my throat. “At least, I want to be ready. It would be nice to have some proof that all the guys in the world aren’t scumbags like Ethan.”
“I know things are worse at the bakery than you’re making out. I can see it in your eyes, can hear the panic in your voice when you talk about money. All I’m saying is watch out that you’re not adding more stress to your life – stress you can ill-afford – all for the sake of that winged beauty.” Alex dropped my arm, and patted me on the shoulder. “Now, that’s enough friendly lecturing for the night. Refill?”
“Of course.” Alex topped off our drinks, and we joined the boys back beside the fire.
While we polished off the rest of the champagne and the cheese, Cole explained the full story of how he’d been sold to Thomas Gillespie, and how he had run away. But now that Gillespie had killed Morchard’s son, and Byron had discovered where Cole was hiding, he was in real danger of discovery. He held up his hand, showing Ryan the hot, glowing ring that had turned his finger into a dark, splotchy mess. “And that’s added to the fact that if I don’t find some way to break the oath that binds me to my masters, in a few days’ time I will be the property of a dangerous vampire … if the pain doesn’t kill me first.”
“I think we might be able to help you with both your problems.” Ryan said, as Cole finished his story. “First, you are right – it is a certainty that Gillespie will discover you are still alive. I say we anticipate that, by going to him with an offer. I happen to know your new master. Sir Thomas is a regular patron of the Halt Institute. He owns six of my larger paintings, so I don’t think I’ll have a
problem getting an audience with him, especially when he is in the Crookshollow area.”
I was shocked. “You associate with this guy?”
Ryan shrugged. “He’s never been less than polite and supportive to me. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I can’t imagine him stooping to such crass acts as you describe. But then, I’m not really an expert on vampires. I do, however, know how to speak Gillespie’s language. I’ll offer him £150,000 to buy your service. That’s a pretty significant sum, even for a Bran. When he accepts, you’ll belong to me, Cole, and I will grant you freedom. Would that be amenable to you?”
“That is beyond generous,” Cole said, his voice hushed. “I … I don’t know if I can accept.”
I gasped at the figure. “Ryan, you can’t do that. It’s too much money.”
“I’m not one to put a price on a life,” Ryan said, setting down his drink. The black-suited butler swooped in and collected the empty glasses, then returned with fresh scotch for Ryan and Cole. Ryan squeezed Alex’s hand, and continued. “For the longest time, I was trapped in a prison of my own making. It took this lady here to make me realise that I shouldn’t be hiding away, I didn’t need to be afraid of what I was. And now that I am free, I don’t think that any creature should live in servitude of another, no matter how long the tradition has lasted. Simon here has been our butler for decades, but he is not a servant. I pay him a salary, and he’s free to leave any time, with my regrets.” Simon nodded wordlessly as he offered Alex a selection of wines.
“It’s too much,” I said again, shocked by how casually he spoke of such a sum. That money would easily pay off my debts with enough left over to buy the shop outright, and Ryan was talking about the money as if he were giving Cole a tenner for a taxi fare. I gazed down at the exquisite Persian rug beneath my feet. I noticed the legs of the table next to my seat had tiny gilded feet. I guess to someone as rich as Ryan, £150,000 is spare change. I couldn’t even comprehend that kind of a life.
Watcher: A raven paranormal romance (Crookshollow ravens Book 1) Page 13
