Belonging to Hayden (Tales of Moonspell 1)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  He thought long and hard the whole way back to his house. By the time he pushed the front door open, he’d decided to call Serenity, a friend to both himself and the pack, and tell her what had happened. It might make him feel better just to talk things through with someone, and he knew if he spoke with Seamus, his second in command would begin making plans to retrieve Daniela from the nest. Not that that would be a horrible thing to do, but Hayden needed to calm his thoughts first.

  He picked up the phone and dialed Serenity’s number. When she didn’t answer her cell phone, he tried her at home. It was odd that she would be home on a Friday night instead of hanging out with her friends at one of the local clubs.

  She finally answered after six rings. “Hello?” Her voice sounded husky.

  “Serenity, it’s Hayden. Is everything all right?”

  She sniffed. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t sound fine.”

  “Honestly, I… I could really use a friend right now.”

  He felt uneasy, knowing something was wrong.

  “Just let me throw on a shirt and I’ll head your way.”

  She sniffed again. “Thanks, Hayden.”

  He disconnected the call and walked through the house to his bedroom. Digging through a dresser drawer, he took out a worn gray T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He quickly put on a pair of tennis shoes and hurried out the door. His thoughts were well filled with Daniela, but he was worried about his friend. Something wasn’t right with Serenity, and he aimed to find out what it was.

  * * *

  He knocked on Serenity’s door and his heart lurched when he saw her. Her pale skin was even paler, nearly translucent. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she looked like she hadn’t slept for days. His first thought was that someone had died, but then he remembered that she didn’t have any family, and as their friends were the same, surely he would know if one of them had passed.

  “Serenity, what…”

  She pulled him into her apartment and closed the door. “I tried to call you a few days ago, but just got your machine at home and voicemail on your cell phone.”

  He moved farther into the room and sat on the sofa. “I traded myself to Aiden Grant to save my pack.”

  Her eyes widened. “How did you escape?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  He told her about his time with the vampires, about finding Daniela, and finally, about losing her to Aiden. He explained that she was marked as his mate and carrying his child. Serenity was surprised, but seemed happy for him.

  “How are you going to get her back?”

  “I don’t know. I thought about it the whole way home and didn’t come up with anything.”

  She took a steadying breath. “Trade me for your mate.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Trade me.” She took a breath. “There’s a reason I wanted you to come over tonight. I wanted… I wanted to say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye? Are you moving?”

  “I’m dying. I went to the doctor earlier this week. For the past few months I’ve had severe chest pains and what were apparently two mild heart attacks. It seems I have a bad heart. He’s given me a month, maybe two, to live. There’s a host of pills I’m supposed to take during that time to help stretch out my life, but… I honestly don’t see the point.”

  Hayden felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Serenity was dying? She was always so happy, so bouncy, so full of life. How could God be so cruel and claim the life of someone so young? She was only thirty, if that.

  “And you really want to trade yourself to the vampires?”

  She shrugged. “I might as well do something useful with what time I have left. It isn’t like I’m going to live anyway.”

  “Serenity, I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. Talk it over with your pack. They might be spoiling for a fight and decide they don’t want to take the easy way out. Just let me know what you want to do.”

  He nodded. “I’ll know something by tomorrow, the day after at the latest.”

  “Take your time. It’s an important decision to make. I know you want her back, sooner rather than later, but if what you say is true, I doubt Aiden will harm her.”

  “Harming her isn’t what I’m worried about.”

  She smiled. “She’s your mate, Hayden. Do you really think she’s going to allow any intimacy between them? I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

  He sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

  Hayden rose and walked to the door. With one last smile at her, he let himself out. His heart was breaking for her, but he felt hope for Daniela. And if Serenity was right, if Daniela had nothing to fear from Aiden, then perhaps she didn’t, either. If he could make the trade and know both women were safe, he would feel better. Of course, he still needed to speak with his pack.

  Chapter Seven

  Daylight filtered through the window. Daniela quietly eased from the bed. Tiptoeing across the floor, she slowly opened the door and peeked outside. The suite was empty, which meant Aiden was either asleep in his room or had stayed elsewhere. She closed the door and went into the bathroom. Quickly brushing her hair, she pulled it up in a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Next she brushed her teeth and splashed cool water on her face. When she was finished, she padded back into the bedroom and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sleeveless shirt. She dressed in record time, and then realized they hadn’t given her any shoes.

  She shrugged and decided she was going to escape with or without shoes. Nothing was going to keep her from Hayden’s side. If she had to walk barefoot all the way to her apartment, she’d do so. She didn’t know Hayden’s address, but she figured she could find him in the phonebook after she escaped.

  Once more, she opened her door and peered outside. On silent feet, she stepped out of her room and made her way through the suite to the front door. She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder at Aiden’s closed bedroom door before turning the knob. She pulled it open and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see anyone in the hallway.

  Daniela closed the door just as quietly as she’d opened it and hurried down the hall to the stairs. Keeping eyes and ears open, she stayed on high alert for any guards who might be around. When she reached the second floor, a young girl was coming out of a room and saw her. She froze. The women stared at one another a moment.

  “You’d better hurry,” the woman told her. “They’ll be patrolling the grounds, so be careful.”

  Daniela nodded and moved down the staircase to the first floor. Pressed against the wall, she watched as a guard walked past, his back to her. She scarcely breathed until he’d walked around the corner and his heavy footsteps could no longer be heard. Inching her way to the front door, she opened it and stepped out into the sunshine.

  Her eyes scanned the horizon. There were no guards as far as the eye could see, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. Taking a few steadying breaths, she tried to still her shaking hands. With one last furtive glance in either direction, she began running full tilt across the lawn toward the gate. It looked like it was a mile away. Her lungs burned by the time she reached her destination.

  There was a door to the left of the gate, and she tested the knob. It turned easily in her hand. Opening it quickly, she slipped outside and closed it behind her. Casting one more look at the mansion, she darted away and down the sidewalk.

  She’d made it! She’d really made it!

  The cement of the sidewalk was hot under her feet, and pebbles and other debris bruised and scraped the soles. She didn’t want to run and draw undue attention to herself, but she moved at a brisk pace, wanting to put as much distance as possible between her and the Grant mansion. It was several blocks before she saw a convenience store. There wasn’t a payphone anywhere to be seen, but she thought maybe they would be kind enough to let her use theirs.

  She stepped inside and shivered in the cool air.
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  “Ma’am, you have to wear shoes in here,” the clerk told her.

  “Please, I need help. Someone… they kidnapped me.”

  The clerk’s eyes widened and he motioned her closer. “Do you need me to call the police for you?”

  She shook her head. “The police can’t help. But if I can borrow a phonebook, I know someone who can come and get me.”

  He reached beneath the counter and handed her the requested phonebook. She quickly scanned through the line of Collinses until she found Hayden’s name.

  “May I borrow your phone?” she asked.

  He handed it to her without comment. She quickly dialed the number and prayed he would answer. She didn’t know what she would do if he wasn’t home. After what seemed like forever, he finally picked up.

  “Hello?” he said, his voice sounding strained and tired.

  “Hayden.”

  “Daniela?”

  “I need you to come and get me.”

  “Get you? They’re letting you go?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

  “Um, not exactly. I sort of escaped.”

  There was silence for a moment. “Where are you?”

  “The convenience store at Second and Pecan.”

  “Stay put. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  She hung up the phone and handed it back to the clerk. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m not supposed to let anyone loiter in the store, but I think we can make an exception this time. If you see someone coming, one of the guys who kidnapped you, just come behind the counter and duck down. I’ll try to keep you safe until your ride can get here.”

  She smiled at him. “I appreciate that.”

  * * *

  When she saw Hayden step out of a black Jeep in the parking lot, she dashed through the door and ran straight into his arms. She’d never been so happy to see someone in her life. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she clung to him. She felt his arms come around her and hold her close, but she couldn’t stop shaking. She’d held it together fairly well until now.

  Hayden lowered his head to hers and kissed her long and hard, stealing her breath away. He pulled back, but she wouldn’t let go. If anything, she held him tighter. She knew they needed to get out of sight, but she couldn’t bear to part from him.

  “Let’s get you home,” he said, extracting himself from her. He held her hand and led her around to the passenger side of the Jeep. After getting her settled, he got in and started the engine.

  “I worried that I’d never see you again,” she said softly. “When he told me what he’d planned… I knew I had to escape.”

  Hayden put the Jeep in gear and backed out of the parking space. Pulling out of the parking lot, he turned down the street, away from the mansion and headed toward home. It didn’t take long for them to reach his humble abode.

  “Let’s get you inside and then you can tell me all about it,” he said.

  After the Jeep came to a stop and he’d turned it off, she got out and followed him up onto the porch. He opened the door and ushered her inside. Looking around, she took in her surroundings. The floor was a warm honey color, the wood worn but clean. To the right was the living area. A denim sofa hugged one wall, and a flat-panel TV hung on the opposite one. There was a large, overstuffed armchair in the corner with a matching ottoman, and a scarred coffee table in the middle of the room. To the left was a dining room with an oak table and six chairs. And straight back was a hallway, which she assumed led to the bedrooms. She didn’t see the kitchen, but guessed it was off the dining room.

  Hayden motioned for her to follow him into the living room, and he eased her down onto the sofa. With a frown, he lifted her feet and looked at them. He brushed his thumbs over the battered soles, and she winced.

  “Stay here,” he said.

  She watched as he disappeared around the corner, only to return a few minutes later with a large bowl of warm water and a rag in his hands. He knelt at her feet and cleaned first one and then the other. They were bruised and scraped, but she would heal.

  Putting everything away, Hayden returned once more and sat beside her, pulling her close so that she sprawled across his lap. He brushed her hair back from her eyes and traced the contours of her face with his fingertips.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” he murmured. “I was going to contact them tonight to either negotiate or go to war.”

  “Negotiate?”

  “It’s a long story. But if you truly did escape, it might still be an option. You know they’re going to come for you.”

  She nodded. “Aiden said as much. He said if you rescued me, he and his friends would come for me when they woke.”

  “I’ll ask my second to come here, along with another friend. It won’t be the numbers Aiden will probably bring with him, but maybe it will be all we need. I’m hoping to make him see reason.”

  “Reason? Aiden wants me, and he’ll stop at nothing to have me. But I had to see you, to…”

  “To?”

  She looked into his eyes. “I had to feel your arms around me once more, to have your lips on mine… I wanted to make love to you once more.”

  Hayden wrapped his arms around her. “If I have anything to say about it, it will be more than once. I’m not going to let you go, Daniela. I have a plan.”

  “What plan?”

  He told her about Serenity, explained that the woman was dying and wanted to help. He described her and gave her his theory that the two of them looked enough alike that maybe they could convince Aiden to take Serenity instead. Daniela sat and listened to the whole tale, not uttering a word until he was finished.

  “He said he’d watched me for a month before I was taken.”

  Hayden tensed. “What do you mean?”

  “He had his men spy on me, take pictures of me, follow me around. He knew a lot about me. I had thought it was random, me being picked up like that, but it wasn’t. It was all part of his plan. The only thing that didn’t go according to plan was me being delivered to you.”

  Hayden cursed. “We still have to try!”

  “Call them, your second and Serenity. Get them here by nightfall. I don’t think your plan will work, but I’m willing to try.”

  He kissed her briefly. “Make yourself at home. This shouldn’t take long.”

  She nodded and settled into the corner of the sofa. She watched as he picked up the phone and began dialing, expecting him to step out of the room to make his calls. Instead, he began pacing the floor in front of her. While she couldn’t hear both sides of the conversation, she would be able to hear enough to figure out what was going on.

  “Seamus, it’s Hayden. I need you here about an hour before nightfall.”

  He paced some more.

  “Daniela managed to escape from the vampires, but they’re going to come for her. The plan I mentioned to you last night is still in effect, the location has just changed.” He frowned. “No, don’t bring anyone else into this. I want to make sure the pack stays safe.”

  He stopped and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Seamus, just stop by Serenity’s place and pick her up on your way here. I’m about to call her now and inform her she’s needed tonight. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Hayden hung up the phone and turned toward Daniela.

  “I just have one more call to make, then it will just be the two of us until tonight.”

  She smiled. “While I can’t wait to have you all to myself, I know the calls are important. I can be patient.”

  He walked to the sofa and knelt at her feet. Cupping her face in his hand, he caressed her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. She’d missed this, the feel of his hands against her skin, his scent surrounding her. During her time away from him, she’d figured out that she loved him. She just wasn’t sure if she should tell him or not.

  “I’m going to make this call, then I’m going to wash his scent from your body, and after that I’m taking you to bed.”


  “I don’t have anything else to wear.”

  “I’ll send someone by your apartment.”

  Her eyes focused on his, and what she saw made her heart race. The heat in his gaze was enough to scorch her, but there was a possessiveness there as well. She knew it was his wolf coming to the surface, and while she didn’t want to feel like something he owned, it made her feel cared for that he wanted to claim her, and be the only man who claimed her.

  “Make your call,” she said softly. “After that, I’m all yours.”

  Hayden made his call to Serenity brief, and then quickly made a third call to Seamus to have someone stop by Daniela’s place for clothes. He looked at her questioningly.

  “There’s a spare key hidden in a plant to the right of the door,” she told him, understanding what he wanted.

  He narrowed his eyes at her, but relayed the message to the other werewolf. When he hung up, he glowered down at her.

  “Do you know how risky that is? How unsafe? What if someone found that key while you were sleeping? They could be in your apartment and have killed you before you even realized you weren’t alone. Or worse!”

  “I’ve locked myself out several times. It was all I could think of.”

  “From now on, leave your spare with me. I don’t like the idea of there being a key lying around outside your apartment.”

  She bit her lip and looked up at him. “I was thinking that, once this whole mess with the vampires is over, maybe I would take you up on that offer to move in with you.”

  He knelt at her feet. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured to do something you aren’t ready to do.”