BLU: Paranormal Fantasy Romance (LOST CREEK SHIFTERS NOVELLAS Book 3)

by Samantha Leal

  Nice one, Erin, she told herself. That is so you.

  “Well, if you’re serious, that would be fantastic,” the man said with a wide smile.

  “I am,” she said, instantly regretting it. “Assuming I can find a place to stay here.”

  “Have you tried the B&B at the top of Main Street?” he asked as he put the lid on the cup and slid it across to her.

  “I’ve literally just stepped off the bus,” Erin admitted. “I’m probably getting a little ahead of myself offering myself as a waitress,” she laughed and smiled.

  She rooted into her bag and went to find her purse. When she withdrew it, the man waved it away.

  “No,” he said. “It’s on the house.”

  Erin’s mouth dropped open slightly.

  “Listen,” he said, leaning over the counter. “Go and check out the B&B, they do good rates and it’s really comfortable. I know the owner, so just tell him Zeke sent you, okay?”

  Erin smiled and nodded. She couldn’t believe how friendly a perfect stranger had been to her when she had only just arrived in town. It felt nice to be welcomed for once, instead of being shunned.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “And if you still fancy helping out here once you’ve rested and recovered and settled in… Just give me a shout, okay?”

  Erin smiled at him and nodded her head. Her eyes were welling up from his generosity. It had been such a long time since someone had been kind to her like that, and it was overwhelming.

  She dug her feet into the ground and squeezed the cup to try and distract herself.

  “Thanks again,” she said genuinely. “Zeke?”

  He nodded and held out his hand.

  “I’m Erin,” she said.

  “Well, Erin, welcome to Lost Creek,” he smiled. “I’m sure you’re going to like it here.”

  The crowd behind her was beginning to push again, so she nodded and dipped back, allowing someone else to approach the counter. As she stepped back out into the sunshine, she sighed and felt her anxieties begin to leave her. She really didn’t have to keep upsetting herself with memories of the past. A complete stranger had just proved that to her. He had been friendly and kind, and it gave her hope for her future. She could see herself settling in this town, and if Zeke was anything to go by, she was going to meet a lot of friendly and interesting people.

  She sat down on a bench and took a sip of her hot chocolate. It felt like liquid velvet going down her throat and she smiled. It was almost like she was on vacation herself and she decided to play a little game that that’s exactly what she was doing.

  She squinted into the distance and she could see the small red neon light glowing warmly towards the top of Main Street which read B&B, and she smiled. It was a lovely wooden cabin with what appeared to be a thatched roof, and she knew that if she managed to get a room in there, then it would feel like she was on holiday rather than setting up her life in a new and strange place.

  She watched the world go by on the bench for around half an hour, drinking her cocoa and taking in all the sights and sounds of Lost Creek. It felt good to be laying down some foundations instead of moving from place to place. She had tired of city living and of trying to be invisible. Maybe this was finally going to be the place where she could just be herself… Be the real Erin. And maybe, just maybe, she would eventually meet someone too.

  She got to her feet, through the empty cup in the trash can and started the short walk up the hill towards the Bed & Breakfast. She had a feeling that everything was going to turn out alright.

  Lost Creek was already full of promise.

  3.

  “I mean it’s not much, but we do the best rates in town,” the owner of the B&B said as he opened the door onto what was about to become Erin’s home.

  He stood back and let her past so that she could get a good look for herself, but she was nothing but impressed.

  “Not much?” she asked with disbelief. “This is lovely!”

  She looked up at the vaulted ceiling and at the high beams running along it and into the eaves. There was a plush looking double bed in the center, covered in fluffy scatter cushions and a large pine closet and low cabinet against the wall with a flat screen TV on top. The room wasn’t huge, but it was more than adequate, and she had a set of French doors that opened out onto a tiny Juliette balcony which looked out over the entire length of Main Street.

  “With you paying up for the month I thought you deserved one of the best rooms,” he said with a laugh. “And with Zeke sending you and all…” he trailed off and smiled.

  “Well thank you,” she beamed. “This is incredible, I’m sure I’ll be more than comfortable here.”

  “We serve breakfast from 7am,” he said as he reached down and heaved up her bag for her and brought it into the room before placing it down on the bed. “And we usually stop it around 9:30.”

  “Sounds good,” Erin smiled.

  “Well, there’s not much more to tell,” he looked around. “Thanks for choosing to stay here with us and if you need anything just give me a holler.”

  He turned on his heel and made his way back towards the door. He was a small, nervous looking man, nothing like what she had expected when she had already met Zeke who was so confident.

  When she was left on her own she turned around and let out a sigh of relief. She finally felt as if she could relax after being on the road for what felt like forever. She sat down on the edge of the bed and let herself fall back and look up to the ceiling. She stretched out her arms and grinned as she realized that the bed was much bigger than she could reach to, which meant she would be having a wonderful night’s sleep.

  She rolled onto her side and looked towards the balcony doors. Even though it wasn’t big enough to sit out there, having the vantage point was going to make her feel much more connected to her new town, and it would be a great place to people watch. She liked the sounds of life that were filtering up from the streets below, and it made her feel a lot less alone than she had been for the past few months. Life on the road had been lonely indeed, and she was finally ready to put down some roots and feel as if she belonged somewhere.

  She felt inspired and she got to her feet and started to unpack her bags. There was no time like the present to get herself out there. She had found somewhere to stay, and by the looks of things she had already bagged herself a job. So what was she waiting for?

  She threw open the closet doors and started to hang up her clothes. They hadn’t been out of her bag properly in weeks and even though they were creased, she had already ferreted out the iron and ironing board that were placed perfectly behind the door to the room. She grinned and thanked her lucky stars. Things just kept getting better and better!

  When she had unpacked all of her things she went into the bathroom and reached up to turn on the shower. She had longed to be able to relax in a quiet sanctuary of her own, and even though the B&B bathroom was small, it was just for her and that alone felt amazing. She lathered up her hair and let the jets caress her skin. It was one of the most wonderful feelings as the water cascaded down her body, cooled her down and made her feel reborn.

  When she had dried herself and gotten dressed in a short white sundress, she swept up her long hair and tied it into a side plait. She smoothed on some rosy blush and some pink lip gloss and the woman that looked back at her in the mirror seemed much lighter of spirit than the one who had looked back at her that very same morning. She could feel herself coming back to life after months of traveling and running from her past. Now she was ready to face her future, to embrace it and see what the world had to offer, rather than running from it and fearing heartache and pain.

  “Maybe I’ll even dye my hair,” she said to herself with a little giggle. Her dark roots had been growing through for months anyway and she no longer had the sun-kissed crown that she had begun the summer with. She fancied being daring and different. Maybe she would go neon green or a fiery red. She smiled at herself thi
nking of all of the possibilities that were opening out in front of her, and she knew that whoever she wanted to be in Lost Creek, that they would welcome her with open arms. The people that she had met so far all seemed none judgmental and friendly, and that was exactly what she needed.

  “Come on then,” she said to herself as she picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go and find some more new friends.”

  She winked at herself in the mirror, already liking the new her, and she skipped out of her new home and into the hallway of the bed and breakfast.

  As she made her way down the stairs she could hear the sounds of chatter from the floors below and wondered how many tourists were staying under the same roof as her, or whether the place was pretty much empty.

  She slowed her pace and allowed her eyes to grace over all of the walls and at the various framed pieces of artwork that adorned them. They were all mismatched and old looking, but a common theme that seemed to connect them was wolves. She stopped and looked at the picture dead ahead of her. It was a forest setting and a woman looking back over her shoulder as a large, black wolf emerged from the shadows. It looked so majestic and regal it made her whole body shiver. Its eyes were a piercing green and she could tell just by looking at it that whoever had painted the picture had wanted to convey some deep emotional connection between the two… Between the woman and the beast. She reached up and let her fingers dance against the deep brush strokes and then pulled her hand away, almost feeling guilty and that she had overstepped an unseen and undefined boundary. She had no idea why but she felt drawn to that picture. She couldn’t stop looking at it, and when she finally managed to pull herself away, she found herself looking back over her shoulder towards it, almost mirroring the woman in the painting herself.

  “Things are tense,” a voice drifted up from downstairs in the reception area and almost snapped Erin out of her trance, she recognized it as the owner of the B&B. She smiled at the painting once more and then she turned and headed back towards the next flight of stairs that would lead down to the main entrance to the building.

  “Well I didn’t expect them to be anything less,” another man said. When she heard his gruffness mixed in with smooth, deep tones it stopped her in her tracks. It was the kind of voice that commanded attention, and she could tell even before she saw who it belonged to that he was going to be someone imposing.

  “I don’t think it’s going to be easy for you,” the owner said. “But I’m glad you’re back all the same… We’ve all missed you… We need you brother.”

  Erin stopped as the severity of the conversation sunk in. It sounded as if they were old friends greeting each other after a very long time and she felt awkward to be interrupting. She hung back for a moment, giving them the opportunity to finish.

  “Well I couldn’t stay hidden away forever,” the delicious voice said. Erin felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up and she found herself twirling the ends of her plait around her index finger. “It wasn’t easy making the decision to come home after all of these years. But I deserve to be here, and so does Luna.”

  “I agree,” the owner said. “We all do.”

  The men fell silent for a moment and Erin took it as her queue to make her appearance. She coughed slightly to alert them to her presence and then she stepped down the bottom two steps a little louder than she usually would have done, and made her way around the corner and into the lobby.

  As she turned the corner she never could have been prepared for what was waiting for her on the other side, but she knew the moment she laid eyes on him that he was going to be the person that would change her life forever. Whether it be for good or bad. She just knew that he was going to be significant.

  She stopped in her tracks the second her eyes met him, and she felt her jaw sag open. Right there, in the middle of the lobby and stood talking with the owner of the B&B was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was tall, dark and brooding and she could tell the second she saw him that he was dangerous. She felt her hands begin to shake. Never before in her life had her body had such a visceral reaction to the sight of another person. It was unnerving, but it was addictive. She closed her mouth and tried to breathe. His eyes were piercing and intense. They locked in on her and held her there captive, but she didn’t mind, because in that moment she never wanted to move again. She would happily stay there forever if it meant she was holding his gaze the way she was in that moment. A smile flickered across his lips, almost as if he couldn’t help himself. And Erin realized that her cheeks were burning up and she must have been blushing from ear to ear.

  “Hello,” he said. And his voice pierced her heart all over again. Seeing the owner of such a sexy drawl was even more intimidating. He was like nothing she had ever seen before.

  “I…” she began but then couldn’t find another word to follow.

  “This is our latest resident,” the owner said, stepping in to break the tension that was so thick it would need much more than a knife to cut it. “Erin?” he smiled. “She arrived here in Lost Creek only this morning.”

  Erin smiled and nodded her head and breathed out, trying to keep her composure.

  The man who had knocked her off balance took a step closer and held out his hand.

  “Well it looks as if we’re in the same boat then,” he smiled warmly.

  Erin looked down at the huge, rough hand reaching out to hers and as she took it and he held her in a vice-like grip she felt a charge of electricity pulse between them. Their eyes met and his were so deep and blue they were engulfing. She was lost for words all over again and all she could do was nod and smile.

  “I’m Blu,” he said finally with a little laugh.

  “Erin,” she managed to croak.

  “Well it’s good to meet you,” he said, still looking deep into her eyes. “And it’s even better to know I’m not the only new arrival around here.”

  4.

  His hand still gripped hers and her skin felt on fire. It was as if an electrical pulse was running between them, as if when their skins had met, something had caught fire. A wave of heat crept up the back of her neck and she felt the need to fan her face but didn’t want to loosen her hold on him. Blu’s eyes were so intense they were unnerving, but she liked it anyway. He was more than intriguing. He was like no one she had ever seen before and when they finally dropped their hands away from one another’s she allowed herself the chance to breathe.

  “And it’s good to meet you,” she managed to stammer.

  She could feel her cheeks flushing crimson, but she still couldn’t pull herself away. The tension between them was thick and the man who owned the B&B was shifting on the spot from one foot to the other.

  “Maybe you can explore together,” he said. “A lot has changed since you were last in town, Blu…” he offered gently.

  Blu shot him a stare which Erin couldn’t quite figure out. She couldn’t tell whether it was through anger or embarrassment, either way, she didn’t like it much and instantly felt out of her depth.

  “Oh no, thank you,” she said as she stepped away from the two men and made her way towards the main door. “I’d prefer to look around on my own anyways.”

  She turned and dashed out of the door and down the steps. Her cheeks were burning up ferociously, and she instantly felt stupid, as if she had made a fool out of herself for being so obviously attracted to a complete stranger, and in full view of someone else. She stopped and rubbed her temples before she picked up her pace and carried on.

  “Hey!” a familiar voice bellowed from behind her. “Hey Erin, wait up!”

  She stopped and felt herself cringing before she even turned around. Had she just made everything even worse by running out of there? She took a deep breath and slowly turned, her eyes cast down to the floor to save herself from even more embarrassment.

  Blu was jogging towards her with his arms outstretched.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I know how that could have looked.”r />
  She let her eyes travel up to meet his and once again she was pinned in place by their allure and intensity.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said bravely.

  “Listen,” he said warmly. “Derek’s right, I haven’t been around town for a hell of a long time, and it would be good to explore it with someone… Maybe I can even show you around… if I can remember where anything is of course…” he trailed off and gave a half laugh.

  Erin could tell that he was being genuine, but she didn’t want to impose on him out of nowhere.

  “Maybe later?” she said as she dug her toe into the ground coyly. “I actually need to go and chat to Zeke at one of the taverns down the street. He offered me a job this morning.”

  “Zeke?” Blu said with a look of affection. “Man, now that is a name I’ve not heard in a long time.” He shook his head and smiled.

  “Old friend?” she asked.

  “Oh yes, something like that,” Blu said.

  Erin smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Unsure of what to say next. She didn’t want to walk away from him, but after the look he had given Derek, the owner of the B&B, when he had suggested that they take a look around town together, she did worry that he was just being kind to her out of pity.

  “Well, later then?” Blu asked keenly. “I’ll be around in the B&B for most of the day. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

  Erin smiled and nodded. “Sounds good,” she said.

  She turned and glanced back over her shoulder as she walked away. For a first meeting, it had pretty much contained everything she could have both hoped for and not hoped for, but she still had the feeling that things with Blu could go somewhere exciting.

  She could feel those eyes on her back as she walked away and she hoped that he was thinking exactly the same. It was about time that she had something to look forward to. And even if it meant playing a game with him for a while, it was something to focus her mind on.