by Denise Carbo
Her nanny hadn’t been a cruel woman, but neither was she a warm and cuddly one either. Distant was the most appropriate word. She had done her duty to raise Bethany and had left once the duty was completed. She had been one of the unblessed, a Risharden unable to shift. It happened to a few every generation. Bethany liked to believe the stigma attached to the unblessed had lessened over the years, but they often were ostracized and viewed as flawed. Nanny never spoke about it, so she didn’t know if it had bothered her one way or the other. Bethany had only found out Nanny was one of the unblessed after overhearing a conversation between her uncle and brother after she herself had made the transformation for the first time—alone.
Risharden first shifted after they hit puberty. Being on her own most of the time, she had been hesitant and a bit afraid of making the switch for the first time. The trick was not to fight the change. It could become uncomfortable and even painful if you didn’t relax into the shift. She had been sixteen before shifting the first time, a little late compared to most Risharden. Her delayed transformation had been the topic of the overheard conversation. Her brother had made a nasty joke about him fearing being unblessed could be contagious and the reason why she hadn’t yet changed. As if her nanny being one of the unblessed had made her one of them.
As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, Bethany flew back home and landed on a branch next to the house overlooking the patio. Davis’ clothes remained on the bench. He must be still out on his run. She rotated her head to watch the sunset over the mountains in the distance.
The bright orange ball of fire bordered by ribbons of pink and lilac put on a spectacular show. The soft thump of padded feet and pants drew her attention back to the patio. A large grayish-brown wolf trotted up onto the patio. He stopped in the center and glanced toward the cottage and then back toward the loch. She supposed it was a very good thing they were in a remote location. Wolves hadn’t been seen around here for centuries. Just when she believed he hadn’t noticed her perching in the tree, he angled his head up and pinned her with his yellow tinged gaze.
He shook, and his fur morphed into skin. His long, sinewy form rested on all fours before he stood straight and tall. She should probably look away and give him his privacy, but her gaze was trapped by his powerful body. She was riveted to his every movement as he raised an arm to brush back the hair from his eyes.
Unabashed by his nakedness, he stood with his hands on his hips gazing into her eyes. Most Risharden were accustomed to being naked in front of others but having grown up in relative solitude Bethany was generally much more circumspect about changing.
Davis’ gaze remained locked on her. He was waiting.
Feeling somehow more exposed as an owl under his watchful gaze, she glided down to the patio, changing smoothly as she landed in front of the bench. She immediately bent to grab her clothes only for Davis to take her hand.
She swallowed audibly and met his gaze.
Releasing her hand, he raised both of his hands to cradle her face. The sun dipped below the horizon as his head lowered and took her lips in a tender kiss.
His soft lips molded to hers as he deepened the kiss and stepped closer to her, brushing his body against hers. Warmth spread over her, and she raised her hands to touch him. The soft hair on his chest tickled her palms as she smoothed them over his muscles.
The spicy taste of him bloomed in her mouth as his tongue made gentle forays to tangle with hers. His hands began a slow exploration of her body.
Bethany gasped when he cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs over her erect nipples.
His mouth continued to devour hers. Rivers of sensation coursed through her body. She strained closer to him.
Suddenly, the world tilted as he swung her up into his arms and strode into the cottage. She looped her arms around his shoulders and hung on as he managed to open the door without dropping her.
“Which way?” He paused inside the kitchen and gazed down at her.
Words wouldn’t come so she pointed toward the bedroom door. He angled sideways to fit them through the door and stalked over to the double bed. He lowered her to her feet briefly while he pulled back the white quilted bedspread and pink sheet. Grasping her by the waist, he easily lifted her.
She gasped at the movement and the cool sheets against her skin as he laid her down. She scooted back, feeling shy and unsure of herself. Before doubts could creep in and take hold, Davis was there leaning over her, capturing her lips once again.
Clutching his shoulders, Bethany reveled in his kiss.
Davis trailed a line of kisses down her neck and chest. The soft abrasion of his five o’clock shadow tingled against her sensitized breasts. She arched against him when he took her into his hot mouth. He paid them both devout attention.
She squirmed against him in need. Soft pants escaped her as she kneaded his shoulders and arms.
A thick thigh slid between her legs and opened her to him. His hand made a slow, lazy advance down her abdomen.
Turning her head, she bit her lip as his long fingers flitted over her and alternated between a delicate strumming motion and pressing deep inside her. Her eyes drifted closed as her nerves became awash in pleasure.
She needed more. She needed him.
Bethany’s hands smoothed down his torso. He stiffened and let out a harsh groan when her fingers wrapped around him. Before she could explore his length, he nudged her hand away, slid between her thighs, and entered her slowly.
His gaze blazed into hers until they were fully joined. She pulled his head down to kiss him thoroughly while they both moved as one.
The orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave, leaving her gasping and arching against him. He clutched her to him as it propelled him toward his own fulfillment.
Their breaths intermingled as they each rode the waves of pleasure to completion.
As Davis rolled to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her to his chest, Bethany glanced down and started to giggle.
“Well that’s not a comforting reaction.” His voice rumbled over her head, and her eyes shot wide as she realized what he meant.
She peeked up at him, unabashedly laughing. “I really don’t think low confidence is an issue for you, but just in case, it was the sight of your toes dangling off the bed which set me to laughing not…anything else.”
Davis lifted his head to glance down at the end of the bed. “I suppose this is the longest bed in the place?”
“I am afraid so. I thought this room would be the most comfortable since the upstairs has low ceilings and well, you are tall.”
“I guess you’ll just have to distract me from your short bed.” He lifted her chin and kissed her, sending any response she might have given him right out of her head.
Chapter Thirteen
The enticing scent of baking bread roused him from sleep. Davis stretched and listened to the soft humming coming from the kitchen. He dropped his head back to the pillow and closed his eyes.
He hadn’t meant to touch her, at least that was the lie he told himself. As soon as he’d seen her shift from the light brown owl with the white heart shaped face into the slim little angel with the halo of pale blonde hair, he knew he was lost. He had to touch her soft skin. Kiss those pouty lips.
Groaning, he rubbed a hand over his face. That train of thought would lead him straight into the kitchen to drag her back to bed.
He swung his legs over the side and sat up, hanging his head and twisting it side to side until he heard the telltale crack. He couldn’t take it back, not that he would, so there was no point in belaboring over a deed already done. What he needed to focus on was where did they go from here? He’d crossed the line he set for himself. Touching her would only make it harder to walk away. His loyalty was to his clan. They were the one constant in his life, his family. He couldn’t walk away from them. Not even for a mate.
Compounding the problem, he hadn’t worn a condom. Normally it wasn’t an iss
ue. Risharden didn’t get or carry any of the diseases humans did, and pregnancy wasn’t typically a worry either. Unless you had sex with your mate that is. Damn it, what if she was pregnant?
Bethany couldn’t possibly expect to raise their child in the midst of her crazy clan, could she? No way was he letting that happen. She would have to move to his clan. Hell, she’d be as miserable away from her clan as he would be away from his.
The chances of her being pregnant were slim. They weren’t exactly a fertile race. One night shouldn’t cause her to conceive. All the more reason he needed to keep his hands off of her.
Davis stood and looked around for his clothes. Right, he’d left them outside last night and he’d never taken his duffle bag out of the car. He sighed and walked the length of the bed, almost tripping over his duffle on the floor at the foot of the bed. Grimacing slightly, he bent over to lift it to the bed. Bethany must have carried it in.
After ruffling through his bag for some clean clothes, he moved to the only other door in the room besides the one which opened into the kitchen. He really hoped it was to the bathroom and not a closet.
Bethany opened the oven door to check the bread. The top had baked a warm honey brown color. She smiled and donned an oven mitt to remove it from the oven to cool. There was something about the warm scent of fresh baked bread she found soothing. Perhaps the smell evoked pleasant memories of her childhood. Her nanny had often had some tantalizing treat baking in the oven or cooling on the counter.
The sound of the water turning on caused her to glance toward the bedroom. She’d heard him moving about a brief time ago and wondered if or when he would make an appearance and how they would act with one another now. Would he kiss her good morning?
Had last night changed anything? It had for her. It had been everything she had always envisioned making love to be. The giddy feeling of joy bubbling inside her. The breathless wonder of passion sweeping over her. The satiated calm and comfort of the aftermath as he held her in his arms before sleep claimed them both.
She rested her hands on the counter and stared out the window at the loch. Did it mean Davis was her mate? Had she found her other half? Could it be the reason why she had always been drawn to him? Why he made her feel safe? Did he know?
The bedroom door opened behind her, and she whirled around with a ready smile. He stepped over the threshold and then stared out the window at the loch. His damp hair clung to his neck. A black T-shirt stretched across his shoulders.
“Good morning.”
He mumbled, “morning” back at her without glancing in her direction.
Maybe he wasn’t a morning person. Perhaps coffee might help. “Would you like some coffee? I’m afraid it’s instant. Is that all right?”
He gave an absent wave of his hand in her direction. “I’ll make some in a while. I’m going to head outside for a bit.”
Davis sauntered outside and down to the shore. She stood at the window staring at him. He faced the loch with his hands in the front pockets of his blue jeans. Something was wrong. He regretted last night. That had to be it. What else could it be?
Bethany wiped down the counter and sink and then moseyed into the bedroom and privy to tidy up in there. If he suspected she was his mate, as she did, then he wasn’t happy about the development. He didn’t want her for a mate. She looked up from wiping the pedestal sink into the wooden oval mirror above. Her pale reflection stared back at her.
Well, who could blame him? It wasn’t exactly an ideal match for him, now was it? She was the sister of the man who had murdered Davis’ friend and tried to murder the mate of the leader of his clan. It must seem like a cruel trick of fate for him to be saddled with a mate who was surrounded by violence and death.r
Bethany shuffled into the bedroom and plopped down on the edge of the bed. A tear dropped down onto her hand. A shuddered breath escaped her before she tightly closed her eyes and clenched her hands together in her lap. Once again, she was a fool.
Rejection, a common theme in her life. Like a defective tool, used and cast away. Her family saw her as either useless or a pawn. Growing up in relative isolation, she had been somewhat socially awkward when thrust into the social quagmire of university. It had taken some time to adjust and eventually learn to navigate with any success. Her first crush had been a boy who worked in the library where she went to study. He had been shy like her. He had this adorable habit of pushing his spectacles up his nose with the pad of his thumb. She had spent many an hour musing over him instead of her studies. After finally gathering up the nerve to speak to him, she had discovered they shared a common major in engineering. Being two years ahead of her, she thought asking him to tutor her would provide the perfect opportunity to grow closer. And it had, at first—in the end he had made it clear she was simply a paycheck to him. He had no interest in any other relationship. The sting of that rejection still smarted. She had eschewed trying to date after that, until Donald.
Wiping her cheeks, she crossed into the privy and splashed some cool water on her face. Enough. Wallowing in misery never produced anything but more misery. She would not make this more difficult for either of them. She would follow his lead and keep a distance between them. There was no reason they couldn’t be civil to one another. She had hoped to spend another day here, but perhaps it would be better if they returned to the city today. He had to see the assault had been an isolated incident. She had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He could continue with his clan business, and she could get back to work and her life.
Bethany gripped the privy door handle for a moment and breathed deeply. Walking slowly through the bedroom, she made her way into the kitchen. All the time, listening for any sound of his possible arrival. She wanted to be composed and not caught unaware when he returned. She glanced out the window but he was no longer there. Only the gentle waves of the water met her view. He probably wanted to take advantage of another run. Her shoulders dropped, and she gave a small sigh. Good. It gave her a short reprieve. Some time to prepare herself to paste a smile on her face and pretend her heart didn’t hurt.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank you, Lady Bethany, you always know what to do.”
Bethany smiled warmly at her neighbor, Bridget. “That is unfortunately not accurate, but I am happy I could help in this situation.” She took a sip of her tea from the delicate china tea cup and glanced at the bright green parakeet in its golden cage in the corner of the room. The older woman had knocked on her door early this morning in a panic after finding an empty cage. She tended to forget to latch the door properly and would periodically come begging for help in locating her precious pet, Oscar. Luckily, Bethany’s hearing proved to be an immense help pinpointing the bird’s location. This time the parakeet had been nesting in the closet on the top shelf. One time, it had managed to escape the flat, and she had to chase it all over the building before cornering it in the top stairwell.
“I need to be getting to work. Is there anything I can do for you before I go?” She stood and carried her cup to the kitchen.
“After all the excitement I think I’m going to sit here and rest until my stories come on.”
“Then I’m off. Have a wonderful day.”
Waving goodbye, Bethany left her neighbor’s flat and walked down the hall to her own. She still had some time before work, but she might as well go in a few minutes early. After a quick stop to grab her purse, she relocked the flat.
The sun was already bright and warming up the day when she stepped out of her building. She glanced up to see not a cloud in the blue sky. Any rain in the forecast would be holding off at least for the morning.
She hadn’t seen Davis for two days. They had returned from the Highlands and either he had agreed she wasn’t in any danger or he had taken the excuse to distance himself from her, but either way he no longer considered himself her bodyguard. She knew he hadn’t left the compound because her friends Celeste and Kate had visited her yesterday and fi
lled her in on all the places he’d been spotted and the gossip running rampant throughout the clan about his purpose for still being there. It ran the gamut from him being a spy and part of a clan takeover, to him defecting to their clan. Bethany had simply stated he was here on council business because of the turmoil in the clan. She had continued to say, once a new leader was determined, she was sure he would return to his own clan.
Bethany saw no point in worrying her friends over the possibility of Bryant having had an accomplice who might or might not be still active. It was still just a theory Davis had. There had been no more incidents she knew of. Certainly, none involving her.
She nodded and smiled at the clan members who greeted her as she strolled down the pavement to the office building. A vote had been scheduled in two weeks to decide the fate of the clan and its leadership—despite Aaron’s claims the right to rule was his and his alone. It looked like he would have no choice but to go along with the clan’s decision. He didn’t have enough of the guards backing him to enforce his claims. She couldn’t help but be a bit worried over his reaction if he didn’t win the vote.
Entering the building, she smiled as she approached the security desk. “Good morning, Walter. How is Colleen and the precious bundle she is carrying?”
“I believe she is in full-on nesting mode, Lady Bethany. She’s been a little whirlwind decorating the nursery.”
She signed her name in the security log. “That is wonderful. Tell her I said hello, would you?”
“I will, and welcome back. It’s a pleasure to see you return to work with us.”
“Thank you.”
Bethany crossed the lobby to the elevators and rode to the design floor. Her return was greeted with more fanfare than she had anticipated. In truth, she hadn’t expected more than the occasional welcome back but she hadn’t anticipated everyone’s insatiable curiosity about Bryant, Davis, or her knowledge and role with both. One after one, they’d approached or stopped her as she haltingly traversed the maze of gray cubicles to hers tucked away in the corner. A few circled her small cubicle peppering her with questions as she put away her things in the bottom drawer of her desk and scanned the workspace for anything which may have been added or removed during her absence. She absently answered them with inane murmurs and evasions.
