Batty for You (3 page)

“Your room is on the first floor. Did Tony offer you a tour of the Crossroads?”

Weller nodded. “He made the offer, but I prefer to find out on my own. I thought I would go for a run before I join in this evening’s festivities.”

“I will show you to your room and you can do whatever you choose to enjoy.”

He followed her up the stairs, but the scent he was looking for was lingering in the air. Bethany was staying in the same building. Something in him relaxed. “Did many of your guests find matches last night?”

“Yes, three of them left this morning. It was good to see, they had been looking for a week or more.” She smiled at him over her shoulder.

His room was the second on the first hallway. His bag was dropped off and he changed into running clothes before heading out of the Open Heart and toward the woods. Bethany’s scent was in those woods, and he wanted to put himself in her vicinity.

Half the work in fox courtship was putting a male in a female’s territory. She may be a different species, but the basic rules were the same. They simply needed to be close to each other and their beasts would judge the rightness of the match.

He was deep in the woods, his nose sniffing and his tail twitching as he sought out her scent. It moved quickly from one tree to the next and that gave him the hint that his prospective mate was a flier of some sort, but the odd thing was that she still carried the aura of fur.

He heard a sound above him and craned his head up to see the shadow that passed through the light filtered by the leaves. He blinked and shook his head, looking again when the sound repeated.

He sat down and stared upward as the creature with Bethany’s scent flew in lazy circles through the trees. She was large for a bat but had complete command of her wings.

He settled in the shelter of tree roots and waited for her to come down. It took about an hour, but she fluttered ground-ward and stopped at a pile of clothing neatly nestled in the crook of a branch. The bat crawled along using its wings as legs to pull it toward the clothing.

Seconds later, Bethany was naked on the limb and putting her bra on.

Weller should have looked away, but the dark pink nipples disappearing into the cups of her bra had him hypnotized. She was made of caramel-tinted cream all over, and he watched her slowly covering the delicious silk of her skin.

When she was dressed, she hopped out of the tree to slip on her shoes. Her path took her right past his hiding place, and she paused for a moment, a smile on her face. “Got an eyeful, did you?”

He whined and cringed backward. It was embarrassing to be caught ogling like a teenager.

“Well, I won’t press you for your identity, but if you ask me to dance tonight, be polite about it.” She crouched and offered him her fingers to sniff.

The scent of her was wind and fruit. He blinked and licked delicately at the digits extended to him. Definitely fruity and the scent of the afternoon air rode her skin under the floral, feminine scent that was all Bethany.

She stroked his cheek and got to her feet, striding out of the woods like a warrior nymph.

Dancing was the least athletic thing that he wanted to try with her. Those lithe legs would look amazing over his shoulders.

He shook himself from head to tail and returned to his clothing. A cold shower was in order, or perhaps some serious time to think about all the things he wanted to do to her once he convinced her that they were meant to be together. His beast was sure of their connection and now he had to woo a bat. He had some research to do.

* * * *

Bets inhaled and exhaled slowly as she hiked back to the Open Heart. She knew that fox. His scent was unmistakable even though his body was not the one she had met the first time. Weller had followed her to the Crossroads and she didn’t know if she was pleased or appalled.

At the path that led to the front door, she paused and blushed. He was staying here. She had literally tracked him back to the building and his scent was on the front door.

Inside, Bets could smell coffee and the lighter scent of tea. She went in search of an apple and found Teebie, Teal and Spike sitting around and having a nice chat.

“Excuse me. I was just looking for some of the fruit I saw earlier.” She bit her lip.

Teebie grinned. “Come on in. I hid it in here in case you came back. I figured you would track it and join us.”

Spike leaned forward. “So, fruit bat? I have never met one.”

Bets snickered and took a seat, accepting the fruit that Teebie put in front of her. “Yes, you have, you met me yesterday.”

Teal grinned. “Your species doesn’t come here often.”

Bets nodded. “True enough. My kind are usually fairly insular, but there were none of my bat species around. Golden-crowned fruit bats are native to the Philippines, and they tend to be set up by their parents. When you are almost but not quite the right kind, you end up being a practice date for a lot of guys. I am exhausted.”

Spike winced. “That blows.”

Bets bit the apple. “Well said.”

Spike asked, “Do you have to eat fruit all the time in human form as well?”

“Not all the time, but my body doesn’t manufacture Vitamin C, so I go through a lot of groceries. Fortunately, with a supermarket nearby, I no longer have to bankrupt myself on figs.”

Teal smiled. “Figs?”

Bets put the apple core down. “Figs. The moment I first shifted, my parents did the research necessary and began to find traditional foods for my beast to eat. It was a good move, because when the beast woke, my human form went a little haywire and the other changes kicked in. I can make do with apples and oranges for the most part, but I simply
love
figs.”

Spike nodded. “I understand. I have my own set of favourite foods, and if my mate ever figures them all out, I will weigh nine hundred pounds.”

Teal smirked. “He is the chef at the restaurant here in town. Spike is in endangered species protection.”

Bets smiled and accepted the tea that Teebie handed her. “That is a story that begs to be told, though everyone here knows it.”

Spike leaned back, “Then, sit back because it all begins with bunny day.”

Two hours and two pots of tea later, they were all giggling together and Bets had an armada of bunny stories to tell if she ever got into that kind of company.

“I have one actual question.”

Spike leaned back in the antique chair and grinned. “I am off for another hour. Shoot.”

“Have you ever seen the golden bunny, or whatever it is? Has it occurred in recorded bunny history?” Bets nibbled at a cookie.

“Once in recorded history. The bunny became Warren mistress, and she was the cause of wealth and prosperity throughout the land. She was heralded as a great and just ruler, and she spread wealth to the surrounding human lands as well.”

“Wow. Nice. All my kind are known for is spreading disease. Mind you, I can’t carry much more than my body weight, so I am out at delivering riches.”

They all giggled, and at that moment, Weller walked in. They froze with all the subtlety of deer caught in headlights even though they had not been doing anything or discussing anything risqué.

He smiled and bowed with the shopping bag in his right hand rustling softly. “Ladies, you are all looking magnificent this afternoon.”

Teebie glowed, literally glowed, with the compliment. “Thank you, Weller. Everyone, this is one of my guests, Weller Umbridge.”

Bets stared at him and his green eyes glowed.

She whispered softly, “We’ve met.”

Weller set his bag down and walked toward her. He took her hand again and raised it to his lips. The kiss was soft, warm and she could feel the curve of his lips against her skin.

“So we have, but each time seeing you is more memorable than the last.”

“You have been shopping?” She bit her lip as he slowly stood straight again. The old-world charm had the other ladies sighing and smiling.

He grinned. “My brother forgot to pick up a souvenir when he and my sister-in-law were here. He asked that I pick something up for him.”

“Right. Of course. Dare I ask?”

He winked, “I would rather you didn’t. My family is fairly open about their sex lives and the contents of the bag are in that vein.”

She blushed, and he laughed as if they were the only two people in the room.

“You blush so easily.”

She muttered, “I don’t get out much.”

Teebie cleared her throat. “I believe that Bethany was getting ready for an evening out.”

She blinked and nodded. “Right. Thank you for the kind words.” She turned to the ladies. “Thank you for the entertaining afternoon. I really enjoyed it.”

They made quick farewells and Bets slid past Weller, heading upstairs to put on something suitable for a night of dancing after her dinner in the café. She was looking for something cute and flirty that didn’t show stains. It was a good thing that this was not her first time trying to get some attention. The difference in the Crossroads was that she might actually be successful in her bid for a mate.

The dress she chose had many thin straps that supported the bodice, a cascade of rhinestones that added the look of a starry night to her bustline and a flirty skirt that was demure when she was standing still but that floated up and around her thighs when she was in motion. She did love chiffon for certain purposes.

When she was ready and rather hungry, she slipped on her shoes and headed down the stairs with her hair cascading to the centre of her back.

Bets was going dancing, and she would do it alone if she had to, but first, dinner.

She should have been less surprised to see Weller waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

He smiled. “You look resplendent. Would you care to join me for dinner?”

She sighed. “It seems inevitable, does it not?”

He offered her his arm. “It is not a resounding yes, but I will take it.”

She curled her fingers into the crook of his elbow and smiled. “I apologise. Yes, thank you for the invitation.”

He chuckled. “Nice recovery.”

They left the bed and breakfast and walked slowly down the street.

She couldn’t think of a conversational gambit until he took them to the restaurant and they were seated in the discreetly lit room.

“Why are you here, Weller?”

He looked up from the menu in surprise. “To have dinner with you.”

“Why are you at the Crossroads? I know why I am here; my community is too small and lacks the variety that would let me find one of my own. Why are you
here
?”

The waiter quietly appeared next to their table and waited.

Weller smiled at the server and ordered wine and a glass of water. Bets did the same. When the server had left, Weller closed his menu and looked at her, his green eyes gleaming.

“What do you see when you look at me?”

She tilted her head. “Honestly?”

“Please.”

“You are handsome to the point of pretty, your eyes have the brilliant shining green of an orange tree and your hair is the same colour as coffee berries at the peak of ripeness. Your body is fit and lean, but that is to be expected as you are a shifter and the amount of calories burned in a shift from someone your size to a fox is astronomical.”

He sat back and blinked in surprise. “That was fairly direct.”

“You asked me to be honest.”

“I did and you were.”

Their wine and water arrived, and she sipped at the water. The wine was dessert. It was a sweet Riesling that should set her teeth on edge, but her beast loved it.

Weller sipped at his wine and opened his menu once again.

It showed good sense that he was willing to alter his food choice to match his wine. Bets smiled at the display of flexibility. It was a rare commodity.

The waiter came back and she ordered the special. A light came to Weller’s eyes and he grinned. “I’ll have what she is having.”

Bets was startled into a coughing laugh. The waiter grinned and winked at her as he took the menus and left.

Weller was still chortling when she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why are you here, Weller?”

“Honesty?”

“Please.”

“This is where you are, Bethany. My beast wanted yours the moment we first met, but I didn’t act quickly enough. You were here and out of my reach unless I followed you. I did not want to miss the one chance at a true mate that fate had provided me with.”

She cocked her head. “You are actually serious.”

He shrugged. “It costs nothing to tell the truth. It is a lot harder to remember a lie.”

“You are not what I expected from a male fox.”

He smiled. “There might be a reason for that. I am the only fox in a family of five children.”

Warm rolls and butter were placed to one side of them and the waiter melted into the shadows once again.

Weller offered her first pick, and when she declined, he took one and carved it in half before slathering it in butter.

She bit her lip before asking the very personal question. “What is the rest of your family?”

He chuckled. “Wolves. I grew up in the house of an alpha and his mate who taught me that no matter what nature may have created within me, I was still their child.”

Bets smiled. “It sounds nice.”

He snorted. “Have you lived with wolves? Being a fox has left me with a certain level of hygiene that they don’t come to instinctively. The sheer amount of shed hair was mind boggling.”

She laughed and covered her mouth. The mental image was funny. She pictured a disgruntled fox in a nest of white fluff and the thought remained amusing.

“Now for you. I had heard that there was a healthy bat population in that town.”

She sipped at her wine and then her water. “There is, but I am the wrong kind of bat.”

He blinked. “How does that work?”

“Well, foxes are a certain kind of animal but not wolves. I am a certain kind of bat, but not the same sort as my family.”

“How so? I am sorry but I am not familiar with bat cultures.”

“I am a tropical fruit bat, not a standard cave bat. I like trees and fruit, they like night and bugs.” She twisted her lips. “It makes for some tense moments.”