Chapter Two
The mandatory dinner hour forced Luna to leave the comfort of her room. The smell of cooked meat hit her nose as soon as the elevator door opened. She diverted to the front desk to drop off the signed “no singing or humming” contract delivered to her room earlier. Myron accepted it with a reassuring smile.
Again, the aroma of cooked foods wafted past her. Reluctantly following the scent, she slowed her pace as she passed the lodge’s boutique and sundries shop. The colorful sundresses and accessories displayed in its wide, glass windows caused her to run her hand over her clothing. She’d swum to the island in the one dress she wore now. Excessive clothing in the ocean was impractical, so it had slipped her mind to pack any extra. But now she was among others—out of the water—the dresses, as colorful as coral, intrigued her. Luna couldn’t wait to try them on but couldn’t do so now because the boutique was closed during dining hours. She cursed under her breath.
In the refection of the window, two blonde women passed behind her, commenting loudly on the bikinis also appealingly displayed. Luna waited for the blondes to disappear through the open doors at the end of the hallway before she followed them.
Entering the room, she was disappointed every table already had guests, though there were a few empty seats among them. The two blondes had taken the last vacant table. Something about their giggly, bubbly demeanors annoyed Luna, and so there was no way she was sitting with them. Determined to find somewhere else to sit, she spotted a lone man at the corner table with a book in his hand. Older and distinguished, he appeared harmless enough, so she advanced in his direction. Dread churned in her stomach at the thought of eating with these humans.
Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea.
Just as the man set his book aside and a polite smile spread across his face, Luna noticed a second room with more seating. Without giving the man another thought, she veered right and crossed into the other space. A strange feeling passed over her. Scanning the room, she concluded no humans dined in there. She scurried to the closest empty table and sat down with relief. However, just inside the main dining room adjacent to her table and in her direct line of sight sat the blondes. Er.
One blonde flirted with their waiter, and her husky voice grated on Luna’s nerves. Glancing around the backroom, she found the guests in here a bit more…exotic. Though she sensed they were nonhuman, she couldn’t exactly detect what they were.
“Look at that tall, dark, and doable man,” the blonde with the husky voice said.
Interest piqued, Luna leaned slightly forward to get a better angle on the entrance. An exceptionally tall and broad man strode in, his manner casual and easy. He paused when Cemil stopped to speak with him. Brows drawing together, she scrutinized him. It can’t be. But how many men could possibly be as big as the one she’d bumped into at check-in? He wasn’t the same—exactly. This man had thick, wavy brown hair to his shoulders, and his dark beard was trim and stylish around his strong jawline. His white linen shirt was crisp, and his navy shorts were pressed with creases. He was a larger model of the Nantucket yachters she’d seen off the Massachusetts coast.
Wow. What a transformation! She couldn’t stop staring.
“I’d like to lock my legs around him,” the other blonde commented to her friend.
“I wonder if he’s big everywhere?” The husky pitch rose higher. They both preened and tittered.
Sinfully, Luna wondered the same thing. A strange flutter started in her belly then melted south. She squirmed in her seat. Snatching the menu, she held it up in front of her face, but her gaze lingered on the woodsman above the laminated paper. Cemil glanced in her direction, as did the woodsman. Luna shrunk behind the menu. After a few seconds, she peeked over the top again only to panic when he walked her way.
“Ooh Lord, he’s coming this way,” one blonde said.
They tossed their hair and beamed smiles at him as he approached, but he passed them by.
Luna set her menu down and scanned the tables, wondering who the sexy stranger would sit with. He’d fit right in with the shaggy wolf shifters who ate and laughed boisterously across the room. At least, she was fairly certain they were wolf shifters. The stranger reached her table in only a few long strides.
“Good evening. May I join you?”
The fresh scent of pine wafted off him, and she inhaled deeper, contemplating an excuse. Surprisingly, she couldn’t think of one. She breathed out a pent-up exhale. Obliged, she offered the free chair. Instead of staring at him, she stole a look at the blondes who slouched with disappointed pouts on their mouths. Their sullen letdown shouldn’t have meant anything to Luna—but it did.
“I’m Nathaniel Quinn—Nate.” He held his hand out.
She stared at his paw of a hand for a moment before she slipped hers into his. It was warm, and the palm was calloused.
“Luna, just Luna.” She withdrew her hand and dropped it to her lap where she smoothed the short skirt of her dress.
“What brings you to the Wiccan Haus?”
“I’m here for relaxation and rejuvenation,” she said. “And you?”
“The same. I came south for the warmer weather.”
“Oh.” She scanned the room for the waiter. If she could just get her dinner, she could eat quickly and leave. This giant’s presence overwhelmed her, and, when he smiled at her…she somehow forgot to breathe.
“Yeah, I came down from Canada. I raise sled dogs. Some run races like the Iditarod. I do hate leaving them, though.”
She’d never heard of dog races or the Iditarod. But hearing about the animals made her recall seeing a furry face nestled in among this woodsman’s clothing earlier. “What happened to your stowaway?”
When recognition reached his eyes, they twinkled with mirth. She tingled at the deep vibrations of his laughter.
“You must mean the cheeky fellow about this big.” He stretched his thumb and pointer finger to indicate the size of his beady-eyed friend.
“What is it?”
“He’s a red squirrel. He fell from a tree when he was a baby, and I nursed him back to health. The little guy stuck around.” He lifted one bulky shoulder. The shirt fabric strained against it.
“What do you call him?”
Elbows on the table, he held up a palm and shook his head. “I didn’t name him.”
“He sounds like a pet.”
“He’s not.”
She prodded. “Do you name the dogs?”
“Well, yeah, but the sled dogs are for my business.” It seemed he failed to see the connection.
The waiter stopped at Nate’s elbow. “Have you decided?”
Luna picked hers up and scouting for the sushi Cemil promised. Thankfully, it was first on the list, and she pointed to the item she wanted.
“We also have ahi tuna with an Asian glaze for tonight’s special.”
“Sounds perfect. It’s my favorite.” Nate handed over the menu.
While the waiter jotted down their meals and drink orders, Luna made a mental note that Nate loved ahi tuna…and he ordered it rare. Surprised, she’d expected him to order a plate of red meat. How coincidental they were both being served their favorite meals at the Wiccan Haus.
Should she start a conversation? She fiddled with her napkin for a moment, not sure what to say next. If she didn’t, he might catch on to how much his nearness rattled her. Then he laughed again, and his warm, good-humored personality put her at ease. Soon, she was smiling at his amusing sled dog stories. The waiter returned and delivered their drinks. Luna gratefully took several generous sips of wine, guessing the heat in her cheeks had to be from the alcohol because she wasn’t one to blush—ever. She might resemble a teenager, but she was over two hundred years old.
Dinner arrived, and she didn’t rush to eat but, instead, savored the food while listening to his stories. To her delight, Cemil was right about how fresh the sushi was. With her stomach content, she leaned into her chair and watched the waiter remove their plates.
Nate set down his drink. “So, tell me more about you. Where are you from?” He smiled at her.
She returned his smile much less enthusiastically. What could she say? “I’m from nowhere in particular. I move around a lot.”
“Do you move around for your job? What do you do?”
“Do? Um. I make therapies for the skin like soaps and oils. And I make herb and spice combinations to enhance the seafood I prepare.” It wasn’t a lie. She did it for the water god. Several guests had finished their meals and left the dining room. Before Nate could say anything else, she swiftly slid out her chair and stood. “It was nice talking to you.”
He viewed her with surprise. “Yes, I enjoyed talking with you as well. I’m sure we’ll see each other again—and I look forward to it.”
She lifted a slender shoulder, agreeing it could be a possibility, but she couldn’t help grinning and hoping it was. “Good night, Nate.” Walking away, her nostrils flared again, inhaling his earthy scent.
“Good night, Luna.”
What was it about Nathaniel Quinn? Why did he linger in her thoughts? Up until her arrival on the island, she was consumed with how and why she hadn’t been enough for the water god. She realized now, if she hadn’t come to the Wiccan Haus, her obsession would have driven her to madness. She’d never forget the bitter sting of betrayal, but the sting had dulled since meeting Nate.
His strikingly handsome image was lodged in her cerebrum. She’d had to force herself to look elsewhere or be caught staring at his hair; its textured darkness was like bark after a rainstorm. It beckoned to her, tempting her to reach out and touch it. Lost in thought and imagining her hands in his hair, before she knew it, she walked past the boutique. She skated to a stop and grinned. The shop was open. Thoughts of Nate evaporated as the tailored merchandise filled her vision.
An hour later, Luna arrived at her door, holding a generously bulging shopping bag with the Wiccan Haus logo on it. She had been alone in the elevator, yet a sudden breeze tugged the tendrils of hair around her temples. When she turned in its direction, a man she’d seen downstairs stood next to her. He’d sat at a table in the same room. The only reason she remembered him was because he, and the guests at his table, only ordered drinks—tall glasses of red liquid. She regretted giving him a polite smile earlier when their gazes met across the dining room, though he was handsome in a dark and mysterious way.
“Hello, beautiful, why don’t you invite me in?” He casually leaned against the doorjamb and lifted his manicured brows.
How did he sneak up on me? The stories she’d heard of blood-drinking beings came to mind. He must be a vampire.
“I’m not in the habit of inviting strange men into my room.” Annoyed by his arrogance, she glared at him.
He ignored her remark and went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “You know, I bet you have an amazing voice.”
“What?” Panic made her voice go hoarse. Apparently, her kind was easily detected by nonhumans. On this side of the realm, this would be a weary adjustment, especially when she was new to encountering a variety of nonhumans.
He smiled—a mouth open, teeth-showing grin.
Fangs! Yes, definitely a vampire. She grumbled under her breath.
“Don’t let the fangs scare you, little siren. You could sing to me all night, and it would have no effect. You could sing…scream…sing. Whatever while we—”
“Oh, is that right?” she asked, her composure regained, never one to fear others.
He thinks my singing is my only weapon. Ha! Her singing and underwater lifestyle labeled her a siren, but her species had a little something extra.
“What about my teeth?” Her innocent looks gave people a sense she was delicate and defenseless—the allure was part of her charm. Luna found it gratifying to let her inner monster show, like now, when she was pissed off. With a jerk to her neck, she unhinged her jaw allowing her mouth to open unusually wide as her lips parted like a freak show clown. The soft flesh of her cheeks gathered at her ears while her razor-sharp secondary teeth slid from her gums and jutted in his direction. The vampire recoiled. She only stayed transformed for a moment—just enough to see the vampire’s smug grin slip away like a receding wave.
“Impressive. A shark in a mermaid’s body.” He stood straighter, trying to look suave after his apparent shock.
“I’m not a mermaid. I don’t have a tail. I’m a siren from another realm. Learn the difference, you ignorant bat.”
“Your words are as sharp as your teeth. Good evening, siren.”
A swoosh of air was all that remained of his presence. Luna breathed a sigh of relief.