The Princess Protects Her Huntsman: A Nocturne Falls Universe Story Read online

  It took her a full month—she learned humans used calendars divided up into days, weeks, months, and years—to shake some of her awe of the town. By that time, she had her favorite places to visit, eat, and relax.

  Enchanted Garden was one of those very places.

  Rhy turned down the small walkway that led to the entrance of the florist. Bells jingled when she opened the door, announcing the arrival of a customer to Marigold Williams, the shop’s owner. The fresh scent of flowers and greenery greeted her, and a smile grew across her mouth.

  She could sit in here for days and be perfectly content.

  “Hey, Rhy.” Marigold appeared from her back room, brushing her hands on her apron. The witch, one of many in Nocturne Falls, dragged a finger across the silky petals of a gerbera as she strode toward the counter. “How’re things going?”

  “Very well.” Rhy tugged her scarf off her chin and took a deep breath. Although the florist did not smell like home, the scents of roses and daisies, as well as the rustic notes of moss, leaves, and twigs took the edge off her homesickness. “I love your store. It is always so warm and inviting.”

  Marigold laughed. “Your woodland fairy roots show every time you come here.” She tapped a finger to her lips. “I was working on some winter arrangements. How would you feel about one? Or would you like to keep with the spring theme?”

  “I have more color in my room than a spring rainbow. I’m curious about this winter arrangement.” Rhy motioned toward the door, and the frigid cold beyond. “I rather like this change of temperature. I wouldn’t like it all the time, but it’s nice.”

  “Georgia is getting hit with cold this year. It’s usually not this bad for this length of time. Give me one minute. I’ll be right back.”

  Rhy moved toward a shelf of mini gardens in decorative bowls. She let a length of ivy slide across her palm, recalling the large leaves that crept up the towering elms and oaks back home. Few homes in town did not have ivy clinging to the outside. Morning glories were another common sight, their delicate white petals shimmering in fresh morning dew as the sun rose on the horizon.

  “Here we go.”

  When Rhy turned back to the counter, she gasped, and felt her eyes go wide. Marigold shrugged a shoulder, placing a paper-and-cellophane wrapped bouquet on the counter. White—lilies, roses, gerbera—dazzled with eucalyptus threaded throughout. Light brown branches and sprigs of shimmering crystal-like beads created a stunning arrangement.

  “Oh, it’s lovely, Marigold.”

  “I was preparing it for display, so it’s all yours, if you’d like.”

  Rhy nodded. “I’d love it.” She pulled out her wallet and retrieved enough cash for her purchase. “My, it’s beautiful.”

  Marigold smiled, punching the cost into the register. “I’m giving you the VIP discount.”

  Rhy’s brow creased. “The what?”

  “VIP. Very important person. Well, customer. I see you in here more each week than I see half of Nocturne Falls in a year. So, as a token of my appreciation for your business, and the flattering compliment, what do you say we call it even at twenty-five dollars?”

  Rhy glanced down at the twenties in her hand and pressed her lips together. “I can’t.”

  “Of course you can.” Marigold smiled, reached over the counter and plucked two bills from her hand. She tucked them in the register, took out a ten and a five, and slipped them in Rhy’s hand without missing a beat. “There. Easy.”

  “But—”

  Marigold waved her concern away. She held the bouquet out to Rhy. “I’m sure you’ll give her a great home. Enjoy.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. I’ll see you soon.”

  Rhy nodded, pressing her nose into the fragrant arrangement. “Without a doubt.”

  Her heart swelled as her lungs filled with the scents of nature. She pressed her back to the door and rolled out into the icy afternoon.

  And crashed hard into an unyielding obstacle.

  The cellophane crunched and the bouquet nearly flattened between her and the wall. Or, the man who could have been a wall.

  His hand on her arm assured her he was certainly a man, as did the uncharacteristic reaction her body had to his gentle touch.

  “I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying…attention.” Rhy stepped back, unable to take her eyes off the man in front of her. Something warm trickled into her blood, heating her veins.

  A worried crease marred the man’s forehead above slanted black brows and eyes like summer honey. “No, no. I’m the one who’s sorry.” He held up a cell phone. “No excuse for not paying attention to where I was walking. I hope I didn’t damage your flowers.”

  All thoughts of her bouquet drained away as she stared at the man. A sheepish half-grin crossed firm, full lips. A dark shadow lined his strong, square jaw and mouth. His face had an edge, a sense of danger smoothed by his beautiful eyes. A small scar stretched up from his left brow to his hairline.

  His hair caught her attention. Black, as deep as midnight, streaked with stark white where the scar disappeared. An inch or two patch, white as the lilies she held in her arms.

  He was big, rugged, and handsome.

  He stole her breath and made her heart dance.

  “…you’re okay?”

  Rhy blinked several times, shaking off the daze that had taken over her mind. She felt heat rise into her cheeks and laughed on a breath before breaking her gaze. To her surprise, and strange delight, he lifted his hand to her chin and, with one finger, brought her gaze back to his.

  “Are you okay?” the man asked. Rhy nodded once, her throat dry as the sound of his deep, husky voice infiltrated more than her mind. It was like he poured into her spirit and curled up content as the foundation of her life.

  Who was this man and why was she reacting so…so…foolishly?

  She cleared her throat, holding her slightly crushed flowers closer to her chest. “Yes. I’m perfectly fine.”

  Against her conscious mind, her gaze slipped to the broad span of his shoulders and chest. It wasn’t hard, since he stood a full head taller than she. His chest was at eye-level. And what a scrumptious chest. Beneath the unzipped black leather jacket, a thermal V-neck shirt left little for a woman to imagine about what lay beneath. It molded to him like a second skin, showing a man who might be obsessed with that thing the humans called a gym. Big, broad, and muscled.

  Her knees turned to jelly.

  “…sit?”

  Heat erupted from her hip where he had placed a gentle hand and gathered low in her belly. Hundreds of dragon wings fluttered inside her, tickling the base of her throat.

  Managing a smile against the fierce burn of her cheeks and sudden embarrassment, Rhy shook her head. “I’m famished, is all. A good meal and some rest will have me back to normal.”

  Or maybe not.

  The man continued to scrutinize her, concern deepening the crease of his forehead and bringing his brows closer together. “Allow me to help you to your car.”

  Rhy moistened her lips. The man’s pupils widened. His nostrils flared. A shadow fell over his expression.

  “Actually, I ordered carryout that should be ready. I’m fine, but thank you.”

  “I would feel much better knowing you got to your car safely.” The man shrugged apologetically. “This world is full of careless idiots walking the sidewalks with their noses deep in their smartphones.”

  Rhy’s mouth curled into a full smile despite her caution. She was never one to ignore instinct. Right now, said voice cooed at her like mad to keep the man close for as long as possible.

  “I would hate to take you away from wherever you were going,” she said.

  The man chuckled. Oh, sweet spirits, that sound played her nerves like rain played leaves during a storm. Music that called to something deep and unseen inside her.

  “No destination, per se. Alas, perhaps this is my destination.” The man took a half-step back and held out his hand. Rhy gauged it, call
oused and strong. “Name’s Arrick Luvell.”

  “Rhyannon Andal.” Rhy took his hand and shook it. Her skin tingled against his. “Call me Rhy.”

  “Rhyannon.” Arrick spoke her name like sweet wine over the tongue. The very sound threatened to knock Rhy’s knees out from under her. “Beautiful name.”

  “Arrick is quite a strong name, if I might say.”

  Arrick rested his free arm behind his back and leaned over their joined hands in a proper bow that looked like it came naturally to him. He kissed her knuckles. “You may.”

  The heat in her face spread straight up to the points of her ears. “Then I shall.”

  Arrick straightened up and smiled. A full, white-toothed smile with a handsome dimple in his right cheek. “I would not wish to hold you from your dinner.” He glanced at the gray sky. “Not with the impending storm.”

  “I was warned.”

  His nostrils flared again and the shadows over his face reminded her of a predator. A faint warning skittered along the edge of her mind, warring with the fierce attraction.

  “Where were you headed?”

  Rhy waved her fingers down the sidewalk toward The Poisoned Apple. “A few storefronts down.” She started toward the pub. “Are you visiting Nocturne Falls?”

  “Yes and no. I’m in the market for some real estate. Looking for a place to lay down some roots.” His arm brushed against hers as they walked, sending her mind into a twirl. “Got wind about Nocturne Falls and its, um, how would you say it? Eclectic population?”

  Rhy shot him a masked glance. She did a close survey of his profile, trying to detect anything paranormal about him. “What would make you say that?”

  To her delight, he leaned over, not missing a beat in their walk, and whispered against her ear, “I like the points. And I know they’re real.”

  Rhy came to a halt and faced Arrick. That darn smile lighted his face and the dimple deepened. He shrugged. “I’m in the same boat.” She narrowed her eyes. “Not…not the points, but the other aspect.”

  “Paranormal.”

  He looked up and down the sidewalk as if she spoke a forbidden word. This was Nocturne Falls. Everyone believed in the paranormal theme. Speaking about it would not cause heads to turn. In her opinion, not speaking about paranormal creatures would earn some curious looks.

  Arrick rubbed his chin. An endearing pink hued his cheeks. “Okay. I’m failing big time.”

  “No.” Rhy’s attention hooked on a couple of teenagers walking by, dressed up like characters from a vampire novel. She offered a small smile. “But what you’re skating around is embraced here.” She leaned close, keeping her voice low. “The tourists drink water from the falls, which helps keep reality a little blurred around the edges. Even if the truth slipped, it would be taken as part of the theme.”

  “Ah. I think I’m really going to like it here.”

  Resuming their walk, Rhy remained acutely aware of Arrick’s strength keeping step beside her. He exuded a complex mix of hunter and protector. His hands in his pockets did little to diminish his intimidating essence, yet she didn’t feel threatened. She mulled over his awareness of her fairy characteristics. Why did it shock her that he noticed her ears? Other paranormals in the town noticed them when she didn’t hide them in her hair or beneath a hat. As she grew more comfortable in Nocturne Falls, she let her true characteristics show more frequently.

  However, she never forgot the threat that lingered back at home and the priceless Heart she protected.

  “How long have you been in town?” Rhy asked.

  “I arrived three days ago. I’m staying over at the Gingerbread Inn. The place is booked up, but a vacancy came up and I was the first who answered the call off the waiting list.” Arrick chuckled. “I was killing time back in Virginia looking at places to buy until I got down here.”

  “Do you have an agent?”

  Arrick’s brow furrowed. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a folded Post-It note. “Yeah. Um, Pandora Williams. She seems to be the best in the area.”

  Rhy nodded. “She is. You’ll like her. Any questions about the houses for sale, she’ll be able to answer. And she’ll be sure you are a perfect for your purchase.”

  “Sounds like a match-making spiel.”

  Rhy couldn’t resist a breathy laugh and slowed as they came to The Poisoned Apple. She pointed to the entrance. “My meal awaits.”

  Arrick grabbed the door for her. “After you.”

  Rhy thanked him as she entered the pub. Chloe flashed her a smile and a small wave before handing menus to another hostess to seat the couple waiting at the podium. The young woman’s gaze shifted to Arrick, and her smile turned curious.

  “Would you like to order another meal?” Chloe asked.

  Arrick made a motion with his hand. “Oh no. I ate a little while ago. Thanks.”

  “Found him wandering around outside Marigold’s shop,” Rhy teased. She nudged him in the arm with her elbow. “Nose buried in his smartphone.”

  “Ah.” Chloe’s brows wrinkled. “Oh.” She gave her head a small shake, grabbed the carryout bag on the shelf behind her, and handed it to Rhy. “Well, hope you enjoy.”

  “I always do.”

  Rhy reached for the bag, but Arrick took it from Chloe before she could.

  “You have your hands full. It’s the least I could do.” He hesitated, the bag between them in apparent waiting for her to reject his kind offer. As much as she hated to admit it, she rather liked his chivalric attitude. It was something she learned was a rarity among humans and a characteristic she missed dearly about the men back home.

  If you have a home left.

  A disheartening unknown. She hadn’t heard a word from beyond the veil since arriving in Nocturne Falls. The Whisperer warned her not to return, so she hadn’t. She had no idea if her parents were alive, or even if her world still stood.

  “Okay. Thank you.” Rhy ducked her head as she passed Arrick, who once again held the door as they left the pub. The fluttering in her belly was maddening, as was the warmth in her face. Oh, she certainly liked his nearness.

  She felt safe.

  “How long have you been here?” Arrick asked.

  “A few months.”

  “And what brought you to Nocturne Falls?”

  Rhy contemplated her answer. She had the same story for anyone who asked. She was looking for a place to fit in and spread her proverbial wings as a business major. Nocturne Falls fit the qualifications.

  Yet her standard answer didn’t feel right on her tongue in Arrick’s case.

  “I came to stay with a friend for a while. To…get away from a rough situation.” She shrugged, trying to blow off her personal issues. “I fell in love with the town and plan to stay.”

  Arrick’s hand pressed against her lower back, guiding her out of the path of a family with two arguing children. Rhy stumbled over her own feet, snagging his jacket with her hand as she fell into him.

  “Whoa there.”

  Instead of steadying her away from him, as she expected, he looped an arm about her waist, drawing her closer. She got her feet beneath her and dared to look up into his handsome face.

  She watched a movie once where a couple was so ensconced in each other that the scene around them slowed to a standstill.

  In this moment, she finally understood the feeling of the world slowing around her.

  “I, uh, I…” Rhy tried to make sense of the thoughts roiling through her mind. She moistened her lips. Her fingers tightened on his jacket. Her gaze lowered from his warm eyes to that wicked mouth.

  She giggled. Actually giggled.

  “I must have tripped on a crack in the sidewalk.” Rhy rubbed her cheek against her shoulder and straightened up. Off Arrick. One of his hands lingered against her hip. “Apparently you’re not the only one who stumbles into people.”

  “I think mine was more careless plow than innocent stumble, but either way, I caught you both times.”

 
His fingertips traced the dip in her lower back. She hadn’t realized his hand had somehow ended up between the pleats at the back of her coat. The motion was both subtle and intimate and snatched the very breath from her lungs. She hummed as a source somewhere deep inside her body stretched outward along every line of nerve beneath her skin.

  A sting of icy coldness caressed her cheek. She reached up to the damp spot on her skin before glancing at the sky. The first pellet of icy rain fell from the swollen gray clouds.

  She cleared her throat and stepped back. “I should probably hurry up and get home.”

  Arrick’s hand dropped away from her back. She sensed the reluctance as their connection broke and a faint sadness dimmed the bright honey of his eyes.

  “May I still walk you to your car?”

  “I’d hate to take you further out of your way.”

  “It’s no bother.” He held up his hands. “Honest.”

  Rhy smiled, easing her takeout bag from Arrick’s hand. “Thank you for your kindness, but the weather is getting bad and you’re a few blocks away from the inn as it is.”

  She took another step back. It really wouldn’t be so bad to have him walk her to her car, but the way she reacted to him made her feel vulnerable. A good vulnerable. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be foolish over a man. Too much was riding on her safety.

  “It was nice meeting you, Arrick. Enjoy your time here.” She spun and hurried down the sidewalk, toward Dalila’s store and the lot beyond where she parked her car.

  “Hey, wait. I’d like to see you again,” Arrick called after her.

  She smiled, giddiness welling up from her belly. Tossing a glance over her shoulder, she nodded. “We will.”

  Arrick took a few steps after her, but paused, his smile growing. “When? Where?”

  Rhy shrugged. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  For the first time in months, the weight of an impending threat slipped from Rhy’s shoulders. As she hurried to her car, she anxiously awaited the next time she crossed paths with Arrick Luvell.