Watcher: A raven paranormal romance (Crookshollow ravens Book 1) Read Free Page B

out.”
    “Belinda,” Elinor looked me in the eyes, her voice stern. “Don’t go getting all doe-eyed for Mr. Smooth-Talking-Biker. You are clearly not over Ethan, and that guy would not help. He’s bad news. In fact, he even told you he was bad news. And the last thing you need is to date another criminal.”
    She had a very good point. Hot Biker was gorgeous, sure. He was probably an amazing shag. And the way he looked at me made me feel fluttery all over, like I was actually attractive and desirable and not just a colossal fuck-up. I hadn’t felt like that for a long time, not since I’d first started dating Ethan. But, what would I even talk about with a guy like that? I didn’t have any tattoos. I’d never ridden a motorbike. All I had going for me was the fact that I always smelled like warm bread.
    Elinor was right, that guy was bad news. Guys like him always were. I was glad he didn’t ask me out or leave his number.
    I was glad. Wasn’t I?

2
    Cole
    W oah .
    I shook my head as I jammed the cake box into the pillion, and fitted my helmet over my head. She was something else. That wispy black hair, that creamy skin, those huge, sad eyes, the way she blushed adorably every time I said something dirty … she was like an anime character, come to life. She wasn’t just entirely fuckable, she was intriguing . And I hadn’t been intrigued by a woman in such a long time. I glanced back through the window of the store, where the black-haired beauty was deep in conversation with her buxom friend. I had the overwhelming urge to run back in there, grab her over the counter, pull her face to mine, and kiss her.
    You did the right thing, I reminded myself, as the ring on my finger brushed against the handlebar with a metallic CLINK. No more women, no more distractions, especially not distractions you might actually be interested in talking to. You have nothing to offer a woman like that until you are free.
    I gunned the engine, kicked up the stand, and pulled out into the street. I dared one last look back at the Bewitching Bites bakery, just in time to see the buxom friend leaving with a huge cake box under her arm. That meant my black-haired beauty was alone. Maybe I could head back and—
    Someone honked. I stomped on the brake and slammed my foot down before the bike fell over, just as a car sped past and the driver pulled the finger at me. I’d drifted over the white line. Fuck, that was close.
    Keep your eyes on the road. You wouldn’t want to crash now, it might spoil your master’s dinner.
    As I pulled away again, I glanced wistfully in the direction of the Tir Na Nog pub, where I knew Mikael would be working the afternoon shift. It was too risky to go there now, when I knew Pax and Poe were nearby, also doing chores in the village for the master. If they saw me talking to Mikael, they might guess what we were doing, and I couldn’t let anything jeopardise our plan. Not when we were so close.
    I zipped through the quiet Crookshollow streets, keen to put some distance between me and the pub and the bakery. I needed to clear my head a bit. After a few minutes, the village died away, and I sped through winding country roads, the wind whipping my long hair against the collar of my jacket. The cold brushed my skin even through my leathers, momentarily blasting away my rage.
    Out on my bike, I felt like myself. The wind tearing at my body, the road falling away beneath me, that powerful engine humming away between my legs … it was the closest thing to flying in my human form. On the back of that bike, I felt almost free.
    Almost.
    All too soon, my ride came to an end. I saw the castle long before I reached the gate. It towered over the picturesque landscape like a tacky Hollywood mansion. Just like Victor Morchard himself, I thought snidely, grinning at the comparison.
    I pressed the button on the handlebars, and the iron gates swung open. I entered the long gravel drive leading up to the main house, but turned