Moon Cursed (Book 2 in The Star and Her Moon Series)

Unsettling Dreams

RAFF

Morning light filtered through the lacy, mint curtains Meribella had hung over the bedroom window, casting the room in a seafoam glow. His selkie was still sleeping, her knees drawn up to her chest and her hands tucked beneath her chin. She'd returned home in the early hours of the morning, and it wasn't until she slipped beneath the covers that his body relaxed. Like a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

Resisting the urge to wake her by pressing soft kisses along her skin, he left the bed and dressed for the day. Meribella never stirred, her breathing remaining even when he opened the door. With one last look, he shut the door and turned to find Dorea watching him with a smirk.

"You are one whipped puppy," the woman said.

"Good morning to you Dorea," he replied, pulling a mug from the cabinets and filling it with coffee. He inhaled the fragrant brew, catching a whiff of fruity amusement mingling with the roasted beans.

"That child of mine still sleeping?" she asked.

"She is. She came in late so she'll likely sleep for another hour or so."

"I learned a long time ago to not wake Meribella up. They told me she'd grow out of being cranky when she was tired." Dorea rubbed her stomach as she talked. "But when she hit her twenties and was still an ass in the mornings, I knew it was just her personality."

Raff's lips stretched into a broad grin while his thoughts conjured an image of a baby Bella. But the smile faltered when the little girl that formed had bright blue eyes instead of turquoise. He gave the child a mental shove, clearing his mind of the dangerous longing. That child could never be.

As if sensing where his thoughts had wandered, Dorea sighed. "Have you and Meribella discussed my offer?"

"I don't think we're ready to make a decision yet."

"We as in you both? Or we as in her?"

He hunched his shoulders and refused to meet her gaze. "I'm not going to lie and say what you're offering isn't tempting. To raise a child with the woman I love. But Meribella isn't going to let go so easily. She believes we can save you."

"She can't save us both, and I've already said that I won't put my life ahead of my son's. I did that too long with my daughter. I may not live to see him, but I will be a better mother in death than I ever was in life."

Raff's heart swelled with every word she spoke: both with hope and shame. Shame that he was hopeful. Shame that her demise provided a way to mend his broken dreams of raising a child with a woman he loved at his side. He'd thought he'd let go of that dream a very long time ago, but Dorea's offer had brought it to the surface.

"What are you two doing up so early?"

They both froze and cut their eyes to the door to the master bedroom. Meribella leaned against the frame, a thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her dark hair a nest of wild curls. The skin beneath her eyes was darkly smudged, and her generous mouth opened wide with a jaw cracking yawn.

"It's after ten love," Dorea said, swiping Raff's coffee from his hands and handing it to her daughter.

"Good call," he said, grabbing himself another cup while Meribella guzzled his. "How'd you sleep?"

"Terrible. I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow, but these crazy dreams played all night long. I don't feel like I got any rest."

"You didn't move at all last night. I considered checking your breathing a couple of times," Raff said, keeping his tone light even though he wasn't really joking.