A Moonlight Valentine's Chapter 1 - Byron

I haven’t done the Valentine’s thing since I was human. That’s over four decades ago! Dani was not the sort of woman that wanted to be wooed. The first Valentine’s we were together, I tried to give her roses and had a candlelit dinner planned. Do you know what it feels like to have a rose stem in your eye? No? Just me? Okay.

Before you say Dani is nuts, as true as that statement might have been, she had her reasons. She told me very clearly that she did not want to celebrate this holiday under any circumstances. I didn’t believe that because my experience with women told me if I didn’t do something, I was going to be in the doghouse. I later learned that Valentine’s Day was the anniversary of her mom’s murder, and her dad had sent her and Mariana a dozen long-stem roses to fuck with them.

It was a learning lesson. It happens to all of us. We live and learn from our past experiences. Since Dani dumped me, I haven’t dated, so I didn’t bother with Valentine’s Day. I didn’t desire or need to be in a romantic relationship. Did Dani break me? Yes, yes, she did. I poured so much of my time into our relationship, even transitioning to being a vampire to be with Dani, and she didn’t want to be with me. It hurt when she chose a human, worse, a fucking HUNTER. However, I’m over it. I promise I’m over it. I can hang out with Dani and Khalid without issue these days.

Shannon Thorn was a big factor in that. Not that Shannon even knew her contribution to moving on from my failed relationship. From working with Shannon as her publisher, reading and editing her books, and getting to know the woman behind these passionate novels, I realized I wanted romance and love in my life. The fact that her stories held so many familiar moments intrigued me.

As much as I claimed I loved Dani and how profound the feeling was, it paled compared to what this is with Shannon. I was DREAMING about her, or rather about the scenes in her books. We still don’t know how or why that happened. It’s certainly not my power. And it’s nothing magic because I’d know if magic was being used on me. Plus, Shannon isn’t a witch or descended from witches that I’ve been able to find.

All that aside, I know what I feel for Shannon is real. It’s not the foolishness of a young man with no real-life experience thinking he loved the mysterious and wild woman that crashed into his life. I can say without a doubt my ever-growing feelings for Shannon are real. I knew how her ex-husband treated her and wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out and drain him of all his blood. Not to drink. That blood would be disgusting.

Killing him wasn’t an option. It wouldn’t truly be justice. It wouldn’t properly sever Shannon’s tie to him. It wouldn’t set her free the way she should be. Death would free her, but then she’d be his widow, and she’d never have gotten to take her stand. She’d never have gotten to leave him and put herself and her children first. So, I acted when she finally went for it and left him.

I worked with Silvercloud from Bloodmoon and made sure the son of a bitch would never darken Shannon’s doorstep. Not that he’d know where her doorstep is as I bought her a new house to raise her darling children safely away from her fucked up and toxic as fuck family and ex-in-laws. The only person from the Thorn family Shannon and her kids have a relationship with is her sister Shikoba, and that’s because Shikoba is the only one with half a brain. Plus, she’s mated to a Bloodmoon wolf and works for Silvercloud. Thus, she’s cool.

I knew that Shannon had never been truly and properly cared for. Her ex was a narcissist asswipe who wouldn’t know how to spell romance, let alone provide it. If her stories are a glimpse into their marriage, they paint a tragic picture of a relationship that revolved around his wants and needs with no thoughts for her and certainly no passion. And while vampires are cold-blooded, we know passion.

I want to show Shannon that passion and romance aren’t just fantasy. I want her to know they aren’t just real, but she deserves them. I want to show her a night of romance and passion. We’ve been taking this slow since she got away from her ex. And the ink on her divorce decree was only recently dry. I don’t want to overwhelm her, and I certainly don’t want her to think my plans mean she had to have sex tonight. I was and will never be that kind of man.

I’ve booked everything. All that’s left is making sure Evie can babysit. I know it’s a holiday, but Evie hasn’t had her first shift, so it’s not like she has a mate to spend tonight with. And while I know she had a thing for Shikoba’s nanny, Sophie, till she could know for sure if they were mates, nothing but friendship would transpire between them. Bloodmoon seems to take waiting for their mate rather seriously.

Byron: Are you still on board for tonight?

Evie: I already said yes.

Byron: I know, but I would like to confirm. I am springing this night out on Shannon. I need her to be comfortable going out. And knowing that the kids will have a familiar and trusted sitter will help.

Evie: Yadda yadda yadda. I get it, old man. You want to whisk the weary mom away for a night of sex.

Byron: Don’t be rude. One, I’m aware I’m old by some standards, but I’m young by vampire standards. Two, sex while not off the table till she says otherwise is NOT the purpose of tonight.

Evie: *eye roll emoji* I’m just messing with you. Drink a blood bag and chill. I’ll be at Shannon’s on time for you to pick her up and whisk her away for a well-deserved night out.

Bryon: Thank you.

“What are you doing, Byron?” Caleb startled me as he came up behind me.

I nearly fell out of my chair while trying to hide my phone. “Nothing.”

“Liar.” He laughed as he pulled my desk chair out and managed to snatch my phone.

I thought I was safe, given my phone was locked, but I underestimated my best friend and Ductus. He quickly cracked my password, giving me a devious grin as he looked through my phone. I grumbled and tried to take it back, but he stayed out of reach.

“Oooo… big plans to woo your human?” Caleb taunted.

“Don’t call her that,” I grumbled as I managed to take my phone back.

“Mrs. Keaton?” He arched his brow as I glared at him.

“Ms. Thorn?” He chuckled, amused at my reaction to using her ex-husband’s surname. “Dawn Phoenix?”

I rolled my eyes as he used her pen name. He knows I’m her publisher and that her stories share scenes with the vivid dreams I’ve been having. Caleb liked Shannon. Everyone in the clan does. That doesn’t mean they don’t taunt me for having dreams about a human before I met her. I’ve not told them I still dream about her. It’s still weird when what I’ve dreamed turns up in her manuscripts that she sends me for editing.

“Shannon.” Caleb grinned as he put his hands in his pockets. “I saw you’ve got a sitter, spa reservation, tickets to that candlelit concert, and a reservation at a very nice French restaurant the clan owns.”

“Shannon has never tried French cuisine and has wanted to try it. If I could take her to France, I would, but that would be difficult to accomplish when she has five children. At least difficult without asking Isis for a favor, and she has better things to do on Valentine’s Day, or better unless Kurt is slacking.” I shrugged.

“I’m not dissing your plans. They sound great. I hope you two have a great time. Tell Shannon and the little ones the clan say hello.” Caleb smirked and waved as he left my room.

I hope we have a great time too. I hope I didn’t plan all this for nothing. Shannon deserves a night out like this if she accepts it. If, for some reason, she doesn’t want the night out I have planned, we’ll do whatever she wants, and I guess I’ll give our night to her sister Shikoba and Rohan if they don’t already have plans.