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  A Touch of Moonlight

  Fiona Davenport

  Copyright © 2021 by Fiona Davenport

  Cover designed by Elle Christensen

  Edited by Editing4Indies

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  A Touch of Moonlight

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Touch of Moonlight

  Liam Bancroft thought he’d lost his chance at happiness more than five hundred years ago. He was positive his childhood friend was meant to be his consort and devastated when she rejected him. He learned of her death before having the chance to touch her and gave up all hope.

  Amaia Greene learned that vampires existed three years ago. She’s been looking forward to being claimed as a daywalker’s consort ever since.

  Can Amaia live with being Liam’s second choice?

  Prologue

  Liam

  “Are you alright, Kate?” I asked the young girl sitting on the other end of the bench seat in the back of the armored SUV.

  “I think so,” she replied softly, giving me a hesitant smile. “It’s a lot to take in. Especially right after almost being killed by vampires—thank you for saving me, by the way. If I didn’t say so—I can’t remember. Then I learn that not only are they real, but some vampires can walk in the sun, are immune to all the stuff we’ve read about, and basically live among us like humans...yeah, it’s going to take a little time for me to adjust to this new reality.”

  “You can have as much time as you need,” I assured her with a warm smile. “There is a little more to learn, though. I can tell you now if you’d like, or you can wait until we get to the council, and they’ll explain everything much more thoroughly.”

  “More?” Kate squeaked and then cleared her throat and tried to pretend she wasn’t freaking out. Actually, she was much calmer than a lot of the future consorts I’d rescued in my five hundred and thirty-one years. I had a feeling she’d take to this life just fine. She was pretty, strong, and seemed sweet. Any vampire would be lucky to be paired with her as his fate. She was young, but I would have been thrilled.

  “Okay, um, I think I’d rather hear the gist of it from you. It might be a little overwhelming in an official setting.”

  “Very logical. I like the way you think,” I teased. Kate blushed, and I couldn’t help thinking that it would have been nice to have a sister like her in my life growing up. My brothers and I loved each other, but we’d always thought it would have been fun to have a little sister to protect and spoil. Female daywalkers seemed to have a slightly easier time finding their consort, too. Perhaps she would have given my parents grandchildren centuries ago. Instead, they had four boys who were likely to live out their immortal days alone. Although, I was the only one who knew for sure that this was my fate. But I’d accepted it years ago.

  The car turned a corner onto a long stretch of driveway. We had about ten minutes before we’d arrive. Settling back against the seat, I crossed my arms over my chest and relaxed. “You might have wondered how I happened upon you tonight. It could have been a coincidence, I suppose, but that would be very unlikely.”

  “It did seem too good to be true when you appeared out of thin air and turned the men about to kill me into fire and ash. If you don’t mind my saying, you’re pretty badass.”

  I laughed, and Kate blushed again as she chuckled with me. “Thank you. Anyway, vampires like myself, daywalkers, are born with a single destined mate. A consort. Unfortunately, there is no way to know when your fated mate was or will be born. It’s nearly impossible to find them without help unless you’re as lucky as my cousins, who just happened to have their consorts run right into their arms. Literally.”

  Well, if you didn’t count the first time Athan and his consort, Selene, met. She’d run as fast as possible in the opposite direction, much to the amusement of his brothers and cousins. He caught her shortly after, though, and they were now happily mated with adorable kids.

  “Millennia ago, the daywalkers created a council whose sole goal was to protect future consorts and help them find their mates.”

  “Why do they need protection?”

  “Because if nightwalkers had their way, they’d rid the world of us completely, and killing our consorts is easier than trying to wipe us out directly.”

  “Well...that’s just...what jerks!”

  Kate looked hot under the collar about it, and I almost laughed again, but I didn’t want to offend her. She was a sweet kid. “I agree. Hence the need for the council. When unmated consorts are discovered, vampires who work for them, such as me, are dispatched to collect them. Even if they choose not to take the council’s protection and help to find their mate, they need to know what they are so they can be prepared.”

  “Wait...if that’s...are you saying I’m a vampire’s destined wife?”

  I chuckled. “Well, the bond between consorts is much stronger than the legal one. However, I don’t know many mated vampires who don’t complete the traditional human marriage as well.”

  “But, you’re still telling me, I’m destined to fall in love with a vampire, that this was determined before I was even born?”

  “Essentially.” I hesitated to add the next part, but I had always been an honest and forthright person—except for during prohibition. But whiskey was my business, so I didn’t have much of a choice, did I? “As for love, though, there is no guarantee. However, you two will only ever physically desire each other, which helps to bond you together, even if it’s just as devoted and committed friends.”

  Kate frowned. “Is that more common?” she asked, sounding worried.

  “Not in my experience, but I will always be honest with you.” And if I were honest with myself, I would have taken that relationship over none at all. But there was no hope for me. My destined mate had died of cancer when she was just thirty.

  “Oh, good.” Her expression brightened, and she nodded, then a thought seemed to occur to her, and she canted her head. “Is this why I’ve never, um, wanted to...um...date anyone?”

  “Yes,” I replied, holding in another chuckle.

  “Phew,” she said with a whoosh of air. “I’d been starting to wonder if something was wrong with me.”

  The Town Car began to slow down, and I looked up to see that we were approaching the compound where the council had their headquarters and guest rooms for unmated consorts.

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Kate. Your consort is a very lucky man.”

  “How will I know? I mean, how will the person I’m destined to be with recognize me?”

  “That’s one of the things that makes this process difficult. It’s through touch. After that initial touch, the bond between you will spark to life.”

  She tilted her head to the side again and studied me for a few moments. Then she held her hand out and waited with a hopeful expression.

  I hated to disappoint her, but it was my only choice. Shaking my head, I smiled sadly. “It’s not me, Kate.”

  “How do you know for sure unless we touch, Liam?” She wiggled her fingers playfully. The car came to a stop, and I opened the door, stepping out before turning to offer my gloved hand to help her fro
m the car.

  I’d taken to wearing gloves because, despite knowing it wouldn’t happen, it had begun to fuck with my head every time I touched a woman and felt nothing. I’d been spiraling into a bad place, and my brothers had come up with the idea. Without hope, there was no disappointment, so the gloves stabilized me.

  It was something I didn’t want to share with Kate. It wasn’t uncommon for vampires to lose their hold on reality and go insane if they lived too long without their consort. I’d been constantly amazed at my cousin Kieran’s strength. He’d waited nearly a millennium for his consort, Thana.

  Hopefully, the gloves would keep me sane as long as possible.

  “Liam, you said there was nothing wrong with me.” Kate’s voice shook me out of my thoughts as I helped her stand from the car.

  “And I meant it, Kate. There is truly nothing about you that would be unappealing to a consort. In fact, if circumstances were different”—I gave her a crooked smile—“and perhaps you were a little older, I’d have been the first in line to shake your hand.”

  “Then...I don’t understand.”

  “I’ve already found my consort.”

  Kate’s features crumbled into disappointment, and I felt the same emotion welling up inside me. Shit. I needed to get out of here. My cousins were having a huge Christmas party. As much as I dreaded these big gatherings and tried to avoid them whenever possible, it would help distract me. This time of year was especially hard on me since I’d received the news of Barbra’s death on Christmas Day.

  “Why didn’t you say so right away?”

  I sighed and put my hand on her shoulder. “Because she died many, many years ago.”

  Kate’s eyes widened and filled with horror. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...I…”

  “Don’t,” I told her with a forced smile. “Don’t feel bad. You didn’t know.” I took her hand between the two of mine and gave her a bright, reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t worry about love, Kate. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever you are destined to be with will fall head over heels the moment you touch.”

  “Thank you.” Kate went up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. I reared back and looked at her in surprise. She shrugged and gave me an impish smile. “Just checking.”

  Normally, that would send a spiral of desolation through me, but instead, a laugh bubbled up my chest, shocking me when it released. “Good luck, Kate.”

  She waved and walked toward the front door where Mira, one of the oldest daywalkers on the council, was waiting with a giant smile on her face. “Welcome!” she exclaimed and threw her arms around Kate.

  Knowing she was in good hands, I teleported home and showered before changing into my tux. “Because my cousins’ wives don’t do anything halfway,” I grumbled to absolutely no one. Not that my irritation made a difference, I’d do just about anything for them. They were like sisters to me, and if they cried...I was done for.

  There wasn’t much my magic couldn’t do for me, but all of the Bancrofts, from my dad and his seven brothers to his dad and four brothers, were taught to fend for themselves and not rely on magic. Besides, I enjoyed a lot of the human activities like driving, showering, and cooking.

  My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten. I popped into the kitchen and retrieved a bag of cold blood from the refrigerator. Warm blood had a foul taste for daywalkers, so a lot of us relied on a delivery service to provide bagged blood.

  I was anxious to taste the spread of delicious food at Stephan’s house—one of the only reasons I’d let them talk me into attending—but while we could survive without blood, we would become weak and waste away. So, I drank a mug of blood, washed out my cup, and set it in the dishwasher.

  Then I grabbed the keys to my Astin Martin and drove—much too fast—two towns over to my cousin’s mansion. I parked next to the garage, around back. My tux jacket was draped over the seat next to me, so I picked it up and shrugged it on as I stepped out of the vehicle. I shut and locked the car before jogging to my cousin’s back door and bursting inside. “Merry Christmas!” I shouted.

  “Uncle Liam!”

  “Oof!” I grunted as a gaggle of little kids knocked me on my ass, just like I knew they would. As we laughed and played, I immediately felt better.

  These little monsters were the other reason I’d let myself be guilted into coming.

  And I did feel bad about staying away because the real truth was that the gloves helped, but my true savior was my family.

  1

  Amaia

  As I stroked my hand down the billowy taffeta skirt of my dress, I couldn’t help but think about how much my life had changed in the past three years. I’d grown up with so little, but now I lived in a mansion with a closet full of more clothes than I could wear in a year. The household staff catered to my every need, including gourmet meals that were more delicious than anything I’d eaten before. I had all the material things I could have ever hoped for, but I would happily give it all up for the one thing money couldn’t buy—finding the daywalker I was destined to spend an eternity with.

  “Are you looking forward to tonight?”

  I pulled my gaze away from the mirror to turn and look at my sister, who was standing in the doorway of my huge walk-in closet. Forcing a smile on my face, I answered, “Yup, the Bancrofts throw one heck of a party. Especially during the holidays.”

  Everleigh rubbed her hands together. “And who knows, maybe you’ll get the best Christmas present ever, and one of the unattached daywalkers Stephan and Bronwyn invited will turn out to be the man fated to be yours.”

  “That would be amazing.” When I’d been saved by Kieran, Athan, and Stephan three years ago, I had adjusted to my new reality fairly well. I hadn’t freaked out upon learning that vampires were real and an evil nightwalker had tried to kill me. After they’d defeated the vampire, who had burst into flames before turning into ash, and Stephan asked if he could transport me to the council, I didn’t think twice about getting into the car with him. And when he’d told me about daywalkers and destined consorts, I was in awe of the idea of there being a man out there who had spent all of his days hoping to find me. Someone who would only ever want me. Who would never desire anyone else. Never love another woman.

  My sister and I had been shuttled back and forth between houses after my parents got divorced when we were little. My mom had been bitter about the end of her marriage and hadn’t hesitated to tell Everleigh and me about everything my dad had done wrong, including cheating on her. He denied the accusation, but the way he went through women after they broke up always made me wonder if my mom was right. He had a revolving door at his house, introducing Everleigh and me to a new girlfriend just about every month. When I was ten, he married his second wife, who he divorced two years later. The third only lasted a year. The fourth barely six months. The last I heard, he was planning wedding number five with a woman who was twenty-four, only three years older than me.

  My mom went through plenty of relationships of her own, but she never married again. The men she picked always ended up cheating on her before she could get to the altar—or at least that was what she accused them of doing. Most of the guys seemed nice enough to me, but I couldn’t blame them for not wanting to stick around. Not when my mom tossed accusations any time they went out without her. No man wanted to spend the rest of their days with a woman who tracked how they spent every minute of their time away from her.

  My parents had taught me that love was fickle. That marriages weren’t meant to last. But becoming a consort was forever, and I longed for that commitment. Only, none of the daywalkers I had met over the past three years was the man fate had paired me with.

  My sister was luckier than me. Two years ago, shortly after she turned eighteen, she met Marshall. I was incredibly happy for Everleigh but also envious of the happiness she had found with him. Living in their home and seeing their love grow stronger each and every day made me pine for the man who would look at me the way Marsh
all did my sister.

  Turning back toward the mirror, I started to second-guess the dress I’d chosen to wear tonight. Holiday parties hosted by the Bancrofts tended to be formal affairs, so I probably should have picked something fancier. “Do you think I should change?”

  Everleigh moved closer, her gaze scanning down the length of my body in the reflection of the mirror. When she lifted her head again, she beamed a smile at me and shook her head. “Absolutely not. It’s very you. Besides, that dress does amazing things for your boobs.”

  I rolled my eyes and heaved a deep sigh. “I don’t know why I even bothered asking. You’re ridiculous.”

  “Hey, that’s not fair,” she complained, setting her hands on her hips. “How am I being ridiculous when all I did was compliment you?”

  I waved my hand toward my chest. “Unattached daywalkers aren’t going to care about my boobs. They don’t feel desire for anyone except their destined consort.”

  “Um, you’re the one who’s worried about what they’re wearing, not me,” she pointed out as she shrugged her shoulders.

  “True,” I conceded with a jerk of my chin toward her floor-length black gown. “But I wasn’t really nervous about how I looked, per se. My concern was more about being underdressed compared to everyone else. I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.”

  “Don’t be silly. You could go to the party in a potato sack, and you’d still look gorgeous.” Everleigh tugged on my hand to lead me out of my closet, across my room, and into the hallway. Then she called, “Marshall, where are you?”