The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 63: Van

Nova was whining and scratching at Van's door to get out, again. She'd been doing that all night, going back and forth between him and Amani. It was like she couldn't decide who she wanted to sleep with. He groaned and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It was five in the morning. He looked out the window at the misty fields. The wind and rain had stopped for the moment. He needed to check on the horses, and he might as well take Nova for a walk too.

Surprisingly, Nova wasn't afraid of the storm and she hadn't had any accidents yet. She was a resilient little thing. He threw his blankets off, shrugged on a pair of faded denim jeans and a navy-blue hoodie. He tied his hair back at the base of his neck as he opened the door to his closet. He pulled out a box from the back and started sifting through it. He knew he kept an old leash and collar in here somewhere. He kept all his supplies from when he used to find injured and stray animals.

Nova's nails clicked on the wooden floor as she crossed the room to him. She squeezed her head under his arm to look in the box. He laughed and pet her head as he pulled out a brown leather collar and matching leash.

"This is for you," he said and latched the collar around her neck. It was a little big for her but she'd grow into it in no time. Nova lifted her head out of the box, squeezing a bright yellow tennis ball in her mouth. "Alright, you can have that too." He chuckled and hooked the leash to her collar. "Let's go wake up your mum."

He smiled to himself as he walked down the hall with Nova eagerly pulling on the leash towards Amani's room. A slight blush stained his cheeks as he neared her door. He couldn't believe he spoke to her mother. He only meant to say hello, but he couldn't help wanting to know more about Amani.

Her mother was such an endearing woman and so easy to talk to, just like her daughter. He told her to call him Van to stop her from calling him Lord Blarkin. He didn't mind it, but he knew it would be easier for her to use his first name. Van was also being a bit sneaky. He thought if he gave her mother the privilege, it might encourage Amani to do the same.

His heart sank a little when her mother told him her fears about Amani being so far away from home. She worried if something happened to her, she wouldn't know what to do or how to get to her. So, he did what any respectable man would do. He gave her his number if she couldn't get a hold of Amani and promised her he'd make sure no harm would come to Amani in his care.

And then he couldn't bloody stop himself from telling her mother about Rebecca and his current relationship status. He was never usually that open with strangers, but the words just rolled out of his mouth. Van was now convinced that Blake women were indeed witches.

He grinned as he knocked lightly on Amani's door. His loose mouth was rewarded when her mother told him about his little witch's love for Scotland. Amani had dreamed of coming here since she was a little girl. Her mother even told him about her obsession with her Duke of Aberdeen novel too.

Van stifled a laugh. 'Mani always got her damn nose in that tattered ass book,' her mother said in her amusing accent. Amani told him she'd always wanted to visit Scotland, but he didn't realize it was a lifelong dream of hers.

And she'd only been to Stornoway and Edinburgh. I'm going to have to fix that.

Amani's door slowly opened and his heart thumped. She was dressed in his black jumper, a scarf around her neck, dark denims jeans and rain boots on her feet. She smiled and bent down to pet Nova who was desperately trying to climb up her leg for attention. "I guess we're thinking the same thing. I figured she needs a walk now," she said, taking the leash from his hand.

A slight smile spread across his face as he followed behind her to the stairs. "I have to check on the horses and I figured you might want to check on Max with me."