Broken Seal
Title: Broken SealBuy the Book: Amazon
Published by: Claire Davon
Release Date: 2/2/2024
Pages: 91
ISBN13: 978-1-946621-34-4
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Shay has no idea how—or why—she woke up naked on a Maine beach with a lump on her head, a bloody gash on her side, and the strong arms of a handsome, hazel-eyed man carrying her to safety. There are too many holes in her memory to solve the mystery.
All she knows is, the vaguely familiar man caring for her feels like safety. Like home.
Marcus has kept Shay and her family’s secret for years. And he carries one more that pierces his heart like a harpoon. He has loved Shay since they met as children. But she is a seal shifter, he is just a human. Best friends are all they can ever be.
The problem is, Shay has forgotten more than how she wound up on the beach. She’s forgotten what she is—and how to shift into her seal form. And when her attackers return to try to cover their tracks, Marcus may be helpless to save her life.
The bright neon green-and-peach piece of cloth was out of place amidst the blue water and gray rocks. Shay made her way to the surf and retrieved the item, recognizing it as the top half of one of her swimsuits. Had it been in the pile of stuff they retrieved? She couldn’t recall.
Recent events raced through her, of being shot at, bullets zinging and then…pain blazing across her side. She dodged this way and that, evading the men who chased her. She was caught in a big net and was being towed from the ocean and then…the memories slid away.
She shook her head and the recollection splintered. That had happened a lot to her in the past few days. Bits and pieces of that night swam through her mind, but she couldn’t grasp any of it enough to bring it forward. That night, like her shifting abilities, was buried where she couldn’t get to it.
Shay squeezed water out of the bikini top and then shoved it in the waistband of her shorts. She touched the spot on her head that was still sensitive.
Her original objective had been to splash in the waves, but that idea vanished with her now-distant fading recall. She considered the cliff path and then plodded up the long route to get to Marcus’s home.
When she arrived, he was sitting on the porch. Her heart lightened when she glimpsed his tall form. Awareness buzzed under her skin.
She longed for his company. So much. Too much. He didn’t live here any longer and would be gone again soon enough.
“I found something.” She held up her bikini bra. Marcus took it from her. He gave it a puzzled once-over and then handed it back out to her.
“This is one of yours?”
She nodded. “It’s an older suit, which is why I didn’t miss it right away. I must have had it on that night, but it wasn’t with my things in the hiding place. Weird. Maybe I went swimming before I changed? That doesn’t make sense, does it? I had a memory like I’d been shot at and netted. That fits with my injuries. I’m starting to freak out.”
He put his arms around her and drew her to him. Marcus had gotten taller in the last two years as well, a late growth spurt taking him to his present height. Where once they were the same height, now he was four inches taller than her. Her head rested against his shoulder, and his embrace was heaven.
She might have detected hunger on his face—the sort a man had for a woman. But that line had never been crossed. Not even when they were first becoming aware of their sexual feelings. He was too important to lose.
“This is a clue, but it’s not enough. The answers aren’t on your property. Whoever did this is out there and could strike again. We should go back into town. If someone did try to kill you, whether on purpose or by accident, they may be waiting for the next shoe to drop. Are you okay with stirring up a little trouble?”
She considered staying at his house, on his porch. She shook that desire away. “It’s better than sitting around wondering why I can’t change into my seal form. Let’s go.”