by M. J. Caan
Hex And Chocolate
Singing Falls Witches Book Four
M.J. Caan
Copyright © 2021 by M.J. Caan
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.
Thank you B, for making this book possible. I love you more than you I could ever express.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
Also by M.J. Caan
1
“Okay. Last chance to back out. Are you sure you want to do this?” Elric’s voice was low and gravelly in Torie’s ear. She felt her body tense in response.
“Yes. I think I’m ready for it.” She had no idea if this was something she would be able to do or not, but her instincts told her it was time.
“You know I don’t want to hurt you,” Elric said. He moved closer behind her, pushing up against her, each exhale of his breath moved the hair on the back of her neck.
“We’ve been dancing around this long enough. It’s time to see if I can do it. And don’t hold back. I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
“Relax, don’t stiffen up. If you’re tense, your body won’t move the way it needs to in order to make this work. Don’t hold your breath.”
Torie nodded and took a deep breath in through her nose, and exhaled slowly, willing the tension in her body to flow out with her breathing.
Then, it happened so fast, she felt panic flood her system as Elric shifted to his hybrid werewolf form and threw his weight onto her.
She let out a sharp grunt as she heard him growl into her ear. His hard, muscular arms closed around her as he grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her side.
Torie willed herself to remain calm and trusted her body to respond appropriately. Lifting one foot off the ground, she drove her heel into Elric’s instep, while simultaneously snapping her head back, crashing it into his face.
He howled in pain and loosened his grasp on her, just enough for her to raise one fist before slamming it down and back, connecting with his groin. This caused the wolf to break his grip and allowed her to turn and face him. Without thinking, she thrust her hand into his windpipe and then the struck the bridge of his nose with the heel of her hand.
The wolf staggered back, grasping his snout and gasping for air.
Torie retreated, her hands covering her mouth.
“Oh my God…Elric! Are you okay? I swear I didn’t mean to lash out that hard.” She stepped forward, putting her arm around the wolf as he gasped for breath and shifted back into his human form.
“I’m alright,” he said, reassuring her with a smile. “Good thing wolves heal a lot faster than humans.” He stood up straight, showing her his nose. The bleeding had stopped almost immediately, and he was no longer gasping for breath. “That was excellent.”
Despite her fear that she had hurt him, Torie smiled.
“That kind of felt good,” she said. “The adrenaline rush was something I wasn’t ready for. But still, are you sure you’re okay?” She looked down at his midsection.
“Yeah. That was a stinger, but you need to get used to striking out full strength. So there’s no other way to do this.”
“Maybe you should wear one of those padded suits…like they do in the women’s self-defense class ads I see at the YMCA.”
Elric shook his head. “It’s not the same. I need to feel what you’re dishing out, to make sure you’re striking the right way, with the right force to immobilize someone if need be. Besides, believe me when I say; you can’t hurt me. Unless you use magic, of course.”
Torie smiled, rubbing at a kink in her neck that radiated small twinges of pain into her shoulder. “But I learned a lot about myself when I lost my powers. First, that I can’t always depend on them for protection. I need to learn how to handle myself in a crunch. And second, I need to get in better shape. You teaching me self-defense accomplishes both of those things.”
Elric moved to stand in front of her. His tall, muscular frame dwarfing her.
“Well, you’re doing a great job.” He took her hand in his and raised it to the center of his forehead. “Just remember. The most delicate parts of a man, the weakest parts, all run down the center of his body. The eyes, the bridge of the nose, the windpipe, the solar plexus, and of course, the groin.” As he named each part, he trailed her hand down the center of his body.
Torie blushed at the last delicate bit. But, in truth, it was more from excitement than embarrassment.
“The hell kind of self-defense is this?” said a voice from behind them.
Torie spun around to see her friend Jasmin standing at the door, hands on her hips.
“Hello, Jasmin. Come on in; it’s not what it looks like,” Torie said.
“Uh huh. I’m sure. Well at least now I know why you still haven’t gotten any furniture. Y’all need a lot of space for all that…defense that’s going on.”
Elric laughed and moved to a corner of the large living room to retrieve a duffel bag that had been tossed there, along with his shoes.
“No, I don’t have furniture yet because I need to experience the space a little more to decide how I want to decorate,” said Torie.
Her new home had completed construction just under a month ago. It was a beautiful, traditional two-story with a grand center hall, double staircase that led to the upper level. The house had two separate wings that were angled back slightly from the center portion, offering her a towering, two-story master suite on one side, and spacious guest accommodations along with a study, theater room, library, and a second den in the other wing.
The main hall was dominated by a great room that opened into a massive kitchen with a wall of windows that looked out over Torie’s spacious green house and impressive old growth woods beyond that. The upper level balcony contained a loft area with two more bedrooms, each with their own en suite.
It was a grand home, and certainly more space than Torie would ever need.
“I love this house, Torie,” Jasmin said. “But are you sure you want to open it up to just any old Tom, Dick or Harry that wanders through?”
“It’s not going to be an open house,” said Torie. “I just feel incredibly blessed, and I want to give back to this wonderful community that has opened its doors to me, by doing the same. I want everyone to know that if they are ever in a jam, they have a place to stay if need be. Besides, this place is about the same size as yours, and you live alone.”
“Hey, don’t compare yourself to me. As Madonna said, I am a material girl. I live for luxury. I just figured after everything you went through, and the life you left in New York, you wouldn’t go for something like this again.”
Torie smiled weakly. “You’re right. Honestly, I loved the house my
mother lived in, the one I stayed in when first moving here. Part of me wanted to just rebuild it after it was destroyed in that brawl with your daughter…er, I mean, that hunter…but I couldn’t. That home belonged to my mother, so I decided I needed to create something that is uniquely mine. I want it to be filled with all the things that are important to me, and what’s most important to me is family and friends.
“I want Shawn to feel like he can come here and stay for as long as he wants and not feel cramped. He can bring his friends, maybe at some point a wife and kids. Or a husband; whatever he wants. I want to create something that I can pass on to him and the generation after him.”
“And what about a certain werewolf?” asked Jasmin, lowering her voice. “And maybe a houseful of pups?”
Torie mock slapped at her friend’s arm. “Jasmin! Stop that. I am way past child-bearing age…so you know that is not happening.”
“Oh, I’m just teasing,” Jasmin said, laughing. “But seriously, the two of you look very happy. When are you going to make it official?”
Torie blushed slightly. “You never know. Maybe we have plans to go look at furniture this weekend. Together.”
Jasmin stared at her friend, a mischievous smile breaking out on her face.
“Girl, you need to tell me everything. But first, you need to go change and meet me at my place so we can head into town to meet Fionna for coffee. She says she has news to share.”
Torie checked her watch and nodded. If she hurried, she would just have time to shower and change.
“Elric, I’m going to head into town with Jasmin. Can you lock up?”
“Not a problem,” the wolf replied. “I’ll see you tonight for dinner. I have a surprise for you.”
Torie smiled and blew him a kiss as she walked Jasmin to the door.
“What was that about?” Jasmin wanted to know.
“I don’t know. But I can’t wait to find out,” Torie replied.
Thirty minutes later they were heading into town in Jasmin’s blue SUV. The gentle kaleidoscope created by the sunlight breaking in and out of the large trees lining the winding road from the small enclave of houses where Jasmin and Torie lived was mesmerizing.
“You know, I tease you a lot, but Elric is a good man. You lucked out with him,” said Jasmin.
“I know. And he is so patient with me. I couldn’t ask for more.”
“Well, you could ask for a fat ring. Make it official and all.”
Torie laughed. “You know, I’m not sure I want to get married again. In the long run, it doesn’t mean anything really. If anything, it adds another layer of complication to a good situation; things are going really good with us now.”
“Yes, and the enemy of good is better. Still, I’m happy for the both of you. But that doesn’t mean I will stop teasing him every chance I get.”
“And what about you, Missie? When are you climbing back on that relationship horse? As long as I’ve known you now, I don’t think I’ve seen you interested in anyone.”
“We aren’t talking about me. And if we were talking about me, I’d tell you not to go worrying about me. Trust me, my needs are met.”
Torie shifted her weight so that she was facing Jasmin.
“So, are you admitting that you’re dating someone?”
“Easy there, Nancy Drew. I am a grown woman and what you call ‘dating’ we grown women call getting ours when we want it.”
Torie looked at her appreciatively.
“You know, I love your attitude. You always know what you want and don’t bother conforming to what society tells women of our age we should be doing.”
Jasmin laughed.
“What society wants is for us to quietly disappear after we turn forty. In some members of society’s mind, we are better off unheard and unseen. But you know what? I’m just hitting my stride. I feel better than I did at twenty-five, in mind, spirit and body. Especially body. I know what I like, and I’ll tell you a little secret; men like that I tell them what I need. Nobody has time for all that fumbling around and training; I know all the spots they need to hit on my body and in what order.”
Torie couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound like a teacher.”
“Nope. This ride is only for the experienced. I might take them up a notch, and they just need to hope they can hang. As the sign in my bedroom says, ride at your own risk.”
Torie looked shocked. “You do not have that in your bedroom.”
Jasmin smiled mischievously. “Okay, maybe not. But I’m thinking about it.”
They rounded a curve and saw it at the same time.
A dark sedan had slid off the road, the front end was angled down into a ditch while the rear tires were perched on the dirt edge of the road. The brake lights were glowing red, but the car itself seemed to have stopped running.
Jasmin eased her SUV to a stop behind it, and they both jumped out.
Carefully, Torie made her way down into the ditch to stand beside the passenger door. A man slumped forward, his body resting against the steering wheel.
“Mister! Are you okay?” Torie rapped on the window to get his attention. When he didn’t answer, she grasped the door handle and gave it a tug. The door opened and she reached in, gently nudging the man. Still he didn’t respond, so she applied a little more pressure and eased him off the steering wheel and back into a sitting position. His head lagged to one side, and it was obvious, even before she laid two fingers on his neck, that the man was dead.
Jasmin gasped, placing a hand over her mouth when she leaned in and saw the man.
“What? Do you know him?” said Torie.
“That’s Terry Blatt. He’s the town mayor.”
2
Torie had her phone out and was beginning to dial when Jasmin waved a hand at her.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m calling 9-1-1. We need an ambulance up here. Then I’m calling Max,” Torie said.
“No, call Max first. Give him a head start and then call 9-1-1. I mean, he’s definitely dead, so there’s nothing an ambulance can do for him.”
Torie hesitated but then ended her call and dialed the number for their friend and Sheriff instead. She spoke briefly into the phone and then hung up and placed her 9-1-1 call.
“Okay, everyone has been notified.”
Torie watched as Jasmin opened the passenger side door and half entered the car. Then, closing her eyes, she waved her hand inside the car, her lips moving soundlessly. When she was finished, she stood up and looked at Torie.
“Anything?”
Jasmin shook her head. “Nothing. No magical residue, and I also didn’t pick up the latent presence of anyone else in the car with him. He was alone.”
“You mean, he just pulled off the side of the road and died? Does that happen to people?”
Jasmin shrugged her shoulders, staring at the dead man before them.
“Maybe he had a heart attack or a stroke?”
Torie assessed the man as best she could. He seemed young and fit to her, and while it was difficult to gauge his height while in the position he was, he appeared to be around five feet ten inches and just under one hundred and seventy pounds.
“Is he even forty?” she asked.
“Unlikely. No one wants the job of mayor in this town, and he pretty much ran unopposed the last two election cycles. He was doing a great job from what I’ve heard.”
Now it was Torie’s turn to close her eyes as she reached out with her magic to probe the dead man in front of her. She fought the natural urge to recoil from his lifeless form as her magic snaked in and around the body. She withdrew her power, stepping back from the body.
“I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary about the body. He’s definitely human, and there are no signs that he died of anything mystical.”
“Well, that’s good. Cause around here, you never know anymore.”
The blare of a siren interrupted them as a black Chevy Tahoe with the letter SFPD Sheriff stencil
ed on the side in white pulled up. Torie waved as Max stepped out, his gold sheriff’s badge glistening in the sunlight.
“Hey, Torie. Jasmin. What have we got here?” he asked, circling the car.
“It’s the mayor,” said Jasmin. “We were headed into town and came across this.”
Max studied the scene, his head swiveling from the car to the road and back again.
“Have you touched anything?” he asked.
Torie and Jasmin exchanged looks.
“Well, I mean…you know, we didn’t know he was dead and thought we could help out, so we might have touched the body. But only a little. And once we realized he was dead we haven’t messed with him since,” said Torie.
Max nodded, noting her nervousness.
“Relax. I just need to make a note of that so we can rule out any DNA you might have transferred.”
The two witches watched as he took out his notebook, scribbled something illegible and then resumed his inspection of the car. Putting on gloves, he opened the door and stuck his head inside. Torie could hear him inhaling deeply a few times before he walked back to where she and Jasmin were standing.
“Looks like he’s had a few different people in the car with him, but nobody in the last day or so,” he said. “Did either of you…er, sense anything odd?”
“If you’re asking if he was killed by magic or a supernatural, no,” said Jasmin.
Max cocked his head to one side, listening to something they could not hear.
“Ambulance is coming,” he said. “You should probably be on your way. I’ll let you know if we find anything out of the ordinary.”