by J. M. Taylor
I am stunned. Ronan bites his bottom lip first, then covers his mouth with this hand, trying not to laugh. I can’t help but to wonder if the suggestion of being with me is so ridiculous, he finds it humorous.
“I don’t think so,” I say to the old woman, curling back my lip and crossing my arms after Flynn jumps from them. I want Ronan to know that I’m not interested either, even though I am, and his laughter is hurtful.
It works and he stops laughing, but he looks more hurt and bewildered than relieved. For a moment, I wonder if I’ve misjudged him.
Leanora says something about my youthful stubbornness reminding her of my mother and makes her way to the circle of women. She is following their voices, carefully but steadily into the clearing. She lets the rope go, and her white and gray horse stays behind, rooting for something green beneath the snow.
My mother spots the horse first, but then she sees the old woman coming and runs to her. “Mother!” she cries out.
“Come to me, Clara. Let me touch your face,” Leanora opens her arms and as soon as my mother reaches her, she places her hands on my mother’s face and runs them over her long wavy hair. “Clara, my Clara, how I’ve missed you.”
My mother wraps her arms around her and sobs like a child.
Leanora embraces her and says, “I see the trial of the Wolf Moon has finally come to pass, and you have done what was needed, despite your reluctance to do so. It is time, my daughter, to return to the coven and lead them back onto the right path. Let love live in our hearts again for each other and all that exists around us. Maybe now, we can finally return to reclaim our home from the warlocks of Borthen.”
VI
“I need to get this blood off my hands,” Ronan says to me. “I’m covered in your little fox’s blood. I’m going into the cave and bathing in the pool.”
“Did you hear what Leanora said? A group of warlocks has taken Ravenwood from the coven. Don’t you want to find out what happened and what we are going to do about it?”
“Not particularly,” he answers, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve only been to Ravenwood once, and it wasn’t because I was welcome there. I’m sure what’s happening now is none of my business anyway. This is a problem for the coven, and I have no doubt that these witches can handle themselves.” He nods in Myrna’s direction and pretends to shudder in fear. “That one can probably take on the warlocks all by herself.”
“You don’t care what happens to us?” I hate that my voice sounds hurt when I want to sound angry.
“I am only here because your father asked me to accompany him. We are friends, nothing more. He did not sire me, and I owe him nothing. I don’t usually make his business my own. He seems content to stay with your mother, and I know now there is nothing to keep me here.”
“Fine,” I say. “Go. Just leave us. We don’t need you anyway.”
I hate that he looks beautiful when he clenches his jaw and glares at me with beautiful green eyes beneath wavy dark hair before he walks away. Damn it. Damn him.
The women are talking, so many at once that I’m unable to make out what they are saying. I push through them and find my mother. “What’s happening?” I ask.
“A few of us will be riding to Ravenwood to meet with Wilhelm, he is the leader of the Borthen warlocks. I have been asked to resume my position as leader of the coven, so I need to speak to him.”
“I’ll go with you,” I tell her.
“No, you will stay here.”
“But what if something happens to you? Do we know why the warlocks took over Ravenwood? You could be in danger by going there.”
“We don’t know what happened, only that they invaded Ravenwood when only a few were left to defend it. But he spent many years pursuing Thayna, and my guess is that she is behind it somehow. She must have angered them. If I tell Wilhelm that she is dead and bring him what remains of her as proof, he may be willing to speak with me and come to a peaceful agreement.”
“I can’t believe you don’t want me to come with you. Am I to stay here and do nothing? I am not a child, you know.”
“That you are not,” my mother smiles and touches my face. “You are a strong and intelligent young woman, and I know that you will watch over our home and make those who stay behind feel welcome until I return.”
Myrna turns and whistles into the forest. The ground shakes beneath our feet, and out of the darkness, horses gallop toward us. They slow only long enough for the women to mount them, and one by one, they disappear into the darkness again.
My mother is the last to leave. She blows me a kiss as she vanishes into the night on her way to Ravenwood.
Those who remain behind seem pleased with the night’s outcome. They rest around a blazing fire and share the wine and food they have carried with them. Their laughter floats in warm swirls from their mouths as it reaches the icy air. Although the fate of Ravenwood is uncertain, they are happy to have my mother back and confident everything will work out as it is meant to be.
I wish I could join in their revelry, but I am tired of being overlooked and rejected. The thought of Ronan seeing me bathe and then laughing at the idea of being with me becomes the focus of my frustration, so I march into the cave, down the long winding corridors until I reach the bathing chamber.
His clothes are scattered on the floor, the water trickles down into the pool, but he is nowhere to be seen. I know he’s in here, and I’m determined to watch him as I know he watched me, only I don’t care if he sees me doing it. I’m not going to pretend to be asleep. I’m not a coward. He will know that I see him, and then I will be the one to judge him.
When he emerges from under the water with a big splash, I’m not as prepared as I had anticipated. The water barely reaches his hips. His body is lean, muscles ripple down his stomach and over his arms. A thin hairline runs down his belly to his –
“Pardon me, but what are you doing here?” Ronan practically shouts as he covers his nipples and sinks down into the water, hiding his hairline – much to my disappointment.
“If you can look, so can I.” I’m not sure what to do with my hands, they are shaking a little, so I just place them on my hips and shift my weight to one leg. I hope he senses my attempt to be condescending rather than how I truly feel – which is flustered.
“What are you talking about?” he asks.
“I know you saw me bathing earlier today. Of all the places you could have found to sleep, you chose this room. What if my mother had come in here first? Would you have spied on her?”
“First of all, I don’t sleep. I was only resting. And if your mother had come in here first, I would have warned her.” He uncovers himself to confront me and stands up.
I can almost see exactly where the hairline leads down his belly, and my heart starts racing. He notices and flashes a crooked smile, and I try to regain my composure.
“You don’t sleep? So, you admit to watching me and saying nothing?”
“No, I do not admit it. I deny it. I deny everything. I was resting. I found the sound of the water running over the rocks soothing, that’s all. I never thought anyone would come in here and not see me. I was in the open, perfectly visible. At first, I thought you wanted me to see you. When I realized you didn’t know I was in here, I shut my eyes. I swear it. I confess that I peeked. Once. Maybe twice at first, but I had no intention of fooling you or watching you without your consent. That would be unforgivable. When I noticed you were oblivious to me, I kept my eyes closed until you left.”
I believe him. I don’t want to believe him because I’m still hurt that he rejects me, but he’s telling the truth. I see it clearly.
“Are you angry with me?” He sounds genuinely sorry. “Your heart is racing again. Is it because you are angry?”
“No, I’m not angry.” My face is hot, and I hate that my heart races even faster when I look at him. I close my eyes and try to erase his beauty from my mind, but his hand touches mine and my heart feels like it’s going to explode
out of my chest.
“We shouldn’t lie to each other anymore,” he says. “If you want me, you must know that I want you as well. The old woman said you should take me to bed. Is that what you want?”
He kisses my hand, his lips dripping with cool water, and I open my eyes again to see him more clearly than ever. His green eyes are pleading with me now, begging me to desire him in return.
“Come to me,” I say to him. The words leave my mouth before I think them; I am all passion – hot and quivering, and when he steps from the pool, I know he feels the same.
He stands before me, water gleaming on his firm body, and unties my cloak, tossing it to the ground behind me. He brushes my hair away from my shoulders and unties my dress. He moves slowly, carefully tugging the ribbon through each metal eyelet until he is able to easily slide the dress from my body.
I am tingling all over. This is only a glimmer of what I have felt when reading books. My skin is hot, but I’m still shivering. When he moves his fingers across my breast through my thin, white shift, my nipple hardens beneath his touch and desire surges between my legs. I run my hands over his arms, squeezing his hard, wet muscles, and make my way to the strength of his stomach where I follow the hairline down with my fingertip.
He likes that I am curious and encourages me but deprives me long enough to slip my shift off. I want him; I want to taste him. Watching him suck on my now exposed breast makes me want him more, so I grab the hair on the back of his head and pull him to me, pressing my mouth to his. He thrusts his tongue through my partly opened lips, and I feel like devouring him.
He is in no doubt of my desire now. His hands move slowly around my waist and down my back until he has a firm grasp on my bottom, and then he grips tightly and lifts me up, urging me to wrap my legs around him, all while his lips are still on mine.
I feel him pressing between my legs. The ribbons around my winter stockings have come undone, and he moves one out of the way so he can rub the skin beneath it. I can’t stop moving against him. He moans and stops kissing me, and I can hear myself pleading with him not to stop. Although my thoughts seem too far away to summon any coherent words, I know that I’ve been heard. His eyes meet mine as he kneels with me in his arms and gently lays me down on my back, making sure my cloak is spread out beneath me. He kisses me again, softly this time, and gently enters me. A sharp pain rushes through me at first, but the more we move together, the less pain I feel. It is all pleasure now. Deep, yearning pleasure that intensifies with every thrust of his body into mine, and when he reaches his hand down to rub between my legs, I feel like I’m spinning and floating all at once until a burst of release flows through my body and down to my toes. My back arches in response and I clutch his arms and call out to him.
He hovers over me, happy for me, and obviously pleased with himself, but he isn’t finished. “My turn,” he says, taking my mouth with his. His thrusting quickens and he throws his head back to let out a deep, satisfied groan. Still, he doesn’t leave me. He kisses my mouth and my neck and then gently tugs on my nipple with his lips. I love the feel of his hair on my bare chest when he finally collapses. It is still damp, but it’s soft and the waves are returning as it dries. I curl one around my finger and breathe a sigh of complete contentment.
“I have to go,” I tell him.
“What? You have to go now?” he asks, lifting his head to look at me.
“Yes, and so do you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My mother, Myrna, and some of the other coven members have gone to Ravenwood, and I’m not going to let anything happen to my mother.”
He looks puzzled. “But she’s already left, and as you said, others are with her. She’s not alone. If others accompanied her, especially Myrna, I’m sure she is safe.”
I force him to roll off me and proceed to get dressed. He watches me straighten my stockings over my thighs and reaches for me, kissing my leg and imploring me to stay and be with him again.
“I can’t. We can’t. There will be another time, I promise. But right now, we must get going.” I gather his clothes and toss them to him. “Get dressed and meet me outside. We are going to Ravenwood. We’ll keep our distance at first. I just want to know that my mother is safe.”
“Wait a minute. You’ve never been to Ravenwood, have you? How do you know the way?”
“I don’t, but you do, so get dressed.”
“What makes you think I’ll show you the way? If your mother has left you here, I’m sure there is a reason. I have no plans to lead you into danger.”
Before he has a chance to say another word, I entangle my fingers around the back of his hair and pull him toward me again. This time, I am the one who thrusts my tongue into his mouth. I can feel the tension and desire pulse through him at my touch, and I know I have won.
“Show me the way,” I whisper in his ear before moving my lips slowly down his neck.
He sighs in surrender. “Fine, I’ll go with you. But if there is danger, you must swear that you will come back with me to get the others. No sending me ahead to get help. You return with me, and we will make a plan before proceeding if needed.”
“But you are faster than me. If my mother needs help, you must be willing to come back for the others.”
He shakes his head as he tucks in his shirt and fastens his pants. “I will not go unless you swear it. If you will not have me again, so be it. I will not be a part of leading you into peril and then being asked to leave you.”
“If Wilhelm moves against my mother and refuses to talk peacefully, I will not send you to come back on your own.”
“Swear it,” he insists.
“I swear it,” I say, and I mean it. I swear that I will not send him back on his own. I do not promise that I will return here to inform the rest of the coven and take time to plan a course of action. He thinks that is part of our deal, but that is not what I've agreed to. Of course, I don’t explain that to him. I need for him to lead the way to Ravenwood.
If my mother is in danger, I will take care of it on my own. The very thought of anyone hurting her sends fire raging in brilliant swirls of red and orange beneath my skin. “If there is a threat, I will not run again,” I say quietly to myself as I leave Ronan to finish getting dressed. “I will fight. I am ready.”
Wolf Moon
A note from the author:
Wolf Moon was originally published in an anthology as a “one and done” short story, but I just couldn’t seem to let Violet go, so I have expanded on her adventures and introduced new characters.
With his charming good looks and roguish disposition, Ronan has succeeded in catching Violet’s attention. But will it last? Violet isn’t the romantic type, and now that she’s overcome her initial insecurities regarding attractiveness and intimacy, it doesn’t seem like anything or anyone will hold her back.
Only time will tell, I guess, but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Violet, Ronan, and the others in my new Violet of Ravenwood series.
The second book in the series is Ravenwood, and I have included the first chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it.
Ravenwood
J. M. Taylor
Violet of Ravenwood Series
Book Two
For a sneak peek of Ravenwood, here is the first chapter:
I
The old, blind woman is standing with horses at her side, waiting for me. It’s impossible to say how long she has been there, but there is no doubt that she has been expecting me. When she hears the icy snow crunch beneath my feet just outside of the cave, she speaks to me.
“Granddaughter, you have decided to follow your mother even though she has told you to stay behind.”
It is not a question, and I know the horses are for Ronan and me. She passes their reins to me, taking my hand when I reach for them. She is warm, but the finger she runs along my palm is rough. “Your mother should never have gone, but she was right to leave you behind. Ravenwood is a dang
erous place to be now.”
I pull away from her. “I’m stronger than my mother knows, and I’m not afraid.”
My intention of sounding strong and self-assured is muddled by a mix of overconfidence and indignation. I am not a child anymore, and it’s time I stopped sounding like one. Shame immediately follows my realization of this, but I do my best to recover.
“Thank you, Leanora,” I say to her, not yet ready to call this woman I don’t know Grandmother. “Your concern is appreciated, and your warning will be taken into consideration. When I arrive at Ravenwood, I will approach Wilhelm with caution.”
“It is not Wilhelm you should fear the most, though he is dangerous enough. Another awaits your arrival at Ravenwood.” She holds up what is left of Thayna’s cloak and says, “I saw it in the ashes you left behind; your fire burned a story I could not see before. There was no time to warn your mother. Her blindness is greater than mine now. Ravenwood is a trap. You should not follow her there.”
“What do you mean it’s a trap? The coven planned to kill me only hours ago, and now there is someone waiting for me in Ravenwood? I think your powers of sight are failing you, old woman.”
“You would be wise to respect your elders, child.” Her sweet tone is gone, and in its place, one with thundering severity, surprising of one so seemingly frail. It is a warning, not unlike my mother has always given me, that I have gone too far. But her tone softens again when she says, “On the eve of the Wolf Moon, Thayna came to me for a Flower of Endral. I did not know her reason for it then, but I know now.” She digs into a pocket on Thayna’s cloak and pulls out a vile of clear fluid with white petals floating inside. “It is true that she had planned to kill my beautiful Clara, but she never had any intention of killing you. You were far too valuable to her. You were to be sacrificed, but not in death. Thayna had other plans for you.”