I clawed at my chest as the pressure increased so much I struggled to inhale.
I loved this man, more than I ever thought possible. I couldn’t let him leave all this for me.
In the summer I spent here with Joan, I felt more connected with her than my own mother. With Joan’s death, the Coles no longer had the concoction masking their scent. Without that protection, they were vulnerable to attack from other hunters. Ones that would kill them.
Joan wasn’t just a hunter. She was the descendant of a powerful witch. We were so alike, not just in looks but I now suspected in values, and the belief to do what was right.
What if I…stayed? I had Joan’s grimoire. I could use it to study, practice magic and develop my skill to protect the Coles and the entire shifter community. I could continue Joan’s legacy and break the hunter curse for every family line of the original coven.
I’d no longer be a failure. I’d finally become a woman I was proud of.
A woman Joan would be proud of.
Reaching over to the ignition, I grabbed the keys to Noah’s truck and got out. Inside the bar, I found Noah talking to Liam, pointing at various bottles with a clipboard in his hand. The scene threw me right back to the beginning, to that first night I came to Woodland Falls and saw him standing behind the bar.
I slid onto the same stool I sat on that night.
Noah glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Sorry. I just need a few more minutes.”
I dismissed his concern with a wave. “I’m staying right here.”
He turned back to Liam, paused, then glanced at me. “What did you say?”
I placed my forearms on the bar top and settled in. “I think you should have a cocktail night every Friday. Maybe from seven? Start with a few classics to see if the locals like it before you go crazy ordering fancy glassware.”
He moved closer to stand before me, a slight frown on his face. “Okay.”
He didn’t get it. I needed to be more obvious. “Maybe I could help, you know, we could test them before adding the cocktails to a menu. I could also help clear tables. You could teach me how to pour a beer.”
“Mia, what are you saying?”
Deep breath.
For the first time in my life, I was about to put down roots. Not where I expected. In fact, somewhere totally unexpected. I didn’t have a job, but given I still owned Joan’s house, I could take my time finding work.
I glanced past Noah at his brother, who watched our exchange with a warm smile on his face. From the second I walked into this bar four weeks ago, the Cole family had been nothing but kind and welcoming.
Being here felt right. Staying here with Noah had never felt more right.
Liam’s slight nod was the final reassurance I needed, to know I’d made the right decision.
I looked at Noah. “Let’s stay.”
His frown deepened. He tossed the clipboard on the counter. I swiveled my chair, tracking his every step as he rounded the bar to stand between my legs.
“I said I’d go with you. The bar is just a business.” He brushed the back of his hand along my jaw. “You’re what’s important to me. You’re my future.”
My heart had never felt so full. He truly would give up everything for me.
“I know.” I slid my hand down the tattoos on his arm until my fingers reached the lone wolf at his wrist. “Sitting in the parking lot I realized what’s important to me.”
“Cocktail night?”
I barked a laugh. “Yes. But what I want the most in my life, what I’ve been yearning for, is family. What you, your brothers and Ivy have, I want that. I’m nothing like my mother, and I won’t turn out like her or those other psychos. I love you Noah Cole and I want a life with you. I want to be part of the Cole family.”
“I love you too, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “You’re already part of the Cole family. It doesn’t matter where we live. Don’t stay here just for me.”
I appreciated him saying that more than he’d ever know. “I want to stay for us. I want to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps, embrace my witch heritage and protect shifters. I want to continue Joan’s legacy together, right here in Woodland Falls.”
He cupped my face in his. “Are you sure? ’Cause I would follow you anywhere.”
“I know. But the only place I want you to follow me is back to the Whitcome House. Our house.”
He held my gaze for precious heartbeats before taking my mouth with his. He kissed me like I was his salvation, the breath to his lungs. But little did he know, he was mine.
The kiss was full of love and commitment. Two souls finally reunited after so many years apart.
Still cradling my face between his hands, he drew back. “Are you definitely sure?”
I couldn’t wipe the smile from my cheeks. “One-hundred percent.”
Liam cleared his throat, leaning over the bar to dangle keys in the air between us. “Welcome back, you two.” Liam raised his brows at me. “I’m glad you’re staying, ’cause the thought of making cocktails every Friday night freaked me the hell out.”
Noah and I both laughed.
One laugh, one smile and my world righted itself again. Sure, we’d face challenges along the way, but together, I knew without a doubt that we’d make it through. Because nothing could rival the bonds of family and loyalty, and the power of love.
Connect with Cassie
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Also by Cassie Laelyn
Unforsaken, The Fallen Guardians #1
Unforgotten, The Fallen Guardians #2
Unseen, The Fallen Guardians #3 - coming 30 November 2020. Preorder now!
About the Author
Cassie is an award-winning paranormal romance author living in sunny Queensland, Australia with her husband and two BMX-crazy boys.
Cassie has a passion for crafting stories involving loyal, otherworldly characters in need of love and redemption. She’s a self-confessed chocoholic and a huge sucker for an angsty, gut-wrenching happily ever after.
When she isn't narrating imaginary characters, Cassie loves binging on TV shows, spending time at the beach, and curling up listening to the rain.
Join Cassie’s newsletter (www.cassielaelyn.com) to stay up to date with release information, including the next instalment in her award-winning, steamy paranormal romance series, The Fallen Guardians. You can also stalk Cassie on social media here:
Acknowledgments
Firstly, a huge congratulations to Nancy C for choosing the winning town name of Woodland Falls – it’s perfect! I hope you love Noah and Mia’s story!
A big thank you to the members of my Facebook Reader Group (Cassie’s Log Cabin) – you guys are awesome! Thank you for cheering me on, talking about my books and pestering me for more. Your support means the world to me.
Thank you also to every reader who’s read, reviewed and/or promoted the Warlords, Witches and Wolves Anthology. Salvation is the beginning of a new and exciting adventure for me, and I can’t wait to share the series with you.
Cassie x
Shadowed Moon
by SE Welsh
For the girl who inspired Luna—may you always find someone who’ll hold your hand when times are tough.
About Shadowed Moon
Leaving home is never easy but for single mum Tabitha, Carnarben is no longer a safe haven. Plagued by memories and smoth
ered by well-meaning meddlers, the witch knows it’s time to start afresh—and where could be safer than Echo, home of the largest werewolf pack in Australia and its sexy Alpha? But a blown secret and a shadow from her past threaten to ruin her new beginning.
Chapter 1
Tabitha threw her satchel on the passenger seat, clipped her seatbelt and turned the ignition, tapping the wheel. A quick glance at her watch proved her fears were about to be realised.
Winding down the window, she slammed her hand on the horn. Twice. “LUNA ROSE LEWIS! Get your butt out here right this instant or I swear, you’re going on a total tech ban for a month!”
“Chill, Mum,” Luna drawled, locking the door then flicking her school bag with dramatic flair over her shoulder. “I’m here.”
Chill? Where was the attitude coming from? Luna was eight, not eighteen!
“We’re going to be late, chick, and it’s our first day.”
“Then let’s go faster.”
The little imp grinned at her in the rear-view mirror as she closed the car door behind her. Tabitha sighed. It was never easy, trying to explain the rules to her daughter. Their lineage put more restrictions on them than others. What eight-year-old wanted to be bound by rules when, with a wave of her finger, she could do almost anything elementally possible?
Elementally possible. There were limitations. That, and the rule of three. But try explaining that to a girl who saw the world through rose-coloured goggles.
“I’ve told you before sweetheart, we can’t use our powers to—”
“I know, Mum,” she said with an eye-roll. “I just meant maybe you should put your foot down on the acceltorator.”
And her eight-year-old was back again.
“Accelerator,” Tabitha corrected as she reversed out and put her foot down. Thankfully, the five-minute drive to school wasn’t interrupted by sirens or traffic lights.
They’d only just arrived when the bell sounded. Tabitha raced up the front stairs, Luna’s hand in hers, and stopped outside her daughter’s classroom. Luna fidgeted with her bag. Tabitha waited. Mum-sense told her to give it a minute. The kids in her Year 6 class could wait. Her daughter couldn’t.
“What if they don’t like me?”
Tabitha smiled, pulling her daughter in for a hug.
“Then they’re the ones who lose, chick. You be you. I guarantee there’ll be someone in that class who has good taste.” She dropped a kiss on Luna’s forehead. “Now hurry up. My big kids will be waiting.”
Luna’s nose wrinkled. “Mum, you should ask the cleaners to use a different detergent. It smells like wet dog in here.”
And with those final words of wisdom, her girl screwed up her courage and pushed through the door.
Wet dog. From the mouths of babes. That ‘wet dog’ smell would keep them safe. No right-minded Inquisitor would hunt for a witch in a town teaming with wolves. And this town had the healthiest pack of werewolves in the Southern Hemisphere. That, and the fact this was Tabitha’s first job outside her hometown, were the two strongest reasons they’d stay safe.
They could’ve stayed in Carnarben, a tiny country town inhabited solely by witches where both Tabitha and Luna were born, but Tabitha felt claustrophobic. Too many memories, with not enough space to escape them and the well-meaning meddlers. Echo was her next best option.
As long as she kept her head down, made sure she introduced herself to the Alpha and stayed on his good side, she was sure they could make a life here. And that afternoon she’d make it her priority—right after she got to know her new class and colleagues.
“Miss Bright, are you going to the markets this weekend?” asked Cole.
The cheeky little scamp, and the party child of the classroom, stood in front of her, just outside the door. Or maybe she shouldn’t say ‘stood’. The boy shifted from foot to foot, hands in constant motion, whether he was talking or not. His dark brown hair was a wild mess around his head and cute little freckles dusted his nose, an observation Tabitha knew he wouldn’t appreciate.
He smelled like wet dog, the forest, and ‘boy’. Wolf.
“There’re markets? I hadn’t heard.” She balanced her work on one hip and locked the classroom with her free hand. “Should I be going?”
“You sure should, Miss. They have them once a month, in the park by the river, and everyone brings their home-made stuff to sell. There’s food and music and—”
“Sounds like fun,” she said, talking to Cole as she hurried to Luna’s classroom. Her girl would worry if she didn’t get there soon to pick her up. It was the first day after all. “Do you think my daughter will like it?”
“You have a kid? What’s her name? Is she at our school?”
Tabitha laughed. Kids—so easily distracted.
“Her name’s Luna, she’s in Year 3. Now, will she like these markets?”
They’d almost reached the classroom when Luna barrelled out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She threw herself into Tabitha, only relaxing when her mother dropped her box to the floor and wrapped both arms around her.
“What’s wrong, baby?” It worried Tabitha. Luna was a confident, energetic kid. She most definitely wasn’t a crier.
“They hate me.”
Luna muffled the words against her shirt, but Tabitha caught them anyway.
“Who hates you, chick? I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that.” But kids could be cruel. Especially in Year 3, when they hadn’t learned to keep things to themselves yet.
“We had P.E. today. The girls laughed at me when I came last running. And when I dropped the ball in basketball.” The tears bubbled up. “I’ve never played basketball, Mummy! Why would I be good first go?”
Tabitha nearly growled. Wolves. Too bloody athletic for their own good, even at that age, and not enough sense to realise they were different.
“Who were they?”
The words came from Cole, who she’d all but forgotten in the moment. He had a ferocious little scowl on his face and hovered protectively over her little girl. She almost smiled. That right there was the reason they’d be safe in this town. Wolves protected their own, and once one of them accepted you as ‘theirs,’ they were intensely loyal.
Luna had just found herself a big protector. She sniffed back her tears and peered through her golden curls at him, curious. “The Fleet twins. And their friends. Most of the class, really.”
Probably all the wolves. Once one got something into their head, particularly if they had an alpha personality, the rest of them followed. One twin must have alpha tendencies.
Just like Cole.
“My sisters,” he said in a rumbly little growl.
It was adorable really, but Luna slunk back further into her. She sighed. They would have to have a talk about why they were there. And how to handle wolves.
“I’m their big brother Cole, and you can bet I’ll be talking to them tonight,” the boy continued, speaking directly to Luna. “Just because someone’s different is no reason to be nasty. Wanna come and play while you wait for your mum?”
Truer words were never spoken. Cole held out his hand for her daughter, who tentatively took it, the lure of friends and fun too great to ignore.
“We’ll just be in the gym, Miss. I’ll show Luna some basketball moves so she can hold her head up high next P.E. day.”
With a little wave, Luna trotted off beside the bigger boy, hope in her clear, blue eyes.
Tabitha smiled. Tomorrow would be a better day.
“You definitely had a stroke of luck there,” a petite redhead said with a grin as she poked her head out of Luna’s classroom. “Cole’s going to take care of her like he’s her own personal bodyguard. The Year 3s won’t know what hit them.”
Tabitha returned her smile, holding out her hand for the introduction. “You must be Regina Klau, Luna’s teacher. I’m Tabitha.”
“It’s Reggie. Regina is a woman with her nose in the air looking down on everyone,” she replied, shaking Tabitha’s hand enthu
siastically. “I’d rather be down in the dirt like everyone else.” Her smile faded a little. “Sorry her first day was awful. The P.E. teacher isn’t particularly tolerant himself and tends to ignore when the kids are arseholes. Says it’s ‘character building’.”
Reggie scrunched up her nose.
“Motto of chauvinistic arsewipes the world over,” Tabitha said. “That being said, for athletic kids, it’s hard to understand that everyone can’t pick it up like that.”
Reggie looked hesitant, then seemed to gather her courage, forging on. “I’m sure you’ve figured out the people in this town are a little… different.”
Different was right. Reggie possessed that woodsy scent Tabitha associated with adult wolves. The wet dog stench attached itself only to pups.
“Difference is a good thing,” she hedged.
“You smell different yourself,” Reggie said, bold, now that Tabitha understood her subtext.
“Yes,” she said, deciding to take a risk. “That’s something I have to talk to your Alpha about, though I still haven’t worked out who he is.”
It was out there. Tabitha knew Reggie was a wolf, and Reggie knew she was… different. And that she wouldn’t talk about it. At least, not until after she’d seen the Alpha.
The woman smirked. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting. You’ve got your work cut out for you. Jarrad Forrester is the superintendent of the local police force and is an overprotective S.O.B. of anything he considers his—which is this whole town. He’ll interrogate you, and boss you around a bit, and try to lay down the law, but as long as you don’t stir any trouble, you should be fine.”
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