Passion of a Witch: A Wicked Series - Book 1

by K. D. Friedrich

  Great sadness filled her eyes at the sound of the name. “Yes, you know him? I'm not surprised. The witch community is tight-knit. How is he? I have not seen my brother in almost thirty years. We were so close at one time.”

  “Campbell?” The name picked at his brain. “Campbell,” Kian repeated. It sounded so damn familiar. The answer slammed into him like a damn truck. Queasiness settled in his stomach. He stared at Summer with fury at the wretched irony cast upon them. “You have got to be kidding me. It’s him, isn't it?”

  “Please excuse me?” Summer stood. “Umm, where's Winter?”

  “I'm right here.” Winter strolled in and halted. “What's going on? What happened?”

  “Nothing, let's go get in the truck. Kian and his mother need a few moments. I’ll… I mean, we'll…” Summer ushered Winter toward the door.

  “Why are you pushing me?” Winter snapped.

  “Take your time, Kian. Lorena, it was such a pleasure to meet you,” Summer murmured quickly.

  He cracked his neck, hoping to fight back the monster headache brewing in his brain. He paced back and forth across the room. This can't be fucking happening.

  “Why was she acting so strange? I know it has nothing to do with your half-breed status. She seemed accepting of it when we spoke,” his mother remarked.

  She sat straighter on the bed. He noticed the color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes held vitality. Kian stopped his pacing.

  “Summer helped you, didn't she?”

  Lenora offered him a faint smile. “She took away some of my pain. She is an exceptionally gifted healer. Now, why was she so terrified?”

  “The guy her parents are forcing her to marry is named Malcolm Campbell. If her expression was any indication, he might be my cousin.”

  Lenora covered her mouth, her shock clear. “Oh no, the poor child. I'm so sorry, Kian.”

  “It doesn't matter.” Jesus, a huge, unmovable weight settled on his shoulders.

  “I don't believe you. You care for this woman. A sense of rightness settles over you when she is near, doesn't it?”

  He spun on his mother. He didn't need a damn lecture from a liar. “You don't know anything about what I feel.”

  “You feel… energized. Your heart beats faster even though you are sitting still. Tell me. Does your skin get tight as if you were ready to burst? Does strength build within you, higher and higher the closer she draws near?”

  “How did you know?”

  “She will open a whole new world for you, Kian. I should have known something was going on when I saw the change in your eyes.”

  “What change? I don’t get any of this.” He raked his fingers through his hair.

  “When you came the other day, I noticed your eyes flash gray. It happens to a witch when they call to their element.” He remembered the way Summer’s eyes glowed with a white-gray light back in the grove when she lifted her arms to the sky. “Your power is searching for a weakness in the spell binding it. It's fighting against the barriers I put in place not long after you were born, and Summer is the reason. She may be your destined mate, a precious gift for any supernatural being, especially a witch. With our numbers diminishing, the possibility of meeting a mate within the covens had become impossible.”

  “Summer is engaged or promised or whatever the hell you want to call it. So she is Malcolm's gift, not mine.” Kian covered his face with his hand and rubbed his tired eyes. Yet the ache centering in his head continued to throb. “I want to know one thing, Mom. Why did you keep this from me? And don't you dare say it was to protect me.”

  She turned her gaze to the window. “My people exiled me from my coven, Kian. When I married your father, they stripped me of my title, and in turn, the same applied to any offspring I bore. They banished me. I was so young. Not much younger than you are now. I was saving you from their rejection, from the disgrace I set on myself and my legacy. If you or your sister didn't know about my shame, then it couldn't hurt you.”

  “So you shoved some damn magic wall inside us. Did you do it to Alana too? Is that why Alana got sick?”

  “How dare you? How could you think I would harm either one of you?”

  “Why not? You had no problem shoving some magical wall inside me.”

  “The binding caused you no physical harm.”

  “And Alana?”

  “She possessed no magic. She was born negated.” She twisted the blanket in her hands. “For this reason, she was susceptible to human diseases. Nothing I did caused or could have prevented it.”

  He wasn't sure whether he believed her. Her betrayal flash froze his heart with the speed of liquid nitrogen. All his life, Kian sensed that something lurked in the shadows of his mind, strength he couldn't comprehend or obtain, but wished to. Now he knew why.

  “Tell me how to get rid of the damn wall. Release my magic. Now.”

  “I can't. It was not meant to be broken.” His fists clenched at his sides. Anger threatened to explode from him at any moment, and he feared for anyone in his way when it did. “But there are signs the spell is weakening. I've sensed power fluxes in your presence. Being around Summer has strengthened your power, while wearing away at the binding spell. Mates enhance each other in many ways.”

  “We're not mates. We're not anything.” He shook his head. “I need to go.”

  “Please don't leave like this.”

  He jerked back from her touch. “Leave like what? Furious? Pissed off to the point I might find the first asshole I can and beat the living shit out of him? I'm sorry, Mom, I can't hide my emotions as easily as you.”

  “Please forgive me, my son. I did what I thought was right. What I had to do to protect you.”

  He didn't lean over and kiss her forehead as he always did before he left. For the first time in his life, he turned his back on his mother and walked away.

  ***

  Pete waited outside the clinic, hidden behind a patch of trees. He watched as the two women Kian arrived with hurried out of the clinic without him and jumped into the truck. He expected Kian to follow, but he didn't.

  The older broad with the long curly hair made his dick harden the instant he saw her. The other one wasn't bad either, but he didn't do kids. He wanted a woman with experience, and the small one looked like she hadn't even started puberty yet. He'd let the kid break her in first.

  He chuckled. Kian sure had some set of balls.

  Not only did Pete find Kian hanging out in the woods Maxwell wanted, but with the very people he planned to destroy. Now who was the manipulator? Kian was more like his father than he wanted to admit.

  No wonder Kian avoided Maxwell's calls. He was sleeping with the enemy.

  The black-haired beauty spun as if spooked. The iridescent flare of her eyes peered out the passenger window of the truck, scanning the shadows where Pete stood. He ducked behind the large tree trunk with a huge grin on his face. “Well, I'll be damned. Kian's got himself some witch pussy.” Pete may be too human to sense her, but he'd never mistake the magic glow of a witch's eyes.

  Does the kid know what kind of woman he's fucking? Who am I kidding? The kid doesn’t know shit.

  Witches didn't reveal themselves to humans.

  Another idea struck. If the chick he's messing with was a witch, Pete had to handle this entire mission another way.

  There were people he needed to see, favors he had to cash in on to ensure he put the witch and him on an even playing field. Time to make some calls.

  Chapter 14

  Kian stopped his truck in front of Summer's dark cottage. With a wave of her hand, the candles placed on each window sill sprung to life.

  “Neat trick.” A trick he'd never do because his mother cemented his abilities behind a damn internal wall.

  Summer gave him a smile, but her offer didn't reach her eyes.

  Long stretches of silence and a series of anxious glances filled the cab on the ride home. The only time anyone spoke was when they stopped at a drive-thru for
some dinner. He was shocked to learn Winter and Summer had never had a cheeseburger or french fries. So, ignoring Summer's protest, he stopped at the closest fast food place and bought them both kids meals.

  By the time they entered the house, Winter had devoured half her burger. They ate in silence. Well, Kian tried to eat, but he left his appetite back at the center with his mom. Each bite slid down his throat like a mouthful of rocks.

  His phone buzzed for the third time in an hour, but he ignored it. Talking to anyone made the bottom of his to-do list at the moment.

  “Aren't you going to answer the call?” asked Summer.

  “No.” No matter who it was, it wasn't good news. It never was.

  “It could be about your mother.”

  The phone buzzed again. He bit back a curse and checked his phone display. Shit, I should have left it in my damn pocket. His father's number stared back at him like a policeman's flashlight after a night of drinking. He shoved the cell phone back in his pocket. Kian was going to have to call him. He avoided him enough these last few days. Maxwell had to be pissed. Not a good thing.

  “Is everything okay?” Concern filled her gaze.

  Kian rubbed his eyes. “It was my dad. I'll call him later.”

  “What's this?” Winter asked. She held a bright pink and purple thing in a clear bag.

  “Your free toy. It comes with the meal. Here, I'll show you.” He sat on the floor beside her, tore open the bag, and pulled out a pink plastic pony.

  “Oh, it's beautiful,” she whispered. She hugged it tight. “I love it, Kian. Thank you so much.” She hugged him again. His arms came around her and he held her tight. He glanced at Summer over Winter's shoulder and couldn’t help but smile. Her childlike wonder cracked his foul mood in half with little effort.

  “See if you got one too, Summer.” Winter smiled wide.

  Sure enough, Summer pulled out an orange bag. Nestled inside sat a pony with a shiny, golden mane. She tossed it over to Winter. “Here, you can have it.”

  “Thanks.” Winter beamed.

  They finished their meals in silence. Winter brushed the mane on her ponies with the small comb included in the bag while Kian stared out a nearby window.

  “Come on, Winter. It’s getting late,” Summer suddenly announced.

  “It's not even ten o'clock.” Winter crossed her arms over her chest. “You need to stop treating me like a child. I'm almost of promising age, you know.” She pouted, the pink pony held in her tight grip.

  “Says the girl holding a little pony toy.”

  “It's not a toy. It's a gift from Kian.”

  Summer sighed. “Don't argue with me. I need to speak with Kian. Alone.”

  Winter frowned. “All right, I still say it's not fair.” She gave Kian a quick hug and shuffled into her room.

  Kian glanced over at Summer. “You want to talk?”

  “I can teach you. I mean, if you want to learn, there's some basic conquering skills—”

  “I have no power, Summer.”

  “Do you truly accept you are without power?”

  Kian lifted his brow. “I don't know what to think anymore.”

  “I've sensed your magic. Several times in fact.”

  He hesitated. “My mother claims its permanent. She gave me a witch's version of a magical vasectomy for God's sake.”

  Summer bit back a chuckle. “You have such a way with words. Let's go to the grove. Powers are stronger there.” She advanced and held out her hand. “Will you trust me? I promise it will be painless.”

  “What the hell.” He took her hand. “Not like I have anything to lose.”

  They strolled together toward the grove through the darkness that shrouded most of the land. Scattered pockets of moonlight pierced the canopy with silver rays, adding soft highlights to the low-lying foliage and the gentle mist hovering in the air. Each time the wind drifted through the trees, the leaves gave a rolling rattle, bringing the scent of earth, pine, and flowers past his nostrils. The usual insects quieted, as if lulled to sleep by the calming sounds of the swaying branches above them.

  Summer led him along the wooden pathway. They made the trip without a word; although, her momentary glances expressed what her silence had not. The shy looks whispered curiosity, attraction, and innocence, and his body couldn't help but react.

  Yeah, he knew this little excursion had nothing to do with sex. She may want him, but she'd never act on her desire. Instead, she'd lock her lust behind the sense of duty and tradition her parents shoved down her throat.

  No, her suggestion was an offer of kindness. He chanted his interpretation in his head, yet the knowledge failed to stifle his growing need. It burned hotter with each step. By the time they entered the small clearing, his blood boiled, his cock throbbed, and his hands shook with the drive to hold her.

  Summer dragged him toward the small hut. She lowered herself onto the cool stone steps and motioned to the spot beside her. “Sit with me.”

  He angled his body to block the outline of his heavy erection. “Summer, I doubt it's going to do any good.”

  “Humor me.” Her amusement made his cock ache. Oh, baby, I want to do a hell of a lot more than humor you.

  She caught him off guard with a less than gentle tug. The sharp jerk forced him to plop beside her. He scowled at her, but his annoyance faded the second he gazed into her olive-green eyes. She licked her full lips and he held back a groan. Moonlight reflected off her hair, giving the thick strands streaks of blue highlights.

  “Close your eyes and lift your hands, palms facing me.”

  He did as she said, curious and excited at the prospect of touching her. Shit, with everything going on, getting his hands on her should be the last thing on his mind, not the one thing.

  Her fingers weaved with his. He tensed at the tingling sensation passing between them. Her palms were warm and soft. “Relax. It's us. No one else, Kian.”

  He grinned. The way I like it.

  She belonged to him.

  All of a sudden, the forest stilled. The beating of his heart filled his ears, or was it hers pounding? He couldn't tell. After a moment, heat centered in his palm, growing hotter. He flinched.

  “Don't break it,” she called out.

  How could he consider separating himself from her? If anything, he wanted to be closer, deeper within her, until he branded himself on every part of her. Until he touched her in a way no one ever had.

  The tingling warmth spread down his arms, bleeding out into the rest of his body. His cock, still hard, tensed as if she had wrapped her hand around his shaft and pumped.

  “I see it, Kian. I see the barrier. It's strong, woven into you. I need a closer look. I’m going in deeper. The feeling may become strange, but not painful, like when I healed your leg.”

  His back arched. “Shit,” he groaned.

  Oh, she was wrong. This didn't feel anything like when she healed his ankle. It felt hot, intrusive, and so fucking erotic. He was about to shoot his load like a virgin slipping into his first pussy, void of self-control.

  She could do whatever she wanted to him and he was helpless to her will. For a man who thrived on his power of command, the truth of his situation unnerved him. He needed her like a drug addict needed a fix after a dry spell. Everything about this entire day tested him, especially when her essence caressed him. One more second and he was about to lose it all over the inside of his jeans.

  “Summer,” he growled. “Stop.”

  His cock grew harder than granite. A few seconds more of this deep probing and she'd find herself pressed into the soft grass, her legs spread wide, and one horny-as-hell half-breed fucking her like a jack rabbit.

  “I'm going to touch it.” Her hands tighten.

  Yeah, touch it. He was dying for her to touch it.

  He knew the second she tested his shields, because her internal caress sent a shot of arousal straight to his groin.

  “Summer,” he groaned. Holy shit, he almost came.

>   “Goddess be, Kian,” she moaned. The dark arousal in her gaze shifted to fear. A strange energy reached out from somewhere deep within him and locked them together with an iron grip. “Let me go, Kian,” she pleaded. “Please.”

  He tried to let go of her hands, but he was locked to her. “I can't.”

  A sudden sharp jolt threw him across the yard. He slammed into the ground. The hit sent a sting of pain through his spine and rump. He blinked back the momentary dizziness, shook his head, and pushed his torso off the ground.

  “What the hell happened?” he snapped.

  “I don't know. Your power tried to pull me in with it, like it wanted to trap me there. Goddess, Kian, I saw a crack, a sliver broke through. Your shields are weakening.” Her eyes went wide in awe. “You can be a powerful witch, Kian. Perhaps the strongest witch I have ever seen.”

  Seeing the respect in her gaze sent a fresh wave of arousal through him. “I need to cool off. I'm on fire.” He was so turned on, he couldn't think past the hard-on straining in his jeans.

  He searched for relief, something to ease the molten heat coursing through his veins. The trickling sound of water drew his attention to the small lake. “I'm going for a swim.” He didn't wait for approval. He bolted toward the water and tore his shirt over his head. His pants hit the ground next.

  “What are you doing?” Her gaze dropped from his chest to the obvious erection trapped beneath his drawers. He had to admit, he liked her attention.

  “Haven't you ever skinny-dipped before?” She shook her head. “Jesus, woman, where did you grow up, in a bubble? I'm going to get naked and jump in the lake. Care to join me?”

  He didn't give her a chance to answer before he shimmied off his boxers. The night air soothed his heated skin. She spun, hiding the beautiful blush on her cheeks, making him chuckle. For one so bold, she did shy well. “We're all adults here, baby.” He never had a problem with nudity. In fact, every night he slept in the buff.

  She glued her hands to her hips and lifted her brow as if to say, Oh, there's an adult here, but it isn't you. The defiant stance made his cock jerk. He didn't bother to hide the reaction.