Passion of a Witch: A Wicked Series - Book 1

by K. D. Friedrich

  “Kian didn't teach me that word. I learned it in Momma's books.”

  Her father lifted his brow as he threw his wife a surprised glance.

  “You're not even listening. Who cares about her new colorful vocabulary?” Summer fell back to the couch, tears once again filling her eyes. The need to be with Kian ripped her heart to shreds.

  Her father calmed as he glanced at her. “The Goddess decreed this?” Doubt swam in his gaze. When Summer nodded in answer to his question, Dash turned to his wife. “Darling, why don't you take Winter to bed?” Summer's mother nodded and led a reluctant Winter to her room.

  “I sense it on you, pumpkin. You've bonded with the human, haven't you?”

  “His name is Kian, and he is not only human. He's half witch, a powerful one who's recently discovered his abilities.”

  “Yes, I suppose you're right.” He looked away, appearing pained by her predicament. “I cannot ask you to marry another when you have already tied yourself to this boy, even with an incomplete bond. To do so would be torture for you. No matter the loss, I cannot ask it of you.”

  A sense of dread struck her. Something told her the devastation on her father's face had nothing to do with Kian and her. “What loss, Father? Something's wrong, I feel it.”

  He looked away. “Your mother knows nothing of this. It was an agreement made between Malcolm's father and me.”

  “What agreement?”

  He sighed. “As decreed by our promising contract, Malcolm will become part owner in this land upon your marriage. Any failure to stand by your promise will forfeit this land to him as restitution. We will lose it. Everything.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Why would you agree to such a thing? This land is all we have. It has been in our family for generations.”

  “It was the only way they would agree to the contract. They are one of the most powerful families among the covens. I wanted to cement the promising. I wanted to ensure your future. I had no idea you would find your mate.”

  His confession sealed her fate. She would never let her parents lose this land. She would never choose her happiness over the welfare of her kin, no matter how much pain she had to endure. She knew what she had to do.

  Chapter 21

  It took all of Kian's restraint not to turn his bike around, throw Summer over his shoulder, and take her away from all this craziness. They could run away to a place where no one would tear them apart, a place they could be free to live and love.

  Kian's phone buzzed in his pocket as he raced along the highway, further away from her. He came to skidding stop on the shoulder. Hoping to hear Summer's voice, he yanked his phone out of his pocket.

  Summer's number lit up the screen. He tapped talk without hesitation. “Hey, baby, are you okay?”

  “I don't want them to hear me. They haven't found our cell phones yet, and I don't want them to,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine, takes a lot more than a crazed father and a feral uncle to scare me.” He could hear the despair in her voice. The thought of tears in her eyes destroyed him. “Stop, baby, you're killing me. You're going to make me turn around, crash through your front door, and throw you over my shoulder all gallant-like.”

  “No. You can't come back here. Ever.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I… this… it's over. I can't see you anymore.”

  “What? No,” he snarled. “It's not over. Something happened between us. You know it.” She said nothing. Her silence told him all he needed to know. “See, you can't deny it, because I mean something to you. Something happened. I'm different inside. I sense you. I know you're scared. I can feel you’re worry and… God, you want me. You love me, dammit.”

  “No, I don't…”

  “Don't fucking say it.”

  “I… I don't love you. Goodbye, Kian.”

  The call disconnected. He wanted to throw his phone across the highway and scream his fury to the heavens, cursing his circumstance and the ridiculous concept of fate.

  Instead, he revved the engine and took off. The wind whipped past him as he flew up the interstate. He got home and slammed the door shut. He needed a drink. Shit, he needed the whole fucking bottle. He still smelled her on him. Her wild, natural scent surrounded him. He still tasted her sweetness on his lips.

  His phone rang. Hoping it was Summer, praying to hear her voice again, he answered the call without looking at the incoming number.

  “Summer?”

  “No… umm, Mr. Lancaster, you need to come right away. It's your mother.”

  He didn't wait for a reason. He ended the call, dashed across the foyer, and ran out the front door. He jumped on his bike and raced toward the clinic.

  Kian arrived at the center in record time. Not patient enough for the elevator, he took the stairs two at a time. His mother's doctor was just leaving her room.

  “What happened?” Kian asked.

  “Your mother has taken a serious turn. We can't find the reason for the sudden rapid decline. Her body is shutting down. I'm afraid, with our limited options and her rate of deterioration, she'll last a day or two at the most. I'm sorry, Mr. Lancaster. We'll do all we can to make her comfortable, but it's a matter of time.”

  A sense of numbness overcame him when he entered the room. Was the room always this cold? He hadn't noticed before.

  His mother lay motionless on the bed, tubes coming out of her arm, an oxygen mask on her face, and the slow bleep of the heart machine filling the eerie silence. A grayish-blue tint spread out across her skin—the color of death. Yet her chest moved up and down in a sluggish rhythm.

  He approached her bedside with care. He didn't want to disturb her, but that wasn't the reason for his stealth. Fear held him back. Fear this might be the last time he saw her. He was terrified his mother would leave this world thinking he hated her, when, in fact, she meant the world to him.

  He swallowed back the lump forming in his throat at the sight of her. To see the once vibrant woman so weak, so lifeless, twisted the knot in his stomach tighter.

  Kian stopped beside her bed. The weight of everything going on made his knees weak, forcing him onto the chair harder than intended. He choked back tears.

  For her, he'd be strong.

  He slipped his hand over hers and shivered. Jesus, the chill of her skin drove a shiver up his spine.

  Her eyes blinked open. “Kian,” she whispered. “My… beautiful… son,” he heard her mumble beneath the mask covering her mouth. She squeezed his hand, but her grip faltered. She glanced around as if blind.

  “I'm here, Mom.” Emotion made his voice crack. She dropped her head to the side. Her eyes were unfocused. He forced a smile to lift his lips, when all he wanted to do was cry.

  She pulled the mask off her face.

  “Mom, you can't take this off.” She swatted his attempts to put it back on.

  “It won't help me now.” She blinked, narrowing her eyes. “Is Summer with you?”

  “No, she…” His mother's hand tightened around his. His eyes locked with hers. For a moment, he witnessed life return to her gaze, but her vitality soon vanished.

  “Don't let her go, Kian. Fight for her. She's your mate, the woman destined for you. I know it, even if you do not.” Her words came out strangled, as if uttering them sucked out all her energy.

  “Don't worry about me. Concentrate on getting better.” He tried to return the mask to her mouth.

  She swatted it away again. Her exertion took its toll and her hand fell to the side. “I'm not going… to get better.” Her gaze dropped to their clasped hands. “I'm dying… my… son.”

  “No,” he snapped. Tears flooded his eyes. “You're going to be fine.” He held her hand tighter. Anger rose in him. Raw pain filled him with dread. He knew she wouldn't be fine. “You're telling me to fight when you've already given up.”

  “There is no… cure for what I have. It… it’s a rare, ancient ailment some of our kind suffer. A
fatal… affliction.” She brought the mask to her face, inhaling several times before lowering it. “My time is almost done. Soon… soon, I will join… your sister.” She offered him a faint smile. The knowledge must have brought her comfort. “I had hoped Summer would come tonight.” Her eyes became heavy. “Offer prayers to the Goddess for my safe travels… into the afterlife. She had said…”

  His hand tightened around her knuckles. “Did Summer know?”

  “Don't be angry with her. I asked her to keep it to herself. I made her vow it. To a witch, a vow is sacred.” His mother's eyes closed. “That is why… she has to honor the promising.” Her eyelids opened. “She was raised with… ancient values. To change her mind, you must be strong and fight—”

  “I'm done talking about Summer.” Kian cut off his mother. “She made her choice. Come on, Mom, why don't you rest? I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere.”

  Too weak to argue, his mother agreed.

  Kian placed the mask back over her mouth. He leaned up and placed a kiss on her forehead. He continued to hold her hand, watching her sleep and wishing more than anything Summer sat there beside him.

  He awoke by his mother's side to discover the doctor was wrong. His mother didn't even last through the night. She was gone.

  ***

  Kian spent the day making the arrangements for his mother's funeral. She wished to be cremated, but never specified anything else. Maybe he'd scatter her ashes across the garden she'd spent many carefree days tending. Maybe he'd climb to the tallest peak in the area and release her in the wind, or maybe he'd hold on to all he had left of her and keep her close.

  Tears filled his eyes. He didn't have the strength to decide right now. The pain of his loss was too new, too raw.

  Weary and downright lost, he arrived home later that evening with a quart of Jack Daniels, a couple packs of Marlboros, and a bag of the best damn weed he'd ever smoked. Unfortunately, he found his father and Pete waiting in the living room ready to put a damper on his plans to get numb.

  “I don't have time for this crap. Get the hell out of my house before I lose my patience,” Kian bit out.

  His father's frown deepened. “I heard about your mother.” No sympathy or words of condolence. What a cold son of a bitch.

  “Didn't take long for you and your mutt to come sniffing around.”

  Pete growled like a dog should. His father glared. “We came to see how you were… handling the situation.”

  Kian put the Jack, smokes, and pot on the counter. He picked up an already opened pack of Marlboros, popped out a cigarette, and lit the tip. He tossed the lighter beside the ashtray.

  The smoke filled his lungs, offering him a mere second of reprieve from the tension settling in his shoulders.

  “My mother is dead. How the fuck do you think I'm handling the situation?” He took another drag. “You don't give a shit about me or my situation. You want to see how your investment is coming along since you don't have my mother's welfare hanging over my head. Well, let's put it this way, Dad. You can go fuck yourself. I have no information for you, and even if I did, I'd cut out my own damn tongue to keep it from you. I got nothing to lose anymore. Not a damn thing, so why don't you take your fucking dog and get your ass off my property before I call the cops to escort you off.”

  “Son, you don't want to make an enemy of me.”

  “No, Dad, you don't want to make an enemy of me.” Kian glared at his father. Pete advanced, ready to protect his boss if need be, but Maxwell put up his hand. His dog heeled. “I've spent my whole life living under your threats. It ends today.” Kian smirked. “You want to bury me six feet under, Dad, well, wait right here while I get you the shovel.”

  His father held his contemptuous gaze for several tense moments before he backed away from Kian. Maxwell's eye twitched.

  “You have a nice night, son.” He turned on his heel.

  Pete followed, but not before flashing Kian one last glare. He then tilted his head as if confused.

  He quickly shook off his befuddled expression. “I'll be seeing you soon.”

  Chapter 22

  Kian awoke to a heavy fist battering the old wooden doors of the carriage house. After drowning his sorrows in two quarts of Jack over the last couple nights, he stumbled to the back bedroom last night and succumbed to drunken exhaustion.

  Another series of loud raps evoked a deep, extended groan, further aggravating his throbbing head and his patience.

  “I know you're in there.” Tristan's gruff tone drew another grunt. “I can smell the liquor from here. Open up or I'll bust the thing down.”

  Kian buried his face in the pillow beside him. If he held it there long enough, maybe he'd lose consciousness. Summer's irresistible scent slammed into him, bringing his body to instant life, destroying any hope of suffocation. The pillows had soaked up her fragrance like a sponge. He could wash them in bleach, but he doubted it would help. The remnants of their passion had burned into the fabric.

  He pushed the pillow away with a growl. Great, not only did he have a damn headache from hell, but now he sported a hard-on not even a case of Viagra could rival. Maybe he'd incinerate the whole bed and unshackle him from the memory of their night together with flames. She was right when she said he'd never look at this bed the same way again.

  Another bang at the doors had him out of bed and staggering toward the workshop and the old wooden doorway. He kicked empty cans of beer out of the way, sending them flying into whatever dared stand in their way. The creak of the old hinges speared through his pounding head at the same time as the bright light of day pierced his retinas.

  Tristan glared at him. Holy shit, the guy's irises glowed. Kian doubted he'd ever get used to the eerie yellow light of Tristan's wolf when he rose to the surface.

  Tristan wrinkled his nose, looking even more wolfish. “You smell like a damn brewery.”

  Kian dropped his head back. “Is there a point to your visit? As you can see, I'm a very busy man.” Tristan pushed past Kian, knocking him against the open door. “Do come in. I'd love some company.” Sarcasm dripped from Kian's words.

  “We need to chat, witch.”

  “I was trying to sleep.”

  Tristan shook his head, muttering. “Jesus, and I thought wolves were slobs. This place is disgusting.” Tristan shoved aside a huge pile of greasy motor parts with his foot. Again, he flashed a look of utter disgust.

  “It's a fucking garage, you imbecile. It's supposed to be messy.” Kian slammed the door shut, marched inside, and plopped on the couch sitting against the far wall. “I haven't had much time to clean. You know, with planning my mother's funeral and all.”

  Tristan froze. His gaze softened. “I'm sorry, Kian. I didn't know.”

  “Yeah, well… shit happens, right? People die, people leave, and others destroy life as we know it.” He sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples. “What do you want, Tristan?”

  “Summer.” Tristan smirked at the fury rising in Kian's glare.

  “What did you say?”

  Tristan smirked. “That got your attention, didn't it?”

  Kian covered his face with his forearm, stretching his crossed legs out in front of him. “Leave me alone.”

  An unexpected knock kicked Kian's feet to the side. He threw Tristan a glare.

  Tristan snapped, “Get the hell up. The woman you love is going to marry one of the biggest—as you call him—douchebags in the world, and you're sitting back, letting it happen.”

  “She made her choice.”

  Irritation flashed in Tristan's bright gaze. He twisted his large fist into Kian's shirt and, with inhuman strength, forced Kian to his feet. “She deserves better than you.” The animalistic deepness of Tristan's voice made a spike of fear slam into Kian's chest. This wasn't the easygoing guy he shared a beer with. This was a deadly predator ready to rip his throat out without batting a damn eye. “You're nothing but a weak, pitiful human. A worthless half-breed who can't even fight for his m
ate like a creature of the Goddess should. Maybe I'll fight for her. Show her how a real man treats the woman blessed for him.”

  Terror took a sudden exit, forced out by a violent fit of jealousy. “Stay away from her.”

  Kian's power erupted at the idea of Tristan touching Summer. He knew it was ridiculous. Tristan had no interest in Summer at all. The wolf had his eyes on another, but that didn't appease the possessive side of him one bit. The witch traits were pissed off the dog dared to make the suggestion.

  “I doubt you have the ability to pleasure her as a mate anyway. Humans have no idea how to handle the sensual nature of a witch, but shifters know. What do you think? Would Summer like my teeth?” Tristan flashed a set of long, razor-sharp fangs. Kian's power spiked as his fists clenched. “I'd sink these babies into her shoulder. As deep as I'd sink my cock—”

  A wild growl rolled up Kian's chest. “You. Won't. Touch. Her.”

  The air thickened around them, charged like an electric current rocketing through the earth. Wind whipped outside, beating pebbles and sweeping dust against the glass panes of the windows. Light flowing in from the outside dimmed as if someone threw a thick blanket over the sun. Thunder rolled and cracked, joined by a flash of lightening.

  Tristan's gaze darted around and then landed on Kian. “Full of fucking surprises, aren't you?” Tristan flashed his fangs.

  Kian's magic erupted inside him, busting through another layer of his internal wall. It hit Tristan like a bolt of lightning. Tristan's body turned rod stiff. His eyes grew into wide, glowing discs seconds before he flew back into the wall on the other side of the room and fell with a thud on the concrete floor.

  Kian's entire body hummed with power. He eyed Tristan, relieved as the wolf moved, yet prepared to give him another shot if he had to.

  Tristan's gaze snapped up, pinning Kian. Blood dripped from the wolf's nose. He laughed as he wiped the red streak dripping from his split lip where his fang must have nicked him.