by Brenda Trim
Glancing around the shop, she swelled with pride. They had built Black Moon from the ground up. The store was as unique to the Tehrex Realm as Pema and her sisters were. Neither should exist, yet they did and were thriving. Pema and her sisters believed the ignorance of their youth was partially responsible.
They were the youngest witches in the realm, and were impetuous enough to take the risk to create a business that brought humans into close proximity with the realm. They enjoyed interacting with humans, and thrived off of the unique verve for life they had. However, that didn’t mean they were completely senseless. They understood the Goddess’ edict to maintain secrecy, and would never do anything to risk exposure. But they liked to toe the line.
The pungent odor of lavender and jasmine claimed Pema’s attention and almost knocked her over when she entered the front. She glanced around to see Suvi standing amidst a mess of books and various teas, with the pricing stickers in hand. She noticed the decks of tarot cards had already been labeled and set off to the side.
“What are you two bickering about?” Pema asked.
“We are too damn tired to be up and functioning this early, and butterfingers here, dropped a case of fluorite. The entire box is damaged. Thankfully, I managed to save the potions we made last night. Had she broken those, we would be looking at an even bigger mess,” Isis griped. “I mean, seriously, those magics, if mixed, would be lethal. When we stay out ‘til two or three, it isn’t wise to open at ten.” Pema pursed her lips at the familiar argument her sisters made to push back her new hours.
“But, you did save the potions, and this,” Pema gestured to the mess around Suvi, “is nothing. We’re a team, remember? We couldn’t run this place without watching each other’s backs. And, lest you forget, Suvi sells more crystals and leather pouches than the two of us put together. I’ll bet she can sell the damaged ones, just as easy,” Pema told Isis as she crossed the room and pulled Suvi into a hug.
“Ugh, whatever. I won’t say I’m sorry to her. She needs to try and pay attention for once. All it will take is one serious mishap with our potions to prove Cele right, that mom and dad should have forced us to stay at Callieach Academy all those years ago, and I’ll be damned if I prove that witch right about anything.” Isis stomped to the big, wood bookshelves that had been in the Rowan family for centuries, irritation in her every step. Isis was easily upset, but Pema shared her disgust about Cailleach Academy. Pema never wanted to be under Cele’s thumb again.
“I don’t know why you let that female get under your skin. I don’t like her, but I’m not going to spend my time worrying about her unnecessarily. I’d rather talk about Confetti Too opening tomorrow night. I wonder if the Dark Warriors will be there,” Suvi sang as she flitted about, placing books here and there haphazardly. Pema smiled as she watched her sister, wishing she was more easy-going like Suvi. Everything seemed to roll off Suvi’s back, barely ruffling her feathers.
“I’m sure they’ll be there. This is Killian’s club, I doubt they’d miss the grand opening,” Isis offered with a sly grin, her temper finally cooling down.
“On that note, I’m going to change the stone on this wrap to a rose quartz. I want some lovin’ in my future,” Pema said, waggling her eyebrows as she crossed to the RockCandy Leatherworks display, glad to have the mood lightened. It was her favorite jewelry, and she always wore one of the handcrafted pieces.
“That isn’t the right choice of stone if sex is what you want, sister. You need the red jasper. It stimulates vitality,” Suvi commented as she walked over to help her pick.
Pema shuddered, Suvi was right. No way did she want love. Love brought nothing but heartache and trouble. “Thank the Goddess you are so much better at remembering that stuff than I am,” she replied as she looked through the assortment of stones. “That could have backfired on me,” Pema admitted as she unscrewed the rose quartz from the leather band and replaced it with the red jasper.
Being a witch and connected to the earth, Pema felt the power in natural objects like these stones. As the effects of the stone began humming through her system, she turned to the less pleasant task of cleaning the store. “Help me grab the ladder, Suvi. I want to dust the candles on the top shelf. Have you heard anything more about the updates to the club? When we added our protections it was all steel beams and brick, but I’ve heard it has a whole different feel to it, and that Killian hired additional security. That doesn’t surprise me given the skirm attack.”
Pema was going against her better judgment in asking Suvi to help her, but her sister needed a boost after the fiasco with the fluorite. As they reached the storage room and gazed at the tall wooden ladder, Pema briefly rethought her decision when she saw the shoes her sister had on. Suvi was always dressed to the nines, no matter what they were doing, and today was no different with her six-inch heels. She sent a silent prayer to the Goddess that they managed without further destruction.
“I heard that Killian had the council members send him their strongest males,” Suvi shared as they maneuvered through the halls, “Of course, that means there will be new, highly-mackable males.”
Pema released the breath she had been holding when they managed to make it into the open area without breaking anything else.
“Yeah, but can they dance? I’m ready to hit the floor and shake my thang,” Isis said as she sashayed over to the stereo and changed the music to a club mix. Pema and Suvi started laughing as Isis began to bump and grind to the sound as she spoke.
“Stop shaking your ass and grab some black candles from the back,” Pema told Isis as she climbed up the ladder. “I sold the last we had out here to Camelia a couple hours ago.”
Isis winced as she headed to the back. “No telling what crazy Camelia is conjuring with them.”
“I heard she was trying to bring her son back from the dead,” Suvi said, handing Pema the feather duster.
“You can’t believe everything you hear. She may be trying to communicate with him, but she’s not crazy enough to believe she can bring him back, resurrection isn’t possible.” Pema figured Cele was spreading the rumor to discredit Camelia, given the bad blood between them. There was nothing worse than sibling rivalry, and Pema thanked the Goddess that she and her sisters were as close as they were. She reached over and the ladder swayed under her feet, so she quickly muttered a stability spell. It would hurt like a bitch if she fell from the very top.
“I know. It’s as insane as what they say about us. I mean, we could never be part of a hostile takeover,” Suvi replied from below where she was now rearranging necklaces on the glass counter.
Pema nodded her agreement as she ran the duster over the shelf and candles. “That’s the problem with prophecies. They are vague, confusing—” She stopped talking when the tinkling of the wind chimes above the front door signaled they had a customer.
A cool breeze blew through the room, chilling the air. She twisted around to see the most stunning male walk through the door. He was easily six feet tall and had thick, brown hair that fell in soft curls around his ruggedly handsome face. He had a strong, square jaw that she immediately imagined running her tongue over. His warm, brown eyes invited her to share her secrets, and suddenly it wasn’t so chilly anymore.
Her gaze traveled over him and she noticed that his jeans were tight in all the right places, and she could easily make out his firmly muscled legs. He took her breath away and she desperately wanted him.
Her sex tightened with need, and arousal flooded her panties as she was overcome with an uncontrollable lust for this stranger, and she couldn’t focus on anything but getting him into the office for a quick tryst. She became light-headed when a feathering sensation in her chest set her heart racing. She wondered what was wrong with her. She was no blushing virgin, but she had never responded like this when looking at a male.
Reaching up to wipe the sweat from her brow, she lost her hold on the ladder. As she felt air rush past her, she never once thought to utter a spell.
She blamed it on the fact that her brain malfunctioned from hormone overload. Rather than landing in an ungainly heap on the floor, she was caught by big, strong arms and an electrical current raced across her skin the moment they touched. She wanted to climb to the top of the ladder to have this male catch her again. Then again, that would mean him putting her down, and she had no desire for that to happen.
“Are you okay?” His voice was gruff, and she loved it. The sound sent liquid heat spreading from her abdomen to her core and had her melting into his body.
As much as she didn’t want to, she needed to put space between them or she was going to lose control. She pushed against his broad shoulders for him to let her go. She didn’t fight it too hard when he refused to release her. “I’m okay. Nice catch, by the way. I’m not usually caught off-guard like that.”
She should tell him to let her go. Her lips parted to say the words, but they were trapped in her throat. She breathed in his earthy, pine scent and a new flood of heat traveled through her. She needed to gather her senses, and added more force to her shove until he finally set her down. Her body slid down the hard length of him and she took a couple steps back before acting on impulse to rub against him like a cat in heat.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you one of the Rowan sisters?” he asked, holding out his hand. Did he crave contact with her as much as she did him? It seemed like an eternity to Pema since he had touched her, and she would die if he didn’t touch her again. Okaaay, she was losing her mind and she needed to stop this behavior.
Her brain and hormones weren’t on speaking terms, and she eagerly grabbed his hand and held it tightly. “Yes, I’m Pema and this is my sister, Suvi,” she nodded her head in the direction of her sister, keeping hold of his hand. “And you are?”
“My name is Ronan Blackwell,” the hunk said, keeping intense gaze into her eyes.
“How can we help you, Ronan?” Suvi asked, awakening Pema from her daydreams of ravishing his body. Realizing how odd it must seem to be holding onto his hand, she pulled from his firm grip and immediately felt a loss. She turned around to face the counter, needing to break eye contact with him.
“I’m not exactly sure. I need to win my female back. I believe her mother forced her to end things between us. I have never believed in this hocus-pocus shit, and I think it made her mother dislike me. I’m a shifter, and I believe in what I see in front of me,” Ronan said. Two things happened. For a brief second, Pema wanted to rip this female of his to shreds. She quickly dismissed the notion, reminding herself that she was only fantasizing about the male, nothing more. And, who the hell was he to call their magic hocus-pocus shit? She swiveled and took in this alpha male, and his confident stance amped her body’s response, making all other thought flee from her mind.
“I’m not sure what we can do for you. We refuse to make or sell true love potions, so we can’t force this female to love you, and we certainly can’t create a potion to make you believe in our hocus-pocus shit,” Pema said, acid dripping from her tone. “Who is this female anyway?”
Ronan was quiet for several long moments while he stared right through her soul before he answered. “Claire Wells. Surely you have something for me. I was told that the Rowan triplets are supposed to be the most powerful witches in the realm. I want to convince Claire to follow her heart. She has loved me for almost two hundred years, and I don’t believe that has changed.” He moved closer to Pema as he spoke, angling his body toward her. She wasn’t going to be a fool to think that he was as affected by her as she was by him. She was a means to an end for him, and she sure as hell wasn’t getting in the middle of his relationship problems.
Still, Pema had to bite her tongue. This magnificent male could not belong to this particular female. She wasn’t surprised that he was taken, but why did it have to be with Claire? The male was making Pema crazy with lust, and now disgust. Not a great combination.
She shuddered in revulsion. Claire Wells was Cele’s beloved daughter, and Pema hated them both. She didn’t have a jealous bone in her body, so why she was so upset over this couple was beyond her. Something had taken over her, and Goddess help her, she may embarrass herself yet.
Suvi jumped right into sales mode. “Of course we are, and if anyone can help you, it’s us. We have several truth potions. And, if you want to remind her of the passion you shared, we have pink tourmaline to enhance libido,” Suvi winked at him.
Pema watched their interaction, bewitched by his perfection and her desire for him. It had to be the red jasper messing with her. Her libido was working overtime with this male two feet from her. She needed to raise the price on these stones, and order more. This was obviously some powerful mojo.
Pema listened to him talk to Suvi and found herself wondering why he was with Claire. Those thoughts brought up the memory of her last interaction with Claire. It was the day Claire had moved back to Seattle, and Pema and her sisters were making their final payment to the High Priestess.
Claire stood in Cele’s office with her hands on her hips, her long mousy-brown hair flying around her shoulders in agitation as she snarled at them. “No matter how much money you make at that store of yours, you three are still just the poor kids in rags. You’ll never amount to anything.”
Isis sneered back. “This coming from the one who relies on mommy for everything. We may have started in rags, but we aren’t in them anymore.”
A deep rumble brought her out of the memory. “Bag up whatever crystals or potions you recommend.” That quickly, his sexy voice conjured images in Pema’s mind of him hovering over her while he slowly thrust into her, driving her to climax.
She clenched her teeth together, telling herself that she had to stop thinking about sex. She unclasped the magnet of the wrap around her wrist and dropped the bracelet onto the counter. She walked a few feet away, placing more distance between her and the sexy shifter, and pretended to organize the tarot cards.
Ronan inched closer to her then stopped. He ran his hands through his hair, ruffling his curls and shuffling from foot to foot. His gaze returned to Pema’s face again and again. Something in Pema stirred at the way he was staring at her. She couldn’t decipher the look in his chocolate brown depths, but it was intense.
Suvi bagged several items for Ronan, telling him how to use each one as she took his payment. Pema didn’t think Ronan heard a word her sister had said, given that his gaze never once wavered from her face. For someone who was so hot to win his girlfriend back, he sure didn’t seem too concerned about it at the moment. That was not wishful thinking, Pema assured herself.
“I need to get to work, but thank you for the help. See you around?” Ronan asked, but didn’t move to leave.
“If you are ever at Confetti Too then you’ll see me plenty,” Pema replied, hoping her invitation wasn’t too blatant.
“I guess I’ll see you often, since I’ve just been hired as part of the new security. Will you be there tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “We wouldn’t miss the grand opening.”
“Save me a dance?” he husked.
“Dancing with me is certainly not the way to win back another female,” she responded.
“You’re right,” he said. They stood staring at each other for what seemed like forever before he turned and exited the store. He gazed back at her from the street then hopped into a large truck. There was something about a male in a truck, Pema thought.
“That is some heat you two were throwing off. I need a walk-in freezer to cool down,” Suvi broke the silence, fanning her face.
“Shut it, Suvi,” Pema mumbled, staring out the window, captivated by glowing, brown eyes.
Excerpt from Isis’ Betrayal, book two of the Rowan Sisters’ Trilogy
CHAPTER ONE
“If I have to hear that bear growl one more freakin’ time, I’m going to paralyze his vocal cords. Goddess, do they ever come up for air?” Isis asked, unable to curb her irritation any longer.
“Not since the mating ceremony,” Suvi laughed. “Come on, sis, Pema deserves this happiness.” Isis watched the youngest of her sisters closely, envying her levity.
“I know she does, and you’re right, but I feel the walls closing in on me. Let’s go to Confetti Too,” Isis said. She had contemplated moving out over the past few days, but in the end, she knew that wasn’t an option. Unlike humans, supernaturals didn’t thrive from independence. Supernaturals prospered when they lived with family and friends; whereas, lone individuals tended to wither away.
Isis looked over and noticed Suvi was typing out a text. Before her eyes lifted from the phone, it chirped. “I’m in. The Dark Warriors are going to be there. C’mon you, need to put on something sexier. And, we need to leave some food outside Pema’s door before we leave.” Suvi’s musical voice was filled with excitement and Isis couldn’t help but get excited about the evening, too.
Isis resisted Suvi’s prodding and smoothed her hair down. “I’ll go, but I’m not changing. These are my favorite jeans, and, what’s wrong with this top?” Isis asked, examining her clothing. It was a stylish top and she’d gotten several compliments on her tight, hip-hugging jeans in the past.
Suvi reached out and undid the top two buttons of her green shirt. “What’s wrong, sister, is that you need to flash more cleavage.”
Isis rolled her eyes and headed for the back door. “I don’t need to flash my shit to get attention. In fact, a little lesson for you, males like a little mystery. Make them use their imagination, work for it. No one wants what they can see. Half the excitement for them is the fantasy they create about you in their head,” she smiled and winked at her sister.