A Touch of Magick: Spells, Seduction and Secrets, Book 1

by N. J. Walters

  She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. Her heart was breaking for Ryland, his mother and his father. So much pain that might have been avoided if someone had reached out for help. It was amazing how many people still felt that mental illness was something to be ashamed of, rather than an illness like any other that needed to be treated.

  “So that’s my story. You told me you were a witch last night and I replayed all the fights my parents had, all the anger, the tears and the accusations. I’ve avoided relationships my entire life because I’ve never wanted what my father had, never wanted to risk having kids and putting them through what I went through. Sounds stupid as hell when I say it out loud.”

  “No, not stupid at all. Human.” Her heart ached so hard she had to fight to keep from rubbing her chest. She tried to smile, knowing instinctively he wouldn’t want pity. “We all have things in our past that torment us. I’m sensitive about telling anyone what I really am. As you can imagine, the reactions over the years haven’t been good.”

  “Speaking of your magick. You need to put your mind to rest. It has nothing to do with why I’m here.”

  “No.” A combination of hope and annoyance surged within her. Hope that maybe they could settle this issue once and for all and annoyance that he could dismiss her power so easily. The man was making her lose all rational thought. “How can you be sure?”

  “Trust me.” He reached out and dragged her on top of him until she was sitting on his lap facing him. “I’m here because I want to be here. Not because any spell compelled me.”

  That’s what it all came down to in the end. Trust. Belief. Either she believed in him or she didn’t. Either she trusted their relationship or she didn’t. Whether or not the original candle spell had drawn him to her, she knew she’d released the magick last night. She had to trust in her own abilities as well as in Ryland.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened all her senses and allowed herself to just feel. Certainty welled up within her.

  With a sudden rush of clarity, she realized this was what had held her magick captive all these years—lack of belief and trust in herself and her powers. But Ryland had broken down the barriers and given her both. She could do no less for him.

  “I trust you.”

  Those three simple words held so much power. She felt it surging within her even as she knew she truly believed them. Oh, they’d have their share of problems. They were both headstrong and heaven only knew both of them were stubborn. But they would work out their differences. Together.

  “Rhiannon.” The way he said her name made her insides melt.

  “I love you.” The words were barely a whisper, but she knew he’d heard her. He went still and she could sense the tension rising. Every nerve in her body quivered in anticipation.

  “Thank God.” She could hear the utter relief in his voice. He kissed her then, hot and deep and quite thoroughly. From beneath the sheets, she could feel his erection prodding her. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathless. He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you too.”

  Her heart jumped and then began to pound. She laughed and raised her hands in the air. Pure joy raced through her. Energy arched from her fingertips, sending a shower of lights into the air.

  Ryland jolted and then shook his head, a slow grin turning up the corners of his mouth. “Life with you certainly won’t be dull.” Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled until she was pinned beneath him.

  His lips found hers she forgot about everything else but them.

  Epilogue

  Over a week later, Rhiannon stood in the shadows at just past two in the morning. Watching. Waiting. She’d had a feeling earlier today and had followed her hunch. It was about to pay off.

  A slight figure moved through the darkness, coming up on the outside of her shop. The stranger shifted, raising an arm in the air. She heard the hiss of a spray can and waited. When the vandal was done, his work signed, she raised her hand in the air. Candles flared to life, inside and outside the store as she stepped out onto the stoop.

  The young man of about fifteen froze as she came into view. She peered at the words he’d sprayed on the front of her store. Once again the word “witch” stood out.

  She crossed her arms and stared at her young vandal. “If you truly believe I’m a witch, then why would you do something this stupid?”

  He stumbled back, his eyes widening. “I…I…” he stuttered.

  “You’ll have to clean all this off my walls.”

  He took a step away from her, holding the spray can in front of him as if to ward her off. “You can’t make me.” Now that his initial fear was fading, his confidence was making a return.

  “But I can.” Ryland’s heavy hand dropped onto the boy’s shoulder. The spray can fell from the boy’s hand and hit the ground with a thud. “Billy Krieger. I think we should go to the station and call your parents to come in for a chat. Your work has been on quite few buildings around town.

  Rhiannon watched as Ryland escorted the boy to his patrol car and loaded him in the backseat. Billy was pale, his bravado fading as the seriousness of the situation sank in.

  Ryland returned long enough to take a few shots of the damage and bag the spray-paint can for evidence. A quick look around netted a bag with more paint and other supplies. Satisfied, he dropped a quick kiss on her mouth before heading back to the car. “I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he called over his shoulder.

  “I’ll be waiting,” she whispered under her breath as his vehicle pulled away from the curb.

  She sighed, wondering if the young man knew this was a turning point in his life. If Billy kept up as he was going, he’d end up in jail by the time he was twenty-two. If he turned his life around, he’d go on and have a successful art career and a loving family. She’d seen both in his future. Only time would tell which he would choose. The vision had come this morning. She’d never experienced anything like it before, and she had no idea if this was a new talent or just an isolated flash, a one-time thing.

  Glancing around to make sure no one was out there in the dark, she waved her hand in front of the wall and whispered a spell of removal. The spray paint faded and disappeared. Satisfied, she waved her hand again, this time extinguishing all the candles.

  The sky was clear as she strolled home, and the stars were bright. She wished Ryland were with her to enjoy it. Her cheeks heated as she remembered part of their earlier celebration.

  Samhain was a special night, the night when the veil between the world of spirit and the living was the thinnest. It was a night for magick. After all the trick-or-treaters had come and gone, she and Ryland had celebrated with a special supper and ceremony in the backyard. He had watched respectfully from a distance as she’d performed her ritual and then taken her to bed right after.

  He’d all but moved in with her this past week. They were already talking about getting married and buying a new house, something with more space. Rhiannon wanted to wait until the New Year, and Ryland wasn’t pushing as long as she let him stay with her. But she knew his patience wouldn’t last more than a few months.

  As she walked up the path to her front door, leaves skittered around her feet. The pumpkins had ceased to glow hours before and now their pale faces stared vacantly off into the night. She was always sad to see this day end.

  As she unlocked the front door and let herself in, Rhiannon wondered about Esther and Maggie. With everything happening in her life, she hadn’t talked to either of them very much in the past week. They’d mostly played phone tag, leaving messages on one another’s machines.

  She’d finally talked with Maggie just this morning. Her friend had come to the store obviously needing to talk. Maggie was having man trouble. Rhiannon didn’t know how much she’d been able to help Maggie, but she had her fingers crossed and was hoping for the best.

  Rhiannon still hadn’t managed to connect with Esther. She’d called her, but had only gotten her answering machine. Again. She’d left anot
her message and was giving Esther two more days. If she didn’t call by then, Rhiannon was going to take her day off and go talk to her in person.

  At this point, only Maggie knew Ryland had moved in with her and she wanted to share the news with Esther. But that wasn’t the kind of news you left on an answering machine.

  Rhiannon smiled and laughed as she headed to the bedroom. Her eyes went immediately to what was left of the red votive candle. Hopefully, they’d both be as lucky as she’d been. Only time would tell.

  About the Author

  N.J. Walters has always been a voracious reader of romance novels and decided one day that she could write one as well. The contemporary story, Discovering Dani, was the very first novel she wrote while living in a little town much like the one Dani O’Rourke lives in, though all other similarities to Dani’s life pretty much end there. Then she wrote another one that followed up on Dani’s friends and neighbors. But she didn’t consider herself a “real” writer yet.

  Just a few years later N. J. had a mid-life crisis at a fairly young age, gave notice after ten years at her job on a Friday and received a tentative acceptance for her first published novel (an erotic romance) from a publisher on the following Sunday.

  Happily married for over eighteen years to the love of her life, with his encouragement and support she gave up the job of selling books for the more pleasurable job of writing them. She now spends her days writing, reading and reviewing books. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to do it. And some days she actually feels like a “real” writer.

  N.J. enjoys hearing from readers, and she can be reached at njwalters22@yahoo.ca. You can check out her web site at www.njwalters.com.

  Look for these titles by N.J. Walters

  Now Available:

  Discovering Dani

  The Way Home

  The Return of Patrick O’Rourke

  The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke

  A Legal Affair

  By the Book

  Past Promises

  Alexandra’s Legacy

  Coming Soon:

  Love comes howling when—and where—you least expect it.

  Isaiah’s Haven

  © 2010 N.J. Walters

  Legacy, Book 2

  Isaiah Striker puts family first, the pack a distant second. Which is precisely the reason he’s in noisy, crowded Chicago instead of alone in his beloved woods. One look at the owner of Haven nightclub, however, and a simple favor for his brother turns into something else entirely.

  Meredith Cross holds her small pack together with sheer determination. After years on the run, they hide in the glare of the city’s nightlife. Isaiah may heat her blood, but she can’t afford to risk the lives of the outcast half-breeds in her care. Once exposed, every bounty hunter and werewolf purist in smelling distance will hunt them down.

  But when their sexual attraction spirals out of control, a moment’s distraction is all it takes to lead danger right to Meredith’s door. For Meredith there’s only one choice: her pack.

  But Isaiah knows his mate when he sees her. And he’s not giving up without a fight.

  Warning: This book contains hot sex, a jazzy nightclub, sexy werewolves, rogue werewolves, nasty bounty hunters, a mysterious vampire, and did I mention hot sex?

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Isaiah’s Haven:

  “Is there a problem?” Hank strode up to stand just to the side of the stranger.

  “No problem. This gentleman was just leaving.” She pleaded with Isaiah with her eyes. If he insisted on repeating his claim of her being a werewolf, he wouldn’t get out of here alive. There was only one of him and three male werewolves. Was he a hunter or just a human who believed in such things?

  She took a deep breath. She needed to be calm. What she got was a blast of pheromones and a jolt of arousal. A spicy scent filled her nose and made her sex clench with need. She almost moaned aloud as a shiver of need wracked her body and her nipples tightened. How had she missed this? He was a werewolf.

  Impossible. She blinked in astonishment. In all the years they’d been here this had never happened. Male werewolves tended to stay away from the city, not liking the crowds or the closed-in space. It was one of the main reasons why she lived here with her sons and her adopted family.

  Oh God! Hank. He was only a half-breed and many full-blooded werewolves were as bad as the bounty hunters wanting them dead. Teague, Neema and Kevin were all half-breeds as well. Their safety depended on her keeping control of this situation at all costs. She straightened her shoulders. If he thought to threaten her family, he was mistaken.

  “You need to leave,” she repeated. “Now.”

  He shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. It made him look sexier, if that was even possible.

  Hank reached out to grab Isaiah’s arm.

  “You don’t want to do that, pup,” Isaiah warned.

  Hank froze with his hand in the air. Benjamin growled low in his chest. Kevin came out from the back office, adding to the growing tension. “What’s going on?”

  Isaiah was still trying to process the fact that the woman he lusted after was a female werewolf, and a beautiful one at that. She was also coming into heat. There was no mistaking that enticing spicy perfume. No wonder he was attracted to her.

  What was even more surprising was that she wasn’t the only werewolf here. They all were. The odor from all the human patrons, the liquor and the food had masked their scent. Now that they were the only ones left, there was no disguising it.

  It was crazy to see a group of werewolves living in a city surrounded by the myriad sights and sounds which assailed their senses daily. Bounty hunters frequented the cities for supplies and new recruits. Not to mention that vampires, witches and demons preferred to live in the city. And while the different species weren’t exactly at war, they weren’t sending each other Christmas cards either.

  Around him several of the males began to growl. As if drawn by the tension, a lean red-haired male pushed through the kitchen door, wiping his hand on a white towel as he came. The sleeveless shirt he was wearing displayed an array of tattoos running up and down his muscular arms. With the trio of gold hoops in both ears and his eyebrow piercing, he looked like trouble. He was followed by the slender, curly-haired female Isaiah had seen waiting tables earlier in the evening.

  Meredith held up her hand. “Enough.”

  Several of the males shot her a glare, but subsided. Isaiah was surprised at how all the males deferred to her. She was obviously the alpha female of this little pack. But where was the alpha male?

  The thought of another male having the right to put his hands on her made Isaiah see red. A low, menacing growl came from deep in his chest. The younger woman took a step toward the red-haired male. He wrapped his arm around her protectively.

  The tension in the room grew until it was so thick it was almost impossible to breathe. He didn’t give a damn. He wasn’t leaving. Not until he talked to Meredith.

  The woman in question stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips. She exuded confidence, which was sexy as hell and turned him on even more. “Don’t think you can come in here and threaten my family, wolf.” She spat the last as though it were a bad word.

  Having her so near, he could see the smoothness of her skin and smell her delicious scent. Unable to resist, he lowered his head and sniffed the curve of her neck. She smelled like something rare and exotic, a combination of musk, cinnamon and heat that was intoxicating. She shivered and started to lean toward him. He wanted to howl with pleasure. But it ended far too soon for his liking when someone pulled her away.

  Isaiah jerked his head up to see who had ruined the moment between him and Meredith. It was one of the younger men. He started toward him, the promise of retaliation stamped on his face, only to have Meredith step in front of him again. “He’s my son.”

  That brought Isaiah up cold. If there was one thing he could understand, it was wanting to protect f
amily. He addressed the younger man directly, looking over Meredith’s head. “I mean her no harm.”

  “What about the rest of them? Why are you here? Who sent you?”

  Meredith was still in front of him demanding answers.

  He sighed and rolled his head to work out some of the kinks in his neck. “No one sent me. I didn’t come here to find any of you. I was just wandering the streets, heard a woman singing and came in.”

  “I don’t believe you,” said the man Meredith had called her son.

  “Michael,” she warned, and he subsided, but not without first giving Isaiah a look that promised death if he made a move toward his mother. Isaiah could respect that.

  “There’s nothing for you here. You need to leave.” Isaiah understood her wanting to protect the pack, but he was curious why Meredith was in such a hurry to get rid of him when he obviously meant no harm.

  “I’m not sure we should let him leave.” The bouncer from the door spoke up. “What if he’s working with the hunters?”

  The menacing growl that came from Isaiah was impossible to suppress. “I kill hunters, pup, and anyone who works with them.”

  “So you say,” the other male who’d worked behind the bar countered.

  “Are you questioning my word?” He’d never had anyone do such a thing. He was a Striker. Their loyalty and honesty was above reproach.

  “Enough.” Meredith tapped the toe of her high-heeled shoe on the wooden floor. It drew his gaze down over her long, shapely legs and back up again. “No one is going to hurt anyone. And you’re leaving.”

  It was time to regroup. Things were too volatile with so many males in the mix. They were on a short leash at the moment, but Isaiah had no doubt all the males would swing into action in the blink of an eye if they thought it was necessary. He didn’t want to be put in a position of having to hurt them. That certainly wouldn’t go over well with Meredith. The last thing he wanted was to antagonize her any more than he already had.