The Witching Moon: The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1 Read online

  Poppy gasped as she connected with the girl. Molly was scared, cold. But safe. For now anyway. She wandered around, tears spilling at her feet as she tried to navigate a forest that looked the same everywhere she looked.

  Poppy cleared all thoughts, envisioning a white canvas in her mind. Her finger curled around the chain, harnessing it before she twirled it. The stone swirled beneath her closed eyes. She didn’t need to watch it. She could feel it.

  Her mind rushed from white into the thick green of the forest as she searched over hills and valley. There was so much ground. So many places for a little girl to hide.

  “Help me, sweetheart. Come on.” She felt the first trickle of recognition as Molly’s mind latched on to hers. The amethyst swung wide, arching across the page before the point planted into the map.

  Breath Whooshed from her lungs as her eyes fluttered open. “Found her,” she whispered as the energy that charged her fled, leaving her weak.

  She glanced to Drake, using precious energy she needed to conserve the first moments after a spell.

  His eyes were wide, locked onto the gravity defying stone. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

  Her gut clenched. Was he repulsed? She should have sent him away, shouldn’t have let him see what she was. She hadn’t been thinking straight, she scolded herself. She’d gotten too comfortable with him.

  “That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.” He brushed his hand against her shoulder.

  Power flowed back into her, staggering her with its strength. She sunk to the ground, holding a hand to her head to stop her vision from spinning. What was that?

  Her mouth fell open as she shifted, all weakness in her limbs gone. How was this possible? It normally took her days to fully recover from a spell like that.

  He knelt in front of her, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you all right? What happened? You went completely pale.”

  “I’m fine.” Deep breath. More than fine. “I get a little shaky after spells. It will pass.” It wasn’t a lie. That’s normally how it worked. She didn’t know why power had surged back into her, but until she figured it out, she wanted to keep it quiet.

  He helped her up, leaning her body against his, but she didn’t protest. She didn’t need his assistance, although normally, it might’ve been necessary. Instead of balking at their closeness, she relished the feel of him against her, the strength that surrounded her.

  Helen jumped from the couch when they came into view. “Did you find her?”

  Reaching out, Poppy smiled. “Yes. She’s okay. She’s about a mile southeast.”

  Helen burst into tears before lunging into Poppy’s arms for a hug.

  “Southeast?” Sheriff Sommers scratched his chin. “Everything indicates that she headed north.”

  “She’s southeast. You’ll find her by a small creek.”

  She’d barely finished speaking before he was barking orders into his radio.

  “Thank you, Poppy. Thank you.”

  Poppy shook her head. “You don’t need to thank me. I’d do anything to help find her.”

  “Bless you.” Helen gripped her hand one last time.

  Fifteen minutes later, a cheer rang out when news spread that Molly had been found alive and well.

  “You did it,” Drake pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You saved her.”

  A blush crested her cheeks. “I didn’t do much.”

  He cradled her face. “You did it all. I’m so proud of you. Come on, let’s head home.”

  She nodded, emotionally drained from the experience.

  He was quiet on the short drive home, allowing her to think about Molly. For a brief moment, her heart eased, a feeling she’d gone without for too long. She’d made a difference, and right now, with Drake by her side, she reveled in who and what she was.

  Moonlight lit the street when Drake parked in front of Poppy’s house. She’d left a light on inside the living room, a beacon in the dark.

  Drake exited the car, rounding the vehicle to open her door. He held it open, waiting, watching. She shivered under his gaze, his eyes caressing her, possessive, intense. She wasn’t afraid of it. It was… delicious.

  Taking her hand, he slowly drew her out of the car and into his arms. “Thank you for letting me stay with you today. I’ll never forget it.”

  Her heart raced at his touch. With Molly’s disappearance, she hadn’t thought about what had almost happened in her kitchen earlier. What was happening now.

  Awareness prickled her skin as he rubbed his cheek against her hair, breathing deeply. Her belly flipped and energy hummed along her skin. This was power. Pure, raw, power. It surged through her during spells, filling her until it left her bereft. Feeling Drake around her, holding her, it was the same heady sensation. Greedy for more, she pressed into him, relishing the hiss that escaped his lips.

  “I needed you there,” she said. In magic, she’d never needed anything. Had never leaned on anyone. She’d always been enough. But Drake had given her something that she’d lacked. She’d felt confident, secure. The tendrils of doubt that normally bound her were absent.

  She tilted her head back so he’d see the truth in her eyes. “I needed you.”

  Fire lit his eyes as he pushed her against his car, capturing her lips the moment her back hit metal. Breath whooshed from her as her senses reeled. Too much, too quickly, the world swirled away, leaving only Drake.

  His lips molded hers, pinning her to the car with both his body and her need. She felt treasured, secure. Desire rushed over her, stripping her of any hesitations.

  His mouth teased her, coaxing her, taking until she opened for him. He moaned against her mouth at his first taste, his hands diving into her hair, anchoring her.

  Shivers skated along her skin. He didn’t tempt her with his kisses, didn’t beckon. He consumed her.

  This is Drake! Not the man from the prophecy.

  But she didn’t care. He was her best friend. A man she’d loved and respected for longer than she could remember. She didn’t want to think about someone else. Drake was here, with her. And she wanted to be with him. Not because the prophecy dictated that it should be so, but because it felt right, because after all these years, she wanted a part of him that no one, not even fate, could take from her.

  Her arms snaked around him, gripping his hard body to hers. She relished the bunched muscles in his shoulders. He was hard, sturdy, and she’d never felt more feminine.

  One of his hands trailed down her body, fisting at her hip before he ripped his mouth away from hers, trailing hot kisses down her neck.

  Her eyes rolled back, her head rolling to the side, offering him full access, silently begging him to take more. To take everything.

  She’d been kissed before. This wasn’t a kiss. This was a full-bodied experience. He awakened parts of her that she’d never felt, all from tiny scrapes of his teeth. Her hands clenched his shoulders, needing to get closer. Needing more.

  He groaned, burying his face in her neck, holding her as they shook in each other’s arms. “If I don’t stop now, I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

  She swallowed nodding. She couldn’t think, didn’t want to. She only felt. He didn’t step away, didn’t release her. He held her in his arms as if he could absorb her.

  She felt cherished, needed for something other than what she could give. For the first time, she was enough. Just Poppy. Not the witch, but the woman.

  He leaned back, smoothing hair back from her face. “Can I see you tomorrow?” His voice was hoarse, but his eyes never left hers.

  Her body ached, pleaded for more of his gentle assault. But it was more than how he made her feel. She wanted all of him. “Yes.” She shook her head, remembering. “No, wait. I have to work. A client needs more stock.”

  “What do you need to do?”

  “I need to make more bath products. Lotions, soaps, shampoo.”

  “Well, can I help you?”

  A smile curved her lips. “I’d like that.”

  He nuzzled a soft kiss against her lips. “I’ll be here.” Setting her away in degrees, he released her.

  Walking to the door, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned, catching his eyes devouring her in greedy gulps. It helped soothe the ache in her heart now that he’d let her go, but just barely.

  “Keep walking, sweetheart. If you stop, I might not let you go again.”

  Her heart thrilled at his words, at the truth she saw echoed in his eyes. She crossed into her house, closing the door quietly behind her and listened as he drove away.

  All she could think about were his words, his praise, his kiss. They were drugs to her, and she flew high off of him.

  Chapter 5

  Waking with the sun, Poppy still glowed from Drake’s kiss. Sleep had come easily, and she’d savored the wicked dreams she’d envisioned during the night. But with morning came unpleasant thoughts as well. As wonderful as last night was, as much as she’d enjoyed being with Drake in that way, he wasn’t her mate. No matter how much she cared for him, longed for him, nothing could change that fact.

  Drake’s proposal was sound. She didn’t know who her mate was, how to find him, not even what he looked like. Until she did, she’d enjoy her time with Drake, because for once, she’d do what she wanted. Something selfish. Something that wasn’t dictated by a cosmic force. After years of fighting it, this was her chance to be with Drake.

  Not wanting to think of it any more, she set a kettle on the stove for tea and organized all the ingredients she’d need to make lavender lotion. She’d been gifted in herbs, and she’d worked to hone their uses, not only in magic but in therapy as well, since she was a girl. If she happened to add a regenerative spell, or a touch of somethin
g for relaxation to aid the herbs, well, so much the better. She financially supported herself with her concoctions and was grateful she’d been able to.

  By the time Drake arrived, the ingredients lined her counter as neat as any surgeon’s tools. His muscled body leaned against the door frame, a brow raised at her supplies. She tried not to drool.

  “I thought you were going to wait for me.”

  She shrugged playfully, lightening her mood. It was either that or jump him. “That’s what happens when you sleep in.”

  He snorted. “I hardly think 8:30 in the morning is sleeping in since I’m here and dressed.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “I was hoping you’d feed me.” He grinned wolfishly, stalking toward her. “I can tell you exactly what I’m in the mood for.”

  She gasped when he lunged for her, wrapping her in thick arms. His kiss was hot, possessive. Everything she’d dreamed. Everything that had tormented her during the night.

  She arched against him, relishing his touch, his taste.

  He came up for air, tucking her head under his chin. She grinned at his racing heart. “Now that’s the way I prefer to say good morning.”

  “Good morning,” she breathed out.

  He released her, even if he did so reluctantly. “Come on. Let’s get started or else we’ll never get it done.”

  A grin cracked her face. He was adorable. He valued her for who she was, not just for how she made him feel physically. After being friends for so many years, she’d known this, but loved that nothing had changed in the last few days.

  “Where do you want me to start?”

  She tossed her head to the counter. “Slip around to the other side by the pestle. I’ll have you start on the lavender sprigs. I’m running low on lavender oil, and I’ll need to replace what we’re about to use.”

  “You make your own oils?” He ground the herbs she placed in the stone. “How did I not know this about you?”

  “Guess you don’t know everything.”

  “Guess not. Anything else I should know?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  Snorting a laugh, she shook her head. “Just keep grinding.”

  “I take it that’s a yes?”

  “Who knows? I’m a mystery, apparently.”

  He eyed her slowly from her head to her toes, awakening each inch of skin his eyes caressed. He finally nodded. “You are. But I look forward to learning all your secrets.”

  Color flushed her cheeks, only making him grin. “I don’t think I’ve made you blush since we were teenagers.”

  She turned away, clearing her throat, blindly reaching for an herb to crush. “It still happens sometimes.”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  Her mouth dropped open as her eyes darted to his.

  He set the pestle aside. “You’re beautiful, Poppy.”

  She shifted.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just… nothing.” She squirmed under his knowing gaze. She felt raw, exposed. Like he could see all the way to the depth of her soul. Maybe he could. Could he be her mate? This connection between them was too strong, too meaningful. There had to be a reason.

  As she watched him, she started to believe that he might be hers.

  “Has no one ever told you how gorgeous you are?” He whispered. “How incredibly graceful, strong, and sexy you are?”

  She shuttered a breath, shaking her head. “No. Well, yes, I’m sure my parents and few others have mentioned I was pretty. But, it didn’t feel like this.”

  Her words lit up his eyes. “You’re mine, Poppy. Mine. You just don’t know it yet.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t ready to agree with him, to concede. Still, her heart recognized his words as truth. The realization shook her.

  As if sensing her struggle, he turned a back to grinding. “Do you need the powder finer than this?” He angled the stone toward her.

  “No.” She cleared the lump in her throat. “No, that’s perfect.” She poured the powder into a cloth, tightly securing the material before setting it in boiling water.

  “That’s all you need?”

  “Yes. It’ll boil for several hours and then dry out before I can finish the process.” She threw on a stained red apron, the ruffled pockets holding oils she’d need. “Let’s start with the first batch of lotions. They’ve ordered ten more eight-ounce bottles of lavender lotion, a variety of soaps, and more rose shampoo.”

  “Like the one you use?”

  “Yes. It’s quite popular.”

  “I didn’t know you sold that.”

  She sent him a wry smile. “I told you, I’m a woman of mystery.”

  “You did.” He grinned, leaning over the counter to watch her mix the ingredients. Occasionally she needed something from his side and he’d hand it over to her. It was easy, right, being here with him.

  It’d always been comfortable to be around him. They understood each other on so many levels, but this was new. This awareness of him.

  As she stirred the mixture over the stove, she studied him from the corner of her eye. The sunlight that filtered in through the kitchen window teased red highlights from his hair that she’d never noticed. His fingers were smooth, long. Manly. She could imagine them on her body.

  “Poppy?”

  “Hmm? What?” She tore her eyes from his hands to his face.

  “You were staring at my hands. Is everything all right?”

  “Oh.” She rubbed her cheek, hoping her blush didn’t give her thoughts away. Her attempt at discretion had failed. “Yes. I’m fine. Just lost in thought for a moment.”

  “Anything you want to share?”

  She sighed at the glimmer in his eye, at how it affected her. Did he have any idea what was going on inside her body at that moment? She hoped not. “I was just thinking that you had nice hands. They’d be good for casting.”

  “Casting… spells?”

  She bit her cheek. “Yes.”

  “Yeah… I don’t think so.” He shifted uneasily now. “I’d have no clue what to do. I think I’ll just sit and watch you if that’s all right.”

  “Come on.” She set her bowl aside, the contents mixed together. “We’ll do this together. Can you grab those empty lotion bottles over there and line them up here? It’s easy to pour them assembly line style.”

  He did as she asked, and she divided the warm mixture into the bottles. Once full, he moved to cap them.

  She stayed his hand. “No. Not yet. It needs a little something extra.”

  “What’s that?”

  She grinned slowly. “Magic.”

  “You put magic in your products? Does it make people buy more?” he teased.

  She smacked his arm. “I wish there was a spell for that. I’d be rich, and trust me, I’d buy myself a bigger place somewhere much more glamorous than here.”

  His head shook softly. “No you wouldn’t.”

  “No?”

  “You love this place. You’ll never leave.”

  Her hand stilled, all joking left. “How’d you know that?”

  “Because I know you, Poppy. Have you not heard anything I’ve told you lately?”

  “Of course.” She dusted off her apron, not knowing where else to put her hands. She was worried if he came closer to her, that she’d launch herself into his arms. “I just didn’t know, didn’t realize, that you knew those things. Most guys don’t pay attention to things like that.”

  “When it comes to you, I pay attention to everything.”

  Her mouth went dry.

  “Come on,” he nodded at the bottles. “Let’s finish this so we can drop them off. Then you’re all mine.” His eyes warmed on hers.

  Her heart fluttered as desire wove through her. She couldn’t fight this. She needed him, wanted him. Desired him. “Take my hand.”

  He took it without question. “Clear your mind. Repeat my words in your mind. Focus channeling your energy through your hand and into me. Visualize it. Ready?”

  At his nod, she closed her eyes, her face tilting up. Words floated from her lips like silky wind, calming, soothing the tension in her body. It floated in the air, diffusing in the light, and when it pulsed into the opened containers, she knew she’d succeeded.

  At the end of the incantation, power surged through her arm and filled her. She gasped, breaking contact with Drake.