Life's A Witch: Midwest Monsters, #2 1x6v4f

Table of Contents

Life’s A Witch

Life’s A Witch

Copyright

Hey all you cool cats and kittens…

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Can I slide into your box?

About the Author

Life’s A Witch Midwest Monsters Book Two

By Dakota Rebel

Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Life’s A Witch by

Dakota Rebel

Fun fact, they’re still running witches out Salem, even in the twenty-first century. So, after being chased from their home by people with actual pitchforks, the LaFey triplets have settled down in a small town in northern Michigan.

Unfortunately, the saying is true. There’s no rest for the wicked…witches.

Candi –

Turns out, there are three absolute certainties in life. Death. Taxes. And Lincoln Gage’s complete inability to fix my car.

Granted, I sort of like visiting the shop so I can ogle him while I lay into his lack of skill at his chosen trade. But if he would just keep the car running, maybe I’d start visiting for social reasons instead.

Lincoln –

I’ve never been what you’d consider shy. But for some reason, Candi LaFey scares the hell out of me. Being what I am, fearing anything is new territory for me…but I kind of like it.

I’m risking my reputation in this town by continuing to sabotage her car, but if it keeps bringing her into my shop, I’ll risk a hell of a lot more.

Copyright © 2020, Dakota Rebel Life’s A Witch

Published by: Supernova Indie Publishing Services, LLC

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

Hey all you cool cats and kittens… the group on Facebook! The Rebel Squad is the place to be.

I do live readings, we play games and there’s always Filthy Meme Friday to look forward to.

Come on over and the fun!

Chapter One ~Candi LaFey~

“I can’t believe our baby sister went and got married last night,” I complained to Trudi over breakfast. “I mean, honestly. What’s the point of being triplets if we aren’t there for each other’s huge life moments?”

“Well,” Trudi said in a matter of fact tone. “Considering what probably lead to the decision in the first place, I’m sure it wasn’t something they wanted to share with us.”

I wrinkled my nose as I realized she was probably right. Mindi and Booker taking a one-way trip to Pound Town was not something we all needed to experience together.

It was hard to believe that our sister had thrown around that much magic last night and was now the first of us to be married and mated.

And to a vampire.

I mean, we’d moved here to live as normals, and right out of the gate she marries another supernatural. What are the odds?

Looking over at Trudi, I blew out a sigh. She was probably next. She could bitch

and moan about Colton Steele, but Mindi and I both knew that sparks were flying between Trudi and the mayor of our new town. In fact, the only people that apparently couldn’t see it was the two of them. Pathetic.

“What are you doing today?” Trudi asked.

“Going to burn down the mechanic shop,” I answered with a shrug.

“Don’t joke like that,” Trudi growled, looking toward the stairs to make sure Mindi wasn’t coming down yet.

“Sorry.”

Our newly married sister had almost died in a house fire when we’d been forced to flee Salem the year before. It had been terrifying and horrific, and Trudi was right. I shouldn’t joke about burning anything down.

“What exactly is wrong with your car?” Trudi asked.

“Lincoln said it was the alternator, but he swears he’s changed it out three times now, and the damn thing still won’t start reliably.”

It was beyond frustrating that I was a witch with all kinds of magical powers, but none of them were helpful when it came to mechanical things. In fact, if I even attempted to charm the car to start, I would probably blow out the entire

electrical system and be even worse off than I already was.

“Why don’t you take it to the other shop?” she suggested.

“Because Linc hasn’t charged me a dime,” I itted.

We weren’t poor, but if he was going to keep fixing the damn thing for free, I wasn’t going to turn it down.

Besides, I kind of liked to look at his stupid face when I yelled at him.

Lincoln Gage owned one of two mechanic shops in this little town, and he was by far the handsomest man I’d ever seen in my life. Petty it may be, but that was why I’d chosen his garage in the first place.

But now, I just wanted to punch him. It was aggravating. I was still making payments on the stupid car, it shouldn’t be having so many problems.

“Good morning,” Mindi said softly as she walked into the dining room.

“Good morning,” Trudi and I sing-songed in unison.

I leaned over to look behind Mindi, but the hallway was empty.

“Where’s your husband?” I asked.

Mindi’s cheeks flamed red and I couldn’t hold back a cackling laugh.

“It just kind of happened,” Mindi said sheepishly.

“Are you happy?” Trudi asked her.

“Deliriously,” Mindi itted with a shy smile.

“Then we’re happy for you,” I promised. “Where is the vampire?”

“He’ll be down in a minute,” Mindi said. “And don’t call him that.”

“Can I just ask how you managed to find the only other supernatural man within a hundred miles, and snap him up so quickly?” I asked her.

“Just luck I guess.” Mindi shrugged then slid into her seat at the table.

“So, what’s the plan?” Trudi asked her. “Are you leaving?”

“Actually,” Mindi said, straightening in her seat. “That’s why I came down alone. Would it be okay if he moved in here for a while?”

I felt my shoulders sag in relief at her question. We’d been terrified when we’d felt the bonding ritual start that Booker Donovan was going to steal our sister away from us.

We’d only lived here for about six months, and Trudi and I weren’t ready to be split up yet. The house was plenty big enough to add another person for a while.

“We were hoping he would,” Trudi itted. “He’s welcome to stay as long as you guys would like.”

Mindi beamed and it felt like the first real smile we’d seen since…well, probably since our parents died. She’d had a rough few years and if any of us deserved that kind of happiness, it was Mindi.

“Well, I’d love to hang around and wait on Count Sleeps-a-lot,” I said getting to my feet as I heard the tow truck pull into the driveway. “But I’ve got a mechanic to flay this morning.”

“Be nice to him,” Mindi said.

“Why on earth would I be nice to him?” I stared at her in disbelief.

“He likes you.” She shrugged. “He’s a good guy.”

“He’s an incompetent menace,” I corrected her. “I’ve gotta go.”

I walked around the table and dropped kisses on top of each of my sister’s heads, then I snagged my purse and ran out to catch a ride with the truck driver over to Lincoln’s garage.

And I absolutely did not stop on the way to check my make up in the hall mirror.

Chapter Two ~Lincoln Gage~

I glanced at the clock on the wall for the tenth time in two minutes. She was late. I’d expected Candi LaFey to be waiting at the door when I opened at eight. But it was eight-fifteen and there was no sign of her yet.

It was horrifically childish to continue not quite fixing her car, so she’d have to come back and see me. But I was way past maturity when it came to her.

A normal man would have just asked her out on a date already. But I was far from normal, and guys like me just don’t have a shot with women like her.

The sound of a tow truck bouncing into the lot brought my head up and I watched as Lou swung around, Candi’s little blue coupe hooked to the back of his rig. One truck door closed and another slammed, and my heart began racing as I watched her approach the door.

“Why, Ms. LaFey,” I said smoothly. “What brings you back to my establishment this beautiful morning?”

“Did you get your mechanics license out of the back of a Highlights magazine?” she spat.

Her green eyes were blazing, and her ample chest heaved with her frustration. Good lord she was beautiful. Even her bright red hair seemed fire lit today.

“I’m well, thank you,” I said, ignoring her ire.

“Don’t start with me Lincoln,” she snapped. “Come on, dude.” She leaned on the counter and glared at me. “Why can’t you just keep my car running?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with it,” I lied. “I’ve put three brand new alternators in it. Have you checked for a recall?”

“Have you checked for a recall?” she asked hotly.

Touché. As her mechanic, that probably would have been my job. I struggled with how to respond, looking down at the desk for a distraction.

“Raisinete?” I held up the golden yellow box and shook it at her.

“It’s eight-thirty in the morning,” she answered, her tone holding a bit of disgust.

I shook it again and she sighed, holding out her hand and cupping her palm. I dumped a fair amount of chocolate covered raisins into it and watched as she poured the entire handful into her mouth.

Love did not begin to describe my feelings for this woman. From the first time she’d walked into my shop, I’d just had this gut feeling that she was the one for me. Unfortunately, since I couldn’t tell her the truth about myself, there was no way I could ever be the one for her.

She was beautiful, smart, funny and totally normal.

I, on the other hand…was not. Normal. Like, at all. I used a glamour to hide my true form from the rest of the town, and it had worked since I moved here three years prior. But there was no way I could hold up such a deception in a relationship with someone.

It felt like I’d been searching my entire life for others of my kind. My parents had been no help. The best they could offer was to tell me when the time was right, my one true mate would show herself to me.

I knew there were all kinds of supernatural creatures walking the earth, I certainly wasn’t alone. But finding them was a right bitch, since none of us ever actually wanted to be found.

Years I’d wandered, traveling all over in search of a witch, or a vampire, or another demon that I could find companionship with. But I’d finally come to with the fact that my parents were wrong. I was destined to be alone.

I’d been fine with that…until Candi LaFey walked into my life and turned my entire world view on its ass.

It wasn’t just that she was gorgeous. I’d met beautiful women before. But something about her just clicked for me, and I was head over heels for her. I just wanted to be near her as much as possible.

Hence the childish sabotage. I could be slightly flirty in the shop, make her laugh on occasion, maybe even become friends with her. And how lucky would I be then?

“I need my car back, and running, by tonight,” Candi said, bringing my attention back to the matter at hand. “You got me?”

“Absolutely,” I promised her. “Do you need a ride home?”

“I need you to fix my car!” she snapped. “I’m meeting someone across the street for breakfast, and they will take me home.”

“Who?” I asked, my tone sharper than I’d meant it to be.

Her head cocked to the side and her eyes sparkled as she studied me. I averted my gaze quickly, shuffling papers on the counter in front of me to avoid her scrutiny.

“I’ll be back later for my car,” she said, her tone softening as some of her anger finally seemed to seep away.

“It will be ready by five,” I promised her.

“I’ll be here,” she agreed.

She leaned over, grabbed my box of candy and took it with her as she walked out the door.

That was fine. She’d already stolen my heart, she was more than welcome to my Raisinets.

Chapter Three ~Candi~

I will it, my heart may have fluttered a little when he appeared jealous that I was meeting someone for breakfast. I’d been hoping he would, which was why I’d made it up in the first place.

Maybe Mindi was right. It was entirely possible that Lincoln Gage liked me. Not that it mattered. I couldn’t have a relationship with a small-town mechanic. He was too…normal. There was no way I could spend the rest of my life hiding what I was from a partner.

There are supernatural beings that will mate with humans, but witches aren’t really one of them. Vampires and Were-Creatures are the most likely to take a mortal spouse. Because they can turn them and live their lives together forever.

I’ll live three or four hundred years, age super slowly, and could potentially lose many mortal husbands in that lifespan. Not really something I wanted to do.

It was fine. Somewhere out there was a nice, supernatural creature, that would steal my heart. Too bad they were going to have to take it from Lincoln, since I was pretty sure he was holding it in his hands right now.

We only live about eight blocks from Lincoln’s garage, so I started walking home. It was a clear, crisp autumn morning and the sun was shining. I slid on my sunglasses and headed for home.

I’d only made it about a block before a car slowed then stopped next to me.

“Why are you walking?” Mayor Steele asked, leaning over the enger seat and smiling at me through his open window.

“Brooms in the shop,” I answered with a shrug.

“Come on, I’ll give you a lift.”

I shrugged then walked over to get into his car. I buckled myself in and watched as he eased back onto the mostly deserted road.

“Is your car broken down again?” he asked after a moment of silence between us.

“Yeah.” I blew out a sigh. “Lincoln isn’t that great of a mechanic.”

“That’s really strange,” Colton replied. “He works on all the town vehicles and we’ve never had a problem.”

“That’s what folks keep telling me,” I itted. “But lack of vehicle to the contrary. He can’t seem to keep mine running.”

“Maybe he likes you,” Colton teased.

“And why are you so interested?” I pulled off my shades then shifted in my seat to look at him. “You looking to play matchmaker?”

To be honest, I was super tempted to turn the tables on him and start grilling him on his intentions for my sister. Those two fought like cats and dogs. Mindi and I could only assume it was because they had the hots for each other.

I didn’t get to spend much time with the mayor of this little town, but he’d always seemed perfectly nice and pleasant to me. As evidenced by him offering me a ride home out of nowhere this morning.

“Not at all.” He shook his head and gave me a small smile. “I just know that sometimes guys act like idiots around women they…ire.”

“Is that so?” I grinned back at him. “You trying to tell me something, Mayor Steele?”

“Call me Colton, and no. Absolutely not.” His grip on the steering wheel tightened enough that I could hear the leather creak under his hands. “Will you and your sisters be attending the Halloween festival?”

“I think so.” I shrugged.

“It’s always a good time. And we raise a lot of money for charity.” He pulled up in front of my house and put the car in park. “I know Trudi has to be there, but it would be nice if the entire LaFey clan made an appearance.”

“Do you think we appear standoffish?” I asked, surprised that I was worried about that.

“No,” he insisted. “Not at all. But you’re still pretty new here and it might be good to socialize a little with the natives.”

“We’re a little skittish,” I itted. “Mayor, I mean, Colton. We’re good people. But we hit a rough patch back in Salem.” I reached over and touched his arm gently. “Take it easy on Trudi. We might be triplets, but she kind of sees herself as the oldest, and she feels like Mindi and I are her responsibility.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. But I saw the corner of his lips twitch as if he were fighting a smile.

“Thank you for the ride,” I said as I opened the car door. “If I don’t see you before, we’ll see you at the festival.”

“Candi,” he said, his serious tone making me pause before climbing out. He met my gaze and took a deep breath, as if steeling himself to say something he wasn’t sure he should. “You’re safe here.”

I stared back at him, my heart pounding in my chest. He couldn’t mean…

“You can’t know that,” I argued, my voice hardly a whisper.

“Can’t I?” Colton gave me a bemused smile. “You think the LaFey triplets move to my town and I don’t know how to protect them?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying nothing,” he said calmly. “And neither will you.”

The strength behind those words told me what I needed to know. Mayor Colton Steele was different. And he knew that we were, too.

“Of course not,” I agreed immediately. “I…I vow it.”

The small force of will I put behind the words sealed the contract in place. I would be unable to tell anyone who didn’t already know that Colton was special. The spell protected both of us, really.

“Who else?” I pleaded.

I desperately wanted him to tell me that Lincoln was like us, different, special,

supernatural. Even though I knew he couldn’t, and the look he gave me cemented that fact.

“I understand what you’re asking,” he told me, reaching out and patting my hand. “And I understand why. But you know—”

“I do,” I insisted, cutting him off. “It was foolish to ask such a question.”

It is the height of impropriety to share the status of other supernatural creatures without permission. We spend so much of our lives hiding who and what we are, that it is an unspoken rule that we are not to divulge other’s secrets.

“It’s okay,” he assured me. “All I can tell you, is that we are not alone here. And if you stay, this place can be your home. Forever.”

“Thank you,” I told him, clasping his hand and fighting the urge to kiss his cheek. “For everything.”

He nodded, smiling wide enough to show me sharpened incisors that I had never noticed before. I felt my eyes widen, and his grin spread further.

“Glamours don’t take much magic, as you know,” he offered. “Most supernatural creatures can manage them quite well. Witches don’t corner the market on magic.”

“Touché.” I inclined my head to him and got out of the car. I leaned back down before closing the door. “Be nice to my sister.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, Ms. LaFey.” He nodded. “Have a good day.”

I closed the car door and watched as he pulled away from the curb. My heart was still pounding rapidly, and I stared at the house, almost afraid to go in. I literally wouldn’t be able to tell my sisters what I’d just learned, and if I went in there looking as if I’d seen a ghost, they would know something was up the second my tongue tied in my mouth.

There were others. We were home…if we wanted to be.

I took deep breaths as I walked slowly toward the front door. I knew I’d be flushed still, but that could be explained away as anger at Lincoln.

Lincoln.

It was unlikely that fate would allow my family to escape hell, find a town that included others like us, and make the man of my dreams some kind of special. But if fate had any heart at all, she’d give me one last gift in Lincoln Gage.

Chapter Four ~Lincoln~

I was going to ask out Candi LaFey. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Sure, we wouldn’t be able to get married, or even have sex. But we could get food and talk. There weren’t any preternatural laws against that.

When I finished fixing her car, for real and for good this time, I drove it over to her place. If she accepted my offer, we could go to dinner and hopefully she’d drop me off at the shop after.

If not, it wasn’t that far of a walk and it was a lovely afternoon to throw myself off the Lanspeak bridge.

I pulled up in front of the LaFey house and forced myself to get out of the car and walk to the front door. Fortune favors the brave. And hopefully, so would Candi.

When I knocked, the door swung open and I found myself staring at Booker Donovan.

Interesting.

“Hey, Book,” I said, reaching out to shake his outstretched hand.

“Lincoln, good to see you, man.” Booker swung the door open. “You want to come in?”

It seemed super sketch that he was inviting me into Candi’s home. What the hell was he doing there? Surely he and Candi weren’t…

“What are you doing here?” Candi asked as she walked into the hall.

“I brought your car back.” I looked from her to Booker and back again.

“Thank you,” she said, a bemused looking smile on her beautiful face.

“I’m going to go find Mindi,” Booker said. “Since she is the reason I’m here.” He gave me a pointed look before turning on his heel and heading into the living room.

If Candi noticed the sigh of relief I exhaled, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“Listen,” I said, tucking my hands in my pockets and dropping my gaze to the floor. “I thought maybe you’d like to grab a bite to eat?”

“You thought so?”

“Well, I feel like I owe you.” I looked back up at her. “Since it was sort of my fault your car kept breaking down.”

“You don’t say?” she asked sarcastically.

“Yeah. So, do you want to grab dinner?”

“It’s three-thirty,” she challenged with a smirk. “Are you a big fan of the early bird specials?”

“Look,” I snapped. “If you don’t want to go, that’s fine.”

“Who said I didn’t want to go?” She grabbed her purse from the side table and stepped around me to open the door. “You ready?”

This woman was absolutely maddening.

Chapter Five ~Candi~

“So exactly what was wrong with my car?” I asked Lincoln after the waitress had taken our orders.

We’d gone to Rochelle’s, a small diner type restaurant that served all day breakfast, which was great because when I was anxious, I always wanted pancakes. And being out with Lincoln had made me order a double stack.

“A bad fuse,” he itted with a shrug. “I’m sorry that never occurred to me. I was so sure it was the alternator.”

“Well, it’s fixed now, right?”

“Definitely all fixed,” he assured me. “You won’t have to come back to my shop for at least another three-thousand-miles for your oil change.”

That was both good and bad, but I didn’t it that to him. Things felt awkward enough between us.

I could only assume that Lincoln actually did like me, considering he’d asked me out on this…date? Friendship dinner? I didn’t even know what this was. And I probably should have declined the invitation. But I just liked him so damn much.

It was hard to refuse spending time with him.

“So,” he said, the brightness in his tone obviously forced and uncomfortable. “You guys are from Salem, right? What was that like?”

“It was great,” I said. “Until it wasn’t.”

The memory of the night our town went berserk on us washed over me in a cold wave that caused a physical shiver. I would never be able to forget the sound of Mindi’s screams as the people we’d grown up with tied her to a post in our basement and lit a pyre around her.

We’d eaten with these people, had parties together, waved as we walked by, for two decades. But they’d seen something they hadn’t understood and rallied to commit murder that night.

Humans were monsters.

I realized that silence had fallen again, Lincoln looked at me as if he expected me to continue, but I couldn’t.

One, I didn’t want to talk about it. And two, I certainly couldn’t tell him the truth about what happened that night or why we’d been forced to flee.

“What about you?” I asked. “Where are you from, originally?”

“I grew up just outside of Detroit,” he said. “My parents still live there, but I was fortunate enough to be able to travel for a while. Then I found this place and it just felt…I don’t know, right, I guess. It feels more like home than Birmingham ever did, anyway.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s weird how quickly we settled in. The people here seem genuine. We traveled a bit after we left Salem and when we ended up here it was the same thing. It just felt like home.”

We’d come here because Trudi had ed our aunts talking about their time in the small town and we figured it was as good a place as any. And then, we’d ended up being able to purchase their old house, which had been vacant for ten years since they’d left. Or disappeared, really.

“So, how’s your work at the library?” he asked, obviously trying to avoid letting silence fall between us again.

“It’s good,” I answered. “I’m trying to integrate some technology upgrades, but the town council is fighting me. They think I’m trying to bring in my ‘big city ways’ and ruin their vibe.”

“Yeah,” Lincoln agreed with a chuckle. “It’s a great town, but they’re pretty stuck in their ways.”

Now that I thought about what Colton had said to me earlier, I wondered if they didn’t want computers because there were supernatural creatures that might blow

them out with their powers.

For witches, we have to actively apply magic to technology to ruin it, but there were certainly creatures that exuded a constant stream of energy. It would be difficult to hide such things if I filled a community building with machinery they couldn’t be around.

The waitress brought our food out, and Lincoln and I both dug into our food. As we ate, I kept sneaking glances at him. He didn’t seem anything other than human. Like, at all. I didn’t feel any magic around him. Not that I necessarily would have. If he were wearing a glamour, it might not use enough power to create the staticky feeling I can sometimes sense around magic.

Supernaturals were incredibly good at hiding our true natures. We had to be. Again, humans are monsters and sometimes hiding is our best defense. Yes, we can throw around magic, but there are limits. Do unto others is not just pretty words. What you do can come back on you threefold.

It’s almost always better to run than to fight. In our case, in Salem, they’d gotten the jump on us while we were sleeping. And they’d managed to hit on Mindi’s weakness and had her gagged before she could get off any spells to protect herself. She’s never been good at silent casting.

Though I think from that night on, we’d all been practicing that skill in secret. None of us would risk being caught in a position like we found ourselves in that night.

“Is everything okay?” Lincoln asked, his voice jarring me from my thoughts.

“What? Oh, yeah.” I laughed gently. “Sorry, caught up in memories.”

“You want to talk about it?” he offered. “I’m a great listener.”

“No,” I insisted. “Thanks. I’m good.”

Shit, I needed to get a grip. Talking about Salem had triggered me for sure. But it wasn’t Lincoln’s business, or problem really. I needed to get better control over my thoughts. I was supposed to be on a pseudo date type thing.

Chapter Six ~Lincoln~

For a moment I’d thought Candi was about to start crying into her pancakes. I’d never seen her look so morose in all the time I’d known her. Something had taken hold of her and made her incredibly sad.

“I’m a great listener,” I offered, hoping she’d open up a little to me.

“No,” she said quickly. “I’m good.”

She didn’t actually seem good, but it wasn’t my place to push. I had a feeling that bringing up her past hadn’t been a good move. Something or someone had hurt her, and I’d just ripped off a band aid.

Smooth.

I wanted to keep her talking though. The more she shared, the less I would have to sidestep questions about myself.

Damn it, I liked this girl so much. But tonight was proving that there was no way I could have an actual future with the beautiful, normal, human sitting across from me. I could barely find safe topics to bring up without fearing I’d let something slip about what I am.

And now it was looking like getting her to talk about herself wasn’t a safe topic either. I knew that if one of us brought up the weather, this date was going to be it for both of us. If we literally couldn’t talk about anything else, how could I possibly have a real future with her?

I couldn’t. I already knew the answer to that. Given my true appearance, my past and my lifespan, I couldn’t hide from a human forever.

Candi and I just weren’t meant to be.

And yet…I couldn’t give her up. Plenty of supernaturals marry humans. Maybe she would be one of the mortals that could understand what I was. Could look past the demon and see me for me.

“Where did you just go?” Candi asked. Her hand slid across the table and covered mine.

“Sorry,” I said, my voice hoarse.

“Aren’t we quite the pair?” Candi mused. She took her hand away and I instantly missed the touch. “Soon we’ll be relegated to talk of weather and puppies.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. She even thought the way I did. Damn it. Why the hell was Candi LaFey almost perfect?

“Okay,” I said, drumming my palms on the table with authority. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Okay,” she agreed slowly.

I dropped cash on the table, waved to Sue Ellen the waitress and offered my arm to Candi. She took it as she slid out of her seat and we walked outside together.

“You need me to take you back to your shop?” she asked.

I was pleased to hear some disappointment in her tone. I was pretty sure now that we liked each other very much, but there was definitely something holding each of us back. I didn’t know what hers was, but I wasn’t about to give her up without a fight. Not now that I was the closest I’d ever been to finding someone to love.

“Eventually,” I agreed. “Let’s go for a walk first. We’re quickly running out of nice days and we should enjoy this one.”

“Here we go with weather talk,” Candi teased, but she kept her arm in mine and followed as I headed up the sidewalk.

“Not at all,” I argued. “Well, okay, that was. But there are millions of things to talk about. Light, breezy, non-upsetting things. For instance, you work at a library, so you must love books.”

“I’m actually illiterate,” she said sadly. “I’ve been stamping all the check-out cards with the wrong date since I started. I don’t even know what I’m doing.”

I poked her side and she giggled, bumping me back with her shoulder.

“Yes, I love books,” she itted. “I assume you’re going to ask what’s my favorite?”

“Nope,” I said. “What’s the worst book you’ve ever read?”

“Hmm,” she looked at me, her eyes sparkling. “I like it. No one ever asks about things I hate.”

“I think common dislikes is actually the foundation to any and all relationships,” I informed her. “People would much rather bitch about stuff than praise things, so let’s go for the jugular.”

So, we did. For an hour we walked around town, laughing and talking about all the things we can’t stand from books to movies to sounds and colors. It was magical and unfortunately cemented the fact that I was madly in love with this woman.

I was starting to wonder if I should just come clean with her, lay my truth out and see what happened. But I didn’t want to ruin what I could always as the perfect evening.

One hundred years from now, I knew I would still look back on this night and smile as I ed the joy on Candi’s face while she described, in detail, why white chocolate was an abomination on the world and what she’d like to do to the person who invented it in the first place.

I loved her.

And I couldn’t have her. She deserved someone who could give them their full selves. That man was not me.

We picked up her car at the restaurant and the drive back to my garage was quiet, but not uncomfortable.

“Thanks for dinner,” Candi said as she put the car in park next to mine. “I had a really nice time tonight.”

“So did I,” I itted.

We stared at each other for a minute, and I knew she was waiting for me to try to kiss her. Unfortunately, a glamour doesn’t actually hide how my real form feels. And I couldn’t kiss her, or she would realize that there was something off.

“Good night, Candi.” I opened my car door and got out, then climbed into my own car without looking over at her.

I knew she would look either hurt, angry or confused, and I couldn’t help her with any of it.

Damn it. For the first time in my life, I realized that I wished I was normal.

Chapter Seven ~Candi~

Lincoln Gage was the most obnoxious, infuriating man on the planet. Who the hell has a perfect date, and I mean PERFECT date, then just leaves without even trying to kiss the girl?

Lincoln fucking Gage, that’s who.

He drove out of the lot and left me sitting in my car, stunned. No hug, no handshake, no kiss? What the hell, man?

So many times during our walk, I’d considered coming clean with him. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have believed me anyway. Maybe I could have just said something about new age Wicca, and he wouldn’t ever even have to know that I was a real witch.

When he told me that he hated Oreos and Doritos, because anything that is secretly vegan instead of outwardly proud of themselves pisses him off…I knew he was the only man for me. I was done.

This was love but he was completely unattainable.

Which made me want him more.

The nerve of him to not even try to get handsy after a date like that. My blood was boiling with anger. I was a catch. He was damn lucky that a witch like me would fall in love with a human.

I put my car back into gear and turned out of the lot. I was halfway to his house before I even realized what I was doing.

So what if he wasn’t supernatural? So what if I had to hide from him? Eventually, maybe I could tell him the truth and we’d work it out. Maybe Booker could turn Lincoln into a vampire and then we could be together forever.

I pulled into Lincoln’s driveway and cut the engine, sitting there watching his house for a few minutes as I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to say to him.

It was insane for me to even be here tonight. We’d had a wonderful date. Was it really that big of a deal that he hadn’t tried to kiss me?

Yeah.

Yeah it was.

I was a hell of a catch, and he had no idea what I really was. Any normal guy would have been handsy as fuck after a date like that. It should have ended with him kissing me ionately, then asking me back to his house.

Instead, I was entering stalker territory, showing up out of the blue after he’d made it clear that he wasn’t interested in me.

If our roles were reversed, I could have him arrested. No means no.

Except he hadn’t said no, he’d been a gentleman. I should respect that.

Fuck that.

I got out of the car and walked toward his house slowly, still completely unsure how I was going to explain my presence there. I could lie, but I was doing enough of that already. Adding more lies, or concealed truths, wouldn’t help my situation at this point.

The best option would be the truth. I liked him. And I knew he liked me, too. I just wanted my goodnight kiss and I’d leave him be. For now.

I took a deep breath and knocked firmly on the front door. I could hear him on the other side and then the strangest thing happened.

The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end as a definite spell washed over me. From the feel of it, someone inside had cast a confusion charm through the door.

My heart pounded in my chest. He was special. Or lived with someone who was. I turned around and saw only his car in the driveway. I’d never heard anything about him having a roommate or family with him.

Lincoln opened the door and I almost wept in relief. He had been wearing a glamour and it was gone now. He’d probably cast a confusion spell so that anyone on the porch would see him as he wanted to be seen. It was faster and took less energy than holding up a full-time glamour did.

We stared at each other for a moment, as I took in his true form. He was the same height and build, but his skin was a beautiful burnt sienna, like the color of pumpkin spice. His hair was the same as well, but there were two dark horns sticking up from it.

“You’re a Hananas demon,” I whispered. Tears of relief were pricking my eyes and all I could do was launch myself into his arms and hope he caught me.

Chapter Eight ~Lincoln~

I should have kissed her. By time I got home I was so pissed at myself for letting the opportunity . We’d had such a great time and now she was probably at home cursing my name.

As soon as I got home I dropped my glamour and went to the fridge to grab a beer. I was exhausted. Holding a glamour that detailed all day really wore me out sometimes.

“How was the date?” Sadie asked as she padded into the kitchen and wound herself around my legs.

“It was great,” I itted. I leaned down and scratched the cat’s ears then straightened and headed into the living room.

My familiar followed, hopping up onto the sofa next to me and curling against my leg.

“Then why do you seem so sad?” she asked after a minute.

“Because I like her,” I said with a sigh. “Hell, I love her, okay?”

“That’s great,” Sadie insisted.

“No, it’s not,” I argued. “Sadie, look at me. I can’t marry a human. I can’t have babies and a happily ever after with someone who has an expiration date.”

“You could try talking to her,” Sadie suggested. “Ooh, or have Booker turn her into a vampire.”

“We’re not even supposed to know he’s a vampire,” I reminded the cat, rolling my eyes.

I’d brought Sadie to work with me one day and the moment Booker had walked into the shop, the cat had gone nuts. She told me later that she could smell it on him and had gotten so excited to know there were other supernaturals in town she couldn’t contain herself.

There had been a dozen times I’d wanted to talk to him about it, but I didn’t want to it I’d found out the truth about him. We try so hard to hide ourselves away, it wouldn’t have been fair to him. He could tell me when or if he was ready.

A knock sounded at the door and Sadie and I both jumped. The cat hopped down and ran up the stairs and I struggled to put my glamour back up, but I couldn’t make it come.

Damn it. I was going to have to tap into magic reserves. I walked into the hall and cast a simple confusion charm, putting my will behind it so any human on the other side would see me as I wanted them to.

When I opened the door, I was shocked to see Candi standing there. And the way she was staring at me let me know that something was seriously wrong.

“You’re a Hananas demon,” she whispered.

How the fuck did she know that? Why could she see me? Why did she even know what a Hananas demon was?

Then she jumped into my arms.

I caught her effortlessly then captured her lips with mine. My God, the feel of her against me, the taste of her sweet tongue flicking against mine, brought my cock hard in an instant.

We moved into the house and I slammed the door closed without releasing her from my grip. Our kiss continued as I led us backward through the hall, into the living room, then we fell to the sofa together, her body landing on me while her lips kept hold of mine.

“Candi,” I whispered, pulling back from the kiss to look up at her. “What the hell —”

“No!” She kissed me again. “Talk later.”

“Talk now,” I insisted, pushing her back until she was sitting up on the cushions. Then, for good measure, I slid further down the sofa out of her reach. “You can see me?”

“What are you, invisible?” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Lincoln. I can see you. All of you. The real you.” She licked her lips. “Well, most of you. All of you comes next.”

“I don’t understand what’s going on right now,” I itted.

“I’m a witch,” she explained. “And I like you so much and the fact that you’re special too…God, Lincoln. I’ve been in hell, thinking myself into knots about what I was going to do. But you’re exactly what I need you to be.”

“You didn’t know before?” I asked.

She shook her head, blinking back tears. I’d never seen Candi look anything but fierce as hell. Seeing her on the verge of crying was almost too much to bear.

“Then why did you come here?”

“I thought, if I could just kiss you. Just once, that would be enough. I thought maybe I could, like, get you out of my system.”

“So you were going to sleep with me then leave?”

“What? No! I couldn’t have done that if I did want to.” She blew out a sigh. “It’s not like a witch law, or anything, but LaFey’s have a one mate limit. I could never have slept with you knowing that I couldn’t have you forever.” She blinked up at me. “I didn’t come here to have sex.”

“You know that Hananas demons mate for life, too, right?” I clarified.

God, she looked so pretty. It may have been the demon nature to be attracted to her vulnerability, but it didn’t make it any less true. Her eyes were wide, still bright with unshed tears, and her lower lip was trembling slightly. If my cock hadn’t already been rock-hard from her kiss, it would have been now just staring at her.

“I didn’t,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have come here.”

“I’m glad you did,” I insisted. “This…this changes everything.”

“Not really.” She coughed out a small laugh. “It just makes it harder. Now that I know I can have you, but you just don’t want me…I don’t know how I’ll carry that around with me.”

“Don’t want you?” I stared at her in disbelief. “Don’t want you? Are you insane? What exactly has happened so far that makes you think I don’t want you? Was it

the kissing? Was it the raging hard on in my pants? Please, tell me what signals I’m giving off right now that make you think I don’t want you.”

“Okay, yeah,” she agreed. “You want me. But you know what I mean.”

“I literally don’t understand a single word that is coming out of your mouth right now,” I argued.

How in the name of fuck could she think I didn’t want her? I’d wanted her since the moment I first saw her. But now that we were here, now that we were exposed…so to speak, there was a mile-wide divide between us. Were either of us ready to commit to each other for the rest of forever?

“Yes, you do,” she insisted, getting to her feet. “You’re being purposefully difficult, like always.”

“Can I interject?” Sadie asked, padding back into the room, her tail ramrod straight and her green eyes glowing with mirth.

“Who the fuck is that?” Candi asked, her tone accusatory as she looked around the room in surprise. When her gaze fell on the long hair black cat, her posture relaxed. “Your familiar?”

“Sadie,” the cat said, bowing her fuzzy face politely. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Candi LaFey.”

“Sadie, we’re a little busy,” I snapped.

“Being stupid,” the cat agreed. “Humanoids are so difficult.”

“Out!” I yelled, pointing toward the hallway.

“Don’t yell at her!” Candi rounded on me and shot a withering glare so harsh I actually took a step backward.

“This is private,” I insisted.

“Fine,” Sadie said haughtily. “Candi, I hope to see you again.” Then she turned tail and ran out of the room, her little paws thundering up the stairs so loudly it sounded like a full-size person.

“That was rude,” Candi told me, crossing her arms and glaring at me.

“Don’t tell me how to talk to my familiar,” I said. “Look, this is getting out of hand.”

“I should go,” she said suddenly. “Tonight has been… a lot.”

“I think we should talk,” I argued.

“We will,” she promised. “But I need some room to think.” She took a step toward me, and when I stood my ground she closed the distance. Going up on tiptoe, she kissed me softly on the lips. “I’ll come by the garage and see you tomorrow, okay?”

I nodded. I didn’t want to let her go, but if she needed space, I wasn’t about to push her. I had to trust that she really would come see me when she was ready.

It sucked letting her walk out the door. Right thing or not, it just felt wrong.

Chapter Nine ~Candi~

“That must have been some date,” Mindi teased when I walked back into the house that night.

I looked at her and Booker snuggled up on the sofa together, then over at Trudi who was curled in a chair with a book on her lap, then I burst into tears.

My sisters were on their feet, their arms around me in an instant, while Booker mumbled something about needing to be elsewhere and walked out the front door.

“What happened?” Mindi asked, urging me into the living room and steering me to sit on the sofa with her, Trudi dropping to the other side of me.

“I love him,” I itted with a sniff. “I’m in love with Lincoln.”

“And?” Mindi asked, confusion clear in her tone.

“What do you mean and?” I wailed, burying my face in my hands. “And I can’t be with him.”

“You don’t know that,” she insisted.

I turned to look at her and she shrunk from my gaze.

She knew.

How the hell did she know when I hadn’t known?

“I’ll only have one mate,” I reminded her. “And it can’t be some normal who I have to hide from all the time.”

“Right.” She turned away, staring out the window.

“Talk!” I snapped, shoving her shoulder. “What do you know?”

“I don’t know anything,” she lied, still avoiding my eyes.

“What’s going on?” Trudi asked. “Why do I feel like I’m missing something?”

“Lincoln isn’t a normal,” I said. “And Mindi knew that and didn’t tell me.”

“It wasn’t my place to tell you,” Mindi said. “Booker should never have even told me. He found out by accident and it was none of our business. But I thought Lincoln would have told you by now.”

“He didn’t know I was a witch until tonight,” I reminded her.

“Wait. Wait just a damn minute,” Trudi said. “You’re telling me, we’ve been here for six months and both of you have found supernaturals in this tiny ass town?”

“We are way off topic here,” I reminded Trudi. “I can’t have him because he doesn’t want me. I mean, okay, he wants me. But we can’t be together unless we’re both sure we’re ready for forever. We each only get one shot at this. And I don’t think he loves me back.”

“You’re a moron,” Mindi said, getting to her feet. “You think that man has manipulated in every way possible to stay close to you but he’s not in love with you?”

“Yes.” Some of the steam had gone out of my argument at that point.

“Of course, he’s in love with you.”

“Then why didn’t he tell me?” I challenged.

“How long has he known that he can actually have you?” Mindi asked.

“Ten minutes,” I itted.

“You are a moron,” Trudi said. “You found out you’re both special, then you… what? Picked a fight and ran?”

“Typical,” Mindi snorted.

“Hey! You’re supposed to me,” I said. “I am your sister. You are always supposed to be on my side.”

“We are your sisters,” Trudi agreed. “And we are supposed to point out when you’re being stupid. Like now. Go back there.”

“Excuse me?” I stared at her incredulously.

“Go back to Lincoln’s and talk to him.” Trudi shook her head. “Honestly. It’s like you nothing of our teachings. You really think it’s a coincidence that the two of you ended up in proximity to each other? Look at Mindi and Booker. They weren’t just at the right place at the right time. Fate put them in each other’s paths.”

“Okay, you’re starting to sound melodramatic,” I insisted hotly. “You think that when the time is right for you, some supernatural is just going to show up here

and sweep you off your feet?”

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Colton. Colton was special and he and Trudi were totally going to end up together. Had fate really put these men in this town for us? Or vice versa? What the hell were the odds that in a town of less than one thousand people, six of us would be supernaturals?

That was a little freaky. I never realized fate could work so blatantly.

But all evidence to the fact that she did.

Damn it all to hell. I hated when my sisters were right. Especially when it meant that I was so damn wrong.

“So, what?” I asked, my tone defeated. “I just drive back there and tell him how I feel?”

“That’s a start,” Mindi agreed.

“Okay. Okay, say we mate, and we’re bonded. I’ll have to leave. I’m not ready to leave here yet.”

“No one said you had to sleep with him tonight.” Trudi shoved my shoulder. “Go talk. Whatever happens, happens and we’ll figure it out together. Just like we always do.”

I blew out a sigh. I wasn’t sure that this was a good idea, but I did know that if I didn’t talk to him tonight, I’d drive myself insane with worry and what ifs.

“Fine. I’m going. But if this blows up in my face I’m holding you two responsible. And there better be some fucking ice cream and hard ciders waiting for me when I get back.”

Chapter Ten ~Lincoln~

About half an hour after Candi left, there was another knock on the door.

“Who is it?” I called.

“Booker.”

“Just a minute.” I tried to force up a glamour.

“Don’t bother, man, I already know. Just let me in please.”

I opened the door and Booker smiled, showing off pointed eye teeth he usually hid from the rest of the world.

“Come in,” I told him, stepping back and allowing him inside. “To what do I owe the late-night visit?”

“Candi is at home bawling her eyes out,” Booker said, stepping into the hallway. “I left before I got the full story, but as her brother-in-law I felt it was my duty to come see you and find out what happened.”

“Brother-in-law?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Mindi?”

“Yeah.” Booker grinned. “It just kind of happened.”

“Congratulations, dude. You want a beer?”

He agreed and I led him into the kitchen, pulled a couple bottles from the fridge then pointed at the island. We sat across from each other in friendly silence for a few minutes.

“I’m guessing Candi told you about herself,” Booker said.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “We sort of had a come to Jesus moment tonight. Then she ran out on me.”

“She’s scared,” he told me. “It’s not my place to go into detail, but those girls have been through a lot. And I think each of them had come to with never finding others that would accept them.”

“I love her,” I itted, spinning my bottle in my fingers and refusing to look up at him.

“Did you tell her?” he pressed.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’d known what she was for all of a minute and a half then she bolted. I didn’t have much time to tell her anything. And I don’t know if I could stand it if I found out she didn’t love me, too.”

“Funny thing about supernaturals,” he mused. “We’re pretty hard to find. It usually takes a literal act of fate to end up in each other’s paths. And the fact that there are so many of us in this little town…well, I don’t think that’s an accident.”

“So Mindi and Trudi are both witches, too?” I asked.

He nodded then took a swig of his beer.

“How did you know?” I asked him. “About me, I mean?”

“I’ve always known.” He shrugged. “I can smell certain things. Demons and shifters have a unique scent they give off. Witches though, they’re always a surprise. Mindi smells like cornflower and citrus.” He chuckled. “And she looks so damn sweet and innocent.”

“Candi looks like a walking centerfold,” I itted, laughing as well.

“I’ll take your word on that.” He winked at me. “You didn’t seem surprised by me tonight.”

“My familiar recognized you at the garage,” I itted.

“That makes sense.” Booker sighed. “Look, the LaFey women are skittish, but they’re good people. I won’t sit by and let anyone hurt them again.”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” I promised him. “I really do love Candi.”

“Well.” He slid to his feet. “I suggest you let her know then. Pretty quick. She may look like a centerfold, but she’s got claws. I wouldn’t want to end up on that girl’s bad side.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. I walked him back to the door, shook his hand and showed him out.

“It’s been a weird night,” I told Sadie when she sauntered into the hallway. “What do I do now?”

“Your call, boss,” she said, flicking her tail in annoyance.

“You’re supposed to give me advice,” I reminded her.

“Not about this.” She shook her head, her little ears flapping. “Your love life is your own damn problem. I’m still just a cat.”

“Typical.” I blew out a sigh and walked back into the living room, dropping onto to the sofa and laying back, staring at the ceiling. “I don’t know what to do here.”

“I know,” Sadie said, jumping up and curling against my side. “But you have until tomorrow to figure it out.”

“Yeah.” I chuckled. “I’m sure I just need a couple hours, and everything will become crystal clear.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I’d never been in love before, but I was pretty sure that I was already doing it wrong.

Chapter Eleven ~Candi~

I was about halfway back to Lincoln’s house when my car started to sputter and jerk, then it completely stalled. I was able to ease it to the side of the road and get my flashers on, but the thing would not start, no matter how hard I cranked the key or pumped the gas pedal.

Tears slid down my face as I laughed and wept simultaneously. This was a goddamned nightmare. He’d promised that he’d fixed it. But here I was, stranded in the dark on the way to tell him…what? I didn’t even know.

I pulled out my cell phone and called him. He picked up on the third ring, his voice hoarse as if I’d just woken him up.

“You sonofabitch,” I yelled. “Get out here and help me.”

“Candi?”

“My fucking car broke down again,” I cried. “I’m on Easton Road between Palmer and Airport.” I hung up and dropped the cell back into my purse.

My already frayed nerves snapped, and I just began to bawl. Tears streamed down my face and I screamed out my frustration in the solitude of my dead car,

banging the steering wheel and pretty much just having a mental breakdown.

If I hadn’t already been sure that I loved him, this would have cemented it for me. I was pretty sure that only real love could make you lose your ever-loving mind this way. I wanted to kiss him and punch him and climb him like a spider monkey. And I realized I might actually do all three when he finally showed up to rescue me.

Lights started coming down the road toward me, and the truck pulled up in front of my car. I watched Lincoln jump out of the cab and hurry over to open my car door.

“What are you doing out here?” he yelled.

“Why didn’t you fix my fucking car?” I screamed at the same time.

And then we were kissing on the side of the road like a couple of idiots. Our hands roamed over each other, his skin rough under my palms, even though his glamour was in place, his slightly forked tongue flicked over mine until my knees went weak and he had to hold me up.

“You’re a terrible mechanic,” I growled when we broke apart.

“You’re a terrible girlfriend,” he shot back. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. Leave your keys. Lou will be by with the tow truck in a little bit and he’ll take your car to the garage for me.”

“I am not your girlfriend,” I argued feebly as I followed him back to his truck.

“Whatever you gotta tell yourself,” he grumbled, opening the enger door for me then closing it once I was strapped into the seat belt.

He hopped behind the steering wheel and pulled back onto the road, headed back toward his house without asking me where I wanted to go. It was fine. He probably figured I was on my way back to his place anyway, since there wasn’t much else for me out on this side of town.

We rode in silence all the way there, and I followed him up the steps and inside without a word.

“You want a drink?” he asked finally, tossing his keys onto a table next to the door and leading me into the kitchen.

“Yes.” I followed and took a seat at the bar. There were two empty bottles already sitting there, one on each side of the island. I rolled the one in front of me between my fingers and raised an eyebrow at Lincoln.

“Booker stopped by earlier,” he explained, taking the empties and tossing them in the trash before handing me a fresh beer.

“Did he?” I asked, surprised. “And what did you two talk about?”

“The fact that your sister smells like citrus,” he answered with a shrug.

I barked out a laugh and shook my head. Fine, he’d been keeping secrets from me for months, he could keep one more if it made him feel better. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know how they had gotten to discuss what my sister smelled like.

Boys are fucking weird.

“Linc—”

“Candi—”

“Sorry,” he said, chuckling softly. “Go ahead.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Please, you go. I don’t even know what I was going to say, to be honest.”

“I’m sorry about—”

“Why can’t you just fix my car?” I interrupted, hiccoughing softly. “You’re a mechanic, dude.”

“I honestly thought I did fix your car,” he insisted. “This time, anyway.”

“What are we doing?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Making things harder than they probably should be,” he itted with a soft laugh.

“Hi, have you met me?” I smirked. “I make everything difficult.”

“It’s part of your charm,” he agreed.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything,” he assured me.

“Do you think fate put us in this exact place, at this exact time, for a reason?”

I bit my lower lip and stared down at my beer bottle, not wanting to see his face if he thought I was crazy. I’m a strong woman, and I can dish and take a lot. But if he rejected me now, I might never recover.

His finger pressed under my chin from across the island, forcing my face up to meet his gaze.

“Candi, I thought fate brought you to me before I even knew what you were. I didn’t know how it was going to work, but somehow I knew that you were the only woman for me.”

“That was really romantic,” I itted.

“I’m a romantic guy.” He shrugged.

“Where do we go from here?” I asked.

“Wherever we want.” He laid his hand over mine and stared into my eyes, his glamour dissolving and revealing his true form again. “Candi, there aren’t any rules. And if there were, what are the odds we’d follow them anyway?”

That was very true. We both tended to march to our own drummers. Hell, it was one of my favorite things about him.

“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s lay our cards on the table then. Right now.”

“I thought I already did,” he said.

“Nope,” I argued. “Real real, right here, right now.”

“Okay,” he said.

“You first.”

“You’re a brat.” He chuckled, the sound deep and rumbling from his chest.

“You knew that going into…whatever this is,” I reminded him.

“Fair enough.” He nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you from the first time I saw you. I sabotaged your car on purpose so you’d have to keep coming back to have it repaired because I could never get up the courage to ask you out. I want to spend the rest of forever fighting and making up with you.”

“Wow,” I whispered. I hadn’t thought that would actually work. I was kind of expecting him to come back with something smart ass. That was what I’d planned to do. But now I couldn’t.

He was staring at me expectantly, and I didn’t know what to say. I’d asked for the truth, and I’d gotten it. And it had been way more than I’d anticipated. It had been perfect.

“Don’t chicken out on me now,” he pleaded with a nervous laugh.

I met his gaze again, and my fear melted away. This was Lincoln. The man who’d driven me insane for months. The reason I laid awake at night staring at the ceiling, wishing that I were normal so we could be together. He was my future.

“I’m in love with you, too,” I itted finally. “I do want to spend the rest of our lives together, but I’m scared to start right now. I’m not ready to move out. I’m not ready to leave my sisters and I’m afraid that’s going to be too much for you. If we bond tonight, I won’t be able to just move into your home and make a life with you right away.”

“Babe.” He walked around the island and wrapped his arms around me. “I would never ask you to leave your sisters. We can bond tonight, we can bond ten years from now, and you can stay there as long as you need to. No rules, ?”

“Do you think we’re mature enough to bond now?” I asked.

“Not a chance,” he said firmly.

I sighed. Yeah, I was afraid of that.

“So,” he said slowly. “Let’s go to bed and figure the rest of it out later.”

Chapter Twelve ~Lincoln~

For a minute, I thought Candi was going to back down and ask me to take her home. I would have understood completely. It was a huge step for us, and with the volatility of our relationship thus far, I wouldn’t have blamed her for having doubts.

“Okay.”

“Are you sure?” I asked her, tightening my embrace around her.

“Are you?” she teased.

I scooped her into my arms and carried her upstairs to my bedroom. We fell to the mattress together, our lips finding each other as our hands roamed each other’s bodies.

Her fingers carded into my hair and I felt them run up over my horns.

“It doesn’t bother you?” I asked, softly nipping at her earlobe.

“The horns?” She shook her head. “I like them. Not to sound corny, but you’re beautiful.” She kissed me again then stared up at me, her expression seemed hopeful. “Do you have a tail?”

“I thought you knew all about Hananas demons,” I teased her.

“Well, there aren’t a lot of pictures of them without pants on,” she said.

“I guess you’ll have to get mine off to find out.”

Her hands dived between our bodies immediately and we laughed as she tugged the button open on my jeans.

“Off,” she insisted.

“Haven’t you ever heard of foreplay?” I asked.

“I’ve heard of it,” she said, scorn in her tone. “Seems unnecessary, really. I want you now, what’s the point of teasing each other first?”

“You’re going to be a handful,” I said, shaking my head then capturing her lips in another kiss. I shifted my hips to settle between her thighs and tilted them forward, putting pressure against my rock-hard cock and her core.

She gasped, her eyes flying open again to look at me. I did it again and a small moan escaped her throat as her head fell back against the pillow, her back arching and pressing her breasts against my chest.

“That’s the point,” I growled. “Because it feels so fucking good to rub against you like this.”

“I’ve heard it would feel better if we didn’t have clothes on,” she insisted.

“Handful,” I repeated.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, sliding her hand down the front of my pants, rubbing against my shaft. “You feel like the handful to me.” She squeezed gently and I groaned. “Take off your pants.”

“You, too,” I insisted.

We pulled off our clothes, tossing them aside carelessly until we were both naked.

Her breath hitched as she looked at me, her gaze locking onto the tail that was wrapped around my left thigh.

“God you’re hot,” she said, running her hands over my chest but keeping her eyes focused on my leg.

“Hey, my eyes are up here,” I teased.

“Yeah, but your tail is down there.” She sucked her lower lip between her teeth as she tore her gaze away and locked it on mine. “So hot.”

“You’re gorgeous,” I informed her as I trailed a finger down her neck, between her breasts and over her stomach. “I mean, I’ve always known that, but I can’t believe I get to look at you naked whenever I want to, now.”

“Not whenever you want,” she argued.

“Yeah,” I insisted. “Because every time I close my eyes I’m going to see you just as you are now. Naked and spread out on my bed, aching for my cock.”

“Aching?” She raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say—”

I shut her up with a fierce kiss, my fingers tangling into her hair, holding her where I wanted her as I devoured her mouth. Our bodies shifted to return to where we’d started, my hips between her thighs, our chests pressed together, mouths feasting at each other.

Her hips canted up into me, silently offering herself to me. As a gentleman, I could hardly refuse such a request.

I slid forward inside her, breaking her innocence in one hard thrust that brought her back up off the bed, a small squeak of surprise muted by the pressure of my lips against hers.

“How do you want me?” I asked her.

“Hard, fast and forever,” she insisted.

“Forever?”

“Forever.” Her eyes began to glow violet, her magic a tangible force running like electric currents over my skin. She really did mean to bond with me.

Even with everything that had happened between us, being inside her body, ed in the most intimate way possible, the knowledge that she really did want to spend the rest of her life with me was my complete undoing.

“I love you,” I promised her.

“I love you, too.”

And then I started to move, and the world went fuzzy around the edges. My balls were already tight against my body, and I knew I wouldn’t last long this first time together. She felt so fucking amazing. So wet, so tight, so…perfect.

My thrusts were hard, quick and erratic as I fought to hold back my orgasm, needing her release to seal our magic together. I brought my tail around my body, using the tip to rub hard circles against her clit.

Her eyes flew open again, the violet light filling the room with its intensity as her back bowed and her breath quickened. Our hands found each other, our fingers entwined as I practically held her down, slamming my cock inside her, the speed of my tail against her sensitive nub increasing pace until we both fell apart together.

Our cries of ion erupted together, my cock spasming and our magic binding in a burst of white light so bright I had to close my eyes against the intensity of it.

I fell to the bed next to her, wrapping a leg over hers while my tail wrapped around her waist with my arm.

Magic still ran over our skin, soft purples and greens crackling in an almost hypnotic pattern I couldn’t tear my gaze from. After a while it subsided and we looked at each other, both smiling.

“You’re stuck with me now, Gage,” Candi informed me.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” I itted.

She pulled the comforter over both of us and snuggled into my arms. I lay awake for as long as possible, reveling in the fact that she was finally here, finally in my arms, and finally mine.

Forever.

Chapter Thirteen ~Candi~

I woke up alone in Lincoln’s bed. It took me a second to get oriented, then the previous night came rushing back.

We were bonded.

Lincoln Gage was actually mine.

After a minute I could hear him downstairs, banging around in the kitchen. I climbed out of bed and threw on one of his shirts, which covered me almost to my knees, then went downstairs in search of coffee.

“Good morning, wife,” Lincoln said as I walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, husband,” I responded with a smile. “Are you cooking?”

“Yeah.” He pointed to the island to indicate I should sit. “Double Chocolate chip pancakes. You want coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Lincoln poured me a cup and brought it to me, then set a bowl of sugar and some creamer on the counter, which I ignored. I was a black coffee girl, all the way.

After a few minutes, he ed me at the counter, setting a massive stack of pancakes that were literally dripping with chocolate between us.

“Are you a child?” I asked him, raising an eyebrow as he speared four pancakes and set them on his plate, then doused them in syrup.

“Hananas demons have a really high metabolism,” he explained with a shrug. “I need the sugar.”

“Must be nice,” I said with a laugh. “You got any fruit around here?”

“Of course.” He jumped to his feet and went to the fridge, pulling open the crisper drawer then coming back with two apples, and orange, a banana and a pear, setting them in front of me.

“No grapefruit?”

“I could go get you one,” he offered.

“I’m kidding,” I said. “Thank you very much for breakfast.”

I picked up an orange and started peeling it. I paused, staring down at the rind and laughing softly.

“Did it tell you a joke?” Lincoln asked.

“I was just wondering what kind of citrus my sister smells like,” I said, shrugging.

“I didn’t ask.” He held his hands up defensively.

“What did you and Booker really talk about?”

“We did talk about Mindi, he told me how he knew I was a demon, and he told me that I needed to get my head straight about you.”

“He gave you relationship advice?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“More like he warned me not to hurt his sister-in-law,” Lincoln clarified. “And I have no intention of ever doing that.”

“I don’t want to hurt you either,” I said, setting the orange down and looking at up at him. “You’re sure you don’t mind if I don’t move in here?”

“Hey.” He reached across the counter and cupped my cheek in his palm. “No rules, ? We are going to be together for an eternity. We’ll move in together when you’re ready. You can stay here some nights, I could stay there some nights. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

“I swear you weren’t this perfect yesterday,” I told him.

“Baby, I’ve always been perfect,” he argued. “You were just too stubborn to see it.”

“Mmm hmm.” I rolled my eyes and picked my orange back up, then set it down again. “I can’t eat this.”

I reached over and snagged a piece of pancake from his plate with my fingers, sucking the syrup off of them as I chewed the bite.

“Those are good,” I said, surprised.

“I know,” he agreed. “You could get your own.”

“Hey, buddy, we’re married now. What’s yours is mine.” I shrugged. “That includes pancakes.”

“No rules,” he grumbled, sliding his plate closer to himself.

“Hey, I gotta get home,” I said. “You wanna stay over tonight?”

“I’d love to,” he agreed.

“You can bring Sadie if you want.” I looked around. “Where is she?”

“I’m sure she took off before we…consummated.”

“Don’t ever say that again.” I wrinkled my nose and shook my head disapprovingly.

“Before I fucked you senseless?” he offered.

“Better.” I grinned at him. “Anyway, she is also welcome at our house any time. Mindi fucking loves familiars and they love her right back.”

“Thank you,” he said. “It’s sweet of you to think of Sadie.”

“She’s part of your life,” I said incredulously. “She always will be. I don’t come between supernaturals and their familiars.” I shook my head. “I’m not a total bitch.”

“You’re not a bitch at all,” he insisted.

“Yeah, okay.” I rolled my eyes and slid to my feet. “I’m gonna get dressed and head out.”

“I’ll drive you,” he said, popping his last bite of pancake into his mouth and standing up also. “You’re cars at the garage, ?” He looked around the kitchen and sighed. “I don’t suppose you know any good cleaning spells, do you?”

“Married five minutes and you already expect me to clean.” I sighed. “I do, but we don’t actually use our magic anymore. Except in emergencies.”

“Really?”

I blew out a sigh and headed for the stairs, motioning for him to follow. If I were going to share the story of why we fled Salem, why we no longer really lived as witches, I needed to be dressed for it.

****

“By time we got to the stairs, they’d already trussed Mindi to the pillar.” I stared down at my hands, which had started to shake. “So, I thew up an invisibility shield and snuck down, getting as close to her as I could without drawing attention to myself. You know, it’s not a fool proof spell. But the humans were so

focused on Mindi that they barely glanced in my direction anyway.”

“Why didn’t they come after you and Trudi as well?” Lincoln asked, interrupting the story for the first time.

“We don’t know,” I itted. “Maybe they thought we’d sleep through the commotion and they could get us one at a time. Or maybe they were just stupid assholes who just wanted to burn a witch like their ancestors had done.”

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, it’s fine.” I put a hand over his where it rested on his leg. “The men lit the pyre at her feet and Trudi cast a rain spell. Water cascaded over everything in sheets, putting out the fire. Then she flew down the stairs like the fucking Wicked Witch of the West and rammed right into a group of them. I cut Mindi free and we ran upstairs and out of the house.”

“They chased us through town, with actual fucking pitchforks like a Simpsons cartoon. We made it to the woods and Trudi took our hands and teleported us away. We’ve never been back.” I stared down at our hands and smiled as his tail twitched against his pants.

“Wow, you guys are strong enough for teleportation?” he mused.

“No.” I laughed as I looked back up to meet his gaze. “I think it was a desperation thing. We needed to get away and Trudi found the power to save us.”

“I’m glad Mindi has Booker,” Lincoln said, his tone hard.

“So am I,” I itted. “I don’t think she’s felt safe since that night. For months she’d have horrible nightmares. Her screams would wake us up and for a minute I think Trudi and I both would feel like we were right back there, reliving the worst night of our lives.”

“Thank you for telling me that,” Lincoln said, squeezing my hand. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

I shrugged and blew out a heavy sigh. It hadn’t been, but I felt a little lighter. That was the first time I’d ever shared that story with anyone.

“Come on,” he said, standing up and pulling me to my feet. “Let’s get you home to your sisters before they start to worry.”

Chapter Fourteen ~Lincoln~

On the drive back to the LaFey house, I couldn’t stop replaying the story she’d told me over in my head.

I couldn’t even imagine how hard it had been for those women to endure that kind of horror and trauma. I didn’t know Trudi or Mindi as well as I’d gotten to know Candi, but all three of them had always seemed so strong. I guess now I knew why. You’d have to be after going through something like that.

I’d meant it when I said I was glad Mindi had Booker now. But more than that, I was glad that Candi had me. If I hadn’t already been sure that I would protect that girl from anything, now it had become my life’s mission to never see her hurt.

The thought that I could have lost her before I ever even got to know her made my blood boil. I wanted to go to Salem and burn the whole place to the ground.

“Hey,” Candi said, snapping her fingers. “I can hear you seething over there.”

“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “I can’t help it.”

“Don’t make me sorry I told you,” she said softly. “If the three of us can move

on and not let it consume our lives, so can you. I don’t want to relive it every day through you.”

She was right. Of course. She was always right.

We pulled into her driveway and she insisted I come inside with her. I was nervous as to how her sisters would react, but I didn’t want her to have to face them alone.

“Hello?” Candi called as we walked into the hallway. “Are you guys up?”

“In here!” Mindi called from the kitchen.

We walked in to find Trudi, Mindi and Booker seated at the kitchen table.

“Well hello,” Mindi said, smirking at us both. “And what sort of time do you call this young lady?”

“Shut up,” Candi snapped, rolling her eyes.

Candi pointed at one of the chairs, indicating where I should sit, then took the one next to me.

Booker was smiling into his coffee, his gaze trained directly on the table. Mindi was grinning like a loon. But when I glanced over at Trudi, she just looked kind of sad.

“Where are my manners?” Mindi said quickly. “Lincoln can I get you some coffee?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “I’ve got to get to the garage and see what’s going on with Candi’s car. I just stopped in to say hello.”

“Are you leaving?” Trudi asked, looking at Candi with pained eyes.

“No.” Candi shook her head. “I’m not leaving. I’ll probably spend a few nights a week at Lincoln’s, and he may stay here sometimes if that’s okay. But I’m not leaving.”

Trudi relaxed a little and Mindi’s smile got even wider.

Booker looked up at me, nodded once, then dropped his gaze again.

I was an only child and I’d been away from my parents for years. I’d forgotten what family was like. But these people epitomized everything it should be. I wasn’t sure where I’d fit, but I knew that I’d find my place eventually.

These people loved Candi almost as much as I did. We’d make the dynamic

work however it needed to. Just like Candi and I would figure marriage out for ourselves.

None of us had ever led a conventional life, and it was crazy to think we’d start now. These were my people. I’d finally found my tribe.

Thanks to my beautiful, crazy, sexy wife, I had a new family now. And I was excited to have forever with them, whatever that forever ended up looking like.

Can I slide into your box? Your inbox I mean…obvi.

Sign up for my newsletter and get a free quickie…story.

Shake Me Up is a steaming hot, quick read about a virgin heroine who meets and falls in love with a man on an online dating site. It’s safe, it’s sexy, and it’s free.

About the Author Dakota Rebel is a bestselling author and a very slow distance runner who dreams of racing Badwater.

She lives in a perpetual state of exhaustion with her happy husband and two incredibly spoiled children.

Dakota loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.dakotarebel.net