AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Haut pays for everything, then removes the price tags and bundles me up.
He pulls the hat down over my ears and smiles. “There we go. Now you’re ready for winter in Hartford Cove.”
Sweating under the indoor heater, I nudge the hat up farther on my forehead. “Can we go get milkshakes now?”
“Sure.” He checks his watch. “We still have a few hours before magic class.”
Drool fills my mouth. “And French fries?”
Haut curls his arm around me, the warmth from his body seeping through my puffy jacket and threatening to give me heat stroke. “And a slice of pie?”
My stomach gurgles with anticipation. How can this stupid man think I don’t already love him? If he wants to work for it, though, who am I to argue?
ROWE, THE TEACHER?
I’m glad for my new winter gear as I sit in the garden later that afternoon, waiting for our class to begin.
Greyson paces at the edge of the forest, his watchful gaze on the coven members as we gather. The late fall afternoon bathes the garden in a warm, golden glow, while the crisp air reminds us that winter is on its way.
Harper arrives with the others, and they take their seats at the tables, murmuring softly among themselves.
Ambros arrives shortly before class starts, bringing Delilah. She leans on him less and less every day, and not for the first time, I wish that she had magical healing powers like a wolf shifter.
The other witches that we saved have mostly recovered now, but she was the weakest out of everyone, stuck in a coma and wasting away even after we got them safely back to Hartford Cove. Little by little, though, her health improves, and soon she’ll be able to walk up the driveway with everyone else.
As they enter the garden, the sunlight catches in their matching auburn hair, casting a fiery glow over the siblings.
Ambros helps her into her chair at our table, then leans over and kisses my cheek. “That’s a lovely shade of red on you, Rowe.”
I lift a hand to the soft hat on my head. “Haut’s trying to buy my love.”
A barked reprimand comes from Greyson, causing Ambros and Delilah to laugh.
“I’d best go join him on guard duty.” Ros kisses me again. “Have fun and don’t blow anything up.”
“I make no promises!” I yell after him, admiring his firm ass as he strides away.
“Is that a new wand?” Delilah asks, her soft voice drawing my attention away from her brother’s fit rump.
Excited, I turn to her and pick up the wand, which I had spent the afternoon decorating with purple glitter. “Yes! Aspen helped me make it.”
I explain how we’d created lightning sand and lightning touched wood to harness the ethereal energies, then performed the spell on the roof.
“Aspen even suggested using the moonlit water, even though he knew I hadn’t helped you make it.,” I tell her. “And he didn’t throw too much of a fit over my new grimoire, either.”
“It sounds like he’s starting to unbend.” She points to the sparkling base of my wand. “And the glitter?”
“It needed some pizazz.” I tilt the wand back and forth so the glitter can catch the sunlight. “I used the same glue that we used to stick the glass to the top, then blessed it again for good measure. Aspen said we should use items that call to us, and glitter calls to my soul.”
She smiles. “I think it perfectly reflects your personality.”
My hand tightens around my wand, which buzzes with untapped potential. “I haven’t used it yet. The Alpha challenge interrupted us. But I can feel the energy filling it.”
Harper tilts her head, her long blond hair falling gracefully over her shoulder. “What’s it like?”
I consider the question, letting the sensations wash over me. “It kind of buzzes, like licking a battery.”
Horror fills Harper’s face, but Delilah just laughs. “Mine is like a quiet hum. I focused on garden magic when I made it, because I wanted to emphasize healing and growth.”
