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

Authors: Janelle Daniels

Tags: #halloween, #romantic comedy, #clean romance, #romance novel, #sweet romance, #magic novel, #friends to lovers story, #inspiration romance, #paranormal romance magic, #romance clean wholesome

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

BOOK: The Witching Moon: The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1
13.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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Dream Cache Publishing

 

THE WITCHING MOON

 

Dream Cache Publishing

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.

 

www.janelledaniels.com

Copyright © 2014 Janelle Daniels

Cover Art © 2014 Creative Book Covers

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles or reviews.

 

Dedication

 

To those who have supported me through the
rough parts.

You’ll never know how much it helped.

 

And to Dan.

Because none of this would happen without
you.

 

Acknowledgments

 

I want to acknowledge my amazing beta
readers: Stephanie, Heather, Candice, and Paula. I couldn’t have
made this work without you. Thank you for listening to my craziness
at all hours and not smothering me when I went on repeat.

Chapter 1

 

 

“Are you sure you want to go through with
this?”

Poppy braced herself for what was coming.
Since Drake had found out about the prophecy, he asked her the same
question each month.

"As I told you before, it's not a choice I
have to make. You can’t choose to follow prophecy or not. It just
happens. There's no getting away from it. You can't run from
destiny."

He reached out, gripping her hands across
the gently weathered table.
"I just don't want to
see you get hurt. It could be anyone. Your worst enemy. Would it
matter?"

"Would what matter?"

"That your soul mate is your worst
enemy."

She arched a brow. Again,
he wasn't saying anything new. But he was genuinely worried about
her so she humored him.
"That's not going
to happen."

"
You don't know that."

"It doesn’t work like that. Besides, I don't
think Alex Schmidt meets the qualifications."

His eyes narrowed.
"I'm serious, Poppy. And your elementary school
bully doesn't live here anymore."

In times like these, her heart ached.
Besides her family, he was the one constant in her life, had always
been there for her. But the prophecy she'd been given as a child
was not something she could shake. She felt it, knew it deep down
in her bones, that it was true.

It was fate. There was a man out there,
someone who held magic just like her, someone that she was destined
to be with, and she would meet him tomorrow. As much as she wanted
him to be, Drake wasn’t that man.

"I don't want anything to happen to you."
His eyes searched hers. "You mean too much to me."

She slid out of her seat, slowly walking
over to him before she wrapped her arms around him from behind his
chair. “Everything will work out.”

“How do you know?”

“Fate hasn’t let me down so far.”

“Poppy…” He loosened her grip before pulling
her to his side. He searched her face, but she didn’t know what he
hoped to find. After releasing her, his shoulders slumped.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” His shrugged. “I just… hope it
works out for you the way you want it to.”

“It will.” Her answer was firm, confident.
She could either be uncertain about what to expect and dread it, or
embrace it. She’d decided to embrace it.

It wasn’t always easy. Especially in moments
like these. She’d never felt closer to anyone than Drake. But they
weren’t meant for each other. Not like that. The prophecy was
specific, and it clearly stated that her mate would have magic.

Drake didn’t.

It was hard enough seeing him every day.
Hard enough keeping an emotional distance, keeping it purely
platonic. Heaven knew how many times she’d thought of being with
him. Of touching him, of kissing him.

Deep breath.
She focused on her center, clearing out all
thoughts like cobwebs. There was only one place where those
thoughts led, and it was dangerous to go there.

“I hope so.”

She forced a smile for his sake. He worried
about her. Honestly, she was worried too. She just had to trust. It
was the only thing left she could do. “We’ll see what tomorrow
brings,” she said, sitting back in her chair.

“Since it’s Halloween… any plans for the day
time? You know, before you meet Prince Charming?”

She kicked his foot under the table. “Oh, I
don’t know. I don’t think I’m up for much. Just putting the
finishing touching on things, I guess.”

“Want a hand?”

She knew she should say no. What was the
point in torturing herself with someone she couldn’t have? “Yes.
I’d like that. I could use a friendly face.”

“You’ll always have one.”

His words, spoken like a promise played
through her head until he left. Closing the door, she sunk to her
knees, curling in toward herself, her arms wrapping around her
waist. Why was fate so cruel?

 

 

Halloween morning dawned as formidable as
Drake’s mood. Thunder and lightning pounded the earth as the wind
taunted the forest. Leaves scattered the floors, their fall jewel
colors signaling the Beaver Moon that would occur in one week.
There wasn’t a need for hunters to set their traps to stock up
enough fur for the winter, but that didn’t matter. November’s full
moon was still called that, and probably always would be.

Walking down the street to Poppy’s cottage,
he breathed deeply, absorbing the pungent air. He hadn’t bothered
with an umbrella. It was too windy for one anyway. The deep hooded
coat he wore protected him just fine. Besides, what would a little
rain hurt anyway?

He could taste magic in the air. Halloween
was a day that called for it, for the mystical things of the night
to have their time on earth. He’d been friends with Poppy since
childhood, and there was no way he could deny the existence of
magic. How could he? It wove through the blood of the woman he
loved. It was as much a part of her as the gold in her hair, the
moss color of her eyes, the gentleness of her heart, and the
quickness of her mind. He wouldn’t change her for anything.

Her ancestors were founders Redwood Falls,
and their legacy had been passed down from generation to
generation. Her power was a gift, but also a responsibility. And
Poppy lived up to her birthright.

He leaned a hand against a tree, a familiar
ache spreading through him. He loved her, but would never have her.
Because of magic. Because of the prophecy. He wasn’t fool enough to
discount it, but it grated all the same.

Magic didn’t rule him. He was a man of this
world, a man with passion, with direction, with desire. He knew
what he wanted, and that was Poppy. Since he’d been old enough to
realize it, it had only ever been her.

But they weren’t meant to be. No matter how
close they’d gotten, no matter how much he’d wanted to be with her,
she’d always pushed him away. She was promised to another. It
didn’t matter who that person was, it only mattered that it wasn’t
him.

His fist clenched, the tree scraping his
fingers, but he didn’t care. What did that small annoyance matter
when it couldn’t come close to the pain in his heart?

Why was he even here? Why had he said he
would help her today? He should turn around. Just leave. Pack up
his stuff and head out of town. He didn’t have to watch this
happen, he didn’t have to watch her fall into the arms of
another.

BOOK: The Witching Moon: The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1
13.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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