The Witching Moon: The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1 (7 page)

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.

“Poppy?” He gripped her arms, keeping her
upright. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Her hand went to her throat,
struggling to balance her center. “I don’t know. Something
happened. I felt this surge of power whisk through me, amplifying
the spell.”

His mouth was grim. “Are you hurt?”

She tested her weight again, relieved that
she was all right. “Fine. I guess it just startled me.” He still
gripped her as if he was worried she’d fall. “I’m really fine now.
You can let go.”

He lifted one finger from her at a time.
“Why did this happen?”

She did a mental check over her body. She
wasn’t hurt. In fact, she was great. Any depletion she normally
felt after a spell was gone. She felt stronger, healthier... just
like yesterday’s spell. What was doing on? “I don’t know. Maybe it
has something to do with the prophecy and the full moon coming.
Maybe my powers are changing.”

“Does the prophecy say this will
happen?”

Her lips pursed. “No. But I don’t understand
what all of it means.”

“And you still won’t tell me what it
says?”

She wanted to tell him. Wanted to confide
everything she knew about it. But something still held her back.
She shook her head.

He gripped the back of a chair, but he
nodded. “Is there anything else we need to do for these?” He waved
at the bottles.

His hands shook. He was upset. She couldn’t
blame him. If their positions were reversed she’d be mad too. She
trusted him. She just wasn’t willing to tempt fate again. “No.
Those are finished. The store needs other items, but I have some
extra stock in the bedroom I can give them. I can make more
later.”

He turned from her then, and it cut her deep
down. She wanted to reach out to him, explain herself, but what
good would that do? She still couldn’t tell him what the prophecy
said.

He repacked the bottles into a box and took
them out to the car.

What was wrong with her? Why was she doing
this to him? To them? Why couldn’t she just accept this, accept
him?

As they drove in silence into town, she
lashed herself with the same questions. Why couldn’t she just
follow what felt right?

Because doubt ate at her. What if he wasn’t
her mate? What if her mate showed up and she’d already committed
herself to another? That would only end up hurting both men.

Why was this so hard? She’d always taken
comfort in the prophecy. It’d given her hope that there was someone
out there just for her. All she had to do was bide her time and
he’d come to her. How naive. Life was never that simple.

She’d been a fool this whole time. Waiting
for some knight to show up and sweep her off her feet when she’d
had this amazing, sexy, caring, wonderful man in front of her all
along.

After juggling boxes into the store,
chatting briefly with the clerk, she marched back outside. She
needed to end this limbo for them both. To tell Drake that she was
all in. That she was sorry for being an idiot.

“Drake.” His name felt right on her lips.
She stepped in front of him while he leaned against a light pole.
“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For—”

“Poppy, is that you?”

The question, uttered from someone on the
sidewalk, jerked her out of the moment.

Her mouth dropped open as the world spun.
“Zander? What are you doing here?”

He laughed, racing toward her before
swinging her up into a hug. “I knew that was you.”

Once he placed her back on solid ground, her
wide eyes glanced from Drake to Zander. “I can’t believe you’re
here. When did you get into town?”

“Halloween actually.” He grinned. “I
couldn’t resist visiting for the holiday. Brings back fond
memories.” He finally nodded to Drake, reaching out his hand.
“Drake. It’s nice to see you. It’s been a long time.”

Drake swallowed hard before shaking Zander’s
hand. “It has. What’s brought you back after all this time?”

“Oh, you know. It was passed time for a
visit.” Zander eyed Poppy and Drake. An awkward silence
descended.

Zander had been here. On Halloween. And he
was a descendant of a founding member of the magic community. All
the pieces fit. “What did you end up doing on Halloween? Anything
fun?”

Drake’s eyes darted to hers, his jaw
clenching. She couldn’t help it. She needed to know.

“Not much really. I visited with family
earlier on and passed out candy. After that I took a walk in the
forest. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.”

“The forest?” she choked.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck,
chuckling. “I thought I’d go see the stones. It was All Hallows Eve
after all. It seemed fitting.”

The bottom dropped out of her stomach. “But
you didn’t end up going?”

He shrugged. “I heard some people there and
didn’t want to disrupt them. It sounded serious.”

“No kidding?” Drake finally reentered the
conversation.

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I have
to run. Tell your grandma I said hello.”

“I will. Will you be staying in town for
long?”

Drake shifted his weight. “I don’t have any
solid plans.”

Drake took Poppy’s arm as he said, “Well,
we’ll see you around then.”

Poppy said her goodbyes to Zander and
stumbled away with Drake.

Why was this happening to
her? She’d just started to feel like something was there with
Drake. She’d begun to accept it. She may not fully understand the
prophecy, but then again, what else could
born of magic
mean? You either had
magic or you didn’t. Unfortunately, Drake didn’t.

But Zander did. He’d attended ceremonies
when they were younger. What he’d done in the last eight years, she
had no idea. But did it even matter? He had magic, he was in town
on All Hallows Eve, and he’d gone to the stones.

Her heart cracked. He had to be the one. It
lined up. It made sense.

But why did it hurt so much?

Her hand fisted at her stomach as bile rose.
She had to see this through, had to let go of Drake. She had to
fulfill her destiny and accept her mate.

Drake let go of her arm at his car, but he
didn’t say anything. He stood there, waiting. Watching. She’d never
been a coward, but she struggled to meet his eyes. When she did,
there was pain there, and it lanced through her as well.

“Don’t do this, Poppy,” he begged.

She shook her head, her eyes filling. “You
know I have to, Drake. We talked about this.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “I know
what I said. But you have a choice in this. Just like you did
before.” He gripped her hands in his. “I love you. Choose me. Pick
me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Her mouth dropped open as the first tear
fell. “I can’t do this, Drake. You know I can’t turn away from the
prophecy. I can’t. He fits. It all fits. I can’t walk away from
this.”

“What do you want me to do then? Just sit
here and let you go? It’d be easier to rip out my heart.”

“I’m sorry for that. I never wanted to hurt
you.” She stroked his clenched jaw. “But I have to. We agreed on
this.”

“We did.” He backed away from her, breaking
all contact, and that one little move cut her to the quick. “I
promised that I’d step aside, that I’d let you do what you needed
to, that I’d let you figure it out.” He shook his head. “But I
won’t stay here and watch you. I can’t.”

His eyes pleaded, and her heart answered.
But she couldn’t give in. This was too important, and there so
little time.

His eyes traveled over her as if committing
her to memory. The thought chilled her. “I’m not saying this is a
sure thing or forever, Drake. I just need to figure this out.”

He swallowed hard, nodding. “I understand,
Poppy. I really do.”

“Why don’t you go on ahead? I’m going to
stay in town for a bit and walk home when I’m done.”

Drake looked in the direction Zander had
gone, eyes lit with understanding. He nodded once, turning on his
heel before climbing into the car.

A smile wobbled on her lips when he gazed at
her one last time before driving away.

When she could no longer see his car, air
wheezed out of her lungs and she sunk to a bench. She didn’t want
this. Any of it. She didn’t want to hurt Drake, but she didn’t have
another choice. Drake had to know that.

He was her best friend. She couldn’t bear to
lose him over this. But the reality was, he didn’t have magic. And
her mate did.

Swiping a tear from her cheek, she breathed
deeply. This is how it had to be. She’d talk to Drake later, and
they’d work it out. They could get passed this, could go back to
how they were before.

I love
you
. He’d said the words, but he didn’t
really mean them. At least not in the way he thought. They’d loved
each other for a long time. How could they not? They’d been
together too long, been through too much together to not care
deeply about one another. In time, Drake would realize that they
weren’t meant to be together.

He had to.

As she wandered down the street, she wasn’t
sure who she was trying to convince anymore.

Drake’s jaw clenched as he stomped through
his house with no direction in mind, only needing to move. To not
to feel.

She’d chosen someone else.

All frustration whooshed out of his body,
despair settling in its place. She’d chosen Zander, and if Zander
wasn’t the one, then she’d do it again when another man with magic
showed up.

He couldn’t fight it, couldn’t argue.
Because she was right. He’d made a promise to her that if someone
else showed up, he’d step aside. It was killing him to do it, to
move back and let another man have the one person he loved above
all. But he had to.