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  Hexed with Sass

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Lia Davis

  Chapter One

  The annual scenting ceremony. The one event Wes Nash would be skipping.

  “How are you supposed to find a mate if you never try to look for one?” Ruthanne, his older sister, sat on his sofa in his living room, nagging about finding a mate. He expected it from their mother but it looked like Mom had recruited backup. A frustrated groan rumbled past his lips. “Who says I want a mate right now?”

  He was young, only thirty. In shifter standards, that was still a pup. Considering they lived a very long time, what was the hurry?

  Not wanting to talk about it any further, he hurried toward the door. After yanking the thing open, Ruthanne asked, “Where are you going?”

  “For a run.” And away from my overbearing family.

  He jogged to the tree line at the edge of his backyard. When he entered the thick trees, he shifted in a flash and took off, the moon shining through the branches his only guide. It felt good to run, to get away from people and be alone for a little while.

  Yes, he loved his family and pack, and he wouldn’t consider leaving. Wolfe Pack was home, family. He just wished his parents and siblings would let him breathe.

  He hadn’t realized how far he’d run until he came to the Everton Coven property line. He skidded to a halt at the border and hesitated. There was no rule about crossing onto witch territory as long as he respected their harm none rules. That wasn’t what made him pause.

  An alluring scent did. Roses and cool mint drifted on the air. It was faint, but he picked it up. The wolf whimpered, wanting to follow it. To see where it came from. The man was curious as well.

  Raising his nose into the air, he sniffed, and then took off in the direction of the scent.

  He was careful to stay within the trees and brush surrounding the homes of the coven until he found the one he was searching for. A female. And she was alone. With his supernatural night vision, he saw her sitting at a table in front of the kitchen window, long, wavy red hair drawn back in a loose ponytail. He wanted to see her up close, face to face.

  He started to move forward until she stood, put something in the sink and opened the fridge. A moment later, she disappeared. No. Where did she go?

  It felt like hours had passed before she returned with a book in her hand. What are you doing, my little witch? He couldn’t see her fully while she stood at the counter.

  Then she moved to the back door and he crouched low, ducked behind a large tree. And waited.

  ***

  Pepper’s heart ached. Loss and abandonment squeezed her chest until it became hard to breathe, and sleep only came a few hours a night.

  The house was too quiet, too empty.

  Without Mom, the energy in the home seemed heavy and sad. Even after Pepper cleansed it the day before.

  With a sigh, she glanced in the glass scrying bowl of water and tried, again, to reach her sister. No luck. Pepper carried the bowl to the kitchen sink and dumped the contents. Every day since her mom died a few months ago, she’d tried to locate her older sister. Each time, Pepper came up empty. Much like the house.

  Ruby simply didn’t want to be found.

  But she needs to know Mama has passed.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she moved to the nook in front of the bay window overlooking the herb garden in the backyard. Another downer. No matter what she did, the herbs wilted and just looked…sad. Like her.

  If only there were a way to snap out of the funk. Right before her mother passed, she ordered Pepper to allow her soul passage and not to hold onto her. Same for Ruby.

  Pepper made that promise to let go and be happy, so that’s what she would do. Right after another glass of wine.

  Grabbing the bottle of red vino, she tipped it over her red plastic cup. Two red drops dribbled out and stared at her from the white bottom. She looked inside the bottle, not having a clue what she expected to see in there. As if by magic, it would refill and everything would be good again.

  If only. But Pepper didn’t possess those kind of powers.

  Okay, Pepper, you have got to get over yourself and find a purpose.

  Maybe tomorrow.

  She turned to the fridge, dropping the empty bottle in the trash on her way. When she yanked the door open, it hit her. Magic. She was an earth witch. A garden spell should be easy for her. And for the moment, she’d have a purpose.

  Abandoning the need to drown in a second bottle of wine, she crossed the kitchen to the living room bookshelf where she kept her magical library. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? Oh yeah, I was taking care of my sick mother and searching for Ruby.

  Not anymore. Ruby was more than capable of taking care of herself.

  Pepper had to start living for herself. The first thing she needed to do was fix the herb garden. Then she’d find something else to fix.

  She was stronger than wallowing in her own pity.

  Pulling the family Book of Shadows off the middle shelf, she sat with her legs folded like a pretzel in the oversized armchair. The elegant leather bound book hummed with magic. Passed down four generations, it held all the secrets of her family as well as spells, recipes, and history.

  She flipped through the pages until she came across the gardening spell she’d seen her mom use on many occasions. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her mom’s neat handwriting in the margins of the book. Pepper traced the letters lightly with her fingers. Suddenly the room filled with notes of lavender and gardenias. Her mom’s scent. A sense of happiness filled her heart, telling her her mom was okay.

  A smile lifted her lips. Happy journey into the next life, Mama.

  The AC kicked on and the air from the vent above where she sat blew the pages of the book. When Pepper touched the page to turn it back, she felt a pull. Studying the spell, she frowned at first. A happiness spell. Interesting.

  It was a simple spell, a few lines to chant with blanks to fill in for her own purpose. With a shrug, she settled in a comfortable position and closed her eyes. Everyone deserves to be happy, right?

  By the powers of the elements

  Happiness will find its way

  To fill my heart…

  Into the blank, she put… With everlasting love

  I will it so

  Mote it be, blessed be.

  Opening her eyes, she smiled, the tightness loosening in her chest. She rose and carried the book to the kitchen while flipping back to the garden spell.

  Two grinded eggshells, one banana peel, water, and a pinch of sage, blended then poured into a watering can. Hmm, that’s simple enough.

  About ten minutes later, she stood barefoot in the center of the circular garden. Half the garden seemed healthy. It was the half her mom tended. She must’ve cast a growth spell on that half before falling ill.

  Pepper turned to her side and frowned. “I have something special for you.”

  Yeah, she talked to plants, not that it did any good by the look of the sad browning leaves. She just wasn’t as good at tending to a garden as her mom. Another ache formed in her chest. Stop. She’s in a better place, not in pain, and will live on in my heart.

  After grabbing the plastic spray bottle from the rack
on the outer wall of the house, she added water then about half of the potion to it. Kneeling on the edge of the pavers, she set the amber-colored glass jar of potion next to her. She’d freeze the remainder to use in about a month.

  With the page to the spell in one hand, the spray bottle with the growth potion in the other, she sprayed the plants evenly while speaking the chant.

  Gather strength by the moon’s glow.

  Make leaves grow by Sun’s touch.

  A snap of a twig behind her made her jump to her feet and whirl around, her heart hammering against her ribs. In the process, she knocked over the potion jar, spilling the dry herbal contents. Great. A low growl made her step backward. As she did, she stepped on the jar, cracking it.

  A sting on her big toe had her glancing down. Damn. Blood mixed with the spilt potion on the pavers. Another great.

  Annoyed at who or what disturbed her, she searched the woods her backyard merged with. A few yards away stood a beautiful silver wolf. She frowned after noting the too-human eyes staring back at her the color of the Caribbean ocean. It was a shifter. Most likely one of the Wolfe Pack’s.

  She didn’t have much interaction with the Wolfe Pack except for the occasional run-in in town. Hotties with fur. She’d always kept her distant because she didn’t like drawing attention to herself. Besides, she had a sick mother to care for…until a few months ago.

  The pack was located a few miles north of her coven. Still none of them had ever crossed over into the coven’s territory, as far as she knew.

  She placed her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here? This is witch territory.”

  There were several long moments before he stalked toward her, a hunger in those blue eyes. One step by slow step, he advanced, his nose twitching as if scenting the air. She narrowed her eyes. “I think you’re lost.”

  Or on something.

  Still, he didn’t stop. A low growl came from him that made her freeze. What the hell was wrong with him?

  He stopped a few inches from her and sniffed. First at her hand, her leg, then her crotch. “Hey! Stop that.”

  Perv.

  She went to bat him away with the water bottle, but he knocked it to the ground with his paw. The lid broke open and the watery potion spilled onto the pavers at their feet, his fur dampening.

  Damn it. “Don’t make me put you in a circle.”

  That made him pause and tilt his head to the side. A moment later, the wolf shimmered and then a man stood naked as the day he was born in front of her. His dark blonde hair covered his ears and hung in his eyes. He was gorgeous, in a primal sort of way. “Good gods,” she breathed, not meaning to speak the words aloud.

  He raised a brow and closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. Heat flooded her entire body. “I was out for a run and lost my way. Or so I thought, until I found you.”

  “Look, I don’t think we should be doing this here. Or ever.” She pushed at him but failed as his heat seeped into her palms. Tiny electric currents flowed through her, arcing off each nerve ending. She ached in places she didn’t think possible.

  He grunted in response then crushed his lips to hers. The earlier heat she felt turned into a blazing wildfire, consuming her. When he licked the seam of her lips, she opened, thrusting her tongue forward to tangle with his. She sank her fingers in his hair and tugged.

  Suck it. If the neighbors saw, then they’d get a damn good show. Besides, she’d never once done anything this reckless, and she wanted to be free and naughty. Especially with this wolf that set her on fire.

  Another growl rumbled from his chest, vibrating against hers. He fisted his hands in her skirt and lifted it. Then he moved one hand to her ass and lifted one leg. He pressed into her, and she felt how much he wanted her through the thin cotton of her panties. “God, yes.”

  How could making out with a stranger in her backyard feel so right?

  “Mine,” the man growled.

  Yes. No, wait. She pressed her hands to his chest and pushed. He didn’t budge. She knew enough about shifters and their mating rituals to know what he was doing. He was claiming her. Or trying to. “I’m not yours.”

  He lifted his head from where he nipped at her ear to meet her gaze. “You are mine. Your scent called to me.”

  Shaking her head, she tried to pry herself from his hold. When he didn’t let go, she said, “I don’t want this, not right now.” She hoped he didn’t smell the lie on her, but damn it, she had to be the responsible one. “I don’t know you.”

  He stared into her eyes. His blue depths darkened a little. A lazy, yet sensual smile lifted his lips. “It doesn’t matter. We have a lifetime to know each other.”

  The growl in his words made her knees weak. “Well, I like to get to know people first.”

  He wasn’t listening. He dipped his head and nipped at her bottom lip before moving to her chin then neck. As soon as his lips brushed the sensitive curve of her throat, she whimpered and all reasoning melted away.

  Screw it. Wolves couldn’t carry diseases and neither could witches, and she was on a magical form of birth control. What did she have to lose? Her heart. Although she wouldn’t lose it if she never gave it in the first place.

  A gentle bite on her throat brought her out of her thoughts. She framed his face and pushed until he lifted to meet her gaze. “No biting.”

  There was not going to be any mating going on tonight. Sex, maybe.

  “I can’t make promises,” he growled and fisted a hand in her hair.

  With his other hand, he gathered her skirt until one side of it bunched at her waist. As soon as his fingers slid over her skin, she gasped. All conflict on why she shouldn’t have sex with a stranger dissolved as the need to be ravished by this male rose.

  He slid his other hand down her back to grip her ass and lift her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Bad idea. He was naked and his hard length pressed to her core. The only barrier was her thin panties.

  Good gods. Pinpricks skittered over her skin and her pussy ached for him.

  “You smell so good.” His rough tone sent a shot of desire straight to her core.

  She groaned and rotated her hips against him, drawing a vibrating growl from him. A moment later, he had her back pressed against the side of the house behind a flowering crepe myrtle, just out of sight from prying neighbor eyes.

  Next, he ripped her panties off and pressed inside her. She scored his shoulders with her nails, riding the wave of pleasure at the sudden invasion. Slowly, he rolled his hips and inched his way inside until he was balls deep, filling her completely.

  She dropped her head back against the exterior wall of her house. Bliss filled her, making her flesh ultra-sensitive to his touch.

  Capturing her mouth in a demanding kiss, he thrust in and out. Slow at first, then faster. Mounting desire electrified her body, awakening something primal and magical within.

  She tittered on the edge of a climax. Tightening her legs around him, she moved in time with his thrusts. When he trailed a hand under her shirt, over her ribs, and gripped her breast, she sucked in a breath. She hadn’t bothered to put on a bra that morning and she was glad she hadn’t. Convenience and all that.

  He rolled a nipple between his fingers and she could hold on no longer. The orgasm slammed into her hard. The wolf followed with his own shortly after.

  Chapter Two

  Still holding the witch in his arms against the side of her house, the wolf buried his nose against her neck.

  Pleasure surrounded her, filled her. A sense of belonging joined in the emotional gathering. To break the silence that tried to settle in, she asked, “What’s your name?”

  A chuckle sounded, his warm breath tickled her neck. “Wes.”

  Wes. She smiled. It suited him. “Is it short for Wesley?”

  A grunt was her answer, making her smile widen. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Gently, he lowered her to her feet and stepped bac
k.

  She quickly adjusted her skirt and walked out from behind the tree. He followed, too closely. What was it with wolves and their lack of personal space? Sure, they just had sex, but she needed a little distance.

  When she bent to pick up the spray bottle, he reached out and grabbed it. A ripple of magic touched her fingers where she held the bottle. Glancing down, she gasped. Ivy formed and twisted around the plastic and her hand.

  Wes let go and stepped back. “What the fuck?”

  He turned to the cast iron bench seat with a high back at the edge of the garden next to the door. When he touched it, a rose vein formed where he made contact with the metal and spread over the bench. Oh no. He’d stepped into the potion while in wolf form. But how was it possible it worked on him? It was a garden spell, created with intent to help her herbs grow. It wasn’t meant to work on human or shifter. Curses only did that…unless the blood from her cut toe somehow altered the potion? No. She’d have to be a dark witch or possess demon’s blood within her bloodline.

  I’m not a dark witch.

  She stared at Wes, then glanced at the bottle and the seat. He had the Midas Touch, only with a green thumb twist. She giggled then slapped a hand over her mouth.

  His gaze snapped to hers, narrowing into an annoyed glare. “What did you do to me?”

  “I didn’t do anything. You were the one who snuck up on me in the middle of a spell.” Damn. She should have cast a circle but she hadn’t seen it necessary at the time. No one was supposed to be there, in her backyard, except her.

  He growled low. “You will fix this and I will stay here until you do.”

  ***

  Wes stared at the witch. Of all the females in the world, she had to be his mate. Beautiful, kind, and with modest curves. Everything he dreamed of in a mate and more. And she’d hexed him.

  Everything he touched covered in leafy vines. There was no way he could return to the pack. “You can fix this, right?”