Moon Curse (BBW Shifter and Witch Paranormal Short) (Shifting Magick Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  Moon Curse

  Shifting Magick Book 1

  By

  Lia Davis

  Moon Cursed

  Shifting Magick, book 1

  By: Lia Davis

  Published by After Glows

  © 2015 Lia Davis

  ISBN: 9780990886754

  Cover Art by Lia Davis

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  www.AuthorLiaDavis.com

  Other Books by Lia Davis

  Paranormals

  Ashwood Falls Series

  Winter Eve

  A Tiger’s Claim

  A Mating Dance

  Surrendering to the Alpha

  A Rebel’s Heart

  Divided Loyalties

  Touch of Desire

  Ashwood World

  An Alpha’s Fate

  Bears of Blackrock

  Bear Essentials

  Sons of War Series

  War’s Passion

  Ashes of War

  Artemis’s Hunt

  Vampire Lords

  It’s A Vampire Christmas

  Contemporaries

  Pleasures of the Heart Series

  Business Pleasures

  Single Titles

  His Guarded Heart

  Dedication

  To Mr. Davis with all my heart

  Moon Curse

  Olivia Kelly is cursed. The eldest of three witches, she is doomed to spend her existence alone unless she finds and mates with a male descendant of the moon goddess, Artemis. Just when she thinks that all hope is lost, a handsome - and very naked - Alpha wolf stumbles into her life.

  Sawyer Scott has been spelled to turn into a house cat once a month during the full moon. A humiliating predicament for an Alpha, and one that has kept him from his Pack every full moon for the last year as he searched for the witch responsible. In a last ditch effort to find the crazy old lady; he stumbles upon a scent he can’t deny. His mate.

  Chapter One

  Bottle of wine. Check.

  Two boxes of tissue. Check.

  Sappy-cry-your-eyes-out chick flick. Check, check.

  Another Friday night with no flowers, no hot guy pampering her, and no friends to help her feel sorry for herself. Correction. No single friends to feel sorry with her. Of course, her non-single friends had asked her to come hang out with them. No, thanks. She wasn’t in the mood to watch the happy lovebirds enjoy each other’s company while she pretended not to notice.

  It’d only add to the heavy weight on her heart and mood. It didn’t seem right to call her sisters, either. Ever since their grandmother had told them about the Kelly curse, they’d made it their mission to find out a way to break it. A task that had become too emotionally draining. She didn’t have the energy for it. The curse would be there tomorrow and the next day.

  Each of their curses was different, but they all involved mating. Audrey, the middle sister, had to mate someone who’d been kissed by a god. Diana, the youngest, had to mate with her true half before midnight on her thirty-third birthday.

  Olivia’s curse was to find a man who was a descendant of Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt. Olivia had no idea where was she supposed to find this demi-god. She’d already tried consulting a time traveler and got laughed at.

  Whatever. She didn’t need a man. Living alone allowed her to do whatever the fuck she wanted. Besides, there weren’t many guys who liked a short, curvy woman over age thirty-five. No, they liked them thin and young. Not to mention, she came from a family of crazy witches.

  Settling into the corner of the sofa with a glass of wine in one hand and the boxes of tissues within reach, she clicked the play button on the DVD remote. “Ahh, the joys of being a cursed, mateless witch. I’m so pathetic.”

  About ten minutes into the movie, she heard scratching at her back door followed by a soft meow. Glancing around the room, she spotted Midnight, one of her two black cats, sleeping in the window near the front door. Sam was nowhere to be seen.

  With a heavy sigh, she sat her glass on the end table, pushed pause and stood. “How the hell does that cat get out?”

  She padded through the kitchen to the rear entrance. When she opened it, she frowned. It wasn’t Sam; it was an orange tabby. The poor thing looked hungry and cold.

  When she scooped the cat up, it hissed and growled at her. “Now, that is uncalled for.”

  As if her voice calmed the little beast, it stopped its verbal protesting and peered up at her with gorgeous gold eyes. A quick peek under its tail told her that the cat was a male. He slapped at her, and she tssked. “Behave. I had to check to see if I needed to lock you up separate from my boys, but since you’re not female, you should be fine.”

  “Are you hungry?” She opened the cabinet and pulled out a can of cat food and a saucer.

  After setting the cat on the floor at her feet, she opened the can and dumped the contents onto the plate. She then placed it on the floor in front of him, but he didn’t want it. Olivia shrugged. “That’s all I have, bud.”

  Picky-ass cat. As she re-entered the living room, the phone rang. Now what?

  “Hello.”

  “Oh. You’re home.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes at her grandmother’s cheerful tone. “Where else would I be, Grams?”

  There was a brief pause before her grandmother spoke again, making Olivia suspicious about what the crazy old witch had been up to. She loved Grams like a second mother and would do anything for the woman. However, Grams wasn’t all there at times. At the age of four hundred fifty years old, she was the oldest witch alive.

  “I wanted to see if you needed company. There is a new spell I want to show you.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. Even through the phone she could tell Grams was lying. But why? “No, Grams. I was just about to go to bed. I had a long day at the shop.”

  The shop was called Kelly’s Enchantments and was the family-owned magick and gift shop. It really had been a busy day, and every day that week, people had come in wanting either the recipe for a love spell or for Olivia or one of her sisters to make one for them. Each of the Kelly sisters refused, and each time, the customers would get annoyed. Some even got angry.

  Humans just didn’t understand that the Universe had a sense of humor at times. Besides, it was very literal about granting blessings. It was never a good idea to simply ask for a man to love. Because the type of man that entered your life may or may not be the ideal one. No, specific details were needed to properly grant the heart’s desires.

  “Ah, yes. The love spells. Just give them colored sugar water and send them on their way.” There was a hint of a smile behind Grams’ dry tone.

  Shaking her head, Olivia held in a laugh. “Why did you call again, Grams?”

  It wasn’t that Olivia didn’t like talking to her, but the older witch got distracted easily. If Olivia didn’t stir Grams back to the main subject, they’d be on the phone all night.

  “Oh, yeah. I saw a wild beast run into your yard a few minutes ago. Do be careful about taki
ng in strays.”

  Olivia drew her brows together. What was she talking about? “No wild animals here. Besides, I have a protection spell on the house.”

  “Good. Good. Just be careful. You never know what you allow into your home.” Grams paused for a brief moment, then continued. “I have to go feed the cats.”

  There was a click, and the line went dead.

  That was odd. Then again, it was Grams. Most of what she said or did never made sense.

  After setting the phone on the end table, she clicked the play button on the remote and sank into the corner of the sofa a little more.

  Not even two minutes later, a loud crash sounded from the kitchen. She jumped to her feet, causing the remote to fall to the floor, and turned in time to see a large, naked man standing in the archway between the living room and kitchen. Her heart hammered and panic rose, restricting some of her airflow. Yet she couldn’t tear her gaze from his perfectly sculpted body.

  “How…how did you get in here?”

  He didn’t speak, just bored those gorgeous gold eyes into her as he stepped forward. Her body shook and she darted to her right to grab her broom. Midnight hissed and fled out of the room.

  Coward.

  Holding up the broom like a batter at home plate, she glared at the man. “Don’t come any closer.”

  One side of his sensual lips lifted as he continued his slow prowl toward her. Her body warmed at the sight of his broad shoulders rolling with each step. Dropping her gaze, she flushed and snapped her attention back to his face. Good grief, he was huge, everywhere. She had a strange, naked man in her house pinning her with his gorgeous gold eyes and she was ogling him like a double fudge sundae. Damn, she was going insane.

  She swung the broom before darting to the other side of the room, effectively putting space between them. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  A bitter laugh escaped him and his eyes darkened. “You can’t hurt me.”

  Arrogant ass. She took another swing at him, only to have him catch the broom in one hand and jerk it from her grasp. Knocked off balance, she cried out when he caught her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist.

  Heat flooded through her, overwhelming her senses and stealing her ability to think. What the hell?

  She struggled then groaned as he tightened his hold, pulling her back against his front. His hard length pressed into her back, drawing a groan from her. Desire ran hot in her veins. “How did you get in my house?”

  He buried his nose in her neck and inhaled. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying like hell to ignore her body’s reaction to him. Confusion clouded her thoughts. He was a stranger for crying out loud.

  “You let me in.” His husky voice was soft with a slight crack as if he too were fighting off a wave of desire.

  What? She didn’t let him in… Her grandmother’s words about the wild beast and not letting in strays entered her mind. Damn. Grams, what did you do?

  Chapter Two

  Sawyer ground his molars together. His cock throbbed while his senses filled with the female’s scent.

  Mine.

  His wolf growled the single word as he paced under Sawyer’s skin.

  A soft curse slipped from her lips as she stilled. “You were the orange cat.”

  “I’m cursed. I need your help to break it.”

  Her scent soured a moment before she brought one bare foot down on his hard enough that he loosened his hold on her. Squirming out of his arms, she fled to the kitchen. With a low growl, he followed.

  When he rounded the corner, he froze. The female held a large knife in one hand and had a cell phone to her ear with the other. “You really don’t expect that knife to keep me from you, do you?”

  “Stay back,” she rushed out, then said, “No, not you, Grams. Tell me more about the wild beast you saw earlier.”

  He cocked his head but couldn’t make out what the other person on the phone was saying.

  After a few yeses and an uh-huh or two, she hung up the phone and glared at him. “How did you get cursed?”

  “I was minding my own business, hunting actually, and some crazy witch threw some kind of powder at me and started speaking in a language I didn’t recognize. The following full moon, I shifted into that damned orange cat.” He thrust a hand into his hair in frustration. He couldn’t go back to his Pack until the full moon cycle was over. How could he face them?

  The Alpha of a wolf pack who shifts into a house cat upon the full moon... Yeah. He’d be challenged for his Alpha status for sure.

  “The witch isn’t crazy.” The female moved to the sink and lowered the knife. She frowned then shook her head. “She’s old. And forgetful. And…a little nuts at times. But that doesn’t give you the right to call her crazy.”

  “You know the witch?”

  Her shoulders dropped and she turned to meet his stare. “She’s my grandmother.”

  “Then you can fix this.”

  “I’m afraid not. I don’t know what she used in the powder, or how she invoked it, let alone why she did it.” She raised the phone and studied it for several moments before she laid it and the knife on the counter.

  When she moved past him, he gripped her arm. Heat swirled around his hand and traveled up his arm. “Where are you going?”

  She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “To get a few of my spell books.”

  With a quick jerk, she freed her arm and pushed past him toward the hallway. He fell in step behind her. “How long will it take to break this curse?”

  She whirled around, coming within inches of him. “It isn’t a curse. It’s a spell. There’s a huge difference.”

  A bitter laugh escaped him before he snarled. “Turning into a house cat for three fucking days is definitely a curse.”

  His harsh tone didn’t faze her. She jammed her index finger into his chest. “One, don’t growl at me. Two, the more you badger me, the longer it will take to figure this out.”

  When she pivoted away from him, his gaze lowered to her ass while his lips twitched. The wolf within pawed at him to move closer and bite. “What’s your name?”

  She spun back around and her gaze narrowed as she studied him before answering. “Olivia.”

  She turned once again and moved down the hallway. Stopping about mid-way, she muttered something too low for even his wolf hearing to pick up. A moment later, the ceiling opened and a wooden ladder formed. Without a word, she climbed the ladder and disappeared into the hole.

  Not knowing what the hell the witch was doing, he followed her. He emerged inside a large attic bathed in candlelight. In the center was a large white circle. When he moved closer, he noticed it wasn’t drawn in paint but salt.

  “What’s that for? Summoning demons?”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly as if annoyed by his question. “Don’t touch the outline.”

  Glancing at her, he froze. She’d gathered her long, thick brown hair up in a messy bun and wore a pair of reading glasses. Couldn’t witches create a spell to fix vision impairments? As if sensing his internal question, she lifted her lashes over the glasses that rested on the end of her nose.

  “I don’t have a vision impairment. These are spelled to help me read the Book of Shadows.” She returned her attention to the book on the podium.

  Curious, he moved closer to her. Her cinnamon apple scent wrapped around him, drugging him. He leaned in and inhaled. His wolf howled in his head, and the man agreed. This female was theirs.

  “Are you sniffing me?” Irritation leaked out with the words she spoke, but she didn’t look at him.

  Straightening, he stepped away and scanned the room. Bookshelves lined the wall next to them and the one behind Olivia. A few feet away sat a large oak desk with opened books and papers scattered across its surface. His need for order urged him to straighten the papers. At least put then in a neat stack.

  “Don’t touch my desk, wolf.”

  He cut her a narrowed gaze, not surprised that she knew what
he was. She was a witch, a very powerful one that could apparently read his thoughts. “It’s Sawyer. How do you know what I’m thinking?”

  “I’m very good at reading body language.” Her words were soft, but the slight way her scent sharpened told him she was lying, or at least omitting something.

  He let it go because it wasn’t uncommon for mates to hear each other’s thoughts. But that usually happened after they’d bonded. Was it possible for them to connect without the mating because she was a witch?

  Focusing on her, he sent her a thought. What are you looking for, my mate?

  Her hands stilled on the book and she lifted her head. “I’m trying to figure out which spell my crazy grandmother placed on you. And, I’m not your mate.”

  His lips tugged into a lazy smile. Closing the distance, he cupped her face. “If you weren’t my mate, then you wouldn’t have heard me.”

  She shook her head but didn’t speak. The scent of her arousal drifted around him, drawing a growl from deep within his chest. Slipping his hand to her nape, he pressed his lips to hers. A groan escaped her and she opened for him, meeting his tongue half way. Raw sensual need rushed through his veins with each caress of her tongue against his.

  Tearing his mouth from hers, he growled. “I need you…now.”

  “Yes,” she said, breathlessly. Her blue eyes brightened, and tiny pricks of white light flashed across her irises.

  He removed her glasses, gently laying them on the podium, and then walked her backward until her back flattened against the wall. Her curvy body fit perfectly against his. A groan left her, pleading. His dick jerked at the sound, and he captured her mouth once more, sucking on her bottom lip before dipping his tongue inside. She tasted of wine and berries.

  Damn.