Possessed (Book One of the Hollow City Coven Series): A Witch and Warlock Romance Novel by Hazel Hunter Page A
Authors: Hazel Hunter
Ads: Link
even be for her, even if she was a normal person. She knew that. Her gloved hands fisted angrily. She made them open up. Shayne touched her on the shoulder gently, making her start.
“I’ll take care of you,” he said lowly.
She realized that he meant he would protect her from the Templars. The witch hunters were so far from her thoughts that it took her a moment to realize what he was saying.
“I know you will,” she replied.
She needed to remember that he wasn’t really her lover or her boyfriend. And for her part, she was his mission.
Finally, they came to a sheer cliff face that was set back from the river. At its base was a shallow shelter. Shayne decided it was a good place to stop for the night.
To Gillian’s surprise, he had her gather up small twigs that he could use to start a fire. As he fiddled with the flint in the survival kit, she realized that he was hiding his skills with fire. The less that the watching Templars knew about his abilities, the better. In fairly short order, he had a blaze going. The cheerful flames pushed back the invading violet gloom. Gillian sat down as close to it as she could, the cliff face at her back. She would take whatever warmth and comfort she could.
“The river bends just over there,” Shayne said, pointing. “I’m going to walk up to the curve and see if I can tell what lies beyond. I’ll only be a little while.”
It took everything that Gillian had in her not to beg him to stay. Instead, she flashed a big smile at him. When he came closer, she surprised both of them by hopping up and looping her arms around the back of his neck.
“Hurry back,” she said sincerely, and kissed him.
They had been cheated out of their kiss with the berries. She wasn’t going to be cheated out of another. He kissed her back with a will, his tongue lapping along her lips gently before sliding inside her mouth. The kiss lit a fire inside her, a craving that she wasn’t sure she’d felt before. She wanted nothing more than to drag him down next to the fire, to let those clever lips learn more about her.
Instead, she let him go.
“I’ll hurry back if that’s what’s waiting for me,” he said.
He reached down to squeeze one of her gloved hands. It startled her. But after only a brief moment of fear, she realized that she was fine with him doing it. There was no alarm that sounded in her head. There was no cold sweat of panic. It was fine. She barely had time to process the realization before he was slipping away into the growing darkness and shadows.
Then she was alone.
She stared at the fire in front of her. Shayne had built it with his hands, even though fire lived like a spirit in his heart. She had heard Wiccans who wielded fire were called firecrackers. When she thought of his vibrant personality, it suited him.
Somewhere in the darkness of the forest, a bush rustled. The wind knocked the tall pines against each other. She couldn’t see much beyond the circle of light cast by the fire. She reached in her pocket to touch Max gently. Oblivious to the world, he was curled up in a small sphere, which made her smile a little. Gillian knew that she couldn’t focus on what lay beyond the fire. She couldn’t think of men creeping through the forest to hurt her, to capture her, to kill her.
Instead, she thought about Shayne.
She had only known him for a short while, but she already felt more comfortable with him than she had felt with anyone. She remembered being a teen, being so wary of even the least kindness. She had always known that too often, kindness hid something dark and sinister. Once or twice, she had trusted someone. The fact that she had survived was a mixture of luck and sheer stubbornness.
Despite all of that, she trusted Shayne. A small voice in her head wondered if she only trusted him because she wanted to trust him. He was handsome. He was the type of man she dreamed about when she permitted herself to dream. But Gillian knew it was more than
“I’ll take care of you,” he said lowly.
She realized that he meant he would protect her from the Templars. The witch hunters were so far from her thoughts that it took her a moment to realize what he was saying.
“I know you will,” she replied.
She needed to remember that he wasn’t really her lover or her boyfriend. And for her part, she was his mission.
Finally, they came to a sheer cliff face that was set back from the river. At its base was a shallow shelter. Shayne decided it was a good place to stop for the night.
To Gillian’s surprise, he had her gather up small twigs that he could use to start a fire. As he fiddled with the flint in the survival kit, she realized that he was hiding his skills with fire. The less that the watching Templars knew about his abilities, the better. In fairly short order, he had a blaze going. The cheerful flames pushed back the invading violet gloom. Gillian sat down as close to it as she could, the cliff face at her back. She would take whatever warmth and comfort she could.
“The river bends just over there,” Shayne said, pointing. “I’m going to walk up to the curve and see if I can tell what lies beyond. I’ll only be a little while.”
It took everything that Gillian had in her not to beg him to stay. Instead, she flashed a big smile at him. When he came closer, she surprised both of them by hopping up and looping her arms around the back of his neck.
“Hurry back,” she said sincerely, and kissed him.
They had been cheated out of their kiss with the berries. She wasn’t going to be cheated out of another. He kissed her back with a will, his tongue lapping along her lips gently before sliding inside her mouth. The kiss lit a fire inside her, a craving that she wasn’t sure she’d felt before. She wanted nothing more than to drag him down next to the fire, to let those clever lips learn more about her.
Instead, she let him go.
“I’ll hurry back if that’s what’s waiting for me,” he said.
He reached down to squeeze one of her gloved hands. It startled her. But after only a brief moment of fear, she realized that she was fine with him doing it. There was no alarm that sounded in her head. There was no cold sweat of panic. It was fine. She barely had time to process the realization before he was slipping away into the growing darkness and shadows.
Then she was alone.
She stared at the fire in front of her. Shayne had built it with his hands, even though fire lived like a spirit in his heart. She had heard Wiccans who wielded fire were called firecrackers. When she thought of his vibrant personality, it suited him.
Somewhere in the darkness of the forest, a bush rustled. The wind knocked the tall pines against each other. She couldn’t see much beyond the circle of light cast by the fire. She reached in her pocket to touch Max gently. Oblivious to the world, he was curled up in a small sphere, which made her smile a little. Gillian knew that she couldn’t focus on what lay beyond the fire. She couldn’t think of men creeping through the forest to hurt her, to capture her, to kill her.
Instead, she thought about Shayne.
She had only known him for a short while, but she already felt more comfortable with him than she had felt with anyone. She remembered being a teen, being so wary of even the least kindness. She had always known that too often, kindness hid something dark and sinister. Once or twice, she had trusted someone. The fact that she had survived was a mixture of luck and sheer stubbornness.
Despite all of that, she trusted Shayne. A small voice in her head wondered if she only trusted him because she wanted to trust him. He was handsome. He was the type of man she dreamed about when she permitted herself to dream. But Gillian knew it was more than
Similar Books
