Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Witch’s Spark
Thornheart Coven #2
Laura Greenwood
© 2017 Laura Greenwood
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; [email protected].
Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at:
www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk
www.facebook.com/authorlauragreenwood/
Cover Design by Arizona Tape
Witch’s Spark is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
To Ari, this was the best cover you’d ever made. Then you just keep making more.
Contents
A Note on Language
Warning
Blurb
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
The End
Ho Ho Hocus
A Note from Laura Greenwood
About Laura Greenwood
A Note on Language
Please note that the author of this book is from the UK, and as such, spellings and some turns of phrase will appear in British English.
Warning
Witch’s Spark involves an f/f/m triad. All three partners are equal within it. None of them have to choose.
Blurb
What if you knew who your mate was, but you couldn't touch them?
Reese and Faye have known they were meant to be together since they were five years old. But even holding hands is painful for them, and they've never taken things any further as a result. When care-free Penny turns up, things begin to change, and if they can avoid the Witch Hunters that are after Faye's family, then maybe they can finally have a chance for a happily ever after...
Witch's Spark is book 2 in the Thornheart Coven Series and features a f/f/m triad as the central romance.
Chapter One
Faye finished plaiting her hair and looked in the mirror with a sigh. One more day done. God knew how many more to go. Sometimes she didn’t think she’d be able to hold out any longer, but then there was always something that changed her mind. Now, it was her eldest sister’s surprise daughter. Fiona was unbelievably cute, but she made Faye’s heart ache in ways she didn’t want to spend too long thinking about. She wanted a family of her own so badly. But considering she couldn’t even touch her mate without feeling excruciating pain, it didn’t seem likely at any point soon. She’d talked to others about it, but the only people she knew who were mated but hadn’t touched for years were Eira and Josh, but they both said it’d never been painful. Which meant it was just her and Reese that had to deal with it this way.
Slowly, she regained her composure, leaving the bathroom and entering the bedroom they tortured themselves further by sharing. At least they had separate beds, she didn’t think she could avoid touching him if they shared.
He was standing there, looking as delicious and touchable as always. Which was part of the problem. She longed for him. Yearned for him even, but there was nothing she could do to actually make that yearning a reality. He’d never be able to run his hand down her back, even through clothing. He’d never be able to kiss her properly. They’d never be able to....
Faye shook her head, desperate to rid herself of the thoughts assailing her. They’d only grown worse since her sister, Mia, had met her mate. Watching the short affectionate touches she exchanged with Felix was almost as painful as any attempt to touch Reese.
“Faye,” he said softly. “Please stop torturing yourself.”
“I can’t,” she said, her voice almost breaking, and the tears threatening in the corners of her eyes.
“I just want to be able to touch you, to be with you.”
“I know. I feel it too. But I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.” He reached out a hand, before dropping it back to his side, realising what he was doing. Their relationship had always been like this. Natural reactions to situations, followed by the swift realisation that they couldn’t go through with it.
“I know, but...” She glanced away, already hating how weak she felt about the whole thing. Why wasn’t she used to it? She’d have thought that after all this time she’d have realised they couldn’t have what normal couples did. There’d be no lingering kisses good night, or stray hand brushing against an arm and offering comfort. Nor would there be any of the true intimacy they needed.
And there’d never be a family. Well, she supposed that wasn’t true. They could always adopt, or have some kind of IVF, though if it would work on witches, she had no idea. But there’d never be a family that was just theirs. No child who was the perfect combination of her and Reese.
“Faye, please,” he begged, stepping forward despite the knowledge he couldn’t comfort her.
She shook her head and moved backwards, her back hitting the wall and her lip quivering with emotion. Here would be the perfect opportunity for a kiss, while he caged her against the wall and pushed himself against her.
She bit her lip, a soft whimper escaping. Why did she do this to herself? It wasn’t like it could go anywhere. And it wasn’t like she’d actually know what she was doing if they did go further. That was the big problem with having known her mate since they were both small. Well, and not being able to touch him. It didn’t exactly bode well for intimate moments. So she’d reached her twenties and was still pretty much clueless when it came to sex.
Unless she counted the times she touched herself in the middle of the night, imagining all the things Reese would do to her if he could. Or the things she hoped he would.
“What are you thinking, Faye?”
“Huh?” she responded instantly, taken aback by his question.
“What’s going through your pretty little head? You’re making sounds like you do when you think I’m asleep,” he teased, taking a step forward, crowding her against the wall and actually caging her there, just like she’d imagined him doing. She swallowed audibly, affected far more than she wanted to admit by his mere proximity.
“Erm...”
“Are you imaging the things I’d do to you, Faye?” he asked, his voice low and sultry. “You don’t have to imagine. I’m happy to tell you.”
“Oh.”
He leaned in close, his mouth hovering just next to her ear. She could feel his breath fanning over her skin, and longed for more. To feel his lips touch. Knowing that it wasn’t even a possibili
ty, only made her more aware of what was going on, and more desperate to actually do things. Damn, life really wasn’t fair.
“Come back to me, Faye,” he whispered. “You’ve gone away to worry, I can tell.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, looking up into his beautiful brown eyes. A lot of people found them a little unnerving, but that was just his bird side coming through. But she was used to it, and it hadn’t bothered her in years. If it ever actually had. She wasn’t completely convinced she had, it’d been that long since they’d met.
He lifted his hand so that it was hovering just next to her cheek, and she longed for him to close that gap, even if it would hurt. Especially because it would hurt. It would remind her of all the reasons why she shouldn’t allow things to get that far.
“Touch me,” she whispered, not regretting the words in the slightest. Worry clouded Reese’s eyes.
“Are you sure?” His voice was soft, kind of reverent. He always got like this when she asked him. And it was always her that asked him, not the other way around. She didn’t think it was because he didn’t want to. More that he was more conscious of what it actually cost them to touch. Or he just had more restraint than she did.
“Yes.” She channelled as much begging into her eyes as possible, and it evidently worked, as Reese lowered his hand the rest of the way and touched her cheek with one gentle finger.
There was probably about a second of enjoyment before the pain hit. Sharp needles dancing across her cheek, around where their skin touched, but spreading out even further. The worst bit was that it wasn’t just skin on skin that was the problem. They’d tried using gloves, but the result had been the same. It was more to do with there being any connection at all.
Reese pulled away as a single spark ignited before Faye’s eyes, and fell to the floor, fading as it went. Just another reason she knew that there was something wrong with their bond. She sparked, just like other witches did when they touched their mates, but it was only one, and only lasted for a moment, before fading into nothingness.
She could live with it. So long as their bond didn’t do the same.
Chapter Two
Penny almost skipped out of the bakery, taking a large bite of her pastry as she did. She got a funny look from a passing business woman, but shrugged it off. She ran daily, she deserved a damn pastry, even if she was still in her workout gear.
Running daily was a little bit of an understatement. She pretty much exercised all day, every day, which was unsurprising given she was a yoga instructor.
The walk to her studio was only a short one, but she still enjoyed it as a good cool down. Even so, she was looking forward to a hot coffee when she got in. It was really the only way to perk her up.
She was humming along to herself, in a complete world of her own, and almost ran into the woman waiting outside the door. She jumped back, thankful she hadn’t gotten a take-out coffee, otherwise it’d have ended up all over her, and that would never do.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said, reaching out a hand to try and steady Penny, even though she hadn’t actually fallen.
“No need to be sorry,” Penny said, flashing her a beaming smile while studying the woman in front of her.
She was slim, but curvy, with wavy dishwater blonde hair that framed her face. But it was the other woman’s eyes that got Penny the most. They were so sad. Like the sorrow of a hundred people lived in her. Something within Penny longed to make her feel better. There was just a part of her that felt like the woman was calling out to her. So much so, that she nearly reached out to touch her, but pulled back at the last second. Mostly because it would be a bit weird to do that to a stranger, and the last thing she wanted was to make the wrong impression on someone she didn’t know.
“Can I help you?” Penny asked, flashing another smile. Yes, this woman was calling to her, in a way that no one ever really had before. Penny had never minded if the people she went for were male or female, so long as there was some kind of connection between them. Even so. It all paled in comparison to the reaction the blonde was having on her.
“Oh, sorry. I’m Faye, I’m here for the yoga session. I think.”
“You think?” Penny laughed a little, but mostly to hide the effect that Faye’s name had on her. She was heating up all over, and if that was what a name would do, she dreaded to think what other things would.
“Sorry, yes, I am.”
“Do you always apologise so much?” she asked, cocking her head to the side and watching as Faye chewed on her bottom lip.
“No,” the other woman admitted.
“Huh.”
“But I am here for the yoga. It helps with stress, right?” She looked hopeful, like there was far more resting on this than just the release of life’s daily stresses. Penny looked her up and down again, appreciating the long toned legs that were already clad in workout gear. She’d relieve this woman’s tension any day. Catching the thought, she scolded herself. That wasn’t acceptable to think about anyone. Particularly someone she didn’t know. What was wrong with her today?
“I just need to open up and grab myself a coffee, but the class starts in maybe half an hour.” She pulled the key to the building out of her bag and slipped it into the lock, the action really not helping with the direction her thoughts were taking. Seemed her mind was really in the gutter.
“Oh, I’m early?” Faye seemed hesitant, like she really wasn’t sure of herself. It was endearing.
“A little bit, I must have listed the time wrong on the website.”
“I don’t think you did,” she sounded more certain this time, which was interesting. Seemed that when she was defending someone, her fight came back. Or just came to front, Penny guessed. Technically, she’d not had any fight at all up until now, so it couldn’t come back. Odd thought there. It was almost as if Penny already knew the woman. Which didn’t make any sense. She’d have remembered if she’d met this blonde beauty before.
“How can you be so sure?” Penny teased, knowing full well the time on the website were correct. She checked them almost daily as a force of habit. Mostly to avoid this kind of situation happening. Though she wasn’t going to complain too much.
“I like to be early,” Faye muttered, looking away. Okay, so there was clearly something else going on there. Maybe if she got the woman a drink, and took her into the yoga room, she could get her to relax and tell her more.
“I get that.” She opened the door, and waved the blonde through, pleased when she didn’t protest and made her way into the building that was dark, cold, and smelled of stale sweat. On second thoughts, maybe it wasn’t the best place to take her.
“Oh, it reminds me of dance lessons,” Faye said, looking around the hall as Penny turned the light on.
“You dance?” Penny’s heart leaped. Next to yoga, dance was what she’d wished she could do. There was something about the grace of the body moving that she just loved and appreciated.
“I used to.” Faye trailed her hand over the bar along the side of the room. It wasn’t used much, from what Penny could tell, only when the little children came for their ballet lessons. She’d watched once, and her heart had melted. She’d love kids one day, but they weren’t possible for her kind. Not even with her mate, which sucked spectacularly.
Her eyes wandered back to Faye, watching intently. Mate felt like a much more comfortable word than it normally did, and she found she liked it.
“Why did you stop?”
“It hurt.” Faye’s answer stopped any hint at more of a conversation. There was just something about it that hinted at more, and Penny longed to ask, but also didn’t dare.
“Have you tried since?”
“No. I keep meaning to, but...” She looked up, meeting Penny’s eyes with her own. There was a lingering pain there. Not one that would be easily chased away. Not at all. This was a pain that was added to daily and never ceased. A pain that would take time to erase. One that Penny longed to. “I need to go,” Faye mu
ttered, turning to flee from the room. She brushed past Penny, and she could’ve sworn she saw a couple of sparks ignite around where they touched. But no, that couldn’t be possible.
She watched the other woman running into the distance, and it was only once she’d left that Penny noticed she’d left her phone behind.
She scooped it up, intending just to check if there was somewhere she could return it to. But she noticed the message on the screen before she could help herself.
Reese: Faye, please come home. We can talk about it.
The name on the screen caused a fluttering in her belly. Well, the names. She couldn’t actually identify where her feelings started and ended when it came to what was there. Which was odd. Normally she was so sure of herself.
One thing was sure though, she needed to call this Reese, even if it was just so she had an excuse to see Faye again. They were clearly an item after all.
Chapter Three
“Faye, what’s wrong?” he asked, trying to keep the frown from marring his features. If she saw that, then she’d likely only end up more worried. He’d known Faye, and been with her, long enough to know that was how she’d react to him doing that.
“Nothing.”
She was agitated. It was probably a bad idea for him to do or say anything, yet he couldn’t leave it be, she meant too much to him for that. And, when he couldn’t comfort her with a hug, he had to actually say things.
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