A Witch in Time
True Mates Generations Book 4
Alicia Montgomery
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 Alicia Montgomery
Edited by LaVerne Clark
Cover by Jacqueline Sweet
All rights reserved.
Also by Alicia Montgomery
The True Mates Series
Fated Mates
Blood Moon
Romancing the Alpha
Witch’s Mate
Taming the Beast
Tempted by the Wolf
The Lone Wolf Defenders Series
Killian’s Secret
Loving Quinn
All for Connor
The True Mates Standalone Novels
Holly Jolly Lycan Christmas
A Mate for Jackson: Bad Alpha Dads
True Mates Generations
A Twist of Fate
Claiming the Alpha
Alpha Ascending
A Witch in Time
Highland Wolf
The Blackstone Mountain Series
The Blackstone Dragon Heir
The Blackstone Bad Dragon
The Blackstone Bear
The Blackstone Wolf
The Blackstone Lion
The Blackstone She-Wolf
The Blackstone She-Bear
The Blackstone She-Dragon
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Contents
Also by Alicia Montgomery
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Prologue
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
Chapter 18
Epilogue
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Prologue
1810
London, England
Reed William Atherton Townsend, Marquess of Wakefield, glanced around at the other dinner guests, trying to stifle the yawn that desperately wanted to escape his mouth. It certainly wouldn’t be proper for anyone to show boredom at such an affair, more so for him, being the future duke of Huntington and Alpha of London.
His inner wolf, too, was bored, and longed to be released from this stuffy dinner party. We’ll be leaving soon, he assured his animal. I’m as eager as you are to be back home.
The wolf snorted at him, as if in disagreement. Hmm. He would think it would be even more anxious to get back home considering—
“I do hope Lady Wakefield feels better soon, my lord,” Lady Louisa Abernathy interrupted his thoughts, peering up with her beady little eyes as she sat next to him.
“Your lovely wife is always a welcome sight at these affairs,” her husband, Lord Horace Abernathy, Earl of Chilton added. “She is very much missed.”
“I agree,” Reed concurred. He especially missed his wife tonight. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid his eyes on, but she had a vivacious nature that made these droll dinners much livelier. He knew the moment he saw Lady Joanna Aspen that he would marry her. He had been awestruck when he gazed at her from across the room. Golden blonde hair, the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, pretty plump lips made for kissing.
It was a boon, of course, that she was also a Lycan and had just come out for her first season. She and her mother were visiting his mother, the duchess of Huntington, hoping to have her favor to help in her debut to society. Her father was the viscount of Clearwater, but he also happened to be one of the Lycans under the duke of Huntington’s protection.
As it turned out, Joanna didn’t need any help with her debut. Reed spent weeks courting her, and their engagement was announced even before the season ended.
“Yes, her absence tonight is a disappointment. To everyone.” His mother caught his eye as she took a sip of her wine. He didn’t miss the slight smile that made the corner of her lips curl up.
He smiled at his mother knowingly. Before the dinner party began, he had told his parents the reason why Joanna was absent tonight: She was resting in bed because she was currently carrying his future heir. To say they had been thrilled was an understatement, and for what seemed like the first time since Reed announced his engagement two years ago, the duke and duchess seemed genuinely happy about their son’s marriage.
When Joanna begged off for the evening citing fatigue, he didn’t protest. Seeing as such topics were not discussed in public, they refrained from telling their guests the real reason the marchioness of Wakefield was absent tonight.
“I hope you all enjoyed dinner,” the duke of Huntington said once the footmen cleared the dessert plates. “Shall we retire to the library for coffee and tea, and perhaps something stronger for the gentlemen?”
Everyone heartily agreed and followed suit as the duke and duchess stood up. However, before they could all leave the dining room, Reed stopped his father and mother with a hand on each of their arms.
“Father, Mother,” he began. “I hate to leave so early, but I should check on my wife.” He looked at the other dinner guests. “My sincerest apologies, everyone.” Normally, these after-dinner refreshments went on and on until the late evening, and Reed couldn’t stand being away from Joanna, especially with her carrying his pup and heir.
Lowell Townsend gave his son a curt nod and turned to the half dozen guests. “Please, do go on ahead to the library. The duchess and I will join you shortly.”
Soon, the dining room was empty, as even the footmen had discreetly left, probably at the orders of their observant and efficient butler, Neville.
Now that they had some privacy, it was his mother who spoke first. “What’s bothering you, my wee one?”
Though two decades living in England had all but eradicated his mother’s Scottish brogue, Annabelle Townsend used it when they were alone. The soft burr reminded him of his childhood, when she would sing to him or soothe him in her native tongue.
His father laughed. “Our son hasn’t been ‘wee’ for a while.” He winked at his son. “Nothing about him is ‘wee.’”
Reed had sprouted like a weed when he was fifteen, even towering over his own father by half a foot. Though he got his dark hair and ebony eyes from Lowell, his physical stature obviously came from his mother’s side of his family. He’d met his Scottish uncles and cousins a few times, and compared to them, he was, indeed, ‘wee.’ His grandmother had bemoaned his size saying it was unfashionable for a gentleman to be of such height and width.
“He will always be my baby, not matter how old he is,” Annabelle declared. “Now, tell your mother what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.” He let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Ah, you’re concerned about Joanna and your pup.” Lowell patted his shoulder. “Absolutely understandable, my boy. When your mother was carrying you, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight.”
“He kept hovering around me. All the time.” Annabelle rolled
her eyes at her husband. “Despite the fact that I was practically indestructible, as I kept telling him.”
Females who were pregnant by their True Mates could not be harmed, that was a known fact. Reed’s mood sank, and it must have been written all over his face.
“I didn’t mean—”
“It’s no bother.” He pursed his lips together. Although Joanna was a Lycan and carrying his pup, they were not True Mates. There was always that feeling that his parents were disappointed he didn’t marry the one who was supposedly the other half of his soul. But to Reed, that never really mattered. He’d fallen in love with Joanna from the moment he laid eyes on her.
Annabelle looked despondent. “Reed, I’ve always treated Joanna like my own daughter, you know that,” she insisted. And Reed knew his mother tried hard, she really did.
“And so what if you’re not True Mates?” his father added. He put an arm around his wife. “What happened to your mother and me is rare. I mean, who ever heard about a Lycan who could immediately tell who her True Mate was?”
She smirked at him. “Ah, after all these years, you still don’t believe me, mo ghràdh?”
Reed had heard the story a million times: that the Lycans of the Caelkirk clan knew their True Mates upon meeting them. It had caused quite a stir when Annabelle MacDonald, Alpha of Caelkirk, had met Lowell Townsend at a gathering of the Alphas of Europe and declared him her True Mate. They fell in love instantly and married only days after knowing each other. Growing up, he asked his mother what it was like to know one’s True Mate. She would only smile at him and say, “Oh, you’ll know, my wee boy, you’ll know.”
Perhaps if she had bloody told him how, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with Joanna so quickly. But, blinded by her beauty, his feelings had run away. When his mother had asked him if he felt ‘it’ upon first laying eyes on Joanna, and he had only stared at her blankly and asked what ‘it’ was, the disappointment on her face had been obvious.
Though his father wasn’t ecstatic about the news, being English, he was at least glad he was marrying a member of the ton and another Lycan, which should at least guarantee him a suitable heir to both the dukedom and the Alpha title.
As his father and mother continued to stare at each other with love and admiration, he cleared his throat. “In any case, I’m loath to disturb her sleep if I were to come home at dawn.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness, my boy.” Lowell patted him on the back. “And just so you know, son, I’m happy for you. Being a father is one the best privileges I’ve had in my life.”
Reed smiled at his normally stuffy father whose eyes were shining with tears. His mother, on the other hand, placed a hand over his, her expression warm.
“I know we said we thought you were too young to marry at twenty-one,” Annabelle squeezed his hand. “But I’m glad you don’t have to wait much longer to hold your pup in your arms.”
“I should warn you, it will be difficult for you and your wolf,” his father warned. “It won’t want to be away from her. Mine would growl at me if I stayed away from your mother too long.”
Huh. Reed thought that was strange. His wolf, at the most, was lukewarm toward Joanna, which he thought was normal, as that’s what it felt for most people and Lycans around him, save for his parents and sister.
“You’ll do well,” Annabelle assured him. “I know it.”
“Thank you, Mother.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “If she’s up for it, I’ll have Joanna invite you over for tea.”
Her smile was genuine. “That would be lovely.”
“Grandmama will be invited as well.”
His mother winced, though to her credit, not as severely as she used to. According to his father, the relationship between the current and dowager duchess of Huntington had mellowed over the years. If that was the case, Reed wasn’t sure he wanted to have seen what it was like in the beginning, especially after his father had broken off his engagement to the Belgian Alpha’s daughter when he met Annabelle. Miranda Townsend was probably not happy, but she didn’t have a choice. In Lycan society, True Mate pairings trumped any other type of arrangement, sometimes even marriage. And knowing that True Mates conceived upon their first coupling, he wouldn’t be shocked if that was the reason his father had procured a special license to marry his mother right away.
“Try to be surprised when Joanna announces her condition, Mother,” Reed said. “You know Grandmama will be cross at me if she found out you knew first. Don’t vex her, please? Or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I’ll try.” But the expression on his mother’s face said, not very hard.
“Shall I bid Ellie goodbye?” His younger sister, Eleanor, was only fourteen years old and was probably upstairs in her bedroom. Growing up, he’d always doted on her, but since his marriage, he hadn’t spent as much time with her.
“She should already be fast asleep,” Annabelle said. “But I’ll let her know you asked after her.”
He nodded goodbye to them and pivoted on his heel, then walked down the long hallway of Hunter House, his parents’ London mansion. Neville was already by the door, and no doubt, the trusty butler had informed his driver that he wanted to go home early.
“Good night, Neville,” he said as he passed the other man.
Dressed impeccably, salt-and-pepper hair combed back neatly, and his upper body stiff as a board, the older man gave him a short nod before opening the door. “Good night, my lord.”
He headed directly to his coach and soon was on his way home. As a wedding present, his father had presented them with the lovely little townhouse on Cowley Street. Joanna was disappointed at the size and location, thinking that it was unfair of his parents to give them such a small place, especially compared to their sprawling mansion. He had to explain to her that Hunter House was the home of the Duke of Huntington, a title which Reed would not—and hoped not to—inherit for a long while, seeing as his father was still young and healthy.
It was really the only time he’d argued with her, as he thought she was being ungrateful. She apologized quickly, and that was that. Indeed, he counted himself lucky, as a love match was rare for someone of their standing. And now, he would secure his legacy with an heir, and maybe a spare if he was lucky.
His inner wolf let out a dissatisfied sound.
What the devil was wrong with it?
The coach stopping interrupted his thoughts. His driver opened the door and he quickly alighted, eager to be inside and slip into bed with his wife. His pacing was rather fast, so he did wait a few seconds for the door to open but found himself frowning when it stayed shut despite having reached it. Usually, the butler would have opened it by now.
That damned Foxworth. Joanna had insisted on taking on her family’s underbutler to run their own house, but Reed had never liked him. Not only was he too young and inexperienced, but he had an air of impertinence Reed didn’t care for.
Faced with the choice of standing outside the whole night or the indignity of having to knock at his own door, he chose the latter.
His keen ears picked up footsteps, followed by the sound of the key slipping into the lock. “What the bloody hell—my lord!” Wide brown eyes stared up at him, and Foxworth’s face was as pale as a sheet. “W-w-what are you … I mean …” He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. “Good evening, my lord. Apologies, we—I was not expecting you home so early.”
His eyes narrowed on Foxworth, and his sensitive nose picked up the scent of alcohol from his breath. Hopefully, the butler had his own bottle stashed away and hadn’t been dipping into the decanter of fine Scottish whiskey in the office “I was feeling rather weary after a long day.”
“Of course, my lord.”
“Foxworth?”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Do you think I could come into my own home?” He raised a brow at the butler who was standing in the doorway blocking his way.
If
it was possible, Foxworth got even paler. “Uh, of course, my lord.”
As the butler stepped aside, he resolved to talk to Joanna tomorrow about finding a new butler. It really wasn’t proper—
His wolf’s hackles rose, and Reed instantly went on alert. His body stiffened, and his animal’s ears perked up. There was unusual movement coming from the second floor—the bedroom. Joanna.
He raced up the stairs, using his supernatural speed to get to the bedroom in seconds. Still, it seemed like forever, and his mind raced with possibilities. A burglar who thought the house would be empty. Or maybe someone who saw him leave alone for the evening, out to target his vulnerable wife.
The door made a thunderous thud as it hit the wall when he threw it open. The bedroom was dark, but his Lycan eyes could see everything clearly. And the sight before him was not what he expected.
A shriek pierced the air, followed by a loud crash as a very male—very naked—body hit the floor. “I specifically said I did not want to be disturbed—” Joanna’s eyes went wide as she yanked the sheet over her bare breasts. “Reed?”
Anger vibrated through him, and he turned his sights on the figure getting up from the floor. He stalked toward the man, his hands reaching out for his throat. His wolf roared, urging him on, and he let out a growl.
“No!” Joanna leapt from the bed, the sheet around her body and stepped between the two men. “Reed, be reasonable.”
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