Winter Magic

by Tl Reeve

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Winter Magic

  Copyright 2015 by TL Reeve

  ISBN: 978-1-61333-917-6

  Cover art by Fiona Jayde

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

  Look for us online at:

  www.decadentpublishing.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Omega’s Heart by TL Reeve

  Dear Reader,

  Happy Holidays!

  I hope you enjoyed Fawn and Kalum’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Winter is one of my favorite seasons. So, being able to write a story centered around the solstice, made it even more special for me. This is story is about finding one’s self along with trust. Fawn is a little bit broken, but a tenacious woman who doesn’t give up. Kalum is just the guy to bring her out of her shell and when they get together, their chemistry is explosive. As always, I love hearing from you the readers! You can find me on facebook or email me at authortlreeve@hotmail.com

  TL

  Black Hills Wolves Stories

  Wolf’s Return

  What a Wolf Wants

  Black Hills Desperado

  Wolf’s Song

  Claiming His Mate

  When Hell Freezes

  Portrait of a Lone Wolf

  Alpha in Disguise

  A Wolf’s Promise

  Reluctant Mate

  Diamond Moon

  Wolf on a Leash

  Tempting the Wolf

  Naming His Mate

  A Wolf Awakens

  The Wolf and the Butterfly

  Infiltrating Her Pack

  Omega’s Heart

  Raven’s Claw

  Claiming the She-Wolf

  Worth Fighting For

  Dangerous

  Uncaged

  Promiscuous Wolf

  Disquieted Souls

  A Cougar Among Wolves

  Long Road Home

  A Mate’s Healing Touch

  Winter Solstice Run

  Wolf’s Holiday

  Winter Magic

  Winter Secrets

  Winter Ménage

  Wolf in Winter Clothing

  Also by TL Reeve

  Saving Their Princess

  The Dom and the Bodyguard

  Their Secretary

  Craving Cameo

  All Or Nothing

  Omega’s Heart

  Winter Magic

  There's magic in the air...

  Kalum Truesdale is willing to take the leap and mate. Fawn Hawthorne has been at his finger tips for months now since his return, but the timid wolf rebuffs him at every turn. With the Winter Solstice right around the corner, he's got a couple of tricks up his sleeves to finally catch the elusive wolf.

  Fawn Hawthorne isn't ready for a mate. After years of torture, all she wants is to be left alone. However, the handsome and persistent Kalum Truesdale, isn't willing to let her hide. So, when presents start arriving in the days leading up to the Solstice, Fawn has a decision to make. Take what Kalum is offering her, happiness and love. Or continue to fear the world around her while always wondering, what if?

  Dedication

  A big thank you to Heather Long, Rebecca Royce and Laura Garland, you guys are awesome. To Robyn and Rhonda, thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders. To the readers, thank you for your unwavering support. And to my family, thank you. I love you guys.

  Winter Magic

  Black Hills Wolves

  Winter Solstice Run

  By

  TL Reeve

  Chapter One

  Fawn Hawthorne forced the spoon toward her mouth and took a bite of oatmeal. The texture didn’t appeal to her; in fact she downright hated it. However, her goal to experience one thing each week she hated required she push through. Maybe she would still hate the hot cereal when she was done, or maybe she associated it with something bad from the past. Either way, she considered it therapy after everything she’d endured under Magnum’s reign as Alpha. On the upside, she earned a reward every time she tackled one of her personal challenges. Tonight’s prize: pizza.

  With her cup in one hand and her breakfast in the other, she settled at the computer to eat and work. Located on the outskirts of Los Lobos, Fawn’s home had been a fixer-upper even when her mom owned it. Since moving back in, Fawn worked as an accountant, and, when she had the money, she made tiny repairs to the place. Though the revitalization of Los Lobos was a work in progress, she took pride in the fact she provided a valuable service for her pack—even when she felt like an outcast—plus she’d gained a few customers in Rapid City.

  Today, her schedule included a few clients dropping off their books for the month and a visit from the man who drove her insane, Kalum Truesdale. “Arrogant buffoon,” she muttered, grabbing a pencil out of her mug with a picture of a howling wolf on it.

  The broad-shouldered, Southern-charmed cowboy had crawled under her skin. Made her want things she didn’t need.

  He commanded her.

  Demanding her attention every time he walked into her home office, he would tip his hat and greet her in his lazy drawl…. Ma’am. She shivered, remembering his gravelly tone. Rough with a hint of sexual intent, it reverberated through her. Not to mention the jokes he told. They were corny to the nth degree and made her groan. Of course, he’d later saunter out of her office, laughing after his silly barbs.

  Several times, she’d tried to hand him lists of accountants who’d better serve his bovine endeavors, but he never took the hint. The Wolf-slash-cattle rancher seemed determined to stay under her skin, like a tick sucking the life from her. No, she didn’t mean it like it sounded. Persistent was more like it. Yet, a sick, twisted part of her reveled in his attention. She looked forward to the beep of her alarm system signaling his arrival.

  By now, she knew him by his scent—leather and aftershave, even though he wore a scruffy beard. Her mouth watered. It wasn’t right the way his Wranglers encased his ass, fitting him to perfection. Or the glimpse of a dimple in his left cheek when he smirked at her. Or the way his cool, slate-colored eyes assessed her. Peering deep into a soul tattered and torn. Worn threadbare by years of abuse.

  Not to mention, he had a horrible way of making her forget about everything, including logging onto her computer. She typed her password and hit Enter. The cheerful greeting Tinks programmed into the startup scrolled across the screen before a picture of two wolves filled the monitor. The bigger of the two stood over the smaller, protecting her from any predator that might happen upon them. Like you wish someone would have protected you? She mentally sh
ook off the thought as the desktop icons appeared. An old picture of her and her brother, Kru, stared back at her.

  Without a second thought, she pulled up her accounting program then licked her spoon. As she ate her paste-like breakfast, daydreaming about pizza, she worked on the files lying in front of her. The majority of it was easy: print out the clients’ checks and balance their ledgers. Tomorrow, she’d run to town and get them to sign them and send them off.

  “Hello?” The alarm chimed seconds after Kalum called out. His heavy footfalls echoed against her hardwood floors. “Your welcome light is off, sugar.”

  His scent filled her workspace. The clean, crisp smell wrapped around her, draping her in its safety. Her mind betrayed her, encouraging her to use him as a security blanket of sorts. “Well you weren’t due here for another half hour so….” She shrugged. Taking another bite of breakfast, she frowned and smacked her lips together. God, she hated oatmeal.

  “Right. Sorry. I have a guy I need to meet in Rapid City about a couple head of cattle. Here.” He handed over his information and a small four-by-four box.

  “What’s this?” She eyed the plain box suspiciously.

  “Don’t know, sug. Why don’t you open it?” Kalum sat in the chair across from her and extended his lean yet muscular legs. The cocky gleam in his eyes along with his relaxed posture unnerved her.

  “How about no. Now” —she pushed her bowl away from her—“are you buying today or selling?”

  He scratched his chin. The rasp of his scruffy beard sent a shiver down her spine. Kalum stared at her, narrowing his eyes before he shifted and sat up a bit as though contemplating a chess move or a new strategy with which to approach her. The top three buttons on his plaid shirt were open, exposing the white thermal underneath. Why did she feel disappointed at not being able to glimpse his sun-kissed flesh? Or the smattering of coarse chest hair? God, how many nights had she imagined running her fingers through it while wrapped in his embrace? His hands on her body, caressing her.

  “Selling,” he said, jolting her out of her thoughts. “The spring brought me five bulls and six heifers. I’ve already got my studs. I don’t need more. As luck has it, this fellow does.”

  “Great,” she answered while opening his file on the laptop. “Anything else I should know about before you go?”

  “Have dinner with me, Fawn.”

  “What?” She blinked and glanced up at him. “Kalum, we can’t. We have a professional relationship. I don’t blur lines.”

  “Hmm.” He went back to rubbing his chin. “Well, I hate to do this, but you’re fired, sug.”

  Fawn laughed. “We both know you’re not serious, especially after the attempts I’ve made to find you several new accountants.”

  “Sugar, I’m dead serious if it means you’ll go out with me.” He leaned forward and tipped his hat up. “You went through all the work of finding replacements because you’re scared. I get it. However, we both know if I let you ship me off—whether because I force your hand by firing you or I take on one of those accountants you found, we’ll both be hurting.”

  “You don’t know for sure, Kalum,” she whispered. It already hurt her to see him every day. He was the one thing she desired more than her next breath, but taking a step, making a move—any kind of move—could destroy everything she’d worked so hard on—herself.

  “You can’t deny you feel the pull, Fawn. It’s been there since I moved home. We’ve been doing this Texas two-step around each other for a while now. Don’t you think we owe it to each other to try a cha-cha instead?”

  Smooth.

  She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. Most everything inside of her said, Do it. Live a little. Go on this date with Kalum. Explore whatever this pull is between us. Except her sensible side shook off the need. No. Don’t deviate from your plan. You’re not healed enough. Perhaps in the spring. “I’ll have everything ready for you in the morning. Let me know how much you sell those bulls for.”

  There, she’d dismissed his silly idea as easily as she’d disregarded his firing her. Kalum stood. His hand rested on his belt buckle, drawing her attention to his groin and the thick outline of his erection. “See you then, sugar.” He tapped the plain brown box he’d brought in with him. “You should open the box. You never know what you might find.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” She watched as he strolled out of her office. His loose-legged gait spoke of pure sexual prowess. Her sex ached and her nipples beaded beneath her Henley. Thankfully, she wore a heavier sweater over it. Because, had she not, he’d have seen her nipples pressing against the front of her shirt. “H-hey Kalum,” she called out. “Thanks for the offer.”

  “Anytime, sugar.”

  When the door finally closed, she let out a breath, and pushed away from her desk. All of a sudden, her skin felt too tight. The air smothered her. Her heart pounded. Her head went light. Panic attack. She inhaled deep and let it out. Counted down from ten to one. Remember, pizza is your reward. For the oatmeal, not the conversation with the man who drove her to drink, even though she didn’t touch the hard stuff. Fawn covered her face and groaned. Of all days to rile her up, and boy did he rile her up, today was not the best day to do so.

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Lost in her head, Fawn hadn’t heard or scented Tinks entering the house.

  “Kalum was here,” she muttered from behind her hands.

  “Ah, I thought I saw his truck on the way up here. So, what did he want?” her friend asked.

  “Brought me his books and—”

  “What’s in the box? Where did it come from?” Tinks grabbed it and twisted it back and forth in her hand.

  “Kalum brought it in for me then proceeded to ask me out,” she said, snatching the box back.

  “Well, open it.”

  “It could be a bomb or something,” she said, shaking the package gently.

  “Yeah, I’m not hearing any ticking. Open it,” Tinks prodded, sitting down in the chair across from her. Today, her best friend wore a floor-length skirt with tiers of ruffled eyelet material along with a fitted lambskin coat. Sprigs of baby’s breath had been strategically placed in her twisted braid. Where she found it, Fawn didn’t know. The tips of her tan cowboy boots peeked out from under her skirt when she drew her legs up to her chest.

  “Don’t you ever get cold?” The bracelets on her friend’s wrist tinkled as she moved. “I swear you never deviate in your clothing choice.

  “Nope.” Tinks grinned. “You’re deflecting and delaying the inevitable. Open the package.”

  Fawn cocked a brow. “If it gets you to shut up, fine.” Throwing caution to the wind, she pulled the little tab out then lifted the lid. A neatly folded piece of cream-colored parchment paper sat on top. She laid it on her desk and gasped. Underneath lay a small, clear globe.

  She grabbed the yellow ribbon attached to it and took it out. The globe held a tableau of a pine tree, two small wooden deer, and a creek edged with rocks. Dabs of painted-on snow decorated the tree and rocks while miniature Styrofoam balls lay around the animal’s feet. The intricate details served to show how much time and effort the artist put into the decoration.

  “What’s the letter say?” Tinks held her hand out for the ornament.

  Fawn handed her the sphere and opened the letter. Instead a handwritten note, it was typed.

  Magic is in the air. Breathe it in.

  Now, make a wish.

  “Well who’s it from?” her friend prodded.

  Fawn scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s not signed.” She dropped the note on the desk. “Who would bring me a gift?”

  “A Wolf on a mission? A person who admires you from afar? Or someone who hates that you’re alone and wants to bring you out of your shell-hell?” Her friend shrugged. “You never know.”

  “I don’t think anyone knows I’m alive let alone wants me to get out in the world.” She grabbed the ornament and
studied it. “This isn’t something you give someone without knowing a person.”

  “Maybe it’s Kalum,” Tinks said.

  “What?” Fawn laughed. “There’s no way. His flirting borders on obnoxious irritation mixed with torturous smoldering. He’s trying to get under my skin. That’s all.” Or so she told herself after every meeting.

  “If you say so.” Her friend stood and walked around the desk. “Have lunch with me today. We’ll have greasy burgers from Gee’s.”

  “Okay, you’re on. I’ll see you at noon.”

  Tinks nodded and headed for the door. “You know, this could be a good thing—the gift. Maybe now you’ll find your reason to live.”

  Chapter Two

  The sun touched the horizon, changing the night sky to an early morning pink. A blanket of snow covered the ground. Steam rose from the backs of Kalum’s cattle as he made the rounds feeding those who didn’t come into the barn overnight. The six feeders nearest him were filled with grain and round bales of hay. All he had left to do was wait for Chris to arrive and vaccinate the cows.

  The previous morning played out in his mind and he paused. Did Fawn really believe he didn’t notice her reaction to him? Or her sweet honeysuckle scent permeating the air, tempting him with every breath he took? He could practically taste her arousal. He salivated at the idea of stripping her bare and licking her to climax. His groin tightened and his shaft pressed against the front of his jeans. He spent more time adjusting himself at forty—thanks to her—than he had as a teenager.

  What was worse, he knew he affected her. Knew she creamed herself whenever he growled her nickname. He also knew she feared him. Feared her reaction to him. To his desires. To his plans. He knew about the abuse Fawn had suffered at the hands of their old Alpha, Magnum, and about her scars, the broken bones, and the nightmares. When Drew took over, she started doing a little “challenge” thing every day. Trying something new was what she called it. She might not realize it, but she’d made significant progress in a few short months. Kalum was proud of her.