A Charmed Cauldron

by Rose Pressey

  A Charmed Cauldron

  By Rose Pressey

  “Rose Pressey’s book are fun!”

  Janet Evanovich

  Praise for Me and My Ghoulfriends by Rose Pressey

  “Rose Pressey spins a delightful tale with misfits and romance that makes me cheer loudly.”

  Coffee Time Romance

  “Her characters are alive and full of quick witted charm and will make you laugh. The plot twists keep you turning the pages non-stop.”

  ParaNormalRomance

  “I absolutely loved this book! It had me chuckling from the beginning.”

  Fallen Angel Review

  Who sent Halloween LaVeau a mysterious cauldron? Hallie must resist using the new cauldron until she knows exactly where it came from. Is the cauldron connected to the werewolves threatening Halloween LaVeau’s status as leader of the Underworld?

  Things are getting hairy in Enchantment Pointe.

  Hallie suspects her new neighbor might be involved with the werewolves. When another stranger shows up Hallie becomes worried for her safety. Things aren’t as they seem and if Hallie doesn’t see through the façade soon her life will be shattered.

  Rose Pressey’s Complete Bookshelf (click title to preview/buy)

  Paranormal P.I. Series

  What the Hex?

  The Hex With It

  Chase Charley Series:

  Book 1: For Old Crimes Sake

  Book 2: Seems Like Old Crimes

  Haunted Tour Guide Mystery Series:

  These Haunts are Made for Walking

  A Walk on the Haunted Side

  Haunt the Haunt, Walk the Walk

  Walk this Way, Haunt this Way

  Take a Haunted Walk With Me

  Hauntin’ After Midnight

  Haunted Vintage Series:

  Book 1 – If You’ve Got It, Haunt It

  Book 2 – All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt

  Book 3 – Haunt Couture and Ghosts Galore

  Book 4 – Haunted is Always in Fashion

  Book 5 – If the Haunting Fits, Wear It

  Maggie, P.I. Mystery Series:

  Book 1 – Crime Wave

  Book 2 – Murder is a Beach

  Book 3 – Wipe Out June 2017

  The Halloween LaVeau Series:

  Book 1 – Forever Charmed

  Book 2 – Charmed Again

  Book 3 – Third Time’s a Charm

  Book 4 – Charmed, I’m Sure

  Book 5 – A Charmed Life

  Book 6 – Charmed Ever After

  Book 7—Once Upon a Charmed Time

  The Hadley Wilds Series:

  Book 1: Dead Girl’s Guide to Style

  The Rylie Cruz Series:

  Book 1 – How to Date a Werewolf

  Book 2 – How to Date a Vampire

  Book 3 – How to Date a Demon

  The Larue Donovan Series:

  Book 1 – Me and My Ghoulfriends

  Book 2 – Ghouls Night Out

  Book 3 – The Ghoul Next Door

  Book 4—Ghoul of My Dreams

  The Mystic Café Series:

  Book 1 – No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells

  Book 2 – Pies and Potions

  Book 3 — Spells a la Carte

  The Veronica Mason Series:

  Book 1 – Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead

  A Trash to Treasure Crafting Mystery:

  Book 1 – Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel

  Book 2 – Honeysuckle Homicide

  The Haunted Renovation Mystery Series:

  Book 1 – Flip that Haunted House

  Book 2 – The Haunted Fixer Upper

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, places, and brands are the product of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Dedication

  This is to you and you know who you are.

  Acknowledgements

  To my son, who brings me joy every single day and is the love of my life. To my mother, who introduced me to the love of books. To my husband, who encourages me and always has faith in me. A huge thank you to my editor, Eleanor Boyall. And to the readers who make writing fun.

  Index

  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

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 1

  The loud, drawn-out howling had been increasing over the past several weeks. I’d gone into the woods surrounding LaVeau Manor in search of the animal, but so far, I hadn’t found the source of the noise. I worried there might be an injured animal.

  Of course, I hadn’t gone to check out the noise in the middle of the night when it first happened. I’ll be honest, I was afraid. Yes, I was the leader of the Underworld and I was supposed to be a tough witch, but I also wasn’t crazy. This wasn’t a kitten in distress. The noise was coming from a much larger beast. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t in danger. It sounded as if it was calling out to someone or something. It was seriously interrupting my sleep though. Tonight, I decided to put my big witch panties on and get to the bottom of it.

  Darkness surrounded the manor. This place was spooky in the daylight… but in the nighttime? We’re talking straight out of a horror movie. Nevertheless, I slipped into my tennis shoes, grabbed my jacket, and headed downstairs. The big staircase wound around to the bottom floor. My bedroom was on the second floor, but LaVeau Manor had three stories. The place was huge, and currently I was the only one here. I headed through the foyer and on to the parlor. Then I made my way into the kitchen. I grabbed the flashlight that I kept in the drawer beside the back door.

  Was I really doing this? Was I going into the dark woods looking for the source of that noise? I had to pursue this. The sound was causing me sleepless nights. If I could just cast a spell to get the thing to be quiet, or maybe have it move farther away from the manor… Then again, it wasn’t like I could politely ask the animal to leave. I had a feeling I knew what was causing this sound, but I was a little afraid of it. So I tried to push the thought out of my head. I released a deep breath. I wrapped my hand around the door knob, twisted, and opened the door. Out into the night I went.

  I flicked on the flashlight. The yellow glow highlighted just a few feet around me. It was scary with the darkness surrounding me. I never knew when something might pop out. I had had my share of strange things around LaVeau Manor. Though right now it had been kind of quiet for a while, and I hoped that it stayed that way. No evil witches or other weird cr
eatures popping up. Right now all I had to worry about was the noisy animal—at least I hoped that it wasn’t anything more sinister.

  I reached the edge of my property. That was where the tree line started. I listened for the noise again. It came loud this time, like a howling wolf. That sound sent a shiver down my spine. It was exactly what I’d been hoping I wouldn’t hear. I could turn around and go back into the house, or I could suck it up and move into the woods.

  With the tiny sliver of light leading my way I set foot into the wooded area. The branches crunched and popped under my feet, but the other noise had stopped momentarily. It was as if whatever was making that noise had sensed my presence. I paused and moved the flashlight around. It was a good thing I mostly knew where I was going. If I followed the path long enough I would come to my neighbor’s house out on the other side of this wood area. With any luck I wouldn’t get lost in here.

  What kind of animal had made this spot its home? What if the thing was dangerous and decided to attack me? Nicolas and Liam would be most unhappy with me for deciding to track this thing down. However, they didn’t know how cranky I got when I lost this much sleep. Being sleep-deprived made me delusional.

  The noise sounded again. It was coming from straight ahead and slightly to the left. Or maybe it was just a deception. I moved forward again. The only sound was the crunching of the branches. It was like this thing was playing tricks on me. Was it luring me into the area so that it could attack? I continued to search for the noise. Was it at the neighbor’s house?

  At least I knew I was going in the right direction. A few more steps and my flashlight caught movement. Glowing green eyes stared back at me. I froze on the spot. I didn’t know whether I should run or stay put. If I stayed put the thing could come after me. Then again, if I ran it would come after me too. This was like a no-win situation.

  First, I saw its fur and then the teeth. The shiny white fangs were bared at me. This was the wolf I’d seen before, staring at me from the woods last night. Panic surged through me. I turned to run out of the woods. My breathing was harder now and it seemed even darker. Was my flashlight starting to go out? I knew I should’ve changed the batteries.

  I continued toward the manor, hoping that I would reach the end of the woods soon. I felt the presence of this thing behind me. I knew it was chasing me, but I was too afraid to look back. I didn’t want to know how close it was. I heard Nicolas and Liam talking in my head now, telling me what a bad idea this was. Okay, so it was a bad idea. It wasn’t the first time I’d made a questionable decision. And unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last. Thank goodness I reached the end of the line of trees. I broke out into the manor’s backyard and sprinted toward the house as if I was competing in the Olympics.

  The glow from the kitchen light that I’d left on led the way. It was my finish line. Just a little bit more and I’d be in the house, safe and sound. At least I hoped so. What was that thing and why was it living out there? It was a wolf, right? I reached the back steps, sprinted in the house, slammed the door behind me and locked it. I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath.

  After a few seconds, I turned around and peeked out the blinds on the back door window. I turned the light off in the kitchen so that maybe I could see what was out there. I spotted the thing’s glowing eyes. It was still over by the trees, but I knew that it was watching me. I supposed as long as it didn’t come and try to get in the house I would be safe tonight. I had to figure out what to do in the morning. Would I be able to sleep knowing that thing was out there waiting for me?

  This was one time when I wished I wasn’t alone in the manor. I released the blinds and then headed back toward the staircase. I’d go upstairs, climb under the covers, pull them up over my head, and pretend that this had never happened. I made the trip up the steps one more time. I rushed into my bedroom and locked the door behind me. I wanted to be safe, not to mention that I had the Book of Mystics. I had to guard the book because everybody always wanted it, considering that whoever owned the book was the leader of the Underworld. As stressful as the job was, I wasn’t sure why anyone else wanted it. I guessed they thought it brought money and power, but it did neither of those things. Mostly it was just a big headache.

  I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around me. I lay there for the longest time, staring at the ceiling, thinking about that thing and the stupid move I’d made by going out there. I could’ve gotten myself into some real trouble. I hated to do a spell to totally get rid of the thing if it was harmless, but it sure didn’t look harmless with those teeth.

  ***

  I wasn’t sure what time I had finally dozed off, but I was awoken the next morning to a pounding at my door. Not the bedroom door, but the front door to the manor. What time was it? I looked over at the clock. It was like seven thirty. Who was here so early? It had better not be my mother wanting to make breakfast or something. I grabbed my robe, slipped my feet into the slippers, and then headed down the hallway toward the staircase. The person was still knocking.

  “Okay, I’m coming.”

  I was completely annoyed at this person. I reached the bottom of the steps and headed over to the door. I’d learned a long time ago never to just open that door. Not without looking out to see who was there. I stuck my face up to the door and looked through the peephole. A man was standing in front of me.

  Chapter 2

  I didn’t recognize this man, so I wasn’t sure if I should open the door. But having a bed-and-breakfast meant that I had to speak with unannounced visitors. Guests were strangers and that meant I had to let them in. Nonetheless, I unlocked the door and opened it just a bit in case I needed to slam the door shut if he made a lunge toward me.

  “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said.

  “Yes?” I asked, still with hesitation in my voice.

  “My name is Daniel Curtis. I just thought I would stop by.”

  I looked him up and down. “Okay.” Why was he introducing himself?

  A slight smile spread across his face. “I suppose you’re wondering who I am.”

  “Yes, the thought had crossed my mind,” I said.

  Obviously he wasn’t a bed-and-breakfast guest or he would ask if I had an available room.

  He gestured to the right. “I live next door.” Now he offered another big smile. “I’m your neighbor.”

  I had met my neighbor, Mrs. Whitmore, though we didn’t see each other often. Since we were so far apart it made it harder. I had never met him though. I would remember someone that handsome living next door.

  “Which house are you referring to?” I asked, looking at him suspiciously.

  “Well, I’m Nettie’s grandson.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Yes, I know Nettie Whitmore. I didn’t realize that you were living with her.”

  “Well, I’ve only been there a short time. I’m staying there to help with her care.”

  “That’s very nice,” I said.

  “She likes the company,” he said.

  “I can imagine that she would.”

  “Anyway, I saw the sign for the bed-and-breakfast and I thought I would come over for a little bit. I’ve heard a lot about it.”

  I hated to be so suspicious of everyone, but I just couldn’t help myself. Anytime someone mentioned anything about the manor I automatically thought they had ulterior motives.

  “This may sound like a strange request, but I was wondering if you ever give tours of the manor? I’d love to see the inside.”

  Okay, I didn’t want to seem like a complete psycho and accuse him of anything. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth though. I had to be cautious, just for my own protection. “Well, I really don’t give tours per se, but I can show you around.”

  “Great, that sounds fantastic,” he said as he peeked over my shoulder into the foyer.

  I hadn’t meant right now, but I supposed if he already thought that I meant now… I was still in my PJs and I hadn’t had breakfast yet. Not to mentio
n no coffee. Why was he here so early?

  “You must be an early riser.” I said, trying to sound polite.

  “Oh, well, I was out for a morning run and I just happened to stop by. I suppose it is too early. What was I thinking?”

  “Oh, no, it’s okay. It’s fine, really. I should’ve been up. It’s just that I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  “Everything all right?” he asked.

  “Now that you mention it… maybe since you’re next door you heard it as well. I keep hearing a howling noise out there and it’s a bit scary, although I must confess I went out there last night. That was when I saw this beast. I took off running and I’m pretty sure it chased me.”

  “That sounds horrifying,” he said. “But I haven’t heard anything at all.”

  That was odd. How could he not have heard it? It seemed so loud.

  “Well, I do sleep with headphones,” he said.

  “I guess that’s why you didn’t hear it.”

  “Yeah, I’ve always liked noise when I sleep. But I don’t want to disturb my grandmother so I wear headphones.”

  “Right,” I said.

  We stared at each other for a moment.

  “I can come back another time when it’s not so early,” he said.

  “No, really, it’s fine.”

  “How about I come back? I’ll go home and change and then I can come back. That’s if you don’t have plans.”

  My only plans for the day were working on spells that I needed to finish. But I could work on that after a tour. I supposed I could talk with him now. If he wanted to do something like attack me he would have already done it by now. Coming back for a tour didn’t seem like such a bad thing.