Page 82 of Dark Moon Secrets

Luna had already warned me to keep away from him, and well, if she wanted that to happen, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. It only resulted in me wanting Al even more. He had been worth having. I couldn’t wait until the next time, and the chance to take our time was a temptation.

Maybe I should ring Mia? If I gave her this piece of information, she might not be so keen to come and visit. That’s what I hoped, anyway. But the first encounter with Alaric left me vibrating with pleasure, and along with the looming ceremony, I wasn’t sure I’d be overly coherent.

Best to leave it, lest I open my mouth and start talking about me being a witch. I turned on my heel, continuing to pace back the way I had come. The book grew heavy on my arm.

Surely, the witches should’ve been back by now.

What if something had happened to them before my ceremony?

I went to the window, moved the curtain, and peered down the street. No one was walking along the street. This town sure shut up at night, and everyone kept indoors to themselves.

Rolling my lips, Alaric’s taste lingered. I’d done nothing like this before—this was as close to a one-night stand. How would I feel tomorrow? Or would I feel so different after the ceremony? How I felt now would pale in comparison.

More than anything right now, I wished the witches were in sight.

But they weren’t.

I didn’t know them, but I would hate for anything untoward to happen to them.

The curtain fell back in place, and I continued to pace the shop floor, book in hand, without turning pages.

Who would train me then?

I rested my hand on my belly as if to settle it. The twisting only tightened the knots already formed.

What sort of a witch would I be if I wasn’t trained?

A bad one? A useless one? One that wasn’t really a witch?

But the way the witches had talked to me, it didn’t seem like there was anyone else. The magical beings on Earth were dwindling as humans dominated more and more.

Maybe that’s what I should be reading, more about the history of witches, not this pop culture book aimed to manifest what you want in your life. I snapped it shut. No point trying to read it. It wasn’t the distraction I needed.

I slipped the book back on the shelf. A noise at the door caused me to jump.

Was it them? Had they finally made it back? I was about to give them a telling-off for stressing me out by being away so long.

The door rattled, and I stood frozen in the spot.

What if the wolves had come to get me? My hand moved to my throat, not wanting to think about the wolves that killed my parents.

Please let it be my wolf. I was starting to think of the wolf who defended me in my dream as my protector. If it were him on the other side of the door, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.

Magic light beamed around the lock.

It had to be them, but I wasn’t going to check.

Had I put Luna’s spells back in place correctly?

I wasn’t so sure, but I had messed around with them.

Luna would know for sure I had done so and would question me. With any luck, there wouldn’t be enough time before the ceremony. I crossed my fingers. Who knew I was naturally so superstitious?

If only I had paid more attention when unlocking the door to let Alaric in. That’s what lust does to you. I couldn’t wait to let him in. It had been totally worth it.

Whoever was coming in through that door, it was best to have some space between us, and if it weren’t the witches, I would have time to react.

I walked backward, positioning myself at the side of the front counter. The getaway to the back door was a more direct route now.

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