Haunted Passion Read online

  Haunted Passion

  Haunted Book 2

  May Gordon

  Copyright © 2019 by May Gordon

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Haunted Passion

  Edgar Black finally has the life he’d always hoped for, one full of family and friends, yet he grows lonelier with each day. However, that all changes when he responds to a cry for help on Halloween and discovers an injured and unconscious woman and realizes she’s his mate.

  Willow Aros, a rare magical creature, barely escaped the fate others had planned for her only to discover her destiny with the man who saved her. Together they must fight against those who won’t rest until they’ve recaptured their prize.

  As their enemy draws closer, not only will Edgar and Willow’s powers be tested, but their love will be, too. Will they be victorious or haunted by what could’ve been?

  Warning: Sweet, sexy and safe read! Happily ever after guaranteed! This author writes what she likes to read. That means there will be instalove, OTT Heroes, and, brace yourselves, virgin characters at times. If none of those float your boat, you might want to find another book. If they do, you're in the right place.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue 1

  Epilogue 2

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Edgar- Halloween Night

  “We should hit the west district, richer people, better candy,” I tell Bram while holding my nephew, Jack’s, hand as we walk down the leaf covered sidewalk and past numerous yards with decorations on display for the holiday.

  “No,” my brother-in-law argues from Jack’s other side. “There’ll probably fewer participating, which means less candy.” I bite my tongue, not wanting to cuss him out in front of his son, despite knowing he’s wrong.

  Elvira, my younger sister, laughingly informs us, “When you guys bicker you sound like an old married couple.” In perfect sync, the two of us turn and glare at her, then continue until we reach the first house where Bram and Elvira walk their son, who’s dressed as a vampire to the door.

  My sister, currently pregnant with their second child, has never looked happier nor more radiant. Losing her powers didn’t faze her at all. I can’t imagine not having mine, nor loving someone so deeply I’d willingly give them up aside from my sister and nephew. However, what she and Bram feel for each other is completely different and the kind of love I’ve never experienced. Not that I’d ever admit it as its too much fun to give him a hard time, but Bram has been a wonderful for Elvira and he fits in perfectly with our family. We’ve actually grown quite close since they got together, to the point I consider him my best friend.

  I never thought of myself as a leader, but people have flocked to New Orleans over the years and view me as their guide. Unlike some, I refuse to discriminate, so we have pure and half-bloods, and I hope more join us. Witches may outnumber those with abilities, but there are numerous species, so to speak, who have their own council to deal with as we did the Perigee, which is why so many that come here have either been cast out or were too scared to stay and chose to leave everything they knew behind for a fresh start.

  “I’m worried about you,” I hear Elvira say, and looking around to discover Bram and Jack went on without us. Wrapping my arm around her, I ask why. “You work too hard. If you're not at the bar, you’re helping the magic community or teaching. Do you ever get any time to yourself?”

  “What do you call this?” I ask, offended.

  “I’m talking about spending time with your friends, having some fun,” she explains.

  “You shouldn't be concerned about me, I’m fine, honestly. Focus on your family.”

  “I am,” she replies with a pointed stare, “and you’ve always taken care of me, but I found my fated mate. Yours is out there, too, but you won’t find her doing your impression of a hermit.”

  “Please,” I grumble, “we both know the town already has one, and that’s Hades Noire.” She laughs as I’d intended, and kisses my cheek, asking me to think about it before catching up to her husband and son. I should’ve known she’d pick up on how lonely I am. I’m thirty-six and still haven't found my fated mate yet, not that I’ve actively been searching with how busy I’ve been, more so recently. Alaric Moloch, the sheriff and a warlock, and I have been trying to discover why people have started to go missing, all of them magical. I can’t explain why, but I feel like this is a direct hit against our community, except I have no idea who could be doing it or why.

  A woman’s faint scream hits my ears, stopping me in my tracks as the sound seems to reach into my core. Shaking my head, I remind myself what day it is, meaning someone must’ve reacted to a decoration. But I hear it again, louder, desperate, and everything in me demands I investigate it.

  “Uncle Edgar! Are you coming?” Jack asks.

  “I’ll catch up,” I tell them with a smile.

  “You okay, man?” Bram wants to know. I assure him I am, waving as they walk away, then turning to look at the forest. There are ports on the other side of those thick trees, which is cause for concern on its own, but add in the fact someone is in trouble…

  Unable to control myself, I run in that direction, picking up speed the closer I get, shifting left and right without thought, as if I know exactly where to go. The ground is damp from the rain we got a few days ago, my shoes sinking in with every step I take. My eyes are still adjusting to the dark around me, the light I had on the streets barely breaching the canopy above me, that I nearly trip over a log, and the woman lying next to it. Righting myself, I use the flashlight on my cell to see her better, finding her wet, dirty, and unconscious, but at least she’s breathing. Kneeling, I move her blonde hair to the side, my body tensing as I see her face, power pulsing inside me at an alarming rate. Mate! She’s in what appears to be a white nightgown, scratches and bruises covering the skin I can see, and I’m furious at the evidence of what she must’ve endured.

  Putting my cell away, she doesn’t react as I slowly lift her and carry her to where I’d parked earlier, thankful it isn’t far from our location. Carefully buckling her in the front seat, I race to the driver’s side and get behind the wheel, retrieving my phone again to text Bram. Telling him something came up and I’d talk to them later, I drive to my house. I should probably call Alaric Moloch, not to mention take her to the hospital, but the mere idea of any man being near her at this point makes me crazy. It's my job to protect and take care of my woman, but I also know she must come first, so I’ll make any calls I need to once I get the full story.

  Pulling into my driveway, I gently ease her out of the car and walk inside, softly shutting the door behind me. She stirs at that moment, crystal blue eyes shoot open to stare at me, and she screams and begins fidgeting until I set her down.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” I promise, raising my hands in surrender as she hurries to put distance between us.

  “Wha-what do you want?” She asks, shivers racing through her. There’s no denying our connection, and when she tilts her head, stepping out from behind the couch, I hope it’s because she feels it, too. “Who are you?”

  “Edgar Black, I heard a scream and found you,” I explain quickly.

  Taking a step closer t
o me she speaks again. “You saved me.”

  “From what?” I ask, determined to end whoever hurt her. As my mate, any threat to her will be destroyed.

  “What’s happening?” She asks changing the subject.

  Not wanting to rush this, nor upset her with what she’s already gone through, I let her know I want to help her. “You’re safe with me,” I swear, holding my hand out as I step toward her. “You can trust me.”

  After watching me intently for a moment, she nods, her body relaxing as she places her palm on top of mine. “I do,” she whispers.

  Leading her to the master bedroom, I walk us through it and into the attached bathroom. With my free hand, I start the water and test the temperature, telling her to get in and relax as I add bubble bath. The rustle of material instantly hits my ears, and I shift to find her standing completely naked in front of me. My eyes roam her slender frame, skating over skin that looks smooth as silk, and while I should probably feel bad for gawking at her, I don’t. She’s mine. “What’s your name?” I ask, my cock as hard as steel for the first time ever.

  “Willow,” she answers, watching me with curiosity. Indicating the tub, she goes to step in with my help, and I hate when the bubbles hide her gorgeous body from me. Going to the counter, I open the drawer and grab a washcloth, then rejoin her. Lifting one of her arms, I slowly rub it over her, liking when she leans back as if we’ve done this dozens of times.

  “I don’t know who or what is after you, but I will protect you with my life and gladly kill anyone that gets in my way,” I calmly vow, hiding the rage burning inside me.

  She stares into my eyes, our bond already forming, and softly says, “Take care of me.” Willow doesn’t have to ask; I plan on doing so for the rest of my days.

  Chapter 2

  Willow

  I don’t understand what passed through me when I first laid eyes on Edgar, though I know he’s a magic user. But that still doesn’t explain the fact that I trust a stranger, especially not after what I’ve gone through recently. However, I trust him and know he’ll keep me safe. I can see it in the way he treats me, in his gaze as he watches me. When I whisper his name, just wanting to say it for some reason, his eyes shoot to mine. As I stare at him, he takes a deep breath, then suddenly stands, gives me the washcloth, and states, “Finish up. I’ll meet you in the bedroom with some fresh clothes.” Instantly feeling and hating the loss of his presence after he abruptly leaves, I do as he said, then step out of the tub. Grabbing the towel he left on the counter, I quickly dry off, in a rush to be near him again, then wrap it around me and secure it with a knot between my breasts.

  Opening the door, I find him on the mattress waiting for me, a shirt in his hands. “This will do for now,” he informs me as I drop my towel and step between his thighs. I’ve never acted like this before in my life, yet it’s instinctual with Edgar. I swear I can feel his eyes as they roam me from head to toe, lingering on the evidence of my struggle. “I fucking hate seeing these on you,” he growls, slipping the material over my head and letting it fall. "Can I?" He asks gently and I give him permission, though I don’t know what I’m agreeing to. His hands wrap around my biceps and he closes his eyes, his lips moving as he appears to begin chanting in a language I don’t recognize. I feel his magic flow through him and into me, a gasp leaving me as I look down and notice the various bruises and scrapes fading until they’re completely gone, as if they never existed. "Better?"

  "Much, thank you."

  “We should get some rest, everything else can wait until tomorrow,” he suggests, pulling the covers down. As much as I agree, I’m reluctant to do so unless he’s beside me. When I ask if he will be, he says, like there had never been another option, “Of course, just give me a couple minutes.” He heads into the bathroom as I make myself comfortable and returns wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms and I can’t help but stare at him. Sliding in next to me, our bodies face to face, I run my hands through his black hair, once again feeling a zap of power at the contact. When I ask about it, he simply grins and says, “Magic.”

  “I know that, but what are you?”

  “A witch. You?” I figured as much.

  “Vetter,” I whisper, his shock at the news the reaction I expected.

  “I’ve heard of them, of course, but never actually met one.”

  “We’re not exactly welcomed by others,” I admit.

  “There are a lot of small-minded people in the world. My old Council was like that.”

  “We’re not that different from you,” I tell him, “our power just comes from nature.”

  “How’d you end up in New Orleans? I thought your kind didn’t like to leave Norway.”

  “These men came to my village and took me and a few other girls. The others were able to get away with help, but I wasn’t so lucky. They told me I’d be sold on the black-market here. When we docked, I took a chance and ran.”

  Edgar looks ready to explode at the news. “I can’t fucking believe it.” Pulling me closer, he kisses the top of my head, my body once more feeling his power surge between us, and vows, “I’ll protect you, Willow, we’ll stop whoever is responsible.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” I confess, suddenly worried for his safety.

  “Not to brag, but I’m extremely powerful,” he assures me, and I know he’s being truthful as opposed to saying what he thinks I want to hear. The fact he can take care of himself does soothe some of my worry.

  “They told me I was their big-ticket item, a rare, virgin Vetter from the motherland, so they won’t give up.” His finger touches my chin, lifting my face to his, and he gently brushes his lips against mine. It doesn’t take long for it to turn passionate, almost overwhelming as emotions flood through me.

  When we finally pull back, both a little out of breath, we stare at each other and I ask, “Why do I feel this way?”

  “We’re fated mates,” he explains. Vetters, too, have such a thing, but I never expected to find mine like this, let alone so far from home and a witch at that. The fact this situation brought me to him just proves we’re meant to be. Now that we’ve found each other, I hope we can defeat those after me and start our life together.

  Chapter 3

  Edgar

  Waking up with Willow securely in my arms brings me such peace. I want to hold her all day, but reluctantly untangle myself when I realize it’s after nine. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I check my notifications and find numerous missed calls from Elvira and Bram. Moving to the living room so I don’t disturb my woman, I dial my sister only to get the riot act when she answers.

  “What the hell, Edgar? You just disappeared on us, then you don’t answer your phone all night. We got worried.” I let her get it all out, knowing I probably would’ve reacted the same had our positions been reversed, and tell her about the scream, discovering Willow, her being my mate, and what she is. “Oh my god!” She yells with a squeal, thrilled I’ve met my one. “What’s she like? I want to help? What does she need? Never mind, I’m sure a lot, so I’ll take care of it. Are the men after her responsible for the missing witches around here, too?”

  “She’s amazing, I’m not sure, but I’ll let you know. It’s a possibility,” I reply, trying to answer her rapid-fire questions in order.

  “When can I meet her?”

  Chuckling at her enthusiasm, I tell her, “Not right away. She’s been through so much and needs time to breathe.”

  “Ugh, fine! But as soon as possible,” she informs me, full of impatience.

  “We’ll talk later,” I assure her, then say goodbye and end the call and make the next to Alaric. He’s been searching for these woman for weeks, so I know he’ll be thankful for any information I can share. After telling him what I know, I hang up and decide to start breakfast, figuring Willow must be starving. God knows when the last time she had a decent meal was. As I’m plating our food, I hear her sweet voice and turn to find her standing in the doorway wearing only my shir
t. “Hey,” I say back with a smile, still in awe of her beauty. She’s a Nordic queen – tall, slim, with a mass of blonde hair and the most amazing blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Willow is the exact opposite of my dark features and black hair that I can’t help but wonder how they’ll merge when we have children. “Come eat,” I urge, shaking my head to force myself to focus on something other than staring at her.

  “This looks delicious. Thank you, Edgar,” she states as she sits at the table.

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat,” I confess, joining her.

  “Just about anything.” A comfortable silence descends as we enjoy our meal, until I ask more about her, wanting to know everything. “What village are you from?”

  “A small one called Lillehammer.” I repeat the odd name, smiling as I do so, which causes her to giggle. “Vetters established it and many others a long time ago, and make up most of the population in each.”

  “Those fuckers traveled a long way to get what they wanted,” I grumble.

  “As you know, my kind is rare. Well, outside of my home country at least, which means we’d be in high demand.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “They died in a fluke boating accident a few years ago.”

  “I’m so sorry, Willow,” I say sincerely, laying my hand on hers.

  “It brings me some peace to know they were together.”

  Changing the subject to distract her from the sadness now covering her face, I inform her, “I spoke with a friend, Alaric, he’s a cop. He’ll investigate it and let us know. You’re staying with me, I’ll keep you safe.”