Light in Darkness Read online

  Witch – A human who is highly sensitive to magic, and can cast a limited amount of magic. Abilities vary from clairvoyance, empath, telekinesis, or various other psychic abilities. Most are adept at potions which combine natural ingredients with magic.

  Vampire – There are several varieties of vampire. They live off human or Other blood. For the most part, highly allergic to sun. They are incredibly fast, and each breed possesses a different set of abilities.

  Acknowledgments

  To my totally awesome Mom, thank you from the bottom of my soul.

  Thank you hubby, and my three wonderful kids. I love you so much.

  Rebecca and Kristin, thank you for all your early reading and helping me whip this into shape.

  Tara Shaner, for being a great editor who puts up with my crazy, and encourages it.

  A huge, tremendous thank you to River’s Others for all you do and coming along on this ride with me.

  To my beta team, for being amazing as always. Shirley, Bonnie, Colleen, Melinda, Wendy, Holly, Anna-Marie, Rose, you all rock.

  Dauntless Indies, you are all remarkable people, hope you all know that.

  Author BFF’s, in case I haven’t mentioned this, you ladies are tremendously incredible. Thank you.

  And last, but not least, my readers for being so kind and sharing this journey with me. I love hearing from you all. Thanks for reading.

  Preview: Blissful Agony

  Chapter 1

  Clint’s heart pounded in his chest, in time with his heavy footfalls. The adorably sexy mage with the tight little rear had set out to torture him. He couldn’t resist the extra time with her, even if it killed him.

  Much further and his ass was going to straight up fall the fuck off. Miles, the woman ran him miles. Once upon a time he thought he loved to run. Now? He was about to pass out.

  Emily glanced over her shoulder, her blond ponytail bouncing when she offered a smile on her glossy pink lips. Despite exhaustion, his dick popped back up as her eyes darted forward again.

  Blue balls had never been his preferred way to suffer.

  Next thing he knew, they were slowing to a jog as they left the trail and came up beside her BMW Z4. He doubled over, then dropped to his knees, kissing the ground.

  “You did amazing,” Emily praised.

  “I’m gonna die,” Clint panted, sitting back on his knees, meeting her warm chocolate eyes.

  Crouching down in front of him, she offered a bottle of water from the trunk. Light danced through her expression.

  His angel to the rescue—fending off dehydration.

  “Nah. There are easier ways to kill you.” She winked. “Besides, your arm isn’t ready for sparring, no matter what you think. That poison…” She shook her head, a grimace tugging at her lips. “It slowed the mending down. You keep telling me to let it heal naturally. But I can fix it, if you’d trust me.” She referred to the Komodo dragon shifter who poisoned him when she shattered his arm while trying to bite it off.

  Emily’s brow arched as she stood up and offered her hand.

  He took it with a strained smile. “I trust you. It’s magic I don’t trust.” He stood without help, even though he enjoyed her soft skin against his palm.

  “My magic put your arm back together again,” she countered, with sass. Every time they hung out, she had more spunk, offered more smiles, and generally warmed to him. For the first time he found himself patiently waiting for a woman to choose him. Six months of waiting and he couldn’t get her out of his head. Clint wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, which sparked the harebrained plan to coax her into a date.

  Putting his hands up in surrender, he grinned. “Okay, okay. If you’ll let me take you on a proper date, you can heal my arm the rest of the way.” Besides, he was mostly kidding where his lack of trust was concerned. And her exhaustive trail runs were about the only way he wrangled one-on-one time with her outside the clinic or running into her in town.

  She bit down on her bottom lip, looking away. Before he could take the request back, she met his gaze. “One condition.” Her eyes sparked with determination.

  His mouth fell open as he blinked, ready to give her the world for a single chance. “What’s that?”

  “The first few times you spar, I’m there to make sure you’re in one piece when you’re done.”

  He nodded, gathering his words, then froze. If she agreed in order to heal him, he didn’t want to go through with it. “Em, if you can’t, I’ll understand. You could come hang out with me and the crew. Get to know me better. I crave some time with you, but I think you know that by now. I’m not pushing for more than you’re ready to give.”

  “I trust you, Clint.” Those four words sparked hope.

  “Never in a million years would I ever push you. I get it. Whatever happened in your past tore you apart. But, you know what? You’re stronger now because of it. I’ve been there. So even if you never see me romantically, I make a pretty good friend.” Though he desperately wanted to earn her trust so they could have more.

  “I want the date. But I have to warn you, if we ever—touch, I have to be in control. If you take over, and… and…” her gaze skated away before sliding back with a pinched brow, “um… do your wolfy dominant thing, I’ll bolt.”

  He laughed. “In bed, I’m very submissive. I want to be dominated.” His eyes rounded as he put his hands up, realizing he’d said too much. “Sorry, we aren’t going straight there. I’m saying you have all the time in the world, and if we ever get there, it will be on your terms, not mine.”

  One corner of her mouth tipped up, a devilish glint behind her eyes. “And if I’m never ready?” she asked seductively.

  His cock twitched, hoping she was teasing. “Then you aren’t, and I won’t complain.”

  She gave his arm a pointed look. “Now, may I heal you?”

  He wet his lips, nodding slowly as he stretched out his bandage-wrapped limb. The bone was set properly, but weak.

  One of her small hands took his, the other wrapped around his wrist. Her chocolate eyes turned molten bronze as she chanted under her breath.

  Magic flowed from her touch. A thousand butterfly wings flapping against his arm as the pain he hadn’t noticed melted away, taking the ache with it.

  Normally, a snarky comment would roll off his tongue, but the connection between them flared, pulling him closer to her. Rocking back on his heels, he took a deep breath and stopped himself from reaching out to touch her face.

  “Thank you,” he murmured, awed by the gentleness in his own voice.

  Blinking slowly, her eyes rose to his, fading back to the warm brown hue. “You’re welcome. And I’m free whenever you want to go on that date.”

  He couldn’t help teasing. “Em, you’re in control here. When do you want to go?”

  A confident smile lit her face. “Tonight. You can pick me up at seven, and take me to In 2 Deep.”

  “Are you staying at your apartment today?” She had a home in Seattle, but seemed to stay in her Edenton apartment more and more often.

  “And tonight.”

  Or mine, he thought, before reprimanding himself. If they got there, great. If not, he’d survive, blue balls and all.

  * * * *

  Ecstatic, Emily beamed. Clint let her heal him. For a date. One she’d been slowly building the courage to ask about for more than a month. Men in general scared her, thanks to her late brother. But Clint made her heart skip, in a happy way. He made her feel sexy, desired—things she never enjoyed before.

  Typically, males were pushy, dominant, and too hands-on. In the six months she’d known Clint, he’d never made a move to touch her. He talked to her, flirted, and was genuinely interested in all she had to say.

  Didn’t take the fear away, but it became more a thrill of excitement. The question was, could she allow herself to trust a man? Emily wanted to believe she could, and had since the second she laid eyes on him.

  Uncomfortable, out of place,
and generally miserable, Emily sat at an empty picnic table, watching her brother with Liz and Tremaine at Fallon’s engagement party. Emily only knew a few people there. She had never felt truly welcome at parties, preferring isolation.

  “This seat taken?” a warm voice asked.

  She looked up to fall deep into spring green eyes. His brown hair was short, messy. He wasn’t much taller than her, lean muscles, so much less intimidating than the other werewolves. Her stomach fluttered as she admired a man for the first time because she was usually too afraid to notice how they looked.

  Her breath caught as she blinked in confusion. Something unfurled, drawing her undivided attention and managing to calm the quiet fear that hummed along the edges.

  His smile dimmed slightly as he took a step back. “I apologize. Enjoy the party.” Such a sad expression covered his face as he turned away.

  “Wait,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “Wait, please, sit.” She froze, realizing she’d invited a man to sit beside her. Panic didn’t hit. In fact, she felt a warmth flow through her.

  “I’m Emily. You are?” Her voice held a strength she didn’t realize she possessed.

  Instead of offering his hand, he gave her a pleasant smile. “Evening, Emily. I’m Clint. Never seen you here before.”

  She nodded toward Robert. “That’s my brother over there, Robert. I’ve known Tremaine and Liz most of my life.”

  “They’re good people. I’m sorry I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you until now.”

  “I live across the country, though I’m thinking about moving closer. Things are sort of up in the air at the moment.”

  “Then I hope I’ll see you around more.” His gaze held interest and comfort, tempting her to scoot closer. She held her position, perched at the end of the bench, but leaned toward him.

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m one of the pack enforcers. During the day I build homes with my buddy over there.” He nodded to a handsome blond man. “He’s another enforcer.”

  “So, you’re a werewolf?”

  He glanced away with a nod. “You’re a mage. Right?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, don’t take offense,” she pleaded, hoping he wouldn’t dismiss her offhand. “I’m merely curious, and not very comfortable with being social.” Her eyes squinched shut.

  “It’s okay, Emily. No offense taken. I’ll admit, I worried you would reject me for being a wolf.”

  She shook her head. “Not at all.”

  He turned toward her and she wanted to drown in his eyes. “Want to know more about Edenton? With your brother here, I imagine you could use a friend to show you around, or at least give you a verbal tour.”

  “Would love that,” she admitted, falling into the easy, not too detailed conversation. The first real one with a stranger she could recall enjoying.

  “Em,” he said softly, pulling her out of her thoughts and back into the present. Finally, she could admit she wanted to take an honest chance with Clint.

  “Sorry, mind’s wandering.”

  A grin spread on his face. “That’s okay, I enjoy your sunny smile. Hopefully you were thinking about me,” he teased lightly.

  “The day we met.” Blushing, she glanced down at the arm she’d healed a moment before and changed the topic. “Don’t need this anymore.” She unhooked the bandage and rolled it as she unwrapped the limb. His hand hung in the air, tempting her to lean forward, into his touch, but nerves kept her feet rooted to their spot.

  He drew a slow breath, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Thank you.”

  Nodding, she met his light green eyes. He was nothing like his reputation, at least around her. He’d been sweet and attentive. Her eyes dropped to his lips and she found herself craving a taste.

  With a mental shake, she hooked the bandage in a roll and nodded to the car. “Come on, let’s get you back.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He saluted.

  Laughing, she climbed into the driver’s seat as he walked to the passenger side. Easing into the vehicle, he looked over with a charming smile and her toes curled, anticipating a touch she knew wouldn’t come.

  Her head was a mess. Craving him, afraid of him, needing more than the sweet smile and playful flirting. Sometimes she thought that if he reached out to rest his hand on hers, she could handle it. Other times, she saw the hungry look in his eyes and wanted to run. Away from him, or to him, she didn’t know which. At the moment, she found herself leaning toward him.

  Curiosity got the better of her as she started the car. “You really don’t like control?”

  He shook his head. “No. You can blame my old pack for that. You don’t want to hear that story though.”

  Part of her wanted his whole history. The rest of her knew all about wanting to lock away memories. “You can tell me anything.”

  He looked away. “I did my share of talking about it. Never helped. I’m not that lost boy anymore. I know what I will and won’t do. But if you ever need an ear, I’ll lend you mine. For anything, Emily.”

  She gripped the wheel tighter. “Don’t want to think about my past, let alone talk about my private hell. It’s all over now.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be. My goal is time with you. You brighten the dark corner hiding in my soul.” He looked over with a sad smile.

  Pulling onto the road, she took the left hand that rested on his leg and pulled it to the console with hers. A careful beginning. “I believe you. Somehow, you chase away my fears. But I’m not sure what I’m ready for yet.”

  “Been there,” he answered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

  She drove faster than she should have, back to Edenton. A buzz started in her ears, and then Clint’s arm whipped out, pinning her in the seat as a black SUV filled her view.

  The crunch of metal, screech of tires, and smell of burning rubber flooded her senses before it all went dark.

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