Before you begin, just a heads up this is the SFW (Safe for Work) version. If you want to have the NSFW (Not safe for work) version or just want to read without the ads, you can do that in the Coven Tier on my membership here

Or you can buy it as a single ebook here

Or buy on Amazon at full price

Bex

My eyes flew open, knowing something was wrong. The hair on my arm stood up, and I felt a chill. Something that hadn’t happened in years. I pulled the covers up slightly, trying to push it away.
My friend was sleeping in the other room, and me running around my house in the middle of the night would just look crazy. Besides, why would anything be happening? I lived in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. My breathing slowed, and I felt a little better about what I was feeling. It was almost like I was missing something I shouldn’t be, like the very thing I’d come here to escape was reaching for me and I was backed against a wall.
Then I saw a puff of someone’s breath and furrowed my eyebrows. There was no way it was that cold and no way anyone should be standing on the other side of my bedroom.
Then a hand slid over my mouth, and I screamed into it before everything slid away, and I was some place else.
I felt it release me and stumbled to the floor. The room was dark, and I was disoriented to the point, I had no idea what was happening. The only light was from a lamp in the corner that looked exactly like the one in my own house. I glanced back at the man who had grabbed me and dragged me here and realized he wasn’t a man at all. He had the body of a well-built man, but his head was shaped like a bull, complete with the horns. I turned away and closed my eyes tightly. This was a dream; it had to be.
I heard footsteps getting closer and slowly opened my eyes, hoping it was just Kiera coming to wake me up, but when I opened my eyes, I saw nicely kept dark dress shoes. I followed his body up to his light blue eyes.
“You’re prettier than I thought,” he said and reached a hand out to run a finger down my cheek.
I pulled back and stared at him. “Where am I?” It was the first thing I thought of.
“Home,” he said and motioned for the Minotaur to grab me again. “And you’re never leaving.”

***

The damn monster pulled me along even when I was kicking and pushing back. He dragged me like I was nothing through the house. It looked just like the home I’d purchased and was living in. Everything was the same, even the creepy mirror that sat at the end of the hallway.
He shoved me hard into a room, in my world, I used for storage. This asshole used it as a secondary bedroom. At least I was on my own and didn’t have to worry about dealing with that guy for a moment. I could figure out what the hell was going on and how to get out of here.
The moment the Minotaur got me inside, he closed the door, and I heard it lock. I paced for a few minutes, thinking about everything going on. What the hell was even going on? I was in my bed one minute having a feeling I couldn’t pinpoint, and the next I was locked in a room with a Minotaur probably standing guard outside.
What am I saying? A Minotaur? It sounded crazy, but I’d just seen it with my own eyes. What the fuck? No, this had to be a dream or something. There was no way I was in a weird world where monsters were real and I was kidnapped and still didn’t know why.
I sat on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands. It all sounded crazy, and I was in the middle of it. No, I was having a stroke, had to be. There was just no way, right?
My hands rubbed my eyes. Maybe I was hallucinating. I carefully opened my eyes and glanced around me. The room hadn’t changed, and the lights were flickering like candles, because they were. Nope, still here.
I fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. This whole thing was a huge mess. Kiera mentioned something to me last night about how she felt like a monster was watching her and that it bit her, but that wasn’t what happened to me. I was just carried off and then given to some guy who hadn’t really said anything at all, except I was pretty. I guess that’s a plus. What am I saying? I’d barely gotten a look at him, but he looked human enough and well dressed. Still, I had no idea who or what he was and why I was here.
The door latch creaked, and I glanced at it, sitting back up. The blond guy I’d met briefly earlier walked in with a tray of food. He glanced at me and set the tray on a nearby table.
“Who the hell are you?” I kept my eyes on him.
He smirked at my question. “I’m the ruler of this place.”
“Ruler?” I shook my head, and a laugh escaped me.
“This place wouldn’t exist without me,” he said. I’m their king.”
“What am I doing here?” I crossed my arms.
He stepped closer and peered down at me. “You are a solution to a problem.” He cocked his head as he spoke. “Your little friend was supposed to be the one, but she went and mated a monster. You’ll have to do.”
“What are you talking about? Kiera?” I stared at him. He wasn’t making any sense. Kiera was asleep in her own room, having dreams of whatever, and I was stuck in this place with a weird guy telling me I was a solution to a problem he seemed to have.
“You are going to be my bride, and I’m going to take your powers to keep things running here,” he said, stepping closer and leaning over me.
“I don’t have any powers,” I countered. “I’m not a witch.”
“Are you sure?” He leaned closer, and I scooted back as far as I could go.
“Yes,” I snapped. “You’re wasting your time with me.”
“My guard says you have power in your line. You just didn’t get taught properly,” he said, his blue eyes studying me. He was overcompensating, and I knew it.
“You’re a warlock,” I said, and he smirked.
“You seem to know your magickal creatures,” he leaned closer. Too close.
“I know about your kind. You force witches to marry you to keep power,” I said. “Seems like it happens in any world you’re in. Do warlocks tend to lose power everywhere?” I knew that was overstepping, but he was the one that stole me from my world. I wasn’t letting him off easily.
He huffed and backed away from me. “You’re going to be one of those kinds of women,” he said and cocked his head.
“What the hell does that mean?” I snapped.
“Defiant. Bold. Powerful,” he stated like it was a fact. “Those are the best ones.”
“I already told you, I don’t have any power. I’m not a witch.”
“We’ll see,” he said, turning from me and putting his hand on the doorknob. “All I need is a little blood to find out, but we can do that after you’ve settled in and eaten something.” He motioned toward the food. “Don’t want you starving to death.”
I watched him walk out of the door and sighed. He’d know when he did his little blood test that I wasn’t a witch and cast me back home. Then I could put all this crazy behind me.

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Chapter Two

I tossed and turned all night, having weird dreams about the blond king pulling me through a mirror and never letting me go. It made sleeping really hard. Or maybe that was the fact I was in some crazy world where monsters were a thing and I was just here to be some guy’s queen or power bank or something.
I didn’t move when I heard the door open, but I did hear a grumble when he pulled the untouched tray from the night before away and sat a new one down. “Get up,” he commanded, and I stayed still like I didn’t hear him. “I know you’re awake.”
I slowly turned over and looked at him. “What?”
“If you don’t eat this time, I’m going to feed it to you,” he said, his eyes burning into me.
I blinked and threw the blanket off. “You don’t even know what I like. What if it’s all stuff I can’t eat?”
“There’s a little of everything,” he said, crossing his arms. “Humans have to eat.”
“I know that,” I snapped. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Then eat and stop being stubborn,’ he countered. “I told you, I want you alive.”
“To be your bride,” I mocked, and he stepped closer.
“Don’t mock me. I have all the power here.” He crossed his arms. “I could just put you in my holding cells until you do what I want.”
I shrank back a tiny bit. The idea of being in a cold cell was not on my to-do list.
“The fact I’m letting you stay in a room in my home and have any food you want is a gift,” he snapped.
“When can you do this stupid blood test to prove I’m not a witch?” I almost blurted it out. “I want to go home.”
He sighed. “I can do it once you eat something,” he snapped.
“Fine,” I said and grabbed a piece of bacon. I took a bite and was surprised at how good it was. “Happy?”
“No,” he said.
“You’re an asshole,” I said simply.
He moved faster than expected to right in front of me. His body was dangerously close to mine. I took a sharp breath, and he cocked his head in response. “I am an asshole, and you’d be smart to remember it.”
“Why? You can’t kill me. You need me,” I said and took a bite of bacon.
“I need you, but I can make things miserable for you,” he said in a low voice.
“So, can I?” I kept my eyes on his, and he looked almost excited for a challenge. I felt a prick on my arm and flinched. His smirk grew larger. Then he stepped back with a small bead of blood on his finger. “You could have warned me.”
“No,” he said. “You wanted to talk, so I let you.” He dropped the blood into a small bottle and walked towards the door. “I’ll be back with the results.”
“No, bring the testing in here. I won’t believe anything you tell me if I don’t see it myself,” I said.
He turned back to me and pressed his lips into a line. “Fine, but that food better be nearly gone when I come back.”
“Fine,” I said, and he left the room. I was ready for the whole thing to be over and get back home. I glanced at the plate of food and the orange juice he’d brought me. At least he was feeding me well. That was a plus, but once he realized he had the wrong woman, I’d be back in my peaceful little home and my life.

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Chapter Three

I waited on the bed with my legs crossed like I was a child again. The plate was cleared mostly and I was stuffed. If nothing else, this place did have someone who knew what they were doing when it came to cooking.
The door opened, and the king dude walked in. He was holding a small test tube and a small bottle with some of my blood in it. “As promised, we’ll do the test in front of you.”
“Great; the sooner this thing comes back clear, the sooner I can go home.”
He glanced at me before dropping a bit of the blood into the tube and giving it a swirl. “If the mixture turns purple, magick is present,” he said.
I waited, watching the clear liquid turn dark red at first. Probably from the addition of blood to it. I didn’t expect it to change quickly, but it did.
Deep dark purple, and the liquid started bubbling on top of it.
“Is it supposed to do that?” I kept my eyes on the tube as it exploded and little shards of glass went flying.
He didn’t answer, but that fucking smirk he liked to flash got bigger. “You’re not just magick, you have something stronger in your blood.”
“That’s not possible,” I countered. “My family is just a normal family. We live in the midwest.” I don’t know why I thought the addition of the fact we lived in the most boring part of the country would change his thoughts on it.
“You are a member of a long-dead magick line,” he kept his eyes on me. “And you’re all mine.”
Panic flooded through me. I wasn’t a witch, much less one that was a member of a long-dead line. What did that even mean? “No, that’s not possible.”
“You think repeating that is going to change it?” He stepped closer. “I need to make sure the wards are stronger than ever to keep you here.” He stopped right in front of me and peered down from his position. “That power you hold, that you can’t seem to find, that’s going to save this world and give me everything I ever wanted.”
“What, to have power?” I mocked. “That’s all you warlocks think about.”
“That’s all there is?” He countered.
“No, you’re wrong,” I mumbled.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said and let his hand run across my cheek, pulling a hair from my face. “You’re mine now.”
“I’m no ones.”
He cocked his head. “Since you can’t reach your power, you have no options here.”
I swatted his hand away. “You don’t know anything about me.”
He leaned down. “You don’t know anything about me, either.”
“Are we just going to keep having these weird standoffs?” I smirked, and he seemed more annoyed than ever before.
“No,” he said. “You will do what I tell you, and maybe you’ll get what you want.”
“I want to go home,” I said.
“If you agree to be my bride, I’ll let you go home sometimes,” he said, keeping his eyes on mine.
“Sometimes?” I raised an eyebrow.
“We still need to look like the happy couple to everyone here. I keep my power, and the world here stays alive. You can spend some time in your world and come here when I call,” he said.
“You’d let me go?”
“Only after we’ve married and I have your power,” he said. “Then it doesn’t matter.”
“All I have to do is agree to be your bride?” I felt a tinge of something in my gut I couldn’t quite figure out. Maybe it was a warning that this was all a lie he was telling me or something else. I couldn’t quite tell.
“That’s it,” he said.
I took a deep breath. “This is probably a deal with the devil, but agreed.”

***

Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. The fact he wanted me to agree to it and just didn’t force me was something interesting. Maybe that was how it had to be for “my power” to be accessed by him. I wasn’t sure. The only thing I knew about witches and warlocks was what Kiera had told me when we were teens. Back then, it sounded cool and interesting. Like I was included in a secret.
I had no idea it wasn’t just a secret I was included in for her, but me as well. I wondered if she knew and didn’t tell me. I made a face for thinking that. She wouldn’t do that to me. She was as clueless as I was. If she knew, she would have helped me understand who I was and how this world worked.
“Are you even paying attention?” a weird looking female of some kind said as she measured my hips. Her tentacle hands were busy at work finding my sizing.
“Sorry,” I mumbled and raised my arms so she could get a better estimate.
“It’s been a while since I’ve made clothing,” she said, her tone a little gruff. “Most of us here don’t like them.”
“Right,” I said without thinking. “I haven’t seen much of the town.”
“You probably won’t until after mating,” she said, and I snapped my gaze to her.
“Is that what you call a wedding?”
“It’s what comes after, right?” She blinked at me, and her weirdly puffy face contorted.
“Right,” I said with a smile. “Of course.” I was already blowing the deal, and we hadn’t even gotten started.
She pulled away and wrote down her findings in a small book on the table. “You’re dress will be ready in two days,” she said.
“Okay,” I said, looking at the same Minotaur that dragged me into this world standing at the edge of the room. He crossed his arms as if daring me to take off running. He seemed to be itching for a chase.
“You can take her back to the king now,” she said to the Minotaur.
I sighed. Being carted around to all these places for a wedding I wasn’t even into was making me crazy. I followed the Minotaur to the mid-sized vehicle waiting outside. If you were to look at this place, it looked rather human. Except for the monsters that were walking around and some driving, which is admittedly weird, but still kind of human.
I sat in the back and didn’t fuss when the car took off. Honestly, it was nice to go somewhere beyond the house, but I knew when we got back, I would be back in my room waiting for the next fitting or some other thing he had in store for me.
The house looked cleaner when I walked in. While the structure was the same as mine back home, it was decorated so much better. None of the old Midwest stuff I’d used, but fancy designer-looking fabrics and rich colors. This king at least knew how to do that.
“Do you like it?” The king peeked his head out from the kitchen, apparently watching for me like some crazy stalker.
“What?” I answered, confused about why he cared. He was getting more and more confusing the more I dealt with him. One moment he was demanding, and the next cared if I liked the way he decorated a room.
“This is going to be your home soon,” he said. “I do want you to like it at least.”
“I didn’t figure you cared,” I answered and he huffed.
“I don’t have to, but you’re my bride. I should at least try to make it easy,” he said, shifting his gaze from me.
“You only want my power,” I countered. “It’s fine.” I glanced around the room. “A lot of fancy things. That works for you.”
He cocked his head and sighed. “Fine.”
“I’m going up to my room. Unless you want to torture me more,” I said.
“Torture you by being in the same room?” He shook his head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
He turned to leave, but called over his shoulder, “You’ll eat with me tonight.”
“What happened to not torturing me?”
“I already had that planned,” he said and walked out of sight.
Fuck.

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Chapter Four

He walked into my room without any notice as soon as the sun went down. I gave him a look and shook my head. “I could have been naked,” I said.
He laughed. “And?”
“And nothing. You don’t just walk into someone’s room,” I snapped.
“This is my house. You’re my bride. I can see you however I want,” he said and motioned for me to hurry up. “Are you going to walk or make me carry you?”
“As funny as it would be to make you carry me, I’m afraid you’d just drop me on the floor,” I said.
He smirked. “Maybe or maybe in my bed.”
I wrinkled my forehead and stared at him.
“What? You really thought I was some gentleman who wouldn’t?” He laughed. “Please.”
He took a step towards me, and I jumped up. “I’m going.”
He chuckled at my quick response and followed me to the dining room. I knew right where it was since I owned this stupid house’s twin.
I was surprised at the care it seemed he’d taken at getting things ready, then I remembered he probably had someone else do it, like the asshole he was.
The table had a beautiful tablecloth over it in a dark purple color. Each plate was set in front of antique chairs on either side, and the wine glasses were made with a material I’d never seen before. Something clear, but also with a slight rainbow coloring to them.
The food was already laid out, a fancy meal I’d expect from a five-star restaurant. I glanced at him and then back at the table. “You did all this?”
“No, but I told people to,” he answered. “I can change it if you don’t like it.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said, and he crossed his arms, watching me. “Oh, you want me to sit.”
“If you want to eat,” he said.
I sighed. Every conversation with him was like a battle. He followed and sat on the other side. His movements were a little tenser than normal.
“What’s up with you?” I asked, taking in the meal. I didn’t want him to know how hungry I actually was, but the loud growl of my stomach probably gave me away.
“Nothing,” he snapped.
“Doesn’t seem like anything,” I pushed.
He snapped his eyes to mine, something burning behind them. “You have wormed your way into every part of my life, and it’s pissing me off.” He took a bite of his food but kept his eyes on mine.
“Sorry?” I mean, it wasn’t like it was my fault I was here. He was the one that dragged me here to be some bride and take powers I didn’t even care about. “None of this was my choice, you know.”
“And you think it’s mine?” He snapped. “The fact I put all my power into this world for outcasts and monsters to feel safe, and then I’m forced to share it with a witch who doesn’t even realize what she is.”
I stared at him for a moment. “You made this place for outcasts?” I licked my lips. “You think you’re an outcast?”
“I was one,” he said. “When I realized what I could do and my family rejected it. Warlocks are supposed to use their power to control and manipulate. That’s fun and all, but mine is useless for that. Unless you want to punish someone.”
“You can create worlds,” I said, realizing that was exactly what he could do. “That’s amazing.”
He watched me for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. “I can’t create them, but expand them, but when your worlds start to collapse and you have to rely on old magick ways to get the power you need, it’s not fun.”
“What did you mean I’d invaded all your thoughts?” I said it with a slight smile. The idea of even some guy saying that was hilarious to me. Part of why I’d decided to live so far from people was because no one liked my simple ways. I liked easy and quiet. That didn’t seem to be something a lot of people thrived on.
“What do you think of the food?” He changed the subject, and I sighed.
“It’s good. Who made it?” I took a bite and glanced back at him.
“Would you believe me if I said one of my Minotaurs?” He smiled wider, like he was proud of his people in a way I’d never seen from him before.
“Really?”
“He’s been learning, thinking his own mate is going to be in your world. He’s different from most,” he said.
“Why, because he wants to learn things and be better?” I raised an eyebrow, and he shook his head.
“Bex, you are very different from your friend.”
My mood dropped at the thought of Kiera. She was alone, and it was my fault. I’d been here too long already. “I need to get back to her.”
“Kiera is mated, Bex. She can’t leave here now,” he said. “I told you when I brought her here, she chose another behind my back.” His mood suddenly darkened.
“Is that why you keep me so close?” I said, and he leaned back in the chair, letting his arms fall to the side.
“I keep you close because you have something I want.”
“I know my power.” I picked at my food, suddenly not hungry anymore.
“No, Bex. I have watched several monsters mate a human here. I want that. I want you.” He kept his eyes on me.
“No,” I said simply, and he threw his fork onto his plate.
“I’ve been kind to you. I have every intention of taking care of anything you need or want. Why would you deny me?”
“I…” What was my reason? Sure, he’d been an asshole, but he’d never hurt me or made me feel like I was less than. He’d told me constantly how powerful I was and made things a little nicer for me here.
“They are going to expect it when we’re married, the monsters,” he continued. “It seals the connection in both the warlock and witch world and here.”
“You said you’d let me go back, that all you needed was my power.”
“It is, but I don’t want just your power,” he said, leaning forward. “I want you.”

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Colin

Why wasn’t she listening to me? I gave her all this and told her exactly how I felt and she was still saying no. I’d watched her life before she came here. It was nothing but work and being on her own. Is that what she really wanted?
“I don’t know,” she hesitated.
“You don’t know what? How you feel?” I pushed hoping that was all it was. I was so angry I had let myself feel something here. She was a means to an end, and if she rejected me, that was how I would treat her.
“This is a business transaction,” she finally clarified. “You want power. I want to go home.”
I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. “I could say no. I could keep you here naked and in my room if I wanted.”
“But you won’t.”
I eyed her. This was a challenge. I liked a challenge. I suddenly got up and walked over to her. Her confused and slightly panicked face made me smile. Did she think I was lying? I pulled her chair out and leaned over her, the smell of her perfume filling my nose. “I’ll do whatever I want to you. You’re mine. Did you forget that?”
She licked her lips. “You are a confusing man,” she spat.
“No confusion. I take what I want. I was being nice because I thought that would bring you closer. I can see now you like challenging me. You want me to be in control, don’t you?”
She took a shaky breath. “I…”
“No more talking.” I grabbed her and picked her up, fireman style. I felt her grab at my back trying to pull away. I just held her tighter, carrying her up the stairs and instead of taking her to the room I’d given her, I turned into mine.
“What are you doing?” She said, pulling on me and wiggling to try to get out of my grip.
“I told you,” I answered simply and closed the door behind us, dropping her on my bed.
She stayed still and watched me. I saw her eyes go from me to the door and back to me and I raised an eyebrow.
“Running will do you no good,” I said. “My house is protected. You can’t get out without my permission.”
“You can’t be serious, making me stay in here with you.”
“I can and I am. You’re my bride and it’s time I see you naked.”

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Bex

“Absolutely not,” I snapped and jumped out of his bed. “I’m going back to my room and then out of this place,” I huffed. He seemed amused at my fluster.
“You’re staying right here in this room, with me.” He stepped closer, and I stepped back, running into the wall. “You are my property. I took you. I’m keeping you.”
“I’m not property,” I said, setting my jaw. He stepped closer and trapped me against the wall, putting a hand on the wall beside my head.
“You’re not?” He mocked.
“You get off on this, don’t you?” I whispered. “Treating women like this.”
“Only when they challenge me like you do,” he said and let his head dip down to my neck. “When they make me think about how much I want to touch them.” He nipped at my ear. “How much I want to feel them shatter under me.”
“It’s not happening,” I whispered. I don’t think I was even convincing myself.
“You already want it, don’t you?”

Scene Redacted

To comply with ad restrictions, this spicy scene was removed. You can read it on my Patreon in the Coven Tier.

Or you can buy it as a single ebook here

Or buy on Amazon at full price

Chapter Seven

I somehow managed to fall asleep in the same bed as him, but when I woke up, he was gone. My eyes drifted to the ceiling for a moment. The same skylight I had in my bedroom was there, but the view wasn’t just a blue sky with a few clouds. It was a purple mist that seemed to separate this world from the others. Maybe that was a literal barrier, or maybe it was just some way his magick worked. I wasn’t sure.
I sat up and pulled on my clothes without thinking. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me in my PJs on and think it was an invatation. The whole sex thing was a one-night thing. It was not happening again.
The door opened, and I snapped my gaze to it, expecting to see the king, but I was surprised when Kiera walked inside.
“Kiera, what are you doing here?” I said, walking to her and giving her a hug.
“Me?” She pulled back to look at me. “What are you doing here?”
“I don’t know,” I said. It was honest. While he’d told me what he wanted, he hadn’t gone into the details of what it meant for me, except that I probably wasn’t going to leave and we’d be married. Little things like that.
“Collin took you when I refused to marry him,” Keira said shaking her head.
“Collin?” I repeated the name.
“Yeah, that’s what Arios said his name was, but most of the monsters call him the king,” she said and made a face. “He’s jut a slimeball that wants power.”
“Yeah, that was what he told me.” I shrugged. “I’m not a witch, though.”
“Are you sure?” She said, taking a seat beside me on the bed. “I don’t think just humans can come here.”
I dropped my eyes. If that test was right, I was a weirdly powerful witch that had no access to their powers or how they might work. “He said you were stuck here now, because you mated some monster.”
She smiled. “I did.” She glanced at the door. “Arios is his name.”
“You really found love with a monster?”
She shrugged. “He loves me and treats me better than any human man ever did.” She put her hand on my lap. “I’m sorry you got pulled into this.”
“I’m glad I could see you, though.”
“Me too.” She hesitated. “Arios said if you want to leave, he’ll find a way to take you back to our world. You’d have to leave your house or Collin might get you again, but you’d be home.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But the world will collapse if I don’t do this.” I forced a smile. “I’d be killing you.”
“Then Arios can come to our world,” she said.
“But you can’t leave now that you’re mated,” I said. “That’s one of the rules for this world, right?”
She looked away. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s all made up to keep Collin in control.”
“Maybe,” I said weakly. “Thanks, Kiera.”
“For what?”
“For coming to talk to me.” I smiled. “I really needed to see a friend.”
“I’ll come back in two days, before this stupid wedding. If you want to leave, we’ll do it then.”
I nodded. This might be my only way home, and I was going to leave that option open as long as I could.

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Chapter Eight

Not long after Kiera left, Collin came in with a new set of clothes. He glanced at me only for a moment. “Did you enjoy talking to Kiera?” he said, his lips tight.
I watched him. “I take it you don’t like her.”
“It’s not about liking or disliking. She was supposed to be my solution, and it didn’t work out.”
“So, now I’m your solution,” I finished for him.
He glanced up at me and furrowed his brow. “It started that way, but you’re more than just a solution, now.”
“You realize you’re extremely hard to read,” I said, glancing at the clothes he brought in. “What’s this?”
“I thought you’d want to wear something different, and I want to take you somewhere,” he said.
“You want to take me somewhere that isn’t here?” I picked up the top and looked at it. The clothes were still comfortable looking but a little nicer than the pajamas I had.
“I want to take you someplace special to me. Since this is one of your last days before the wedding,” he said.
“Like a wedding gift?” I said with a smile. “Doesn’t take away from the fact I’m marrying someone I don’t know.”
“You know some of me pretty well,” he said with a smirk. “And I know what you like.”
I gave him a look, and he laughed.
“You act like it was so bad to be in my bed.”
“It took me off guard,” I said. I mean, it had. One minute he was bossing me around and the next, his head was between my legs. Guess it made sense for him since it didn’t seem like he could make up his mind either.
“Next time it won’t stop at my tongue. I’ll be inside you, making you moan my name so loud everyone will hear it.”
“Doubt it,” I mocked.
“You like to push my buttons, don’t you?”
“And you like it when I do,” I countered.
He closed the gap between us and stared down at me. “I should forget about our little road trip and show you what I mean right now.
“Aren’t we supposed to wait until the wedding night for that?”
He smirked. “Does it matter?” He leaned closer, and my breath caught. “I don’t care about this wedding. I care about having you. All of you.”
“Except the magick won’t transfer without the wedding, right?” I cocked an eyebrow, and he leaned in to nip my ear.
“I don’t know if the rules apply here,” he whispered. “Maybe we should do it all and find out.” A knock at the door made him grumble and step back. “Yes?’
“The car is ready, sir,” a voice said from the other side of the door.
He kept his eyes on me for a moment longer before turning towards the door and then glancing back at me. “Let’s go.”

***

I watched through the car window as the world passed by. Soon it faded into relative darkness and forest, but everything felt really normal. It was weird to say because it for sure was not, but it felt like this place was more of a home to me than I ever thought it could be. The longer I was here, the more I wanted to stay and see what would come of it.
“What are you thinking?” Collin said from next to me. I hadn’t noticed his eyes on me, but it seemed like he watched me the entire time.
“I was thinking about how normal all this feels, even though it’s not,” I said, looking back to him. “Did you do that?”
“The normal feeling? No, that was here,” he said simply. “Maybe you feel normal here because you didn’t in the other world. The one you’re from.”
“You’re from there too,” I countered.
“I was,” he said simply. “That was a long time ago.”
“You were the warlock that lived in my house, weren’t you?”
He smiled slightly. “I lived there a long time ago. When St. Louis was just being born.”
I watched him for a moment, looking for any sign he was lying, but he wasn’t. “You’ve been here since then?”
He nodded. “I took power where I could since the council at that time didn’t want me around.”
“And now?”
“And now what?” He said, shaking his head. “They’re all long dead and I can’t leave or this place is gone.”
“So, you do care about the creatures here?”
He huffed. “If you tell anyone that I said that, I’ll tie you to my bed.”
“You probably would anyway,” I smarted off.
His lips curled into a smirk. “Stop making me share all my ideas with you. Something needs to be a surprise.”
I turned my gaze back to the darkness outside and rolled my eyes.
Before long, the car was coming to a stop in the middle of nowhere. I tried to see if there was anything outside I should be worried about, but it was pitch black. I turned to Collin, was he was already getting out on his side.
I licked my lips and opened my door. The cool night air hit me the moment the door was opened. I took a deep breath, and to my surprise, it smelled like home. Maybe a little cleaner, but it was definitely like being back at my house.
“What is this place?” I glanced at him and then realized we were parked on a lookout of sorts over the city. It was beautiful at night. There were so many lights from the buildings below, it looked almost like I was back in my world. “Why are you showing me this?”
“I wanted you to see this world like I do,” he said simply. “It’s not scary or bad. It deserves a chance, and you can help me give it that. It also helps that I can give you anything you want here.”
For the first time since I’d met him, I believed everything he was saying. He loved it here, and even if he didn’t tell the creatures themselves, he cared about what happened to them.
“You want to keep them safe,” I said, and he shrugged.
“I want to keep my men safe,” he said. “There are a few I’d like to see in pieces, but that’s a problem for another day.”
“It is beautiful,” I said, looking back at the city lights. The air wasn’t too brisk, but brisk enough that it felt like home.
“I know this is not an easy change,” he said and stepped closer to me, pulling me into his arms. “I never expected to actually fall for you.”
I let him hold on to me, but I was still unsure about what my next move was. He had no idea I had a plan to leave, or that I was even thinking about it. Yet, he still acted as if this was a choice. He was willing to let me go if I wanted that.
“What will you do if I refuse?”
He took a long moment before responding. “I’ll let you go,” he said quietly.
“You won’t force me to stay?” It was all he could say when he’d grabbed me. Telling me about how he was going to make me his bride no matter what.
“No,” he said.
“What about your world?”
“I’ll die with it,” he said. “And I’ll watch you live until it’s gone. Till I’m gone.”
I leaned back to look into his eyes for a hint of a lie. There was none. He meant every word he was telling me. “But if you stay, I’ll give you everything you ever wanted. All the power. All the things. Everything you want and more. Everything I have is yours.”

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.

Chapter Nine

Scene Redacted

To comply with ad restrictions, this spicy scene was removed. You can read it on my Patreon in the Coven Tier.

Or you can buy it as a single ebook here

Or buy on Amazon at full price

Chapter Ten

I sat on the edge of the bed looking at the dress lying across the bed. Today was the day everything was supposed to change. My marrying a man I wasn’t sure about and staying here for the rest of my life.
I let my hand drift over the soft white fabric. The design wasn’t my favorite, a tight dress that showed all my curves, but maybe that was the way he wanted it. Maybe I was okay with that.
The door opened, and Kiera walked into the room. She glanced at the dress before looking at me. “Are you good?”
“I mean, I guess,” I said. I still wasn’t sure what I should do, but time was running out for me to sort my feelings.
“Do you want to leave?” She sat next to me and watched me. “I’ll get you out of here if you do.”
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” I said softly.
“You didn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “Collin isn’t a good person. He’s cruel and mean and-“
“I know what he is,” I said. “I’ve seen him. All of him.”
She nodded. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said and sighed. “I guess none of us knows what we’re in for until we’re in the middle of it.”
“You didn’t expect to fall for a huge monster that wanted to keep you?” I joked.
“I don’t think I would have believed that if I had known,” she said. “But this means you’re stuck here.”
“I know, but the world will survive, and maybe it’s not so bad.”
“It’s not. The forest is beautiful. It’s full of some of the weirdest flowers you’ll ever find,” she said. “We live out there.”
“I am so glad you came to stay with me, Kiera. I missed hanging out,” I said.
“Now I guess we’ll have nothing but time, right?”
I smiled slightly. She was right. I wasn’t alone here. I had Kiera, and I had Collin. He was just going to have to learn to be nice to my friend even if he didn’t want to.
“I guess I have a wedding to get ready for,” I said with a slight smile. “You’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Of course,” she said, “but don’t get freaked out by the monsters. They all kind of look a bit weird.”
“Yeah, I know, Minotaurs.”
“Oh it gets weirder,” she said with a slight smile.

***

I stood at the doorway waiting for the doors to open to the living room area. At least he was willing to keep this wedding thing small. At least I thought it was going to be small until the doors opened and I realized the room was not the same.
I looked at him confused, and he smirked. On either side of the aisle were monsters of all kinds. Some I’d expected that resembled the ones you might see on television and others that looked straight out of a horror flick.
I kept my cool and forced a smile as I continued down the aisle like I owned the place. The skintight dress should have been uncomfortable, but I actually liked the feel of the fabric against my skin. Maybe Collin did know what he was doing when it came to this dress.
“What happened to the house?” I whispered when I got to him.
His smirk got bigger. “My power, remember?” He took my hand and kissed it. “I was beginning to think you were going to run.”
“No more running,” I said, and we turned to the same Minotaur that pulled me from my own world into this one. I guessed he’d studied more than just human food culture.
He went through the weird warlock vows. The moment I agreed, I felt something deep in my gut come alive. Like I was an old lamp that had been plugged into an outlet after sitting for a long time. It took my breath, and Collin leaned closer.
“That’s the connection,” he said.
“So, it worked?” I asked, and he nodded.
“You saved this world. He glanced up at a skylight that was lighting the entire place. “And we know what your power is now.”
I looked at him confused. He smiled. “Bex, you make the surrounding powers stronger.” He laughed, and everyone looked at us like we’d just done the weirdest thing. He turned to the monsters and Kiera and pulled me forward. “This is your new queen and the savior of your world. Keep her safe, and we all will live well.”
I glanced at him, and he pulled me to him, kissing me gently but also with a touch of hunger.
“I can’t wait to get you out of this dress and back into my bed,” he said, and I shook my head.
“Are you always so romantic?” I teased.

Want to read ad free? You can do that inside the coven. Click here to join.