A Witch's Holiday Wedding Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Praise for Tena Stetler

  A Witch’s Holiday Wedding

  Copyright

  Dedications

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  A word from the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  A strong arm whipped around her waist,

  the air whooshed out as she squealed. She balled up her gloved fist as a large warm hand wrapped around her wrist. “I’ve seen you defend yourself. Not going to chance it.” A deep voice chuckled behind her.

  “Lathen—I’m going to…”

  He spun her around and covered her cold lips with his warm ones. Werewolves run several degrees warmer than most of the population, one of the things she loved about him. She relaxed into him. Their parkas making a wisping sound as the material rubbed against each other. “That’s better,” he murmured against her lips.

  All at once the lights in the square blinked on. Low positioned red and green laser light decorations sparkled over the snow-covered ground and onto the gazebo, complementing the white lights. From the other direction, a blue laser sprinkled tiny snowflakes across the building. Evening fell quickly in December.

  “This is absolutely beautiful.” She breathed against his chilled cheek and whirled out of his hold taking in all the lighted decorations not visible earlier then pointed toward the bulletin board. “I’ve been reading the town’s holiday events. Lobster Cove really embraces Christmas.”

  “Told you,” Lathen said smugly. “Even some of the boats docked in the harbor are decked out with colored lights.”

  Praise for Tena Stetler

  A DEMON’S WITCH was the All Romance Best Seller and The Romance Reviews Readers Choice 2016 Nominee.

  “I thoroughly enjoyed this sexy paranormal story with excellent world building and well developed characters. The author has created a clever setting by making the headquarters of the demon a trendy hair salon in Washington, DC. An excellent debut novel that I recommend!”

  ~Lana Williams, Author

  ~*~

  CHARM ME was The Romance Reviews Readers Choice 2016 Nominee.

  “This is a great book, a wonderful story full of surprises and will keep you reading long into the night. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author.”

  ~L. Collins

  ~*~

  “Just finished A Witch’s Journey by Tena Stetler. What a great book. I had tears in my eyes, tears of happiness for the people in the book. I LOVE when a book takes you away with emotion and makes you feel you are part of it. Thank you, Tena, for an amazing story. Can’t wait to read more of your books.”

  ~J. Gray

  A Witch’s

  Holiday Wedding

  by

  Tena Stetler

  The Lobster Cove Series

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  A Witch’s Holiday Wedding

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Tena Stetler

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Kristian Norris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-1181-4

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1182-1

  The Lobster Cove Series

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedications

  To my family and friends,

  who are so supportive.

  ~*~

  To my husband, Bruce,

  who rocks my world!

  ~*~

  To my editor, Lill,

  who makes my books the best they can be.

  ~*~

  And to my readers,

  I can’t thank you enough!

  ~*~

  To the wildlife rescue and rehabilitators,

  whose tireless efforts

  make the world a better place,

  a heartfelt thank you!

  Chapter One

  A Change of Plans

  Fingers poised over the keyboard, Pepper glanced down and smiled admiring the morning sun glinting off her emerald and diamond engagement ring. Thoughts of her fiancé intruded into her morning, despite her busy schedule. Her computer chimed indicating the arrival of a new email. She clicked on the email to open it, her body stiffened. Her mother was at it again.

  The office door banged open. Pepper jumped as a frigid blast of air hit her square in the face before the door closed. Her office shared space with the lab and supply room of the Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. It was located on the family property she’d inherited under somewhat interesting circumstances. Pepper built LCWRRC with the help of former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz, her now fiancé. The Center filled a badly needed resource for the community and fulfilled her lifelong dream.

  She glanced up from the computer screen and grimaced. Lathen, his cheeks rosy from the cold, surfer blond hair tousled as usual, stomped his snow-covered boots on the mat. Tonk tried to squeeze in between his legs. He grabbed the wolf pup rescue that had become his shadow by the harness. Dylan Foster, a vet in town, had brought the pup to the Center. A vehicle had hit the gray wolf in Arcadia National Park, shattering his jaw and hind leg. Dr. Foster pinned the jaw, put a rod in his leg, and neutered him because even with rehab, it was apparent he wouldn’t be suitable for release.

  “Halt.” Lathen’s aqua-marine blue eyes sparkled against his bronze skin. “You track mud and snow in Pep’s office and we’ll both be sharing your kennel tonight. And I have other plans.” He waggled his eyebrows at Pepper, gave her a lopsided grin, which faded at her stormy expression.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Despite her frustration, Pepper’s heart did a flip-flop as she stared at the tall, muscular man she was due to marry in a few weeks. “My mother.”

  Tonk, his thick tawny fur covered with glistening snow, tilted his head up, flicked his ears and shook. Snow flew in every direction. Lathen frowned. “Tonk, sit.”

  Pepper hopped up from her desk chair, almost knocking the chair over, grabbed a roll of paper towels and tossed them to Lathen. Ember, a chow/mutt mix, lifted her head but remained curled up on a rug in the corner behind Pepper’s desk watching from beneath it. With her shiny black coat and bright eyes, Ember was a far cry from the matted, skinny, skittish dog Pepper had rescued upon her arr
ival at the cabin months ago.

  “Good thing your parents left when they did or they’d be snowbound here.” Lathen glanced at Pepper before bending down, wiping the floor and Tonk’s paws. He released the wolf who promptly loped across the room to join Ember on the large fluffy rug in the corner. Tonk bowed down, his butt in the air, yipped, and grabbed the frayed edge of the rug. He tugged, eliciting a low growl from Ember as she curled her lip in warning.

  “Knock it off you two,” Pepper said firmly. Ember laid her head back on her paws, and Tonk let go of the rug and raced across the room to Lathen’s side. “He’s not going to save you, boy.”

  Lathen grabbed him by the harness again and commanded, “Sit. Stay.” The wolf obeyed but not without loud complaint. Lathen crossed the room, wrapped his arms around Pepper, and brushed his cold lips at the base of her warm neck. “Now what about your mother?”

  Pepper squealed. “You’re freezing. And you did that on purpose.” Shivering she shoved him away.

  Feigning innocence, he shrugged. “Who me?”

  “Most certainly you.” She laughed in spite of herself, helped him out of his coat, and kissed him affectionately on the mouth. “You want something to warm you? There’s fresh brewed coffee.” She motioned to the coffee maker on the counter to the left of her desk. “Or I have French vanilla tea bags. Hot chocolate might take a little longer.” Taking a sip of tea from her steaming mug, she watched him over the rim, tamping down the irritation at her mother.

  “Not exactly what I had in mind, but coffee will do…for now,” he said in a low, seductive rumble.

  When she tried to ignore his innuendo, heat flashed through her body. The man never failed to arouse her at the darnedest times. Memories of a recent night in the hot tub only fanned the flames of desire. Pepper shook her head, attempting to dislodge such thoughts and address the business at hand with little success.

  With a slight smile, she recalled the first meeting with Lathen when she inherited the cabin and property in Lobster Cove, Maine, from Aunt Ashling, her father’s sister, whose ghost still inhabited the property.

  “Hey, where’d you go?” Lathen stood beside her waving one hand slowly in front of Pepper’s face, while the other rested on her hand holding the coffee pot that hovered dangerously over the mug.

  He tipped her hand so the hot coffee streamed into the mug, then took the pot and set it on the warmer. “How’s it going this morning? I assume you’ve heard from your mom? Did they get home all right?”

  “Yes, they did. Take a look at this.” She stalked around the desk and jabbed an index finger at the screen.

  Lathen stood behind her chair, hands resting on her shoulders and read the email. “She’s only suggesting a change to the Thanksgiving plans. If you calm down and think this through, it might not be a bad idea.”

  “You’re siding with her?”

  Lathen blew out a breath, keeping his voice calm. “No… I’m considering all you have to do with the Center, our upcoming wedding, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations that maybe spending Thanksgiving with your parents would be a good idea.”

  “She’s always trying to run the show, take control. That’s why I seldom went home, nor invited them to my place very often. I didn’t have the inclination to listen to her criticize my career path. You know, she always hated that I followed in Ashling’s and my dad’s footsteps.”

  “Whoa, there. You two got along great the two months she and your dad were here. They were a great deal of help to us with the Center as we got it up and running. Especially when we took the unexpected trip to Alaska to attend my father’s wedding and clear up that family mess.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip and nodded reluctantly.

  “Remember you told me to give my dad and the pack the benefit of the doubt. You were right.” He chuckled and rubbed his cheek. “About most things. There was that incident at the community center in Alaska…with Sofie.”

  Silent for a couple beats, Pepper’s cheeks warmed. “Okay, I guess I flew off the handle without provocation. It’s just…there’s so much to do between now and the first of the year. I don’t need her interfering.”

  He rubbed her shoulders. “I wouldn’t call it interfering. I think it’s a good idea.”

  “Even if I agreed to Mom’s plan, which I’m not. It’s only three weeks until Thanksgiving. That is not enough time for your family to change reservations.”

  “Well, since they are taking Dad’s plane, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  “Your dad has a plane?”

  “He is a tour guide in Denali. Of course he has a plane and a pilot’s license to fly it.”

  “But you never mentioned a plane when we were there.”

  “You didn’t ask. Reuniting with my dad, the pack, and the wedding consumed my waking hours. Getting around in Alaska is a lot easier by plane than other modes of transportation, weather permitting.”

  “What about Kaylee, Tonk, and Ember? I don’t want to leave them here on our first Thanksgiving together.”

  Lathen snapped his fingers. “Leave that to me. As far as the rest of the creatures here, I’m sure Alec will be happy to care for them while we’re gone. He can also call in the two teens that help out in the summer, if necessary.”

  “I hate to leave all that up to someone else. It’s our responsibility. The animals are dependent upon us to care for them until they are well enough to take care of themselves.”

  “That’s true, and why we hired Alec. He’s experienced enough to handle the chores for a few days. We won’t be gone long. He can have the week before Christmas and New Year’s off in exchange for working Thanksgiving week. Seems a fair trade.”

  Pepper chewed on her bottom lip, a habit she’d had since childhood, when nervous or considering a problem and nodded slowly.

  “The rest will do us both good before the whirlwind of the wedding and holidays. I plan to enjoy the season with my new bride.” He leaned over and kissed her, with a whisper of movement he grabbed her parka off the hook by the door, held it out for her. “Bundle up, let’s take a walk around the property, you need to clear your head.” Lathen released Tonk from the place by the door where he’d finally settled. The wolf pup stood, arched his back, and pushed his front paws forward then stretched his back legs one at a time. “Ready for a run?”

  Pepper whistled for Ember to follow. “Let’s go back to the cabin and let Kaylee out of her aviary to follow us.” She slipped on her boots, wrapped a scarf around her neck, pulling part of it over her face, and shrugged into the parka.

  Pulling on his jacket, he opened the door, ice crystals sparkled on the crisp air that swept into the room. “You didn’t let her out this morning?” Lathen closed the door behind them. Tonk and Ember raced up the snowy path, barking and tumbling over one another on the way to the cabin.

  “Nooo…fed her from the fish holding tank. Kaylee was okay with it.” Pepper finished zipping her coat up. “While a wild osprey would be able to hunt and fish in this weather then hunker down in shelter somewhere and survive, she never learned those skills, due to her injuries as a chick.” Pulling her gloves on, she sauntered down the path. “Being my familiar, a magical creature, she bonded to me rather than looking to return to the wild. She’s done much better here than the eight years prior at the Salem Wildlife Sanctuary.”

  “Hey—I wasn’t questioning your abilities or judgment, only whether or not you let her out this morning.” He raised his hands, palms up in a surrender gesture. “A little touchy this morning?”

  “No. I was doing just fine, until the email arrived.” Pepper huffed.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Really? You’ve tossed and turned every night since I proposed a week ago. Maybe I should have whisked you off without warning to get married, instead of asking you to be my wife at the gathering of your family on Halloween night.” His lips twitched, and he ducked anticipating her reaction as she swiped at him. “As long as we are on this subject. Your ghostly aunt a
ppeared by the pond the other morning as I passed by on my way to the seabird aviary.”

  “Do I really want to hear this—now?” Pepper peered up at him, her lips pursed.

  Lathen shrugged, the corners of his mouth kicked up in a devilish grin. “Ashling wanted to know if you planned on getting married at the pond. I asked if she was out of her mind, us warm-bloods would freeze. Your aunt hooted and said the ghosts wanted to create a magic bubble over the pond and surrounding shore to accommodate those attending the wedding. Apparently most of the spirits that were here on Halloween plan to return to attend our wedding and feel most comfortable at the pond.”

  Pepper groaned and rolled her eyes. “Not them too. Whose wedding is it anyway?”

  “Just my two cents, but the idea intrigues me. The town knows you are a broom toting, cauldron-stirring witch after the occurrences on All Hallows Eve. No problem there. My family or pack may howl at the moon—outside, but they won’t think anything about the magic. In fact, Dad and Amy kinda like having a witch in the family, not to mention my brother and sister-in-law.”

  Her hands fisted on her hips, she slid to a stop in the middle of the path to the marine habitat on the ocean shore. “Broom toting, cauldron stirring…strong words for an alpha male werewolf that howls at the moon and likes…”

  He roared with laughter as he scooped her up and silenced her tirade with a searing kiss, one that warmed her down to her toes. She sighed. He always knows how to relieve my stress.

  When they reached the fork in the path, Lathen took the one that led to the Seabird Aviary. Once inside, he lowered her until her feet touched the ground. Whistles and screeches permeated the air as Kaylee sailed in behind them, banked, and landed on a perch specially designed for her. She whistled to the birds and they quieted down.

  “Hey, I thought we were walking the property.”

  “Oh, we will in a moment. I wanted to show you where I’m going to construct the temporary flight for the falcons.” Lathen pulled out his tape measure and handed one end to Pepper. They discussed the size, shape, location of the structure and gage of the wire needed. After reaching an agreement, Lathen pulled a note pad out of his pocket, scribbled something, then snapped the measuring tape back, and stuffed it in his pocket. Holding open the aviary door for Pepper, he whistled for Kaylee to follow, closed the door after she soared through and out into the cloudy sky.