It's been five years since Morgan learned about her heritage, about her adoption. She is living with her fiance Cal Blaire in Manhattan, loving the religious and lifestyle freedom that came with cutting ties with her family.
When Cal convinces her to go home to visit his mother, she runs into some trouble with not only her parents, but a stranger who may spell trouble for her future with the only man she's ever loved.
This was a wonderful way to wake up.
The air was crisp and cool, signifying the end of a torturously hot summer and the beginning of cozy fall days. Birds were chirping from the open window of our west-facing apartment in the upper east side of Manhattan. Cal was still in bed with me, which was rare for this time of day.
The birds' lullaby brought me back to sleep, only to be so rudely woken up by Cal's hand playfully smacking my uncovered backside.
"What?" I whined, taking the comforter from his hand and rewrapping myself in my own little cocoon, safe from his touch.
"We need to head out soon," he said in my ear, then nipped at it, making me giggle. With a groan, I stretched.
I opened my eyes to meet his beautiful golden irises, focused intently on my face. "Can't your mother wait another day to see you?" I asked for the thousandth time. "Or come up here? We have a guest room." I pointed out.
It wasn't that I had a problem with seeing Selene—in fact, I loved her almost as much as my own parents.
But that was the thing: I didn't want to visit Selene in Widow's Vale because of my parents. In the last three years, we hadn't exchanged a word. As soon as I turned eighteen, I told them that I was moving in with Cal in Manhattan after I graduated.
Needless to say, they weren't happy. They were furious that I decided to forgo college. They were appalled that I would be living in sin with my boyfriend. And they were absolutely dumbfounded by my admission to giving up Catholicism in light of the discovery of my true heritage, of being a witch.
I loved my parents. They were some of the greatest people in the world, but I couldn't forgive them for not wanting anything to do with me when I decided a different way of living. It hurt a hundred times worse than the mark Cal had just left on my right cheek.
Cal managed to unravel me from my cocoon, and he straddled my bare body, lightly cupping my face in his hands. "Baby, please. I don't ask for much."
I nodded. "I know. I'm just afraid of running into them, of making them angry again. I almost wish sometimes I hadn't found out about any of this."
"Then you wouldn't have me."
I grinned slyly and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Exactly why I said almost."
Cal's lips met mine, and his hands traveled lower, stroking my breasts, my waist, and down to the one place he knew he had full control over.
But two can play at that game.
I closed my legs, trapping his hand between my thighs.
"Nope," I said cheerfully. "We don't have time. We have a drive ahead of us." I pushed him down and got on top, feeling his erection through his jeans. I kissed his lips once and bounded off the bed and walked to the bathroom.
Turning on my heel, I spun to face him, bracing my hands against either side of the doorway. "However, I do have to take a shower…" I said leadingly. He didn't need a second invitation.
"So tell me the truth." I said, twirling the band around my left ring finger. We'd been engaged for a year now, and still there have been no talks of actually going through with it, though I'm sure we would. Eventually…
"About…?" he asked, expertly maneuvering his Jag onto the freeway. It had been an engagement present to both of us from his overly generous mother, Selene Belltower.
In answer, I held up my left hand and wiggled the finger with his ring on it. Cal groaned and braked, cursing under his breath at the heavy traffic.
"We'll talk about it later." He said.
"We can talk about it now." I insisted petulantly. "We're going to be stuck for a while."
"Morgan." He said, firmly, and I felt like a child being scolded.
I huffed and folded my arms across my chest, resting my head against my window. Sometimes, and they were rare occurrences, I felt as though Cal didn't even want to be with me. He says he loves me, he shows me he loves me, but occasionally it feels forced.
Like our engagement, for example. I had been hinting for a while, and he'd finally proposed. It wasn't overtly romantic or anything, but it was still a lovely gesture. It still counted.
We'd had an argument the night before. I was regretting moving to the city with him, and he was regretting asking me to. We were angry, things were said that hurt me more than I ever would have thought possible.
Cal had left after our fight, slamming the door behind him.
Every disagreement we had ever had ended in one of us walking out, or me apologizing for even bringing it up.
He hadn't been back when I went to bed, so the next morning, I was more than surprised to find a ring with a piece of string attaching it to a little ripped piece of ruled paper saying YES OR NO?
Of course I had said yes.
I loved this man with every fiber of my being—I gave up my life for him.
Cal Blaire would forever be the most important person in my life. He was my fiancé, my husband, the father of my future children, the high priest of our coven, Cirrus, which had formed when I was sixteen.
When we moved, so did the coven. We were the only original members still in the coven.
My former best friend, Bree Warren, had convinced me to join along with her. She had been utterly infatuated with Cal, and when he'd chosen me, she cut all ties with me.
Losing Bree had been the worst thing in my life at that moment in time.
Now the worst would be to lose Cal, especially if I pushed too hard and made him do things he knew he didn't want to do.
Like maybe marry me.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
"I love you." I told him with a small smile.
After a minute or two, he returned my smile and placed his right hand on my thigh. "I love you, too."
Short first chapter, but hopefully it's worth reviewing...? I have a lot of plans for this one! Next chapter should be up later today.