Holiday Magic Read online

  Holiday Magic

  TL Reeve

  Kim Carmichael

  K. Williams

  T. A. Moorman

  Brigitte Ann Thomas

  A.K. Hudson

  After Glows Publishing

  Snowbound Copyright © 2017 by TL Reeve

  Eight Nights in Eden Copyright © 2017 by Kim Carmichael

  I Loved a Warlock from Wichita Copyright © 2017 by Brigitte Ann Thomas

  Tarnished Knight Copyright © 2017 by K. Williams

  Spark of Solstice Copyright © 2017 by A.K. Hudson

  Santa's Curse Copyright © 2017 by T.A. Moorman

  * * *

  Published by After Glows Publishing

  PO Box 224

  Middleburg, FL 32050

  AfterGlowsPublishing.com

  * * *

  Cover by Jacqueline Sweet

  Formatting by AG Design & Formatting

  * * *

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  AfterGlowsPublishing.com

  Contents

  Introduction

  TL Reeve

  Snowbound

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  About the Author

  Kim Carmichael

  Eight Nights in Eden

  1. Night One

  2. Night Two

  3. Night Three

  4. Night Four

  5. Night Five

  6. Night Six

  7. Night Seven

  8. Night Eight

  9. After Eden

  10. New Year’s Eve

  About the Author

  K. Williams

  Tarnished Knight

  1. Maia

  2. Maia

  3. Maia

  4. Maia

  5. Maia

  6. Maia

  7. Maia

  8. Maia

  9. Maia

  10. Maia

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  T. A. Moorman

  Santa’s Curse

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  About the Author

  Brigitte Ann Thomas

  I Loved a Warlock from Wichita

  1. Kaitlyn

  2. Kaitlyn

  3. Kaitlyn

  4. Kaitlyn

  5. Kaitlyn

  6. Kaitlyn

  About the Author

  A.K. Hudson

  Spark of Solstice

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  About the Author

  Note From the Publisher

  Holiday Magic

  A paranormal and contemporary winter holiday romance anthology

  * * *

  By: TL Reeve, Kim Carmichael, Brigitte Ann Thomas, K. Williams, A.K. Hudson, and T. A. Moorman

  * * *

  Make this winter magical with 6 BRAND NEW Holiday romances.

  This Holiday Season SIX amazingly talented and bestselling authors come to together in this collection of Holiday Magic with vampires, witches, shifters, and humans.

  Tis the season for a paranormal and contemporary romance anthology with a touch of magic everyone will fall in love with.

  Snowbound

  TL Reeve

  1

  Amity Jones drove along the two-lane country road, scrubbing her window every so often to wipe the fog away. She’d learned over the past few months that staying off the main highways, along with driving at night, kept her safe. Or had, until last week.

  “So stupid. Don’t think. Just drive.” However, the excruciating headache jackhammering at her temples made it nearly impossible. Add in the almost whiteout conditions and she needed a rest stop or even an all-night diner to hide out.

  On the seat next to her sat the brown bottle of pills she received from the clinic and the paperwork she’d need to enter a domestic abuse shelter. She contemplated going for half a second. Then realized she’d be putting others at risk. No, it’d been better this way. The fewer people in Javier’s way, the fewer people he could hurt.

  It hadn’t started this way. She fancied herself in love with the man. Appearance-wise, he came off as a classy guy. Well educated. Had a good job. Smart. Funny. Everything Amity could ever want in a partner stood before her in a three-piece suit while checking on his three-year-old niece at the daycare where she’d worked. In all her life, she’d never imagine he’d want anything to do with her.

  Six-foot-two with short brown hair and expressive amber eyes, he captivated her from the moment he said hello. After all the foster homes and group homes she’d floated through as a child, he represented everything stable and good in life. She judged him from one meeting with a little girl who he seemingly doted on.

  She hadn’t seen him when he was home alone with the lights turned down. She hadn’t seen how he treated a puppy or a cat. And she certainly hadn’t been ready for his behavior toward her. The first time he hit her, he claimed it was an accident. He got so worked up, it happened—basically blaming her. She’d stupidly forgiven him.

  Almost two years went by and he hadn’t struck out at her in anger. He pampered her. Took her places. Made her feel special. He did everything right to make up for her black eye. She fell for him hook, line, and sinker. Then two weeks before their third anniversary, it started again. The abuse became a regular occurrence. On that day, Amity realized she’d always been in over her head.

  Javier was a powerful man. Connections everywhere, and people feared him. Once the mistreatment became more frequent, it pulled back a veil on other parts of his life. She saw everyone clearly. It also made getting away nearly impossible. He knew her every move from the time she left for work in the morning, till she returned to his apartment at night. If she didn’t come home within ten or fifteen minutes of her normal arrival time, he sent his goons looking for her.

  Even after all this time, she still couldn’t reconcile the man who hung the moon and stars for his niece with the man who beat her on a regular basis while threatening her life.

  To leave him, Amity knew
she’d have to save money, at least six months’ worth, to live without worry, and she had to do it on the sly. She planned her “leave on date” for the same day he left for his annual trip.

  She went to work and acted like it was a normal day. Once inside the daycare, she let her boss know she wouldn’t be back. Then the long tedious countdown till she left.

  At first, she thought about packing a bag, but it wouldn’t work. The minute anything left the apartment that shouldn’t, Javier would have known. So during her lunch break, she transferred all her money to a new account and grabbed what she needed clothes-wise.

  Where she’d go, she didn’t know—hell, even as she drove this long desolate stretch of road, the snow swirling in a dizzying pattern in front of her, she still had no clue where she was headed.

  Hopefully this time, she’d find a new place to call home. Hopefully this time, she’d be able to settle longer than three weeks. So far, in the last year, she’d only slowed for a month. The other forty-eight weeks, he ran her like a dog.

  Just be glad you never married him. Oh, he asked her over and over, told her some sob story about why he lashed out like he did. When she didn’t believe him, he beat her again. Most of the marks, unlike this time or five other times since she’d left, had been on places no one could see without her being naked.

  The intake papers and brochure for the domestic violence shelter she’d been assigned to lying on the seat beside her tempted her. The place looked nice when she first read through everything. Or as nice as it could from an advertisement. Maybe she’d done the wrong thing by driving away, missing her allotted arrival time.

  She groaned. And maybe, you’re an emotionally mental wreck. It fit. Even as she contemplated turning around and going back to the shelter, she decided against it. As it stood, until she got far enough away—if there were a far enough away—Amity had a target on her back and so did anyone around her.

  She glanced in her rearview mirror and noticed a set of headlights far behind her. Crazy ass people out in the middle of this. Yes, she considered herself one of the crazies too. She wouldn’t have been out there if she weren’t on the run. But until she found a safe place to spend the night, she had to keep driving. She flicked her gaze to the mirror again. What the hell? She squinted. Had the vehicle gotten closer?

  The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood. She was alone. No one had a clue where she was. Although, she supposed it would be easy to track her in her car. But she’d cut and run, going completely out of state. Five states to be exact, if she’d counted correctly. About two and a half hours ago, she crossed into Minnesota.

  Because she’d stayed off the main highway, her route was isolated, and every little mom-and-pop store or restaurant had shuttered its doors by sunset, and there didn’t seem to be anywhere safe to pull off. It also probably didn’t help that it had snowed a good portion of the day. She supposed she should even be happy the roads were as clean as they were.

  Thankfully, ten miles back, she passed a sign letting her know another town lay twenty miles ahead. They had to have a fast food joint or a small grocery store…something. With a peek at the dash, the time surprised her. 8:15 PM. She thought it had been later. Bone tired and soul weary, she figured adrenaline kept her going at this point. “Only a little longer and you’ll find a place to lay your head.”

  She hoped.

  Pressing the scan button on the radio, she glanced in her rearview mirror again. The vehicle had gained on her quickly, blinding her momentarily from the glare in her rearview mirror and side mirror. What kind of idiot drives in these conditions with their high beams on? With the snow whipping, she couldn’t judge a true distance between them, but the truck seemed awfully close. She shook off the uneasy feeling, assuring herself it was all in her head.

  “This is the emergency alert system. A strong storm capable of six to twelve inches of snow is approaching Rosewood and will arrive within the next thirty minutes. Citizens of the town should be prepared to be snowed-in for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Heavy accumulations are possible on tree limbs and power lines causing mass power outages. White out conditions are favorable. If you are on the road, find a place to take shelter for the night.”

  Perfect. Just perfect. As the streetlights spaced closer together, she let out a breath of relief. In the distance, a wooden sign welcomed her to Rosewood. The words were covered in a layer of the white fluff almost obscuring the design. Finally, maybe now, she’d rest and get rid of her pounding headache.

  The flicker of lights in her rearview mirror drew her attention from the road. The pickup behind her had crept so close, she couldn’t tell where her car ended and the other vehicle began. Her stomach soured. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Instinct told her she’d been found, even if her mind tried to rationalize the situation.

  No one knew where she’d fled. The hospital registered her into a shelter, but she hadn’t gone there. Even if Javier’s men went to the ER, they’d only find out she’d left and if they were sly enough, the name of the shelter. Amity’s heart ached. The shelter would be a dead end, but if he went there first, he’d do as much damage as possible, harming innocent lives because she’d left him. Guilt consumed her. Why didn’t she stand up to him when this all started?

  Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Any sudden moves would throw her off the road, and even though her car was a piece of shit, it was her only mode of transportation, so she couldn’t afford to lose it in a snowy ditch. As it stood, the heavy, slick snow clung to the no-longer-clear road making it hard for her to keep her car steady.

  How hard would it have been to throw some salt on this road? Slowing, she tried to use the side of the road to guide her. The tree line thickened and she wondered for a minute if perhaps she’d gone through the town without realizing it.

  The vehicle behind her backed off before flashing its headlights at her, then flicked on its high beams. Blinded momentarily, the road in front of her was washed out by the bright light. She panicked. Stomping on the brakes was a reflex, not something she’d do in a normal situation. But her life had been anything but normal as of late.

  Her car fishtailed to the right, then back to the left. Amity eased off the pedal and gassed it, hoping to straighten out and avoid the ditch. The car chugged, trying to gain purchase on a road where none could be found. The screech of spinning wheels filled the interior, and she said a silent prayer she’d make it out of this alive.

  Her car lurched from the impact of metal crunching into metal. The other driver rear-ended her, propelling her forward as her car slipped and slid on the now, icy road. The rev of the other vehicle’s engine was her only warning before she was struck again.

  Amity screamed.

  She tried to stay in control of her car, but the wheel jerked left to right, causing her back tire to go onto the snow-covered shoulder. Her heart pounded as she tried to speed up. But her beater of a car didn’t like the sudden acceleration. The transmission bogged down until the gear caught, sling-shotting her up the road, wiggling back and forth.

  The more she tried to turn into it, the worse it became until she spun in circles in the middle of the road. The truck behind her sped up. Its headlights illuminated the interior of her beat-up sedan as she came to a stop sideways across the road. The passenger side of her vehicle faced the pickup as the driver barreled down the highway at a rapid pace.

  Amity’s seatbelt held her locked in place. Her car’s engine had died. None of the power windows would open. She was a sitting duck. No amount of screaming or crying or begging would stop what she knew would happen next. And like watching two trains collide on a track, she couldn’t look away. Fear churned in her belly. He heart thumped against her ribs. If this is it, God, let it be quick. She sent up the silent prayer as she watched the truck crash into her passenger door.

  The impact propelled her against the driver side door. Her head hit the hard, plastic molding around the window while her shoulder shattered th
e glass. The force of the impact dislodged her foot from the brake and the car began to slide down an embankment she hadn’t realized was there. Stars danced before her eyes. She hurt from head to toe from the blow. Though she tried to keep her eyes open and stay conscious, her mind and body were already weakened from the last beating she received a week before.

  Her world spun. The tops of the trees danced in a circle swaying closer, then farther away with each spinning rotation. Her stomach pitched and rolled as nausea gripped her. When she finally came to rest next to a grove of trees, she tried to get out, but couldn’t for the life of her even find her phone to call for help.

  “Hello, Amity.” Her blood went cold. She knew that voice. “Thought you could slip through my fingers once again, didn’t you?”