Witch Moon Wishes (Wishing Moon Magic Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Wishing Moon Magic Series

  Blood Moon Rising

  Chapter One – Keely

  Chapter Two – Meredith

  Chapter Three – Keely

  Chapter Four – Meredith

  Chapter Five – Keely

  Chapter Six – Meredith

  Chapter Seven – Keely

  Chapter Eight – Meredith

  Chapter Nine – Keely

  Chapter Ten – Meredith

  Chapter Eleven – Keely

  Chapter Twelve – Meredith

  Chapter Thirteen – Keely

  Chapter Fourteen – Meredith

  Chapter Fifteen – Keely

  Chapter Sixteen – Silas

  Chapter Seventeen – Keely

  Chapter Eighteen – Keely

  Chapter Nineteen – Silas

  Chapter Twenty – Merri

  Chapter Twenty-One – Keely

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Keely

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Silas

  Chapter Twenty-Four – Clancy

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Keely

  Epilogue

  Also By Harmony Raines

  Get In Touch

  Witch Moon Wishes

  Wishing Moon Magic

  Book Three

  ***

  All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.

  This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.

  © 2022 Harmony Raines

  Cover by Jacqueline Sweet

  Wishing Moon Magic

  Recently divorced, Meredith returns home to Wishing Moon Bay with her two children. But she’s not looking for a midlife crisis.

  Who has time for one of those when you have children to raise?

  Helped by her family and Silas, a devastatingly handsome vampire, she learns to live, laugh and love again.

  Witch Moon Magic is a heartwarming paranormal women’s fiction series, with a side of romance and a sprinkling of magic.

  Wish Upon a Midlife Moon

  Wishing Moon Magic Book One

  Blood Moon Rising

  Wishing Moon Magic Book Two

  Witch Moon Wishes

  Wishing Moon Magic Book Three

  Hexing on a Hunter’s Moon

  Wishing Moon Magic Book Four

  Witch Moon Wishes

  Wishing Moon Magic

  Book Three

  It should have been a simple wish. All Merri wants is for Keely to find the man of her dreams.

  Unfortunately, the consequences are anything but simple and Merri sets of a chain of events that might cost Keely any chance of finding true love.

  Keely had almost given up hope of finding a man to love her. But thanks to Merri she has no shortage of suitors. Including a wolf shifter who says she is his mate.

  However, she doesn’t enjoy being swept off her feet against her will. To make things worse, just as she is beginning to believe he might actually be the one, he changes his mind and says she is not his mate after all.

  Maybe that’s a good thing since Clancy West left town years ago when he was suspected of being involved in a murder.

  Merri is mortified when her spell goes wrong, and she brings trouble to Keely’s door. But Keely’s trouble is nothing compared to the trouble heading for Wishing Moon Bay – a war between the Shadow Moon pack and the vampires.

  Clancy might just be the key to solving the situation. But can he be trusted?

  Chapter One – Keely

  “Focus.” Keely held her breath as Merri aimed her wand at the hearth and recited the spell they had been practicing for the last hour.

  “Ignite,” Merri commanded, and the small ball of kindling sparked into flame. “I did it.” Merri’s wand wavered in her hand as her eyes widened and she repeated, “I did it.”

  “Of course you did.” Keely slid her arm around her sister’s shoulders and gave her a congratulatory hug. “You should have more confidence in yourself.”

  Merri leaned her head on Keely’s shoulder and flexed her cramped fingers. “I just don’t seem to be able to learn some spells as fast as Brigette.”

  “We all learn at different speeds.” Keely let go of Merri and rolled her eyes. “I sound like you.”

  Keely had always admired the way Merri spoke to her children when they got upset about not being able to do something the other could. Particularly the way Merri reassured Brigette when she struggled to pick up a new skill her brother learned with no effort. Jared was a smart kid and things came easily to him, especially where school was concerned.

  Brigette and Jared each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but as the oldest, Brigette sometimes resented being outsmarted by her brother.

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing,” Merri replied.

  “It’s not a bad thing. Your kids are amazing, and you should be very proud of yourself. Both as a parent and as a witch.” Keely pushed down the familiar pang of loss that bloomed in her heart.

  It was stupid. How could you feel a loss for something you had never had?

  And yet she did.

  She’d always believed that one day she would have children of her own. However, she’d never found the right man to settle down with and she firmly believed a child deserved a father and a mother. And so she’d missed out on the one thing she’d taken for granted when she was younger.

  Motherhood.

  Or perhaps she had been too scared to go it alone. Afraid that she wouldn’t be able to juggle work and home life without help.

  However, after Merri’s divorce and return to Wishing Moon Bay as a single parent, Keely had changed her mind. Merri had taught Keely that life didn’t always work out perfectly. Dreams got broken, hearts got broken, but that didn’t mean dreams, and life, couldn’t find a new direction.

  It was possible to find a new route to happiness if you were brave enough to open your heart and take a chance.

  When Merri came home, she’d been scared, Keely could see it in her eyes. Scared that she wouldn’t be enough for her children. But she hadn’t needed to be enough. Merri’s friends and family had been there for her.

  The same friends and family who would have been there for Keely if she’d had a child on her own.

  In Keely’s rose-tinted dream of motherhood, she’d always had a man by her side. A man who wanted children. A man who wanted her.

  But there had possibly been another way. If she’d looked for it hard enough. If she’d wanted it enough.

  Now it was too late. Wasn’t it?

  “Where have you gone, Keely?” Merri slipped her hand into Keely’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  “I was thinking about children.” Keely screwed her face up. “It’s my one regret.”

  “Oh, Keely.” Merri gripped her wand in her hand and turned away from the fire.

  “It’s okay. I’ve accepted that children are not going to happen for me. But sometimes... When I see you with Brigette and Jared, I can see how much I’ve missed out on.”

  “It’s not too late for you to have kids,” Merri tried to reassure her, but Keely’s creaking knees and occasional memory lapses were a reminder that her biological clock was ticking away.

  “You forget that while you h
ave been blessed with two men falling in love with you, I have never found a man who wanted to stick around for more than a few months.” She shrugged. “I am okay with being the favorite aunt to your two wonderful children.” She held up her hand to Merri. “Yes, I know I am their only aunt but if I wasn’t...”

  “You would be their favorite, believe me.” Merri grinned. “And I think you’re wrong, there is still time for you to meet the right man and settle down.”

  “I know every man in Wishing Moon Bay. I’ve been on a date with most of the eligible ones over the years.” Her mouth turned up at one corner. “I’ve even dated more ineligible ones than I would care to remember.” There were times when her memory lapses were a good thing.

  “Yes, but people come and go from town all the time. And the dragons have left Cairnnor,” Merri warmed to the subject of dragons. They were a hot topic in town lately. “There might be a dragon shifter out there just for you. One with a hoard of treasure. One who will love you unconditionally forever.”

  “Is that what it’s come down to?” Keely teased. “I cannot be trusted to find and keep a man on my own, so I have to hope fate picked one out for me instead?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with fate lending a hand.” Merri grinned. “Especially one with treasure.”

  “You are so shallow, Merri.” Keely inhaled deeply and rolled her shoulders back. She’d been working long hours making candles and her body was starting to complain.

  “Oh, come on. What’s not to like about having a dragon shifter offer to protect your honor and ravish your body, while also offering you security for life?” Merri’s expression faltered. “On that note, I should go get some work done. We’re only days away from launching the new range of candles in the world beyond.”

  “Unless you would rather not?” Keely blurted out.

  Merri tilted her head to one side and studied her sister. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “No. Not exactly.” Keely ran her fingers through her hair. After a long day making candles, she needed to grab a shower.

  “But?” Merri pushed for answers.

  “It’s not a but exactly. It’s more of a get-out clause for you.” Keely chewed her bottom lip before continuing. This was a conversation they needed to have now. Before it was too late.

  “A get-out clause for me?” Merri’s brows knitted together.

  “Yes.” Keely pressed on even though she was beginning to wish she hadn’t raised the subject. They had spent months planning how they would expand the business and now that they were about to launch their plan, it probably sounded as if she was having second thoughts.

  Perhaps she was. Keely had run Sacred Scents for years just the way it was. They were only expanding because of Merri’s return to town and the need for the store to earn two livings instead of one.

  But those plans were put in place before Merri’s relationship with Silas grew into something serious.

  “Why would I need a get-out clause?” Merri asked. “You built the store up into the successful business it is today. Surely, you are the one who has every right to change their mind if it’s not what you want.”

  “It’s not that,” Keely assured her. “It’s going to take a lot of work to go out into the world beyond and sell the candles. We have no track record out there. Launching a new brand is tough.”

  “And you don’t think I can do it?” Merri sucked in a steadying breath as tears misted her eyes.

  “Oh, no!” Keely shook her head, mortified that Merri might think she didn’t believe in her. “I absolutely know you can do it.”

  “Then what changed your mind?” Merri’s suspicions were aroused as she studied her older sister.

  “You and Silas seem kind of...serious. And I don’t want the business to ruin your happiness.” Keely sure wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She was digging a hole and burying herself up to her neck in it.

  “What has the business got to do with my relationship with Silas?” Merri asked.

  “Well...” Keely closed her eyes and composed her thoughts. What did she know about long-term relationships? Not enough to offer her advice or even her opinion, but that was exactly what she was about to do. “Your relationship seems serious. And I wondered if a proposal was in the air.”

  “A proposal.” Merri’s face paled. “You think Silas is going to ask me to marry him?”

  “He’s serious about you, Merri. And I believe you are serious about him.” Keely reached for her sister’s hand and squeezed it between hers. “He’s loved you for a long time. He thought he was doing the right thing by letting you go. And he was right. You have a beautiful family, something he could never give you. But now he sees his chance of having something special with you. And he’s old-fashioned. How can he not be when he is so old?” Keely was rambling, her favorite nervous reflex.

  Merri stared down at her hand sandwiched between her sister’s. “I like things the way they are. I like living here with you. The kids are happy...”

  “They would be happy wherever you lived,” Keely assured her. “Not that I am trying to get rid of you. Primrose Cottage is your home. I have no desire to go back to living on my own...unless you move in with the man you love. And who loves you in return.”

  It was strange thinking of Silas as a man in love. Many people in town didn’t see him as a man at all. After all, he was a vampire.

  Keely had never thought of him as being anything other than a person. In Wishing Moon Bay, people came in all shapes and sizes, from normal humans to witches and warlocks, to vampires and shifters, and then there were the fae who thought themselves better than all the other races.

  “I do love Silas,” Merri admitted. “But I haven’t thought further ahead than us dating.” She paused and sucked in a breath as she forced a smile onto her face. “Honestly, I want to launch the business in the world beyond. It might make me feel like less of a failure.”

  “A failure.” Keely knitted her brows together. “Where did that come from?”

  “Look at me.” Merri let go of Keely’s hands and held her arms out to her sides. “My marriage failed, and I had to move in with my sister. I had no job prospects until you offered me a partnership in your store.”

  “Oh, Merri. That’s not how the rest of us see you at all.” Keely pulled her younger sister into her arms and held her close, as their mother would have done if she was still alive. “We’re so proud of you.”

  “But I’m not proud of myself,” she gulped. “I need to prove to myself I can stand on my own two feet.”

  “Okay then,” Keely murmured as she crushed Merri to her chest. “Let’s do this.”

  “Too tight!” Merri wheezed and Keely let her go.

  “Sorry.” Keely took a shuddering breath as she fought back tears. “We can do this, Merri.”

  “We can.” Merri switched her attention to the ball of kindling that was now just a bunch of glowing embers. “We can do anything if we put our minds to it.” She wriggled her fingers and whispered, “Ignite.” The embers flared brightly once more.

  “I think we might need more than magic to expand the business,” Keely told her, although she was open to suggestions.

  Merri chuckled. “A little magic won’t help. Neither will a wish stone or two.” She glanced at her phone as it beeped. “Silas wants to meet me at the beach.”

  “Then you should go. Make the most of your evening since the kids are having dinner at Aunt Laura’s.” Keely backed toward the door. “I’m going to take a shower. My hair smells of cinnamon.”

  “I really should go over some of the marketing material.” Merri glanced at her phone once more.

  “Go!” Keely told her. “Nothing should get in the way of true love.”

  “You’re right.” Merri rushed forward, kissed Keely on the cheek, and then ran out the door as if she had slipped back in time and was a teenager once more.

  What Keely wouldn’t give to experience that same heady feeling of love.

&nb
sp; But she’d settle for a long, hot shower. Or maybe she would take advantage of having the house to herself and have a luxurious soak in the bath without fear of being interrupted.

  It was the small things in life that made it worth living.

  Chapter Two – Meredith

  “You came.” Silas stood in the shadow of the ice cream parlor that overlooked part of the beach. His thumb rested on the smooth gold band of the daylight ring that gave him the luxury of walking in the sun. Although he’d worn the ring for months now, he still didn’t trust it.

  Merri couldn’t blame him. If the spell cast by a wise woman of the woods from the fae realm failed, then he would be gone in a puff of dust. The long life of Silas Langdon would be gone in an instant.

  And her heart with it.

  Merri smothered a smile that gave too much of her away as she shut the car door and headed toward the man who had shown her love when she needed it the most. On Merri’s return to Wishing Moon Bay, she’d had no intention of ever finding love again. Or, at least not until her children were all grown up and didn’t need her.

  She swallowed down a wave of emotion. Was there ever a time when a child didn’t need their mom? That was something Merri didn’t know for herself. Her mom had died giving birth to Merri.

  And so she’d never heard the sound of her mom’s voice, never felt her mother’s loving arms tighten around her when she needed comfort.

  Love fluttered in her heart. Silas had used his powers to fill her head with his memories of her mom. Through his memories, Merri had glimpsed her mother’s face, and seen her mother’s love for Merri’s father. Heard her voice.

  She cherished those second-hand memories as much as she cherished the man who had given them to her.

  “It’s such a nice evening, it would be a pity to miss it.” She turned her face to the sun as it slid toward the horizon, casting its rays on the ocean that sparkled like diamonds.