Wynter's Kiss ( A Paranormal Romance) Read online

  By: Darlene Kuncytes

  Wynter’s Kiss

  by: Darlene Kuncytes

  Copyright © at Darlene Kuncytes, 2018

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.

  Front Cover art from: Linda Boulanger, Tell Tale Book Covers.

  First Edition: May, 2018

  BISAC: Fiction / Paranormal / Romance / General

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

  This is a work of fiction. The places, characters, and events portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Works by Darlene Kuncytes

  The Supernatural Desire Series

  A Vampire’s Saving Embrace: Book One

  A Wolf’s Savage Embrace: Book Two

  Marcus’ Mortal Embrace: Book Three

  The Anthology Novella Series

  A Witch’s Hearts Desire: Book One

  Summer Sin: Book Two

  Wolf Bane: Book Three

  Magical Holiday Love: Book Four

  Stand Alone Titles:

  I’ll Be Seeing You

  Promised to a Dragon

  Originally published in the Stoking the Flames Anthology

  Red Velvet Vampire

  Originally published in the Sinfully Delicious Anthology

  Wynter’s Kiss

  Originally published in the Stoking the Flames II Anthology

  Anthology Projects:

  The Fountain: Seven Extraordinary Stories by Seven of Your Favorite Authors

  Coming Soon

  Harper’s Heavenly Embrace

  Book Four of the Supernatural Desire Series

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my Dragon Sisters.

  This amazing group of authors are some of the most talented, giving and caring women I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Their love and support, not to mention their enormous hearts inspire and astound me. I am so very blessed to call you incredible souls my friends!

  Table of Contents

  Works by Darlene Kuncytes

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I want to thank you, my faithful and supportive readers. Thank you for letting me tell my stories and for always coming back for more! It's because of you, that I do what I do. You all are my life's blood, and you encourage and inspire me daily to keep living my dream.

  I would also like to say a special thank you to some absolutely fabulous ladies who are truly my family. They may not be by blood, but they sure as hell are by love.

  Andi, Julia, Linda and Marj. You wonderful spirits are always there when I need you most. NO matter what, you are a shoulder to cry on. An ear to listen as I rant...but most importantly a friend and a sister. So, thank you, girls. You know I love you to the moon and back!

  Chapter One

  Maddox Westbrook blasted through the French doors of the mansion and out onto the back gardens as if he were being chased by Satan himself.

  But in a way, that was exactly what was happening.

  He glanced around quickly before stomping over to where his mother sat, peacefully enjoying the spectacular hues of purples and reds as the sun dipped low over the horizon and beyond the mountains.

  He knew this was her favorite time of day, and a small part of him hated to disturb her…but this just couldn’t wait.

  “Mother,” he called out, as he made his way over to where she sat.

  Her stunning violet eyes swept in his direction as a smile lit up her still beautiful, un-lined face.

  “Mads,” she tittered happily, setting down her ever-present cup of tea. “Are you here to enjoy the sunset with me?” she asked. “It’s been ages since you have, and it’s an absolutely glorious night. Although, I do believe a storm is coming,” she observed, turning her head to gaze out at the ominous black clouds that were gathering over the peaks, and Maddox couldn’t help but think how right she was. Just not in the way she was thinking.

  Unexpected, vicious thunderstorms were quite common in the early spring, and Maddox usually enjoyed them, but at the moment, it was the last thing on his mind.

  His mother motioned to the chair beside hers, then ran her long, delicate fingers through her mane of silvery hair, pushing it away from her face, when, as if on cue, the wind began to pick up.

  A sudden chill swept in, warning of the on-coming storm, and Maddox breathed it in greedily, enjoying that smell of ozone that clung to the air as he tried his best to rein in his anger.

  He dropped his six-foot four-inch frame onto the chair beside hers and jutted his long, muscular legs out in front of him.

  “We need to talk,” he announced once he had settled himself.

  “Uh oh,” his mother murmured, her tone laced with foreboding, although her smile never faded.

  Maddox studied her in silence a moment. He could plainly see that beneath her light, airy demeanor, his mother was the tiniest bit uncomfortable. She was hiding it well, but she looked very much like the cat who had swallowed the canary, and said canary wasn’t agreeing with her in the least.

  “You’ve been talking with Elsbeth, I see,” she remarked, her voice no more than a husky whisper as she brushed away an imaginary piece of lint from her leg, a habit of hers when she was cornered.

  “I have,” he replied, still trying hard to keep his temper in check.

  He knew his mother loved he and his sister more than anything else in this world - or any other for that matter, but her constant meddling in their lives seemed to be coming in at a close second as of late.

  A very close second.

  He knew that she meant well in her own control freak, obtrusive kind of way; but he was well past the point of allowing her to interfere in his life any longer.

  He clenched his jaw in frustration as he decided that the woman needed to find herself a damned hobby! Needlepoint…knitting…paper-mâché for God’s sake! It really didn’t matter, just as long as it meant she would leave him the hell alone and stay out of his life!

  His sister had been the lucky one. She had been smart enough to have broken away from their mother’s insatiable appetite to control her family by running off and marrying her childhood sweetheart. Although, if he were to be honest, the thought of having to marry in order to break away from their mothers meddling did not sit well with him at all.

  That was his sister’s idea of contentment. Not his.

  Morgan was now happily living in domestic bliss with the leader of another clan, and only had to deal with their mother a few times each year when they were forced to visit and listen to Rebecca’s never-ending demands for grandchildren.

  “It seems that the bitter old hag is, for some reason, under the impression that I’m to be mated soon,” he replied as evenly as he possibly could, but he knew that the muscle in his jaw was beginning to twitch.

  Domestic bliss might work for his twin, but it was definitely not what he had planned for his future.

  Ever.

  “Maddox Bartholomew Westbrook!” his mother scolded
sternly, the smile slipping from her lips in an instant. “Don’t you dare call her that. She’s been with us forever, and is one of the best seers our clan has ever had. She is never wrong about these things.”

  “Well, she sure as shit is in this instance!” he retorted with an angry growl and saw his mother flinch. “That old bat is way off of the mark on this one, I promise you,” he went on, trying his best to lower his voice. “I have absolutely no intention at all of settling down any time soon. Or ever!”

  Rebecca turned and met his gaze full on, her mouth settling itself into a frown as her brows furrowed together with concern.

  “Mads,” she informed him, her tone soft as she locked eyes with him and held firm. “This is not something I have any control over. Legend is very clear that the first-born son will rule with a mate at his side, as icy as a winters snow, yet with fire flowing in her veins. The prophecy has been foretold, and it’s not our place to question it.”

  “Just what in the Holy Hell does that even mean?” he snapped in irritation. “I’m sorry, Mother, but that is just not going to happen.” He stood and took off toward the house, his steps strong and purposeful. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be saddled with some frigid ice queen for a mate!”

  “Maddox!” she called after him. “Where are you going? We haven’t finished this!”

  “I’m going to spend a few days at the cabin. I need to get away from all of this insanity for a while,” he tossed back over his shoulder before slamming through the door.

  Rebecca watched in silence as her head-strong son stormed off, and her lips turned up slightly.

  He certainly has his father’s stubbornness, she thought fondly, that all too familiar pang of sadness hitting her as it always did when she thought of her mate. It had always been one of the things she had loved most about her husband. It was also the very thing that could try her patience faster than anything else on the planet, and yet had made him such an amazing leader to their clan of dragons.

  Blaine had been a strong and fearless leader. Handsome and strong…his clear head and confident way had served him well over the decades he had ruled, and Rebecca had no doubt in her mind that their son would follow in his father’s footsteps with no trouble at all. He was as honorable and as fair as his father had been and would be trusted whole-heartedly by their people. Her son was a good man, and he would make an excellent leader one day.

  Whether he wanted to or not.

  It was his legacy…his destiny. And the time for him to take over was fast approaching. Their clan needed a leader.

  Now, if he would only get over this irritating love them and leave them playboy attitude of his, and accept the fact that it was high time he found the one who was meant to be his for eternity and just settle down.

  Rebecca sighed, taking some small comfort in the fact that Elsbeth had foreseen this happening.

  And soon.

  The seer spent her days buried deep in the ancient texts of their people, studying the legends and prophecies. Knowing that the scripts foretold things others could not see, she painstakingly deciphered their meanings. It was what she had been meant to do from the moment she had bonded with one of their clansmen so many centuries ago. It had been fated that she had been brought into their fold.

  There was only one problem—the old girl had also seen danger on the horizon.

  But she hadn’t been able to explain just what that would be exactly, only that it was something unavoidable, and could possibly change what the fates had in store. The very thought of it was beginning to gnaw on Rebecca’s nerves.

  She didn’t like to leave things to chance.

  She stood and began to pace the garden, her brows drawing together as she wondered if there was something she could do to prevent that from happening.

  All she wanted was for her son to be happy and to rule. To finally settle down and find true love.

  He deserved that much. And…if he just happened to give her loads of grandchildren in the process, well, all the better.

  Rebecca’s smile reappeared with a vengeance as she turned and headed in the direction of Elsbeth’s cottage.

  Surely between the two of them they could think of some way to get this mating ball rolling. Especially since her mule-headed son seemed to have no intention at all of cooperating with the fates.

  Stubborn ass.

  Chapter Two

  Wynter Clarke blew at the strand of hair that had slipped from her braid and was tickling her face with a frustrated grunt as she leaned in closer to the open book of spells lying open in front of her, and tried to decipher the handwriting.

  Hells bells, she thought with an irritated huff. Had her great-great grandmother written the text with her feet?

  She closed the heavy book with a loud thud and sighed. She was doing her best to learn to control her ever increasing powers. She was a green witch, from a long line of earth witches, but without any family around to share their wisdom, or to help nurture her along the way, it was proving to be a daunting task to figure it all out for herself.

  Growing up, her mother had always been flighty and dangerously unpredictable, disappearing for days, if not weeks, on end. Without a mother, or a father—the bastard hadn’t even bothered to stick around for her birth—Wynter had been forced to raise herself, learning at a very early age that if she wanted to eat, she’d better figure out how to cook; if she wanted to have clean clothes, she’d better get the hang of washing. In short, she had been given no other choice but to learn how to fend for herself.

  Thankfully her inherited love of Mother Earth and all things nature, had proven to be useful tools in helping her to survive on her own.

  She had been well into her teens before she’d realized the full extent of the magic she was descended from not to mention the many supernatural beings all around her—like the wolf shifter she’d accidentally run into in the woods near the cottage where she (and sometimes her mother) lived.

  Foraging for herbs and wild onions, she had stumbled across a very nasty grizzly and her cubs. Frozen in fear, she was certain that her life was surely over, and was completely numb with terror, only to be saved from being mauled by an enormous grey wolf leaping from a thicket of trees.

  She shivered at the memory, thinking back to her astonishment as the canine beast jumped between them, snapping and snarling and chasing the bear away before shifting into a tall and striking man.

  Nico Black had bowed slightly, introducing himself as the alpha of a small pack of shifters living at the base of the mountains. She remembered him laughing at her stunned expression at his appearance, and not just because he was standing there so confidently in front of her completely nude as he snickered at her, he actually found her confusion amusing.

  He told her that he knew instantly she was a green witch, merely from her scent, and couldn’t understand her utter ignorance to other paranormal beings.

  He then had the audacity to wonder aloud, and in the most arrogant and pretentious of ways, if she could really be that dense. Finishing off with the quiet observation that she really didn’t look daft.

  Asshole.

  She had hastily thanked him for coming to her rescue before dashing away. Wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between them as possible.

  Thankfully it had been one of those rare occasions that her mother had been home. She had a thousand and one questions for her. But, when Wynter had burst through the door, spewing the tale of her encounter, her mother had merely laughed it off lightly, saying only that they came from a very long line of witches and she was going to be amazed at the wonders their world had to offer her. With a wave of her hand, she’d dismissed all of Wynter’s questions, promising that all would reveal itself when the time was right, as it had for her when she had come into her own.

  When Wynter woke the following morning, her mother was once again gone. Her great-great grandmothers book of spells left on the kitchen table for her.

  Only this time, she
never returned.

  That had been ten years ago.

  Ten years of Nico Black showing up at her door and eyeing her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl, before - according to him anyway - nobly offering her a place in his pack within his harem of wives, which she consistently and flatly refused.

  Ten years of wondering whatever happened to her mother and if she was still alive.

  Ten years of working her ass off to make a life for herself as she studied the lore’s and legends of every paranormal being she could possibly find.

  She had busted her ass to finish school and had gotten a job waitressing in the small town nearby as she scrimped and saved every penny she could so that she would eventually be able to save up enough to quit working and concentrate on honing her skills as a witch. To get the hell out of these God-forsaken mountains and the memories they held once and for all and possibly make something of herself. She wanted more than anything to use the skills that were in her blood to help heal other paranormal beings.

  Not be forced to marry an arrogant, disgusting wolf shifter and do nothing but produce litter after litter of babies just to strengthen his pack!

  Oh, hell no! She was the only one in charge of her destiny!

  Wynter stood and stretched her aching muscles. She had been staring at the yellowed pages of her grandmother’s book of spells for what seemed like days and was no closer to figuring out this particular spell than when she had first begun. The poor old things handwriting had progressively gotten worse as she had aged and it was becoming harder and harder to decipher the words.

  She had stumbled onto the remedy for driving away unwanted attention and had immediately thought of Nico. If she could just figure it all out, she might finally have her answer to getting rid of the irritating cur once and for all. From what she could read, it was a potion for quelling the interest of unwanted suitors and he fit that bill to a T.