Hecate's Own: Heart's Desire, Book 2 Read Free Page B

with his wolf’s and limped out the back door, his twisted paw
slowing him down. He felt embraced by his wolf’s love, the knowledge that here,
at least, was someone who accepted him unconditionally, loved him without
limits.
    He scented the night air. Exhaust fumes nearly choked him,
even here on the edge of the city. He’d have to find a place further out or
finish his training in record time and return home. He hated the stench of this
place, the constant noise and confusion. Most of all he missed his family. Even
asshole Daniel, who’d hugged him just outside the airport terminal before turning
him around and kicking his ass toward security and a life no Beckett had ever
lived before.
    I’m just a plethora of firsts. Zach rolled his eyes
and trotted off into the woods behind his townhome. He prayed none of the
neighbors saw him or, if they did, thought he was just a really big dog.
    Someday he’d return home, a fully trained witch, and kick Daniel’s ass. In the meantime, he could only hope and pray that his other brothers
eventually forgave him for what he’d done.
    Someday he might even tell them the price he continually
paid for Christopher’s life.
    God, he missed them. It hurt, knowing they didn’t want him
around. That he’d fucked up, again. And if they knew how much trouble he was
having here they’d either laugh their asses off or tell him how they’d told him
so. This was his last chance to prove that he was truly worth something.
    He was so damn tired of being a fuck-up.

Chapter Two
    “Mr. Beckett.”
    Zach winced and kept his eyes on the Prince. The man looked
vaguely curious as he stared at the great wooden chair where he normally held
court. The rich scent of chocolate filled the air, drowning out the sandalwood
incense the Princess had been burning. The Prince stood across from his throne,
arms crossed over his chest, his expression calm.
    Zach was feeling anything but.
    “Can you explain that to me, please?”
    Zach blew out his breath and prayed he didn’t look as
nervous as he felt. He’d seriously screwed the pooch and he knew it. “I was
hungry?”
    Prince Roland Malinborn, ruler of the Court of Witches and
the most powerful magic men in the world, turned to him. “So you turned the
carved white oak on the back of my throne, the ancient symbol of the Witch
Prince, into a green M&M ?”
    He resisted the urge to cover his eyes. He was pretty sure
his cheeks were bright red. “The lesson was to focus on what you wanted right
at that moment and bring it into being.” And hadn’t it been humiliating to fuck that spell up in front of ten-year-olds?
    “That’s just wrong, Zach.” The Witch Prince shook his head.
“It has a face.”
    “The strappy heels are kind of cute.” Princess Arianna
Malinborn tilted her head, the grin Zach knew she’d been fighting finally
making an appearance.
    “Not. Helping, sweetheart.” Prince Roland sighed. “Fix it, Mr.
Beckett.”
    He stared, horrified, at the Prince. “Are you sure you want me to do that?”
    The Prince stared back. “Good point.” He pulled his cell
phone out of his pocket. “Send Jo up, please.”
    Aw crap. Jo was going to give him hell. And from the
look on Prince Roland’s face he was going to have Zach’s ass stilled, his magic
silenced forever.
    Just like at home, he seemed to screw up every spell he
tried. But instead of fizzling and dying out with a whimper, here his spells
tended to blow up in his face.
    The local “Elk Lodge” served the witches well, giving the
Prince a centralized court without building an obvious palace. It was also a
source of occasional revenue. Actual magic performed during a wedding ceremony
would more than likely freak any normal wedding hall proprietor the hell out.
So the rulers of the Witch Court allowed magic families to rent certain rooms
for functions and used the space themselves for their own holiday balls and
special court functions.
    Zach kind of liked the place, even if the