How do I love thee? Let me count the paranormal ways... With vampires, werewolves, pixies, and zombies too, discovering the supernatural reasons behind love has never been more fun!
This is a short story collection like no other! Meet a werewolf who needs to confess his deepest secret to his fiancé as they start to plan their wedding... watch as the owner of a flower shop must trust the fate of her business to a wizard... discover a young witch who makes the mistake of casting a love spell on her best friend. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll learn to love all over again with this charming cast of paranormal happily-ever-afters. This anthology also features "Love, Blood, and Magic: The Star-Crossed Origins," which traces the history of the original cast of characters from the author's first novel, "The Heart of Everything," all the way back to the very beginning.
How do I love thee? Let me count the paranormal ways... With vampires, werewolves, pixies, and zombies too, discovering the supernatural reasons behind love has never been more fun!
This is a short story collection like no other! Meet a werewolf who needs to confess his deepest secret to his fiancé as they start to plan their wedding... watch as the owner of a flower shop must trust the fate of her business to a wizard... discover a young witch who makes the mistake of casting a love spell on her best friend. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll learn to love all over again with this charming cast of paranormal happily-ever-afters. This anthology also features "Love, Blood, and Magic: The Star-Crossed Origins," which traces the history of the original cast of characters from the author's first novel, "The Heart of Everything," all the way back to the very beginning.
Alright, Zac, this is it. You have to tell her today. Reminding myself of what I needed to do didnât make it any easier.
I sighed. Tess and I had been dating for five years. Weâd made it through college together, and I knew she was the one for me. I knew pretty much everything about her: how she liked her coffee, why the necklace with the star charm was her favorite, that she organized her clothes by color, all her favorite songs, and so on. In return, she knew all of my secrets. Except one. The biggest one of all.
I was actually a werewolf.
I closed my eyes and hung my head, ashamed. I should have told her long before now. I certainly should have mentioned it before Iâd proposed. But, I hadnât wanted to mess anything up. She was too important to me. And if I was entirely honest, I had sort of been expecting her to figure it out by now. Who would have thought that the âmonthly guy camping tripâ excuse would actually work for this long?
None of that mattered now, however. The point was that we were starting to plan our wedding. She was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over every wedding magazine she saw, and I had yet to warn her about the wedding night. The worst of it was her obsession with all things celestial; it was actually one of the reasons I fell in love with her in the first place, but now it meant that she had her heart set on being married under a full moon. And how was I supposed to tell her that full moons bring out the beast in me?! Literally!
I smacked myself in the forehead, forcing my mind to get a grip. Too late now to worry about the details. The best thing to do now was to tell her and hope for the best.
That, and pray she didnât have any silver bullets handy.
#
A plan formulated itself in my mind as we packed the car for the weekend. We were driving to her parentsâ house to investigate event venue options and so that she could try on her motherâs wedding dress for alterations. It was a good four-hour drive, and that was the most time we would probably get to sit and talk these days. We had both been really busy with work lately, and talking in the car seemed like a good idea. Besides, Tess was a practical person. She wouldnât attack me while we were driving down the highway at 70 mph, right?
Fortunately, I was right. But that didnât make her reaction any easier to take.
âYouâre a WHAT?!â
I took a deep breath. âYou heard me. Iâm a werewolf.â
She shook her head, the waves in her black hair sliding across her shoulders. âThis is a joke, right?â
âNo.â
She narrowed her hazel eyes at me as I focused on the road. âYou tell me this now? After five years of dating? As I start to plan our wedding? You tell me now that youâre a werewolf?!â
âYes. And it is âweâ that are planning the wedding, not just you.â I may not be much help, but at least I was not hiding in the garage while the women did all the work. I did have some pride, after all.
Tess didnât hear that part, however. Her emotional tea kettle was boiling over, and I suspected that if I turned to face her, I would see steam coming out her ears.
âHOW DARE YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?! I canât believe you never told me! I thought you loved me! Donât you trust me?â The fuming and screaming dissolved into tears.
I resisted the urge to hang my head and cower with my tail between my legs. âOf course I trust you! Thatâs why Iâm telling you! This isnât the sort of thing you post on Facebook, okay? And you know I love youâŠright? Tess?â I took a quick peek over at her to see how she was doing. Her face was downcast, and she was staring at her hands, which lay limp in her lap.
âI canât believe youâre a werewolf,â she whispered, her voice quivering.
I blew out a sigh. âBelieve me, it wasnât any easier for me when I found out.â
âThis changes everything,â she mumbled, not looking up.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Briefly I reevaluated my choice to tell her the truth. But when I missed the wedding because of the full moon, what would I have said then? Sorry I missed the wedding honey, I was out hunting rabbits. No, not with a gunâjust me, by myself.
âNo, it doesnât change anything. I still love you and want to be with you for the rest of my life. Just not when thereâs a full moon in the sky.â
The corner of her mouth quirked up at that, and I knew I hadnât lost her yet. I was about to tell her that there were actually several good points to being a werewolfâsuch as my dogged determination to finish any project I startâwhen Tess suddenly gasped.
Instantly my senses were on high alert. âWhatâs wrong?â I barked.
âThat explains so much!â She was staring at me now, as if all the pieces of a puzzle had just fallen into place.
I exhaled a sigh of relief. At least sheâs not panicking or crying or screaming. But then I found myself curious. âWhat do you mean, âThat explains so muchâ?â
âWell,â she began, counting on her fingers as she reflected, âyou love your steak rare. And you love your chicken on the raw side. And Iâm pretty sure you keep chewing on the turkey legs at Thanksgiving long after the meat is gone. You have a very keen sense of smell. You refuse to let us get a cat. And, well, youâve always been the type to work like a dog.â I groaned at the last one, and she giggled.
âYouâre going to be making all kinds of dog jokes now, arenât you?â
âOf course! I have five years of not knowing your little secret to make up forâoh look, itâs your cousin!â She pointed out the window at the field we were passing.
Instantly the image of Brian, my older (and only) cousin, popped into my head. I scanned the countryside as we soared down the road. âWhere?â I queried, thoroughly confused as to what he would be doing out here.
âRight there.â She gestured to the lone coyote wandering among the trees at the far edge of the field.
I sighed. âThatâs not funny, Tess,â I growled.
She just laughed. âI canât believe you fell for that! I havenât even met your family, silly puppy!â Then her mood sobered. âIs that why Iâve never met them, Zachary? Are they werewolves too?â
I took a deep breath. This was the part of the conversation I really hadnât been looking forward to. âActually, Iâm a bit of a loner at this point. My parents were killed in a hunting accident just before I graduated high school. So Iâve sort of been living with my aunt Sally and uncle Jerry and their son, Brian. But I was away at college much of the time, and after we graduated I got that job and we moved in together, so Iâm really not that close to them, either.â
âOh. Iâm sorry to hear that.â She was silent for a moment. I didnât feel the need to explain that my parents had been the prey, not the hunters, in the âaccident.â It was something that came with the territory, so to speakâyou learned to live with it, even if it wasnât fair.
âI guess you really are a lone wolf, huh?â she asked, trying to tease a smile out of me.
I cracked a grin. âYou could say that.â
âSo, your aunt and uncle and cousin. Are theyâŠ?â
âWerewolves? Aunt Sally is. You donât mess with Aunt Sally, ever. Even when itâs not a full moon. Sheâs the sweetest woman in the world, but if you taste her mincemeat pies before she says itâs timeâŠâ My voice trailed off and I shuddered. Tess giggled. âOh, and Brianâs one too. We used to hunt together on the weekends, sometimes.â
Tess nodded, considering. âSo, it is a family thingâŠmeaning our kids will be werewolves?â
âMaybe. It doesnât affect everyone. The werewolf gene is finicky.â
âAnd girls can be werewolves too? Since your aunt Sally is one.â
âThatâs right. The curse does not discriminate based on gender.â
âOkay. I think I can live with that.â She smiled at me, and I could feel my heart swell with love. I was so lucky to have found her. Then she added, âAs long as you donât shed on the couch.â
I sighed. âYes, dear.â
We traveled along in companionable silence for a little while. Gradually, I felt she must be comfortable enough with the new reality of our relationship that I wanted to clarify one itty-bitty, teensy-tiny detail.
âSo, you realize this means we canât actually get married under a full moon, right?â
My question hit her like a tidal wave. She sat up straight, and her eyes flew open as wide as Frisbees. âOh my, that really would be a problem for you, wouldnât it?â she gasped as the truth of my words sunk in.
âBut thatâs okay, because you love me, right?â I turned to face her briefly. Instead of smiling reassurance I was hoping for, she was biting her lower lip, staring at me, looking very worried.
âTess?â I asked, my voice nervous as I forced my eyes on the road. âPlease tell me you still love me.â
She answered slowly. âI do love you, but getting married under a full moon is really important for me.â She chewed on her lip some more.
âWhy is that?â I was starting to have a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.
âBecauseâŠwellâŠIâm a moon fairy.â
This time, I was the one getting hit with the tidal wave. Fortunately, the car was on cruise control, and my hands stayed steady on the wheel. âI beg your pardon?â
âI. Am. A. Moon. Fairy,â she repeated, emphasizing each word.
I stared out at the road ahead. A moon fairy? With wings and pixie dust and whatnot? And here I had been feeling bad for not being completely honest about myself.
The silence in the car stretched on and on.
âZac?â Tess inquired timidly.
I sighed inwardly. Fairy or not, I loved her anyway. But I was not about to let her get away with this that easily. I shot a glance sideways. âAnd you were mad at me for keeping secrets?â I pointed out with a stern look.
Her lower lip trembled as she started to pout. âIâm really sorry, Zac. Will you please forgive me?â she pleaded.
I turned my attention back to where we were going, because I knew if I looked at that puppy-dog face any longer, Iâd cave.
âWell,â I answered with a dramatic sigh, âI suppose I will.â Then I winked at her.
She frowned and punched my shoulder. âMean werewolf.â
âSneaky fairy!â I countered. She grinned at me.
This was definitely going to add a whole new level to our relationship.
#
It came as no surprise, then, that her parents took the news of my true identity fairly well. Her father, sheriff of the small town in which they lived, merely snorted and shrugged. âAt least youâre not some sparkly vampire.â Then he ambled into the kitchen in search of a refreshing beverage.
Her mother, sitting on the couch with her knitting needles flashing in her lap, had a similar response. âAs long as heâs housebroken, dear, I really donât see a problem.â She beamed up at me and proceeded to inquire as to which doggy treats I preferred.
The real problem came when we sat down for lunch and the discussion turned toward the wedding plans. âI donât know what do if we canât get married under a full moon.â Tess looked over at me with disappointment written on her face.
âWell, if we did get married under a full moon, I wouldnât need to get a tux,â I pointed out as I wolfed down my food.
âZachary Russell, thatâs not funny!â My fiancĂ©e glared at me from across the table.
I shrugged. âHoney, I know you love the moon and the stars, but why is it so important to you that we get married under them?â
Tess glanced at her parents and bit her lower lip again. âWell, you see, itâs sort of a family tradition.â
Her mother nodded, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. âMoon fairies always celebrate important life events with a full moon. Birth of a baby, passing away of an elder, a new marriage.â She smiled at me and patted my hand. âWithout the presence of the full moon, the next stage of life will not be properly blessed and could bring disastrous consequences.â
âMeaningâŠ?â
âReally bad luck, my son. Really bad luck.â Her father cleared his throat and headed back to the kitchen for seconds.
âOh.â That definitely was a problem.
âHowever,â her mother continued, âsince our clanâs bloodline is no longer strictly pure, we have found over the years that it does not have to be an actual full moon, as long as a representation of a full moon presides over the ceremony.â
I looked back at Tess. What the heck could we use as a symbol of the full moon for a wedding?
âPerhaps we could hang strings of lights everywhere, and pretend theyâre stars,â her father suggested, wandering back to the table.
âIt needs to be a moon, sweetheart. Not just stars,â her mother explained.
âWe could cover the ceiling with those glow-in-the-dark things,â I suggested.
Tessâs shoulders slumped. âToo cheesy. And itâs not the same,â she said. âThere needs to actually be light shining down from the moon onto the ceremony. Right, Mama?â
âThatâs right, dear. It doesnât have to be the moon itself, as long as there is the semblance of light coming from the moon to bless the participants of the ceremony.â
I scratched my head, just behind my left ear where it felt really good. Where in the world are we going to find moonlight without a moon?
Suddenly Tess perked up and her eyes sparkled. âWait a minute! Iâve got an idea!â She jumped up and raced from the table.
Her parents exchanged looks. âThere she goes again. Itâs impossible to stop her once she gets an idea into her head. Youâll be lucky if you can get her to sit through an entire meal.â
I nodded, knowing full well what they meant. âTrust me, Iâve been working on it.â I polished off the remains of my lunch and resisted the urge to lick the plate clean. âShall we go see what sheâs up to?â
A few minutes later Tess had the four of us in the car, driving out toward the edge of town. âThereâs a new church that was just built out here,â she told us, pointing it out as we got close.
âThatâs right. I remember reading about it in the paper,â her mother answered, her father turning the car into the parking lot.
Tess practically dragged us down the long hallway toward the sanctuary. âI caught a glimpse of the stained glass windows as we drove into town today. See?!â She pointed excitedly.
I stopped and stared. Her mother gave a small gasp. âOh, Tess, itâs beautiful!â Her father gave a small nod of approval.
There, set into the top of the wall above the altar, was a panel of stained glass featuring the various celestial bodies of the heavensâcomplete with a representation of all the phases of the moon.
Tess clapped her hands. âIsnât it lovely? And if we plan the ceremony for the right time of day, we can have sunlight streaming through the stained glass. It will be like having light from the moons!â
âAn excellent idea, dear!â Her mother gave her a hug.
Her father grunted. âWhat about the reception?â he asked, looking around with a frown. âThis place seems kind of small.â
Tess looked over at me. I shrugged. âMaybe the observatory can do special events?â
My fiancĂ©e beamed as she gave me a kiss and wrapped her arms around her neck. Her father considered my suggestion. âI suppose that would workâŠâ
âPerhaps we could talk about it over dessert?â her mother remarked, herding us gently back toward the car.
Tess held my hand as we walked back down the aisle. âIâm so glad we got all that figured out. Now, about the honeymoonâŠâ
The Supernatural Reasons Why I Love You is a collection of short stories involving supernatural characters. I wouldnât categorize them as stories, rather than scenes. Think of them as a âday-in-the-life-with-a-twistâ kind of stories. Each story is a scene that involves very little conflict. If you are a fan of vampires, werewolves, fairies, zombies, witches, and the lot, this book is definitely a fun read.
I liked the overall writing and enjoyed a few of the stories. Some need more punch in terms of storytelling. At times, I felt that the author was going for a good story but ended it too soon. In some cases, I wanted more information, more backstory, and more of a satisfactory ending. The love stories would have been far more meaningful and impactful if I knew the characters better. But alas, this doesnât happen. You are quickly introduced to a character, and before you can connect with them or the plot, the story ends.
The story I liked best was the shortest one. It built an interesting narrative and closed it satisfactorily. If the book started with this story, I would have been far more invested in it. One aspect of the book that really impressed me was its simplicity. All characters are familiar creatures from folklore, and the author does not try to inject anything out of the ordinary into them. And thus, it becomes easy for you to understand the stories.
This book is great for anyone who likes the supernatural genre. It is also a recommend for those who want to start reading more supernatural fiction. It doesnât overwhelm you with overt details and eases you in. Overall, itâs a good book, and I encourage you to give it a try.