Shifting Magic

By Jude Cocaigne

A wolf to save. A meddling cat. Two mates to choose from.

 

Mila's always been certain of one thing: she needs to save Dane from the curse that transformed him into a wolf. It doesn't matter that she doesn't know the man. After almost ten years together, Dane has become her best and closest friend, and only she can find the key to unlock the secret of his book before it's too late.

 

Time is running out when Jaime steps into the picture, shattering all her convictions as he steals her heart effortlessly and sweeps her off her feet.

 

Trapped between two loves and her duty, Mila's world crumbles. And when Jaime's secrets are revealed, fate and magic combine forces, shifting more than Mila's heart…

 

If you like paranormal romance with a Why Choose twist, then grab this spicy novella now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jude Cocaigne
• Release date: Dec 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215569498

Book preview

Chapter 1

The book on the desk glows. The iridescent green light shimmers on the walls of the small room I am renting, drawing phantasmagorical creatures who dance and fight with the shadows of the English countryside’s night. That light’s been the most effective alarm clock for the past nine years. Except, of course, it’s always three in the morning, or any other impossible hour, because Dane could not sleep like a normal person, could he?

The book glows because the wolf of my life is near. That’s about as much as I’ve been given to understand about that stupid pile of wrinkled sheets of musty paper. Dane’s a shifter, and the book has something to do with shifters. Great, right? Why the fairies have bestowed it upon me and what I’m supposed to do with it remain a mystery. And to make matters worse, only certain paragraphs are readable, and the knowledge I’ve been able to glean from those lines is useless regarding our conundrum.

Dane is still dying. His curse is destroying him, and I’m helpless, utterly unable to save him. Realizing that at 3 am every night has been getting on my nerves. I’ve gone past being depressed about it; I’m freaking pissed off now.

I open the window and cock my head out into the crisp, nocturnal spring air. England in April is literally a breeze after the stifling Australian summer. I fight the urge to grab my sweater. I enjoy feeling the moist coolness caressing my arms, embracing me. My skin shivers with pleasure.

Dane? I call out into the night in a half-whisper. The street outside the house is empty but for a lone lamp casting an amber glow onto the pavement. Across the street is the forest, from which emerges the most magnificent timber wolf I’ve ever laid eyes on. He sits in the spotlight, unafraid and unapologetic, his fur glistening with dew drawn from the undergrowth he’s been hiding in.

I heave a heavy sigh at his sight. I sometimes wonder what he would look like in human form, but I usually stop myself short. He’s been my one and only friend for the past nine years, my travel companion. I’ve grown so fond of him over the years—even though at first, he had to drag me out of my comfort zone and into the world. I only tagged along out of some twisted sense of obligation Fate had endowed me with. But now, I’d follow him anywhere with eyes closed, that’s how much I trust him. And love him. The wolf. But I don’t know the man. Will he be different when he’s human again? If he ever becomes human again… I sigh some more.

For the umptieth time, could you please come check on me at a more appropriate time? I need my beauty sleep, for fuck’s sake! Conveying my annoyance while keeping my voice down is hard, but he gets the gist.

The wolf harrumphs. No, of course not. If anyone saw him in this tiny English village, they’d go berserk and hunt him down. We can’t afford that.

Well, I’m ok. The room is fine, the old lady lending me the place is sweet, and she makes great crumpets for breakfast. How about you? Did you find a place to rest?

The wolf shakes his mane in a sign of content.

Good. I hope it doesn’t get as muddy as last time though. I hate that he’s out there in the wild. It’s his place as a wolf, but he’s a freaking human inside, and he hasn’t known the comfort of a home in over nine years. That breaks my heart, and I know he doesn’t like it either. I’ll go check the shop tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

The wolf yaps in excitement.

A pool of light inundates the garden.

Shit! Go!

Dane disappears into the forest as a window opens on the ground floor of the house. We’ve awoken the old lady, and we weren’t even being loud at all. That’s gonna be problematic.

I close my window as lightly as possible and saunter back to my bed. The glow from the book fades as my wolf friend goes back into hiding, and I find myself in the dark again. The metaphor is intense. And to top it off, sleep eludes me now, allowing my thoughts to wander towards the purpose of our journey. I pray that tomorrow will bring the miracle we so desperately need.

The shop on Henry Street is our last chance to save Dane. We’ve been around the world and visited every magic bazaar we could find, following breadcrumbs left by who knows what—I blame the fairies—like a gigantic game of clues and puzzles. Most of them were stupid cons kept by horrible charlatans who tried to steal the book. But we’ve met some amazing people with real magic who’ve helped us one spell or ritual at a time too, thankfully.

After over nine years of adventure—smuggling a giant wolf into trains and boats to get around is no mean feat—and very little to show for except the tattoos inking my body from each place where we found answers, the most important parts of the book are still not readable… And even if they were, I’m no fucking witch! How am I supposed to know what to do when nobody will explain it clearly? And the fairies are careful not to meddle, of course. What a shame it would be if they gave us straightforward answers from time to time, eh? It all feels like a rite of passage I was never prepared for into something I know nothing about for the sake of someone I should never have crossed paths with. What a load of bollocks!

I collapse on the bed and start crying, as I’ve been doing almost every night since I left my mountains and the uneventful and boring life I was leading there. Crying myself to sleep seems to be my best course of action at this point. The frustration is too deep, and the fear is devastating. I left everything I’ve ever known when I was still a kid to follow a wolf into the unknown for no other reason than the fairies told me to. I grew up too fast with no stability, and for what? What started as a rebellious act became a burden with no reward other than discovering myself through the worst hardship. If I can save Dane, who’s to say what will happen then? He might leave me like I left my family. Or he might hate me for my bad temper and unresolved issues. What