Iona and Brae looked heartbroken. Cainnech appeared desolate, as if he’d come to the conclusion he wasn’t good enough a man for her.
“But none of those gifts,” Lucia continued, her voice a bit shaky, “were anywhere near as valuable as this one.”
Cainnech stilled. Iona and Brae’s gazes widened.
“This is the most beautiful, wonderful cloak I’ve ever laid eyes on. Knowing that you created it for me…” The tears welled up again. Her voice quivered. “I am so humbled and honored,” she choked out.
Lucia’s heart was in her eyes and in every word she spoke. The MacKenzies remained silent, their expressions as emotive as hers.
“This magnificent cloak is more than a garment to warm my body, it’s also a gift that warms my heart.” Tears trickled down her face unchecked. “When my parents died, I’d never felt more alone. I never thought I’d recover from their loss enough to live a life with meaning and hope ever again.” Lucia’s breath caught in the back of her throat. “You have given me a family again,” she rasped. “Thank you.”
Cainnech’s warm gaze clashed with her teary one. He stood up and clapped his hands together, his attentive stare never straying from hers. One by one each of the clan stood, following their laird’s lead. Their applause should have been deafening, but Lucia was too focused on her husband to notice.
Epilogue
December 25, 1265 A.D.
Two o’clock a.m.
Midnight Mass had been beautiful in its simplicity and worshipfulness. A modern Catholic woman couldn’t have asked for a more significant Christmas Eve. No Santa, no reindeer, no going into debt to buy presents she couldn’t afford…
Just meaning. Just family.
Lucia rested her head on Cainnech’s chest, their naked bodies locked in an embrace. He held her tightly, as he always did, making her feel as safe and cherished as she was.
“Cainnech?” Lucia whispered.
He kissed her forehead. “Aye?” he murmured.
“I love you.”
Her husband’s body stilled. She smiled before lifting her head to meet his gaze.
“With my whole heart,” Lucia promised him, “I love you, husband.”
Cainnech searched her face. “I love ye tae, wife.” He kissed her forehead again. “With the whole of my heart.”
They lay there in content silence for a long while. Lucia had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard a soft chuckle rumble out of him.
“What’s funny?” she asked, looking up at him.
He met her gaze with a grin. “I told ye that ye would come tae love me one day, Lucia mine.”
His smile was infectious. “Yes, but you didn’t tell me it would happen in less than a week!”
Cainnech studied her expression, the warmth in her eyes. His countenance grew serious. “Never did I think tae be so blessed as that.”
“You’re not the only one who’s been blessed,” Lucia admitted. “You gave me your love and that love gave me the greatest Christmas gift of all.”
“What gift is that?” Cainnech murmured.
Her smile was radiant, grateful. “You helped me find my way home.”
About Jaid Black
Jaid Black is the pseudonym for Ellora’s Cave’s owner and founder Tina M. Engler. She has been featured in every available news outlet, from the Washington Post and L.A. Times to Forbes magazine, Fox News, Time magazine and the Montel Show. Ms. Engler was officially recognized by Romantic Times Magazine with their first ever Trail Blazer award as the mastermind of erotic romance as you know and love it today, as well as for her contribution in the popularization of digital books. Writing as Jaid Black, her work has received numerous distinctions, including a nomination for the Henry Miller award for the best literary sex scene written in the English language.
www.jaidblack.com.
Tell Us What You Think
We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email the author directly or you can email us at Service@ellorascave.com (when contacting Customer Service, be sure to state the book title and author).
Also by Jaid Black
Adam & Evil
After the Storm (writing as Tia Isabella)
Before The Fire
Besieged
Bossy And Clyde
Breeding Ground
Death Row: The Trilogy
Fatman & Robyn in Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2
God of Fire
One Dark Night
Seeds of Yesterday in Ellora’s Cavemen: Legendary Tails IV
Sins of the Father
Sporked in Time
Stalked
Subjugated
The Addiction in Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 1
The Beckoned in Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales from the Temple IV
The Hunger
The Mastering
The Obsession
The Possession
Tremors
Vanished
Warlord
1: The Empress’ New Clothes
2: No Mercy
3: Enslaved
4: No Escape
5: Naughty Nancy (in Strictly Taboo anthology from another publisher)
6: No Fear
7: Dementia
8: Seized
9: Devilish Dot in Manaconda
10: Never a Slave
11: No Way Out: Kari
Guide to Trek Mi Q’an
Print books by Jaid Black
After the Storm (writing as Tia Isabella)
Breeding Ground
Death Row: The Trilogy
Dominated anthology
Ellora’s Cavemen: Legendary Tails IV anthology
Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales from the Temple IV anthology
Manaconda anthology
Notorious anthology
One Dark Night
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 1 anthology
Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2 anthology
The Best of Jaid Black anthology
The Possession
Trek Mi Q’an saga:
1: The Empress’ New Clothes
3: Enslaved
4 & 6: Conquest (No Escape & No Fear)
7 & 10: Lost In Trek (Dementia & Never a Slave)
8: Seized
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Season of the Witch
ISBN 9781419994852
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Season of the Witch Copyright© 2015 Jaid Black
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover art by Kelly A. Martin
Cover photography by Jag_cz, Scorpp, kaisorn, tobkatrina, and alessandro guerriero
Electronic book publication December 2015
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The charac
ters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com to find erotic reading experiences that will leave you breathless. You can also find our books at all the major e-tailers (Barnes & Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Google, Apple iBooks Store, All Romance eBooks, and others).
www.ellorascave.com