Wiccan Owen Rhys inherits a house outside a small town, where he hopes the solitude will help with his music. But a zealously religious neighbor is convinced he’s a devil worshiper, and her gossip causes the townspeople to view Owen with suspicion. A series of pranks ensues, including dead animals left on his porch, threatening the feral cats living on Owen’s property. Though a bit out of practice, Owen casts a spell to summon a protector -- someone to convince the town the gossip is false and prevent the pranks from escalating. He confidently waits for his champion to arrive. Marc Elias is the town’s animal control officer and veterinarian. He considers himself a rational man who trusts in science and most certainly does not believe in magic. So when he receives a complaint that Owen is bewitching and torturing cats, he dismisses it as her imagination but goes to investigate. Owen is certain Marc is the protector summoned by the spell. But Marc sees Owen’s altar and hears desperate howling, and he has to put aside any attraction he may feel towards the young Wiccan to do his job. Will a little magic be all it takes for both men to get what they want?

Just a Little Magic

His first impulse was to heave a chunk of rock through herwindow. But he regretfully dismissed that idea as unwise.


Now the so-called pranks had resulted in a broken window, the sheriff might want to interrogate the boys. But was Owen willing to make that much trouble for a couple of dumb kids being used by an obsessed woman? And it had sounded like they would be severely punished by their fathers. His stomach knotted at the thought he’d be responsible for children being beaten. Not the best choice.


Or he could try to sell the place like Brynne wanted him to. Not that a rundown house on the edge of a swamp was a hot property. But he could always just walk away from it. And move where? Back to his sister and her husband’s home? Owen flinched at the idea of the hostile atmosphere his presence there would breed. And he had no money to rent an apartment. And what about the cats? They’d already been abandoned once—how could he do that to them again?


Chapter 4