Page 1 of Her Curves, His Fate

CHAPTER ONE

. . .

The small magical town of New Haven was nestled between the rolling hills and an enchanted forest in Nowhere Cover. It buzzed with the energy of a thousand spells, unfilled expectations, and the passionate heat of supernatural beings.

At the heart of the town was Heaven’s Gates, a bustling bar owned by a grumpy immortal named Theodore. Legend has it that he had fallen in love with a mermaid who cursed him when he refused to give up his legs to travel the sea with her. Now he spent his days drinking and trying to convince all that enter that love is the bane of all existence.

The bar’s exterior was a charming mix of wooden beams and ivy-covered walls, while inside, the warm glow of magically lit lanterns illuminated the cozy space, casting flickering shadows on the patrons who filled the room with laughter and conversation.

It is at Heaven’s Gates that Nora Bellamy practiced her witchcraft—much to the detriment of Theo and the varied patrons—a mix of fae, demons, vampires, demons, and of course, the vast shifter population. Nora, even at the advancing age of thirty, still had issues getting her spell cast just right.

Tonight, she stood at the back of the bar, her hands on her curvy hips as she surveyed the room. Heaven’s Gates was already bustling with supernatural creatures, their unique energies blending into a seductive cacophony. In one corner, a lively game of pool was underway between a pair of hulking trolls. Theo would be lucky if he didn’t have to replace the table by the end of the night. At the bar, a sultry siren was attempting to enthrall a stoic gargoyle into buying her drinks. Wolves and vampires exchanged covert, heated glances across the crowed room. Even though the two species reportedly couldn’t stand each other, there were always hookups happening.

The air tingled with the touch of magic that always accompanied one or more of the regulars. Nora herself was immune to magic. A mystery since her mother was a witch from a very strong line of witches. It could be the result of her mixed blood—her father was a human who had washed up on the shores of New Haven decades ago.

While living in the small town, where everyone knew each other’s business, sometimes caused Nora to want to run as far away as possible, she usually saw the benefit of living here. She wasn’t sure what would happen to her in a more human setting, especially when her spells went wonky.

Which happened almost every time she tried to use her magic.

“Hey, Nora!” shouted one of the regulars, a wolf named Jake who fancied himself a comedian. “Can I get another round over here?”

“Coming right up, Jake,” she called back with a smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She decided it was time to try out a new spell she’d been practicing—one that would make the drinks taste even better.

“Alright, let’s see...” she muttered under her breath as she concentrated, feeling the magic flow through her veins. She waved her hand over a glass mason jar that began to shimmer with a faint golden glow. “Perfect!”

“Here you go, Jake,” she said, bringing the drink to his table.

“Thanks, gorgeous,” he replied, winking at her flirtatiously. “What did you do to it? It looks... magical.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teased, walking away with a toss of her long, flowing dark hair.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a loud pop, and Nora froze in her tracks. She could feel the gazes of every patron in the bar on her as she slowly turned around to face the source of the commotion. To her horror, she found herself staring at an assortment of sex toys that had materialized on the counter surrounding Jake’s drink. There was a dildo, a pair of fuzzy handcuffs, and a vibrator that was, well, vibrating.

“Oops,” she stammered, her cheeks flushing crimson. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Is that what you’re into, Nora?” Jake joked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. “I didn’t peg you for the kinky type.”

“Shut up, Jake,” she hissed, frantically trying to figure out how to make the embarrassing items disappear. “This is just a... magical mishap.”

“Magical mishap, huh?” said a gruff voice behind her, and Nora felt her heart drop. It was Theo. Theo had been very patient with her over the years, magically cleaning up her messes and never reprimanding her—or at least not often. She’d decided it was partly because he was an overall nice man, and she thought he was a little afraid of her mother. He already had one curse, and Nora knew her mother was more than capable of hexing him with another. Along with the witch blood flowing through their veins, the women in her family carried more than their fair share of gypsy DNA.

He stood at the counter, hands on hips, dressed in the old-fashioned pirate outfit he liked to wear. His long hair fell past his shoulders, and he didn’t look a day over…a hundred? There was no way for one to discern his exact age. One dark brow rose as he surveyed the assortment of sexual paraphilia on his counter. “It seems you’re still have some trouble controlling your magic.”

“Yes, I am.” Nora faced him, hands on her hips as if daring him to say something else. She had been known to throw out a hex or two herself when she was younger and more hothead. Some of the classmates who had bullied her had spent days in detention covered in warts.

Fortunately, Theo was wiser than a teenager.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” he murmured before waving one of his hands. The toys instantly disappeared. While he was classified as an immortal, he was also able to cast some spells. Nora wasn’t sure it came naturally to him or if he’d picked up the skill after his many years of living.

“See? An easy fix.” He continued to stare at her, his dark, almost black eyes filled with a hint of concern, which was saying something for a man like Theo. “You’ve turned three patrons’ drinks into frogs and made Soli’s hair catch fire last week.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to set Soli’s hair on fire,” Nora protested, recalling the horrifying moment when her attempt at a healing spell had gone awry. Thankfully, Soli Voss, the bar’s manager, had been understanding. “But yeah, I know. I need to get a grip on this.”

“Wow,” Jake exclaimed, clapping his hands together as he stared at the spot where the objects had once been. “Now that’s what I call a disappearing act!”

“Jake, if you value your life,” Nora threatened, her voice low and dangerous, “you will never speak of this night again.”

“Your secret’s safe with me, gorgeous,” he promised, raising his hands in surrender. “But I can’t say the same for everyone else here.”