The 12th Witch

By Kris T. Bethke

Cole Demauro is the de facto leader of his coven and he takes that responsibility seriously. But the coven is one member short and finding a witch to fill the spot has proven difficult. It’s not easy to find a person who not only has magic that resonates with the coven, but also fits in. But there’s no doubt the coven needs another witch to bolster everyone’s magic. After all, covens work best with twelve witches.

Enter Justin Trews.

New to the area and reluctant to join a coven, Justin’s been managing on his own. But it’s no longer enough. When they meet for the first time, Justin’s magic is a mess, and Cole is determined to help. Not only is the beautiful man clearly suffering, but Cole is the type to want to fix it. His attraction to Justin only increases that need. But what neither man expects is how well their magic fits together.

Justin is cautious, but Cole is nothing if not patient. He works to coax Justin out of his shell and persistently shows Justin there’s nothing to fear. When Justin agrees to take the risk, everything falls into place. Justin is a perfect fit for the coven. More than that, he’s the perfect fit for Cole.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Aug 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685502218

Book preview

The 12th Witch

By Kris T. Bethke

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2022 Kris T. Bethke

ISBN 9781685502218

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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For the BFF, because magic.

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The 12th Witch

By Kris T. Bethke

Chapter 1

Cole? Do you have a moment?

I tossed a smile over my shoulder at Evangeline, then turned my attention back to the drawer. I was looking for a piece of fluorite I knew was in there, but I could do that while talking with her.

Of course. What’s up?

She sighed as though I was ridiculous, but that was par for the course for our interactions and I allowed myself an eyeroll since I had my back to her and she couldn’t see.

We need to find another member for the coven.

My shoulders wanted to tighten, but I caught myself before I tensed. I kept my voice even when I said, I know.

Gemma is gone, and she’s not coming back.

I turned then, scowling. It’s not like she’s dead.

Evangeline smiled, trying for kind. No, dear. But she’s moved across the country to support her partners. She’s settled, happy, and has a new coven.

I crossed my arms and stared her down. Look, it’s not like I’m mourning her loss or anything. Keeping her spot open just in case. I know she’s settled and I’m glad for her.

I know.

There was a hint of patronizing that I chose to ignore. Gemma and I had been close, yes, but it never went beyond friendship. Besides the fact that she was happily committed to two people, there’d never been a spark between us. Rumors had swirled through the coven no matter what we did or said, though. And with only ten other people, it hadn’t been difficult to know what they were talking about.

It’s not like we can just bring someone in off the street, I said, instead of addressing her implication. Just to poke at her, I copied her tone. We need to find someone that fits, someone whose magic resonates with ours. Otherwise it’ll be discordant.

The look on her face was all the reward I needed. I liked Evangeline fine, but we definitely had our moments where we clashed. She was older and had been practicing longer, which gave her a sense of entitlement I didn’t always like. Usually she was sweet and caring, though, unless she got in her head that something needed to happen. Then that tone came out and it grated. So giving it back gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction I should be mature enough to not need.

Cole—

I cut her off with a raised hand. I know, okay? I know. We need to bring in a twelfth witch, because we’re all suffering without one. It’s not like we can advertise, though. I have feelers out.

It was her turn to scowl. With that werewolf friend of yours?

I tutted. Careful there, Evangeline. Your prejudice is showing. I looked her dead in the eye. And it’s shifter, not werewolf. You know that. Please don’t use outdated terms when the shifter community has made it clear what they prefer.

Yes, yes. She huffed. "I am not prejudiced. I just think he’s a scoundrel."

Who even used