Twelfth Moon Read Online Free PDF Page A

gift, how to control it, and how to hide it. For centuries, the story had been told, passed down to each generation. Countless times, Cadence and her sisters had listened with rapt attention as their mother recited the tale of how they came to be the way they were, her voice soft and hypnotic.
    The very first woman to gain the gift was said to be a young gypsy girl. Her small band of people had stopped for the night on land owned by a powerful lord. In exchange for permission to stay in the woods that night, the gypsies agreed to perform at the lord’s court. The moment the nobleman set his eyes upon the beautiful girl, it was obvious he would stop at nothing to have her.
    When the lord made an offer for the girl, the gypsies refused. The girl possessed strong psychic powers, as did her mother and grandmother. They were very valuable among their people, revered and respected. But the lord was angered by their refusal and sent his men to abduct the girl.
    The girl’s mother and grandmother placed a shape-shifting spell on her to aid in her escape. Even from far away in the lord’s chamber, the girl felt the magic conjured by her mother and grandmother. Combined with her own magical strength, it created a very powerful triad spell.
    When the lord tried to rape her, she changed into a beautiful black panther, ripped out his throat, and escaped into the woods. She roamed for days, but she was finally able to change back into her human form. When she found her way back to the camp of her people, she discovered that everyone had been murdered in retaliation for the nobleman’s death.
    Without her mother or grandmother, the girl was unable to remove the spell. And so every daughter born thereafter inherited the gift.
    It was frightening how similar Cadence’s experience was to her ancestor’s.
    And there was an unexpected twist to the spell cast so long ago. Twelfth Moon. It was the cycle of mating, meant to ensure a lasting, loving and passionate union between her and the man she chooses.
    Jonah Kincaid was the last man in the world she would have chosen to be bound to for a lifetime.
    She watched him move about the camp, her nostrils flaring as his scent drifted to her on the light morning breeze. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, cursing this blasted… curse .
    Sensing his gaze on her, she snapped her eyes open.
    For the barest moment, it almost seemed as if he read her mind. His scowl, however, told her he did no such thing. He thought she was a boy, so that would be absurd. Just the same, her breath caught at how truly, menacingly handsome he was.
    She began to make comparisons between him and his brother. Jonah’s hair was dark, almost black, like his brother’s, but not neatly cropped, like Robert’s had been. Jonah’s was long and shaggy, reaching past his collar, making him look wild, uncontrollable, and dangerous.
    Robert’s eyes had been pale-blue. Jonah’s were darker, like deep, rich-toned pewter. And his face was more mature, more rugged than his brother’s. Although his expression was impassive, Cadence could sense a history behind his sharp gaze.
    Jonah wasn’t tortured by inner demons like his brother had been, but she could feel his constant struggle between the urge to act on impulse, and doing what was good and right.
    As they silently stared at one another, Jonah’s anguish and hurt over his brother’s death radiated into her, seeping into her soul. She was gradually consumed by deep sorrow. It merged with her own feelings of guilt, making her head pound and her vision blur.
    His voice broke the tether that seemed to bind them together. “You just going to sit there all day, or are you going to get moving?”
    Her rumbling stomach reminded Cadence that she hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. Her throat worked as she struggled to speak. “Is there anything to eat?”
    Jonah gave an impatient nod toward the fire. “There’s coffee. I’ll get you some jerky. That’s all I’ve got