Read The Witch's Dream - A Love Letter to Paranormal Romance (Black Swan 2) for Free Online Page B

red." He glanced at Elora just long enough to insure she knew it was a joke intended for her.
    Aelsong giggled a most attractive version of her tinkling, wind chimes laugh while Elora snorted as inelegantly as a person raised behind the bar at a roadhouse.
    Song looked at her as if to say, "What's your problem?" Then, turning big, blue-eyed attention back to Baka she proceeded seamlessly, "An unmated associate?"
    Baka stepped closer without breaking the connection with her upturned gaze, lowered his voice, and said pointedly, " Completely unattached."
    Song's mouth spread into an appreciative, well-what-have-we-here smile.
    Elora was thinking that this flirtation was fascinating to watch, as smooth as a professional tango.
    Ram came in and without breaking his stride or acting as if anything was noteworthy, walked around Baka, who was still holding Aelsong's hand. "Song. You havin' lunch with us?"
    She withdrew her hand and looked at her brother. "Absolutely," she grinned.
    "Okay. I said three, not four, so go pick up the phone and get blessed out by Bridget for changin' the request. And while you're doin' that, tell her I forgot to ask for an extra chocolate for the baby." He sat down next to Elora taking her hand and looking at her like she was the first female in the history of the world to conceive life.
    "She is probably goin' to say, 'What baby?'" Song said dryly. Turning back to Baka she cheered immediately. "Keep me company? 'Tis no' far. Just over there."
    Baka gave Ram and Elora a quick glance. "Be right back."
    When Ram and Elora were left alone he reached over and ran his fingers through her hair, like he couldn't stand to go for another minute without touching her. She noticed that he seemed completely relaxed about the fact that Song was aggressively flirting up a recently cured ex-vampire, one who may also be a notorious womanizer.
    "The fact that Baka's trifling with your sister doesn't seem to bother you."
    Ram looked confused. "Why should it? She's grown, healthy and unmated. And he's the poor devil who's spent the last hundred years whackin' off in a tower keep."
    Apparently elves in this dimension were progressive about sex even when it came to younger sisters. She recalled the section on pre-mated sex from the book he had given her: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Elves But Were Afraid To Ask . It did seem to indicate that rampant promiscuity was to be expected from both sexes before mating.
    Somehow the four of them managed to make conversation without discussing the subject of vampire, the business of The Order, or anything else about their lives that would be considered strange by civilians or treasonous by Black Swan. When it was time to leave to pick Storm up from the airport, Elora asked Baka if he would mind doing it as a favor because she and Ram had a handfasting task to complete.
    She hadn't asked Ram about it in advance, but it seemed like a good solution, partly because Storm genuinely liked Baka and partly because the awkwardness had not yet been ironed out of their relationship. That sad fact was compounded by the fact that Storm was Ram's Best Man. What a cluster!
    Ram had felt like asking him was rubbing salt in the wound, but how could he not ask? If Lan was alive that job would have been his, but there was no question that Storm was next in line, and passing him over would be like punishing him for being in love with the woman Ram was marrying. So he had asked Storm to stand up with him and Storm had simply said, "Of course."
    "I would be happy to retrieve the dark and broodin' one."
    Aelsong laughed her musical laugh that made everyone want to freeze in place while the pleasure of the sound washed over them.
    Baka was delighted that she acknowledged his dry wit with magical sounds that, apparently, only elves could make. "I take it you've met the pilgrim of whom we speak?"
    "Oh, aye. He has visited a few times. As you say, beautiful, but broody."
    "I'm certain I didn't say