Reaper by Emily Goodwin Read Free Book Online

around his waist in one hand and a piece of paper in another, Ethan sat on the edge of the bed.
    “A Coven Gathering?” he questioned with a hint of laughter in his voice. “You want to hang out with a group of tree-hugging, wannabe witches?”
    “No,” I said honestly, though I felt slightly offended by his mocking tone. I had forgotten about the flyer, the Gathering, and meeting Sage at the bookstore.
    “Then why do you have the flyer?” he asked.
    “Someone gave it to me.” I sat up and ran my hands through my messy hair.
    “Hmm,” Ethan said and read the info printed on the paper. “On second thought, maybe you should go.”
    “Why?” I raised an eyebrow.
    His brown eyes met mine and he smiled before quickly looking away. “No reason, I think it might be nice for you to meet other people with, uh, similar interests.”
    I continued to stare at Ethan. “Similar interests? I doubt any of those people have seen a Harvester.”
    “Not demon interests,” he went on. “Magic interests. Yeah, they don’t have powers like you, but they, uh, like magic stuff,” he tried.
    I flopped back down on the bed. “I’m a social recluse and you know it,” I sighed.
    “No, you’re not,” Ethan automatically countered. He sounded sincere.
    “Yes I am. I have no friends.” Hunter nudged me and reminded me that he was my friend as well as my Guardian.
    Ethan chuckled. “You have friends, Annie. They’re just not here.”
    I sighed. “I know. I just kinda assumed I’d make friends here too.”
    He lay down and wrapped his arm around me. “Annie, you will make friends, but…” he trailed off.
    “But what?”
    “You don’t really go anywhere to meet people,” he said guiltily, though he had nothing to feel guilty about. It was my own fault, really. “It’s hard, moving. Trust me, I know. It took me a while to realize that you just have to put yourself out there.”
    I nodded. “I know, I just…I just feel like everyone can see right through me and think I’m a freak.”
    “Maybe they will,” he said. “But you’re not. If they really knew you, they’d know that too. Stop worrying about what other people think of you,” he said rather sternly.
    “Ok,” I replied and smiled. Self confidence had never been my forte. “And I’m not,” I repeated. “I’m a witch.”
    “Yes, you are,” Ethan said coyly, making me laugh. His hand moved to my side and he propped himself up so he could kiss me. His hand slipped down my waist and I rolled over so I could put my arms around his muscular torso.   When his mouth moved from my lips to my neck, I closed my eyes and sighed in pleasure. Hunter lazily got up and left the room. For the next half an hour, I didn’t worry about being a freak.
    ~*~
    “You look pretty,” Ethan complimented as soon as I walked into the kitchen. He stood, put his dirty dishes in the sink, and wrapped his arms around me. “You haven’t dressed up in a while. I kinda miss seeing you like this.”
    I leaned into his embrace. “So you’re saying I look bad when I don’t dress up?” I teased.
    “Yep,” he played along. “Absolutely disgusting.” He laughed and kissed me. “Of course you don’t,” he clarified. “I think you’re beautiful even if you’re sweaty and covered in horse fur. I might not want to touch you, though,” he joked.
    “Dressing up makes me feel pretty, I suppose,” I admitted. “But it’s too much of a hassle. I never got why some girls would wake up super early just to curl their hair before school. It only takes me ten or fifteen minutes to do my hair and makeup. I’d rather sleep in the extra hour.”
    “That,” he said and kissed me again, “is why I love you.”
    “We should get going before I’m late,” I stated, though I didn’t want to break away from Ethan.
    “You’re right,” he sighed and let me go. I hugged Hunter goodbye, gave him a handful of treats, and put on a pair of flat, black boots.   Ethan opened the