Love Charms by Multiple

so screwed
up!” The frustration was overwhelming. There were so many details, so many
people involved.
    Raven couldn’t blame him. It was messed
up, but this is why most witches couple with other witches. There are so many
variables with a mortal, and most of them end poorly. It’s not that it can’t be
done, a happy union between a witch and a mortal, but it can’t be entered into
lightly.
    “Maybe it’s best if we go our separate
ways.” Her head was down, her voice quiet. As the story unfolded, she finally
saw all of the tiny puzzle pieces she’d never paid attention to before. Her
family warned her. They tried to get her to understand, but she was stubborn.
    “…And yet I have to make a lifetime
decision in hours. I can’t leave, because if I do I lose you. If I take the vow
of secrecy, I don’t know what happens years from now. I pray nothing, I pray we
live happily ever after…but who knows, and what of our children? You do want
children, right?”
    Raven nodded. “Very much. I’m just not
ready yet. I’ll be skipping Season of the Witch’s breeding season this year,
obviously. Crap, I have to explain that, too. I can’t get pregnant the way
mortals do. It’s a process, a time of the year, an invoking…long story. I can’t
get into it now. I promise that I’ll discuss it later if we go forward. It’s
just pointless to have this conversation if we aren’t moving forward as a
couple.”
    “Breeding season? Lovely.” He didn’t know
what to say anymore. It all became so complicated. What started as a joyous
moment suddenly left him smothered and overwhelmed.  There were so many parts
to this puzzle that Derek didn’t understand. He was walking into something
blindfolded, and that was a scary place to be.
    “Derek, maybe this just wasn’t meant to
be.” She felt it more and more. As hard as it was to admit it, maybe it
wouldn’t work out after all. Raven’s heart fell to her stomach. It was
difficult to admit, but maybe it was for the best.
    His hand shot up. “Stop. It was meant to
be, but it’s a lot to swallow. I’m going to toss the dice here and take a gamble.
I’ve never met a woman that’s made me feel this way before. I’m not going to
lie. I’m terrified of what the future may hold. It’s an uncertainty I never
dreamed I’d face, but I’m not going to just up and walk away from you. While
the circumstances are messed up, it’s you that I want. Please promise me that
no matter what, even in our most difficult struggles that you won’t try to cut
me out and dissolve my memories. You only do that if I ask you to. Deal?”
    “Are you sure about this?” She needed him
to be sure. She didn’t want him to regret his decision. This entire thing was
life changing. He wasn’t just getting a wife, but a full base of witch
knowledge and a heavy weight on his shoulders to keep such an important secret.
    “I hope so. My gut is telling me not to
let go. I don’t want to lose you, Raven. I want you to be my wife. We’ll get
through it together.” He hated how this conversation had turned. He wanted to
celebrate and be happy, not worry about things that made no sense to him.
    “I wasn’t supposed to date a mortal. I
thought I could handle it, and here it is…the big mess my family warned me
about. I feel like a fool.” Raven dropped her head. This was her fault.
    “Let’s do this together. Now, tell me
more about the vow.” Derek reached out and held his future wife. “We can get
through this together, okay?” The longer they talked, the longer they put it
off, the more doubts would arise.
    Raven nodded. Her voice was weak. “Okay.”
She took a deep breath and tried to get back on track. “I’m going to make a
witch’s brew, and you’ll need to sign something. Once you sign it, you’ll be
obligated to keep your word. If at any time you break your vow, all memories of
us dissolve, and knowledge I’ve passed on about the witch community will also
be