Forbidden Gift by C.L. Carhart

Author:C.L. Carhart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: age gap, clean romance, coming of age fantasy, elemental magic, forbidden love, found family, instalove, lgbtq characters, new adult paranormal romance, novella, older man younger woman, romantic fantasy, soul mate romance, strong female lead, witches
ISBN: 9781954807358
Publisher: C.L. Carhart
Published: 2025-02-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six:

A Peculiar Family

At first my brain struggled to translate that statement. He holds the heart of my soul in his hands. My mother used to say that about my father, in reference to the Teutonic heart-bond. The enchanted cords of love that rendered them devoted to each other. And shattered my mother’s sanity once my father passed.

“I thought Teuton priests only created heart-bonds with witches.” Slowly, I bent to my right to set my empty wineglass beside one of the couch’s legs, fearing I might break it as complex potentials pummeled me.

“Oh I assure you, I’m not the only man who has given my heart to a Teuton priest,” Radomir responded, his large hands still cupped around his own glass with no trace of uncertainty weakening their grip.

“So you—does that mean—you prefer men?” I stared at the fiery male seated so nonchalantly at the far end of the couch. My wistful heart began to plummet toward my gut.

That was why Radomir had made no sexual advances. I should have known. No man who preferred women would waste time and money chatting up a brothel girl and scoping out her prison in spirit form. But he had dished out an exorbitant amount to spare me from the fetishes of other men for five weeks.

What did he actually plan to do with me?

“I prefer adult human beings.” Now thoroughly confused, I smoothed my hands out on my skirt in an effort to dry an abrupt outfall of sweat. “It’s a lot less rare than our society wants you to believe, Gisela. There are many people who walk this world in standard marriages, but deep inside they admire the traits of men and women and everyone in between. Some call it bisexuality.”

“I’ve read about that. But I never thought . . . .” Shutting my eyes and placing a hand to my forehead in an attempt to organize my feelings, I forced my lungs to take a deep, steadying breath.

“We typically have to cage that part of ourselves due to social prejudice,” he told me in a grave tone. “But it never sits right with me when I learn of someone who cheats on their spouse in secret just to quench their carnal urges. Gustl knows where I’ve been these past two evenings. And he encourages it.”

As Radomir’s pet name for Herr Mühlbach reached my ears, I reopened my eyes and dabbed at a bit of moisture escaping one of them. “What then—does he expect you—to do with me?”

I struggled to get the question out, blinking fiercely against traces of despair seeping into the corners of my eyelids. I should never have bothered envisioning a future with this man. He was here to study the Scarlet Butterfly, sent by one of the two priests on the city council running an active investigation. They likely intended to be finished by Christmas, just over five weeks from today. Radomir would slake his lust with my body at some point along the way, and then discard me for the one he loved most.

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