Sirius closed his locker and leaned against it, exhausted.
 
He’d worked a double shift only getting a few minutes of sleep during his breaks. Sirius was not only physically tired, but he was also mentally and emotionally as well. He was getting burnt out with the daily grind of working in the emergency room and wanted to do something less hectic. 
After graduating from medical school, Sirius wanted to be a part of the grind he excelled in when he was an intern. But the older and more experienced Sirius got, he became desensitized and disenfranchised to his job of caring for others. 

Sirius had seen and heard the same expression on his older colleagues and knew that even with their grumbling and complaining, the reason why they stuck around was for the money. Sirius didn’t want to stop being a doctor but was finding so little enjoyment in his job. 

Maybe I should put more thought into moving out of Chamberlin City.

He’d been contemplating the idea over for the past couple years to be precise, ever since the day he was shot in the arm. He wasn’t terribly hurt and recovered quickly, but when Sirius became a doctor, he hadn’t counted on being in fear for his life. 

Before he had gotten shot, he’d been punched, vomited on, kicked, and everything he could think of once he started working in the emergency room. What made things worse was that he could have disarmed the guy easily with a spell, but he could never expose himself as a witch. 

That wouldn’t have been good.

He pulled away from the locker, taking off his scrubs as he went, heading to the shower. He was in desperate need of getting clean quickly. Dunking his under the scalding water, he allowed his mind to wander. He wasn’t in a rush to go home to an empty apartment. 

Sirius lived a lonely life. He didn’t have a best friend or a family member he could visit for Sunday dinner. It was especially worse when he was growing up. The only supernatural he knew was his mother Brigid, who’d died not long after he’d started college. 

Sirius had never met his father. According to his mother, his sire took off when she told him that he was pregnant, never to be seen or heard from again. He also couldn’t pick his father out of a line up if his life depended on it since he’d never seen a picture of the man.  

Sirius couldn’t say he was broken up about not having a father around, he and his mom did well for themselves. Except for Brigid last few years when she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.  During her rough days, Sirius wished he had a friendly shoulder to cry on.

Sirius often wondered what it would be like to meet another person like himself or be a part of a coven.  Brigid was against joining a coven because she didn’t trust people who followed others blindly. She wanted to live her life freely. Sirius respected her reasons, idiotic though they may be, but he knew very little about his kind.

Go to Vale Valley, was whispered in his ear causing Sirius to lift his head up from underneath the water and looked around to see who spoke. He knew it couldn’t be his familiar, since his happened to be a wolf and didn’t talk.

“Fuck. I’m too tired for this shit,” turning back to finish his shower.

“Talking to yourself again, Henson?”

Sirius mentally rolled his eyes when he heard Griffin Presley’s voice. Griffin was his co-worker and when the mood struck fuck buddy. He turned to face his friend who had a towel wrapped around his waist. They’d both weeded through the night shift together for the past two days.

Griffin held out an extra towel that Sirius just realized he held in his hands, as Griffin took off the towel wrapped around his waist, letting it fall to the floor. 

“You left this on the bench,” Griffin said holding it out.

Sirius went to reach for it, but Griffin grabbed his arm and pulled him flush against his body. 

“Are you sure we should be doing this here?” Sirius wasn’t going to say no, it had been a while since he’d had a good fuck. Griffin gave him that sexy as hell smirk that Sirius knew could be trouble. 

“If you promise to be quiet then no one will know what we’re up to.”

Griffin was smart, and a good doctor. Even though they’d slept together numerous times, Griffin still had one slight flaw that stopped Sirius from falling for him completely. He isn’t my mate. There wasn’t a lot that Sirius knew about his kind. Sure he knew spells and how to make some potions as well as knowing that he had a mate out there for him. 

It would have been so much easier if Griffin was his mate since they had a few things in common and had great sex. But when he was with Griffin, he could feel a longing inside of himself that the other man could never suffice. 

“Don’t you feel bad that we use each other for sex?”

“Why, are you starting to feel guilty?”

Sirius tilted his head to the side at the question. Am I? Why the hell did I even ask that question in the first place? 

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to have feelings for me?”

Sirius wrapped his arms around Griffin’s neck and kissed him, shutting the other man up from asking more questions. Their kiss was starting to get deeper when he heard the door to the locker room bang closed. They both separated quickly and chuckled as they looked at each other.

“Come by my place later, and we’ll finish what we started here,” Sirius told him. He grabbed the towel that was still in Griffin’s hand, wrapping it around his waist and walked to his locker to get dressed.

On the drive home, the words Vale Valley came back to him. He remembered his mother mentioning the little town in passing. According to Brigid, it was a small town that accepted supernaturals of all kinds. He’d searched on the internet and found nothing. There wasn’t anyone he could ask for information either. At times, he wanted to curse his mother for keeping him so secluded from their world because of her fears. 

If Vale Valley really exists, there’s no way for me to find it.


“Put the knife down,” Sirius said in an even tone, hoping not to aggravate the junky in front of him. 

How the fuck did he get a damn knife in the first place?

After putting some serious thought into his career, he decided to ask for a transfer to a different department. His request had been denied, but Sirius still hadn’t had the heart to quit. He’d done his internship for both the emergency room and obstetrics but found the emergency more exciting. A choice he was currently regretting. 

Why the fuck does this shit happen to me?

“Just… just give me my clothes, it has what I need.” 

The young man standing in front of him looked scared, and even though he was shaking from withdrawal, Sirius wasn’t going to chance taking the knife away from him. He just needed to keep the guy talking until security could come in and handle the situation. He was thankful that the nurse that was in the room with him remained quiet and did nothing to aggravate the situation further. Sirius also wished she wasn’t in there with him because it would have been the perfect time, to use his powers. 
“I can’t do that, Foster. You need help.”

“I don’t need help. Who told you I needed help? Was it my father? How much did he pay you?”

“I don’t know who your father is, Foster.”

“Everyone knows fucking Franklin Smithe, he uses money to get his way.” 

“I’m not one of the people he can buy, Foster.”

“Anybody can be bought for the right price.”

Foster’s hand started shaking more, and he looked away for a second and Sirius saw his chance. He charged at the young man, knocking the knife out of his hand and jumping on top of him, pinning him to the floor with one of his arms behind his back. Sirius was about to give the nurse orders to treat Foster when the door burst open, and security rushed in. 
“You guys sure took your fucking time,” he snapped.

“Yeah, sorry about that we got held up on the elevator,” one of them said as they walked over and took over the situation with Foster. 

“You could have taken the stairs,” he told them getting up off Foster.

Once they had Foster secured, Sirius walked into his supervisor’s office and informed him that he quit, he didn’t feel the need to explain. He was tired of feeling as if his life was in constant danger when all he was trying to do was help people. Sirius loved his job, but he couldn’t keep doing it when he couldn’t even use his powers to protect himself. 

Maybe it’s time I take a trip and try to find Vale Valley.

Sirius sat on his couch doing a detailed search. He’d entered the name Vale Valley, and all that kept coming up was a small tourist town located in Pennsylvania. The Christmas Holiday was only a couple of weeks away, and Sirius was looking at pictures of the town celebrating and having what he could only assume was a good time. Scanning through more of the photographs, Sirius stopped when he saw someone that looked familiar to him. 

Grayson Vale. Holy hell is he a supernatural? 

Sirius remembered that Grayson had interned at the hospital for a while. Sirius never spoke to him but knew the nurses liked him. He stared at Grayson Vale’s photo and noticed he seemed different, his face glowing with happiness from the last time he’d seen him. Sirius looked under the title of the picture. 

‘The Grand Opening of Vale Valley’s New Health Center, Creatures of Comfort.’
Oh shit, could this really be Vale Valley? This can’t be for real. The town I’ve been searching for can’t be seen. Why the hell did my mother lie to me? Sirius put his laptop on the couch and got up, then started pacing the room.  She said it only shows itself to those who needed a place to call home. 
He stopped mid-pace and looked back at his computer. “Is that why I can see it, because that’s where I’m looking for a new home?” He sat back down on the couch staring off into space. “What the fuck should I do?” Sirius had never been a risk taker, but lately, he’d been feeling bottled in; stopped up, unable to push the cork out. 

What’s holding me back from packing up and moving? I’ve already quit my job, and right before the holiday started. I’m an idiot. I need to start thinking of something new to do. Wait, do they even have a hospital? 
He picked up his laptop and searched for a hospital, finding it on the first try. Excitement bubbled in him as he read more about the wonderful care being offered to the residents at the general hospital. One thing that piqued his interest was the part that said the hospital specialized in male hormone management care. 

What the hell does that mean? 

He didn’t get to ponder the question for too long when he saw a notice for staff wanted. His finger hovered over the mouse as he wondered if he should take the chance and apply for the job. Not second guessing himself anymore he filled out the application and sat back looking around his apartment. All he could do was wait to hear back from them on whether he got the job or not.


Three weeks later Sirius walked into his apartment and slammed the door, pissed off that he’d been passed over on the last job he’d interviewed for. It was working for one of the smaller hospitals in the city. He didn’t see any reason for him not to get the job when he was more than qualified for the position. He was also irritated that he hadn’t heard from Vale Valley General Hospital when he’d hoped they would have contacted him already. 

“This fucking sucks!” He yelled as he dropped down on his couch. He’d called Griffin to see if he wanted to hang out, but the other man hadn’t gotten back to him. “Maybe things between us are over. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.” 

Over the past day or two, Sirius wondered if he should give up and go back and beg for his job back, it was the only option he had. He had some money put away, but the longer he was out of work, the quicker it would go away. He pulled out his cell ready to call his ex-supervisor just as it rang staring down at it, he didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway.

“Hello.”

“Is this Doctor Sirius Henson?”

“Yes.”

“Doctor Henson, I’m Tessa Blake, assistant to Doctor Calista Pond. I’m calling from Vale Valley General Hospital.”

Oh shit!

“Doctor Pond has reviewed your resume and would like to set up an interview now if you are available.”

“Yes, I am,” Sirius said quickly.

“Wonderful, please hold.”

Sirius chewed on his bottom lip as he waited for Tessa Blake to come back on the line.

“Doctor Henson, this is Calista Pond, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. This will be a short interview, from your resume and file you sound as if you have what we are looking for. But let’s go through the formalities.”

Wait, I thought she was only setting up the date for the interview? 

“What can you tell me about yourself that’s not on paper?”

I’m a witch, was the first and only thing that came to Sirius’ mind, but that was something he couldn’t say out loud. “Um…”

Calista Pond chuckled. “I assume no one has ever asked you a question like that?”

“To be honest, no.” Not only did Sirius hate talking about himself, but he also didn’t think he was that interesting anyway.

“Okay how about we start with something simple. Why did you want to become a doctor?”

That was a simple answer. “Ever since I was a kid it’s all I wanted to do. I think I drove my mom crazy with worry when I started diagnosing everyone in the neighborhood at the age of fifteen without a medical license. Helping and healing are all I can think about doing. It’s a part of me as breathing.”

“I see,” Calista Pond said. “It says here that you fast-tracked your way through medical school, was there a reason why you wanted to do that?”
“It wasn’t in my plans. In high school, I always felt that I was being held back so when I was given the opportunity to graduate a couple of years early, I jumped on it and applied to medical school. It was as if I was supposed to be there all along and things just came naturally to me. I didn’t stop studying and soaked up everything I could and before I knew it, it was time to graduate.”

“You’re quite young,” she said to him.

“I wouldn’t call twenty-seven young.” Sirius smiled for the first time in a long time. 

“Compared to me, yes you are. I hope you had some fun during all that studying?”

“Yeah, I did.” He had a lot of fun in fact, he felt a bit too much. 

“Good,” Calista said. He heard a lightness to her tone. “Tell me, Sirius, why are you looking for a new job, especially in a small town like Vale Valley?”

“I’m looking for a new change in my life, and I’m getting tired of living in a big city.” 

The line was quiet for a few minutes, and Sirius couldn’t believe he was opening up to her so easily. He realized as well that he wasn’t as nervous as when they first started talking.

“So when would you like to come out and visit us, all expenses will be paid for of course.”

Did I get the job? “Does that mean I have the job?”

“To the point, but I’d like to meet you face to face. How does next week sound?”

“It sounds great,” he said then a thought came to him. “Would it be okay if I come earlier and check out the town?”

"That’s a wonderful idea,” she cheered. “I’ll have Tessa send you the information you’ll need, and I cannot wait to meet you, Sirius Henson.” 
With that, she ended their call and Sirius had a feeling that the second he entered Vale Valley his life would change. He just couldn’t figure out if it would be for the better. 

Only time will tell.

Copyright © 2019 by Giovanna Reaves

Love is in the air, and Vale Valley’s magic is bringing lonely hearts together.
Sirius Henson
Sirius is both a skilled doctor and a witch who has always been sort of a loner. Being a witch in the human world has been hard on him, since he cannot use his magic for fear of revealing himself. After years of hearing about Vale Valley, he packs up everything he has in hopes of having a new start and being his true self. But with a new life comes new experiences and information and things he wasn’t aware was possible. Will Sirius be able to handle the changes coming with his new life, especially when the bewitching takes effect?
Alphonso Vale
 
After the death of his grandfather Trenton Vale twenty years ago, Alphonso and his parents left Vale Valley.  Although he keeps in contact with his extended family, he could no longer ignore the Vale Valley’s magic calling out to him. He decides to return home for a short visit. As a single father, his only goal was to let his daughter experience the wonder of the small town he still holds close to his heart. A chance meeting the cute doctor makes him want to reconsider moving back to Vale Valley permanently.
 
Bewitching Love is the twelfth book in the second season to the Vale Valley series. It is a heartwarming story of two men falling in love and building their new lives together

Alphonso looked in the rearview mirror watching Tamia and couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as his three-year-old happily sang along with him before focusing back to the road.
​
Alphonso was heading home to Vale Valley after being away for twenty years. He and his family had moved away not long after he’d turned ten years old. It was right after his grandfather Trenton’s death. At the time, Alphonso didn’t understand why his parents wanted to leave, and in some way, he still didn’t comprehend. Over the years he was sure that his grandmother Rosemary wanted his father Kayne to become the next town’s Sheriff but he’d turned it down.

In Alphonso’s opinion, there was more to the story, and it seemed his parents never wanted to talk about it, no matter how many times he asked. But one thing he knew for sure was how much his parents missed living in Vale Valley. He could see it in their faces each time they talked about the small town or got a call from his uncle LaMarkus.

“Daddy, sing,” Tamia said getting his attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweet pea, Daddy got a bit distracted.”

He looked at the GPS and saw that they weren’t that far away from their destination. Even if that was the case, he needed to keep her distracted. Humans who knew nothing about supernatural would never find Vale Valley unless the town wanted its presence known. The small town was also a homing beacon to those who left and one day wanted to return home again.

He started singing again, he glanced in the mirror one more time and noticed that she was rubbing her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she fell asleep. Tamia was a real trooper doing the long drive with him. It would have been easier to fly from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania and would have been there days shorter. After the minor meltdown Tamia had the first time they flew to Florida for Christmas, he’d made up his mind that their next long trip he’d rather drive, no matter the distance.

Soft, even breathing reached his ears and Alphonso knew his little one had fallen asleep. Tamia was the light of his life. He had gotten a phone call while on a business trip three years ago telling him that he was the father of a newborn baby girl. Alphonso had always tried to be careful when it came to his bed partners. Not wanting to leave it up to chance by getting a human pregnant who knew nothing about the supernatural world. No need to cause a national emergency because he couldn’t keep his dick out of trouble. Even though Alphonso was told that with his mixed blood, he’d have a hard time getting his mate pregnant no matter their gender. It had taken his parents years after their mating to have him, and they’d always figured he’d have the same problem.

I guess they were wrong.

Three years ago, Alphonso wasn’t the attentive, put together man and father he was with Tamia. As an entertainment lawyer, he soaked up the life; jet-setting to wherever his wealthy and superstar clients wanted him to meet them or attending lavish, expensive parties hosted by his clients. He’d given a few of his own over the years as well. Alphonso hadn’t been born with a large silver spoon in his mouth but worked his way up to turning what he had into platinum. With the carefree life he was living, Alphonso thought he was always safe with everyone he slept with.

Truthfully, the only thing he remembered about the night he’d slept with Tamia’s mother was that Assandria was a witch. Alphonso was at a party being given by one of his clients and was so surprised when he’d met another person who knew what he truly was. One thing led to another and the next thing he knew, they’d somehow fallen into bed together.
They’d both agreed it was a one-off and went their separate ways, vowing to keep in touch with each other but never did. Until he’d gotten the call that his daughter was born, and he needed to come and get her. Alphonso’s gut reaction was to deny the child until he saw a picture of her adorable face that held all the characteristics of a Vale child. From her button nose to her pouty lips, he knew she was his. The memory of holding her in his arms for the first time came back to him as if it was yesterday.

Alphonso threw a few bucks at the cab driver and hurried out of the car and into the high-rise building searching for the name of the law office that contacted him. He’d been living in Los Angeles for a long time and thought he knew most of the lawyers around town, but he’d never heard of Cristyn Brice. Once he found the name, he took the elevator and waited impatiently for it to get to the thirteenth floor.

“A daughter, I have a daughter. How the hell did that shit happen?”
He paced the length of the elevator trying to remember exactly who the other parent could be. He hadn’t gotten a lot of information on the child’s other parent since he was in too much of a shock at the time. He raised his head and stepped off the elevator, almost bumping into someone in his rush to find the office he was looking for.

“Mr. Vale,” a voice said behind him.

Alphonso turned around, realizing that the person who called out to him was the woman he almost bumped into rushing off the elevator.

“Assandria said you were handsome, and she was right. Cristyn Brice,” the beautiful young woman walked up to him with her hand extended.

Assandria, Alphonso mentally whispered trying to recall where he’d heard the name then remembered the woman he’d met at the party given by one of his top clients, Carter James. “I…” he started taking her hand, shaking it quickly before releasing.

“No need to introduce yourself, I know everything about you.”

“Really,” he said a bit shocked.

“Well, all the important things,” Cristyn said as her eyes trailed up and down his body stopping at his face.

At any other time Alphonso might have flirted back, but he wasn’t in the mood. He was there for business and not pleasure.

“Miss Brice, I was told my daughter is here waiting for me.”

“I see you’re a man that likes to get straight to the point.”

“It would be better if we stick to business.”

“Not to worry, Mister Vale, you are handsome, but I’m not interested.”

“Good to know.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Cristyn spoke. “Let’s go into my office.”

“Where’s my daughter?” Alphonso said as they started walking.

“Not going to question that she’s yours?”

“No, strong family traits are hard to deny.”

“I see,” she said looking back at him. “Tamia is with my assistant, and once we are done with all the formal paperwork, you will be able to take her home.”

“Tamia?”

“Tamia Rosemary Vale,” Cristyn said causing Alphonso to gasp. “I believe she said that was your grandmother’s name.”

“Is,” Alphonso whispered. “She’s still alive.”

“I stand corrected.”

They got to her office, and Alphonso dropped down in his chair. Looking down at his clasped fingers he was preparing for what to come.

“Assandria knew she was going to die and had hoped to have told you everything before the day came. But things didn’t work out the way she planned.”

“What was wrong with her?” he asked looking at Cristyn.

Alphonso tried to recall if he scented anything was wrong with her the night they met, and nothing came to mind.

“She had a degenerative disease of the nervous system. She thought she was getting better, but after Assandria found out she was pregnant, things got worse. She had it since she was a child and no form of magic spells, charms, or potions was able to heal her. She was a gifted witch and was able to heal everyone else but herself.”

Alphonso’s eyes widened. “You knew she was a witch?”

“Mister Vale, no, Alphonso, I know more than you think. You are the son of Kayne and Synder Vale, two men who’ve made a name for themselves as celebrity bodyguards. A werewolf and a vampire, funny fairy tales aren’t all lies, are they?”

Alphonso was still trying to figure out how the woman knew what his parents were. Raising his head in the air, he sniffed, and for the first time he realized that Cristyn Brice wasn’t human she was a shifter.

An Eagle. Gods, am I that unfocused that I hadn’t realized she was a shifter this entire time?

“You finally realized I’m a shifter?”

Alphonso didn’t need to respond, she saw the answer on his face.

“Anyway, I wasn’t just Assandria’s lawyer, I was her friend as well.”

“Why didn’t she tell me about the baby?”

Cristyn sighed. “Honestly, as close as we were, that’s something she never revealed to me; no matter how many times I asked. But I do know whatever she did wasn’t out of malice.”

“You said she had a degenerative disease. Is it genetic, does Tamia have it?”

“From the tests we ran…”

He sat up cutting Cristyn off. “Wait, who ran them? You let humans know of our existence?” Fear passed through him at the thought that untrusting humans who wished his kind ill would one day come after his child.
“I’m not stupid, Alphonso, and contrary to what you might believe, Vale Valley might be the only place supernaturals are welcomed. But we have few trusted humans working everywhere, protecting our secrets just as they do in your little town.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just…”

“Nervous, worried, and cautious. I get it. But to answer your question, as far as we can tell she’s fine.”

Alphonso sat back relieved at the thought of his daughter being okay. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“We all need to look out for each other. I’ll protect Tamia the same way I protected Assandria.”

Alphonso nodded. “Okay, so let’s get down to business. I want to meet my daughter and take her home.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for what being a father entails? It means giving up all the late-night partying and all that fun stuff you’re used to.”
“Honestly, no. But I’m willing to put all that behind me to be the father Tamia needs.”

Cristyn stared at him as if assessing if he was telling the truth. “Okay, let’s get to it.”

They went through all the paperwork needed for him to be able to take full custody of Tamia and Assandria’s estate. Between his holdings and Assandria’s, their daughter Tamia would be set for life. Alphonso had no idea that the woman he’d slept with that night was the sole living heiress to a cosmetic company.

According to the papers he was signing, Assandria had stepped down as the CEO a couple of years before they’d met. With her gone, all of Assandria’s holdings went to Tamia. But that wasn’t what was worrying Alphonso, it was the thought that with each paper he signed, he was one step closer to meeting his daughter.  With the last documents signed, Cristyn stood and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sit tight for a bit. I’ll bring her to you.” She pointed to the door on the other side of her large office. “Go wash your hands and wait for me.”
She walked out of the office and Alphonso did what she instructed. He was too angsty to sit down and paced back and forth waiting for Cristyn to return. He knew nothing about how to take care of babies or raise a kid. He’d been single, living the life, never thinking about settling down or looking for a mate. He knew his fathers worried about him but mostly kept their opinions to themselves. A few minutes later the door reopened and Cristyn entered with a bundle wrapped in her arms. Instantly the scent of familiarity hit him, and he knew he was smelling his blood.

If he’d ever doubted if Tamia was his, her scent confirmed it for him. Taking his steps slowly, he met them in the middle of the room and stood there for a few minutes just staring down at his sweet child. Her dark curly hair was peeking out from under the blanket covering her head. Her chubby cheeks flushed as if she was crying before they entered the room. Tamia scrunched up her face as if she was about to cry and instantly Alphonso reached out and took her from Cristyn’s arms before she could make a sound.

His sweet girl turned her head and opened her eyes, and all Alphonso could do was gasp. The picture he’d seen hadn’t done Alphonso justice in preparing him. Beautiful bright green eyes like his own stared back at him. Holding Tamia in his arms for the first time gave him a sense of peace and calm that he’d never felt before. His fears hadn’t gone away, but he knew that they were going to be all right together.

Since that day in Cristyn’s office, they’d remained friends, and she became Tamia’s godmother. When he’d told his fathers what happened, they weren’t thrilled with him being a single father but spoiled Tamia just the same. Without his parents and Crisytn he didn’t know how he would have made it without their help. Tamia had not only changed the way he saw people but the way he saw the world. It was why he wanted her to meet the family she had in Vale Valley. He’d informed his grandmother that he was coming to spend some time with them and feel the magic of the town.

Alphonso had hoped his fathers would have wanted to take the trip with him, but they had refused. Whatever went down between them and his grandmother was keeping them away from returning back to Vale Valley, and Alphonso hoped one day they would be willing to one day.  Alphonso smiled as he drove past the sign that said Welcome to Vale Valley, already feeling the magic washing over to him.

Thank you for welcoming me back, Vale Valley.
​
Copyright © 2019 by Giovanna Reaves