Thank you for reading the Paranormal Bed & Breakfast series. I really hope you enjoy this little bonus story from Alec’s point of view, giving you a glimpse of what happens to him as well as Luke and Kyla over the next year. Learn about this entire series HERE.

Alec’s First Year (or more) of Freedom

A Little Bonus from the Paranormal Bed & Breakfast series.

PART 1: The Empty Lamp

Freedom felt like drowning in air.

After eight hundred years of being bound to brass, having unlimited magic without restrictions was both intoxicating and terrifying. Like a bird who’d lived its whole life in a cage suddenly being released into open skies. Sure, its wings worked, but did it remember how to use them?

I stood in Kyla’s garden, breathing in the crisp morning air. The sun felt different on my skin knowing I wasn’t going to be yanked back into my lamp at someone else’s whim. My magic tingled beneath my skin, ready to be used however I pleased.

Well, almost however I pleased. I still had to grant Kyla’s remaining wishes, but she was in no hurry to use them. That was just like her – giving up her own desires to help others. First Gerald’s cancer, then offering me this strange form of freedom.

I snapped my fingers, making a cup of coffee appear. Because I could. Just for me. No master to serve, no wish to grant. Just coffee because I wanted it.

“Show off,” Luke said, coming up behind me. He held his own coffee mug, which he’d had to make the mortal way. The former genie looked annoyingly happy for someone who’d given up immortality and magic.

“Jealous?” I took an exaggerated sip. “Oh wait, you can’t be. You chose this mundane existence.”

Luke’s smile didn’t falter. “And I’d choose it again. Every time.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was no real heat in it. Our rivalry had evolved into something almost friendly. Almost. “You’re just saying that because you got the girl.”

“No,” Luke said, his voice serious. “I’m saying it because I got a life. A real one. Not just existing to grant wishes.”

I wanted to argue, but he had a point. Even this small taste of freedom had shown me how confined I’d been. Not that I’d admit that to him. Instead, I snapped my fingers and turned his coffee into tea.

“Really?” Luke sighed, but he was fighting a smile. “Some things never change.”

“Would you want them to?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I mean, what fun would it be if I suddenly became well-behaved?”

Luke laughed. “Kyla would think you were possessed.”

Speaking of Kyla, she chose that moment to emerge from the manor, her auburn hair wild from sleep and wearing one of Luke’s oversized dress shirts. My heart did its usual traitorous flutter, but it was softer now. More nostalgic than painful.

“Are you two playing nice?” she asked, moving to Luke’s side.

I snapped my fingers, returning Luke’s coffee to its original state. “I’m always nice.”

She raised an eyebrow that said she didn’t believe me for a second. Smart woman. It’s why I’d fallen for her in the first place.

“Actually,” I said, “I should get going. It’s Tuesday.”

“Gerald’s card game?” Kyla’s face softened. She knew what these weekly meetings meant to me, even if I played it casual.

I nodded. “Can’t keep my favorite ex-master waiting.”

“Tell him I said hello,” Luke said. “And that Kyla and I will visit soon.”

I gave them a mock salute and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. I could have just teleported directly, but what’s the point of being a genie if you can’t be dramatic about it?

Gerald was already setting up the cards when I appeared in his living room. The cancer-free color in his cheeks made my chest tight in a way I wasn’t used to. Pride? Gratitude? Emotions were easier to ignore when I was just granting wishes.

“You’re early,” he said without looking up.

“Miss me that much?” I settled into my usual chair.

Gerald shuffled the cards with expertise. “I miss winning your money. Should we make it interesting today?”

“You know my magic could just create more money.”

“And you know I’d know if you cheated.” He dealt the cards with a flourish. “How are things at the manor?”

I picked up my cards, arranging them carefully. “Disgustingly domestic. Luke and Kyla are sickeningly in love. I might have to find my own place soon before I develop cavities from all the sweetness.”

Gerald’s knowing look cut right through my deflection. “And how are you really doing with all of that?”

I stared at my cards without seeing them. “It’s… different. Being on the outside of the lamp. Having choices. Watching her be happy with someone else.” I laid down a card. “Honestly? I’m not sure who I am without all the constraints.”

“That’s called growth.” Gerald played his own card. “It’s not supposed to be comfortable.”

“Says the man who’s been winning at cards for eighty years.”

He chuckled. “Life isn’t about winning, Alec. Sometimes it’s about learning to play a different game.”

I groaned. “Please tell me freedom doesn’t mean I have to listen to more of your metaphors.”

“Freedom means you get to choose to listen.” He laid down a winning hand. “Just like you chose to be here today.”

I threw my cards down in mock frustration, but he was right. I had chosen to be here. Just like I’d chosen to help Luke with his cold feet about becoming human. Just like I chose to stick around the manor even though watching Luke and Kyla together sometimes ached.

“You know what the strangest part is?” I said, watching him gather the cards. “I’m actually happy for them. Not just pretending to be. Actually happy. How bizarre is that?”

Gerald’s smile was warm. “That’s called being part of a family.”

Family. The word settled in my chest like a warm cup of coffee. Strange how something I’d watched humans desire for centuries could suddenly mean so much to me.

“Deal again,” I said, not ready to examine that feeling too closely. “And this time, no wise old man routine. You’re supposed to be cancer-free, not enlightened.”

His laugh filled the room, and I found myself laughing too. Real laughter, not the calculated chuckles I’d perfected over centuries of granting wishes.

Maybe that’s what freedom really was – the ability to feel things fully, whether you wanted to or not. To make choices, good and bad, and live with them. To be part of something bigger than yourself.

Or maybe I was starting to sound like Gerald with all this philosophical nonsense. Either way, as I picked up my new cards, I felt something I hadn’t expected in my first month of freedom:

Peace.

Even if I did turn Gerald’s winning hand into a bunch of jokers when he wasn’t looking. Hey, I said I was growing, not completely reformed.

Some kinds of magic are just too fun to give up.

PART 2: The Wedding

I woke up on the morning of Kyla’s wedding with every intention of being difficult. It seemed like the right thing to do – keep up appearances, maintain my reputation for chaos, maybe turn the wedding cake into frogs (temporarily, of course).

But then I arrived at Moonstruck Manor and found Luke having a panic attack in the garden.

The almighty ex-genie was sitting on a bench, head between his knees, breathing like he’d just run from the Paranormal Police. Again.

“Please tell me you’re not actually getting cold feet,” I said, leaning against a tree. “Because if you stand her up, I’ll have to kill you. You know, out of duty to my mistress.”

Luke’s head snapped up. “Alec? What are you doing here so early?”

“Apparently watching you have a crisis. Which is hilarious, by the way. You faced down the Paranormal Police, survived centuries of granting wishes, and this is what breaks you?”

“I can’t do magic anymore,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “What if something goes wrong? What if—”

I snapped my fingers, conjuring a paper bag. “Breathe into this, mortal. Your human anxiety is showing.”

He grabbed the bag, and I found myself sitting next to him. Not because I cared, obviously. Just to get a better view of his breakdown.

“You know what’s funny?” I said after his breathing steadied. “You spent centuries dealing with other people’s wishes, but you never learned how to handle getting your own.”

Luke lowered the bag. “Is this supposed to be helping?”

“I’m just saying, you wished to be human. You wished for a normal life with the woman you love. And now you’re freaking out because you got exactly what you wanted.” I gestured to his very human form. “Cold feet are a mortal thing. Aren’t you glad you chose this?”

He stared at me for a long moment. “Are you actually trying to help me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m simply ensuring my mistress has a wedding. I am bound by magic to serve her best interests, after all.”

“Right.” Luke’s smile was knowing. “And this has nothing to do with growth or friendship.”

I stood up, brushing imaginary dirt from my suit. “Absolutely not. Now pull yourself together. We have a wedding to get through.”

The rest of the morning was chaos, but the fun kind. Aubrey micromanaged every detail, including my magical flower arrangements (“They’re floating too high, Alec. We want whimsical, not ridiculous.”) I may have turned one arrangement into butterflies just to watch her eye twitch.

I caught glimpses of Kyla getting ready through windows and doorways. Each time, my chest did something uncomfortable that I chose not to examine too closely. She was radiant, but not in the magical way I could conjure. This was purely human joy, and it was more powerful than any wish magic I’d ever wielded.

The ceremony itself was outdoors, because of course it was. Kyla’s powers had the garden in full bloom despite the season. I stood in the back, maintaining my roguish observer status, definitely not getting emotional when she walked down the aisle.

When the officiant reached the “speak now or forever hold your peace” part, everyone turned to look at me. I had a whole routine planned – a grand objection speech full of wit and drama.

Instead, what came out was, “Oh, get on with it. We all know they’re perfect for each other.”

The look of surprise on Kyla’s face was worth the hit to my reputation.

The reception was easier. I danced with the bride, because tradition demanded it (and because I wanted to).

“You still have two wishes, you know,” I said as we swayed. “It’s not too late to run away with the handsome genie.”

Kyla laughed. “You’re impossible.”

“Part of my charm.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything. For helping Luke this morning—”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“—and for being here. For being you. Even when it’s hard.”

I spun her around to hide whatever my face was doing. “Yes, well, someone has to keep things interesting around here.”

Later, I found myself sharing a drink with Luke. The mortal thing really had weakened his tolerance.

“You better take care of her,” I said, magically refilling his glass.

“Or you’ll turn me into a toad?”

“Please. I’m much more creative than that.” I studied my own drink. “But seriously. Take care of her. She deserves everything.”

Luke’s expression softened. “I know. And Alec? Thank you. For today. For everything.”

I raised my glass. “To mortality and other questionable choices.”

He clinked his glass against mine. “To family and other unexpected gifts.”

I used magic to spike the punch bowl after that, because I still had a reputation to maintain. But watching everyone dance and laugh, seeing Gerald healthy and happy, catching Kyla’s eye across the room and feeling only warmth instead of longing – it felt like a different kind of magic.

The kind that comes from choosing to be part of something bigger than yourself. The kind that happens when you stop granting wishes and start making them come true yourself.

Not that I’d ever admit that out loud. I do have some standards to uphold.

Besides, someone had to turn the wedding cake into frogs. Just temporarily.

It’s what families do.

PART 3: Finding His Place

Freedom, as it turned out, had seasons.

Summer at Moonstruck Manor settled into an easy rhythm. Weekly dinners with the newlyweds became tradition, even though I loudly complained about Luke’s attempts at mortal cooking. (“Just because you can’t conjure perfect meals anymore doesn’t mean the rest of us should suffer.”) But I stayed. There was something comforting about the predictability of it all—Gerald’s card games, Kyla’s laughter filling the house, Luke burning dinner but still trying. It was annoyingly domestic. And yet, I kept showing up.

Kyla’s garden flourished under her growing powers. The more she learned to control her magic, the more vibrant it became. I found myself spending afternoons helping her with the more stubborn plants. Not because I cared, obviously. It was just fun to turn the weeds into origami birds when she wasn’t looking.

And then there were the moments. Small ones, like the way Luke would brush a stray wave behind Kyla’s ear, his expression soft, as if he still couldn’t quite believe she was real. Or the way Kyla would smile at him, a smile that held no hesitation, no doubts—just pure love. I caught glimpses of them stealing kisses when they thought no one was looking, or the way Kyla’s hand always seemed to find Luke’s in quiet moments. They fit together so seamlessly, like they’d always been meant for each other.

It didn’t sting the way it used to. If anything, it was… nice, watching them. The kind of love people used to wish for.

Dating, on the other hand, was… an adventure. Turns out, centuries of granting romantic wishes doesn’t actually prepare you for real relationships. Each attempt ended the same way—with me making comparisons I shouldn’t, and Gerald giving me that knowing look over our weekly card game.

Autumn brought change, as it tends to do. I decided to travel—my first solo adventure in centuries. No lamp, no master, no obligations. Just me and the open road (with maybe a few magical shortcuts).

I sent postcards to the manor family:

“Venice is lovely this time of year. Almost turned the gondolas into flying carpets. Wish you were here. (Not literally, Kyla – save those wishes.)”

Winter came quicker than I expected. I’d watched countless human holidays but never really participated. Shopping for Christmas gifts was a nightmare—who knew you couldn’t just conjure presents? But sitting around the manor’s fireplace, watching Gerald beat everyone at cards while Luke and Kyla cuddled on the couch, something clicked into place.

Their happiness wasn’t the over-the-top, fairy-tale variety. It was quieter than that—Luke wrapping a blanket around Kyla’s shoulders when she got cold, the way she curled into him like it was the most natural thing in the world. Their love wasn’t about grand gestures; it was about the everyday moments, the kind that people like me used to overlook.

This weird, magical, mostly-mortal family had become mine.

PART 4: Full Circle

The one-year anniversary of Luke and Kyla’s wedding arrived with spring, bringing new growth to both the garden and our odd little family.

The manor was alive with color—Kyla had outdone herself. Blossoms of every shade bloomed around us, their magic-infused fragrance hanging in the air. As I stood to give my toast, I practiced it mentally for what felt like the hundredth time. Not that anyone needed to know that, of course.

“A year ago, I stood here and made jokes about turning the wedding cake into frogs. Some of you might remember that I actually did turn the cake into frogs.” Laughter rippled through the room. “But what none of you knew was that day changed more than just Luke and Kyla’s lives. It changed mine, too.”

I glanced over at the happy couple. Kyla was nestled against Luke’s side, her head resting on his shoulder, and Luke’s arm was wrapped protectively around her. They both smiled at me, a look of contentment and understanding that I hadn’t seen before. There was no doubt, no hesitation in their love—it was solid, rooted in something deep.

“See, freedom isn’t just about doing whatever you want. Sometimes, it’s about choosing to be part of something bigger than yourself. Sometimes, the best wish… is the one you don’t make.”

I raised my glass, catching Kyla’s eye. Her smile held no regret, no lingering “what-ifs”—just friendship, warmth, and a shared history. Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It didn’t ache anymore. Instead, I felt something warmer, more permanent.

“To Luke and Kyla—who taught a selfish genie about love, family, and the magic of choosing your own path. May your happiness continue to annoy me for many years to come.”

As everyone drank, I felt Gerald’s hand on my shoulder. “Well done,” he whispered.

I looked around at my chosen family—Gerald, healthy and beaming, Luke and Kyla radiant and wrapped in each other’s arms, Aubrey trying not to cry (and failing) snuggled against her hubby, Oliver. Even Selene, a repeat guest at the Paranormal B&B, stood near the back of the room, sipping her champagne with a quiet smile. There was always something mysterious about her—her visits brief, her magic subtle yet powerful. But I’d save her secrets until another day to unravel. Tonight was about something bigger, something that had finally made sense.

Some wishes come true in ways you never expect. Sometimes, you get exactly what you need by letting go of what you thought you wanted.

But I still turned Luke’s champagne into sparkling water when he wasn’t looking. After all, some kinds of magic are too fun to give up completely.

Thank you again for reading the Paranormal Bed & Breakfast series.

If you are looking for something else to read, try another one of my cozy mysteries.

The Mail-Order Witch – FREE Pilot Episode on Website. Note: These are novella length. (http://www.joynellschultz.com/mow)
Dream Droids: I think this series is under-read. It was so fun to write. (http://www.joynellschultz.com/dreamdroids)
Married to a Superhero – FREE Starter Short Story Library on website (http://www.joynellschultz.com/superherowives)
Or some of my other Urban Fantasy or Sci-Fi novels: (http://www.joynellschultz.com/books) “Dragons are a Girl’s Best Friend” might be a place for you to start. (A Portal Fantasy / Sweet Paranormal Romance.)

Did you enjoy this epilogue? How about the entire story? Feel free to comment here, like this post, or leave a review somewhere out there on the internet. (I’d also love to hear if you’d like Alec’s whole story written out in a full-length novel. Like, who the heck is Selene?) Thank you.