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“Tonight was awesome, Angel.You did a fantastic job,” I said, helping her into the truck and kissing her head before I rounded over to my side.

I started the pickup more than ready to take my woman home.

“Thank you so much, Emmet, for everything,” she began, but I shook my head.

“You don’t have to thank me.I enjoyed it.I love watching you do your thing.”

“Yeah?Thanks.”

She was so fucking cute, biting her lip and smiling sweetly from her seat.But her sudden gasp had me slamming on the brakes before I saw the ghostly figure on the road.

“Emmet,” she said my name, clutching at my hand.

“Easy, Angel,” I whispered, reassuring her.

Sherry had told her what she needed to do.How she needed to set her boundaries, but I understood her first time seeing a shade would be a little nerve-wracking, considering she probably had PTSD from the whole ordeal she’d been through.

“What do you want to do?”I asked.

I felt Demon watching the ghost through my eyes.Knowing my Wolf was part Hellhound made sense now as he made sure Jezebel was safe.Waiting, watching, the beast in me snarled, alerting the shade to our presence, making sure he didn’t try anything sneaky.

“I want to talk to him, I think,” Jezebel said, blowing out a shaky breath.

“Alright.Come on,” I replied, opening my door.

I tugged on her hand, encouraging her to slide out on my side of the truck.Helping her down was one of the bonuses of having such a high vehicle, but now was not the time to be drooling over my sexy mate.

I’d save that for after.

We approached the pale blue shade, careful to keep our distance from the dark shadow he cast.

It loomed like a warning, a tangible reminder that the veil between worlds was perilously thin in that particular place.Not safe for treading by the likes of us, those who were still living.

The air crackled with an unsettling energy.Now I was used to Shifter magic.It was something I encountered with every change.But this was a whisper of secrets held just beyond my understanding or experience.

“It’s okay,” Jezebel whispered, trying to comfort me.

I sucked in a breath, filling myself with her cocoa sweet scent.No one had ever cared about my well-being before, and if I didn’t already love her that one whispered phrase would have done it.

The ground beneath us felt charged as we moved in closer.It was like the very earth was holding its breath, waiting for something to break the fragile boundary.

A chill emanated from the figure, making Jezebel shiver.I growled.I didn’t like that.Not one bit.The ghost flickered in and out of existence.

Like the flame of a candle sitting too close to an open window.

Shades were elusive and unstable.A pale blue glow illuminated his outline, casting an eerie light into the otherwise dark lane.

Bare branches twisted upwards from the trees lining the road, like hands reaching up, searching for favor from a god who wasn’t there.

"Don't touch him," I murmured as we drew to a stop just in front of him.

The shade turned slightly.His empty gaze seemed to pierce through the gloom that settled around him like a shroud.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew it was something.Jezebel inhaled sharply.Her eyes went round and filled with moisture.For a fleeting moment, I felt her reaction through our bond and my heart hurt.

But no, that wasn’t me.That was her.

My sweet, beautiful mate.