Page 22

S aturday went much like Friday had, with two showings, a matinee and the evening one. I had to miss the afternoon since I needed to work and go over what me and the guys were doing for the rodeo the next day.

Still, I was able to work right by Jezebel’s side all night and it was awesome. She was so much fun. So pretty and fun, brilliant too.

The holiday themed movies were a hit with everyone who came to see them. I watched couples come and go and families with big ol’ grins on their faces as they splurged on decadent treats from Penelope’s bakery, butter smothered popcorn, hot cocoa, and other candies and beverages.

“You good there, Baby?” she’d asked me when I stood staring too long and I smiled and patted her on the ass when she walked by.

“Hell yeah, Angel. With you next to me, I am perfect.”

And I was. She was, too.

Jezebel was the perfect cure for what had been a pretty mundane day. Hell, make that a mundane life.

But that was just her.

My mate was just the sweetest Angel this side of the veil. She was amazing and my love for her seemed to grow by leaps and bounds with every passing moment.

“What a night,” Jezebel sighed, looking exhausted and beautiful.

I couldn’t wait to get home so I could show her just how gorgeous she was. The sinfully plush body of hers drove me wild. She was so thick and soft. So delightfully curvy.

I’d never been one to lean one way or the other when it came to body types, but goddamn, I was a fan of hers. Jezebel was a knockout. She could send me to my knees with just a look, and the best part was I didn’t even think she knew it.

Yeah, we needed to get home. And fast.

Hell. I didn’t recall the exact moment I started thinking of my cabin as home, but it definitely coincided with her being there.

She was changing everything. Shaking it up. Making it better. And I wanted to do that for her.

I needed to.

“Oh my God! It’s almost three. You have to get up early tomorrow?” she asked, and I nodded as we chained the lot and got in the truck together.

“Oh, Baby, I am so sorry,” she began, but I hushed her with my mouth.

Kissing that woman was goddamn addictive, and I couldn’t get enough.

“I’m fine, Angel. Now, get your sweet ass in the truck,” I growled, winking at her.

She bit her lip and batted her eyelashes at me. So damn cute.

I growled and snapped my teeth playfully, and she turned around with a giggle.

A fucking giggle.

Sigh. I am so in love with this woman.

“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.

She felt everything, didn’t she?

It was like she could see something more when she looked at the ghost. More than the scary. She saw his pain, his confusion, and his longing.

“H-hello,” Jezebel began. “What do you have to tell me?”

I smiled, nodding encouragingly as I held her hand. This shade wasn’t there to hurt her. The closer we got, the more Demon could sense his intentions.

I watched approvingly as she confronted him. Sherry had told Jezebel it was best to ask straight questions and make no promises to the dead. Sometimes just being heard helped them resolve whatever business they had.

“ Per favore, signora. Mia bella sposa , Annamaria, she is doing it wrong. My secret sauce recipe. Her diabetes is not good. She must stop. If she uses the right tomatoes, then she does not need to add sugar. Tell her not to be cheap,” the shade said.

A vision of his address floated through Jezebel’s mind, and a name, both of which I was privy to through our matebond. Seeing those images flashing through her mind, like pieces to a puzzle, was shocking. How invasive that must have felt for her all this time.

Being able to take some of that burden, to carry it with her was a privilege. And knowing it was our bond that allowed me to do that, seeing that connection work for the first time, well it just made my heart pound all the harder. My hand squeezed her tighter of its own volition.

I wanted to pick her up and take her home, wrap her up and never let anything hurt her or scare her again. It wasn’t reasonable, but I still wanted to.

Only her steady breathing kept me still. If she was brave enough to stand there and accept her gift, do her duty, and provide comfort to the restless, then the least I could do to honor her was stand by her side.

“I will do my best, signore. Be at peace,” she murmured, and smiled softly as the old man’s ghost vanished in the breeze.

I checked the clock on the truck before we exited. It was three AM. The Witching Hour, or so Sherry had said. Made sense that the fade would appear at this time.

“You good, Angel?” I asked, watching Jezebel wipe her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. I just felt his concern and his love for his wife. It was strong enough to make him stay here until someone could hear his message.”

“His message was about tomato sauce,” I stated, frowning at her and attempting to lighten the moment.

“I know that, but it was still beautiful.”

“You have such a big heart,” I said, pulling her to my side and kissing her temple. “Think you’re gonna find her?”

“I think so. I can still see the house and the name and address right here.” Jezebel motioned to her head.

“Alright, but not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” she agreed.