Page 15 of Waste (Legendary Shifters #4)

Okay, this was the lap of luxury. There was no doubt this was way out of their price range, and even though the family business was successful, they’d never reach this level of rich!

She examined what was her bedroom for the next few weeks with wide eyes.

It was like an advert you saw on TV. How could Drew remain grounded with such extravagance surrounding him?

It certainly made her a little uncomfortable.

Charlie, however, had taken to this like a duck to a pond.

His calm acceptance had Shelley rolling her eyes.

Right now, he and Drew were examining the slopes.

Charlie and Shelley owned their own skiing gear as they skied twice a year, so there was no need to hire any. Charlie had packed his own.

As Shelley couldn’t ski, she’d packed warm clothes but not her salopettes or other skiing items. She was slightly envious of Drew and Charlie, but hoped they’d have a good time. As Drew had stated, two guards covered the front and rear of the chalet.

Shelley was sitting at the window, people-watching with a model on the table.

She hadn’t yet started it as she was too busy being awed at the celebrities passing by.

This was certainly a playground for the mega-rich and famous.

Shelley had seen four movie stars, one author, three politicians, and a pop star.

Right now, Shelley was watching a reality TV star throw an epic tantrum.

Mirry Moors, short for Miranda Moors, was literally standing on a snow-covered path shrieking.

Shelley had her head cocked as Mirry berated a young woman with her.

She guessed it was Mirry’s PA, although Shelley had no idea how she put up with behaviour like that.

As Shelley watched, Mirry threw something on the ground and stamped her foot.

A smile crossed Shelley’s face at the spoiled attitude.

How could a grown woman act so childish?

She looked stupid. Shelley noticed that Mirry suddenly shut up and her entire demeanour changed.

She became coy and charming, and Shelley frowned and followed Mirry’s line of sight.

Uh oh. Mirry’s gaze was focused firmly on Drew and Charlie as they walked towards their chalet.

Neither man was paying Mirry any attention, but Mirry had taken note of them both.

She fluffed her hair, preened a little, and let out a tittering laugh.

Shelley bit back amusement as Charlie and Drew both glanced over and then continued their conversation.

Mirry looked nonplussed that her efforts hadn’t been rewarded.

Then Drew and Charlie stamped snow off their feet and entered the cabin.

“Hey, were you people spying?” Charlie asked as he hung up his coat.

“Just observing the disaster over there,” Shelley replied.

“She’s a witch. I wonder if she knows how much her voice carries. That poor assistant,” Drew stated as he pulled his outer clothes off.

“Mirry certainly isn’t merry,” Charlie agreed as he headed towards the kettle and put it on.

“As long as she stays on her side, we won’t have a problem,” Drew replied.

Shelley stared out of the window and noted Mirry staring back. “That might be an issue. I think she’s interested in one of you.”

“Don’t say that!” Charlie and Drew exclaimed together, and Shelley chuckled.

“She keeps looking over here,” Shelley added.

“Stop staring at her! Don’t encourage that evil bitch!” Drew hissed, and Shelley laughed harder.

“I’m guessing you’re not a fan!” Shelley teased.

“Hell no! Especially not after what I heard spilling from her lips,” Drew retorted, taking the mug of hot chocolate that Charlie offered him.

“I wouldn’t have thought she’s rich enough to come here,” Charlie said, sipping his own drink.

“She’s not. That chalet belongs to a TV producer. She’s probably borrowed it from him,” Drew explained, and Shelley nodded. That made sense.

“Pull the curtains. I don’t want her looking in. People like Mirry Moor are always seeking a way to make a quick buck,” Drew sneered.

“I’m not as rich as you, dude, but I’ve come across a fair amount of gold diggers,” Charlie agreed.

Shelley shook her head. In truth, she’d dated a few guys, but they’d not done much for her, so she’d broken off with them after a few dates.

If there was no chemistry present, why continue?

She had been thinking she was asexual until Drew.

Because Jo had hit the nail on the head.

Drew was gorgeous and, even better, from what she’d seen so far, he was genuine, which was incredibly attractive to her.

She wondered what Drew would say about her huge secret.

That she’d seen a real-life monster who wasn’t a monster, would Drew laugh at her or call someone to lock her up?

Hell, she didn’t even trust Charlie and her family with that knowledge.

Shelley had no intention of sharing the ghoul with anyone.

She hadn’t finished with him by a long shot.

She wondered how she’d be able to continue her research with Charlie and Drew around. They would certainly put a cramp in her activities. Then again, while they were out skiing, it would give her plenty of time to log on to her laptop.

“What are you thinking about? Did I mess up with what I bought?” Charlie inquired, and Shelley jolted. She realised she’d been staring at the puzzle for a while.

“No!” she was quick to reassure her brother.

“What is it? Are you okay?” Charlie asked in a low voice, glancing at Drew.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just overwhelmed,” Shelley admitted honestly.

“It’s been a long couple of months. We’ll find out who tampered with your brakes, Shels,” Charlie promised.

“The police will,” Shelley said with a weak smile. The truth was, she didn’t have faith in DI Wilson, and she didn’t think they’d capture whoever tried to harm her.

Shelley’s mind kept returning to the ghoul’s warning. She wished—no, needed—more information about these Hunters. The ghoul had been clearly worried about them. If he was, Shelley guessed she should be, too. She was unsure how to contact him now that she was no longer at home.

Shelley sent a surreptitious look towards the mirror hanging over the fireplace in the cabin before looking away.

Should she call out to Mary Worth and demand the ghoul appear here?

The positive was that with all this snow, his white skin would blend in.

But his red eyes—well, they could pass for an animal.

Drew and Charlie continued shooting the shit and bragging to each other about the slopes they’d tackled. Shelley shuffled over and made as if she were checking her hair.

“Mary Worth,” she whispered three times. “I have to speak to the ghoul. Please tell him I need him and ask him to come.”

For a moment, Shelley could swear her image changed, but it was so quick she was unsure.

“Shelley?” Drew called, and Shelley turned with a smile.

“Just talking to myself, because… you know… you two are so in love with each other,” Shelley quickly deflected.

Both men scowled at her, and Shelley grinned. Job done!

Drew/Ghoul

Damn it. He’d caught Shelley’s soft words, although Charlie hadn’t.

Shelley was not letting this shit go. Drew didn’t understand what to do.

Clearly, he hadn’t frightened her enough last time because she still wanted to reach out to him.

Frustration rose, and he decided to jump home tonight and speak to Pandora.

She might have some advice, either her or from Marie.

Of course, it was dangerous to attempt the visit when he had guests, but what else could he do?

Shelley had to be distracted. Could one of the other siblings visit and scare the pants off her?

Let her see Ghoul eating the dead flesh he needed to survive?

Drew shunned those ideas as quickly as they came into his head.

No, that would traumatise Shelley, and he didn’t want her light dimmed.

At the end of the day, he was to blame. He’d been the one who’d stepped out of anonymity and saved her life.

But Drew hadn’t expected her to be so stubborn in her research.

Shelley was proving a surprise he hadn’t anticipated.

She really didn’t seem to consider Ghoul a threat to her, and Drew had a hard time understanding that.

Honestly, Shelley should have been running for the hills; instead, she was chasing him like a bloodhound.

The image in the mirror flickered as he gazed at it, and he spotted Mary standing there.

Despite her horrific visage, Mary appeared deeply amused.

Drew shook his head and glanced at Charlie and Shelley, who were bickering over a chessboard.

Mary grinned, and Drew let out a low growl, and Mary disappeared.

“Are you okay?” Charlie asked, looking across at him.

“Perfect. I need to review the reports for tomorrow to see if we’re hitting the slopes. I just remembered,” Drew replied.

Shelley looked at him curiously and then at the mirror he’d been staring at.

“You look like you saw something frightening,” Shelley teased. “Are you having scary movie flashbacks?”

Drew forced a laugh, hoping it sounded genuine. She was too damn astute, and he’d not realised that. Shelley hid a lot under her calm demeanour. She was canny and clever.

“Want to watch horror movies tonight? Fancy Bloody Mary?” Shelley asked, and Drew barely controlled his reaction. What was Shelley thinking? He wished he had magic right now to read her mind.

“Bloody Mary is fine, think you can handle her?” Drew teased, making himself relax. “Do you require a pillow to hide behind?”

“I’m no wimp! It’s Charlie who hides,” Shelley said scornfully.

Drew glanced at Charlie, who nodded. “They scare the crap out of me. Shelley loves them and makes me watch them all. I still have nightmares of Freddie and those claws of his.”

“Freddie is amazing. I love Freddie,” Drew replied.

“Me too!” Shelley beamed, and Charlie groaned.

“No! I’m stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with two horror movie aficionados! What could go wrong? Did I sign up for Fright Night without knowing it?”

Shelley and I grinned at Charlie. “Don’t go out at night!” Shelley teased, and Charlie sent her a dour look. Mission accomplished. Shelley was distracted.