and goes, and his energy level is longer lasting than most.”
“Was he an old boyfriend?” Devlin growled.
“No! I ran into him at the rodeo a week ago. I’d gone with some people from work and saw him standing by the chutes. I didn’t think much of it at the time. He saw me staring at him and realized that I could see him.” She laughed. “Boy, he was annoying. Appeared right next to me in the stands and wouldn’t shut up. I had to tell my coworkers I wasn’t feeling well and left so that I could talk to him.”
“So? What’s his story?”
She sighed dejectedly. “We’re not sure. He can’t remember what happened. He thinks he may have died at the rodeo, but it’s speculation. We didn’t find any record of someone named Jack dying there. Oh, I forgot to say, he also doesn’t know his last name. So far, the only information we have is that he’s a cowboy named Jack. It’s not much.”
How very sad, Devlin thought. He couldn’t imagine dying and then losing the memories of your loved ones.
“Come on, we need to go collect Niall and Jack and head to my house.” Devlin stood when she jerked her hand from his.
“Your house? No. I’m staying right here and going down to the bar so Hank can show me around. I need this job.”
Devlin shoved a hand through his hair, frustrated. “Your job is not a problem, but this other ghost is. I need to let my brother know about this threat in our territory. We need to sit down with Jack and find out all we can on how to handle a malicious, cruel ghost.” He could tell she was going to be stubborn. Sighing, he said, “Okay, I’ll bring you back here after we’ve all talked.” He’d be staying at the bar also, only he’d be patrolling the hallway in wolf form; he doubted she’d allow him to sleep with her.
Chapter 3
Olivia sat between Devlin and Niall in the pickup, staring out the windshield at the dark woods surrounding them. Even with a full moon, she could not see deep into the forest. “Hey, it’s a full moon. Don’t you feel the urge to howl or something?”
Niall laughed outright while Devlin shook his head and said dryly, “Yes, I’m fighting the change as I drive. Normally I would be out running and searching for virgins to ravish.”
Olivia giggled. “You’re out of luck then.”
Arriving at his home, Olivia stared in awe at the huge castle looming before her. “Wow. Just, wow.”
Devlin slid out and held out his hand for her. “Yup, this is home. My family built it a very long time ago.” He pulled her back up against his chest, wrapping his arms around her and pointing out to the front of the property. “See that pond over there? It’s a gift from the Faery Queen to us. After we mate, you and I will walk into the water, and you’ll become a wolf shifter, just like me. The water is pure magic, which is why we protect it from evil.”
“Whoa, back up a minute. I just learned about you guys. I’m not ready to change anything,” Olivia stated.
“You’ll change your mind, trust me. Werewolves live a very long time, and as my mate, you’ll stop aging as fast as you do as a human. You’ll look this same age for another fifty years.” Devlin smiled at her, anticipating her reaction.
“What? Exactly how old are you?” she asked.
Devlin thought she would be thrilled to know she’d look younger for years, thinking that’s what most women wanted. He sighed. “Just a little over a hundred. In human terms, I’m around thirty years old.”
Olivia gasped. “I thought I’d heard wrong when you were talking to Niall. This is too much to take in right now.”
Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along to follow Niall into his home. “Rafe, Lisa, I’d like to present my mate, Olivia. She talks to dead people.” He announced as soon as he passed the threshold. He couldn’t wait to see their reactions. He grinned as Rafe gulped his drink before setting the glass down on the bar.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “That’s the best