Page 39 of Tall, Dark and Haunted

I can’t imagine existing like that for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. To never feel anything, to never touch anything, to never make love to my mates again.

I think back to last night. To how hot it was being loved by my three mates. How they made me feel like I was the center of their universe. The way they touched me and fucked me and made me beg for more, all night long. The mere thought of losing that—of never having it again—hurts.

“We have to find another way to stop him,” I say.

“There is no time,” Scott tells me. “I tried to find you all last night. I tried to find him last night, too. I spent hours hunting him, trying to capture him before dawn—before the coven returns us to ghosts—but even when I thought I had him in my grasp, he managed to get away. But it’s too late. The coven will be here any minute now.”

“We still have time to figure out a way to stop them… and him,” I cry. “We can make them wait until we’ve locked Henry Jones up again. They’re a coven. They can do whatever the coven in Port Talbot did.”

“I’m sorry, dear, but there’s no time,” Scott says. “I know you want to live. I know there are things you haven’t done yet… things you want to do. There are things I want, too.

“I’ve been trapped in that castle for over a hundred years. My duties as protector of the Shifter Sanctuary have required me to stay when all I want is to move on. I want to finally be with my family, but I’m stuck here watching over Henry Jones’s ghost.

“I cannot move on until he is stopped for good. But we have to put the lives of the living above the lives of the dead. And we are dead. So this? It’s the only choice we have. We need to stop him from killing all the residents of this town.”

I think of the barista, Amber, the chameleon shifter. And the librarian, Violet. I think of Enzo, the wolf shifter who helped my mates get a makeover. And Lupine, who gave me that godawful unicorn t-shirt but was so nice and sweet.

I can’t let these people die just so I can live. Especially not when I already died. Publicly. In a fountain. With my bits on full display.

I really hope my mates never find out about that.

“…by becoming ghosts,” Scott is still talking. “It is my duty to watch over him for all eternity. To make sure that he never finds another way to come back to life.”

“Wait… he did this?” Topher waves his hand toward the surrounding town.

“Yes. He’s the one who brought Rhiannon and the town of Silver Springs here. I don’t understand how he did it—I’m no wizard—but right before the magic quake, he boasted that he’d been slowly building the spell for years. He needed to draw on the power of a magical hotspot, and there’s nowhere on earth quite as magical as Silver Springs.” He hangs his head. “I never even noticed.”

“It’s not your fault,” Topher tells him. I’m not sure he believes it.

“It matters not who is at fault, I suppose.” Scott sighs. “Look, why don’t you four take some time to hug, kiss, do what you need to do. Soon, your time will be up. Enjoy these last few minutes, and I am glad you got to enjoy one day amongst the living. I’m glad you at least had that.”