Opening her eyes, she took a shaky breath. She never got used to the Wraith’s appearance, but then, who would?
She grabbed the bottle, poured herself another glass. “You see her?”
“Do you?” He sat in his chair, eating steak as if seeing the Wraith was normal. If he had actually seen her, he wouldn’t be cutting his damned meat.
Tears threatened to fall. She wanted Eric to be different, to be like the man in her dreams, accepting her, believing her ability to see the Wraith and the dead.
He cocked his eyebrow. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. But you’ll excuse me, Eric. I have to go to the restroom.”
He stood as she got up. “Why do you need your jacket?”
“I have something in my jacket I need. It’s personal.”
He narrowed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut tight.
She’d fail to fool him. Stuff it. Stumbling, Cassandra forced her feet to amble. Once inside the restroom behind the bar, she slipped on her jacket, clutched her purse and waited. A heavyset woman exited. Crouching to the side of her, Cassandra used her as a human shield and prayed Eric couldn’t see her. Cassandra flung open the door and ran outside. A fist of cold air hit her in the face. Her head swam from all the wine she’d drank. The anchor of bacon and blue cheese burger and fries weighed heavy in her stomach. She ran in a zigzag line down the street.
Not only did Eric know her deepest secrets, but he had the power to summon the Wraith—How could he do this?
“Cassandra!”
She ran across the street. A car skidded to a halt, tires screaming. She stumbled backward.
A police car was inches from her hitting her. Oh, shit.
“Cassandra!”
His feet barely touching the ground, Eric rushed down the street. He was an avenging angel. She must be totally wasted.
“Miss, are you all right?”
Cassandra turned away from Eric and stared as the tallest police officer she had ever seen got out of the car. His broad shoulders and muscles strained against his uniform. With his dark reddish skin and long, thick, braided hair, he had to be Native American. He had the bluest eyes.
He clutched her arm and steadied her. “Can you walk? You appear to be intoxicated.”
Eric gained ground. She pointed. “That man’s following me. He scares me.”
The officer peered over her head. “You’ve got a right to be scared.”
Eric skidded to them. “Blackstone, what are you doing here?”
Blackstone shrugged. “My town. What are you doing here, Wyvern?”
Eric nodded at Cassandra. “She’s my mate. I’ve come for her.”
“No, no, I’m not,” Cassandra insisted. “Keep him away from me.”
Eric stepped toward her and Blackstone blocked his path. “The little lady doesn’t want to go with you Wyvern.”
“Out of my way, Blackstone,” Eric commanded.
Cassandra pointed at the Galena Mountain Street Inn. “My-my-my hotel’s right over there.”
“Go,” Blackstone said. “Now. While you still can.”
Eric hissed.
“Wyvern, now you need to get out of my town or you and I are going to have a problem. You can’t come and snatch humans when you want to. Got it?”
Eric narrowed his eyes. “You threatening me?”
“I’m not a puny human you can make cower, Wyvern, so don’t go there.”
Humans again? This was more of a nightmare than a dream.
Cassandra bolted toward the Inn. She whipped open the main door and ran up the stairs, stumbling into walls and tripping over her own feet. Panting, she stopped at the top of the stairs. The hallway swirled. Putting her palm on her forehead, she wobbled toward her room.
She turned the lock on her door and sprinted to the bathroom. She shuddered. Kneeling in front of the white toilet, she slammed opened the lid and lost her dinner. She sobbed and slumped, cradling her head in her arms on the toilet seat.
Someone pounded on her door. She tore herself away from the toilet and locked the bathroom door. Was it Blackstone or Eric?
“Wraith, open the damn door.”
Shit,
She grabbed the bottle, poured herself another glass. “You see her?”
“Do you?” He sat in his chair, eating steak as if seeing the Wraith was normal. If he had actually seen her, he wouldn’t be cutting his damned meat.
Tears threatened to fall. She wanted Eric to be different, to be like the man in her dreams, accepting her, believing her ability to see the Wraith and the dead.
He cocked his eyebrow. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. But you’ll excuse me, Eric. I have to go to the restroom.”
He stood as she got up. “Why do you need your jacket?”
“I have something in my jacket I need. It’s personal.”
He narrowed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut tight.
She’d fail to fool him. Stuff it. Stumbling, Cassandra forced her feet to amble. Once inside the restroom behind the bar, she slipped on her jacket, clutched her purse and waited. A heavyset woman exited. Crouching to the side of her, Cassandra used her as a human shield and prayed Eric couldn’t see her. Cassandra flung open the door and ran outside. A fist of cold air hit her in the face. Her head swam from all the wine she’d drank. The anchor of bacon and blue cheese burger and fries weighed heavy in her stomach. She ran in a zigzag line down the street.
Not only did Eric know her deepest secrets, but he had the power to summon the Wraith—How could he do this?
“Cassandra!”
She ran across the street. A car skidded to a halt, tires screaming. She stumbled backward.
A police car was inches from her hitting her. Oh, shit.
“Cassandra!”
His feet barely touching the ground, Eric rushed down the street. He was an avenging angel. She must be totally wasted.
“Miss, are you all right?”
Cassandra turned away from Eric and stared as the tallest police officer she had ever seen got out of the car. His broad shoulders and muscles strained against his uniform. With his dark reddish skin and long, thick, braided hair, he had to be Native American. He had the bluest eyes.
He clutched her arm and steadied her. “Can you walk? You appear to be intoxicated.”
Eric gained ground. She pointed. “That man’s following me. He scares me.”
The officer peered over her head. “You’ve got a right to be scared.”
Eric skidded to them. “Blackstone, what are you doing here?”
Blackstone shrugged. “My town. What are you doing here, Wyvern?”
Eric nodded at Cassandra. “She’s my mate. I’ve come for her.”
“No, no, I’m not,” Cassandra insisted. “Keep him away from me.”
Eric stepped toward her and Blackstone blocked his path. “The little lady doesn’t want to go with you Wyvern.”
“Out of my way, Blackstone,” Eric commanded.
Cassandra pointed at the Galena Mountain Street Inn. “My-my-my hotel’s right over there.”
“Go,” Blackstone said. “Now. While you still can.”
Eric hissed.
“Wyvern, now you need to get out of my town or you and I are going to have a problem. You can’t come and snatch humans when you want to. Got it?”
Eric narrowed his eyes. “You threatening me?”
“I’m not a puny human you can make cower, Wyvern, so don’t go there.”
Humans again? This was more of a nightmare than a dream.
Cassandra bolted toward the Inn. She whipped open the main door and ran up the stairs, stumbling into walls and tripping over her own feet. Panting, she stopped at the top of the stairs. The hallway swirled. Putting her palm on her forehead, she wobbled toward her room.
She turned the lock on her door and sprinted to the bathroom. She shuddered. Kneeling in front of the white toilet, she slammed opened the lid and lost her dinner. She sobbed and slumped, cradling her head in her arms on the toilet seat.
Someone pounded on her door. She tore herself away from the toilet and locked the bathroom door. Was it Blackstone or Eric?
“Wraith, open the damn door.”
Shit,
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