The last woman he’d taken had a GPS tracker in her bracelet, compliments of her overprotective parents wanting to make sure she was safe when she went away to college. The young woman had been found in time before he could torture and kill her.
“I figured he was some wannabe cowboy.”
Jack slapped his cowboy hat against his thigh.
“If I’d paid more attention, I could have stopped this. Damn, I wish I could remember more of my life.”
Olivia straightened to her full height, crossing her arms over her chest. “How? You can’t know someone’s a killer just by looking at them. Trust me, there are lot’s of creepy guys out there, but that doesn’t make them all killers.”
“Killers? Who the hell are you talking to?” Devlin shouted behind her.
Olivia jumped when she heard Devlin shout and turned to face him. Niall stood beside him, staring intently as he waited on her answer. “What? Oh, killer band tonight. Want to dance?” She tried to bluff her way through his question but did not think he would buy it.
“Just tell this yahoo to back off,”
Jack whispered in her ear.
“Shut up,” Olivia muttered between gritted teeth.
Devlin was confused; he didn’t know if he should call a doctor or order her to confide in him. Looking at Niall, he nodded to the staircase for him to follow as he lowered his shoulder into Olivia’s stomach and carried her over his back to the stairs.
“Oomph! What the hell? Put me down!” Olivia pounded his back and tried to squirm around to get him to release her.
Devlin clamped his forearm across her thighs to keep her from falling. He stopped on the first step when Hank blocked his way. “You know better than to come between me and my mate,” he growled.
“Mate?” Olivia did her best to lift her head around to where she could see Hank. “Hank, call the police. He’s insane!”
Hank ignored her and spoke to Devlin with his palms held up. “I’m not stopping you Devlin, but what’s going on? You’re not mated yet, and you know it’s my duty to watch out for the single women who work for me.”
Devlin had to yell over Olivia’s screaming for help. “I’ll explain later Hank. We’re just going upstairs to talk. I would never hurt her.”
“Do something you idiots!” Olivia tried to yell over the music. The other patrons simply grinned and lifted their beers in acknowledgement. “You’re all crazy!”
Hank studied him before stepping aside to speak with Olivia. “I don’t know what has him so riled up, but he will not harm you in any way. I know you don’t know any of us well, but every male here would lay down his life for you.”
Olivia stopped struggling to stare open mouthed at Hank. Devlin took the opportunity to run up the stairs and stop in front of her door. Turning the knob, he found it locked.
“Niall?” He silently asked the fae warrior for his help. Niall nodded once, and the door opened silently. Devlin was glad he had Niall with him, or he would have simply kicked the door in, which would have upset Olivia even more.
He strode over to the daybed and gently sat her on the mattress. When she started to scramble to get away, he held a hand up. “Stay there, we need to talk.”
“Fuck you!” Olivia pushed off the side of the bed and ran to the door. Niall stood with his arms crossed over his massive chest blocking the door.
Devlin sighed, grabbing her once again around the waist and pulling her onto his lap as he sat down on the daybed. She was strong, but he was stronger. He clamped his arms around her body, pinning her arms to her sides and locking his legs around hers to keep her still. “Niall is a Fae warrior, and he lives in another realm.”
Niall ran his hand across his jaw, rubbing his five o’clock shadow while scowling at Devlin. “Thanks fer throwing me under the bus, arsehole.”
Olivia relaxed, and then threw her head back forcefully.
“Damn, that hurt!” Devlin exclaimed when her head knocked into his nose.
“You deserved it and more. Now, let me up. I won’t run. Obviously I can’t get past the big, scary, Fae warrior,” she replied sarcastically.
Devlin loosened his hold, allowing her to stand up and walk to the kitchen. She moved around the small island, using it as a barrier. Seeing the butcher-block knife holder, she grabbed the biggest knife in the stand and brandished it in warning.
“Cut the bullshit and tell me why you felt the need to manhandle me.” She waited while each man looked to the other. She watched warily as Devlin strode over to the opposite side, and sat on one of the barstools.
“Are you druid, witch, fae, brownie, demon, wizard or any of the other magical creatures that live in this realm?” Devlin watched her carefully as she stuttered in disbelief.
“Oh my God. It’s true. Handsome, but delusional. All that DNA wasted on such a pretty face,” she backed away from the bar and bumped up against the cabinets with her knife held out in front of her body like a shield.
Devlin sighed and rose from his seat. “Niall, show her, please.”
“I hate this part; humans have forgotten our existence and canna handle anything that dinna conform to their beliefs.” He disappeared and instantly reappeared next to her, snatching the knife from her hand.
Devlin leapt over the bar and caught her as her eyes rolled back in her head.
“Always the same with humans. You’d think just one of them could handle seeing a wee bit of magic.” Shaking his head pitifully, Niall relaxed in her recliner as Devlin carefully laid her down on the bed.
Brushing the hair back from her eyes, Devlin grimaced as she woke screaming when she saw him bending over her. “It’s alright love, relax.”
Olivia pushed at his chest, moving away to put her back against the iron railing of the daybed. She saw Jack’s shocked face where he had materialized by the window. She shook her head, denying what she’d seen with her eyes. “That is not possible.” Clutching the throw pillow to her chest, Olivia beseeched Jack for a plausible explanation.
“I don’t know honey. I’ve never seen anything like that before. There are some strange creatures in this universe, but I never saw anyone disappear and reappear like that when I was living.”
Niall surged to his feet, his clothes instantly changing to a plaid with his broadsword clutched in his hands.
Devlin abruptly turned and placed his body in front of Olivia, growling low in his throat. “Who the hell said that?”
Jack moved away from the window and stood directly in front of Devlin.
“You can hear me?”
Niall and Devlin frantically searched the room with their eyes, yelling at the unseen threat.
“Stop! Everybody just shut up!” Olivia screamed at the men while Jack stood frozen in amazement, staring at them.
All three men turned to look at her as she scooted from the bed, and sat on the edge. This was way beyond her experience with ghosts. Trying to wrap her head around what she’d seen was making her head pound. Listening to Devlin growl like an animal was too much. With shaking hands, she pushed off the bed and moved to stand next to Jack when he reappeared next to the window. He was the only person she felt she could trust.
Devlin raked his hand through his hair, not sure where to begin. “It’s okay love, please sit down before you fall.” He could see how shaky she was, but knew not to go near her at the moment.
“Stay back.” Olivia boosted herself up to sit on the window seat, keeping an eye on them. “Don’t worry about the voice you heard, although I am surprised you could hear Jack since no one else has.”
“Jack?” Devlin growled, the menace clear in his voice.
Olivia stared at Devlin, becoming aware of how tightly he was strung. “He’s a ghost. Long story short. Dead people come to me for help. Messages for families, finding their way, whatever. We’re here to understand why he’s drawn to this place.”
Pointing at Niall, Olivia swallowed a huge lump in her throat. “Are you an illusionist, like the ones on television? Nobody can do what you just did.” She shook her head in denial, unable to comprehend what she’d seen.
She watched as Niall’s sword disappeared, and he sat back down on the recliner. “I am Fae. Our home is in another realm, but we have friends here. I’m one of the Queen’s guards, and she sent me here to give Devlin a message, and to guard his back.”
“What!” Devlin finally looked away from Olivia to stare at his friend.
Niall nodded. “My Queen said to tell you yer destiny has arrived.” He looked over at Olivia and lowered his voice. “She says now that you’re over one hundred years old, and yer brothers have settled down that you needed your mate too.”
Devlin was angry for a moment, thinking the Queen needed to mind her own business. But his anger did not last long once he looked over to see Olivia straining to hear what Niall was saying. She was beautiful, intelligent and kind. Instead of being angry, he silently thanked her for her blessings. Remembering the first part of the message, he asked, “Why do you need to guard my back?”
Olivia listened to the exchange and was mad when Niall tried to keep her from hearing the entire message. She knew she had to have heard wrong when Niall said Devlin was over a hundred years old.
“She had a bad feeling, nothing else.” Niall shrugged.
Devlin sat that information aside, knowing he could take care of himself, so he focused on Olivia. “Tell me about Jack.”
“I’m not your business, boy. You just keep Olivia safe and don’t be sticking your nose into my business.”
“I’ll stick my nose wherever I want to. She’s mine, and you’d better back off.” Devlin scowled in the direction of Jack’s voice.
Niall leaned back in his chair with his fingers steepled as he grinned at the show in front of him.
“Mine? Are you kidding me? What planet are you from?” Olivia yelled as she marched forward to poke him in his chest. “Oh crap, are you from another planet?”
Devlin laughed as he wrapped his fist around her hand. “No, my love. I was born right here in Texas.” He pulled her back over to the daybed to sit beside him while he explained. “My kind know their mates as soon as we meet them. Didn’t you feel that tingle, that knowing when you saw me?”
Olivia did not want to admit how drawn she had been to him on first sight, and still was, so she ignored that part of his question. “My kind?” She glared at him, waiting for the next surprise. “I talk to ghost, there is a man that comes from outer space sitting in my room, and you seem to be telling me you’re another species. What next?”
“I’m a werewolf,” he said simply.
They both jerked to stare at the window where they heard choking, then laughter coming from the area.
“Seriously dude, that’s the best you can do?”
“Fuck you, man. I come from a long line of werewolves that have been in this area for hundreds of years. We’re gifted with a magical pond that sits in front of our home that we protect from evil. There’s a hell of a lot more going on in this world that you don’t even know about.”
Devlin turned to Olivia, hoping to make her understand what she was to him. “We’re blessed with the ability to recognize our other half, without having to spend months or years dating like the human world does. We mate for life. I will love, protect and take care of you. All I ask is that you’ll give us a chance. I know this must be difficult to understand, but we’ve been given a gift that not everyone obtains in life.”
Olivia stared at him wide eyed, waiting for some semblance of normality to return to her psyche. She remembered how people thought she was crazy when she spoke to dead people. Now the shoe was on the other foot. She either believed what she’d seen with her own eyes or called these men crazy. “Show me,” she stated flatly.
“Show you? Um, okay.” Devlin reached over and pulled her into his arms, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her scent. He could feel their connection getting stronger simply by touching her.
Olivia pushed back, rolling her eyes. “No dumbass. Show me what a werewolf looks like.” Crossing her arms, she raised her eyebrows in question.
Chuckling, he turned to Niall. “Wait for me downstairs,” he turned towards the window, “you too, Jack.”
Niall stood and opened the door, mumbling as he left. “Happy to. I dinna need to see you naked.”
“I’m not leaving her alone with you.”
“It’s okay Jack, he won’t hurt me.” Olivia stared into his eyes, seeing the truth. Somehow she knew and accepted him. The two of them were connected metaphysically.
Jack snorted,
“I’m going, but we need to figure out why I can suddenly be heard by these two.”
Olivia saw Jack fade away, “He’s gone.”
Devlin stood and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “I don’t want to ruin my clothes when I shift.”
Olivia watched as his hands slid the button out of the slot in his jeans before slowly lowering his zipper. She was determined to watch and not look away. Admiring his chest, she mentally outlined his muscles with her finger, following the delineation of his pecs, down to the ridges of his abdomen, and finally looking away when she saw him push the jeans down his slim hips. No tidy whities, briefs, or boxers. She felt her cheeks warm when he finally stood naked before her and finally had to look away.
Grinning, Devlin spoke, “It happens quickly love, so you’ll want to watch.”
Olivia turned her attention away from the brick wall and braced herself. The man had no inhibitions whatsoever. He stood with his hands planted on his hips while he waited for her to look at him again.
She focused on his forehead, which made it look as if she was staring him straight in the eyes. Being naked when you’re about to have sex was fine, but being around someone who was virtually a stranger was extremely uncomfortable.
Devlin couldn’t help but laugh. He was used to being naked around his pack, but he sometimes forgot how uptight humans could be with nudity.
Olivia saw a shimmer in the air around him, then a large brown wolf stood proudly in front of her. She gasped in amazement and walked over to squat in front of him. She should be afraid, but found herself more curious than frightened. She held her hand out as if she were meeting a strange dog and wanted to allow it to sniff her.