you considered me pack, but didn’t realize there was a physical way to show it.” I sighed. “I don’t want you to hide anything about your nature, even though you constantly do.”
“It’s not intentional. The less you know about the pack I left behind, the better. Werewolves are complicated and territorial, but I’m nowhere near their expansive area so I have no idea why my father wanted to see me.” He looked thoughtful. “Which reminds me, when I came in last night, I thought I smelled an animal inside the house. I checked the backyard because it seemed to be coming from there, but didn’t find anything.”
“Ah, I forgot to tell you about the dog Willow found.”
“What dog?”
“A black dog,” I said. “Yeah, I know, out of all the dogs that can follow her home, it had to be a black one.”
“Where is it now?”
“At the vet, but she’s bringing him home later. Why?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, it just smells…different, that’s all.”
“Uh-oh, the last time you said that there was a demon involved—”
“Nah, that’s not it. Don’t worry about it, it’s probably nothing.” He shook his head, a sly smirk twisting his mouth. “Though, I can smell the cop. Is he still coming around when I’m not here?”
I nodded. No point in lying. “He came over yesterday, and he’s acting weirder than usual.”
Papan frowned. “That better not mean he’s trying to make a move on you.”
“Well,” I said, biting down on my lip. “He kinda did—”
“I knew he wanted you.” Papan’s eyes had darkened, and his jaw clenched.
“I told him nothing can ever happen between us because I’m with you.” I looked him in the eye. “Besides, that’s probably not the reason why you can smell him. Last night, when I took the girls spook catching, something happened. We had to call the police, and I called Gareth.”
“What happened?”
“Juliet died.”
His eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Fox. I didn’t know.”
I sighed. “It all went wrong, and I think I know why.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“After we captured the phantasms and were waiting for the cops, I noticed something strange,” I said, taking a shallow breath and letting it out very slowly. “It was Mace.”
“What?” He sat up and the sheet slid down to his hips.
“Turns out Mace is alive, and a phantom. He reckons he’s become one because of me.” I paused for a second, but continued before he could say anything. “Yeah, he’s the one who attacked you at Willow’s house.”
“Shit, Fox, just when we thought we’d gotten rid of those bastards.”
I shrugged. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, I think he just wanted me to know what he was.” Phantoms were the bodybuilders of spooks and could pack quite a punch. My knowledge of them was limited. I knew they could manipulate their surroundings with their shifting energy, and that none had ever been captured, but hadn’t known phantoms could travel through electrical currents like phantasms.
No wonder the phantasms could be dragged into the dark patch—they’d been touched by Mace.
“I won’t let him get you,” Papan whispered, caressing my face.
“Thanks.” It was sweet of him to say, but the phantom had knocked him unconscious before and if Mace couldn’t grab me via brute force, he always managed to use some other way of manipulation—like taking Ebony.
“Tell me about my father,” Papan said. “What did he want to see you about?”
I was glad to concentrate on something else. “Actually, he wanted to see you.” I pushed myself off the bed and headed for the dresser. I snatched the thin envelope and returned to the bed. “He gave me something to give you. He said it was important that you read it.”
Papan considered the envelope I held out in front of him before taking it and dumping it on the bedside table.
“You’re not going to open it?”
“Not now.”
“It could be
“It’s not intentional. The less you know about the pack I left behind, the better. Werewolves are complicated and territorial, but I’m nowhere near their expansive area so I have no idea why my father wanted to see me.” He looked thoughtful. “Which reminds me, when I came in last night, I thought I smelled an animal inside the house. I checked the backyard because it seemed to be coming from there, but didn’t find anything.”
“Ah, I forgot to tell you about the dog Willow found.”
“What dog?”
“A black dog,” I said. “Yeah, I know, out of all the dogs that can follow her home, it had to be a black one.”
“Where is it now?”
“At the vet, but she’s bringing him home later. Why?”
He shook his head. “Nothing, it just smells…different, that’s all.”
“Uh-oh, the last time you said that there was a demon involved—”
“Nah, that’s not it. Don’t worry about it, it’s probably nothing.” He shook his head, a sly smirk twisting his mouth. “Though, I can smell the cop. Is he still coming around when I’m not here?”
I nodded. No point in lying. “He came over yesterday, and he’s acting weirder than usual.”
Papan frowned. “That better not mean he’s trying to make a move on you.”
“Well,” I said, biting down on my lip. “He kinda did—”
“I knew he wanted you.” Papan’s eyes had darkened, and his jaw clenched.
“I told him nothing can ever happen between us because I’m with you.” I looked him in the eye. “Besides, that’s probably not the reason why you can smell him. Last night, when I took the girls spook catching, something happened. We had to call the police, and I called Gareth.”
“What happened?”
“Juliet died.”
His eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Fox. I didn’t know.”
I sighed. “It all went wrong, and I think I know why.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“After we captured the phantasms and were waiting for the cops, I noticed something strange,” I said, taking a shallow breath and letting it out very slowly. “It was Mace.”
“What?” He sat up and the sheet slid down to his hips.
“Turns out Mace is alive, and a phantom. He reckons he’s become one because of me.” I paused for a second, but continued before he could say anything. “Yeah, he’s the one who attacked you at Willow’s house.”
“Shit, Fox, just when we thought we’d gotten rid of those bastards.”
I shrugged. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, I think he just wanted me to know what he was.” Phantoms were the bodybuilders of spooks and could pack quite a punch. My knowledge of them was limited. I knew they could manipulate their surroundings with their shifting energy, and that none had ever been captured, but hadn’t known phantoms could travel through electrical currents like phantasms.
No wonder the phantasms could be dragged into the dark patch—they’d been touched by Mace.
“I won’t let him get you,” Papan whispered, caressing my face.
“Thanks.” It was sweet of him to say, but the phantom had knocked him unconscious before and if Mace couldn’t grab me via brute force, he always managed to use some other way of manipulation—like taking Ebony.
“Tell me about my father,” Papan said. “What did he want to see you about?”
I was glad to concentrate on something else. “Actually, he wanted to see you.” I pushed myself off the bed and headed for the dresser. I snatched the thin envelope and returned to the bed. “He gave me something to give you. He said it was important that you read it.”
Papan considered the envelope I held out in front of him before taking it and dumping it on the bedside table.
“You’re not going to open it?”
“Not now.”
“It could be
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