“I made no such promise!” I licked the spicy sauce from my fingers.

Ryder pointed a buffalo wing at me, wiggling it as if it were an extension of his finger. “You said to swing by your place later today and you’d help out.”

My mouth opened, then shut again as I waded through the colossal list of events from the day, then the memory struck like the hot sauce burning my lips. “Ah, right, at the park.”

“Now you got it.” He stuffed the chicken piece into his mouth and pulled out a clean bone.

“I wasn’t thinking straight.” I reached for another wing, then dipped it into blue cheese dip. “These are divine, and I’m sure I could pack away half a dozen.”

Ryder huffed as he sat across the table from me in my apartment. “You’ve already had eight. You’re terrible at math.”

I checked the bowl piled high with clean bones, but most of those were Ryder’s, as he’d inhaled them like nobody’s business, and why we had ordered three dozen. He had the appetite of a lion… literally.

“Why are you counting how many I ate? Quickest way to give women a complex.” I pouted.

He burst out laughing and gripped his stomach. “You’re the last person who ever needs worry over how much she eats, and I adore your body regardless.”

I huffed and tossed him my bunched-up tissue, but he caught it and wiped his mouth. “And I counted because I wanted to see how many I’d have left.”

On my feet, I strolled into the kitchen, washed my sticky fingers, and returned to the table. “So, what do you think is going on with Detective Dean Rush? You’re a lion with a great sense of smell and all that, so you must have sensed something else, right?”

He cocked his head sideways. “If I didn’t know you so well, I’d be jealous.”

I stiffened in my seat. “What’s that supposed to mean? And I’m not interested in him. Just curious.”

“Um. Men have always been drawn to you and you don’t discourage them, but hey, I’m an understanding man because you’ll always love me.” His arrogant expression had me faking a laugh.

“You’re so full of it and haven’t changed. But seriously, back on the topic. What did you sense?”

Ryder wasn’t half-wrong about having a special place in my heart. But those were memories created when we’d been together. At a time when we’d helped each other through tough situations, and we’d been inseparable. Now, I could only describe our past like a great symphony. Most days, my heartache was silent and manageable. Other times, it bellowed in my head with spurts of anger. And now in his presence again, the tunes grew soft.

“As I said,” Ryder continued, “I can’t deny he’s human, but there’s a smell lingering beneath his scent. He’s hiding something, so stay away. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Then I’ll ask him?”

Ryder choked on his food and slammed a hand into against chest before washing the food down with soda. “Yeah, ’cause someone with a secret will blurt it out to a stranger. What if he’s a serial killer and you become his next victim? Shouldn’t you be worried he might classify you as a dangerous witch and get you evicted from your home?”

There was way too much to process, yet some of Ryder’s concerns were valid. “Okay, fine. Tell me what I need to do to help you out before you hunker down here and eat my local diner out of chicken wings.”

He shrugged. “You’re the expert. I guess I need you to visit my place and see why it’s trying to kill me. And speaking of which, can I crash here tonight? I’ll take the couch—unless you need a snuggle partner?” He wriggled his eyebrows.

Nothing was ever that simple for curses or hauntings, but he was right about me needing to check it out before he could go home. “Don’t you have anyone else to stay with for the night?”

“I’m low on cash, and I already owe a few friends favors so can’t call them.” He gave me the puppy-dog eyes, and I was on my feet. “Fine. But don’t freak out Raven when she comes home.” Actually, I’d message her now, so she didn’t jump out of her skin when she found someone sleeping on our sofa. By the time I hit send on my cell, Ryder had the dinner remains tossed in the trash can and was washing the plates.

My phone dinged. I expected Raven’s reply, but instead it was Knox.

I replied. Yeah, all good. I want to sleep and forget the day. You?

I stared at his response for a long moment, trying to decipher if he’d just sent me a booty call. Surely not, because Knox was keeping himself focused on his priest training. This was just a kind gesture, him thinking I needed companionship. If I was alone, I’d take him up on the offer. But I was too tired to deal with Ryder and Knox behaving like cavemen when together.

A yawn pushed through and after today, I was ready to sleep for a week straight. The phone showed 11:06 p.m., so I typed out a quick reply. Will take a rain check. Exhausted. Good night.

Dean had said the same thing back at Stonecircle. Hell, he was worming into my brain. I turned to find Ryder had finished the dishes. Well, maybe he was worth keeping around.

My phone dinged once more. Knox again. Don’t think I forgot. Happy birthday, beautiful. I owe you a night out.

My stomach fluttered. He remembered every year and made a fuss, though I hated to celebrate. I never knew the exact date I was born, but blood tests had confirmed I was three when I’d been found. So I declared my birthday on the date the family discovered me on the curb of the road. And while I refused to tell anyone else it was my twenty-first today, the message from Knox had me smiling.

“I’m going to bed and we’ll head out first thing in the morning,” I said. “Let me grab you a pillow and blanket and you can use Raven’s shower to freshen up.”

Before I turned away, Ryder perched his ass on the edge of the sofa, feet away from me. “Thanks, Sephy. I know you’re still pissed at me, and I ruined what we had. I can’t undo my mistakes, but I want you to see I’ve changed. Been attending counseling to help control my anger.” He paused for a long moment, staring at his hands. “Anyway, I wanted to say thanks. It’s nice to hang out like we used to.”

No response came to mind at first at his confession, which, for him, was a massive leap of improvement. But it didn’t wipe clean the slate between us. Besides, I wasn’t sure I was ready to jump into a relationship, as I’d been enjoying the whole not-having-a-guy thing, so they were all on the market for my taste-testing. No judging because it wasn’t like that. It was the freedom to think of myself for a change. Especially when my pulse raced way too fast not only in Ryder’s company, but in Knox’s, and yep, I was adding Dean in there too.

I refocused on Ryder, who was waiting for me to speak, when a humming started in my ears. Almost like a tune. I rubbed my ear, hating the sound. “That’s fantastic. I’m super proud of you.” I didn’t dare reach over and touch his arm or hug him in congratulations. His eyes glimmered with that familiar look, promising me a night of orgasms if I made the first move. But I couldn’t bring myself to reopen that can of worms… not yet… not until I sorted out my shit first.

“Good night, Ryder.”

In a fantasy world, I’d get my pick of men and keep them all. Why choose, right? And with that thought, I marched into my room, needing a damn cold shower.

“So that’s it? Nothing else needed for my statement? No body search?” I smirked at Dean.

He lounged behind his office desk, studying me. The room was neat. No wall family photos or accolades. The blinds remained shut behind him, darkening the room, yet his eyes seemed to glow, or it could have been the fluorescent lights overhead.

“Are you hiding anything on your body?” His husky voice and that Aussie accent had my gut twirling. Hell, were they butterflies? And who in the world was this guy to have such an effect on me? His gravelly and deep tone came with a pinch of sugar, and I melted in my seat.

“Guess you’ll never know.” I winked and reclined, adoring this cat-and-mouse amusement when all I could think about was crawling across his desk, imitating a feline. But I recalled Ryder’s words about Dean hiding a secret.

Dean leaned forward, his arms folded in front of him. “You sure you wanna to play this game, Sephy?” Damn, listening to him could bring me to orgasm. He held my stare, not moving. Just as I’d expect a predator to do from within the shadows before he attacked. And a fantasy sparked in my mind of him making me his prey. God, what was wrong with me?

I ran a thumb over my lower lip, and his gaze followed each precise move. I took a deep inhale, filling my lungs, lifting my chest for a moment. Long enough for his attention to dip to my breasts.

“Something I should be worried about?” I pouted, and he settled back in his leather chair. “After all, you were acting strange last night, walking around in the woods as the sun went down.”

His mouth widened, and the corners lifted. “Was there anything else you wanted to add to the statement?”

Yep, he avoided the topic way too smoothly, and damn Ryder for being right. Anyway, it wasn’t my problem if Dean concealed his shifter side or whatever he hid. I inched to the edge of my seat, curious if I’d been mistaking his dangerous side for temptation. Then again I wasn’t the best judge of character. I admit, I sucked at it and often fell for people’s manipulation. You’d think after my past, I’d pick them out in a crowd, but no, each time I kept falling hook, line, and sinker.

“Nothing to add. But have you gained any leads on the missing girl overnight?”

“Not yet. My crew searched the woods through the night but not a clue. The forest is huge, so she could have gone anywhere.”

“Her brother must be terrified.” We had enough shitheads in our city without adding the fire and brimstone kind on the loose.

“It’s a horrible situation, and I’m keeping him updated.” His business-like voice killed me because no matter what, I couldn’t get him to become the sweet-talker from yesterday.

When neither of us said a word, I stood and patted down my fire-engine red skirt I wore with a black T-shirt. Skirts weren’t normally my thing, but today warranted it. And yes, it was for Dean. Sue me. I’d borrowed one of Raven’s short ones. She’d slept after a long night with her client as I crept into her bedroom. I’d left her a note in case she looked for this skirt.

“Am I free to go?” I asked, and Dean in no time rounded his desk, towering over me.

“Yes. And can I suggest you and your boyfriend stay out of the woods until we find the girl? For your own safety.” His eyes narrowed, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

I jerked to a stop and looked up at him. “Ryder isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my ex who wishes he was with me.” But damn, he had a lot to make up for before that happened.

Dean tilted his head and grinned. “That’s not what he says.”

“Well, I’m sure I would know if I was dating someone.” God, Ryder was cockblocking Dean from making a move on me? And shit, my emotions were a clusterfuck right now. Ryder had crushed me. I still liked him despite his betrayal, and I hated myself for having those feelings. But I’d moved on with my life. And Dean played on my mind more then he should have. Maybe it was the chase I adored and the way he stared at me like I were his lollipop.

“So why were you both talking about who I’m dating, anyway?”

Dean opened the door and placed his hand on my lower back, the warmth from his touch intoxicating, yet the light prod he gave me screaming the opposite. Get out of my office; I ain’t interested. What the hell?

“Thank you, Sephy.”

And with that, I gave him a tight smile and marched over to Ryder, who lounged in a chair, his eyes glued to his phone.

“Let’s go,” I growled and noted he was freaking gambling again. I gritted my teeth until we left behind the building. It wasn’t illegal for a shifter to come into the station, but it also meant he’d get on their radar. But no one stared at him, strangely. Thinking back to yesterday, Dean had admitted he disagreed with the division between humans and shifters, so I hoped he omitted Ryder’s species from his report.

Outside in the parking area, I shoved a finger against his chest. “What the fuck are you doing?”

He cocked a brow and offered me a silly smug smile. “Don’t get pissed with me. Dean’s the one who’s got the hots for you and asked if you were dating anyone, and I figured I’d use myself as your alibi so you didn’t have to let him down.”

“He asked about me?” I waved a hand between us and snatched the phone from his hand. “Forget that. What the shit are you doing? Are you addicted to gambling? I thought you said you had no cash? Please don’t tell me you’re involved in some money scheme again and now you’re pulling me into it with the whole haunted house story?” The phone shook in my trembling hand. Ryder had this amazing way of attracting the wrong people. Hell, he meant well, but he couldn’t say no, regardless of the danger. “Shit, I sound like your mom, and I hate that you’re making me act this way.”

He ran a hand down his face, his expression falling. “Fuck, I don’t know. It’s like when I’m alone, I space out, and the next thing I know, I’m freaking gambling.” He wore a dejected expression.

“Yeah, right. Okay, let’s go to your place and get this over with.”

Murmurs reached my ears, and I turned to Ryder, but his mouth was shut. After this morning, I was visiting a doctor to get myself checked out. Either I was going mad and hearing things, or something spiritual had followed me. And if so, I’d help them move on because I didn’t need this humming and mumbling business in my head.

Seemed that instead of a fresh new day, the lunacy had stayed. And I swore I had to take a vacation, alone and on an island where I read a book underneath a palm tree, got served cocktails by half-naked men, and no one talked about their problems.

The drive to Ryder’s place passed by in a blur. His small, one-story house stood behind a metal gate, trees growing out of control around the perimeter for extra privacy. Unlike most shifters, Ryder had concealed where he lived from the authorities by not revealing he was a shifter. It helped that the house had been bought under a friend’s name to avoid police tracing it back to him if they ever discovered he was a lion shifter. He had long ago paid off the mortgage, as he came from a well-to-do pride who ran the country’s largest supply of cat food in another country.

He unlocked the front door and stood there.

I hadn’t seen much scare Ryder, so he wasn’t joking about something trying to kill him. “You not coming in?” I asked.

“Um, yes.” Yet he licked his lips nervously.

Once inside, I swung left toward the sitting room, knowing the place well after having spent many nights here.

In a sudden flash a potted plant flew across the room. I ducked and covered my head. “Motherfucker!”

It slammed inches from Ryder’s feet, soil spilling everywhere.

“Told ya.” His words shook.

Had I been too quick to judge? I peered over, meeting his wide gaze. “Shit, that’s insane. Okay, join me in the center of the room.” I dug into my bag for supplies. I drew a salt circle around both of us on the wooden floorboards and lit a candle in each corner to represent the four elements. While I practiced protection magic, I used it to help me communicate with spirits stuck in between Earth and the afterlife.

“Element of wind, I call upon your protection. Element of air, I call upon your protection.” I continued calling the other elements when a feathery buzz of energy bubbled over my flesh again. A constant reminder the universe was listening.

Sitting cross-legged in the circle, Ryder followed suit, as he’d attended jobs with me in the past and knew the drill.

I cleared my mind by focusing on a calm waterfall and pictured myself glowing so bright, it attracted spirits already inside the home.

“Come forward.” I ran my fingers across the onyx beads around my neck.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. I concentrated and sent my energies through the house, picturing them traveling from room to room, but still no tingling or manifestation. Yet just minutes ago it threw a plant at Ryder. He sat in silence, his gaze swinging left and right.

With my eyes closed, I continued. “I call upon the powers in this home. I command you to reveal yourself.”

Not a single shift in the air. The atmosphere remained warm and balmy. So if there were no vengeful spirits here, what had moved the plant?

Nothing here, sugar tits, but us, a male growled in my ears.

I snapped open my eyes, expecting a transparent figure; instead, I found just Ryder and me alone. I scanned the room. No ghostly signs. Okay, at least we had some kind of communication happening. So that meant I could rule out a curse.

“Who are you?” I asked.

Now that is the correct question to ask. I’ll do you a deal; touch those perky boobs of yours and I’ll give you a clue.

“Fuck you!”

Ryder glanced my way but kept quiet. The spirit didn’t show up, yet it spoke directly to me through my thoughts. I grabbed the pouch of bone powder from my bag and poured a coin-sized amount into my palm.

The voice chuckled, but I raised my hand to my mouth and whispered, “Show yourself.” Then I blew the contents. White particles floated in the air.

Animal skull bones had a magnetic pull that attracted ghosts.

The powder lingered and at once dropped to the ground.

What the fuck? It only did that when no spirits were around.

Told you, nipples. Now touch yourself already. You’re killing me here.

“Stop with the fucking boob drooling, coward.”

Ryder eyed me with a frown, his attention on my chest, as if ready to snap someone’s hand off for going near my breasts. And right now, I’d welcome his protection.

In a flash, a guttural snarl rolled through my skull. An electric shot struck my chest, and I flopped onto my back, my vision blurring. My whole body convulsed, and tightness pressed down around my throat. My heart raced. I clawed at my neck for air.

Bitch, you don’t want to see the real me. But I see you and when death comes for you, he’ll peel the skin off your bones and force it down your boyfriends’ throats.

“Sephy, shit!” Ryder crouched over me, his hands on my shoulders, shaking me, and my vision came back, sharper and clearer.

I trembled, unable to find my words as reality punched me in the gut. Mom’s warning glided through my mind. She’d said death was coming for me. Just as the voice had. And it terrified me because this wasn’t my insane mother, but a nightmare.

Doesn’t that feel better? Now be my bitch.

“Why are you groping yourself?” Ryder asked.

As the numbness of my shock ebbed, I sensed my hands kneading my breasts. I ripped them off my chest and gasped for air. What had the power to control my body like that? Was it even in the house or in my head?

“Got to get out of here.” I scrambled to my feet, thanked the elemental energies, and closed the circle. With the bag in my hand, I darted from the room and out into the front yard.

There, I fell to my knees on the lawn, taking in deep mouthfuls of air, shaking. What the hell was that? I’d encountered a lot of shit but had never had someone speaking directly into my head. And while it terrified me that it could do that, that was secondary when it came to what petrified me worse.

Ryder crouched in front of me. “What happened in there, Sephy? You’re scaring me.”

“No fucking idea. But I think death’s coming for me.”