Gypsy Rising

I hate that I’m smiling when I don’t even know what he’s laughing about.

“The guy who wanted you to keep up his girlfriend but you didn’t seem to like him, so he stopped hanging around,” she states like she’s reminding me. “The triplets introduced you to him after I died and stuff.”

“Right. Right. The stalker dude who gives me weird looks from the side of the road and shows up at random times to offer random romantic advice?”

“He offers random romantic advice?” Anna asks in confusion.

“He said if I loved something to set it free. If it comes back, it’s meant to be,” I grumble.

“I think I read that on a fortune cookie once,” Anna says with a firm nod. “Right after I shagged a Chinese ambassador.”

“You. Are. Not. A. Delusional. Ghost,” I grind out in reminder to her. “Not anymore.”

She taps her chin thoughtfully. “Says you. I feel quite delusional. Can we blame it on all the stress you’ve put me under?”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I give up on arguing. “So my stalker ghost is the one watching Idun?” I ask incredulously, shooting her a dubious look.

“Does it really matter who stalks her? So long as it’s not me, she’s not going to give two shits about some random ghost lurking around,” she says on a tired sigh. “Seriously, Violet, ghosts hang around this town all the time. He’s just a random to her, so he’s perfect for the job.”

Rolling my eyes, I turn and head down the hall.

“Find Jasper and keep an eye on him for me. I’m going to my office to do some more research on myself, while the guys are busy distracting each other,” I tell her.

She disappears without argument, for once, and I allow my stupid grin to take up my whole face.

I’m mated.

I have a mate.

Emit Morrigan is my mate.

He really will be a good—

My office door slams shut behind me, and I whirl around, spotting Dorian Gray. Breath catching in my throat as uneasiness travels up my spine, I stumble back a step in surprise.

With a dark, somewhat terrifying smile, he takes a step toward me, lips twitching as he says, “It’s about time we finally had a moment alone.”