Page 15 of Jacinth

Though, just to cover bases, I asked, “Why would you have any investment in the outcome?”

“Oh. I can just empathize. Our death stories are so similar. She deserves a happy ending... if you know what I mean.” Her eyebrows bounced, innuendo clear, but something else in her comment had caught my notice. I pulled up short and turned to face her full on.

“You’re telling me she also swan-dived into an empty vat while doing some BDSM role-playing?”

Harley opened her mouth... and disappeared. Completely. I could see right through to the shadow realm, and she wasn’t in it.

There was something suspicious about that specter.

Putting it in my ‘later’ column, I finally reached the entrance to the cemetery and, with a deep breath, pushed through the gate and onto hallowed ground. A shudder worked its way through my body and my vision flickered between the color and life of the mortal realm and the shades of gray in the shadow realm.

I had been able to see through the realms since birth, as far as I could tell, and I hated it. In prepubescence, it had become unbearable, and I had escaped the weight of it with substances. Started with weed, moved on to harder things. Orion had put me in rehab seven times in the last two years, and after the last time, we had agreed that I would stick to alcohol.

I had held up my end of the bargain, no matter what he thought.

They started with soft brushes of fingers and fabric. Feeling me out, seeking a response. I stayed resolutely on task until I came across a shrunken old woman singing a sea shanty about... ok, yeah. A threesome where the men refused to touch each other.

Bit of an over-share there, love, but it got me thinking. If we pulled this off, my brothers and I would share our female. To each their own, but I was not getting anywhere near my brothers’ dicks. Then again, if Orion didn’t pull his head out of his ass, I may not need to share with him at all.

The sea shanty ended and a bunch of dead flowers came flying past me to land on a headstone close by.

“Jacinth Livingstone,” I read.

“What are you doing here?”

I wheeled around at the sound of her voice.

She popped into the shadow realm.

“I can still see you,” I said with a dark grin, stalking her as she took a tentative step backward.

I took a deep breath. “I can still smell you.”

As she turned to run, I got to show her what I could really do, reaching out and grabbing her out of the shadow realm.

“I can still touch you.”

Now that she was in color, I could see a flush high on her cheeks.

Bet you didn’t know ghosts could blush, did you?

“Caught by the big bad wolf,” she breathed.

I felt a thrill as I realized she was enjoying this game too.

“Oh, trust me. I would like nothing more than to eat you. All it will cost is a name.”

Her smile was slow and full of sex. Not the ‘making love’ kind, either. The down and dirty, fight for release, hair pulling, skin tearing joining that was nails and teeth and as much blood sacrifice as carnal act.

She leaned in and my erection didn’t so much knock as try to blow the doors off my jeans. I winced in pain as things got seriously tight. She licked her lips, so close to my ear that she brushed the lobe and nearly groaned.

“Rumpelstiltskin.”

“Smart ass,” I mumbled, before taking her mouth hard.

“Get some, boy!” Harley cheered. “You take that mate! Look, Gladys, that’s how you Get. It. Done!”

I was too far gone to know if the witch replied, so I flipped them both off and slammed my mate into the nearest tree.

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