Page 34 of Kat Bethel

It made my heart warm.

The intimacy was almost pure. A soft kiss to my cheek made me gasp in surprise.

That wasn’t how he normally touched me, and my face grew warm with embarrassment.

I finally went over to the original task I started, but he stayed glued, not letting me go, following me step for step.

I gathered big flat slabs of stone to set up an altar as his hand tried to soothe the wild curls I could never get to behave. It was affectionate in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time, and I had to resist the urge to melt into it.

Once everything was set up, I lit a lavender smudge stick I pulled from my tool bag, and the air grew thin as I did.

Souls surrounded me in seconds. I drew a symbol I’d done a thousand times before in the air with the smudge stick. “Rest.”

A soft hum of surprised understanding vibrated against my back. The sound edged toward approval, and I found my face getting hot from the flutters that it sent through my stomach.

You don’t give a fuck about what a monster thinks of you.

I wasn’t surprised when he wasn’t impacted by the lavender. It wasn’t for him, anyway. But I felt the air lighten, letting me know at least a few souls settled.

Walking around the entire settlement, I repeated the motion. “You can rest now.”

I could swear fluttering kisses were peppered on my neck. My heart raced as I tried to keep my mind focused on the ritual.

I used to beg for my husband to show even a hint of affection. Here this shadow was giving it away freely.

Daydreaming of being a monster’s precious treasure would get me killed. I wasn’t even a precious treasure kind of woman.

I should have taken more time off. I was compromised. My head wasn’t in the game.

Too late to think about that, though. Something told me going home wasn’t an option right now.

By the time I finished, the whispers were much quieter. I put the smudge stick down in the bowl on the altar, so the remaining ghosts could decide whether they wanted to stay or go.

Growls rumbled behind me, making me halt in my steps. I turned on my flashlight to see past the cemetery.

Nothing but trees.

Dread still creeped down my spine. I straightened up. The growls grew louder as I slowly reached into my pocket, pulling out a silver pocketknife. I hadn’t gotten a chance to replace the iron one, but it was my second best blade.

Barks of warning echoed as it snicked open.

Screams from the remaining souls broke the silence, and they ran in the opposite direction of the snarls and growls. The overgrown grass collapsed in the distance, growing closer as they stepped forward.

How big were they? How many were there? I couldn’t tell.

Sweat dripped down my chest and I swallowed loudly. My fingers grasped the blade handle too tightly, trying to keep my hand steady, and I took one deep breath to ground myself.

Were these the harbingers that Myrtle warned about?

Howls echoed off the trees.

“Let’s do this then.” I ground my teeth, bracing for the fuckery that was coming.

Each of their footsteps thudded against the ground and threatened to throw me off balance.

Don’t run.A reminder my legs needed.

I held up the blade, and the grass crunched in front of me as they halted inches away from me. Three sets of paw prints were a lot bigger than even my worst assumption.