Wolf Creek Ghosts (Texas Pack 3) (Wolf Creek Werewolf Shifters)
— Texas Pack 3 –
By Jo Ellen
Wolf Creek Ghosts (Texas Pack 3)
© 2015 Jo Ellen
All Rights Reserved
eBook formatting by
MrLasers.com
Cover by
Dark Dawn Creations
I’d like to thank all my readers. Hmm, sounds like an Academy Award speech…But really, I mean that sincerely. You guys have been an enormous boost to my psyche. Thank you all for hanging in there while I finished this 3
rd
book in the series. Bless you.
Chapter 1
Olivia lovingly stroked the dashboard of her VW Beetle. “Come on ladybug, don’t let me down.” Laying her forehead against the steering wheel, she pushed the clutch in and cranked the ignition one more time. Nothing.
“If you give her a push to get her rolling, you could jump back in and pop the clutch.”
Olivia leaned her head back against her seat and stared at the headliner. Noticing a small tear, she ran her polished nail over the fabric while counting to ten. “I’m not on a hill; there’s no way I could get enough speed going to get a spark.”
“Sorry Ma’am, I would help, but, no corporeal body.”
“Don’t try acting pitiful, it won’t work.”
Olivia grabbed her purse as she stepped out of her car, slamming the door behind her. Looking down at her Gucci sandals, she almost wept knowing the turquoise leather would soon be covered in dust and dirt.
Placing her bag on the top of her car, she dug out a hair clip and pinned the long, golden threads on top of her head. Pushing her sunglasses against the bridge of her nose, she stared down the road, hoping someone would come along and give her a ride. All she could see was empty pavement wavering in the Texas heat.
“Okay cowboy, you led me here. What now?” Olivia turned back to stare at her empty car as a man’s form slowly took shape. She could see his smirk as he casually leaned against her car, booted feet crossed at the ankles.
“Well, you could wait here and hitch a ride, or start walking. That way.”
He pointed down the road as he moved up to stand next to her.
“You know I hate you, right?” Olivia muttered as she slung her purse over her shoulder and marched down the side of the road. “Couldn’t you have found some other sucker to haunt, cowboy?”
He chuckled as he walked beside her; his boots were eerily silent on the gravel.
“I was lucky you showed up at that arena. Nobody else could see or hear me, well, except for little kids. But they couldn’t help me.”
Olivia stopped, frustrated. “What exactly am I supposed to do? I’ve always done what you all asked of me without complaint.”
His mouth dropped open,
“Without complaint? All you’ve done is complained.”
“I have not!” She said petulantly. “Every other spirit has some unfinished business to take care of, but not you. I have to drive to Bumfuck and still not know what I’m looking for.”
Shrugging dejectedly,
“I’m sorry, I guess I’ll know it when I find it.”
Olivia reached up to pat his shoulder in apology. Realizing her mistake, she slowly dropped her hand. “We’ll figure this out, don’t worry. I won’t send you off into the light.”
He snorted and turned to stare down the deserted road. He faded out and was gone in an instant.
“What the hell?” Olivia yelled at the empty space. “Right, just leave me here all alone.” She started walking again, muttering to herself.
He appeared again beside her.
“There’s a dude coming on a motorcycle. Look helpless and stick your leg out.”
Olivia jumped at his reappearance, “Don’t do that!” If she could punch him, she would. “I do not need instructions on luring a man. Watch and learn.”
Hearing the rev of a motorcycle, she waited as it grew closer and closer. She gave a small wave, feeling slightly stupid since he couldn’t miss her. Olivia posted a vapid smile on her face, playing the usual dumb blonde role.
Devlin couldn’t miss the pretty blonde standing along the roadside. Her long, tan legs conjured up images he wasn’t prepared for at the moment. He pulled off and killed the motor, pushing the Harley’s kickstand down with his boot. He threw his leg over and stood, smiling as he straightened.
Olivia watched him warily, not sure if he would be her rescuer or ruination. He was one of the few men she had met that were taller than her. At six foot two, most men shied away from her, not wanting to look smaller in comparison. She estimated he had to be a few inches taller than her.
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something different about him. I don’t like it.”
“Shut up,” Olivia muttered.
“Beg your pardon?” Devlin asked surprised, upon reaching her.
Gritting her teeth, Olivia forced herself to ignore her companion and gave Devlin a huge smile. “As you can see, my car broke down. Think you could have a look at her?” She pointed at her sad looking car.
“Be glad to.” He stuck his hand out. “By the way, my name’s Devlin.”
Olivia reached out and gripped his hand, enjoying the tingling sensation that went through her body. She gave a tug and waited a moment before he released her. “I’m Olivia, nice to meet you. I don’t know what’s wrong with Ladybug; she’s old but usually reliable.”
Devlin smiled, showing off his white canines. “Ladybug? Cute. Although how you get those long legs in this thing is puzzling.” He was fighting his instincts, wanting to carry her off to his den. But, there was something in her scent that was off. Almost as if there were two scents surrounding her. His wolf was circling in confusion, wanting to be let out and chase down this new scent. Maybe her pheromones were messing with him.
Olivia watched him walk over to her car, admiring his long, blue jean covered legs. Shaking herself, she followed to open the door and release the hood latch.
Devlin propped open the hood and studied the engine. “I don’t see any obvious problems, what was it doing?”
“It’s been popping out of gear for awhile, randomly. It would be fine one day, and then pop out of second gear. I started skipping second and going straight from first to third. Only this time, I was in fourth when it popped into neutral and chugged a little before it died, and I couldn’t get it started again.”
Devlin dropped the hood and rested his hands in his back pockets. “Sounds like the shifting fork isn’t sliding into position all the way, but that doesn’t account for it dying. I need to get her up on the ramp.”
Olivia’s shoulders dropped, dejectedly. “I don’t have enough money to fix her right now. Are we near a town? I need to look for a job. If you know how to fix cars, I could pay you once I’ve found something.”
Devlin didn’t care whether or not she had any money, he knew he would take care of her. She presented a confusing picture. She did not look destitute, although looks were deceiving. He quickly decided on a plan. He would offer her a job and a place to stay and then have one of the pack members repair her car, making sure they took their time.
Olivia gnawed her lower lip, trying to estimate how much she would need for a hotel room and other essentials. She had a little left from her last job at a temp agency. She had enjoyed working for them and learning different skills, which helped with her moving around so often.
Devlin was busy admiring her large breast under her white, silky looking tank top when he remembered she’d asked him a question. He jerked his head up and saw her eyes narrow in irritation. His eyes gleamed as he tried to hold back his grin. “My family owns a small bar in town called Charlie’s, about five minutes away. We need a waitress, and there’s a small apartment above the bar if you’re interested.”
“You should check out the town first and see if anyone’s hiring. That way you wouldn’t be beholden to him.”
Olivia clenched her teeth together to keep from snapping at her apparition. “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s probably a goose. What’s the catch?”
Devlin laughed, “My, you are an untrusting soul.” He shrugged, unperturbed. “It’s a real job, one of our waitresses just had a baby. I can’t say much for the apartment though; it’s small, about six hundred square feet. No one has lived there in the last year. I’m sure it’s dusty and needs a good cleaning.”
Olivia studied him. “And there’s no catch? Like the boss gets ‘special’ benefits?”
Devlin straightened to his full height, his bulk seeming to tower over her. “No one will mess with you, unless they want to answer to me. If you meant me, I wouldn’t be your boss. We have a guy that runs the place, Hank, and he’s a good man.”
“I still don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Shhh, I’m thinking.” Olivia rushed to correct herself. “I mean, thank you, I appreciate it. Will my car be okay here until I can get it towed?”
Devlin sniffed the air around her as that other scent got stronger, seeming to come and go at will. He shook his head, fixing his gaze on her. “Don’t worry about your car, I’ll handle it. Come on, let’s get you settled in the apartment. Hank will explain your duties, pay and work hours,” he paused, “have you ever ridden a motorcycle?”
Olivia smiled. “Yes, don’t worry. I lean when you lean.”
Devlin was glad he’d modified his bike with heat deflectors. He didn’t want any burns marring her legs. Waiting while she settled in behind him, he wished he’d carried a helmet to protect her head. Shrugging, he figured he could take the brunt of an impact if they were in an accident, knowing he would cushion her body.
He could feel her breath against his ear a moment before she spoke. “When you get my car towed, would you mind bringing me my luggage? I’m sorry to be such a bother.”
Devlin clenched the black grips as her scent washed over him, wanting to go full throttle and take her to his home. Clearing his throat, he practically growled, “No bother, I’ll drop it off at the bar after I get it towed.”
Olivia wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling with guilty pleasure at the excuse to touch him until his long, dark hair slapped her in the face. Pushing the silky strands from her mouth, she laid her cheek against his back to avoid the whipping. They arrived in front of the bar sooner than she wanted to.
Devlin parked in front of the red, two story brick building and turned to help her off his cycle. “It’s an old building, but we’ve brought it up to date. Originally it was a hardware store that sat empty after the owners left town.” He stood proudly staring up at the building. “My brothers and I put a lot of work into this place.”
Olivia could see a balcony on the second floor, trimmed in white fascia. “Did y’all put the white trim up?” Devlin nodded. “Nice job.”
“Yeah, that’s your apartment.” He guided her with his hand in the small of her back as he pushed open the light colored saloon doors. “Hank!” he yelled.
Olivia held his hand while her eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight to the dimmer interior of the bar. She gasped when his hands encircled her waist and lifted her to sit at the bar with effortless strength. “Wait here, I’ll go find Hank. He’s probably in the stockroom at this time of day.”
Olivia glanced around, admiring the old west look and smiling when she saw the sawdust on the dance floor. Turning back, she saw the ornate mirror running the length of the bar on the wall and groaned. Standing behind her, she could see the silhouette of a man with a large cowboy hat sitting on his head.
“Howdy ma’ma. My name’s Jed and that hombre sitting at the poker table is Nevada.”
She nodded to both men before turning on her stool. “Hi, I’m Olivia.” She sighed before pasting a smile on her face. “Need me to contact your relatives and pass on a message?” She watched as a couple more spirits appeared at the poker table after Nevada had dealt the cards.
Jed held both palms up.
“Oh, no ma’am. We’re just visitin’ and wanted to introduce ourselves. We knew by the brightness of your light that you could see us and wanted to make sure we didn’t frighten you. The others will make your acquaintance later. We like to come here and have a drink while we play.”
Olivia watched as a mug of beer appeared in his hand before he went to sit at the poker table. She shivered, rubbing her arms against the chill. Sometimes the ghosts still freaked her out. Turning on her stool, she saw Devlin.
“Olivia, I’d like to introduce you to Hank. He runs this place, and he’s one of our pack.” Devlin returned with a man that looked to be in is fifties, tall and trim with a dark mustache.
She slid off the stool and reached to shake his hand when Devlin growled. Looking at him in confusion, she asked, “Pack? Are you in a motorcycle club?”
Devlin stuttered, “Umm, no. That’s just a term we use for the people here in Wolf Creek.”
Hank rescued him. “Come on Olivia I’ll show you the apartment, and we’ll discuss the job while Devlin gets your car towed.”