Haunted By Love
By: Lori King
It
was the dare to end all dares, and she didn’t have the option of
backing down. Spend Halloween night in the haunted castle in the
forest. She figured it would be easy enough; after all, she didn’t
believe in ghosts.
A
hundred years trapped in an inescapable hell had twisted his heart
into a black rock of despair and loathing for everything human. Many
had tested his limits over the centuries, but none had reached into
his soul the way she did.
To
overcome, he was to reach her, but she doesn’t believe. Will they
both spend the rest of eternity haunted by love?
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What
in Gods name was the woman doing? She’d just shut herself in the
maids closet for a few moments and then reappeared with a smile on
her face. Gideon waited for her to kneel on the floor of his bedroom
before he flew across the beamed ceilings to peer down at her. She
was quite lovely.
Her
dark hair was pulled up in an unusual hairstyle that twisted around
into a knot, but left the ends sticking out so they cascade over the
bun in a fall of curls. She wore tiny golden rings in her ears, and a
delicate gold chain around her elegant throat. He could envision her
dressed as the ladies of his time, dripping in gemstones that he
gifted her, and shrouded in satin and silks.
When
she bent and began spreading a fabric bed on the floor, he was
treated to a view of her perfectly rounded rear, and the part of him
that still remained in touch with the man he was, reacted very
physically. His claws knocked a broken shard of rock from the walls
edge to the floor, and the woman shrieked with fear, her eyes wide
and glassy as she spun to look his way. The moment she saw him, she
relaxed and took a deep breath.
“Just
a bird. Thank God.”
Gideon
didn’t like her tone of voice, but it wasn’t like he could
protest verbally. If he shifted now she’d run screaming, and he’d
never understand this compulsive need to claim her.
The
first time he’d laid eyes on her, she’d been but a child.
Freckled nose, bare toes, and a gap toothed grin that warmed his dead
soul. She’d been a frequent visitor to his home for years, and then
one day she was gone. All this time he’d wondered about her,
dreamed of her, fantasized about them, never once imagining she’d
actually return.
“You’re
a pretty girl, aren’t you?”
It
took him a moment to realize she was still talking to his raven, and
when he did, he took offense, cocking his head to the side in
irritation. How could she possibly think he was a female? What female
wore her blue-black feathers so brilliantly, he’d like to know?
“Make
yourself at home, pretty girl. We have a long night ahead of us,”
she paused and then turned back to the fabric bed she’d laid out,
“Although I can’t say I don’t appreciate the company.”
Gideon
watched her carefully pull a device from the pocket of her pants and
tab at it with her fingers. After a moment she made a rather nasty
noise and cursed.
“Fucking
hell. No signal. Of course, I don’t know why I thought there would
be.” She dropped onto her rear end on the floor and tossed the
device aside as if it had offended her. “So no Candy Crush, no
Netflix, no social media…what the hell am I going to do in this big
old empty place all night?”
Oh
how he wished he could offer her a few options.
“It’s
just you and me, pretty girl. Oh, and the ghost downstairs.” She
giggled, and he felt his feathers ruffle lightly at the sound. It had
been so long since he’d experienced joy, would he ever feel it
again? “I have a book on my ereader program I could read, but I’m
not much in the mood. I’ve already explored this floor, and there’s
no way I’m going back down there.”
Her
eyes drifted over the walls and ceiling, taking in every cobweb and
corner before they came back to rest on him. “Do ravens sing? I
don’t think I’ve ever been this close to a raven before. You’re
so quiet…I guess that answers my question.” She wiped her palms
nervously on her thighs. “Well, I sing, and I guess tonight you can
just listen. I need something to take my mind off where I am.”
The
sound that came from her throat was like that of the angel’s choir,
and Gideon had trosuble maintaining his shift as she sang about a
dream and a wish the heart makes. What kind of dreams and wishes were
in his lady-love’s heart, he wondered? Did they consist of a tall,
dark, and handsome ghost/raven shifter?
About Lori
Best-selling
author, Lori King, is also a full-time wife and mother of three boys.
Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart
she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men,
and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie,
she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire
season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her
unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no
two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.
With
the motto: Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance, she
will continue to write as long as you continue to read. Thank you for
taking the time to indulge in a good Happily Ever After with her.
