Chapter Nine

Hayden

Maximus pants, wagging his tail and looking out the window at the coast, the setting sun, or whatever has captured his doggy attention so thoroughly. Glenda sits cross-legged above the passenger seat and still, he's so tiny, he perches on one of her thighs.

"He's such a happy pup," she says, stroking a finger over his head. "Who's a good boy? Who's a soft boy?"

He bounces my way, but I shake my head. "Nope, I'm driving, and we both know you will sink right through me." Without Wren in the van, the pup can't keep his corporeal form. I wasn't even sure he could go with us on our supply runs. Yet here he is on his third trip.

"We'll be back soon and you can sit in Hayden's lap since we know she's your favorite," Glenda says. "Maybe while she sits in her Shadow Daddy's lap."

"Not that you'll be allowed to watch," I tell her. "Interrupt any more sexy times, and Wren may ban you from the property."

"He's still holding that against me? I popped in by accident once , and I was cheering him on. We're in the middle of a groovy sexual liberation. His making you wait is so last century. I love the wooing, but what's his deal?"

"I'm honestly not sure anymore. According to him, if we have sex, it'll complete the mating bond, and we'll be locked together for the rest of our lives."

"Heavy. Like marriage. Or prison."

"Riiight," I drawl, trying to piece together why Glenda sees those two things as equal, then deciding I'm not opening that coffin of undead trauma. "So it becomes how could we make that work when we're from two different worlds. Literally."

"But you can't go to his home," Glenda argues.

"According to Wren, the demon who brought us together this time could take me there, but it'd be a one-way trip."

"I'm guessing by your tone that you don't want that."

"I'd love to visit his world, but I like this one too. I have friends?—"

"All of whom are ghosts," she argues.

"Still counts. I love chocolate and electricity and modern plumbing. None of which Wren's world has. Plus, I would miss my career. There are still so many places I dream of seeing, and I get messages from all over the world from women who say I inspire them to study architecture, history, or both."

"Well, you are the most popular influencer on television."

"Social media," I correct although Glenda sees a smartphone as a really small TV. "I love what I do—the travel, the architecture, meeting new people, all of it. Wren says he gets how important my job is."

"It's good to have a man who respects your work."

"You don't think it's selfish?"

"I don't see you asking him to give up what he does. Or demanding he stay in this world."

"But how do we make it work between us if we're not even in the same realm? Wren thinks everything will work out because he defied death itself to send me back and the gods still made us mates."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Glenda's voice has Maximus climbing to lick her chin. "Maybe he's right. If you're destined to be together, you've got to have hope it'll work out to make you both happy. Whatever gods he believes in certainly seem to be on your side."

"It was a demon who brought us together," I remind her. "Not a divinity."

"No, I don't mean that. I'm talking about how he's already gotten rid of most of those creatures. We've seen—what? A handful? Only one or two made it out of the house. He said there were hundreds mobbing the property when he first showed up, enough to drive cities mad. Hey, you don't think they can make us ghosts crazy, do you?"

"Wren says whatever madness the revenants cause should only work on humans."

"Should?"

"It's not like he's asked for a ghost volunteer to test the theory." I pull into the market's lot and park.

"Don't forget the candy," she says.

"The kind that crackles so you can listen to it. I'll look for it," I promise. "Anything else?"

"Not unless you're low on peppermint oil for your headaches. Although it seems you've been having less of them."

She's right. For the first time in years, I've found some relief. "I've been taking my meds, and with sleeping through most days and working at night, I feel better than ever."

"Could be all the orgasms giving you a natural high."

"Or the bangxiety short-circuiting my brain," I mutter. "I can't believe that shower show I put on for him didn't work." It turned me on, but still, my Render held out.

"Do you want to be mated to him?" She asks the question so plainly, without judgment, without expectation, without all the angst I've wrapped up in overthinking it. "Would being with him for the rest of your life make you happy?"

Maximus tilts his head, looking as though he's literally all ears.

"No guilting her into this, little dude," she whispers to him.

"Yeah." The truth is right there on my tongue, screaming to come out. "Yeah, I do, but I don't know how it's going to?—"

"Don't overthink it," she says. "You've come back from death because a reaper fell for you at first sight. A demon prince brought you together. You have ghost friends…human and canine alike. Maybe let that beautiful brain?—"

"Damaged brain," I interrupt.

"Beautiful brain," she says again, breaking the words down like they'll get through my formerly fractured skull if she stresses each syllable. "If you give the worries a rest, who knows? Maybe you'll make space for magic."

Well, damn. Good Time Glenda is a guru, a flippin' genius.

Her words follow me even if she and Maximus physically don't as I move through the aisles, filling my basket with way too much fizzy candy. The colorful packaging and bright lights blur together behind my dark lens while mentally, I'm already making detailed plans as precise as any architectural wonder because I have a mission.

I'm going to ravish my reaper.