Chapter 5

Of all the things Rachel had expected to find in Cranston Asylum, a half-naked man was not one of them. She had to admit, he was extremely handsome, with a boyish twinkle in his green eyes and tousled dark blond hair. Her gaze travelled over his sculpted chest and for a moment she wondered if he might be a male model, but what would such a fine specimen be doing in Colby's Cove, the hotbed of supernatural activity in the western hemisphere?

When he lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the relentless glare of her flashlight, Rachel cast all fantasies aside. 

"You're a shifter,"she announced casually. "Should have known. "

"How did you?"he asked and she motioned with her head toward his hand. His nails had grown and his hands and arms were covered in golden-brown fur. 

"What kind?"she asked, watching the tell-tale signs disappear, until he was completely human again. 

"Wolf. . . you don't seem surprised, scared or disgusted. You don't know if I'm about to have you for dinner. "

Rachel chuckled. Growing up in Colby's Cove was good for one thing. It prepared you to run into just about any supernatural creature imaginable. And she knew quite a bit about wolves. If he had been planning to kill her, he wouldn't be pausing to make small talk. She would have been in small pieces by now. 

"I'm not,"she answered truthfully. "Listen, I don't know who you are, or why you're standing there half-naked. . .  I did what I came to do and now, I should be going. "

Rachel walked toward the door, fully expecting to push him out of the way, but he didn't budge. She walked into him, her hands on the chiselled chest she'd been admiring a while ago. 

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the rapid beating of his heart and she looked up at him. Amusement played on his face. 

"Excuse me,please,"she said. 

He continued to smile. 

"Your name. . . please,"he teased. 

There was no danger. Rachel relaxed, backing up a pace or two, returning his smile. 

"Rachel Murray,"she said."Do you have a name, or should I just call you the Wolfman?"

His eyes sparkled and he broke into a chuckle. "Wolfman by trade, not by name. Galen Munroe,pleased to meet you, Rachel Murray. "

A short while later, Rachel found herself in his cabin. He'd put on a shirt, regrettably, but even that could not hide the strength beneath it. 

Foolish girl, she chided. Not six hours ago she'd attended her husband's funeral and here she was, going gaga over a werewolf. It was just so comfortable being with him. She had nothing to fear. Her gift allowed her to sense darkness and evil, and none of that was present in him. 

"So, you do this often?"he asked. "Walking into dark, abandoned buildings, to cross over the dead?"

"Actually, yes,"she admitted. She took the glass of iced tea he offered, not taking her gaze off him as he took the recliner opposite her. "It’s my gift, what I was born to do."

"Interesting. Do you have a day job?"

She sipped her tea. "I'm a waitress at Buck's Diner in town. Have to pay the bills somehow. You?"

He leaned back in his recliner, his casual pose setting her blood on fire. God, he was handsome. . . 

"Right now, I'm the custodian of the asylum. Don't know for how long. Probably just until the renovation starts."

Rachel lifted a brow. "I heard about that. It’s supposed to bring in a lot of tourists. And after that?What will you do?"

"Move on,"he told her as he shrugged. "See where life takes me next. "

A twinge of regret hit her. Why did she care what he did?She just met him. She finished her tea and got up to go. He walked her to the door. 

"When will I see you again?"he asked, "if that's not too forward of me. "

Rachel felt her heart skip a beat. "I don't know. But it was great meeting you, Galen Munroe."

Walking to her old Volkswagen Beetle, Rachel took a few deep breaths. She was attracted to him,  of that she had no doubt. 

The wind mournfully sounded through the tre

Of all the things Rachel had expected to find in Cranston Asylum, a half-naked man was not one of them. She had to admit, he was extremely handsome, with a boyish twinkle in his green eyes and tousled dark blond hair. Her gaze travelled over his sculpted chest and for a moment she wondered if he might be a male model, but what would such a fine specimen be doing in Colby's Cove, the hotbed of supernatural activity in the western hemisphere?

When he lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the relentless glare of her flashlight, Rachel cast all fantasies aside. 

"You're a shifter,"she announced casually. "Should have known. "

"How did you?"he asked and she motioned with her head toward his hand. His nails had grown and his hands and arms were covered in golden-brown fur. 

"What kind?"she asked, watching the tell-tale signs disappear, until he was completely human again. 

"Wolf. . . you don't seem surprised, scared or disgusted. You don't know if I'm about to have you for dinner. "

Rachel chuckled. Growing up in Colby's Cove was good for one thing. It prepared you to run into just about any supernatural creature imaginable. And she knew quite a bit about wolves. If he had been planning to kill her, he wouldn't be pausing to make small talk. She would have been in small pieces by now. 

"I'm not,"she answered truthfully. "Listen, I don't know who you are, or why you're standing there half-naked. . .  I did what I came to do and now, I should be going. "

Rachel walked toward the door, fully expecting to push him out of the way, but he didn't budge. She walked into him, her hands on the chiselled chest she'd been admiring a while ago. 

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the rapid beating of his heart and she looked up at him. Amusement played on his face. 

"Excuse me,please,"she said. 

He continued to smile. 

"Your name. . . please,"he teased. 

There was no danger. Rachel relaxed, backing up a pace or two, returning his smile. 

"Rachel Murray,"she said."Do you have a name, or should I just call you the Wolfman?"

His eyes sparkled and he broke into a chuckle. "Wolfman by trade, not by name. Galen Munroe,pleased to meet you, Rachel Murray. "

A short while later, Rachel found herself in his cabin. He'd put on a shirt, regrettably, but even that could not hide the strength beneath it. 

Foolish girl, she chided. Not six hours ago she'd attended her husband's funeral and here she was, going gaga over a werewolf. It was just so comfortable being with him. She had nothing to fear. Her gift allowed her to sense darkness and evil, and none of that was present in him. 

"So, you do this often?"he asked. "Walking into dark, abandoned buildings, to cross over the dead?"

"Actually, yes,"she admitted. She took the glass of iced tea he offered, not taking her gaze off him as he took the recliner opposite her. "It’s my gift, what I was born to do."

"Interesting. Do you have a day job?"

She sipped her tea. "I'm a waitress at Buck's Diner in town. Have to pay the bills somehow. You?"

He leaned back in his recliner, his casual pose setting her blood on fire. God, he was handsome. . . 

"Right now, I'm the custodian of the asylum. Don't know for how long. Probably just until the renovation starts."

Rachel lifted a brow. "I heard about that. It’s supposed to bring in a lot of tourists. And after that?What will you do?"

"Move on,"he told her as he shrugged. "See where life takes me next. "

A twinge of regret hit her. Why did she care what he did?She just met him. She finished her tea and got up to go. He walked her to the door. 

"When will I see you again?"he asked, "if that's not too forward of me. "

Rachel felt her heart skip a beat. "I don't know. But it was great meeting you, Galen Munroe."

Walking to her old Volkswagen Beetle, Rachel took a few deep breaths. She was attracted to him,  of that she had no doubt. 

The wind mournfully sounded through the trees and Rachel paused.She wasn't alone.

"You've made her angry you know."

The little ghost boy who appeared next to her stared around apprehensively,as if in fear.

"Who did I make angry?"Rachel asked softly.

"Sister Evangeline,"he answered."Kathy was her favourite,and you sent her away."

A chill ran down Rachel's spine."Who is Sister Evangeline?"

"The bad lady,"he answered."And now she's coming for you."