Ghost Walker (Blackwood Pack #6)

Chapter 1

…a new scent reached Zane, making his mouth water. Stopping, he searched the pub, trying to find its source, acutely aware of what had just happened. His eager wolf pushed forward, and Zane’s cock grew hard as he scented his Fated Mate.

—Shadow Voice

Zane’s eyes roamed the Wolf Pack Pub, searching for the source of the delicious scent but were unable to zero in on the source.

The place was packed with shifters—a lot more than he’d expected.

He’d arrived for his Scottish vacation yesterday and Dakota had raved about the food at the pub, so tonight’s dinner was supposed to be a welcome party for him and a good-bye for Dakota and Slate who were heading home tomorrow.

But now, none of that mattered. Zane’s wolf began pushing through and he could feel hair growing on his arms and his fangs beginning to descend; his wolf was signaling their mate was in danger.

His eyes kept searching, carefully scrutinizing everyone in the pub, wishing there was some sign pointing to his mate.

C’mon, give me something—an arrow, a beam of light—something, please!

Growing desperate, he found it harder and harder to control his wolf as more of the delicious scent floated past him.

A hand suddenly grabbed his arm, causing him to snarl.

“Hey, are you coming? They’re waiting for us,” said Fionn, the young dragon and newest member of the pack. Waving his other hand, he pointed toward the waiting group.

Zane’s eyes briefly landed on the pack’s bear shifters, Theo and Norm, standing next to Miss L, who was chit-chatting excitedly with his brother Logan and his mate, Kieran.

Off to one side, Dakota and his mate, Slate, were explaining the history of the pub to Zane’s brother, Colton, his mate Ian, and Ian’s parents, Lili and Samuel.

Realizing Zane wasn’t with them anymore, their eyes turned to him, waiting for him to join them by the stairs leading up to the private dining room.

Instead, Zane was frantically trying to locate his Fated Mate.

“Shit! My Fated Mate is here,” Zane exclaimed, “but I don’t know who he is. I can’t leave until I find him. Go! I’ll follow as soon as I can.”

“Can I help?” asked Fionn.

“I don’t know,” Zane answered, his eyes remaining on the shifters in front of him. “All I know is his scent…orange blossoms, cypress and sagebrush. Can you sniff out who it belongs to?”

“Not from here, but I can walk around and see if I can find him.”

“Good idea. You go that way and I’ll head this way.”

“Okay, but Dakota’s coming our way. I think he wants to know why we’re not joining them.”

“Fuck! I’ll talk to him, please just go and sniff for me.”

Dakota reached them just as Fionn hurried off. “Zane, what’s the problem? And where’s Fionn going?”

“Kota, I found my Fated Mate! He’s here, I can scent him,” Zane said excitedly, “I just don’t know who he is. Fionn’s trying to sniff the shifters on that side and I’m gonna do the same on this side.”

Dakota grinned before it registered what Zane had just said about Fionn.

“Oh, no, he can’t do that! There’ll be a shitstorm if one of the shifters catches him at it.

Just a minute.” Dakota looked toward his mate, gesturing him over as he began briefing him through their mind link about Zane’s dilemma.

Slate smiled with surprise after hearing the news and passed it on to the group. “Zane scented his Fated Mate but doesn’t know who it is. Fionn is searching and sniffing in hopes of finding him. C’mon.”

“Fuckingbedammed! That is not a good thing,” said Logan. “Colton, Ian, would you please take everyone to the private dining room while Slate, Kieran and I save Fionn from a fight and see how we can help find Zane’s mate?”

“Sure,” Colton said, eager to get his pregnant mate safely sequestered from a potential fight.

“I need to stay and help Fionn if there’s a fight…he’s family,” Theo said.

“There won’t be any fight,” growled Logan.

“You don’t have to worry about Fionn, Theo,” said Kieran, “I promise you I’ll protect him. Please go with Colton and Ian.”

“C’mon, hun,” Norman said, “Fionn will be all right.”

Theo looked at Kieran, “You’ll get us if Fionn’s in trouble, right?”

“I promise,” Kieran said, crossing his heart with his finger.

Nodding, Theo turned to Norman. “Okay, let’s go.”

Slate paused for a moment, watching the group climb the stairs to the private room he’d reserved, then smirked.

“Let’s go see about this latest surprise.

” Leading Logan and Kieran over to where Dakota and Zane were standing, Slate grinned.

Grasping Dakota’s hand, he said, “So, Zane’s found his mate! ”

“No, I haven’t!” growled Zane, agitatedly. “I just know he’s here. My wolf and I can scent him, and I have to find him…now!”

“Logan can you go get Fionn before someone gets pissed off about being sniffed?” asked Slate.

“No problem,” Logan answered, turning and melting into the crowd.

“But Fionn is helping me,” Zane objected.

“Bro, shifters don’t appreciate someone sniffing them. If one of these dudes figures out what Fionn is doing, fists will fly first and then we’ll have to jump in to protect our pack member and then who knows what’ll happen. One thing I can guarantee you is Jackson will be furious,” Dakota said.

“Then how am I supposed to find my mate if I can’t do that?” asked Zane.

“You and I will buy a beer and wander around the room,” Slate said, “and while I make small talk, you’ll surreptitiously sniff as we move among them.”

“So, the beer is my cover when I sniff?” asked Zane.

“Yes, no one will be paying attention to you because I’ll be talking to them,” Slate answered.

“Okay, let’s go. My wolf’s told me my mate’s in trouble,” Zane said.

Kieran tilted his head and, listening to his spirit, said, “The danger your mate is in won’t be found here.”

“Are you sure?” asked Zane, worrying his bottom lip.

“My mate’s correct,” Logan said, returning with Fionn at his side. “Listen up, Zane,” he continued. “Dakota, Fionn, Kieran and I will be sitting over in a booth having a drink while you and Slate do your reconnaissance…just in case we’re needed.”

“You should start on that side of the room. I could smell some of those scents but nothing strong,” Fionn suggested.

“Okay, let’s go,” said Slate, striding over to the bar with the others. Finally getting the bartender’s attention, he said, “Four Howler Dark Ales and two Lavender Lemonades, please.”

“Kieran is that okay with you or would you rather have something other than lemonade?” asked Dakota.

“No, that’s fine,” Kieran replied, grateful Slate had taken his pregnancy into account when he ordered the drinks.

Paying for the drinks, Slate handed them out and, as Logan led the others over to a booth, said to Zane, “Stay near me as I approach each shifter and when I start to talk, look down and sniff so no one gets wise to it. Got it?”

“Yup, got it.”

“Good, let’s go.” Slate pushed off from the bar, wandering among the crowd, stopping and making small talk with each shifter until Zane gave a brief shake of his head indicating ‘not the one.’ And so it went until Slate had spoken to everyone without success.

Back at the bar, he set down his mug and, noting the worried and frantic look in Zane’s eyes asked, “When you were sniffing different shifters, did any have even a faint scent of your mate on them?”

“Maybe. I don’t think he’s here anymore because I’m not picking up his scent and what’s left isn’t strong and fresh.

He must have gone before I arrived but how am I going to find him?

I don’t even know what he looks like or his name, so I can’t do a computer search on him.

What happens if I never find him? What if this is all I ever have of my mate? ”

The distress in Zane’s rising voice caused shifters to glance over at them and Slate was concerned they were attracting too much attention. Grabbing Zane’s arm, he pulled him over to the booth where Logan and the rest were waiting. “Sit,” Slate said, pointing to the seat next to Kieran.

“I take it you had no luck,” said Logan.

“No, and Zane said the scent is faint now so I’m guessing his mate has left. The question now is what to do and how are we going to find him?” asked Slate.

Dakota looked at the time on his phone, then at his brother. “Zane?” Dakota said, waiting for his brother to look up and, when he did, pointed his finger. “See, in that corner?”

Zane glanced over to the corner above the bar and spotted what looked like a security camera. “Yeah?” he said, hopefully.

“And there are other cameras,” said Dakota. “If we can get copies of the video, you’ll be able to see who was here just before we arrived and then cross off the ones you sniffed who you know are not your mate. You can also see who left…which should narrow down your search.”

“Fucking excellent idea, Kota,” Zane said excitedly as hope bloomed in his heart.

Logan then asked, “How are we going to get copies of all the videos? How many cameras did you spot?”

“Four, as far as I see,” Dakota said. “Maybe we just explain to the owners why we need to see them.”

“Or maybe I can access them using my software program,” Zane said.

“Would anyone know if you hacked into their video feed?” asked Slate.

Zane snorted. “No way, man. I can hack any computer without anyone knowing… SHIT! Of course! Kota, you were right when you told me a vacation would be good for me! It worked! Duh, why didn’t I think of it before?

I can hack into my uncle’s computers and search his employment records for the names of the enforcers who were there when the massacre happened. ”

“You haven’t done that yet?” asked Logan.

“Fuck no! I was so focused on looking at the records of all the other packs for new hires I totally forgot about hacking Josiah’s computers,” Zane answered.

“Wouldn’t the files have been deleted?” asked Logan.

“Sure, but unless our uncle paid the price for someone who knows how to make them totally unrecoverable…and I doubt that…I’ll be able to find the records,” Zane said. “But in the meantime, I have to concentrate on finding my mate. He needs me!”

“Kieran, you said the danger facing Zane’s mate was not here at the pub, right?” asked Slate.

“No, it isn’t,” Logan answered for Kieran, pulling his mate close to him.

“Our spirit is positive about that.” Logan’s phone buzzed.

Reading the text, he said, “C’mon, Colton wants to know when we’re joining them.

Ian is hungry and getting grouchy. Zane, as soon as we get back to the hotel, see if you can hack into the cameras because, if not, I think our only other option will be to ask the owners and if that’s the case, Kieran’s the perfect one to do it. ”

“C’mon, Zane, let’s eat. It will help you adjust to the time difference,” Dakota said, sliding out of the booth behind Slate.

Sighing, he knew his brother was right, but that didn’t mean Zane was happy about it.

Following everyone as they walked over to the stairs, he knew he should be ecstatic about finding his Fated Mate.

Shaking his head at the amazing coincidence of that happening the first time he ever traveled overseas—and to Scotland of all places—floored him, but then he shivered at the thought of never connecting with him had he not asked Jackson for a vacation. Holy Moley! Am I lucky or what?

At the top of the stairs, Logan found a door marked Private Dining Room and assumed it was where he’d find everyone else.

Pushing it open, he stood aside as Kieran, Dakota, Slate and Zane entered before him then, once inside, he closed the door and viewed the room.

It had the same old English pub look as downstairs, but instead of small wooden tables, it had a long dining room table, big enough for everyone to sit at.

The room was lit by old Victorian gas lamps and running down the center of the table were a row of lighted candles.

“Oh macushla, isn’t this perfect?” Kieran asked, clapping his hands in excitement.

Scooping up his mate who wrapped his legs around his waist, Logan carried Kieran over to the table before setting him down next to two empty chairs. “Perfecto!” Logan said.

After everyone was seated, Dakota said, “You’re all in for a treat tonight. The dishes served here are specially prepared for shifters from around the world and many of them are from old traditional recipes.”

“Any recommendations?” asked Colton.

“Oh, look Samuel,” said Lili, Ian’s mother, “they have Slow-Cooked Thunder Lamb. I haven’t had that since we had to leave Scotland years ago.”

“Norm, look, they have Stuffed Fluffy Salmon,” Theo said, wistfully. “The last time I had that was…”

Norman knew the last time they’d eaten it and why it was causing the sadness in Theo’s voice. Wanting to distract his honey, Norman asked, “Hey, do you want to try Shallow-Fired Grave Catfish?”

Theo read the description then, looking up, said, “That’s sounds fantastic! Hey, Dakota, did you ever try the Shallow-Fired Grave Catfish?”

“No, I haven’t. The only dishes I’ve had are the Grilled Dragonturtle, Deep Fried Moon Falcon and Basted Cave Grouse,” he replied. “But if you want a recommendation, try the Deep-Fried Moon Falcon with the Lunar Beets…it’s to die for.”

Zane wasn’t paying much attention to the chatter about what to order; his mind was already back at the hotel, planning how to access the cameras down below.

He was barely controlling his wolf and only the promise of searching for their mate was keeping his wolf under control—at least for now.

Opening the menu, he looked for something he could eat quickly, paying little attention to the entrance of their waitress who began to fill their water glasses, stopping finally next to Slate.

“Sir, your waiter will be in shortly to take your orders. In the meantime, I’ll bring some Unicorn bread and Dark Egg & Beans Jam. Is there anything else you need? Maybe something to drink from the bar?”

“Not right now, thanks,” answered Slate. “Everyone is still figuring out what they want.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” she said, turning and heading for the door.

As she moved, another whiff of his mate’s delicious scent wafted over to Zane. Jumping up, he followed her, hoping she could tell him who she’d been serving.

“Zane!” called Slate. “Where are you going?”

Stopping for a second, he swiveled around to face him and said, “She carries my mate’s scent on her. I just want to ask her who she served.”

“Zane, she’s coming back in a minute. Don’t go running after her because you’ll scare her. Wait till she comes back and I’ll ask her then,” Slate said.

Dakota joined in. “C’mon, bro, the last thing you want to do is get on the wrong side of the owners in case Kieran needs to ask them for the videos.”

Point well taken, Zane thought, as he concluded Kota was right and reluctantly sat back down, picking up his menu.