Page 2 of Phantom’s Mate

If he had, maybe things would have turned out different. Maybe he wouldn’t be dead at all.

But then, he for sure wouldn’t be dead if Jax’s team hadn’t killed him. Now on top of everything else, that asshole had taken away Titan’s heritage—probably going off to retire in the sun with his fucking panther harem.

Nick had to find him before that happened.

He stood his ghostly self exactly where Jax had stood that day, and let his eyes go unfocused.

Ghosts were insubstantial in the human world, where he was now—though with practice, they could interact with physical objects.

But in the spirit world, which ran parallel to the other worlds and permeated them all, he was solid. He could see and hear and touch and smell and taste.

He could also walk in between the two worlds, seeing both at the same time, like photos superimposed on each other.

Staying in the human world, Nick focused on the memory of his death. That was the connection, the thing that bound his fate with Jax’s.

He ran it all through his mind: the moment he heard them outside the old house where he’d been staying. The knowledge that there were too many of them, and nowhere to run.

Knowing that the message he’d sent Brandon might never have reached him; that his friend wasn’t going to get there in time.

The realization that this was his last stand.

He’d put up a hell of a fight. He remembered that—defending himself with his weapon until the ammo ran out, then turning panther, fighting with teeth and claws.

Desperate to stay alive, enraged that this was how it was going to end, furious that he wasn’t going to get more time.

Five on one, and he’d taken three of them out. But the other two did him in. And the last thing he’d seen, bleeding out on the damn floor, was Jax’s face.

Not even fighting. Watching. With dead fucking nothing in his eyes.

Nick dragged himself out of the memory. He was sweaty and panting, his heart racing; his spirit body felt it all like it was happening again.

But underneath that, there was something else.

He knew where Jax was. Or at least, which direction he’d gone. He could feel the bastard, like he had a lump of hot iron lodged halfway down his gullet, and Jax was a magnet, pulling at him.

He melted into his panther form and passed through the wall, silently following a dirt road that led further into the woods.

First he had to find Jax. He’d figure out later how to make him pay—how to take everything away from him, just like he’d taken everything away from Nick and Titan.

Then Nick would finally be free.

Chapter 2

Before long, the dirt track ended at a paved, two-lane county road that twisted and wound through the forested hills.

Nick hadn’t been out this way much—alive or dead—so he wasn’t sure exactly where he was. Somewhere near the national forest, maybe? That would be a good place for Jax to hide.

All he knew was he needed to head west.

He Changed to his human form and moved to the shoulder of the road. He was so far into the real world that he might be visible to anyone happening by who had enough psychic ability to see ghosts. Driving right through him in the middle of the road—or swerving to avoid him—would likely end in some freaked-out human wrapping their car around a tree.

He didn’t want to kill anyone—at least, not some random person who didn’t deserve it.

The road made a downhill curve that led to a sharp bend—the kind that was an accident waiting to happen. As he started down the hill, he ran into an invisible wall.

He put a hand out and pushed, feeling the resistance. Whatever it was had a little give to it, like some kind of energy forcefield.

He swept both hands across it, pushing harder, seeing if he could get through it.