by Simone Sinna
Were-Devils of Tasmania 3
The Ghosts’ Return
Lena Magnussen is unhappily lost in a romance novel on a charter boat when fate intervenes in the form of two hot men, Lincoln and Kael Tremain. Only problem is she is a ghost vampire and they are the enemy, were-devils.
The men know who she is and presume she senses them, but the curse, after two generations, is about to turn against the ghosts. They find they are racing against time, battling age-old hatreds between the groups, and trying to make sense of Lena’s illness—the old curse or the Hendra virus Lincoln is working on, which could be the one his father caused to mutate in order to exact revenge.
In a gripping climax, the ghosts return to Tasmania to rescue Lena and her cousin Gabriella from the were-devils they love, and in doing so threaten to finally wipe out the remaining were-devils and their home Tarrabah.
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifters
Length: 28,031 words
THE GHOSTS’ RETURN
Were-Devils of Tasmania 3
Simone Sinna
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
THE GHOSTS’ RETURN
Copyright © 2013 by Simone Sinna
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-391-0
First E-book Publication: February 2013
Cover design by Christine Kirchoff
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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DEDICATION
To the scientists who made a recent breakthrough with the Hendra virus—well done!
THE GHOSTS’ RETURN
Were-Devils of Tasmania 3
SIMONE SINNA
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
A few minutes before her life changed forever, Lena was doing what she loved to do most. Curled up in the corner of the cabin, oblivious to the rocking motion and the brilliant sunshine streaming through the porthole, she was reading a romance novel and eating Oreo cookies, refusing to consider another diet for at least two days. Having finally decided that Zac, her second cousin, was better as a business partner than boyfriend, she was allowing herself to dream of the quaint stone cottage and garden she imagined as the perfect home and her future hero who would be every bit as gorgeous as the one she was reading about. A bit Ryan Gosling maybe, and tall. The curse of her life had been the cute guys who had been put off by her being taller and more solid than them.
There wasn’t anything else to do anyway. They didn’t have a charter for the next four days, and Zac had disappeared with his mate, Wilson, on a wild goose chase hunting were-devils. Zac had been sure he had caught the scent, and, to be fair, Lena had as well, but it had evaporated. Lena figured the were-devils had gone back south to Tasmania. Zac and Wilson, who were fully fledged believers in her great-uncle’s conspiracy theory, weren’t so sure.
The Tropical Tours boat was tied up at the Cairns marina, and she had enough food to get her through the next two days without moving further than the tiny kitchen and three novels to entertain her. Bliss. So much so that when the outside commotion began she was determined to ignore it. When she smelled smoke and heard the sirens of the fire trucks drawing closer, she realized that at the very least she needed to make sure her boat was not in danger. Zac would be very unhappy to return to find no business left.
The fire was two boats down. The firemen were struggling to get close enough to use their hoses and, as yet, had not managed to get any water at all to the source of the fire. In lieu of them, the locals were forming into a chain of bucket carriers. Lena abandoned her book and jumped up onto the jetty to lend a hand. It was hard work and, as far as she could see, not achieving very much. The boat was billowing black smoke, and there did not seem to be much hope of saving it. It would be better to focus on protecting the nearby boats.
Lena never saw the boat’s final moments because, as she ran along the jetty to get more water, she slipped. Her last thoughts were of Ryan Gosling before she hit her head and all went black.
* * * *
“Is she okay?”
“She’s breathing.”
“The ambulance is on the way.”
Lena didn’t recognize the first speakers, but the voice mentioning the ambulance sounded like Mike whose boat was burning. Trying to make sense of why she was wet and lying on the jetty with a thumping headache, Lena opened her eyes. This didn’t help. Ryan Gosling, wearing John Lennon’s glasses and a neatly trimmed goatee, was looking at her with concern. He was wet, too, as was the square-jawed man with the pecs beside him.
“What happened?” Lena finally managed to say.
“We all thought we’d go for a swim,” said Pecs. “Next time you send the invitations, can you remind us to bring our swimming gear?”
Lena struggled to sit up and noticed that the two guys had wet T-shirts and shorts clinging to t
hem.
“These two pulled you out of the water,” said Mike. “We were too busy with the boat and didn’t even see you go in.”
There wasn’t much boat left. “I’m so sorry, Mike,” she said, trying to stand.
“Hold on there,” said Ryan-John. “I think you’d better wait for the ambos. You got quite a hit on the back of your head.”
Lena felt woozy and sat back down. “Um, thanks.” Looking at her saviors, she still wasn’t entirely sure they weren’t a dream.
“I’m Lincoln by the way,” said Pecs.
“And I’m Kael,” Ryan-John added.
“I’m Lena.” And I’m in heaven.
* * * *
The emergency department staff insisted she stay there for four hours, and Lincoln and Kael kept her company, Lincoln even getting her flowers which he offered up with a goofy smile.
They were brothers. Lincoln had just taken a position at the university, and Kael was a singer and guitar player who bunked in with his brother when not performing in one of the clubs or bars along the coast or on the islands. They were both around six three in height, with jet-black hair that was very short and serious-looking on Lincoln and in a long ponytail on Kael. Lena just wanted to sit and stare at them. She didn’t think she’d ever seen men so beautiful. And for the moment at least they seemed to be happy to entertain her.
The intern came in at the four-hour mark and signed her out.
“You boys driving her home?” asked the doctor.
“We’ll get a cab,” Lincoln replied.
“Okay, but be sure to stay with her for the next twenty hours or so. Bring her back if the headache gets worse or she gets disoriented.” She had signed the paper and left before Lena could tell her that these two didn’t live with her. More’s the pity.
“You got family to stay with you?” Kael asked.
Lena bit her lip. “Normally yes,” she said. “But my cousin, Zac, is away.” She could stay with her mother, but they were not on good terms since Lena had broken up with Zac.
The brothers exchanged glances.
“You got anywhere we can bunk down overnight?” asked Lincoln.
“Purely for your safety,” Kael added.
But the mischievous look suggested he wasn’t entirely thinking only of that. Lena gulped. Her cousin and best friend, Gabriella, always said she was too shy and failed to grab opportunities. She wasn’t going to let this one slip by.
“I’m sure I can come up with something.”
* * * *
They left Lena in the cab while they dropped by their apartment to get some clothes.
“You know she’s a ghost,” said Linc.
“Yeah, but I sense something else. And she’s gorgeous. Speaking of which, has she sensed us?”
“No reason she wouldn’t.”
Kael frowned and shook his head. “Well, she’s not worried about it then. I looked into that pretty, little head, and she sure as hell wasn’t thinking about family feuds.”
“You can read her?” Linc was surprised.
“Sure can,” said Kael. “Can’t you? I told you I sensed something other than ghost.”
“Mixed blood maybe?”
“Leave the science at work. I know you feel it as well, so don’t pretend otherwise. You don’t have to stay with her. I’m happy to do the hard work.” Kael grinned.
Lincoln threw a pillow at him, grabbed some clothes, and stuffed them into a bag. “I need to keep an eye on you,” said Linc, though his brother was right. He wouldn’t miss a minute with Lena if it was on offer. When she’d opened those huge, green eyes and looked up at him, ghost or not, all he wanted to do was look after her.
He shook his head as he followed his brother out. This was asking for trouble. Just because Lena either could not sense them or did not care, it did not mean the rest of her family would be so accommodating.
* * * *
“You live on this boat?” asked Lincoln as he threw his stuff onto the sofas that surrounded the table in what was the kitchen and living area combined.
“Pretty much,” said Lena. “Zac is my second cousin, and he and I started doing charters to the reef a couple of years ago. Dives and sailing.”
“You dive?”
Lena shook her head. “Not if I can help it. I like being on the water, not in it.” She found diving terrifying. No amount of Zac’s patient teaching had made any difference. The moment her head went underwater she started to panic. She had managed to get her dive license by doing the work in a pool after meditating beforehand, but by mutual agreement she had since stayed on board and left the underwater adventures to Zac. He was highly unusual as most ghosts were as phobic of water as Lena. Lena was fairly sure he was just determined not to let anything physical defeat him and had kept at it until he overcame the natural aversion.
“You’ve lived here all your life?” Lincoln asked, taking the beer she offered.
“Yes,” Lena replied. “All my family live here.”
“Karlssens,” Kael said, picking up a captioned newspaper clip of Lena and Zac. Lena saw him exchange a glance with his brother.
“My dad’s a Magnussen,” said Lena. “Zac and one grandparent are Karlssens. Do you know them?”
“Should we?” Kael’s grin was disarming.
“Not recommended,” said Lena with a laugh. “Christmas dinners and parties usually result in one brawl, minimum, and my mother and grandmother always end up not talking.”
“Better than ours,” Kael said.
Lena looked at him curiously.
“Our mother died when we were eight,” Lincoln explained. “And our father didn’t cope well. Disappeared. We were brought up by our grandparents.”
“I’m sorry,” said Lena, thinking how these men needed a woman in their life. She caught Kael’s look. Had he read her mind? She turned away quickly. No, it wasn’t possible. They weren’t ghosts, and she would have sensed if they were anything else. Her romance novel was open on the table. She picked it up and threw it in the bookshelf. Too much fantasy. Right now she needed to concentrate on reality, which was looking up.
Dinner was a lot of fun. Lincoln and Kael brought a mess of seafood. Lincoln fired up the barbecue.
“First, oysters,” said Kael, angling his knife under the shell. “You do eat them, don’t you?”
“Sure,” said Lena. “Best straight off the rocks, but these’ll do.”
Kael handed her an opened one. Lena sucked it out of the shell and felt it slip down her throat. Kael’s eyes, still on her, seemed to be thinking about…Lena stared. He was thinking of kissing her and wondering whether she’d taste of salt or oyster. Even more astonishing, he knew she knew and didn’t seem in the least bit fussed by it. Zac and Wilson at least had the good grace to block their thoughts. Well, mostly.
“How on earth?” Lena asked.
“I’ve always been in tune with my feminine side,” said Kael. “If my thoughts disturb, you I can block them.”
He seemed to stare right into her, understanding her as her own kind never had.
“I’ll let you know if it’s a problem,” said Lena, blushing.
“Is he annoying you?” Lincoln gave his brother a shove. “It’s why I go to the gym. So I can put him in his place. Just give me the word, and I’ll chuck him overboard.”
Lena thought he was serious, but a telltale edge of his mouth turned.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said with a smile. “More beer?”
Oysters were followed by shrimps thrown on the barbecue and a green salad that Lena put together. Dusk was settling rapidly, and they sat on the deck drinking and telling stories—Lena of her life in Queensland’s north, of hurricanes and tropical storms, and Lincoln and Kael of life in the remote bushland of Tasmania.
“We were pretty wild,” Lincoln admitted. “Our grandmother went prematurely gray, and we were probably completely responsible.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Kael good-humoredly, putting his feet u
p on the bench seat and lying back against a mound of pillows. “I was an angel.”
“Yeah? What about when you refused to speak to anyone unless we addressed you by your middle name?”
Lena looked at them both.
“It took him six whole months before everyone gave in,” explained Lincoln.
“So Kael is your middle name?”
Kael shrugged. “Lane means ‘good,’ and at the time I wasn’t feeling all that good. I thought ‘mighty warrior’ was a better alternative, but it means ‘strong,’ too. Fits as well as anything.”
Lane, thought Lena. Same letters as mine. Their eyes met, and she knew he had been thinking the same thing. It seemed to disturb him as much if not more than her. She saw him look at his brother, and something passed between the two. Lincoln frowned and shook his head. Without saying anything, Kael went below, leaving his brother alone with Lena.
Chapter Two
“Don’t worry,” said Linc dryly. “The mighty warrior will return.”
Lena smiled. “He doesn’t strike me as much of a warrior.”
“Probably because he isn’t,” said Linc, watching her carefully and trying to make sense of what his brother had communicated. She’s the one. “He took the name because that was what he wanted to be or thought he should be. But he’s a romantic through and through.”
Lena looked away.
“He’s actually very like our grandfather.” Linc waited.
“Oh?” Lena didn’t seem to be at all curious. Linc wondered what her take was on were-devils but didn’t feel the moment was right to ask. She was a Karlssen-Magnussen for God’s sake. About as bad as it got.