Wicked After Dark: 20 Steamy Paranormal Tales of Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Mina Carter

  I shouldn’t be thinking things like this about a man I know basically nothing about, but I really gotta find out.

  Her only fear was he might wake up and catch her in the act. He seemed totally comatose, and the longer she considered it, the more she was sure she would get away with just one taste. The man was harder to resist than chocolate covered strawberries. The attraction she felt pulling her closer and closer to a man she knew virtually nothing about was irresistible. She knew she should stop, even thought of all the reasons she should. There was just one huge obstacle… HER! Kyndel didn’t want to stop. She didn’t want to walk away. She wanted, no needed, to know what made this man special.

  Giving in to temptation, she closed the distance between them, tenderly laying her lips to his skin. The spark between them flared to life, spreading from her lips all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. It was an incredible experience she never wanted to end. A sigh slipped from her lips as the remaining anxiety and tension rolled out of her body.

  Forever would never be enough. Cocooned in the delicious warmth of his body was where she was meant to be. She knew it in the depths of her soul. Her body fit perfectly against his, like two pieces of a puzzle made to be together.

  She wanted his lips on hers more than she wanted her next breath. Kyndel could almost feel him licking and sucking her aching breasts, sliding into the wetness already gathering in her core, thrusting between her thighs. Her lips moved farther up his neck of their own accord, placing butterfly kisses in the sweet spot behind his ear. The urge to pull his ear lobe between her teeth and bite ever so softly overrode all her sensibilities.

  With her next breath, her conscience reared its ugly head. Immediately embarrassed, feeling as if she’d somehow taken advantage of an injured man, Kyndel gently raised herself back to her knees. She scooted a little farther down the bed, stopping when she was once again beside his hip. The feeling she was right where she was supposed to be was unshakable. It made no sense at all and quite frankly, pissed her off just a little bit.

  Checking his wounds, her eyes scanned his back. Her jaw dropped open. The picture that had eluded her finally came into view.

  OMG! There’s a dragon on his back!

  It was the most breathtaking image she’d ever seen. What she’d thought were scars formed a magnificent, golden red dragon. The winged warrior completely covered his back, even wrapping around his waist. It hadn’t been there twenty minutes before, of that she was sure.

  It should’ve been comforting to know she wasn’t losing her mind, to figure out at least one thing about the mysterious Rayne. And it was until she scooted off the bed and took one last look at the tattoo.

  Son of a… it’s looking right at me.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rayne slowly came out of his healing sleep, contentment filling his heart. For the first time in his very long life, all the pieces were in place, Some he hadn’t even known were missing. He was whole, complete in a way he could’ve never imagined. His dragon felt the same way, rolling around on his back, chuffing and blowing little puffs of smoke from his nostrils.

  Happy there, buddy? Me, too.

  The beautiful scent of flowers in a meadow was all around him. Rayne thought about rolling around to cover himself in the scent, but feared Kyndel might catch him. A warm sensation covered his back and the strong perfume of herbs broke through his mate’s scent. It warmed his heart to know the feel of her hands on his skin had not been a dream.

  Kyndel had taken care of him with some sort of ointment while he slept. The mating call was riding her hard, pushing her growing feelings for him to the surface. She had no clue what they meant to each other… not yet, but she’d seen him in pain and had done everything in her power to comfort him.

  Kyndel… just the thought of her brought what he was sure his brethren would call a goofy grin to his face, not to mention sending blood rushing to his groin. That melodic name described her to a tee. From her fiery mane of red hair to her brilliant emerald eyes that he could literally get lost in, to her spit fire attitude he’d briefly glimpsed when she was angry or frustrated. And he couldn’t forget the cute little freckles that dusted across her nose and cheeks. He wanted to spend hours placing butterfly kisses on each one. That led him to wonder if she had those tempting little spots all over her body, which led him to her curves and the hours of absolute splendor he was going to have exploring every decadent inch of her.

  She was much shorter than he was and would fit comfortably against him. The vision of evenings spent with her head on his chest as they lay exhausted from hours of lovemaking made his head swim. His mouth watered with thoughts of the hours he would spend between her soft, shapely thighs.

  He knew she didn’t notice how high her skirt had ridden up as she’d knelt beside him on the sidewalk, and Rayne hadn’t minded a bit. The bird’s eye view of her beautiful, milky white thighs had kicked his heart into overdrive and driven away his pain. The only thing that kept him from taking her right then and there had been his injuries.

  Not that she’d have welcomed his advances. It was as clear as the freckles on her nose that she thought he was an escaped mental patient, even pleaded with him to go to the hospital. Explaining who and what he was to his enticing mate was going to be a treat. She was so animated, so free with her emotions that he looked forward to watching all of them flit across her gorgeous face.

  He not only wanted to experience every erotic fantasy he had ever had with her, it was also important he share every aspect of his life. Show her his clan, introduce her to the people that were so important to him, make her the center of his world.

  The first of his Force to find his mate, Rayne was truly humbled. It was an extraordinary event. There would be days of celebration, feasting for everyone. Their mating brought hope to the entire clan, secured the future of the dragon shifters.

  Lying in her bed, drinking in her fragrance, Rayne was content to bask in the warmth of her home. His internal clock told him the three hours she’d promised him had long passed and she hadn’t wakened him. He would need to rise and begin a series of difficult conversations with his beautiful Kyndel very soon. Procrastination would only make things harder.

  Opening his extraordinary senses, he located her in the other room, sleeping soundly. His poor mo ghra’ had quite a night. One that could’ve ended in terror. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of what her stalker or the hunters might’ve done to her had he been just a few minutes later. Fate had been with him. He’d made it in time. He’d kept her safe. Her protection was his number one concern from now until the end of time.

  Needing to check in, he called out to his brethren. Aidan and Lance answered immediately.

  “What’s up, Rayne?” Aidan asked.

  “Checking in. Bodies in the park disposed of?”

  “Nah. We thought we’d leave ‘em,” Lance teased, then quickly added, “just playing, dude. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

  Rayne worked hard to remain stern and not laugh at the pain in the ass. All three of them had been friends since they were young. Even though he’d risen to the rank of Commander, they were still his best friends, his brethren. The three of them, along with Devon, Royce, and Aaron made up the most elite fighting Force in the Dragon Guard… in all of dragon kin. They shared a bond of blood and fealty that transcended normal genetics—brethren by choice—by Fate. Their special connection allowed them to communicate over long distances, mind-to-mind, even sense when one of them was in danger.

  “My knickers are most definitely not in a twist, asshole.”

  Both men burst out laughing.

  Aidan was the first to recover. “Ignore him, Commander. He’s been an extra kinda butthead this morning, and I drew the short straw, so I’m flying with him.”

  “Better you than me.” Rayne chuckled.

  “Aww, y’all think I’m special,” Lance teased in a singsong voice. “But enough about me… how about that sexy redhead you’re
thinking about?”

  Rayne was immediately jealous. His dragon chuffed in anger. He knew he was being totally irrational. Logically, he knew his brethren would do nothing to dishonor their bond, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to rip Lance’s head from his shoulders. Yet another effect of the mating call.

  “Chill, Commander. Just messing with ya. Better you than me.” Lance was laughing so hard Rayne had a hard time understanding him. The sound of Aidan laughing too pushed back most of Rayne’s aggression.

  He would have to control the intense feelings of jealousy driving him to kill any other man that glanced in her direction. The little he knew of his mate, he was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it. Even after completing the mating ceremony, he would always be overprotective and have the need to be near her whenever possible, but the murderous feelings would dissipate over time. She was the center of his Universe, and he would protect her at all cost.

  It took a few deep breaths, but Rayne got his emotions under control before telling his brethren about his mate.

  “Her name is Kyndel and she’s perfect. And you already know from digging around in my head,” he paused and let his irritation at the invasion of his privacy flow through their link, “that she’s gorgeous. She’s also fearless. She stood up to me without a second thought.” He laughed. “She is caring, kind, and more than I’d ever hoped for in a mate.”

  Rayne reinforced his mental shields, effectively locking his friends out of his thoughts. There was no way he could take the chance one of them would catch a wayward thought of her creamy thighs or perfect breasts. Since he couldn’t stop thinking about her, he’d at least keep from sharing those thoughts.

  All of his thoughts centered on how much he wanted to gaze upon her naked body laid out like a feast before him. Images of her rosy nipples, he knew would darken as he worked them with his hands and mouth, taunted him. The beautiful blush, he knew would cover every inch of her fair skin as her excitement grew, teased him.

  The sound of Aidan and Lance laughing jerked Rayne from his daydreams. He couldn’t help but laugh along. He was truly busted.

  “You’re a goner, Rayne,” Lance cackled. “Have you explained ‘us’ to your beautiful mate?”

  “No, but that’s the next order of business.”

  “Good luck with that,” Aidan chimed in.

  “Yeah, thanks. You two try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

  “No promises, lover boy.” Lance laughed as he severed their connection.

  Shaking his head at the men he called brother and satisfied they had the situation well in hand, Rayne climbed off her bed. It was time to find his mate. Stretching, he was surprised at the lack of soreness in his muscles. Whatever Kyndel had put on his back had reduced the stiffness that usually accompanied accelerated healing.

  Looking around her room, he noticed she’d placed a T- shirt and sweat pants on the dresser. Where did his lovely Kyndel get men’s clothes in the middle of the night? He picked them up, inhaling only her scent. No one else had worn or touched these clothes since they were washed, and that had been some time ago. Where they from a previous lover? Jealousy raged through his body. He inhaled deeply, scenting her home. All he found was her perfume and that of another female. No other male had been there. He and his dragon settled. But the urge to hold her in his arms would not be denied.

  Throwing on the T-shirt, he marched out the door, down the hall, and rounded the corner to the family room. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. There, curled up on the couch, back facing him with her well-rounded ass pushed outward, was the one the Universe had made for him.

  He stood dumbstruck by the gift he’d been given. More than his next breath, he wanted to taste her pouty pink lips, kiss across her jaw, and lavish the little spot right behind her ear that he knew would make her shiver and sigh. His hands itched with the need to cover every single inch of her body with his own. His hunger rose. His cock pushed against the zipper of his blood covered jeans.

  He turned and sprinted to the bathroom, ripping the gore-covered clothing from his body. Stepping under the spray of the shower he’d just turned on, not even waiting for the water to warm, he hurriedly washed the evidence of the prior evening’s events from his body.

  He had to get his hands on her body as soon as possible. That he’d shown the restraint to shower before touching her showed the depth at which the mating call had already taken hold.

  She was his everything. She deserved the absolute best. Even when they had children, and there would be many of them he was sure, Kyndel would be number one in his heart. There would be adorable little girls with amazing green eyes running around the countryside. A riot of auburn curls swirling around their beautiful faces as they dared anyone to get in the way of their fun. Closely followed by little drakes with dark hair and violet eyes playing pranks and teasing their sisters.

  Less than five minutes later, he was showered and dressed in just the sweatpants she’d laid out for him and running down the hall. He knew he looked a mess… wet hair dripping down his back, wild look in his eyes, and sweat pants tented from his erection.

  She was just as he’d left her. An angel fallen to earth especially for him, so peaceful in her sleep. Her long, dark eyelashes curled against her cheeks. He sat next to her delectable bottom, running his fingers through the tangle of red curls streaming down her back. Rubbing along her spine with the back of his hand. Leaning into his touch, she sighed, recognizing him even while sleeping. So receptive to his touch, she accepted his hands on her body.

  His light, slow exploration of her body continued. He gently massaged her soft skin through the T-shirt she wore. Needing skin-to-skin contact, he tenderly slid his hand under her clothing. Sparks flew. It was like nothing he’d felt before.

  His body leaned toward hers. He was drunk on her scent. She was better than the finest wine and more potent than hundred-year-old scotch. She was exquisite. She was home. She was his heart. He would love this woman for all eternity.

  He moved her hair to the side, revealing her neck to rub his nose along the elegant column, marking her with his scent and drawing in more of hers. The tip of his tongue traced an erotic path from behind her ear to the spot where her neck met her shoulder, nipping lightly on the spot that would bear his mark. She shivered, moaning in her sleep and turning to allow him greater access.

  His hand gripped her hip as a myriad of emotions flooded his body. The sensory overload from a single touch of his lips to her skin had left him wanting more. His dragon spurred him on. The beast wanted to claim her as their own and would settle for nothing less than Rayne’s cock buried deep in their mate.

  Slipping the collar of her shirt off her shoulder, he continued his slow, sensual exploration of her body. Her scent, coupled with her responsiveness, was intoxicating. If they lived two thousand years, he would never get enough. Slipping his hand under her shirt, he explored the satiny skin of her stomach, sliding his hand across her ribs until arriving at her voluptuous breasts. His hands shook. His mouth watered. His only thought was of sucking her womanly flesh between his lips.

  Letting out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, he palmed her breast, her already hardened nipple pushing against his hand. She arched into his touch, her lips opening slightly as she sighed in her sleep.

  Rayne found her mouthwatering curves irresistible and longed to cover her softness with his hard, needy body. His heart beat out of control as he tasted her shoulder, kissed along her collarbone, and nipped at her jaw, all in an effort to reach her lips. Once there, he savored the sweetness of her mouth. She sighed ever so erotically, whispering his name like a prayer as his lips expertly captured hers.

  Kyndel instinctually opened to him. Rayne’s tongue slid along hers in a slow, erotic exploration, all coherent thought lost in a haze of desire. It was as if the air had been sucked from the room as he rolled her onto her back and moved over her.

  He sighed.

  I have found my forever…


  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kyndel stretched, slowly coming back to consciousness, not wanting to leave the naughtiest and definitely the most realistic dream she’d ever had. She felt his hands on her skin, his mouth on hers, his touch almost burning in its intensity.

  She fell asleep thinking of Rayne, so it only stood to reason he had the starring role in the best erotic dream of her life. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed herself back to sleep, not wanting to face reality when her fantasies were so much better. She never wanted to wake, especially if he continued to kiss her as if she was the air he breathed.

  Relaxing back into the couch, she slipped back into her fantasy as if she’d never left. Teeth scraped across her painfully hard nipple. Her back bowed off the couch, pushing more of her sensitive skin into Rayne’s incredible mouth.

  Her eyes flew open. A mane of silken, wet hair swept across her chest. Before she could question what was happening, a moan tore from her throat. She was on fire. Burning from the inside out. Burying her hands in Rayne’s hair, she jerked his mouth to hers. Surprise flashed in his violet eyes a split second before his mouth was on hers.

  It was a complete assault on her senses. He took control. His hands grasped both sides of her face, moving her into the position he wanted. Their tongues dueled. They fought to breathe, neither willing to end their passion.

  Kyndel’s hands flew to his back. The marking she’d admired while cleaning his wounds became more pronounced the higher their passion soared. They rippled against her fingertips, almost as if the dragon in the picture was enjoying their desire as much as they were.

  Somewhere in the deep recesses of her sex-addled brain, she knew it was too soon to be kissing this stranger, even more so to act upon the demands of her body... but resistance was futile. Nothing wrong could feel this good… this right.