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

by Mina Carter

  “We’ve got trouble!”

  “What’s happening?”

  “The hunters are closing in on your location. I don’t think they know you’re there. Your magic seems to be holding, but they’re covering three sides of the block and looks like more are swinging around. They’re on a fishing expedition, but it’s still too close for comfort.”

  “Thanks for the heads up. I’m handling the situation here. We’ll rendezvous in one hour.”

  “Have fun ‘handling that situation’ there, buddy boy! I felt a few spikes in your power. Any details you care to share?” Lance coughed to cover the chuckle in his voice, and Rayne imagined strangling him.

  “I definitely do NOT care to share,” Rayne growled. “Don’t you worry about my ‘situation’. You worry about keeping those damn hunters off my ass.”

  Rayne cut communications to the sound of Lance laughing and Aidan asking what was going on. Lance better keep his mouth shut or that boy was in for some serious pain.

  “Rayne, are you ignoring me? Why aren’t you answering my questions?”

  He’d completely forgotten Kyndel had no idea he was talking to his brethren or he could mindspeak for that matter.

  Dammit!

  It was getting more complicated by the minute. He wished for the time to court her, to ease her into his life slowly. Give her the time she needed to accept her changing world one step at a time, but that was not what Fate had in store for them. It was going to be a crash course at a hundred miles an hour.

  “No, ce’adsearc, I’m not ignoring you.” He took a deep breath and allowed his instincts to guide him in his explanation. “I need you to listen to me with an open mind. I’m going to ask that you please do not interrupt until I’m finished. What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy. I’m going to sound crazy. But I swear by all I hold sacred, everything I tell you will be the truth, and as soon as I can, I’ll show you. You’ll be able to see with your own eyes that I’m as sane as you. Can you do that for me, ce’adsearc?”

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. When she looked at him, he saw resolution and a little trust, even though he was sure she didn’t understand where the feelings had come from.

  “Yes, I’ll listen to what you have to say, but you better be ready to answer my questions when you’re finished. God knows nothing has been normal since I met you. Why should now be any different?”

  “Thank you, mo ghra’. I promise I’ll never betray your trust.” He rolled his shoulders. “I’ll start with what you just witnessed. I’m the Commander of the Dragon Guard. Through fealty and a bond of blood, I’m able to mindspeak with my Force, a group of men I grew up with, trained with, trust with my life, and by extension now your life. Mindspeak is like what you think of as telepathy or ESP. It’s essential to our ability to protect our people. We are the Golden Fire Clan of the Dragon Shifters. My Force and I, along with many others, have been tasked with protecting our people from the hunters, a group of zealots that would drive us into extinction. They were trained by dark wizards, the oldest enemy of the dragon.

  “We, the dragon shifters, have been in existence since the days of King Arthur. All the stories are true, just turned into fairy tales for the protection of our kin. As time progressed and the land became more populated, the dragons found it almost impossible to hide their existence. They enlisted the help of a very powerful mage, one of Merlin’s line, the original mage. He was able to combine the very essence of their beings with the knight of their choosing. That knight possessed all the characteristics necessary to protect what was theirs, to fight for those that needed a champion and keep their race from extinction.

  “The dragons looked for men that were courteous, honest, generous, courageous, loyal, just, discreet, wise, brave, and honorable. All qualities the knights that had fought alongside them for hundreds of years possessed. They made sure these qualities were ingrained in the individual, actually part of their bloodline. The dragons had to ensure that by entrusting their very essence to a group of human men, their power would never be abused.

  “My family was one of the few given this honor. My ancestor was chosen in the 6th century, shortly after King Arthur disappeared. Every male in my family has gone through the transformation between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. From that age forward, we’re able to shift from man to dragon and back again… at will. It is a duty and an honor we take very seriously. We also retain the magic of our dragon while in our human form.

  “One of the most important milestones in a dragon shifter’s life, other than his transformation, is finding his mate. The one female in all the world created just for him. She is the other half of his soul, the completion of the man and his beast. She provides them with peace, love, and light. She grounds them… makes them whole. She is the single most important person to both entities. Although they have survived and been successful in many endeavors for many years, they have never truly lived until they have found her.

  “You, my beautiful Kyndel, are my mate. You are the light of my soul. You complete me and the dragon that dwells within, in ways I have only dreamed possible. You haunted my thoughts during the day and my dreams at night before I even knew you existed. From the moment I caught your scent as I was soaring over the city last night, I knew you were the one for me. When I saw you, it was solidified in my heart that you were the other half of my soul.

  “So, mo ghra’, you ask why you are drawn to me and feel more comfortable with me than you have felt with any other. It is because we are destined to be together. Your soul recognized mine, just as mine recognized yours. Like has called to like. The incredible feelings we are discovering for each other will not be denied. It is Fate. They will only grow stronger over the years. As will our bond. And after our official mating ceremony, you will possess many of the same talents I have. We will be able to mindspeak, and I will teach you to draw on our dragon magic.”

  Rayne watched and waited as patiently as he could, but finally could take the silence no longer and spoke. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I told you I would never betray your trust, always be honest with you, and answer all your questions, and I will. I only ask a little more indulgence on your part. There’s a very pressing issue we must address right away.

  “The noises I’m sure you heard last evening as you passed the park were caused from a fight between a pack of hunters and myself. They saw me drop from the sky and attacked. I had to ‘take care of them’ to protect you, my clan, and myself. There are others from their sect that have followed their comrades and are closing in on our location as we speak.

  “I have the house warded to keep us from their sight, but they are very persistent. Men from my Force assure me they are searching quite diligently to find the one who took out the others from their pack… me. We can fight them off and return to our clan, but I cannot… I will not leave you alone. They will know you are my mate as soon as they lay eyes on you. They would seek to destroy you to hurt me and to keep us from completing our bond, thus ensuring our offspring never exist.

  “I don’t want to scare you, my beloved, but I did promise to tell you the truth and I must also ask for you to trust me to keep you safe. We need to get dressed and meet my brethren. We will return to the clan and make plans to take care of the other hunters in the area.”

  She just sat there staring at him. Her expression one he couldn’t read. Her breathing was slow and deep, assuring him she wasn’t panicking, but he worried that she wasn’t speaking either. He longed to hear her voice. He didn’t even care if she yelled at him. He just needed her to talk.

  Finally, she took a breath and asked, “So the dragon tattoo on your back… is he your dragon?”

  “Yes and no. The brand across my back is the physical representation of the dragon within.” He touched his fist to his chest for emphasis.

  Out of all he’d just told her, that was the first question she had for him? Kyndel was an incredible riddle he would spen
d the rest of his life puzzling out. A challenge he happily accepted.

  “So I did hear noises in the park last night? It wasn’t my imagination?” She sounded almost happy, most definitely vindicated.

  “No, it was not your imagination.”

  “Those hunters want to kill you and your kind?” He could feel her outrage.

  Rayne nodded. “Yes, sweetheart, they do. And you, too. You are mine now, and after our mating ceremony, you will be our kin as well. They will use whatever means necessary to take you from me. Something I will NOT let happen.”

  “And you and your brethren, I think you called them that, y’all can keep us all safe?” She needed reassurance.

  “Yes, we can.”

  “Then I guess we better get dressed and get a move on. But you will answer the rest of my questions when we’re safe. That’s non-negotiable. I’m not sure I believe all this talk of mates and destiny, but those hunters put a hurtin’ on you, and I’m damn sure not lookin’ forward to runnin’ into them.”

  She stood, wrapping the afghan around her. “Don’t think you’ve gotten off that easy. Our conversation isn’t over. I’m going with you, but that does not mean I buy everything you said.”

  Turning to leave the room, she looked over her shoulder at him. “And no planning any mating ceremonies until we’ve talked.”

  And with that, she stepped into the hallway… out of his sight.

  “Yes, mate, I will answer any and all of your questions as soon as I know you’re safe and the hunters are no longer a threat,” he called after her.

  Rayne, my boy, you hit the jackpot. The Universe does not make mistakes.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  She had absolutely no idea why she believed a word out of Rayne’s mouth. The little voice in her head that never steered her wrong was saying he was telling the truth, so she decided to run with it. At least he confirmed she had heard something in that blasted park last night. She knew with all certainty that he would give his life to protect hers. Not that she would let him do it, but it was a sweet sentiment. He may be some big bad Commander of the Dragon Guard, but she was Kyndel Masterson, and the Mastersons were a tough bunch, even if she was the only one left. Her people knew how to fight and win, especially when someone they cared about was in danger.

  Holy shit! Do I care about him? Yeah, I do.

  Somehow, in the last twelve hours, he’d wormed his way into her heart.

  Well, don’t that beat all?

  First, she’d just have to help him get rid of those crazy hunter guys. The rest they’d have to figure out later. What would Granny say if she could see her granddaughter now? She’d tell her to get off her butt and get rid of the trouble.

  Thanks, Granny, that’s the plan!

  In retrospect, Kyndel knew she should’ve asked more questions. Hell, maybe she should’ve gotten off the crazy train and headed back to her old life.

  Endorphins!

  It had to be the endorphins created by a whole bunch of the best orgasms she’d ever experienced in her life. That was the only explanation she could come up with for blindly following a man she’d known for less than twenty-four hours.

  Kyndel Masterson was not a woman that followed anyone on blind faith. That was the kind of shit that got you betrayed, hurt, or worse… dead! She’d learned all about that earlier in her life and had promised herself she’d never do it again. With the exception of Grace, no one got to be part of her ‘inner circle’ without the third, fourth, and fifth degree.

  It took years for Kyndel to trust, and here she was having sex with and then leaving her home with a man that professed to be a ‘dragon shifter’.

  Who the hell does that shit?

  And if that wasn’t enough, he looked her right in the eye and told her they were mates. Mates? Destined to be together and all that happy horseshit.

  Destiny? Really? Who believes in that crap anymore?

  Was it destiny when she trusted her supposed friends at her first ever frat party? They’d slipped her a mickey, she knew it as sure as she knew her name. Kyndel had been drinking beer with Granny and the boys since she was twelve years old and could drink most of them under the table. But that night after half a beer, her world had gotten fuzzy. She remembered using the wall for support as she made her way for the front door and then… nothing. Total blackout.

  She woke up the next morning in a lawn chair in the front yard of the frat house with a skull-crushing headache and huge holes in her memory. The real blow came when she got back to the dorm. Everyone stopped talking and stood staring as she headed to her room. It was only after a shower and a change of clothes that she found the pictures of her in her underwear on the fraternity/sorority social page.

  Handling it like she handled everything in her life, Kyndel picked herself up by her boot straps, held her head high, and acted like nothing had happened. Well… except where Chip Lowery, aka asshole, was concerned…

  “Nice pics, cupcake,” Chip snickered as he walked past her in the cafeteria.

  Everyone at her table, as well as the patrons of the four surrounding tables, was instantly silent. Kyndel could feel all eyes on her. She thought of all the witty comebacks she could throw his way, but decided ignoring the jerk was the best course of action and went back to her conversation with Sadie, a girl from Chem 101.

  Obviously perturbed with her inattention, Chip the Asshole added at the top of his lungs, “Can I get an up close and personal view of your lingerie collection?”

  The cafeteria erupted into laughter. Kyndel wanted to slide under the table or become invisible, but as Fate would have it, she’d left her magic wand at home. So she did the first thing that came to mind…

  Standing, she chuckled along with the crowd. Slowly turning in Chip’s direction and with a confidence she didn’t feel, Kyndel did her best Mae West imitation, complete with swaying hips and bedroom eyes, as she walked to where he was sitting. His eyes were open so wide she thought they might fall out, but knew she had him right where she wanted him.

  Stopping in front of his chair, she winked, and in the breathiest voice she could muster, replied, “Anything for you, Chippie,” right before she rammed her Doc Marten hiking boot into his crotch.

  You could’ve heard a pin drop as she walked right past him as if nothing had happened. “Oh, and about the private showing, call when you find your dick.”

  Funny, no one ever messed with her again, and with the help of Corey, a Computer Science major, the pictures disappeared off the web, never to be seen again. Of course, she’d had to endure a month of Corey following her around like a puppy, but eventually she introduced him to Abbey from Art class and they lived happily ever after, at least the last time she talked to them it was wedded bliss.

  Shaking her head, she thought about Rayne. She knew he would never hurt her. Her little voice was telling her he was being honest. She’d done every test she could think of, had even taken the lid off her little black box… the place in her heart where all her fears were locked away. She’d let the darkness out, trying to drive the out of control emotions from her system, but it didn’t work as it had before. Instead of pushing them away, a wave of comfort and security rolled across her, taking all the sad and scary away. It was as if Rayne knew she needed comfort and had given it to her… unconditionally.

  She watched him closely out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be in his own little world while he dressed in the clothes they had scrounged from the bag left by the last douche bag she’d let sleep over. The pants were a little short and the shirt stretched to its limit over his awesome chest, but the boots fit… for the most part.

  Rayne had questioned her. Well, more like interrogated her at length about this other male as he called him.

  “Where did these clothes come from, Kyndel?” His tone took on a commanding quality.

  “I told you, the last guy I dated for any length of time,” she grumbled while looking for a pair of socks that would cover his big feet.
/>   “Was it a long time ago?”

  “Was what a long time ago?”

  “When you dated this other male,” he growled at her.

  Looking over her shoulder, she found him glaring at her with his jaw clenched so tight she wondered if his teeth were cracking.

  “It’s been at least a year. Why? What’s your problem? Seriously, I don’t even remember his name. Was it John? Jack? Jonas?” She shrugged, not willing to deal with whatever he had going on at the moment. “I think it started with a J. Who knows?”

  He seemed pacified but still insisted they burn the offending garments. She didn’t even try to stop from laughing at his silliness. He rushed towards her, a fierce look on his face and a gleam in his eyes as he lifted her until she had no alternative but to wrap her legs around his waist.

  Rayne’s lips slammed onto hers. The kiss was raw and primal. He plundered her mouth… demanded her surrender. Left her breathless and more than a little disoriented when he set her back on her feet. Blinking to clear the fog, she could see the unmistakable heat in his eyes. A promise of more mind-numbing orgasms and soul-shattering kisses. Dammit, if all of that didn’t sound a whole lot like paradise.

  “If you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’re never gonna get outta here,” she teased, grabbing her hiking boots.

  “Just keeping you on your toes, mo chroi’.” He winked and sat next to her while she put on her shoes.

  On the way out the door, she looked over her shoulder and realized everything, even her little apartment, looked different with Rayne in her life.

  Walking down the sidewalk, headed to meet his friends, Kyndel suddenly realized she didn’t even know his last name. True to form, she blurted out, “What’s your last name?”

  Rayne stopped, turned towards her, and smiled. “MacLendon, evgren. Why? Wondering how it will sound as your last name?” He winked and her heart skipped a beat before what he’d said registered.