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

by Mina Carter

  Rayne was putting his clothes back on when he heard female giggles and turned to find three girls, just past the age of consent, sitting on a hay bale, enjoying the view.

  Lance was just about to tell Kyndel how Rayne had tried to talk the girls into accompanying him back to their camp until he was run off by their father at the end of a pitch fork.

  Rayne cleared his throat and threw his patented scowl at his friend. Lance laughed aloud, tipped his head very slightly, and whispered conspiratorially, “Spitfire, I’ll finish this and catch you up on some other good blackmail material later.”

  Growling low in his throat, a clear warning that Lance would not be talking to his mate alone for a very long time, Rayne added, “You most assuredly will not.” Lance howled with laughter, patted him on the back, and told the Commander he’d be back later.

  Taking his seat at Kyndel’s bedside, Rayne grabbed her hand. He rubbed little circles with his thumb while he stared at her face, willing her to wake up. It occurred to him their bond was strengthening, even without the mating ceremony, despite the fact she was unconscious. There was absolutely no doubt she was his.

  Not that there had ever been.

  With that last thought, he drifted to sleep for the first time in three days, slumped in an incredibly uncomfortable chair, holding the hand of the woman he loved.

  He awoke cranky as ever, and more than willing to tell anyone that would listen, starting with the Elder Healer.

  “Siobhan, this is the fourth day and she is still laying there. Do something.” Rayne was tired and frustrated. “I have given you all the time I can. I’m taking her to the human doctors.”

  Siobhan crossed the room and touched Rayne’s shoulder. “You know she’s getting better. You can feel it yourself. Her head wound is healing. She’s been through a lot in a short amount of time. Her mind and body are working hard to bring her back to you. You have to be patient.”

  “Patient? Patient you say? What the hell do you think I’ve been doing? I sit here day after day, night after night watching her, talking to her, holding her hand, praying to the Universe. It’s been long enough, Siobhan. I need her to wake up… now.” His last words were spoken on a whisper. He crumbled into the same chair he’d inhabited for four days and dropped his head into his hands.

  “Commander, this is not a battle you can wage or an opponent you can kill. Your Kyndel is a very strong woman. She suffered not only a physical blow, but she has had a lot to understand and accept. I believe that is what she is doing, and as soon as she has reconciled it all, she will awaken.” And with that, she left to check on her other patients.

  Hours later Lance found him still at her bedside, telling her stories of what he had planned for their life together. Thankfully, Lance cleared his throat as the story reached an incredibly personal point. “Any change, Commander?”

  Rayne jumped to his feet and was in front of Lance in an instant. His temper out of control and his brethren the only one available to take it out on. “Does it look like there’s been any change? Would I be sitting here in this damn room like an impotent child if something had changed or if there was anything I could do? What the hell are you doing here?”

  He was breathing heavily as he grabbed Lance’s shirt and began to shake the other Guardsman. Rayne’s control snapped. He’d reached the end of his rope. Needing an outlet for his frustration, he pulled Lance by the shirt until they were nose to nose and snarled, “What have you done to find the traitor that did this to my mate?”

  “We can find no trace of him, sir.”

  Blind with rage, Rayne backed his friend against the far wall, with his hand around his throat. “You will get your ass and that of every Guardsmen back out there and find that piece of shit.”

  With every word, Rayne squeezed harder and spoke louder until he was roaring.

  “Stop yelling, I’m trying to sleep over here.”

  Rayne didn’t even remember moving. He went from strangling one of his best friends to on his knees beside Kyndel’s bed. “Mo chroi’? What did you say?”

  “I asked you to be quiet. I’m sleeping, Rayne.” She opened her eyes and just like every other time she turned those beautiful emerald orbs on him, time stood still.

  He took her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips, being very careful not to hurt her, but needing the contact to make sure he was not hallucinating. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes again. She was smiling and her eyes were twinkling. Suddenly, his world was right again.

  Thank the Universe!

  “How do you feel, mo ghra’?”

  “I was fine until you woke me up by trying to kill Lance. What does a girl have to do around here to get some sleep?” She cocked that one eyebrow at him, and he couldn’t help the smile that eclipsed his entire face.

  “And… by the way, why are you trying to kill Lance?”

  Rayne was too embarrassed to answer. And even more so when she looked at Lance and he only shrugged. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Glad you are back with us, Spitfire.” He made an about face and left before she could get another word out.

  “How do you feel, my love?”

  “I have a little headache and other than being awakened from the best nap ever, I feel fine. Why?”

  “You were hurt and have been napping for four days. Don’t you remember?”

  Rayne watched the thoughts and emotions cross her expressive face. It was as though she was searching her memory for what had happened. Recognition flashed. Her body shivered. She remembered.

  She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Held it for a moment, then exhaled. He knew she was trying to be brave, but could tell from the death grip on his hand she was having a hard time controlling her emotions. When Kyndel looked back at him, she wore a look of fierce determination.

  “I remember that jerk had a knife to my neck and was spouting off like a lunatic. He was gonna slit my throat. I felt the knife dig deeper into my skin, then nothing.” She stopped and furrowed her brow. “The next thing I know, you’re trying to kill Lance and telling me I’ve been asleep for four days.”

  Trying to keep the situation light until Siobhan could examine her, Rayne teased, “Well, there’s not a damn thing wrong with your memory.”

  “Nope, not at all.’ She chuckled and it was music to his ears.

  He knew he should be rushing to get Siobhan, but needed just a few more minutes alone with his mate.

  “How do you feel, baby? Is there anything I can get you?”

  “I have a little headache. Where’s my backpack? There are some herbs in there. I can make a cup of tea that’ll take care of it.” Kyndel’s eyes were suddenly as big as saucers. “Did you say I’ve been out for four days?”

  Rayne tucked a little strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear while he answered. “Yes, a chumann, you’ve been unconscious for four days.” He dropped the hand that had placed the hair behind her ear to her cheek.

  She shook her head and changed the subject. Reaching up, Kyndel rubbed her fingers across his lips, over his jaw line, and into the little curls at the nape of his neck. “You look a little tired there, Commander.” She was teasing, but his mate was also incredibly observant. “Did you sleep at all while I was out?”

  Rayne leaned into her arm, closed his eyes, and let the scent of her skin reassure him. He spoke without opening his eyes. “I’m fine now that you’re awake. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” He turned and placed kisses along the inside of her wrist.

  After a moment of just enjoying the peace, he felt the need to tell her how truly terrified he was. “You scared the hell out of me, a thaisce. Even though Andrew is a crazy asshole, he was right. If anything had happened to you, if you were taken from me, I would cease to exist.” He rubbed his chin along her arm, marking her, assuring himself she was whole. “I will never let anything happen to you again. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Kyndel
pulled him to her, tenderly kissed the corner of his luscious lips, working her way to the middle, letting the tip of her tongue sneak out to lick and tease. She made sure she showed attention to every inch of his mouth. It was not until she felt the tension she’d seen in his mouth and jaw completely relax that she deepened the kiss.

  She loved this man or dragon or whatever he was. Loved him with every fiber of her being. Her feelings only intensified to know that he stayed with her while she was unconscious. He’d watched over her, made sure she was okay. He said he couldn’t live without her and she believed him. Hell, she didn’t want to live without him. He was a good man and he was hers.

  She moved her tongue along his, teasing and tasting everything that was purely Rayne. It was not a frantic kiss of possession. It was her promise to him of a very long and happy life together. They were alive. They were together. It was all uphill from there.

  The kiss grew in intensity. Her hands wrapped in his hair, his hands massaging her ribs. He rubbed the underside of her breasts. She scooted down just a bit, hoping to get his fingers right where she wanted them when the clearing of a throat brought their kiss to an abrupt halt. A growl rumbled from deep in Rayne’s throat.

  “Do not growl at me, Commander.” A tall woman with long gray hair piled on top of her head stood in the doorway, chuckling. “I have to examine your mate, now that she is awake. You do want to take her home, right?” The woman leveled her gaze at him, her grin apparent as she waited for his answer.

  “Yes, but you could have waited a few more minutes.” Rayne pouted and it was the cutest thing Kyndel had ever seen, although she wondered if he would appreciate the adjective she chose. He winked before continuing, “Kyndel, this is Siobhan, the Healer of our clan.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Kyndel chuckled.

  The Healer nodded and smiled, still standing just inside the door, obviously waiting for Rayne to move.

  “Oh, Rayne, let her do what she has to.” Kyndel smacked his arm. “I really wanna get outta this bed.”

  Rayne moved to the opposite side of her bed. She saw his determination to stay by her side, but Siobhan had other plans. “Commander, a few of your men are waiting for word of your mate in the outer room. Maybe you could go fill them in while I examine her.”

  Siobhan peered over the half glasses perched on the end of her nose. A look Kyndel was sure many had seen over the years.

  He looked down at Kyndel for her approval. She sighed. “Rayne, I’m a big girl. Go see to those men out there and tell Lance he’s sorely mistaken if he thinks I didn’t catch that “Spitfire” comment when he left the room earlier.”

  Rayne threw his head back and laughed. She loved the sound of his laugh and was thrilled the color was coming back to his face. Watching him walk out of the room, she once again marveled at his amazing body.

  Kyndel shook her head. “He really is a mess.” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until Siobhan laughed.

  “I have never seen the Commander act like that. You are good for him. Before you, he was always serious, constantly reviewing the last battle or preparing for the next. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen him smile since he was initiated into the Guard,” Siobhan spoke as she moved around the room.

  Kyndel felt her cheeks warm at the older woman’s revelations. “Can I ask you a question?” She paused, then continued when Siobhan nodded. “Are you who I have to thank for patching me up?” She reached behind her head to touch the stitches she’d felt the first time she moved, but had waited until Rayne was gone to inspect them. She somehow knew just the recollection of them would upset him.

  “Yes, I stitched your wound and gave you herbs comparable to your human antibiotics.”

  “You know herbs?” Siobhan nodded. “My granny used herbs and plants to heal everything. She was somewhat of a healer herself for the people in her small town. She taught me everything she knew.” She looked up at the tall, stately woman with kind eyes beside her bed. She felt the warmth emanating from the Healer. “Thank you very much.”

  “You are welcome. I was very happy to be able to help. Human physiology is slightly different than ours. I usually only treat those that have already mated with their dragon partners, so I had to guess on a few things.” Siobhan talked while she checked Kyndel’s pulse. The Healer was very thorough. She felt her arms and legs for any residual pain and finally examined the stitches in her head.

  “Your Granny taught you about healing?” Siobhan asked.

  “She did. She taught me what herbs and plants cured each ailment. I’m nowhere as good at it as she was, but I can take care of myself without having to pay a doctor.”

  “You are very gifted, Kyndel. I can feel it and the Commander mentioned it. When you are settled in, I would like to talk to you about helping us from time to time.”

  “I’d like that,” she answered quickly, thrilled to already be finding her way in her ‘new world’. “I’d like that a lot since it seems I’m here to stay.” She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped.

  Needing a few more answers, Kyndel said, “You sound like you’ve known Rayne for a long time…” She left her thought hanging, hoping Siobhan would get the hint and talk about Rayne without much encouragement.

  The Healer was quick to answer. “You could say that. I was there the day he was born. I have administered every test he has ever had and tended to every wound he has received since that day. What is it you would like to know?” Siobhan leveled a knowing glance at her.

  Busted! Damn she’s good.

  Kyndel knew she should’ve been embarrassed, but she wanted answers to some of her questions more than she cared about a little embarrassment. “Is he really a hundred and nineteen years old?”

  “Yes, that sounds about right.” She stopped her examination and once again looked Kyndel in the eye. “Is that really what you want to ask, Kyndel?”

  Shaking off her nerves, Kyndel answered, “No, that’s not what I want to ask. I want to know what happens when we mate. Rayne mentioned something about an official mating ceremony. He mentioned we would be bound together, that I would get some of his abilities. It all sounds so crazy. Is that really what happens?”

  Siobhan sat in the chair beside her bed and looked out the window. “Before I answer you, child, let me ask you a question. Do you love Rayne MacLendon?” The Healer folded her hands across her lap and watched Kyndel, waiting for her answer.

  “Yes, I do, but I haven’t told him yet. I didn’t realize I was actually in love with him until that psycho had me at knifepoint and I thought I was going to die. I thought about how terrible it would be to be killed and not have the chance to tell him how I felt.” She twisted the blanket covering her lap in her hands, not sure where all the nerves were coming from. She’d never been a timid person and now was not the time to start. “I don’t know how it happened this quickly. Somehow, he wormed his way right into my heart. Now, I can’t imagine life without him.” She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “You must think the bump to my head knocked something loose.”

  Kyndel was surprised when Siobhan touched her hands as she continued to worry with her blanket. “No, child, I do not think anything is loose in your head. That is the way it is with our kin. The Universe is all-knowing and all-powerful. She knows what each dragon shifter needs and She creates the perfect complement in the form of their mate. She has no regard for species or location, only that every dragon shifter, be they Guardsman or not, have that one person that truly completes them.

  “It is written in our holy book that ‘When the two halves of the same whole meet, there will be instant recognition. Their souls will merge and only then will the dragon shifter know complete peace. They will have found their true home. It will be as if the time before they met does not exist. All that matters is that they become one in mind, body, and soul.’” Siobhan’s smile was one of complete serenity. Kyndel knew in that moment, the Healer had known this kind of completion.

&nbs
p; “That was beautiful. Is your mate part of the Dragon Guard?”

  There was a flash of pain in Siobhan’s gray eyes. “He was. He was killed in battle many years ago. I carry him here.” She placed her hand over her heart. “And here,” she lifted a locket Kyndel hadn’t seen until this moment. When she opened the beautifully engraved piece of jewelry, Kyndel saw a spectacular opal dragon scale with a red teardrop in the center.

  “My mate was one of the rare white dragons. Not long after we mated, he returned from battle, unable to shift back to human form due to a serious injury. I nursed him in the Healing Caves for almost a week until he was able to shift again. While I was caring for him, he shed this scale. I had placed it with all the others, but my Gareth found it and had this locket made for me to keep it in. He said that only once in every white dragon’s life did they produce the rare heart scale, and most shed it without ever knowing. The fact that we had been together when he shed his was our special blessing from the Universe.

  “We had many happy years together and even had a son. I believe you have met him… Devon? He is a member of Rayne’s Force. Even though Gareth has gone on to the Heavens before me, I hold a piece of his soul in me. We will be reunited one day.” She beamed with love and pride while talking of her family.

  Kyndel wiped at the tears that threatened to fall. It wasn’t until that moment she realized how much older Siobhan appeared than any of the other dragon shifters she’d met. Of course, the Healer was also the first female she’d met.

  She was just about to continue her questioning when she heard what sounded like a party approaching her room.

  What is going on out there? And why wasn’t I invited?