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

by Mina Carter

  Although Jupiter was Hercules' father he never considered him so. Jupiter had so many children it was hard to keep track. He was never there for any of them. He was more worried about what Goddess or human he was going to screw next. Hercules didn't mind it though because Cupid's father, Mars, raised all three boys as if they were his own. They were more than best friends. They were brothers.

  But, Hercules was no fool. He would never cross Jupiter. Every God on Mount Olympus knew that. He turned to Somnus and patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck buddy. Nice knowing you."

  "Thanks Herc. I appreciate your concern."

  With a flash of light Hercules was gone and Somnus opened his mouth to speak. "Ju..."

  Jupiter help up his hand to quiet him. “Sit down. It's time you know who you really are."

  "What do you mean who I really am?"

  "Sit and listen."

  Somnus sat as ordered with Jupiter sitting across from him in an armchair. His heart was beating against his chest like a sledgehammer hitting a cement wall, waiting for whatever news Jupiter was about to tell him.

  "Somnus, let me start by telling you your mother and father loved you very much."

  "I know. Mars told me all about them."

  "Yes, I know. But, it's time you know what happened to them and where you came from."

  "I don't understand Jupiter. Am I not a God?"

  "Yes, of course you are. Now listen and stop interrupting me. You see your mother Nyx was a kind and beautiful goddess. She was the Goddess of Night and took her powers very seriously. She was one of the most responsible of all the Gods here on Olympus. You inherited that from her you know. Your father Erebus on the other hand, wasn't a great God at all. He mistreated your mother every chance he got. He slept with every Goddess he could. He was the God of Darkness and that's how he lived his life. His heart was a dark and empty black hole."

  "Your mother couldn't take any more of his heartless behavior and began an affair with Vulcan, the God of Fire. He loved your mother beyond words, but it is looked down upon when a Goddess is betrothed and cheats on her mate, even if he is abusive. Vulcan and your mother were not very discreet about their feelings for each other. They paraded around Olympus flaunting their love without a care in the world. It wasn't long after, your mother became pregnant with you. Erebus was furious knowing he wasn't the father and abused your mother even more."

  "Vulcan took your mother in until you were born. Erebus desperately wanted a son and demanded your mother come back home to him, but she refused. All three of them were making a spectacle of themselves day after day, weakening our powers as Gods. I'd finally had enough and had to eliminate them all."

  Somnus stood with his mouth gaping open, shocked at what he was hearing. "Wait, so you're saying you killed my parents because they were in love. Is that what you're saying?"

  "It's not that simple."

  "Obviously it was. How could you do this to me? You left me an orphan to fend for myself."

  "What are you saying? Mars took damn good care of you."

  Somnus glared at Jupiter. "Mars is not my father! Is this why I'm having all these weird things happening to me? The fevers? And my eyes changing? This is all because Vulcan is my real father. Why? Why all of a sudden is this affecting me now?"

  Jupiter looked up to meet Somnus' fierce gaze. "I'm not sure son. Vulcan's genes were dormant for hundreds of years. I was hoping they wouldn't show up at all. He was an extremely powerful God, and even more passionate when it came to love. Especially with your mother. He was very possessive over her. He wouldn't let anyone come within two feet of her. So, you see I had no choice in the matter. They all had to be taken care of. They were causing too much chaos here on Olympus."

  Somnus ran his fingers over his closely shaven brown hair before sitting across from Jupiter again. He desperately tried to grasp what he was being told.

  Jupiter continued. "That's not all."

  "There's more? What the Hell else could there possibly be?"

  "When you're mother got pregnant, she was expecting twins. Somnus, you have a twin brother."

  Somnus couldn't speak. His voice caught in his throat as he swallowed the lump in it. A brother? He had a twin brother. How he longed for a family. Although growing up with Cupid and Hercules was more than he could ever ask for, it just wasn't the same as having someone with the same blood running through your veins. "What? Why didn't anyone tell me I had a brother? Where is he? Who is he? Why didn't Mars take him in as well?"

  "Well, Mars already had Cupid and Hercules. He wasn't able to take care of all four boys alone. You boys were a handful to say the least. You still are. Your brother was taken in by my brother Pluto."

  Somnus' head was spinning. He couldn't fathom being raised by Pluto, God of the Underworld. He was the most hated, selfish, and unsympathetic of all Gods. He was downright evil. "Why? Why would he take my brother? And why would you let him?"

  "My brother is a lonely soul. I thought by giving him a child that had similar powers he would change and finally become the God I always knew he could be. Instead, he made your brother commit horrible acts and will not set him free from the Underworld."

  "Well, you have to get him back!"

  "I can't."

  "Jupiter, you can do anything. You are king."

  "I cannot! Pluto is the ruler of the Underworld. I have no say as to what goes on down there. That is his territory and his alone."

  Somnus didn't understand why Jupiter was being so obtuse. Didn't he want to help him get his brother back? Surely he could do something to persuade Pluto to let his brother go. There was something Jupiter wasn't telling him. Then he realized he didn't even know his own brother's name. "What's his name?"

  "Your brother? His name is Letum, God of Death."

  "Death? Is that why Pluto took him?"

  "Yes, but Letum is a God of peaceful death. Well, he was anyway. That was until Pluto got his hands on him."

  Somnus felt sick to his stomach. The pain in his heart was too much to bare. Gods were supposed to be devoid of feeling sickness or heartache, but what he was experiencing had to be exactly that. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want to see anyone's face or hear anyone's voice. All he wanted to do was to stay in his house avoiding all contact with the outside world. "I'd like to be alone now."

  Jupiter stood placing his large hand on Somnus' shoulder. "I understand son." With a flash of light Jupiter was gone. He'd come into his home like a raging tornado destroying everything in its path, leaving Somnus to stay behind and pick up the pieces.

  Somnus dragged his feet along the black marble floors wishing Jupiter would have just exterminated his life. At least he wouldn't have to endure what he was feeling. He threw himself face first on the bed. He wished he could cry like the humans did. He noticed when humans cried they were able to release some of the pain and hurt they were experiencing. He wanted to be able to do that so badly.

  As that thought crossed his mind, he remembered Laila. She had cried when he forced himself on her. He thought Jupiter had come because of that. He obviously didn't know about that repulsive display Somnus had acted upon. Poor Laila, a pawn in a game she had no idea she was playing.

  He now knew why he was behaving like a wild animal around her. It was because his real father possessed the same traits when it came to the woman he loved. A fiery unadulterated passion he couldn't control. But that was preposterous. He didn't love Laila. He didn't even know her. And what was worse he could never go near her again, no matter how badly he wanted her.

  Just thinking about her now was making him hard. Her pussy felt phenomenal as he ripped through her tight walls. Somnus, shook that thought out of his head. You're a real sick fuck. How could he even think about how much pleasure fucking her gave him? She was in so much pain when he forced himself inside her sensitive core over and over without heading to her cries.

  *******

  It had been weeks since Laila had seen or even talked to Somnus. She left
countless messages on his phone pleading with him to call her. She was heartbroken. Not for herself, but for Somnus. The look on his face before he ran out of her apartment was one of sheer horror. She wanted to tell him he did nothing wrong. What happened between them was no fault of his own. She had wanted it. She had needed it. He hadn't hurt her on purpose. In fact, she had begged him to continue, but he had become so lost in his own mind. Like something had taken over him and he was no longer there with her mentally.

  Maybe he possessed a mental disease, like schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. Figure she would find someone who was worse off than she was. Nevertheless, she needed him to know he should be free and clear of any guilt he may have been experiencing. She couldn't have that on her conscience any longer. It was eating her alive inside.

  Laila spent most of her day off from work doing chores around her apartment. She made a quick phone call to her sister and made a chicken sandwich for dinner. Since she lived alone there was no need to cook a big meal. One of her favorite shows was on television and she decided to sit on the couch with a comfy blanket to enjoy her dinner.

  Before she took a bite of her sandwich there was a knock on the door. She didn't have any friends so she wondered who would be calling on her. Then her heart leapt. Maybe it was Somnus. Maybe he changed his mind and decided to come over so they could discuss what happened between them. She ran over to the door and swung it open. "Som..." Her heart sank when she saw it wasn't him standing there.

  Instead a huge man filled the doorway. He was at least a foot taller than she was. He was well over six feet and weighed about three hundred pounds of solid muscle. Frightened of the strange man she slammed the door in his face and locked it.

  He knocked on the door again. "Laila, open the door. I'm not going to hurt you."

  Laila was puzzled at how he knew her name. How did he know who she was? What was even more disturbing was he knew where she lived. "How do you know my name? And how did you get my address?"

  "I'm a friend of Somnus. Now, please open the door. I don't want to have to break the door down."

  "You wouldn't!"

  Without warning the heavy metal door was ripped off its hinges and he came in holding it in hands. Laila quickly backed away from him. He set the door down back in the doorway as if it weighed nothing more than a feather.

  "Are you fucking crazy?! Wait, how did you do that? You must go to the gym a lot don't you?"

  "Yeah, that's it. I go to the gym. Laila, sit we need to talk about Somnus."

  Laila was hesitant to sit next to the enormous man who was propped up on her sofa. But, she wondered what had happened to Somnus. What was he doing? What was he thinking? What was he feeling?

  "If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have done so already? Are you going to eat this?" He picked up her chicken sandwich and shoved it in his mouth. With two bites it was gone. "Do you have anything to drink?"

  "Sure, why not." Laila walked towards the kitchen to fetch him something to quench his thirst. What was she going to do, deny his request? She saw what he'd done to the door. He could smash her like bug if he wanted to. She poured him a glass of juice and handed it to him. "Here. Now, will you please tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

  "I said I was friend of Somnus. That's all you need to know."

  Laila had enough. She was pissed at his arrogance. Who the Hell did he think he was? And why was Somnus friends with a brute like him anyway? They looked like they had nothing in common. "Look, I don't know who you are or what planet you come from, but you're trying my patience. Now, tell me who you are or I'm going to make you leave."

  Hercules whispered under his breath. "What is with you Gods and these bossy women? Can't one of you find a nice, delicate, compliant woman?"

  Laila strained to hear what he said. "What did you say?"

  "Nothing, it doesn't matter. My name is Hercules. I..."

  Laila busted out laughing. "Hercules! No really, what's your name?"

  "You know I'm getting real tired of people asking me my name and then laugh at me when I tell them."

  "I'm sorry. But, you do realize it's not a name you hear every day."

  "Yes, I do realize that. Now, can we please talk about Somnus?"

  Laila sat on the coffee table across from Hercules. There would barely be enough room between them if she sat next to him on the couch.

  "I just wanted to tell you how miserable he is. I was hoping you would give him another chance. He's going through a tough time right now and isn't behaving as he normally would. He told me what happened between the two of you."

  She suddenly felt naked, pulling on her shirt trying to cover her already clothed body. "He...he did?" She was embarrassed. Even worse, she felt betrayed that he would share such an intimate moment with his friend.

  "There's no need for you to feel ashamed. It wasn't Somnus who was at fault either. He knew how attracted he was to you and tried to stay away from you. It was me who sent you those flowers. I knew how much he liked you and I wanted him to be happy. I'm sorry Laila. I truly am."

  The lump in her throat was apparent as she spoke. She sighed heavily realizing Hercules was a good man for trying help his friend. "You're a good friend. Somnus is lucky to have someone like you in his life. But he doesn't want to talk to me. I've been trying to call him for weeks. Please tell him it wasn't his fault. It was mine."

  "Yours?" Hercules asked with confusion.

  She bowed her head ashamed to look him in the eye. "Yes, it was all my fault."

  "Look, you don't need to say anything else. What happened between the two of you is your business. All I wanted to do was let you know Somnus is nothing like the man you saw that day." Hercules rose from the couch and held his hand out for Laila.

  Instead of shaking his hand she gently pulled him down to her level and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

  Hercules gave her a warm smile. As he straightened he thought how lucky his friends were to have such loving women who cared about them. "You're very welcome."

  Chapter Nine

  Hercules teleported inside Somnus' house. It was pitch black and he could barely see two feet in front of him. He carefully made his way to Somnus' bedroom trying not to bump into anything. He found Somnus lying face down on his bed.

  Hercules grabbed him by his ankles and flung him off the bed, hitting the hard marble floor. Somnus scrambled to his feet and rushed his friend, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Hercules didn't budge an inch. Instead he picked Somnus up by his shoulders and threw him in a chair by the bed. He bolted towards Hercules again.

  Hercules caught him this time and threw him against the wall. "You know you're not going to win, so just stop it already."

  Somnus broke Hercules' grasp and slid down the wall. He sat slumped on the floor dazed. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

  "What's wrong with me? There's nothing wrong with me. But, there is something very wrong with you Somnus."

  Somnus rose throwing himself on the bed again. "There's nothing wrong with me."

  Hercules gripped the black sheet in his fists and yanked Somnus off the bed again. "Yes, there is definitely something wrong with you. You have been holed up here in this cave for weeks. You haven't left once and haven't answered anyone's calls. We have responsibilities."

  "What the fuck do you know about responsibilities? Your immortal life is nothing but fun and games."

  "I'm responsible enough to know I have people who depend on me, like that little demi-brat that's supposed to be your responsibility. And Laila. You haven't even returned her calls either."

  Somnus glared at his friend when he mentioned Laila's name. "How the fuck do you know she's been calling me?"

  "Because I went to see her. She thinks what happened between you two was all her fault. She feels horrible that you feel guilty. She's just as heartbroken as you are."

  "She what?"

  "Somnus she cares about you. I can see it in her
eyes."

  Somnus stood, making his way into the living room. He adjusted the lighting in the house to make it easier for Hercules to get around. "I can't believe you went to see her. It's none of your business Hercules. Besides, I can't be with her. I'm not stable. I can't control my powers when I'm around her. I don't want to hurt her again. As for Kane, how am I supposed to guide him with his powers when I don't even know who I am?"

  Hercules sat next to his friend. "Look, I know you've been through a lot these last few weeks, but you can't shut us out like this. I know I'm a pain in the ass sometimes..."

  Somnus turned arching an eyebrow. "Sometimes?"

  "Okay, all the time. But you guys are my family. Let's face it, Jupiter was never there for me. He dropped me off and never took care of any of his kids. If it weren't for Mars I would have had no one to guide me in the right direction. You and Cue are my brothers. We're a family and need to support each other. Kane and Laila need you no matter what you think. So, suck it up and be the God I know I you are. Now, I'm leaving because this mushy shit is making me sick." Hercules rose to leave.

  "Hey Herc."

  "What?"

  "Thanks. I'll go see Kane tomorrow. But, I can't see Laila. At least at Cue's I have the two of you with me in case something goes wrong. I can't be alone with Laila right now. Not until I can control my powers better."

  "Fine, but you can't avoid her forever."

  Hercules left Somnus' house and stood outside the doorway. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Hercules thought it was time to pay a visit to Aesculapius. But first he needed the little booger that was Cupid's son.

  Hercules teleported into Cupid and Val's house. It was the middle of the night, but the moonlight shining in through the windows was enough for him to see and get around. His heart beat loudly in his ears. It was deafening. He hoped Cupid or Val didn't wake up so he would be able to pull off what he wanted to do. If either one of them caught him trying to take Kane in the middle of the night he would be in more trouble than he could ever imagine.