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

by Mina Carter

  "Was Riley born first?" I ask and Hope swings her confused green eyes over to me.

  "Y-yes. Why?" she asks.

  "No reason."

  He'll have to shoulder this burden while Noah goes on and lives his life however he wants. Maybe I can do what I can while I’m alive to make it easier on him, starting with holding elections for representatives.

  "So what do you have to say for yourselves?" Hope asks when the boys stay quiet.

  "He knew me," Riley finally says.

  "Who knew you?" Hope asks.

  "The lion."

  "Right," she says sarcastically. "You not only risked your lives, but you risked Eric's as well because he had to go get you!"

  How do I tell the boys I'm their father and what their futures hold? Do I wait until they're older? Will Hope even let me tell them the truth? Damn it, they deserve to know whether she likes it or not.

  "Riley, Noah, there's something we want to tell you," I start and Hope gasps in understanding. "Your mom just told me that you two are my sons. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you for the last few years, but your mom didn't know how to find me until recently."

  Their identical emerald eyes sweep back and forth between me and Hope and then to each other.

  "But Mommy said Batman was our daddy, and that he couldn't come see us because he was busy saving people," Noah says.

  My heart snaps in half knowing these two innocent boys have spent four years with an important piece of their family missing and not understanding why. I remember all the pictures in their photo album, all the moments I should’ve been there to witness. And Hope...there are no words to describe how much it hurts to think of her raising them alone, the atrocious shit she had to do to barely scrape by while I sat on more money than I could spend in a hundred lifetimes.

  "I was Batman until my father passed away and I had to come back home. If I could’ve seen you while I was gone, I promise you I would have. And I also promise that I'm not going anywhere without you again."

  Oh fuck! Anxiety hits me in the chest like a battering ram. The boys will constantly be in danger, their lives threatened. There's just three lions to take out and then someone else gets to be in charge. It would only require one traitor on my guard to take us all out. I immediately feel paranoid and look at the two men in the car with us. I need to gather them all and require them to swear an oath to the boys as well. I'll need to come out and announce to all our people that the Coughlin alpha bloodline lives on.

  When we get back to the house, the twins are excited to see their new double car race track set up in the sitting room with loops and twists for all their Matchbox cars. I'd put the whole thing together last night on my own, never knowing I was building it for my sons to play with.

  "Riley, Noah, what to you say to Eric?" Hope clears her throat and prompts them.

  "Thank you," they say simultaneously and Noah even hugs me around my legs for a quick second before he's back to playing. Riley looks at me appraisingly, still suspicious and unsure.

  "Ms. Moore says the cake is ready to be served, sir," Charles announces. The word cake is enough to distract the twins from their cars and they take off with Hope to the dining room.

  "Let's go sing Happy Birthday to my sons," I tell Charles, since he's one of less than a handful of people I trust. His reaction is not even one of surprise.

  "I had a suspicion, sir. I remember seeing Ms. Gabriel leave the house late one night five years ago, and I'm rather savvy at math," he says with a smile.

  "Why didn't you say anything?" I ask.

  "It wasn't my place, and I had no proof."

  "Oh, I got proof today all right," I assure him with a laugh. "They climbed into the lion's den at the zoo."

  "Like father, like son," he replies. "You were quite a handful yourself at that age, sir."

  "Yeah, well, now I have to figure out a way to tell Hope about the future in store for them."

  Chapter Eleven

  Hope

  The boys are so happy. This is clearly the best birthday they've ever had. Even Charles and Marjorie bought them a gift, two remote controlled dinosaurs. To top off the wonderful day, Kayla was finally discharged from the hospital and is now resting in the guest room on the other side of mine.

  One of the best parts of the day is Eric. I've watched him look at the twins in an entirely different way all afternoon. He's always been very considerate and easy going with them, mostly because of me. But now...he knows they're his. I can see the weight of that knowledge in his eyes when he looks at them and interacts with them.

  After cake the boys played in the pool with a variety of floats and toys that I knew had been recently bought just for them. Eric and Heath played with them and kept them safe since I’d never learned to swim. At bedtime Eric insisted on helping me tuck them in, and telling them goodnight. He's missed four years of doing all the small things with them, watching them grow and learn new things for the very first time. I can tell he's not happy about missing out.

  "We need to talk," Eric says as soon as the guest room door closes.

  "Eric, I said I'm sorry. Yes, I could've told you that first night, but how was I to know if you'd stick around or not? I didn't want to take the chance that you'd hurt the boys. And now that you've told them...you can't just up and disappear."

  "I know that," he says, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me against him. "I swear I'm not going anywhere. Knowing how much I've missed...I want to try and make up for lost time with both you and them."

  "Good," I reply with a smile before brushing my lips over his. "So what else is there to talk about?"

  "You're not the only one who was keeping secrets."

  I lean back to see his face better. "You have a secret?"

  "Yeah, and it's a pretty huge one. A genetic one that affects the boys as well."

  That gets my attention. "So what is it?" I ask.

  "At least you already know about vampires, so this hopefully won’t be as shocking. Have you heard of shifters?" he asks.

  "Um, yeah. Heath said he's a were-something-another."

  "Wereleopard. Well, I'm a shifter, too."

  "You are?" I ask in surprise. Both men seem completely normal, except one drinks blood from me.

  "I'm a werelion."

  "Okay," I say, letting that small little revelation sink in. Then I remember seeing the boys with the massive but calm looking lion earlier today. "Oh fuck! Is it...are the boys?"

  "Not always, but yes. The way they interacted with the lion today confirms it. That's how I knew they were mine."

  "Oh," I mutter in understanding. "So what does this mean? They'll turn into lions on a full moon?"

  "No. They won't be able to shift until they're much older, and then it'll only happen when they want it to, or when they become extremely upset."

  "That's good to know."

  "There's more," he warns.

  "More than the fact that my little boys will be able to turn into lions?" I exclaim in a shriek.

  "Yeah." Eric laughs, shoving his hand through his hair. "All the shifters are connected by a bloodline, the vampires too. The Coughlins have been the head of that line for hundreds of years. After my father died I became the leader, and when I die..."

  "Riley?" I gasp since he was the first born.

  "Our sons are princes of a dying bloodline, which means that one day they will be strong and powerful, but they're gonna always need constant protection."

  "How do you trust these people? All the guards. What if one..."

  "As alpha I can make them do anything. They swear an oath that's impossible to break and it means death for them if they commit treason."

  “This is all…a lot to take in,” I say, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  “Finding out I have two sons I didn’t know about for four years is pretty fucking shocking, too,” Eric mutters.

  “I imagine so.”

  “Thank you for having them and taking care of them for four
years,” he says, taking a seat beside me. “I know you could have made decisions that would’ve been easier on you, but I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “Even knowing how hard it was going to be on my own, I never considered any of those other options.”

  “Good,” he says with an exhale, pulling me on top of him, so that I’m straddling his lap. “I’ve missed you. Are you and Heath…?”

  “Sleeping together? Fucking each other? Um, yes to both, but you already knew that.”

  “Yeah, but you know what I mean.” He sighs, running his palms up the back of my shirt.

  “Um, not exactly, no.”

  “I want you. I want to be with you.”

  “Okay,” I agree. It’s what I want, too. “On one condition.”

  “Anything.” He responds right away, and it’s obvious by the intensity in his blue gaze fixed on mine that he means that.

  “Let me see you as a lion first.”

  A slow smile stretches across his gorgeous face. I’ve always thought it was such a shame the twins take after me. “Really?” he asks. "You think you can handle seeing me fuzzy and ferocious?”

  “Yes,” I scoff. “I mean, you’re not like dangerous when you’re—”

  “I become an eight foot long, four hundred pound lion with sharp teeth and claws made for killing prey. Of course I’m dangerous, but I’d never hurt you.”

  “Well, in that case, let’s see it,” I say, climbing off of his lap.

  “Why don't we go to my bedroom where there’ll be more space to…stretch out,” he says with a grin.

  “Sounds like you’re just trying to get me in your bed,” I tease.

  “Always,” he responds, grabbing my hand to lead the way.

  After he closes and locks his bedroom door, I sit on the foot of the bed and watch him undress. I can't help but fidget with the hem of my shirt nervously as I wait for what Eric’s about to do.

  "You ready?" he asks.

  I nod. Eric takes a deep, calming breath. Letting it out transforms him into a huge beast right before my eyes. The speed at which it all happens is astonishing, almost as shocking as the large feline now taking up all the space in the room. Moving slowly, the animal approaches me. Stiffening in fear I tell myself not to freak out or flee. It's just Eric. I'm safe with him.

  The beautiful, flowing mane brushes against my knees first, before he rubs the side of his massive head gently along my skin. I ease my palm over the soft bridge of his wide nose and give an embarrassing squeal when his long, coarse tongue flicks out and licks my hand. I swear the corners of his mouth full of sharp teeth lift into a smile before Eric the man is standing in front of me once again.

  "Wow," I tell him since that's the only word that comes to mind.

  "That's how I feel about you," he says, lifting my shirt over my head. "Now let me make love to you."

  "Yes," I agree, shimmying out of my shorts and panties and scooting back farther onto the bed. Eric follows me, his mouth claiming mine, fingers tangling in my hair before he lowers his body until every inch of us is connected.

  I spread my legs to wrap them around him, needing him to be even closer. His hard length eases into me, before he begins to move at a deliciously exquisite pace. Taking his time, he makes love to me, and I don't even try to speed him up. It's too good, so perfect that I don't ever want it to end.

  After what feels like hours, both of our bodies still, and my eyes grow heavy as I start to drift off to sleep. Eric shifts us to our sides and we stayed wrapped up together, face to face.

  "I love you, Hope," he says softly against my ear. "So much that I'll follow you into the sunlight and always find you in the darkness."

  "I love you, too," I respond with a smile, meaning it more than he could ever know. And he not only must’ve seen my lost fortune, but he remembered it.

  "You're who I want, the only woman I've wanted since the night we met. Tell me we can do this. That we can be together and raise our sons together from now on. I can't lose you again."

  His words are the ones I've dreamed of hearing for so long. I never thought we'd be here like a real family, the family the twins deserve to have. So why is there still this small part of me thinking of another man?

  "That's what I want, too," I start. "But..."

  "Heath?" Eric asks in an exhale. "Don't tell him I ever said this but, I miss him, too."

  "You do?" I ask in surprise.

  "He was my best friend for twelve years, and then we went three years without speaking a word to each other. He's obnoxious and immature, but at the same time, he's a good guy who'll make you laugh. He would do anything for the people he cares about. What are you smiling about?" he asks.

  "You two have a bromance. It's sweet."

  "Please don't ever refer to it as that again." Eric laughs.

  "Seriously, though, you're okay with him...joining us? He's sort of a lost soul, and I worry about him being alone."

  "Yes, he can join us. We'll be one big happy but dysfunctional family," Eric concedes with a huff, trying to sound annoyed, but his grin ruins his feigning exasperation. Reaching over to the side of the bed, he lifts the house phone off the receiver and punches in three numbers. "Get your ass in here," he says before hanging up.

  Heath knocks on the door a few minutes later, and Eric climbs out of bed to unlock the door for him. The next thing I know Heath grab’s Eric’s shoulders and slams him against the back of the door, banging it closed. I sit up in bed and gasp in surprise, watching Heath’s sudden attack. Before Eric can react, Heath dips his head and viciously strikes Eric’s neck with his razor-sharp fangs.

  "Oh God!" Eric moans to the ceiling while Heath continues to suck on his neck. The two big men are pressed flush against each other, Eric completely naked with Heath pinning him with his hips to the door in nothing but his black boxer-briefs. I'm already turned on watching them grind their pelvises against each other, but then I flood with arousal when Heath reaches down and wraps his hand around Eric's fully erect cock, stroking him for all he's worth.

  "Fuck!" Eric cries out, grabbing two handfuls of Heath's hair to try to pull his mouth off his neck or hold him in place. I'm not sure which until Eric yells, "Fuck yes! Oh! Ohhh fuck!"

  "I figured it was time for us to finally kiss and make up," Heath says when he retracts his fangs. "And I couldn't resist making the almighty King Cunt come for me in my hand." He looks down at his palm that's still pumping wildly between them while Eric's hips thrust forward into his grip. "Give it up already! What, do you need me to play with your balls, too? Fine, you greedy bastard." Heath chuckles and works Eric’s genitals over with both hands until the man's entire body shudders.

  "Ah yes! Ah!" Eric's eyes close when his shouts turn to wordless grunts.

  "Finally," Heath mutters, glancing over at me for the first time since he entered the room, and flashing me a smug smile. "Now it's your turn, darlin'."

  I'm too shocked to respond. My gaze is glued to his hand that's still stroking the other man's cock.

  "T-that's enough," Eric says through his panting breaths. He grabs Heath's wrist as if to move his hand, yet his hips keep working his cock in the other man's grip.

  "You sure? I want to squeeze out every single drop," Heath jokes and something he does has Eric cursing and his head slamming back against the door. "Admit it. It was good, wasn't it?"

  "Yes. Now either get your hand off of my cock or bite me again."

  Heath throws his head back and laughs. "Wow. Finding out you're a father has mellowed you out. I thought you might kill me before admitting that you liked having your cock milked by my hand. The smoking hot goddess in your bed might also have something to do with your softening. Or hardening, rather," he says, winking at me before walking off into the bathroom, probably to clean up.

  Eric stays braced against the wall, his bare chest rising and falling rapidly. He's still standing there when Heath comes out of the bathroom, now having lost his boxers and dives onto the bed, tackling
me on the way down to the mattress.

  I expect him to take me hard and fast, but he doesn't. He kisses me slowly. Thoroughly. Passionately. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he wiggles until his cock slides gently into me. Holding on to each other tightly, we move in perfect synchronization. Our desperate love making has us rolling all across the bed trying to get closer, deeper until we both hit that pleasurable high, me without his venom.

  Heath's lips against mine lighten until he looks down at me with a grin. "I love you more than he does."

  "Oh really?" I ask with my own smile.

  "Yes. Now aren't you going to tell me that you love me more than him?" he asks, to which I hear Eric's scoff even though I can't see him.

  "Four years ago today I realized just how easy it is to love two people equally at the same time."

  "But the two of us are not identical like our sons," Eric says, climbing on the bed. I could really get used to him saying "our sons.”

  "It's still pretty easy," I tell him honestly and he leans over to kiss me even though I'm pinned underneath Heath.

  “Bet you a grand I can make her come more times than you,” Heath challenges.

  “You’re on,” Eric says with a grin.

  …

  Eric

  "Sir?"

  I hear that damn word so often that it echoes in my dreams at night.

  "Mr. Coughlin?"

  Ugh. I can never escape the voices asking me questions. Wanting me to make decisions. Wanting my family's money.

  "Eric."

  Her voice wakes me, reminding me that I fell asleep ridiculously happy with her in my arms. When I remember the night before I'm not even bothered by the fact that the two of us aren't alone.

  "Dude, wake the fuck up, so this bastard will stop sneaking peeks at my cock."

  Ok, now I'm bothered by him. I blink my eyes open and find Ryan, the head of my security and military, staring down at me from beside my bed.

  "What the fuck are you doing in here?" I snap. I could care less about him seeing me naked, but I don't want him near Hope. "Get the hell out and don't you ever come in this room again!"