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

by Mina Carter

  Pepper watched, fascinated by him. Every movement was one of total and complete authority. She hugged herself. Could she trust him? Trust that he could protect her?

  He faced her and frowned as he continued his conversation. “Aye. Max is heading back the day after the wedding, but Brodie’s staying. Thanks.” He hung up and set the phone on the bureau. “Of course you can trust me, lass.”

  She swallowed. “He’ll kill you if he finds out about you.”

  Connall gave her a crooked smile. “Ah, my beautiful girl, I’m not so easily killed.”

  She shifted from one foot to the other. “Um, why did you come to my room?”

  “I felt your fear.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He held his hand out to her. “Come here.”

  Pepper hesitated, but not for long. She slipped her hand into his and once again, her fear disappeared.

  “Now, isn’t that better?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

  She let out a long sigh. “Hmm-mm.”

  “Do you want to sleep here? You can sleep in the bed, and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  “No, I’m okay. I’ll go back to my room.”

  He lifted her chin. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “You’re right next door if I need you.” She stared up at him. “Congratulations on keeping that tidbit of information from me, by the way.”

  “I didn’t want to scare you… having a man you don’t know so close.” He grinned. “Besides, this ability to keep things from you isn’t going to last long. You’ll figure out how to read my mind and I won’t be able to surprise you with anything.”

  “Not sure if that makes me feel better or worse,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She stepped into the hallway and Connall followed. She grinned. Gallant to the end.

  Of course.

  Pepper reached into her pocket and groaned as she faced him.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

  “I left my key in my room… Sam has the spare.”

  “Why does Sam have the spare?” he asked.

  She bit her lip. “Because I lose everything.”

  He chuckled and held his hand out to her. “Well, we can’t get it now; it’s the middle of the night. Come on.”

  Pepper made her way back into his room and set her phone on the nightstand. “Do you have any ibuprofen?”

  “What’s ibuprofen?”

  “Painkiller.”

  He frowned. “Headache?”

  She nodded. “I could call the lobby if you don’t have any.”

  He grabbed a bottled water. “Drink this. You’re probably dehydrated.”

  She tried not to snort out loud. If only drinking water actually worked.

  She sipped the water and forced a smile. Connall slipped his hand to the base of her skull and gently massaged her neck. Her headache disappeared within seconds. “Better?” he asked.

  She let out a sigh of relief. “Surprisingly, yes.”

  “Good.” Connall smiled as he grabbed one of the pillows and dropped it on the floor.

  Pepper retrieved it. “I can’t make you sleep on the floor, Con. Just sleep in the bed.”

  “I don’t mind. I’ve slept in worse places.”

  “That’s sweet, but so unnecessary.” She rubbed her arms to ward off the cold. “Besides, it’s freezing in here and I might need the body heat.”

  “Right. Sorry. I have the window open.” He closed and locked it and then turned back to her. “In you go.”

  “But you sleep on top of the sheet, okay? No monkey business.” She climbed into the bed, shivering as she tried to burrow under the blankets.

  “Got it.” Connall followed and tucked the bedding tighter around her. “Och, love, you really are freezing.”

  “I know. I’m always cold,” she admitted, her teeth chattering. “You feel nice, though.”

  “Come here.” He pressed his chest closer to her back and covered her arm with his, linking their fingers together.

  As his body heat warmed her, Pepper thought how strange it was that she felt perfectly safe, even though she was in bed with a man she’d met just a few hours before.

  “Why don’t you have an accent like Sam’s?” he asked.

  Pepper giggled. “My mother. She moved from Savannah to California years before I was born, but moved us back here when I was seven. We tried to hack it on our own, but San Jose’s expensive and my mom knew she needed help, so she moved us back to Georgia to be close to her family.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Yeah. The problem is that my mom hates the southern accent. She says it makes people sound dumb, so she’d correct me whenever anything seeped through.”

  Connall chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that about Samantha.”

  “I know, right? Mom came around after getting to know the Moores, but I guess I just speak the way I speak. The southern rarely comes out, which is a shame, because I love it. The sweetness and softness of it.”

  “What about your dad?”

  Pepper didn’t respond for several minutes. She didn’t know if she could share something so painful. No one had ever asked her this directly before. She never got close enough to anyone to start talking about personal lives… except Sam. Connall didn’t press. He just held her, and Pepper knew if there was anyone she could bare her soul to, it was him.

  “He’s dead.” She took a deep breath. “He… um… killed himself.”

  “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “He jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge while I was at school. Mom did her best to keep the details from me, but it was all over the news.”

  Connall kissed her shoulder.

  “I remember him being so big and strong. And he was so handsome. I got his blond hair and we have the same eyes, but he was also really sad. A lot. Mom said he just couldn’t shut out the demons. Of course, she never shared what those demons were, and I don’t really want to know.” She blinked back tears. She hadn’t talked about her father in years. Sam was the only one who knew the facts surrounding his death and only because Pepper hadn’t been able to deflect the question… Sam wouldn’t let her. “I just can’t stop telling you all my secrets, can I?”

  “I hope you never want to,” he said.

  She rolled over to face him. “You’re too good to be true, I think.”

  He stroked her cheek.

  “Your turn to tell me your secrets,” she said.

  He grinned. “I will… in time.”

  “At dinner, someone mentioned you’re a vet. Did I hear that right?”

  “Aye. I also breed Thoroughbreds.”

  “Ew. So inferior to Arabians.”

  He chuckled. “You can instruct me on the differences when we get home.”

  Pepper ran her fingers over his arm. He was so strong, the veins straining against his skin when he moved. “Did Sam tell you I’m getting my pre-reqs to get into vet school?”

  “She did.” He linked his fingers with hers. “Which begs the question, why MGA? Why not vet school? We have a great program essentially right down the street.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I figured it was easier for me to get into MGA. Not to mention, cheaper.”

  He was quiet for a few tense seconds. “You enrolled to get away, didn’t you?”

  “I guess so. Yes.” She turned away from him again, feeling the tears pool in her eyes.

  “But it’s not really what you want to do, is it?”

  “It doesn’t really matter. Everything’s changed.”

  He stroked her arm. “If nothing had changed, what did you plan to do?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do. Tell me.”

  “I was going to take Jonesy to the Olympic trials and then become a vet.” She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the wetness on her cheeks. “But I can’t dwell on that, Con. If I do,
it will break me.”

  “Break, baby. I’m here. I’ll put you back together.”

  The dam broke. Just when she was sure she couldn’t cry anymore…

  Connall held her through the night. She must have fallen asleep at some point because when her phone woke her up, the sun was beginning to rise.

  She was still wrapped firmly in Connall’s arms and headache free when she reached for her phone. “Hello?”

  “Good morning, my love,” her stalker said brightly.

  “Hi,” she grumbled.

  “I do hope your plan is to go home tonight.”

  “No, I can’t. I’m in a wedding tomorrow,” Pepper whispered, not wanting to wake Connall.

  I’m awake, love.

  Sorry.

  Connall gave her a gentle squeeze.

  “Did you ask me if that would be acceptable?” the man asked.

  Uncertain if she was bolstered by Connall’s presence or the fact that she was fed up, Pepper hissed into the phone, “I don’t care if you find it acceptable. It’s my friend’s wedding and I’m going. You can go to hell.”

  She hung up and sat up.

  Her phone rang, and on autopilot once again, she answered it. “What?”

  “I will allow you this, Pepper, but you’re going to pay for your harsh words,” the man warned.

  Connall inched out of bed and Pepper watched as he grabbed his cell phone.

  “Pepper?” her stalker snapped.

  She rolled her eyes, knowing the man could no longer get to anyone she cared about. “Whatever. I have to go.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She hung up and flopped back on the bed, covering her eyes with her arm. “That felt amazing.”

  “Are you sure he can’t get to anyone you care about?” Connall asked, glancing up from his phone.

  “Mom’s in the hospital, Sam’s here.” She leaned up on her forearms. “Oh! What about Sam’s parents?”

  He stood by the window, pj pants hanging from his hips and his hair a perfect mess. “They’re well guarded.”

  She sighed. “Good. There’s no one else.”

  Connall nodded. “Why don’t you go back to sleep?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I need to make a few calls. Max’s brother is taking care of the horses while we’re gone.”

  “It’s not even five a.m.”

  “But it’s ten at home.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I won’t be long. Go back to sleep.”

  She nodded and pulled the covers back over herself while Connall pulled on a shirt, grabbed his room key, and stepped into the hallway.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE FIRST CALL Connall made was to Alasdair.

  “Hi, Con,” Alasdair said without a hello first.

  “Hey. Did you get anything?”

  “Nothing on the stalker yet, but I did get a number.” Papers rustling sounded in the background. “It’s a burner phone that he’s hidden quite well. We’re close.”

  “Call me as soon as you get anything.”

  “I will.”

  “Thanks.” Connall hung up and ran his hands through his hair.

  The door across the hall opened and Sam poked her head out. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Sam. Did I wake you?” Connall asked.

  She shook her head. “Not at all. I can’t sleep.” She grinned. “I’m too excited.”

  “Is Kade asleep?”

  She nodded. “Yes. He sleeps like the dead.”

  He grinned. “I know. We used to do awful things to him when we were younger.”

  “Ooh, you must fill me in.” Sam stepped out of the room and pulled the door closed. “Want to see if we can find some coffee?”

  “Definitely.”

  The beauty of having the hotel to themselves was that they could walk around much like they did at home. Sam had a fluffy robe on over her pajamas and she seemed perfectly comfortable walking to the lobby with him.

  Connall followed her down the stairs and into the front parlor, where they found fresh coffee and a few pastries already set out.

  “Did Payton organize this?” Sam asked.

  “Aye. She made sure food would be available pretty much twenty-four/seven.”

  Sam poured a cup of coffee. “I’m going to talk to Kade about giving her a raise.”

  Connall chuckled. “We do almost daily.”

  “How was Pepper last night?”

  “She was perfectly fine… because she slept with me.”

  Sam gasped, nearly dropping her cup. “You didn’t bind her, did you?”

  Connall held his hands up. “No, of course not. I won’t do that here.”

  “Sorry. I should have known you’d be a good guy.” She sat on the sofa and he joined her.

  “Yes you should have,” he joked. “She slept in my room because she locked herself out of hers and you have the spare key.”

  Sam giggled. “Of course she did. I’ll get it for you when we go back upstairs.”

  He grabbed a pastry and bit into it.

  Sam closed her eyes and then sighed and opened them again. “Sorry.”

  “Kade felt your panic?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I give him five minutes before he comes looking for me, which means that’s how long you have to grill me about Pepper.”

  He cocked his head. “Oh, really?”

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Because I wonder which one of us will actually do the grilling,” Connall mused.

  “I’m that transparent, huh?”

  “Like glass.” He smiled. “I’ve got her, Sam. You know that right? No one will ever hurt her again.”

  Samantha sighed. “I’m more concerned about the damage done so far.”

  “She’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so.” Sam pointed to the ceiling. “Because the girl up there is not the same Pepper I know. She’s not the vibrant, practical-joking, afraid-of-nothing, formidable friend I’ve known for almost twenty years.”

  “Of course she is,” Connall argued. “She’s just scared right now.”

  “I can’t lose her, Con.”

  “What makes you think you’re going to lose her?”

  Sam shrugged and stared at her coffee.

  “Hey.” He tapped her arm. “Tell me.”

  “She’s never kept anything from me before. We’ve always told each other everything.” Sam shook her head. “She told my brother about this guy, but kept it from me. I guess I thought we were closer.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” Sam asked.

  “Minimize your relationship. She loves you more than a sister. That’ll never change. He threatened you. He threatened everyone… he’s still threatening them. She wanted to protect you.”

  “But I can’t be touched!” she snapped.

  “She didn’t know that… she still doesn’t,” Connall said gently. “She can’t fully grasp the extent of just how far Kade will go to protect you. She will, because I’ll do the same for her, but right now, she hasn’t got a clue.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Sam conceded. “I haven’t been the greatest friend lately, either. I’ve been so wrapped up in your brother.”

  “Wow, Sam. I’ve never seen anyone better at self-loathing than you.”

  “Sorry. I’m just worried.”

  Connall smiled. “Don’t be. I’ve got this.”

  “She’ll only stick around if you don’t freak her out.”

  He chuckled. “I’ve already freaked her out. She’s still here.”

  “You have a point.” Sam grinned. “I suppose the only thing against you is your money.”

  “I can’t pretend I don’t have it, Sam.”

  Sam shrugged. “Just don’t make it a big deal. She’ll want to pay her own way and if she can’t afford it, she gets very uncomfortable.”

  “I can’t let my mate ‘pay her own way.’”

  “I get it, but she’ll shut dow
n if you don’t.” Sam sighed. “You should have seen her reaction to the necklace.”

  “She didn’t like it?”

  “She loved it, until she found out the stone was a ruby.”

  Connall cocked his head. “What did she think it was?”

  “A crystal of some kind. I told her the stone’s really low quality.”

  He smiled. “I won’t tell her what it cost, then.”

  “Good. She’ll freak. Let’s wait to tell her your lineage as well. I haven’t told her that Kade’s a king.”

  “So, no talking about the coronation, then?”

  “No,” Sam groaned. “I don’t even want to talk about it.”

  “You’ll be crowned queen,” Connall pointed out. “What’s not exciting about that?”

  “I’m a simple country girl, Con. It’s all a bit overwhelming.”

  He smiled. “Fair enough. We’ll leave that until closer to the time.”

  “Thanks.” Sam sipped her coffee. “Pepper really is the most amazing person I know, but not everyone gets to see the real her. She trusts quickly, but loses faith even faster. There aren’t a lot of second chances with her. You’re setting her world on fire. She doesn’t know what to do with you.”

  He smiled.

  “Right. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.”

  “Aye.”

  “I’m surprised by how quickly she’s acclimated to your touch,” Sam said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “She hates to be touched. I think it’s because of her mom’s ‘friends’ who were constantly pawing at her.”

  Connall stiffened. “What do you mean by pawing at her?”

  “Crap. Sorry, Con. I shouldn’t have said anything. You should ask Pepper.”

  “Tell me, Sam.”

  She groaned. “Her mom used to bring guys home and once she got drunk, Pepper would be left to fend off their advances. The men would wait until her mom passed out, and then make their move. Pepper had to escape to my house more than once.”

  Connall seethed. “And what did her mother do about this?”

  Connall? Are you okay?

  Sorry, love. Go back to sleep. I’m okay.

  Sam ran her finger over the back of the sofa. “Here’s the thing. Her mom’s actually really sweet… when she’s sober. She’s damaged, you know?”