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

by Mina Carter

  Peri eyed the Vampire, his tone cold and precise. Did he just insult her? Tell her she needed to wash?

  Hell, yeah he did, and Peri couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t had a decent shower in days. “Okay, I won’t be long.” Peri crawled over the bed, so she was getting out of it on the same side as the facilities and wondered at its size. Who the hell had a bed this big?

  *****

  Gabe and Josef’s eyes followed her all the way to the bathroom and both heard the lock engage. Josef smiled, did she think a little lock would stop him, if he wanted in?

  Gabe let out a long sigh. “Jeez, Josef, she’s fucking gorgeous man. That hair, I can’t wait to see it, when it’s all nice and wet from the shower!”

  Josef snorted. “I’m sure you can’t, Gabe. However, as I keep telling you, she – is – too – young!”

  Gabe huffed. “Okay, okay, I hear ya.” Gabe looked longingly at the bathroom door and wished he was in there with her in the shower. He turned and walked back out, grabbed another whisky, and sat down at the table.

  He would wait and see what the girl wanted, and he would eat what was left. A Wolf could eat any time, and he hadn’t in a few hours, so he was hungry.

  Josef sat at the head of the table, as far away as he could get from the food. Not that the food bothered him, he just wanted some space between him and this female.

  Josef was not going to admit, even to himself, that he found her just as alluring as Gabe did. No, wasn’t going to happen.

  *****

  Peri entered the bathroom and she took a quick breath in. It was fucking huge. The shower could accommodate, she didn’t know how many, and there was a gigantic bath set out from the wall with steps leading down into it. Dear lord, these guys must be billionaires.

  She stripped off quickly and looked at her dirty clothes, no wonder the Vampire had said to ‘clean up.’ Her top layer was mucky, but her little vest top and sports bra were almost clean, so she would just put those on, when she was ready.

  She managed to get the shower on and stepped in. Luxuriating in the warmth, she used the toiletries that were available, noticing they were all top of the range and mostly female? Was there a woman living here, too?

  She didn’t know and didn’t care, she used what was there and she felt the cleanest she had in ages, when she left the warm water. The bath towels were enormous, soft, and fluffy. She dried herself and winced, her knuckles hurt, and so did her face.

  She felt her nose, not broken, thank goodness. Her eye was not closed, just a bit sore. Her knuckles was the worst, hurting like hell. However, the mention of food pushed the pain away, making her stomach clench and mouth water, she was so hungry.

  Peri hurried, she wanted to eat. Slowly she collected her thoughts and used a healing spell, one she had made up out of necessity in her old life. A spell that ‘they’ didn’t know she could do. Once she was finished, she looked at herself in the mirror, much better.

  There were various brushes and combs laid out in a shelving unit. She grabbed one and tugged it through her long red hair, getting the tangles out, and it started to wave and curl. She had lost her hair band in the fight, so she had to let it hang free.

  She squirted some of the expensive perfume on her and on her dirty clothes and got dressed quickly. As she re-entered the bedroom, she looked around and saw just how lavish it was. Jeez, she wished she could live in a place like this.

  The smell of the food hit her nostrils and she followed it out into a very large area. She found the table was set, the Vampire sitting at the end away from the food, the Wolf sitting near the food.

  Peri sat down opposite the Wolf and stared longingly at the food.

  “So, we’ve got some burgers, fries, a steak, have what you want.” Gabe was smiling like a schoolboy and Peri frowned. What was he so happy about?

  Her eyes darted around, looking for and finding escape routes. Once she had them in her mind, she relaxed a bit and grabbed the nearest plate, a huge burger, fries, and salad – heaven.

  “Drink?” Gabe asked.

  Peri nodded. “Anything, don’t mind, cola, water, wine.”

  Josef cut in: “Are you old enough for wine, young lady?”

  At the cold tones coming from the head of the table, Peri looked up at the Vampire. “Yes, I am. Why? Don’t you believe me?”

  Josef stared hard. “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-one last spring, I’ll be twenty-two in a couple of months,” Peri said coldly. He’d better not say she was lying, or she would get mad.

  “Ah...twenty-one?” Gabe said with a hint of amusement in his voice. One that Peri didn’t understand.

  She looked at the Wolf and once again thought how handsome he was. The Vampire would also be handsome, if he wasn’t so cold and hard.

  “So, some wine, white, red, rosé. What do you prefer?” Gabe asked, as he moved to the bar.

  “Rosé, if you have it.” Peri was watching him closely. Seeing him move was like watching a wild animal. His long legs were also thick with muscles, and they looked like they were coiled tight, like a spring. His ass, jeez, his ass looked hard as granite, and she wondered what it felt like.

  Peri blushed. What the hell was she thinking? She had never been with a guy. Hadn’t even kissed a guy. Yet here she was looking at some random Wolf’s ass.

  Gabe came back with a bottle of rosé, opened it, gave her a very large glass and filled it to the top. Almost half the bottle was in that one glass. Josef raised his eyebrow at him and Gabe just smiled.

  Peri grabbed it and gulped down a huge mouthful before returning to her food. She noticed the Wolf was now eating, too, and that made her feel a little less self-conscious. The Vampire just kept staring, and she wished he would at least look as if he wasn’t ready to rip her throat out. His coldness scared her, a little.

  “How are you feeling…? We still do not know your name.” Josef queried.

  Peri smiled. “Ah yes, well I go by Peri, but my full name is Persephone, and I’m feeling a lot better, thanks.”

  Josef’s head moved to the side. “Persephone? The Queen of the Damned.”

  Gabe looked up. “Josef!”

  Peri smiled. “No, it’s okay, he’s right. That is what my name means, hence I go by Peri.”

  She continued to eat and ended up having another burger and Gabe added more wine to her glass. As she finished, she realized her glass was empty again and felt more than a little buzzed.

  “So, Peri, I think we should talk.” Josef’s tone was not one that held any hint of a choice and Peri looked at him.

  Scared, she felt scared. She never talked to anyone about herself. Not ever.

  Chapter 3

  Gabe stood up and moved around the table, his hand held out to Peri. The girl half-smiled and took it, and as soon as his skin touched hers, he felt a little shock jolt through him.

  Peri must’ve felt it, too, because she jumped and looked at him in fear.

  “Come over here, we can sit and chat.” Gabe smiled, trying to get that fear removed from her face.

  Peri allowed the Wolf to lead her to a large sofa and sat down. Gabe sat next to her and the Vampire, Josef, sat in an opposite chair.

  Once they were all seated, Peri looked around the room. Yet another huge area and showing the wealth that these two must have. Where were they anyway?

  “We’re in our penthouse, it’s on top of the hotel. I have a rather large stake in it. So, if you wish for anything, just call room service and they will have it sent up.” Josef was staring intently at this girl and hoping he could get answers to the questions he had.

  “Uhm, okay. Are you sure?” Peri queried, wondering why they would let her order just anything.

  “Yes, I’m sure, Peri. Now, can we get some answers from you?” Josef tried a less cold tone and he thought he managed it. The look he got from Gabe told him otherwise.

  “Peri, what were you doing going after a guy on your own, and who was the guy that came and took hi
m away?” Gabe asked, wanting to know the first, but already knowing the second.

  “I help him out, I’m a Witch, I can find people, well, if I have something of theirs I can. He’s a bounty hunter, he uses me, when he’s lost someone and then pays me in cash.”

  Peri didn’t think it would hurt her to tell them these facts. Shit, they had helped her earlier and so had an idea anyway.

  “Ah a Witch, yes, I felt your power, Peri. I have to ask, why didn’t you use it? You only used a small fraction?” Josef wanted to know this, needed to know this.

  Peri looked between the two. “Uhm, sorry, that’s my business.”

  Gabe smirked at Josef, the girl had guts, denying Josef anything was never done.

  The Vampire raised an eyebrow. “I see, and the bounty hunter, he lets you catch the men and then just swoops in and takes them into custody?”

  This she didn’t mind answering. “Yeah, to be honest, I think he’s a lazy son of a bitch! I do all the work and he lazes about in hotels and only comes once I’ve got whoever we’re after. He pays me in cash, though. I don’t have a bank account or anything, so that works okay.”

  “And his name?” Josef asked with one eyebrow raised.

  Peri looked closely at him and didn't see the harm in giving his name. “Jim...Jim Jeffries, yeah that's his name.”

  Josef nodded his head, that asshole was gone. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. It was answered on the first ring. “Yes, can you do me a favor? Jim Jeffries, fire his sorry ass and tell him he’s lucky that’s all I’m doing to him. He’ll understand. Do it now please.”

  At the name of her contact coming from the Vampire’s lips, Peri stared wide-eyed. Shit, he had just fired her contact. How the hell was she going to get any fucking money, and who the hell was this guy, Josef?

  “What the hell! Who are you, and how the hell can you do that? Just make a call and sack someone?! And why did you do that?! I told you, he’s my only way to make any money. I need the cash – I need to stay under the radar – he was my only way to do that!” Peri’s voice had risen in panic, as her only way of earning was taken so quickly away from her.

  Josef had tried to stay calm, as Peri’s words had rocketed towards him. Rarely, no scratch that, never did anyone speak to him in such a tone.

  “Peri, you said so yourself, he’s a lazy son of a bitch. He has no right to place you in those situations without backup. He could at least go with you and make sure you are safe. He is not someone I want working for me, even indirectly. I own the bounty business he works for, I've seen him around the office a few times and never liked him. However, his stats showed a good rate of finding guys who nobody else could, so his boss talked me into keeping him on. Now I know how he was doing that, he was using you, Peri, plain and simple.”

  Gabe was looking between Peri and Josef, a smile on his lips.

  “He might be lazy, but you’ve just taken away my only means of getting any cash! What the fuck am I going to do now?” Peri was near tears. She needed money for food. She could sleep in her car, she did most nights, but she needed to eat.

  “Please calm down, Peri, I have made my decision. However, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. You have a room, bed, and as much food as you want. I may even ask you to help in locating people from time to time, if that seems amenable to you?” Josef had no idea why he had just done that. Why was he asking this young woman to stay?

  Gabe’s grin was now huge, and he still hadn’t spoken, only listened and watched what was going on between Peri and Josef. Shit, Josef had just asked her to stay – here – in their place.

  Peri’s eyes widened. What? She could stay here? “Why? Why are you doing this?” Peri was sure there must be an ulterior motive.

  “Because my dear, I can. There’s plenty of room, and I do not like to see a lady in distress. It’s the gentleman in me.” Josef actually gave a small smile.

  When the Vampire smiled, even if it was a small one, it completely changed his face and Peri gasped at his beauty. Jeez, he was gorgeous.

  “So, Peri, what do you say to my proposal?” Josef needed to know she would stay. He had to find out what he wanted to know. Why would she not use her full abilities? Whom was she running from? It was obvious she was running and scared, but from who and why? A puzzle, one he was going to make sure he solved.

  Peri looked to the Wolf, his smile wide and genuine. Shit, she could stay for a few days. “Okay, but I need to get my car off the street. I can’t have it towed, I don’t have the money for a ticket.”

  Josef did the half-smile thing again and Peri smiled back, she hadn’t intended to, it just happened.

  “Give me your keys and registration. Where is it parked? I’ll have it brought to our parking area.” Josef stood up, his hand out and Peri reached into her jeans pocket. She pulled out a single car key, an old car key, no other keys, just the single car key. She told him where her jalopy was and registration.

  “Oh, could you get them to bring up my stuff, it’s in the trunk.” Peri now had to look up towards the Vampire, and she realized how large he was. He wasn’t as muscled as Gabe, but tall and lean. His body, she knew, would be hard and cold, but she wondered what it would feel like to touch it. Fuck. What was wrong with her mind tonight?

  Josef’s smile got a little wider and Peri wondered if he could read minds. Surely not. She didn’t think Vampires could do that, wasn’t that only in the old movies? She hoped so, as her face blushed scarlet.

  Josef moved to the internal phone, buzzed the concierge, and gave him the details of the vehicle. Five minutes later, he was at the door collecting the key. Now that was service. Peri realized that these two lived in a completely different world to hers.

  She looked down at her clothes, realized just how bad they were. Thought she might treat herself to a couple of new things, seeing as she didn’t need to buy food now.

  “So, Peri, tell us a little about yourself?” Gabe asked, in an altogether too damn sexy voice, Peri thought.

  “Uhm, why don’t you two go first?” Peri returned and gave the Wolf a small smile.

  The one he gave in return had a profound effect on her. She began to have feelings down there, feelings she had never experienced before.

  “Okay, well as you know, I’m Gabe, Gabriel, but I use Gabe. You know Josef’s name, and I’m sure you know he’s a Vampire and I’m a Wolf. We’ve been friends for over a hundred years now and to be honest, he saved my life. Sounds dramatic, I know, but it’s the truth. When I was young, I just couldn’t fit in with my Pack. My father was dead and my mother, well, she didn’t cope well with his death and more or less gave up. I had nobody to talk to and got kinda outta control. I didn’t like the rules the Alpha had for the Pack and was always getting into some kind of bother or another. Anyways, long story short, I downright defied the Alpha and we got into a fight. Silly, shit, it was stupid, and he left me for dead. I managed to crawl away, but I was hurt bad. I ended up near a road, though I had no idea it was there. I was out of it by then. Josef here was passing through and he smelled my blood, you know a Vampire can smell fresh blood for miles...”

  “Don’t exaggerate, Gabe,” Josef cut in with a slight smirk.

  “Anyway, as I was saying, Josef smelled my blood and found me. He carried me back to his car and looked after me. We’ve been together ever since.” Gabe was still smiling at Peri, and she was finding it more difficult to listen. She had got the gist of it. Josef rescued a hurt Wolf and looked after it? He didn’t seem the sort.

  Josef smiled again. Dear lord, Peri was now thinking things about him, too. What was going on?

  “As you are aware I’m a Vampire, a very old one. I had lived my life on my own until Gabe, and I still don’t know why I stopped that day. God knows he cost me a fortune to get my car sorted. Blood all over the back, I had to have it completely refitted. Anyway, the little bugger got under my skin, so I kept him around. We’ve lived in Vegas for a long time. I got in when it was
first being built, though, I have many businesses. One of which is the bounty business, as you now know.”

  Josef was reading this girl well, but some of her mind was closed off to him, and he couldn’t quite understand it. One more part of the puzzle.

  “Your turn.” Gabe smirked with an eyebrow raised, and Peri almost squirmed in her seat.

  “I don’t usually talk to folks. I don’t like people knowing my business. As you’ve both helped me tonight, I’ll give you a little. I’m a Witch as you know, I’m twenty-one, I ran away at fifteen and been on my own since then. I don’t have a bank account, driver’s license, or any other paperwork. I don’t leave a trail. The car I have, I won in a card game, though to be honest, I used magic. I never got it changed, so any tickets I get are sent to the guy I won it from, that’s why I lied about not being able to pay if I got one. I try to get work for cash, but that’s getting harder and harder. Everywhere wants social security numbers and bank accounts, so that’s how I ended up doing the bounty thing. He was in on the card game I got the car from, and he knew I had done something. So he followed me outside and asked me outright if I had rigged the game and how. I told him I dabbled in Witchcraft and he asked if I could find folks. I said yes and that’s what I’ve been doing for a while now.”

  Peri stopped and realized how much she had said. What the hell did I do that for? Her thoughts were spiraling. The wine...must’ve been the wine that loosened my tongue.

  “Peri, please don’t panic, we won’t breathe a word of what you have just said. Please trust me when I say we won’t let any harm come to you. Nevertheless, it would be nice to know what we’re up against.” Josef tried once more to get some more information from the girl, but she closed down tight.

  “I think I’ll go to bed, I’m tired.” Peri jumped up and ran for the bedroom. Terrified she would let something more important slip.

  Gabe and Josef’s eyes followed her. Both had a look of fascination on their faces and Gabe’s lust was plain to see. Josef shocked himself, when he realized he felt some of that lust, too.