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

by Mina Carter

  “It’s not my heart speaking to you. You’ve picked up on my thoughts randomly. I shouldn’t have come into your home. And I won’t argue with you. It’s a waste of time. You’re too young, too innocent to understand.”

  “I’m not too young or too innocent to know there is too much goodness in you for you to ever hurt me.”

  “You don’t know anything. You’re a baby compared to me. You won’t even try to comprehend what I’m saying. I know what I know.”

  “You’re right.” His cruel words hurt her like nothing else could hope to. She fought back tears. “I was wrong to think you would never hurt me. I want you to stay away from me.” She lifted her face to him as if to meet his gaze. “I’m serious. Don’t come near me again.” She reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace he’d given her the night they’d met, and then she took his hand and placed it in his palm. “You would never use your power and strength to hurt me, but you would use words because you’re too much of a coward to hope for a future for us.”

  She was in his mind. She knew he couldn’t believe she had just called him a coward. He was an immortal warrior, powerful beyond her comprehension. “It was a gift.”

  “I don’t want it. I’m blind, but I’m not stupid. I know you’re powerful. But it doesn’t matter how powerful a man is if he’s a coward. ”

  “I want you to keep it.” He growled the words.

  Shaking her head, she smiled. “You want to soothe yourself by giving it to me. I don’t want it. I don’t want any part of you. Leave now, Nikolas. And don’t you dare come back here.” She turned her back to him.

  She couldn’t see him, but she knew his every move. He reached out to turn her around, but he stopped. He started to walk away, but he stopped again and turned around. She felt him watching her for a few seconds. She knew the moment he looked down at the necklace in his palm and decided he wouldn’t leave without her agreeing to keep the necklace. “Brianna.”

  “Just leave “

  “I will. And I will stay away, but only if you keep the necklace.” She knew it was a lie. If she was ever in danger or simply afraid he would be front and center, ready and able to protect her.

  She turned to face him though she couldn’t see him. “You don’t get to make the rules. I don’t want it. I don’t want any part of you.” Intending to open the door for him to leave, she took one step, but she couldn’t take the next.

  She was paralyzed, and her sight was restored all at once. She didn’t panic. She knew he was both preventing her from moving and giving her the ability to see. “Do you think I want to look at you right now, Nikolas?”

  He stood in front of her and placed the necklace around her neck. “I will not leave you unprotected, Brianna. You will not take this off.” It was a command she would never be able to defy. He bent his head so that his next words were whispered in her ear. “I will know, and I will kill anyone else who attempts to take it from your neck.”

  She felt his power, his strength, and his resolve. It was not a threat. It was a promise. Her first thought was to argue with him, but she decided against doing it. His mind was set. She’d misread his fear for her. It wasn’t fear—it was arrogance. He wasn’t a coward. He was a tyrant. Because she was young, he didn’t value her thoughts and opinions. The instant she felt her body free from his power, she turned away from him.

  “I can live with you hating me.” He took her arm and turned her around, and then he framed her face in his hands. “But I can’t live with you being hurt. As long as you are wearing it I will know if you are in danger.”

  “You’re right, Nikolas.” She blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. “I don’t know you. I never did. And I never want to.” Lifting the dragon emblem on the necklace, she smiled up at him. “I am safe now. It’s a good time for you to leave.”

  “Brianna.” He breathed her name against her lips.

  “Go away, Nikolas.” She reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek.

  “I love you, Brianna.” But his fingers were already on her face, wiping the tear away. “Do you not see that’s why I’ve made the choice to set you free?” Her back was against the wall, his body pressed against hers. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” He kissed her lips. “You’re so young, so beautiful, so fragile, and so damn innocent. I’ve lived for ten thousand years. I’m a demon. I’m made of darkness. I’ve done many horrible things that you cannot even begin to conceive of doing.”

  “Please. I don’t want to hear anymore of your excuses. Go away, Nikolas.” She wasn’t going to allow him to make her feel sorry for him.

  “I didn’t need to kill those men tonight. I did it because the first man touched you.”

  “That’s a lie. Why did you kill them?”

  “I told you why. The first man touched you. It pissed me off.”

  “You didn’t feel his lust, his hunger for my flesh and blood?” she prompted. “I supposed you also didn’t hear the vulgar words describing what he planned to do to me and the threats he whispered in my ear.”

  “Stop.” The instant he issued the command, she felt vibrations beneath her feet and heard the walls rattle, but she still had no fear of him.

  “Why? Because you’re afraid it will explain your anger at that moment? Don’t try to deny that you saw the images of the last woman those three men attacked at the same moment I saw it. They tortured and killed her. They planned to do the same to me. If I could’ve killed the men I would’ve done it.”

  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no way you would have killed them.” He laughed out loud. The sound of it was cruel and mocking. “You have no idea what it takes to take another’s life. You have no idea of the cost.”

  She nodded. “You’re right.” She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. It was a good thing she was mad, for she couldn’t cry even though he kept ripping her heart right out of her chest and crushing it beneath his feet. “Now leave.” She knew it wasn’t going to be easy. She knew it was the closest thing to impossible, but she planned to find a way to escape him for good.

  “Brianna.”

  “I’m very tired, Nikolas. Please, leave. I want to go to sleep.”

  “I need you to know that I tried to prevent you from being hurt. I will always love you, Brianna.”

  “So what? I don’t care what you need. You’re giving me a headache. Just turn around and walk away. No hard feelings. I just don’t want to hear your excuses any longer. They aren’t needed.”

  “We belong together, but we don’t fit.”

  “What are you doing? I’m not arguing with you anymore. I agree. All I want is for you to leave. And in the future, I want you to stay away from me. I thought I loved you, but I now know that what I felt for you was never love.” She frowned. “Love is a powerful emotion. I’m sure it would’ve turned to hate at a moment such as this, but I don’t have an ounce of hatred for you. Disgust is all I have for you.”

  She felt him hesitate. She knew she’d hurt him, but she didn’t care. She knew he’d come very close to taking her in his arms. For a moment, she wished he would, but then he was just gone. He left without saying a word. It was for the best. His excuses were killing her. It would’ve been much kinder to just tell her that he wasn’t interested rather than claim he loved her but couldn’t be with her. She’d allowed herself to get caught up in a fantasy the night they’d met. He was a man with way too much baggage. She’d rather live a life alone and never find love than be with him. No more. She was done. Done. Done. Done.

  * * *

  Samuel, Eli’s second in command, made no effort to hide his anger. “What the fuck are you doing? Why did you allow the demon to walk off with her again? And why the fuck did the other demon kill three of the locals?”

  Eli didn’t care what Samuel thought. “It’s not the right time.” Eli looked down at Mia’s license and felt a strange twisting in his heart. She belonged t
o him. He would not lose her. He put the license in his jacket pocket. “And it was their fault. I don’t blame him. They touched his woman.”

  “What exactly are you waiting for?”

  “It doesn’t matter. She belongs to me. We will take her when I say it is time.” Eli’s head was pounding.

  Samuel glanced down at Eli’s side. “Who the hell stabbed you?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Eli had a huge problem. He couldn’t allow any member of his pack to discover there was something physically wrong with Mia. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he sensed she was fatally ill and Joseph was sustaining her life.

  Perhaps, in time, Joseph would heal her. Demons were known to be able to heal people of the most deadly diseases. But it wasn’t the only reason Eli decided to leave her with Joseph for the time being. If they knew she was ill, the pack would kill her rather than allow her genes to taint their blood pool. And he’d searched for her for too long to lose her.

  “We’ve been here for months. You know the demons and vampires in the area are at war. None of us want to be caught up in their bullshit. But if we stay we’ll have no choice. Every day you put this off you’re losing the respect of the pack a little more.”

  “If any man has a problem he can come to me.”

  “There’s no way in hell they’re going to continue sitting around, waiting for you to grow a set of balls. Most of the men don’t have mates yet. You know that if you don’t get it together one of them will take her.”

  Rage slammed into Eli at the thought of Samuel or any other male touching Mia. He snapped. Shifting into the form of the wolf, he lunged for Samuel and knocked him to the ground onto his back. Samuel also shifted, but it was too late to do him any good because his throat was already in Eli’s powerful jaws.

  Eli knew all eyes were on them even though the rest of the pack backed up. They wouldn’t interfere; they knew Eli would view such behavior as a challenge and deal with it as such. He waited for Samuel to decide, holding his throat in a death grip.

  Samuel’s fate was in his own hands. Fight and die or submit and live to challenge Eli again. It was good for this to happen now. Samuel was just as strong and as powerful as Eli. One day Samuel would leave to lead his own pack. But first, it was only natural for Samuel to make a stand and at least attempt to take over Eli’s pack.

  Eli waited for a few moments after Samuel submitted before he released his throat. Then he immediately took his human form. “You will not touch Mia. And think twice before challenging me again. I will kill you next time.”

  ~ Seven ~

  “WHAT ARE YOU doing on the floor?”

  Mia lifted her head from her knees and looked up at Joseph as he walked into her bedroom. “What are you doing barging into my room?” Honestly, she would’ve been more shocked if he hadn’t. “I told you I’d be back out in a minute.”

  “It’s been several.” He crouched down next to her. “Come on. Let’s get you to the bed.”

  Biting back the pain in her shoulders and back, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carefully scooped her up into his arms.

  “You know I’m not a very patient man.” He carried her over to her bed and slowly put her down on it. “You aren’t feeling well.” He rearranged her pillows and helped her settle back onto them. And then he leaned down and placed his hand on her forehead. “You have a fever.”

  “It’s nothing. I’m tired. I’m just feeling a little lightheaded.” She pushed her hand through her hair. “It’s been a long day.”

  “It’s from pain.” He sat down on the foot of her bed. “And don’t even try to lie to me. We both know you’re hurting. Did you eat today?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Did you keep it down?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to talk about food right now, Joseph.”

  He lifted her feet onto his lap. “What do you want to talk about?” At first she tried to pull her feet away when he took her shoes off, but then she gave in when she felt the soothing sensation of him sending waves of healing energy into her body as he started to massage her feet.

  “Is Eli Thomas your friend?”

  “No.” She noted the distinct sound of bitterness or perhaps hatred in his voice.

  “But you know him?” she probed.

  “Yes, I know him very well, but he is not my friend.”

  “How do you know him?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s dangerous, Mia. I want you to stay away from him.”

  “You can’t just say he’s dangerous without any further explanation and expect me to believe you.”

  “You think I would lie to you?”

  “I don’t think you would lie to me. I know you would lie to me if you believed it was necessary.”

  “You shouldn’t have wanted to protect him from me. And you will stay away from him.”

  Mia knew Joseph was keeping something from her about Eli, and she planned to get it out of him. “It’s a good thing for you I always do exactly what you want me to do. I would hate for you to get all flustered because you didn’t get your way.”

  “I’m serious, Mia. Stay away from him. He’s dangerous.”

  Closing her eyes, she leaned back and allowed her head to rest on top of the pillows as he massaged her feet. “I think you’re wrong.” As always the healing power he sent into her body soothed her to the point she could’ve easily drifted off to sleep. “He was harmless, Joseph. He was just flirting with me. You know he didn’t mean to hurt me. He felt bad. And I noticed you didn’t get as bent out of shape with Eli tonight as you did the other night when Demetri came into the boutique. Why?”

  Sensing his mood suddenly turning very dark, she sat up straight and tried to pull her feet away from him, but it wasn’t happening.

  “Relax. There’s no need for you to get all jumpy.” Holding her feet in a firm but gentle grip, he laughed at her continued attempts to pull her feet away. “You’ve no hope of winning this one.” When she stopped trying to fight him, he said, “Demetri’s power matches and possibly exceeds mine. He could’ve killed you before I got to you. Eli will never be as powerful or as strong as me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You should know that bragging has always been a very annoying, unattractive trait to me.” Leaning back again, she closed her eyes. “Oh, shit.” She smacked her forehead with her palm. “My license.”

  “I wasn’t bragging. I was giving you facts. And he would’ve done a lot more to you than just flirt if I hadn’t showed up. And he would’ve done it without your consent. Hold out your hand.”

  “Huh?” She knew he was implying Eli would’ve raped her, but she didn’t believe it. Eli might be rough around the edges, but he wasn’t a rapist. No. Joseph was trying to scare her into staying away from Eli. But why?

  “Hold out your hand.”

  The moment she did the license appeared in it. “Show off.”

  “There’s no need to be jealous,” he teased.

  “Me? Jealous of you?” She laughed softly. She planned to figure out why Joseph was intent on keeping her away from Eli, but she’d work on it later. For now, she had other questions that needed answering.

  “Whatever I can do you can do,” Joseph said. “I told you before that my power belongs to you. Use it whenever you need it.”

  “Joseph?” She waited for him to look up at her. “Am I like him?”

  “You’re lycan.”

  She just stared at him for a moment, shocked by his quick response. She wasn’t sure why, but she’d expected him to beat around the bush or flat out deny it. “When did you find out?” she asked.

  “The day we met,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” She was hurt he’d kept it from her. She tried to hide it, but she heard the hurt in her voice and knew he also heard it.

  “I was wrong. I’m sorry. But I didn’t know how you would receive it.”

  “It’s a bad thing, isn’t it?”

  “No.” He shook his head. �
�Not at all.”

  “Tell me the truth, Joseph. It’s because I’m lycan that you said you wouldn’t have sex with me the other day?”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t, I said I couldn’t. You know I’m not human. In the past I’ve always been in perfect control. I learned at a young age to never allow anything to disrupt my emotions. But after meeting you, I’ve learned there are things about me that are at times impossible to control. I was mad. I didn’t trust myself. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you. I was worried I would … I was just mad.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you were worried you would hurt me because you were mad at me? Because we both know that’s not possible.” She sat up, reached for his hand, and pulled him to her.

  At first he resisted. “I’m not done massaging your feet. I thought you enjoyed it.”

  “I do, but I really need you to hold me.” He moved up the bed, stretched out next to her, and then pulled her into his arms. Closing her eyes, she listened to the strong, steady sound of his heart. “You would never hurt me, Joseph.”

  “You’re right.”

  “But you said you were afraid you would hurt me if we’d made love?”

  He took her hand and brought it to his mouth. “Not in the way you’re thinking.” He bit her finger hard enough to make her yelp, and then he drew it into his mouth and sucked on it as he swirled his tongue over it.

  She yanked her hand away from him because it felt too damn good. She wasn’t going to allow him to seduce her into forgetting she had important questions in need of answers. “You don’t make any sense. It bothers me that you kept it from me.” And it did, more than she believed he could ever understand. She didn’t trust people easily, but over the past few months she’d come to fully trust him with her deepest, darkest secrets. “What else have you kept from me, Joseph?”

  He placed his hand over hers resting on his chest. “Nothing.” He kissed the top of her head. “And I didn’t believe you didn’t know. I thought that perhaps you didn’t want to accept it.”

  She knew he was lying about keeping other things from her, but she believed he believed she didn’t know. “You thought I was in denial?”