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

by Mina Carter

  “What kind of monster would try and harm a pregnant woman?” Nikki asked. “If what Dora said is true, and I am beginning to think she is, I don’t blame my father for changing our name. I wouldn’t want to be associated with you either.”

  “You and your kind are an abomination. Your mother put him under a spell that made him renounce his family. Before meeting her, he was all set to marry someone else. Someone more suited to our lifestyle. But no he had to marry that witch,” Lucille said in disgust. “My only regret is that I didn’t succeed.”

  “Careful Lucille,” warned Dora. “You are in a lot of trouble with the Paranormal Council. Don’t want to add more to their list of charges.”

  “Paranormal Council,” Lucille scoffed. “Let them try and persecute me.”

  Nikki turned her back on Lucille and walked over to Dora. “I do remember you. You used to sing to me when I was little. If I am a witch than why haven’t I demonstrated any powers until now?”

  “I can explain that.”

  “Malik. I didn’t see you arrive.” Nikki felt relief when she saw Malik.

  “Hi Nikki.”

  “Randi?” Nikki screamed and hugged her.

  “Nice job, Dora.” Malik said to her grandmother.

  “I didn’t do it, that was all Nikki. I just encouraged her.” Dora shrugged.

  “Nice job on both.” Malik told her.

  “How could I not remember that I had powers?” Nikki asked.

  “I can answer that.” Carter said.

  Nikki’s heart flipped when she saw him come out of the house. “Hi.” She said to him.

  “Evening.” Carter walked over to her and kissed her. “I believe your powers made themselves known after I bit you the first time.”

  “Carter is right.” Malik agreed. “My own powers were strong, but they grew stronger after I mated with Damon. When the two of you shared blood, it may have removed the block that kept you from using them. Now that they are out, you may not suppress them any longer.”

  “I don’t think that I would want to,” Nikki replied. “What happens now?”

  “What happens now is that we deal with Lucille and Mark,” Malik answered. “We were going to let the human courts deal with the two of them. But considering that they came here with the intention of killing you, they will have to face the Paranormal Justice System.”

  “Paranormal Justice System?” Randi asked.

  “Yes, it is made of immortals like us, vampires, shifters, fae and other people that humans were always told were tales,” Malik answered. “The punishment that these two face are far worse than anything they could have faced in jail.”

  “Where is this justice system?” Nikki asked.

  “In the bowels of Hell,” Malik replied.

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Nikki kneeled in front of Lucille and Mark. “You are going to Hell.”

  “I am not going to Hell,” Lucille denied. “It is you inhumans that will go. When your time ends, you will go in the fiery pits and I will get to rest on a cloud.”

  “There is no rest in Hell,” Carter told her. “You will be worked morning, noon and night. You will be commanded to serve Lucifer and members of his court, in every way possible.”

  “Too bad they can post it on You Tube,” Randi spoke up. “These two deserve everything they have coming to them and much more.”

  Malik said. “I have had enough of these two. Lucille, Mark you have been charged with too many crimes to list here. For that you will be brought before the Paranormal Justice System, where you will have to prove you are innocent. Dora? Would you like to assist?”

  “Wait,” Randi said. “Can I do something first?”

  Malik looked at her, “What do you want to do?”

  “This,” Randi walked over to Mark and ground her ankle into his groin. Mark wailed and screamed as she kept pushing on him. There was a crunch that seemed to echo.

  “Remind me not to make you mad.” Pulling Randi off of Mark he held her as she tried to go back. “You already broke his dick. Let Lucifer deal with him for the rest.”

  “That was for Margo.” She told him. “Margo told me what he did to her. It is no less than what he deserves.”

  “Who is Margo?” Nikki asked.

  “Someone I met at the house. She had been there for months.” Randi answered.

  “You should have cut his dick off,” Nikki told her. “Good job.”

  “My pleasure,” Randi grinned. “Malik, you and Dora can do your thing now.”

  Malik and Dora clapped their hands and stared into the sky. They uttered words she had no idea what they meant, but it sounded scary. Seconds later the ground started to shake. The ground split open and burning embers shot from the opening.

  “Holy shit,” Nikki whispered. Fourteen little red demons came out of the ground, and went to the tree that still had Lucille and Mark in its grasp. They split into half and carried a screaming Lucille and Mark down into the hole. Their screams were silenced as he ground once again closed.

  “They really did go to Hell,” Randi whispered. “I promise to be good.”

  “Not too good I hope.” Malik grinned. “Damon and I have plans for you.”

  “Hell is for those that bring evil unto the world,” Dora explained. “You my dear, may like a lot of sex but that is not going to land you down there.”

  “That’s a relief,” Nikki chuckled. “What happens now? Will I see you again?”

  “If you want to,” Dora smiled. “I can’t say I am thrilled that your mate is a vampire and not a warlock, but you can’t choose who you love.”

  “I hope that you will consider coming to Quail Springs,” Malik said. “If you do, I would be more than happy to teach you the ways of Magic. Besides, I know Randi will love having a friend there.”

  “You’re moving to Quail Springs?” Nikki asked Randi.

  “Yeah, Malik and Damon said I could work for Hot Nights,” Randi grinned. “You know how I always like to design stuff? They said I could design new toys and stuff for the bedroom.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Nikki started to rub her arm.

  “We may consider doing what you suggested,” Carter said. “We need to discuss it between us first.”

  “Good idea,” Malik hugged her. “I hope to see you soon.”

  “Thank you,” She hugged him back.

  “I will be taking off too,” Dora said.

  “Do I need to call a cab for all of you?” Nikki asked.

  “No,” Dora kissed her on the cheek. “See you soon my dear.” She waved her arms and suddenly she was gone.

  “We will take off too. Randi hold on tight,” Malik waved his arms and like Dora he was gone.

  “Do you think that I will be able to do that some day?” Nikki asked Carter.

  “After some training, I believe you will. But first, you and I have some unfinished business,” Carter picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

  “Carter are we going to do the third sharing tonight?” Nikki asked.

  “Yes,” Carter brushed the hair from her eyes. “Are you ready? Or do you need more time?”

  “I have never been more ready for anything in my entire life.”

  THE END

  About Izzy

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  SHIFTER IN TRAINING

  Pepper Valley Shifters #0.5

  a Prequel for Forrest Scott (Shifter Under Cover)

  By

  C.A. Tibbitts

  Copyright © 2015 C.A. Tibbitts

  CHAPTER ONE

  FORREST WAS SO tired of Finn! Yes, Finn was his dad…or so it appeared. They both had reddish-brown hair, broad shoulders with a lean-muscled build, and quick tempers. His own green eyes differed from Finn's blue ones, but Forrest had seen enough of his absentee mother to know that her eyes were green. Plus, she swore Finn was h
is dad.

  Finn constantly insisted upon Forrest "growing a set" and becoming a man, so it was beyond him what irked his dad about being called Finn instead of Dad. Forrest thought he was being rather nice by calling him Finn. There were so many other names he could call his dad, though most were not to be said in mixed company.

  Another one of Finn's "rules": do not curse in front of ladies. Not women, not chicks---you must call them "ladies."

  His dad was strict, no doubt about it…except when it came to his sister, Fiona. Three months ago, Finn had come home with the cutest eight year old Forrest had ever seen, then announced that Fiona was his daughter. She had red hair, blue-green eyes, and was small for her age, but Fiona was the sibling Forrest had always wanted. If only she had come along sooner than his senior year of high school. She definitely mellowed the old man, though Finn was still quick to point out all of Forrest's mistakes.

  As the shifter clan leader of Pepper Valley, Colorado, Finn felt as if his son should be held to a higher standard.

  All Forrest wanted was to get the hell out of Pepper Valley. He had applied to every military branch, but something unexpected had happened. Out of the blue, the D.E.A. had called and wanted to recruit him for a new shifter division.

  It took him about five seconds to consider the offer before he accepted, then hung up with a loud whoop of excitement.

  Fiona had given him the sad eyes, so when Finn exclaimed "I'm proud of you son!" Forrest had almost fell to the floor from shock. It figured that Finn would be happy to get rid of him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  FORREST DISEMBARKED THE plane and stared at the faces. He did not have a lot of possessions to take to Washington D.C., so a carry-on was all he had.

  A guy with blonde hair and brown eyes walked up to him, gave him the once-over, and smirked. "Which museum do you want to hit first, Foster?"

  Forrest paused. His brows were narrowed in confusion. "I'm not---"

  "Natural history, that's a great one!" The man punched him in the shoulder.

  "Uh, yeah, I---"

  "I hear they have training exercises for the workers, including how to work with animals for security."

  Forrest was starting to catch the drift. Okay, so training started now, and it included a false identity. He was going undercover. Kick ass! At least "Foster" wasn't too different from his own name, but that was probably the point.

  He followed the guy out of the airport and into a waiting dark sedan with tinted windows.

  "Hello. I trust your flight went well, Mr. Scott."

  Forrest stared at the dark figure to his left and nodded. He had just turned eighteen but had never really been called "Mister Scott" before.

  "Noah Kline. I'm your team leader. Terry is your teammate, though his name is Trey for now, and he'll help you get set up."

  Forrest moved his eyes from the mocha skinned, black eyed Noah, to glance at the blond to his right---apparently this was Terry; he was flanked by two humans. He studied his "teammate" before a manila file folder was tossed into his lap.

  "Read it, memorize it. It will be destroyed before you exit this car," Noah said.

  "I---"

  "Read it, memorize it," Noah reiterated.

  Forrest frowned as Noah all but dismissed him. The leader's face turned to look out the car window. Terrified that he'd screw everything up if he didn't, Forrest studied the file as though his life depended on it---it probably did.

  Alias: Foster Douglas

  Age: 21

  Hometown: Denver, Colorado

  Occupation: Bartender

  Target: Dennis Falcone

  His alias surname was his true middle name. Apparently, the D.E.A. thought of everything.

  He memorized the picture of his target before lifting it to read the information. Falcone was a piece of work. He dabbled in prostitution, illegal gambling, gunrunning, and of course, drugs.

  All too soon, the car pulled to a stop and the complete folder was taken from Forrest.

  "Be careful, be paranoid, and trust no one."

  With those final words, Terry pushed the door open and Forrest climbed out of the car after him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  FORREST SETTLED INTO his new apartment---if you could call it that. Ten steps from one side to the other, and twenty steps from the tiny window to the door.

  He hated to think it, but he missed Finn's large home in Colorado. A two-story log cabin with floor to ceiling windows along the front. It was the freaking White House compared to this dump!

  Terry---or rather, Trey for this mission---had a place down the hall. Their aliases were supposed to be best friends. A few days ago, when Trey suggested they hang out at an arcade, Forrest had been excited.

  When they got there, they went to the back door, entered an elevator, and wound up stories below ground in a secret training facility.

  Training turned out to be every day, but they were only allowed to stay for a maximum of three hours at a time.

  Forrest found that he truly enjoyed the training, and his muscles were getting more defined. The best part of all was training to hone his scent when he shifted into his mountain lion. He could now distinguish between shifter types, even when he was in human form.

  At night, he worked as a bartender at Capitol Cuties…a strip club. He'd never seen so many fake breasts in all his life! Needless to say, the thrill of seeing naked chicks…..err, "ladies" was gone after night three.

  He'd seen his target a few times, but Forrest always seemed to work the wrong end of the bar when Dennis Falcone sat down for drinks. Living a life of crime was good for a wallet, because Falcone had several lap dances a night and all the waitresses clambered to be the one to serve him due to the large tips he left.

  Terry, as Trey, worked the door as a bouncer. To Forrest's surprise, Terry got a lot of phone numbers and frequently had women---including some of the strippers---visiting his apartment.

  Forrest guessed he was giving off the wrong vibe, or just plain ugly, because he was never approached or flirted with. I should be insulted, but I'm not. I don't want to use a woman as a floatation device for her plastic parts, or have some skinny lady who claims to be full after eating a grape. No thanks!

  * * * * *

  Upon returning to his apartment after a shift at the club, he found a lady with two paper bags full of groceries trying to juggle the bags and unlock her door at the same time. This was "classical music lady," whereas the person in the apartment on the other side of him he nicknamed "smelly pot smoker."

  "Let me help with that." Forrest caught a bag before it could hit the floor. His cat-like reflexes made him quick.

  "Nice save!"

  He grinned as he stared at the brunette. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she wore no makeup, and a pair of gray sweats. He found her utterly refreshing from the fake women he was getting used to seeing.

  Now with one bag in her arms, she opened the door and went inside. "Come in."

  He followed her inside, noting her southern accent. Forrest set the bag down on the small counter. "I'm Foster." Yes, much better! The alias was now rolling off his tongue without any trouble.

  "Piper. Nice to meet you. Thanks for your help."

  Forrest nodded and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. Before he could unlock his own door, Piper's door creaked back open. He raised his brows expectantly as she peered out into the hallway.

  "I have a hotplate. Want some scrambled eggs?"

  "Yes!" He pocketed his keys and went back inside her place. He took a seat on the red futon that he assumed doubled as her bed, unless she had a hidden murphy bed that he couldn't see.

  "You're not a serial killer, right?" Piper eyed him as she pulled her groceries out of the bags.

  "No."

  "Wear a tinfoil hat because aliens might steal your thoughts?"

  "Uh…no," Forrest said with a laugh.

  "Mommy issues?" She smirked.

  Forrest tilted his head from side to
side in mock contemplation.

  "That's a yes." Piper giggled.

  Forrest shrugged and grinned. "I guess so. Never saw her much. Don't even know where she lives now."

  "That sucks." She pulled out a bowl and begin to break eggs into it. "Where are you from?"

  "Denver," he answered. He stared at the place and noted pictures of Piper with people that seemed to have similar features as her. "Your family?" He picked up a small picture frame which showcased Piper leaning over a younger guy, her arms wrapped around him, and both had big cheesy grins on their faces.

  She nodded, stirring the eggs. "My brother, Rory. Do you have siblings?"

  "A younger sister. So, what sort of work do you do?" If he had to guess, he thought she'd be a student. She couldn't be much older than him, and she was definitely human---he knew that thanks to his scent training.

  "I'm an intern for a congressman. As you can tell, it pays a lot." Piper giggled, waving her arm to showcase her small apartment. "You?"

  Forrest laughed. "Bartender."

  "You must be new to it, or you'd be living the high life," she replied, plating up the eggs on some mismatched plastic plates.

  "Why do you say that?" He took the bright orange plate and a plastic fork.

  "With those dimples…women would hand over entire paychecks for a tip."

  Forrest almost choked on his bite of eggs and felt his face flush in embarrassment.

  "And I bet you have a six-pack under that shirt," she continued, as though she ignored his reaction. She took a seat beside him on the futon and shook some hot sauce onto her eggs.

  Holy cow! This chick…lady was flirting big time. "Wanna see?" He meant it as a joke, but she smiled and nodded at him. He wasn't a virgin, but back home it took a little more begging than he'd like to admit to get someone interested. "Only if you do the same." What the heck? He'd try, though he expected a slap at the very least.