Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Colleen Gleason

  Polina frowned. “I can try. I’m sure you will recover, but it will take time. All of us need to rest and get stronger.”

  “What am I supposed to do until then? I can’t have anyone see me like this. What about Poe?” She whispered the last as if her love affair with the raven was some well-kept secret.

  Polina shrugged. “I could knit you a sweater?”

  Hildegard looked positively disdainful.

  “Come on, old girl. Let’s see if I can recover my wand and help you out.” She stood with the bird in the crook of her arm.

  “Uh, Polina?” Logan said, pointing in the general area of his nakedness.

  “Hmm? What, dear?”

  “I’m naked.”

  “I see no problem with this.”

  Logan placed his hands on his hips and growled his disapproval.

  “Oh!” Polina took a step backward. “All right, if it means that much to you.” She snapped her fingers and sweats and a T-shirt appeared on the floor.

  He pulled them on. “That’s it? A stern look and you give in?”

  “You didn’t see your eyes,” Polina said, sliding an arm around his waist and coaxing him toward the looking glass entrance. “I’m afraid, as of today, you officially wear your heart on your sleeve. It’s become very easy to tell when you’re angry.”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Guests

  As it happened, Nicodemus hadn’t found Polina’s wand before sunrise. Luckily, someone else had. No sooner had the sun broken the horizon than Silas plodded from the shelter of the branches, wearing cut-off shorts that couldn’t possibly be his and a dragon amulet. In his teeth was Polina’s wand. Logan held the door open for him, and Polina motioned for him to take a seat at the table. Silas returned her wand, and Polina pulled him into a quick hug.

  “Thank the goddess you’re safe,” she said.

  “I want to thank you two for stopping Alex. If you hadn’t, I’m not sure if the supernatural community would ever recover.”

  “Agreed,” Polina said, gripping her wand with both hands. “What do you plan to do with the amulet?”

  “It will be returned to the Siberian dragon fae. It’s where it belongs.”

  Logan cleared his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me you were alpha of your pack? All this time and you never let me know.”

  Silas lowered his eyes and ran his fingers over the table. “For your safety, Logan. The Fireborn wolves are the oldest and most established pack in the country. We rule the werewolf presence in North America. The man who was killed and stuffed in your dumpster was my decoy. He attended all werewolf events as me, just in case. He gave his life for me, but once he was dead, Alex knew the truth.”

  “How?”

  “My pack didn’t acknowledge him as their alpha. The connection between alpha and pack is metaphysical. If he’d killed me, they would have to bow down to him, no questions asked. It would have been possible for one of my siblings to challenge him for the position, but as long as he had the amulet, the effort would be fruitless.”

  With one hand rubbing circles over Polina’s back, Logan narrowed his eyes on Silas. “Well, now you’ve told us, so I hope you know you can trust me.”

  Silas’s eyes shifted between him and Polina. “And you, me. But I need to ask you something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What did you do with Alex’s body?”

  Logan shook his head. “I broke his spine and dropped him on the side of the mountain. He’s dead.”

  “Has to be,” Silas said. “If he wasn’t, his pack wouldn’t have reverted to me as their alpha.”

  “My sous-chef, Jonah, was working for him. I think he was the one who actually committed the murder.”

  “Don’t worry. Wherever he is, Jonah will find himself with new priorities. Polina, can I have your permission to recover the body from your property? It’s a pack thing. There are traditions we follow.”

  “Yes. As long as you need.”

  Silas nodded. “Then my work here is done. Something tells me you two will want to celebrate your new relationship.”

  Logan grinned, noticing Polina’s cheeks redden. He opened the door to let Silas out, only to find Grateful and Rick on the other side.

  “Oh thank the goddess! Are you all right?” Grateful eyed the shattered glass Polina had swept to one side of the kitchen. “We got your message and came as quickly as we could.” Grateful pulled Logan into a hug and then wrapped her arms around Silas.

  Grateful’s raven familiar swooped through the door, barely evading their heads. “Hildegard? Oh my dear Hildie. What happened to you? Are you well?”

  “Don’t look at me, Poe. I’m hideous!”

  “No, of course you aren’t. You are as beautiful as a newborn chick.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yes.” He cuddled against her on her kitchen perch. “A specimen to behold.”

  Hildie rested her head on his black shoulder. “You are a terrible liar, but the feathers will grow back.”

  Poe didn’t say a word, but the look he gave Logan portrayed something along the lines of thank the goddess.

  Logan scratched the side of his head. The others were still staring at the two birds with various expressions of mild amusement. “Refreshing when love overcomes adversity.”

  The others mumbled their agreement.

  Polina took a deep breath and put on her most genuine smile. “Well, come on in. I’ll put on a pot of tea, and we’ll catch you up on the happenings of last night.”

  Grateful stared at Logan, her eyebrows sinking over narrowed eyes. She reached out and poked her fingers directly into the area of his T-shirt that covered the brand-new scythe-shaped scar on his chest. “Yes. I think you both have some explaining to do.”

  Polina lifted a teapot from the top of the stove and plunged it under the faucet.

  “You may want to fill that pot,” Silas said, eyes fixating on the window. There were six men standing in the front yard, each of them disheveled and wearing hastily obtained apparel. “It looks like my backup from the Lycanthropic Society finally decided to stop by.”

  Polina placed the full teapot on the burner and lit the fire underneath. “Welcome them in. I only want to have to tell this story once.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Balance

  Once the story was told and told again, all parties agreed the young werewolves would be split up and adopted by the remaining alpha families and given more appropriate living arrangements. Silas bid them farewell and ushered the werewolf alphas to Renegade Caverns to lead Alex’s remaining pack members from Polina’s realm.

  “I’m sorry things went the way they did, but I’m happy for both of you,” Grateful said, kissing them both on the cheek. “We would have been here earlier but we were in Sedona visiting a Native American healer about Lucas.”

  “Whatever for?” Polina asked.

  “I wanted her to tell me if he is normal,” Grateful said.

  “What did she say?” Logan asked tentatively.

  “She said his potential is unlimited even if it is unnamed.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means the woman is five hundred dollars richer for telling us our child will grow up,” Rick said through a wry grin.

  “Rick!” Grateful nudged him with her elbow but smiled sweetly as if part of her agreed.

  “I’m sure you’ll love him just the same, no matter,” Polina said.

  Grateful nodded. They said their goodbyes and departed, along with Poe and Hildegard. The latter had recovered enough, after a few rounds of Polina’s healing magic, to go hunting with Poe’s help.

  “That kid’s definitely a warlock,” Polina said once the door was closed behind them.

  “Definitely,” Logan agreed.

  She turned to him and laughed.

  “What now?” Logan asked.

  “I should survey the damage to my realm. I’m sure the mountain trolls aren’t happy with the happenings
of last night.”

  Logan nodded. “I should check on the restaurant and feed Bonny. Plus, I want to pick up some groceries. You don’t eat enough.”

  “Will you cook for me?”

  “Every night.”

  “Will you make me chocolate cake?” Polina asked in a husky whisper. The words rolled off her tongue and across her lips in a wave that went directly to Logan’s erection.

  “Any time. The secret ingredient is mayonnaise.”

  “Will you have to kill me now?”

  “Only if you tell.” He stepped into her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her against him. The move was faster than humanly possible. As light as air in his arms, he spun her around, his thigh sliding between her legs and her back arching over his arm as his chest pressed into hers. For a moment, her face registered something he wasn’t expecting, the slightest degree of fear.

  “What’s wrong?” But as he asked he knew. His canines had dropped, the sharp tips rubbing against his lower lip. He touched his face, felt the hard bones jutting under the skin, the elongated jaw. He must look terrifying.

  She placed her hands on his cheeks. “You’re beautiful. And it’s natural; You’re hungry. Before you feed me, let me feed you.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Connection

  Polina led Logan to the bedroom and through the looking glass to her sanctuary where she commanded a bed to form at the center of the room of reflections. She would give him what he needed, and she’d enjoy every minute of it.

  Logan untied her corset. His breathing hastened as her breasts spilled out of the stiff black material and strained against the thin white cotton of the shift underneath. His beast was close to the surface, his eyes dark and a hint of red scales shimmering along the skin of his shoulder.

  Her fingers found the bottom of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. As she cast it aside, she paused to run her fingers over the scythe-shaped scar on his chest. It was healed but fresh, still slightly pink. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.” His stare was aching, hungry. Fragile, human Logan was gone. The thing she was attracted to from the start had replaced him. The strength of will that had kept his heart beating the day of his accident now ruled his immortal being.

  “You’re hungry.” Polina helped him out of his sweats and wrapped her hand around his shaft. A swift inhale whistled through his teeth.

  Goddess help her, she could feel his need. It was a living thing, a pulse between them, a connection as real as if he was in her head. Logan grabbed her around the waist and carried her to the bed. Her shift didn’t make it all the way there. He tore it from her body and cast it aside.

  After seating her on the edge of the bed, he crawled onto the mattress so he was kneeling behind her. His fingers trailed her back, then traced her ribs. Methodically, his touch stroked over her belly button before moving south to wedge between her thighs.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Let me see your reflection.”

  She concentrated and made it so. He met her gaze in the mirror she was facing, the reflection gave her a gorgeous view of her naked body framed in his. While she watched, he spread her knees wide.

  “Logan,” she said, cheeks growing hot. She closed her legs and turned her face over her shoulder, reaching for him. He gently grabbed her chin and coaxed her to face the mirror again, running his fingers under her breasts, cupping their heavy weight before pinching the nipples while she watched. She squirmed at the sight of herself, pale and thin against his massive chest. He met her eyes in the mirror and a wanting grin spread across his lips. Again, he pulled her knees apart.

  With a gasp her gaze trailed down her body, from the full breasts that Logan kneaded and teased, to the curve of her waist, to her thighs, and eventually lower. She was wet with need for him. He grabbed her right hand and guided it down her stomach to her most tender flesh and pressed her fingers into herself. She moaned as his fingers coaxed hers in circles.

  Eyes never leaving the mirror, Logan’s lips found Polina’s neck, pushing her red hair aside with his nose and chin. She picked up the pace, rubbing herself in earnest under the pressure of his hand. Logan’s lips worked along her jugular. With supernatural grace, he slid his legs around hers from behind on the bed, then lifted her by the waist and lowered her onto his lap.

  He worked inside her, his moan of pleasure vibrating against her neck. His hand tangled in her hair as she moved, and all the time he watched her in the mirror. She bobbed and stroked herself, arching against him in pleasure. She was close, and he was right there with her.

  His reflection turned dark, teeth extending, eyes bleeding to black. He almost broke the rhythm. She could tell he was hesitating; he didn’t want to hurt her. Only Polina knew what he needed. She grabbed the back of his head over her shoulder and pulled his face toward her neck.

  The scent of her blood under the surface of her skin must’ve been too much to resist. Logan struck, his teeth sinking into her flesh. The bite wasn’t painful. Her flesh moved aside just for him. Logan’s pleasure echoed through Polina as he drank. Three long pulls and she shattered. Her muscles tensed and released, pulsing against him until he joined her, pitching over the edge.

  Eyes open and lips sealed around her neck, Polina reveled in Logan’s reflection from every angle in the mirrored walls as she writhed on his lap. He gripped her waist to keep her from falling. The orgasm went on and on, much longer than his human orgasm. The air around them grew thick with power, her skin taking on a faint purple glow.

  When he’d had his fill, he closed the wound with a lick and helped her off of him and into the bed. Her limbs felt loose, worked out, and a blissful smile broke the curtain of her red hair. He snuggled in beside her.

  “Do you think you can stand doing that forever?” she asked, her eyes tucked into the crook of her elbow.

  He sighed facetiously. “I suppose, if I have to.”

  She giggled.

  “Polina?”

  “Yes, Logan?”

  “Since we have to spend eternity together anyway, will you marry me?”

  Polina removed the arm from her face. “You’re asking me to marry you… now?”

  He shrugged and laughed. “Seems as good a time as any. Are you holding out for a ring? I’ll buy you one as soon as I get to town. I’m guessing you won’t need it sized.”

  “Oh please. Don’t waste your money. I’ll make one.”

  “Then, will you… Marry me?”

  She placed a firm kiss on his lips. “Yes. I think since you’ve given up your mortality for me and joined with me for all eternity, the least I can do is become Polina Valentine.”

  “You’d take my name?”

  “You’re not going to change the name of your restaurant.”

  “Do you think I can keep the restaurant?”

  “Of course!”

  “I just… I thought you’d need my help here.”

  “I’ve gotten by for almost five hundred years without a caretaker. I suspect I’ll need your help on occasion, but no need to make drastic changes.”

  “Where will we live?”

  “A witch has to stay with her cemetery.”

  He nodded. “Here is fine.”

  “I think you’ll find you need much less sleep than you used to.”

  He placed a hand on her arm. “I’ll move Bonny here right away, so she doesn’t have to be alone during the day until I can sell my place.”

  She nodded. Rolling so that she hovered over him, she asked, “It can work, right?”

  He smiled at her, eyes hooded. “It already has.”

  “But if you live here, you’ll need a way to commute to work.”

  He frowned. “I have a car.”

  Polina straightened and took a deep breath. Focusing on the floor of her sanctuary, she worked the liquid metal like clay, creating the gift she’d wanted to give Logan for a long time. Magic and metal swirled and peaked before receding. When the fog cleared
, a Harley-Davidson softail was parked in her sanctuary.

  “Is that…?” Logan stiffened behind her.

  “Did I get it right?”

  “It looks perfect, exactly like the one I wrecked. How did you do that?”

  “I pulled a piece of it out of you. I absorbed the metal. That type of thing leaves an imprint, a memory.”

  “Will it work?”

  “I think so, but there’s only one way to find out.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Around ten, I think.”

  He frowned. “Already dark.”

  She laughed and hugged him around the neck. “You can see in the dark, darling. You have superhuman reflexes. And even if you crash, you’ll find you are more… resilient than before.”

  Logan stumbled out of bed and pulled on his clothes. “How do I get it out of here?”

  Polina waved her wand and the bike disappeared. “It’s waiting for you out front.”

  He grabbed her face and kissed her, hard. “You ready to go for the ride of your life?” he asked.

  She grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Binding

  Beneath a canopy of russet, gold, and evergreen, Logan waited for Polina at the end of a row of white folding chairs. It was September 23, the fall equinox and the day of their wedding ceremony. A witch stood next to him. Not a Hecate like Polina, but a practitioner of witchcraft. She wasn’t a demigod like his soon-to-be wife, but Logan sensed magic in her, a positive energy that leached from her blood-colored robes and infused the air around them.

  A chorus of hollow sounds began from behind him. His gaze darted to the group of forest fae that made up the orchestra. They were long limbed, fair skinned, and had gossamer wings that made it impossible to mistake them for human. He didn’t know the names of the instruments they played. There was something that looked like a flute but was made of wood; a long, straight horn with an upturned end; a board with strings; and a drum made from a rotting stump. The melody enhanced the sense of belonging to the living mountain—earth and wind and wood coming together in unison.