Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology)

by Chrissy Peebles

  And she was so wrong.

  That was the best part. Stripping away their innocence and teaching them about the real monsters of the world.

  He leaned forward for a better view. She turned left and moved smoothly down the sidewalk. Look at her walk – liquid honey. He grinned.

  Perfect.

  He hopped out of the truck and followed behind at a steady pace. When she entered a small clothing boutique, he found a bench on the sidewalk and sat to enjoy the sunshine. He had nothing better to do, except follow her around. She loved her little boutiques and before the month was out, he'd know every one of them.

  ***

  2:20 pm

  The afternoon was gorgeous. Sam felt like shit.

  Leaning against the front doorframe of her cabin, looking out to the rest of the world, Sam mentally ran through the various options. She still had a couple days before she started working with Stefan. In the meantime, she had some homework to do. If these visions would stop, she might actually have the energy to work on them.

  Her phone rang. Butterflies took flight in delight at the number on her phone display. He'd slid into her consciousness like he'd always belonged there. When had he gone from a cop to a friend, and now to mean something so much more? "Hi Brandt. What's up?"

  "I need to see you today. There's something I need to go over with you and it's better to do this in person. Are you going to be home this afternoon or evening?"

  Sam's stomach dropped. In person would be great, except nothing about this sounded good. Now what? "I'm here all day and night. I'm going to work on Stefan's exercises this afternoon, then head to the lake for a swim." She hesitated for a moment. "What's this about?"

  "Deputy Brooker came into the office today. His story is a little different than yours."

  She snorted. "What? He's in town?" Sam gripped the cell phone in her hand, her knuckles turning white. "When did he get here and what is he driving? I think I saw that same black truck yesterday."

  "What? Why didn't you say something?"

  "I didn't know if it was the same vehicle or not. I was still in town, so took off around the corner. I never saw him again."

  "He is driving a black Dodge truck, but that doesn't mean it was him. We're running a check on him now. You stay there and just be careful. If anyone shows up, but me, hide unless you know them. I'll get there in a couple of hours – earlier if I can."

  She shook her head. Not good enough. Not even close, only what were her options at this point? None. "Then you damn well better show up soon, or I'll be coming in after you."

  The phone closed with a snap. Sam let out a shaky breath. Okay. Another problem. She was good at those. She snorted. Like hell. In the past, she'd run. So what did she do now?

  Stick around and fight.

  Chapter 19

  5:45 pm

  The late afternoon sun danced on top of the glassy lake. Sam studied the inviting landscape. Yeah. That's exactly what she needed.

  "Hello, Soldier." She smiled at the dog lying so peacefully in the sun. Healthier now, his coat was thick and although still grimy, it was no longer covered in blood. Most of it had dried and fallen off. She'd love to get him into the lake, except he still had stitches. The last thing she wanted was to have to manhandle the dog into the truck and back to the vet's office. Soldier accepted her presence as a necessity, but only as long as his independence and freedom never came into question.

  Soldier surged to his feet and started growling.

  Sam frowned. "Soldier?"

  The dog turned to face the wooded area behind the house and growled again.

  Sam peered into the trees, but couldn't see what bothered the dog. He growled again at the bushes behind her. The woods appeared calm, and should have been teeming with life. None of it showed.

  The energy had a peacefulness to it. Then maybe it was the energy she was projecting. Stefan's exercises had a phenomenal effect. It was what she was imagined meditation could do for a person. A sense of ease, comfort, had slipped under her guard. It's not that she felt she could do anything, because she knew she couldn't, however she did have a better understanding of just what she was capable of doing. The exercises were basic. She had to start at the beginning, according to Stefan. Working on seeing energy, understanding the colors around people, animals, even plants. Then to understand what the markings and colors meant.

  Sure she was tired, but a good tired. Her energy muscles, something she never knew existed, had been well and truly flexed.

  It felt great.

  So many things in her life felt great – especially Brandt. She had no idea where the relationship was going, or when. All she could think about was where it would end up – in bed. At least she hoped she was reading the signals right.

  Delight wiggled in her belly. She hoped he felt the same way.

  With Soldier on guard in the late afternoon sun, Sam headed for a swim. It was the perfect temperature for a cool, relaxing dip. Feeling physically stronger than she had in years, Sam stretched her abilities to the limit, swimming strong for thirty minutes before rolling over onto her back and floating. Calm and filled with peace, she waited for her breathing to return to a calm gentle rhythm. It took longer than she expected.

  With a groan, she realized she may have overdone it.

  In the aftermath of exertion, her body chilled quickly. Turning over, she fluttered her hands enough to propel herself gently in the right direction.

  The silkiness of the water slipped over her skin, making her sensitized skin come alive. The chill quickly morphed into heat as she moved through the water under the setting sun. Now, if only Brandt were here with her. His hands sliding across her skin instead of the gentle waves. She stretched, reveling in the freedom of the night.

  "Sam. Goddamn it, what the hell are you doing?" The yell stormed across the water.

  What was that? She raised her head.

  "Get over here."

  Well, that was hard to miss. She rolled over in the water and searched around the house and the dock. Brandt strode toward the water. Even from that distance, she could see his grim face. Her pulse sped up at the sight of him. Even if he was mad at her.

  "Sam, you're too far out."

  Too far. Sam twisted around her and realized she'd unintentionally floated out even further. Still, she wasn't in trouble. At least, not yet.

  Striking out strong, Sam headed in. Her energy petered out before she managed a dozen strokes. She shifted to breaststroke and continued shoreward. When she made it to roughly fifteen feet from the dock, Sam slowed and treaded water.

  She watched Brandt's loose-limbed stride carry him to the end of the dock, heard him yell, "God damn it, woman. Get your sorry ass in here."

  Tall and lean, he looked incredibly good with a gentle wind ruffling his hair. Moses whined beside him. Now, if only she hadn't spent the last hour imagining him in the water with her.

  "Sorry buddy. It's not you I'm mad at – it's her."

  Moses sat down.

  Sourly, Sam watched their interplay. Moses may not have anything to worry about. Obviously Sam couldn't say the same thing. She felt like hissing. Damn it. She was swimming in the nude.

  ***

  6:55 pm

  Brandt couldn't believe it. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been caught in a heavy vision and experiencing huge blood loss. Now she was out there swimming in the middle of the damn lake. She'd have been better off relaxing and regaining her strength. He watched as she struggled the last few yards. She was worn out, but if he jumped in to help her, she'd be royally pissed. Go figure.

  He scowled at the dog at his feet. Even Moses knew better than to swim right now.

  Jesus. She needed a babysitter. She was as bad as his mother.

  Watching Sam swim closer, he realized he'd probably overreacted here. Swimming would help rebuild Sam's strength and endurance. Exercise had many benefits and as long as she didn't overdo it, then swimming was a good way to go.

  Someh
ow, that logic didn't matter because he was still pissed. Scary. He stopped suddenly, hands fisted on his hips. And all because he was worried – about her. He blew his breath out in a gust. Oh, God, this was getting bad.

  The balmy evening breeze wrinkled the water before smoothing it flat again.

  He frowned. The cabin was a long way from everything. Not only that, if she were to run into trouble, no one would know for days. Not until she didn't show at work. Damn it. His frown deepened.

  The bushes rustled behind him. Instinctively, he dropped and spun around.

  Deep yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

  That damn watchdog.

  "Hello there, Soldier. How are you feeling? I see you're moving better." Keeping his voice even and calm, he kept a wary eye on the dog's reactions. He wasn't exactly growling. On the other hand, neither was he wagging his tail with joy.

  The two males glowered at each other. Both silent and watchful. Both waiting for the other to move. Brandt knew better than to break his gaze first. The alpha male was the one who held the gaze the longest. If he were ever going to get close to Sam, then the watchdog had to accept his presence.

  Splashes alerted him to Sam's approach. Keeping his eyes trained on the dog, he called out, "Are you okay, Sam?

  She coughed gently, then again a bit stronger. "I'm fine." Her voice was reedy and thin. "I'm just getting out now."

  Brandt stared at the dog, relieved. "You sound exhausted. You should never have gone for a swim. Or at least not for so long," he admonished.

  "Like I'm going to listen to you," she scoffed. "You're arguing with a dog."

  Brandt started. Indignantly, he said, "I am not."

  Sam brushed past him, a towel wrapped around her body, droplets of water flying off with every step. She deliberately walked between the two males. Both sets of eyes immediately switched to the distraction.

  Brandt swallowed. Her towel snuggled around her curves, shifting to accommodate the gentle movements as she walked. Water had soaked into the thin material, making it almost transparent. Brandt's imagination fired up. The towel hung loosely down the center of her spine. There were no straps on her shoulders.

  He swallowed.

  The towel cuddled her bottom, just barely covering the gentle curves. He couldn't see any sign of a bathing suit. The tantalizing thought both enraged and delighted him. Didn't she realize that anyone could have come down here?

  This lady was just asking for trouble.

  Yet, the thought of all that female flesh floating sensuously free in the cool water was a huge turn on. And gave him an intimate insight into her true character. Watching her walk ahead of him and not knowing whether or not she was nude, was an even bigger aphrodisiac.

  The bushes rattled again. Soldier, now in front of Sam, turned. His lip curled, his spine humped up and the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up.

  Samantha stopped.

  Brandt instinctively freed his gun, staying close to her as he peered into the woods. "What is it?" he whispered.

  Sam shrugged, her eyes searching the woods. "I can't tell." Her voice was low, balanced. "Soldier doesn't like it …and neither do I. Something doesn't feel...right."

  Brandt scanned the area for anything abnormal. He didn't know what she meant, but he couldn't help agreeing that all wasn't as it should be.

  Sam hurried to the cabin, running up the porch steps. Brandt followed at a slower pace, a wary eye searching around him. Soldier growled and lunged into the woods.

  "Soldier, no!" Sam watched and listened as the noises trailed off to the left. She turned to Brandt. "I'm going to get dressed then go after him."

  Brandt couldn't stop his eyes from following that perfectly formed backside, highlighted by damp circles in the towel as she climbed the stairs.

  With a shaky breath, he turned to search the twilight. The evening sun was setting, throwing long shadows across the yard. There was no sign of Soldier. Moses sat on the top stair staring off in the same direction. He wasn't growling, but his tail wasn't wagging either.

  Sam came running down the stairs still tucking her shirt inside the waistband of her old blue jeans. Over her arm was the inevitable oversized sweater. Her skin sported a blue tinge. She held a leash in her hand.

  "Damn it, you're cold. Stay inside and get warm. I'll go after him."

  Sam shook her head. "I'm going. He doesn't know you, and he won't come if you call." Turning around, she spied Moses at the edge of the bushes. "Moses, come here." Moses trotted forward obediently. Sam snapped the lead on. "Only one dog missing at a time, please. Let's go find Soldier."

  Brandt scoffed. "Moses won't find him, and Soldier won't come if you call either."

  She shot him a dirty look before walking past him into early the night.

  "Soldier," Sam called from the doorway, looking around. But the wooded darkness had swallowed him completely. They left the porch and headed across the lawn.

  Howls and screams split the air, followed by a couple of quiet spits. Sam ran forward and stopped. A heavy crashing through the woods could be heard for a moment before dying off in the distance.

  "Jesus," she whispered, her hand at her throat. Her heart smashed in her chest. "Brandt, were those human screams and gunshots?"

  "Maybe. You stay here with Moses. I'm going to check it out." Brandt pulled out his gun and raced into the woods. The trees stood thick together. He headed in the direction of the shots. The silence blanketed everything, except his own passage. Leaves and twigs crushed beneath his feet. The wind started. Branches swished sending whispers through the night. Brandt moved quickly through the area. Nothing. He circled around to Sam.

  "Any sign?" she called out to him.

  "No. Whoever or whatever it was is gone." A few feet from the porch stairs, Brandt stopped and looked around again.

  Ignoring Brandt's protests, Sam took a couple of steps into the darkness. "Soldier?"

  Brandt came to stand beside her. "Can you see him?"

  "No, but he has to be here?" She spun to the left. "Wait, what was that?"

  A small whine sounded several hundred feet away.

  "Soldier? Soldier! Come here, boy."

  Twigs broke and the brush rustled with movement. Darkness had descended quickly. Sam backed up a couple of steps. "Soldier, come here, boy."

  Peering through the darkness, she thought she saw something move. "Soldier," she whispered, "Is that you."

  Soldier limped toward her.

  Sam ran and put her arms around him in a quick hug. She coaxed him forward. "Come on boy. Time to go home."

  "Is he hurt?" Brandt surveyed the large animal. The damn thing had to weigh at least a-hundred-twenty pounds. Uninjured and cooperative, he might be able to move him…injured and cranky – no way.

  "I don't know." Sam gently ran her hands over the dog's limbs, ignoring the warning growls. "Come on Soldier, let's get you inside."

  Once on the porch, they could see fresh blood on his side.

  "Damn it, Soldier." Sam checked his wound, accidentally touching a sore spot. Soldier spun around, his lip curled, an ungodly howl erupting from his throat.

  Brandt trained his gun on the injured animal. "Sam, get back." The evening stilled. "Don't touch him. He's dangerous like this."

  Soldier turned slowly toward Brandt, then his spine arched, and the howl turned menacing.

  Sam shuffled behind Brandt. Soldier had eyes only for Brandt.

  She said in a quiet calm voice, "Brandt, I think it's the gun – put it away."

  "Are you nuts? He could attack."

  "It's the gun that's upsetting him. It's easy to check my theory. Just put the gun away."

  Brandt snorted. "I've seen too many aggressive animals to do that." He kept his eyes on the dog, sparing a quick glance at Sam.

  "Let's just try it – please."

  He stared at the dog for a long moment, then slowly lowered the firearm and slipped it behind. Out of sight but not away.

  The
dog watched every movement. The growling lessened ever so slightly.

  "I wonder." A sudden impulse rolled around inside. Using hand signals, he ordered the dog to sit. Soldier howled.

  Brandt repeated the command.

  Soldier howled louder.

  Brandt made the command sharper, harder.

  Silence.

  Then in a shuffling movement, Soldier slowly lowered his haunches.

  Brandt shook his head then gave the command to heel. Wanting the dog to walk at his side was safer than having Sam try to coax him up to the house.

  This time, Soldier obeyed on the first go around, the movement slow and awkward, but he did it.

  "Brandt?"

  "He's been well-trained. I don't know to what extent though. There are some commands I can try. From the look of him, I'm almost ready to suggest he's been a police dog in his past."

  "Really?" Sam stared from one to the other. "Do you really think so?"

  "I think he's a trained guard dog and chances are good his training was more formal. It's possible he didn't work out and never finished the training."

  Once at the cabin, the slow moving party made it inside. Brandt ordered the dog to lie down. Soldier, small growls from deep in his throat, grudgingly obeyed.

  Sam quickly checked out Soldier's wounds again. Brandt and Soldier glared at each other.

  "It's not too bad. Looks like he ripped a stitch or two and he's limping. That could just be his old injuries with the unexpected chase in the woods." Sam gave the dog a quick hug. "Poor boy."

  Brandt snorted. "Why's that?"

  "The vet thought he'd been abused. As far as Soldier's concerned, it's people who aren't to be trusted." Sam paused for a moment, sniffed the air, bent closer to Soldier's back then raised her head. "Did someone just shoot my dog?"

  ***

  7:18 pm

  Brandt sat on the porch steps, speaking with his mother.

  Sam studied him for a long moment, waiting for his call to end, before walking out to join him. "I just poured you a cup of tea." Sam handed the cup to Brandt. "How are the colonel and your mother?"