Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  Grimm thrashed out of Jinx’s grip. Desperation filled his voice. “You… don't… understand. There's a—”

  “No. You. Don't understand,” Jinx growled through clenched teeth. “You're gonna get us kicked off the fuckin' plane!”

  Grimm’s top lip peeled back from his teeth. He drew the scent of anger and frustration in from the vampire with each breath. He could see the fight happening, fists and fangs, blood and flesh. Someone would get hurt, and in this moment he was ready to sacrifice it all. He stared at the vamp. Grimm twisted his fingers into the black knit polo Jinx wore, yanking the vampire closer. He felt his own canines bite into his bottom lip, pleading with Jinx to understand. Jinx would fight him, even if it meant he was killed in the process. Grimm inhaled, and the scent of the female lycan filled his body, like a stake to his chest.

  His wolf howled and snarled, desperate to get her. He couldn’t control his beast. There was nothing he could do. He shuddered, his wolf was taking over. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. The motion was so quick it was barely noticeable. But he noticed.

  Kali stared at him with cold, dead eyes. Ice ran through his veins, stopping his wolf in his tracks. Nothing else mattered in this moment. He focused on Kali as though his life depended on it… because it did.

  Her arm was raised over her head, her hand hidden under the curtain of black hair at her neck. He knew she was reaching for her sword. For the white death that called to him in his dreams. Grimm was one wrong move away from death. He could heal quicker than most immortals, and compared to a human, he was damn near invincible. But he knew without a doubt, the sword Kali unsheathed would take his life in the blink of an eye.

  He understood all too well Kali was prepared to pull that sword, slice him neatly between his ribs and slide the blade back home without anyone knowing she’d moved. The only thing stopping her was the mission.

  The sound of the engines roared and the plane rolled forward, heading down the runway. He stared at Kali and she at him, both waiting… waiting for destiny to step in and right the wrong.

  Grimm inhaled and the connection between them was gone, only fear now kept his animal at bay. Is this how the last of my line was meant to die? On a cramped plane surrounded by fucking humans? Decide now, because Kali will end me here and fucking now. His wolf sniffed the air and retreated quietly, with his head lowered and his tail tucked neatly between his legs. This mission was going to kill Grimm, and if it didn't, well then Kali just might.

  The plane lifted and climbed, slipping past soft, white clouds until all Grimm could see was blue. His wolf whimpered. The air was no place for a lycan. His place was on the ground, amongst the trees and the rich earth. But this was where they were needed, so there was no backing down. The man who sat on the opposite side of him gave Grimm a nervous-looking smile and turned back to his paper. Grimm started to glare at him, and then stopped. He cocked his head to one side. He was picking up something strange from this human… something weird. The sooner they were off this flight the better.

  An attendant in a navy blue skirt headed his way and at the last minute reached out, grabbing her arm, pulling her close. “Can I order a drink… please?”

  Her firm tone bordered on scalding. “We’ll be bringing the cart around as soon as we hit a stable altitude, sir.”

  Breathing through a wave of desire and pure terror, he forced himself to relax and leaned forward to pull his jacket from his body. His temperature soared, causing him to break out in sweat. His shirt stuck fast to his skin, outlining his massive chest. She looked… no fuck that, she panted, with her lips parted and her eyes bulging, but he didn't care. He’d play whatever card he could, as long as he got a goddamn drink.

  His tongue felt thick inside his mouth and his lips dry and cracked. He licked his lower lip, grazing the soft flesh with his teeth and leaned into her, his voice a growl. “Not good with flying.”

  Her eyes danced over his body, moving from nipple to nipple as though she could almost feel them between her teeth. He groaned, low and sexual, passing it off as though he was unwell. He could feel her pulse spike for a moment. The rapid tempo caused her eyes to widen and he heard her catch her breath catch in her chest. Then she relaxed, her expression glazing over as his pheromones filled her with desire.

  He felt a twinge of guilt about using this human, knowing she’d do whatever he wanted with just the right amount of motivation. She lowered her body so her silk shirt rubbed against his palm. His gaze fell from her charged blue eyes to the glimpse of her milky breasts. She whispered. “Let me see what I can do.”

  She moved away and his hand cooled from the warmth of her body. He leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes, waiting for her to return and said. “Stop staring at me.”

  “Then stop acting like a jerk.” Kali’s controlled hiss sounded deadlier than a scream.

  He tried to distract himself by watching the passengers in front. A young kid flailed and kicked like he was having a fit or fighting with someone Grimm couldn’t see. The back of the seat slammed into Grimm’s knees. Fucking humans.

  Tiny bottles slid into his hand. He looked up at the air-hostess and found himself staring at those creamy breasts once more. His cock stirred, punching at the zipper of his jeans and he groaned as a breathless voice whispered in his ear. “Just let me know when you need more.”

  He nodded, twisted the cap off the bottle, and swallowed the contents in one gulp. Liquid fire slid down his throat and into his belly. He downed all four bottles. The heat burned inside his gut and the biting liquor went straight to his olfactory sensors, blunting his ability to detect the scent of the female lycan.

  The plane smoothed out when they hit altitude. The seatbelt sign blinked once, and then switched off. Grimm had his belt unsnapped and was on the move less than a second later. The kid in front poked out his tongue between a moustache of green snot, then froze as Grimm rose. The child’s little eyes bulged and then he started crying again. Disgusted, Grimm moved on, climbing over the man who sat next to him. There was at least one vamp on this flying fucking tin can, who was determined to blow up everyone in it. And as much as he hated these human pests, he’d be fucked if he’d let that happen.

  Grimm headed towards first class, stepping into the ocean blue lights separating the wealthy from everyone else. Scornful gazes turned his way when he entered, except for a blonde with plastic breasts, a fake tan, and more diamonds than Louis Francois Cartier himself. She stared at him like she was hungry and he was her next meal. He turned away and breathed in, scenting the air for an aroma of rotten grapes and the female lycan. He got a whole lot of nothing.

  The older vamps were good at disguising their scent, so he couldn't rely on smell alone. He scanned every movement of the bodies in front of him, looking for something he could tear apart. Vamps moved different from humans, their movements were quick and fluid, as though the world stood still around them. So he focused on the movement of their bodies, allowing his wolf to sift through the stench of everything else.

  First class was clean, no vampires in sight. The blonde with fake tits motioned him over with the crook of her finger. Well no vampires of the immortal kind anyway. He turned away and headed into business class. He stopped outside the first class door and pretended to drop his wallet, scanning the first three rows. Socks, bare feet, and open nappy bags were all that filled his senses. His stomach rolled and he fought the urge to gag, and then moved on. He performed this ritual twice more, cursing at the sheer volume of humans, until the heady scent of the Call slammed him to the floor. He dropped his head and trembled, as his wolf growled in encouragement. Please Mistress help me. He couldn’t lose it again. He couldn’t let them down.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  Grimm shook his head. Long, creamy legs caught his attention, legs that seemed to go on forever as he lifted his gaze. Grimm shuddered and held his breath. He thought of scuttling back toward first class, where the air was clean and there were
no temptations. The woman grabbed him and moved close. His lungs screamed, burning… needing air. He couldn’t hold on much longer.

  “Sir?”

  His vision blurred. He let go, sucking air and breathing in the Call. The scent trail permeated the air around the woman in front of him. He whimpered and breathed deep, drawing her essence into him. Grimm lifted his head to stare into the green eyes of the female lycan.

  Mistress above, she’s pure sex.

  Her gaze narrowed, her nostrils flared. She knew what he was amongst the stench of the humans. She smiled, but her gaze was suspicious and careful. He knew what she’d be thinking. The sheer magnitude of this encounter resurrected the hope he’d held in his heart for hundreds of years… if she was alive, could there be others of his kind?

  “I think you you’d better come with me,” she growled and pulled on his arm. Every word, every touch, was like a detonation of TNT. His muscles quivered. He didn’t think he could stand and he knew he couldn’t fucking speak. He crouched there, like a helpless pup. Even though the Master ruled the skies, he knew the Mistress was there somewhere, watching waiting. Even though he was trapped in a plane with vamps and a bomb, he gave thanks. Thank you Mistress, thank you for hearing my call... his eyes blurred. For giving me a future. This lycan will be mine and carry my own flesh in her belly. I shall never forget your generosity and will never again stop my wolf from hearing the call of the full moon. We shall rejoice with you once again.

  Tears slipped from his eyes. He didn’t wipe them away. He wore them with pride and followed her. His mission was abandoned. For this sweet second, there was nothing else he’d be able to think of anyway. The pull on his flesh was far too strong.

  His instinct was in the driver's seat and his desire in overdrive. She opened the curtains of the crew compartment. He slipped in behind her, then closed the door.

  “The bathroom would’ve been too cramped for someone as big as you,” she whispered, turning on him, her eyes aglow. “Or on second thoughts, that may not be such a bad thing.”

  Her name badge said Helena. He knew that ‘cause the stitching was shoved in his face when she climbed on top of him. He knew it was pathetic, but he couldn't stop saying her name over and over inside his head. He wanted to know her. He wanted to be inside her so badly, he was an inferno inside.

  “I can't believe I am actually standing in front of you. I thought I was the last.” His words thickened and formed a lump inside his throat. “All these years... all these years I’ve been alone.”

  Her laughter was sharp and cold and her eyes… Jesus, her eyes…. “I’m not sure what you mean, honey. But I'll be anything you need.”

  She leaned back, using the small steel basin of the galley to support her weight as she pulled at the buttons of her top and spread her legs wide, letting her skirt ride high, showing him the paradise he wanted to see.

  The sight of her made him insane. Inside his mind was a violent storm, filled with wild thoughts of their joining. But no matter how much he needed to be inside her he desired to be with her more. Instead of reaching for the zipper of his jeans, he moved his hand to her face, drawing those yellow-green eyes to follow his motion. He reached behind her head, freeing her hair until it spread around her shoulders and over his hand.

  “You are so beautiful... our children will be spoken of for lifetimes to come.”

  Her brows lifted. “Children?”

  “We have to, for our species. We’re all that’s left, Helena. You and me.” His gaze darted from one of her perfect eyes, to the other.

  She moved off the sink, and grabbed his arm, maneuvering him until his back was against her. She pushed her hips into his ass. The outline of her body, so soft against him, was perfect, like they were made for each other. “You think I’m a lycan, don't you, wolf?”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What the hell was she saying? He didn't think she was a lycan, he knew she was.

  “You can’t fool me. I could smell the Call on you a mile away,” he murmured, feeling an overwhelming urge to close his eyes. “I… I’m feeling…”

  There was something wrong here. His thoughts faded, like someone reached inside his head and swirled them around. There was something he should be doing, some... mission he had to....

  “Ahh, wolf. I’m no lycan.” A silken voice whispered in his ear. He was pushed harder against the basin. The soft body behind him felt so good, it was all he could think of while her voice continued to beguile him. “But do you want me to tell you a secret?”

  He was helpless, tied to the scent of the Call, and the feel of her body. He could nothing but nod. “I am no lycan. But I am fucking one and I’ve got to tell you, she is spectacular.”

  She hissed and reared back. Something shone in her hand. Something sharp… a knife. He realized too late what was happening. This was no lycan… this was a fucking vamp and she had him trapped in her power. Grimm closed his eyes, knowing he was about to die and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop it. His last thoughts were of Jinx and Kali. No matter how hard he’d tried, he’d failed them. I’m sorry.

  The moment the knife pierced his skin, her spell broke, hurtling him back to reality with a hot poker in his stomach. He turned and grabbed her arms, ramming her against the opposite wall.

  “Is everything okay in there?” Someone called from the other side of the curtain.

  “We’re fine. I’m just sick,” he huffed, wrestling with the wildcat. Her teeth lengthened, she kicked and scratched, and bent her head to tear into his hand.

  “Oww. Fucking bitch!”

  He moved, grabbing her hands and pulling them over her head. She was no match strength-wise, but damn, she could move. She whipped her leg around, narrowly missing his pride and joy. He looked past the knife protruding from his belly and stole a precious instant to look at his crotch, just to make sure. He clenched her wrists and heard her whimper. He searched the cabin for something he could use to carve this bitch apart and found nothing.

  “Fuck.” Grimm looked down at the blade he guessed was nestled somewhere between his splenic artery and his fucking kidney. He would’ve liked to pull the knife out slow and easy. One wrong move and he could be out of commission for at least a day or two. He pinched his lips together and shuffled in the small space, trying his best to deflect the blows coming too close to his face. There was nowhere he could go.

  “You’re not gonna win, lycan.” The vamp laughed.

  He changed hands, grabbing the vamp’s wrist with one hand while he wrapped the other around the hilt of the knife in his gut. He stilled, breathed, focused, and slid the knife out as quickly and as cleanly as possible.

  “You can't stop this plane from going down, just like you can’t stop us from owning the world. There are too many of us.” She wept with laughter. The sound fucking pissed him off.

  He lifted his eyes, catching sight of her throat, the muscles working as she laughed before he answered, “Not if I can help it, bitch.”

  His hand blurred as he flipped the knife, gripped the handle, and lunged forward. The blade sank deep into her throat. He could feel the muscles contracting against the steel, until her laugher died away. Her eyes flew open. Blood spilled like a waterfall from the gash in her neck to cascade over the breasts he’d wanted to touch only moments ago. Then he realized what he’d done.

  This vampire may not have been a lycan, but she knew where one was. The scent of the Call was proof of that. He was about a second away from ending the only hope he had of finding her.

  The curtain rippled, drawing his attention. A blur of black stilled him. The movement was so fast he couldn’t track her. He didn’t have to, he knew who the new combatant was. The vampire didn’t see her coming and didn’t stand a chance. Kali’s fluid movements cut through the air. Her blade slit the vampire’s sternum from top to bottom and pierced the cabinet behind her. The wound in her throat would’ve healed. But as Kali withdrew the blade, cleaving the vampire’s
chest in two, he knew there would be no coming back. He could see her shredded heart harden and whiten, and then tiny cracks broke along the skin as the body turned to ash, crumbled, and then fell to the ground.

  Kali turned to him, glanced down at his wound, now almost healed, and muttered. “Nice job, wolf,” a second before she was tackled head-on.

  The vamp that plowed into them was almost as big as Grimm himself. Poor bastard didn’t have a chance. Kali’s movements were quick and light. She grabbed his shirt and kicked up her legs. Tucking her knees into her chest, she vaulted over him. Mid-flight, she twisted, pulled back her blade and ran it back through the massive vamp’s head. the weapon exited through his mouth, between his fangs. She wrenched the blade free and drove it through his chest, leaving a hole Grimm could see through. He stared at the vamp, watching his legs start to shake. The leech’s body hardened, cracked, and crumbled to the ground. The compartment looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a month.

  “Holy… shit.”

  Grimm swiveled at the sound. An air marshal stood in the doorway, wide-mouthed and staring. His gun wobbled in the fucking air like he was having a fit. Jesus, this was all they needed.

  “P-ut… put down the s… s-word.” the marshal stuttered. “And get on the floor, both of you.”

  Grimm growled. This fucking mission couldn’t get any fucking worse. He stepped forward and reached for Kali. He’d push her behind him, in case the marshal was jumpy with his finger on the trigger. But she shook her head and threw her blade to the floor. It seemed she had other ideas. Kali opened her arms wide to show the marshal she was co-operating and lowered herself to the floor. As usual, the human turned his attention towards Grimm, not bothering with her any longer.

  A flash of black whipped across Grimm’s vision. The cop buckled. Kali lowered him slowly to the ground and picked up her blade. The marshal’s breathing was deep and strong, Kali had knocked him out. She reached over her head, sliding it back in place and looked at the floor with disgust. “I was not lying on that. This carpet is filthy. And there is no way I would be caught dead underneath you, lycan.”