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

by Rebecca Hamilton

  Clara did remember the day that picture was taken. Both of their kids were close to their own engagements, and it was the last chance for a Lennox family portrait. Anna had always been one to be enamored by something new, and when she caught wind of a box that could take a picture of something, she had to try it.

  Liam had wanted a painting, as they had always done, but Anna would have nothing to do with it. She insisted that they find the man with the camera. What had they called it back in those days? Some kind of box? Clara shook her head. It didn't matter. What mattered was that she was in the picture because she had been so obsessed with Liam that she had never been able to let go of him.

  Not even after his death. She stupidly kept watch over his kids and their kids for generations. She didn't know what she expected to find, but she couldn't let go. Then came the other William, who went by Wiley. Clara had dated him, but what a disaster that had been.

  She had nearly gotten herself killed. Wiley, unlike Liam and William, had been lacking in the brains department. Sure, he had been fun and entertaining, and he had the face of the one she loved, but it wasn't the same. She should have known better than to tell him about her being a vampire.

  Wiley had been too much of a dolt to handle it. She would never forget the fear in his eyes before he ran from her. Clara had thought the rejection of both the Lennox men had been bad enough, but when Wiley had gathered the town to have her burned at the stake—that was the first time she ever really experienced fear.

  She had barely escaped with her life. She would have expected them to come at her with stakes, but Wiley had been so dumb, he treated her as though she was a witch. Not that he knew that a real witch could easily escape being burned at the stake.

  Even though Clara knew being burned wouldn't have killed her, but it wasn't something she wanted to experience. It would have been torture until she was able to self-heal. She had been forced to kill several humans in order to get away. That was when she finally left the Lennox family line alone. Many years passed and she never could forget about Liam…until nearly a couple years earlier when she saw his face again, on William.

  Clara rolled over and looked at William as he slept. At first, he had caught her attention because he reminded her of her first love. But then she got to know him, and she knew without a doubt that she adored him for him. She rarely thought about Liam anymore, and it was usually only when William said or did something that reminded her of him. She never caught herself thinking about Liam like she always used to.

  She had finally moved on.

  Clara kissed William, sleeping so peacefully. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. He rolled over, causing the blanket to fall off him, exposing his well-defined torso. She held her breath, staring. Clara could never tire of that sight. She snuggled closer, lightly running her fingers over his abs.

  "Keep an open mind," Clara whispered into his ear. Hopefully, his subconscious could hear her and would listen. She played with his hair. "I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope you know that."

  A twig snapped outside. Clara sat up, listening for other sounds. The skin on her back tingled as all of her senses focused on whatever was outside. Was it just a forest animal? If it was, she could handle it, no problem. She could either convince it to leave, or she could kill it if she had to.

  There were no more noises, but something was out there. She could sense it. She couldn't hear a heartbeat or any breathing, but that didn't mean anything. It could be far enough away that she simply couldn't detect it. Her skin continued to crawl. Whatever was out there was likely looking at the tent. If it was a supernatural, it could be possible tell they were inside.

  Usually, her skin only crawled like that when she was being watched or had otherwise been detected. Often, it meant an enemy, but it also meant an unknown. No one knew where they were, so whatever, or whoever, it was most definitely unknown.

  Holding her breath, she waited for another noise, or some kind of indication of what was out there. It was silent, except that she could hear a river in the distance. It was pretty far away, barely noticeable. She could hold her breath forever if she had to. Breathing wasn't necessary. It was just a habit from the days of her youth, before she transformed into a vampire.

  She heard a soft swoosh. It sounded as though it came from the direction of the river. What was it though? Someone walking along the grass? It was quiet, nearly undetectable, except that all of her senses, which were already strong, were heightened because of the possible threat.

  Clara crawled out of the sleeping bag, and moved soundlessly to the tent's entrance. She moved the zipper down a tiny bit, and it was so loud, she let go immediately. There was no way she would be able to sneak out using the zipper. It was loud enough to wake the dead—if sound could wake them, which she knew was silly.

  She would have to go through the tent if she was going to get outside and figure out what was going on. At least it was a thin material. Even though it was common practice for vampires to go through walls, she never had liked it. Going through a solid object always made her nervous. She had never actually had a bad experience with it, but when they were kids, her sister, Samantha, had tormented her with stories of vampires who got stuck until they died from a lack of blood.

  Her sister was a liar, and even their parents had told Clara to ignore her. Taking a deep breath, Clara closed her eyes, and focused on the other side of the tent. She opened them, and she was outside the tent, on the opposite side of where she had sensed the creature.

  Poking her head around the tent, trying not to be seen, she looked into the distance. She couldn't see anything, but then again, she wasn't coming from the best angle. She inched closer, and then closer, still not able to see anyone or anything out of place.

  This wasn't getting her anywhere, and she could still sense that something was out there, so she stood up and walked around the tent. She didn't like exposing herself like that, but there were times that called for it, and this was one of those times. If something dangerous was near, she needed to take care of it before it got to William.

  She thought she heard a chuckle. Stopping, she focused her senses. Whatever it was, it was still in the same spot it had been before. Still not seeing anything, she narrowed her eyes, and then ran at top speed in the direction.

  In a split second, she was fifty feet away, staring into the glowing eyes of a male vampire. It took a moment to process that she recognized the face. "Victor? Is that you?"

  Grinning, he took a step closer. "I heard you were back in town, Clare-bear."

  Clara scowled, narrowing her eyes at him. "Oh, don't go there. Don't call me that. What are you doing here?"

  "Like I said, I heard you were in the area."

  "Why track me down?"

  Victor leaned against the nearest tree. "I heard you were back with the Lennox family. Is it true?"

  "What's it to you? I haven't seen you in over a century, and suddenly, you show up wanting to know about my love life?"

  "I had to see for myself if it was true. Is it?" He stared into her eyes with his coal-black eyes.

  "It's none of your business."

  A slow smile spread across his face, showing his perfect teeth.

  "I see you've been to a dentist since we last met. Good choice."

  He smiled wider. "You like?"

  "I don't care. Are you leaving now?"

  "Are you really with another guy from the Lennox line? Haven't you learned yet that no good can come from those men? What is it about them that enamors you so much?"

  "What is to you? Are you jealous?"

  "Stick to your own kind. Have you ever heard of a vampire trying to have another one burned at the stake?" He laughed. "It's pretty funny if you think about it."

  Clara clenched her fists. Where was a good stake when she needed one? "I need to get back to my tent."

  "Yes. I wouldn't want to interrupt your time with a sleeping human." His eyes moved down to her fists. "Look at that r
ock. Are you going to marry this one? Did you turn him? Or did you find a way to become human?"

  "Become human? Now why would I ever want to do that?"

  "To finally keep one."

  "Victor, go back into the hole you crawled out of. I don't know why you're here, but I'm tired of you already."

  He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking amused. "Don't humans bore you? You have to be so careful with them. One wrong move, and oops, they're dead. So, when's the wedding? Am I invited?"

  Narrowing her eyes, she stepped closer. "We haven't picked a date, and when we do, you'll be the last to know. Why are you so interested in my love life?"

  "It's always been so interesting, especially when it involves that Lennox line."

  She sighed. Why had she ever confided in him? "Are you going to haunt me forever?"

  "Only until I find out what's going on."

  "I have nothing to say to you, Victor. I don't know what your angle is, but if you have nothing better to do, I would appreciate you finding something else to keep you from being bored."

  He ran his hands through his dark hair. "You're not as much fun as you used to be. I heard about your parents. Is that it?"

  She threw herself at him, and wrapped her hands around his neck. "Don't mention my parents. Got it?"

  "Touchy subject. Noted."

  Clara hissed at him, and then backed up. "Good."

  "Do you know where your mother went?"

  She got in his face. "Do you not know what 'don't mention them' means?"

  "It was just a question."

  "You know, I haven't missed you one bit. You can leave me alone for another century, and I would be most content."

  "Oh, but I've missed you, Clare-bear."

  Without a word, she threw herself at him again, this time knocking him to the ground. She pinned him down. "Don't mention my parents, and don't call me that. I'm not going to say it again."

  "I kind of like this, though."

  She scratched his face. He barely flinched, still looking amused. A few drops of blood escaped before the skin healed. Her mouth watered, but she ignored it. What was with her thirst lately? It often picked up when she was in love, but she had been in love with William for so long that everything had equaled out long ago. Maybe it had something to do with being back in Delphic Cove.

  "Are you going stay on top of me, looking at my blood? If you are, I can think of several more interesting things we could be doing."

  Clara got up, dusting herself off.

  Victor wiped the blood from his face and held out his finger. "Want to lick it?"

  "Get out of here, Victor."

  He shrugged, and then licked the blood off his finger. "Mmm. My blood has always been especially tasty. Remember?"

  "Oh. I get it. You want to be on hand to be my rebound again. Sorry to tell you, you're going to be disappointed. William and I are most happy together, and even if we weren't, I wouldn't be looking for a distraction."

  "But we were so good together. Don't you remember?"

  "I remember no such thing."

  Victor chuckled. "Tell yourself what you have to." He jumped up to standing. "You just wish you could have a piece of this again."

  "Dream on."

  "Have you told him that you're a vampire?"

  "Go away and never come back."

  "You really need to tell him. He's going to notice that you don't age."

  "Not that I owe you an explanation, but I have it covered."

  "You should tell him before someone else does. I'm just saying."

  "Is that a threat?"

  He shook his head. "Not at all, Clare-b—Clara. I'm only pointing out that not everyone has as much discretion as I do. You being with him is good for me."

  "How do you figure?"

  "The longer you're with him, the harder you'll fall when it ends. Then you'll need me even more. Remember how good we used to be together? What ever happened with that? Why didn't we stay together?"

  "Because rebounds never last and you're too full of yourself. Mostly the last part."

  "I love how you adore me but can't bring yourself to admit it."

  "Keep dreaming."

  "Really, Clara, you should tell him. I would hate for him to find out some other way. Humans can be so unforgiving. They'll take a grudge to the grave every time."

  "You would hate for him to find out? No. You would love it, because you think I would come running to you again. Not this time."

  "Want my number just in case?"

  "No."

  "How about my blood? I saw the way you were looking at it. You know mine's the best."

  Her mouth watered. "No."

  "Okay, then. I'll be in touch. Don't forget to tell Willy boy about your true nature while you have the chance."

  Clara narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

  He shrugged and turned away. "Rumors. Probably nothing."

  She ran around to face him. "Spill it."

  "Vampires are talking about a human war brewing. This area is said to be one of the targets."

  Clara paused. "What's your point?"

  "Your boy toy is mortal. One wrong move, and it's adios."

  She studied him, trying to figure out if he was messing with her. He seemed oddly serious. "I'll keep that in mind."

  "And you know where to find me after he perishes."

  "He won't."

  Chapter 14

  WILLIAM WOKE UP with the sun beating down on the tent. It felt like it was either late morning or early afternoon. Being an early riser, he hated waking late. He was wasting the best part of the day with sleep.

  He rolled over and looked at Clara. She had her hands behind her head, staring at the top of the tent. She looked troubled.

  "Are you okay?"

  She turned and looked at him, smiling. "I'm glad to see you awake. I was beginning to think you would sleep the day away. It's so unlike you."

  "It's this jet lag. It doesn't seem to affect you, though."

  Clara shrugged. "I already slept it off." She rolled closer to him, and gave him a kiss, which he returned.

  "I like waking up to that." He smiled and took her hand, looking at the ring. "It looks even better on you than it did in the store. Your beauty compliments it."

  "I still can't believe we're engaged. I really didn't expect you to pull out a ring. Do your parents know?"

  "Not yet."

  "Have you told anyone?"

  He shook his head. "I have been holding onto the ring, waiting for the right moment. Yesterday felt like it. Between being out in the beauty of nature and my strong feelings for you, I just did it."

  "So, you were being spontaneous?"

  "Essentially. But that doesn't mean I meant it any less."

  She kissed his nose. "Of course not. It's just nice to see you come out of your shell a bit. First you stood up to your dad and now this." Clara smiled. "I can get used to these changes."

  "I think you make me a better person."

  "You're going to make me blush."

  "Really? I've never seen you blush before."

  "It's just an expression. You make me want to be better, too."

  "Something seems to be on your mind."

  "Does it? Well, I did hear something last night."

  "Outside the tent?"

  She nodded.

  "Why didn't you wake me?"

  "I checked it out myself. I—"

  "Have you lost your mind?"

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence." She shoved him. "There was nothing there. I looked, and found nothing of value."

  "Nothing of value?"

  "Well, you know what I mean. Nothing to worry about."

  William wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you're okay. I wish you would have woken me, though. You shouldn't go into the woods on your own, especially at night."

  Clara smiled. "I've spent a lot of time in forests in my life. I can handle whatever comes my way."

  "There are be
ars and cougars out there. Please don't."

  She sighed. "If it'll make you feel better."

  "Yes, actually, it would."

  "What are our plans for the day?" She rolled closer to him.

  He held her tight. "I don't have any. I just wanted to spend some time with you. Do you need to get back?"

  "I'm not the one with parents expecting me to come home and be an intern."

  "Like I told him, I'm a grown man. He can just wait until I'm ready, and for now, you're the one who needs me more. I really can't believe that picture upset you so much."

  "Think of how you would feel if you saw a picture of me with someone else. Wouldn't it stir emotions?"

  "I suppose. But I know that you're with me, and not someone else."

  "You sounded somewhat shook up when you told me that someone looking just like me was in that very picture."

  "True. I can't deny that."

  "Same thing. I had to get away and sort my feelings out."

  He kissed the top of her head. "No. What you needed was to talk with me. See how much better we're doing now that we're together without anyone else around?"

  "Yeah. Now we've got a wedding to plan."

  "See? We're both feeling better."

  "So you really want to marry me?"

  "That's why you're wearing the ring. Why do you ask?"

  Clara shrugged. "I hope I'm good enough for you."

  "Good enough for me? You have to be kidding. It's the other way around."

  She snuggled closer. "I hope you always feel that way."

  "Why wouldn't I? Aside from a few annoying quirks, you're practically perfect."

  She turned around, smiling. "Annoying quirks? What would those be?"

  He laughed. "Nothing important."

  "What's irritating about me?" She moved his shirt up and tickled him. "Tell me."

  William laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. He tried to tell her to stop, but he couldn't. Instead, he pushed her hands, unable to get her to budge. She was really strong. It was no wonder she had gone out of the tent to see whatever she thought she had heard.

  "What's weird about me?" Clara moved her hands around to his side, causing him to laugh even harder. She was laughing too, although he couldn't hear much over the sounds of his own laughter.