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

by Mina Carter

  Marcella walked down the street and looked at the few people still out at the late hour. Hmm what should I find for Shandor? If I have to travel with the old fool, I might as well get him into something nice. A little exotic perhaps? I ought to put him in the body of a woman to punish him for being so incompetent. No, I think I would rather have a nice hunk of man to play with if I feel like. I have this nice young body for now. I might as well have some fun.

  A young man caught her eye. He was walking up the sidewalk from the port.

  There. That one. I think he would be perfect. Marcella strategically sat down on a bench and waited for the man to walk by.

  Ben had just left the port area and was making his way up to the hilltop nightlife district. A girl like Ryan had found, that’s what Ben wanted. Someone real. Someone who wasn’t afraid to just be herself. There on a bench just a few yards in front of him, he saw a beautiful young woman in red. Her copper curls rolled down on her bare shoulders and he couldn’t resist stopping to say hello. “Hey there. You aren’t from around here, are you?”

  The girl looked up at first and smiled when she saw the owl perched on the nearby lamp post. She looked at Ben. “No, actually I’m a little lost, and I think I may have sprained my ankle. Would you mind helping me up the hill?”

  “An American! Wow! Sure, it would be my pleasure.” Ben leaned down and extended his arm for her to grab onto. Marcella took his arm and he gently pulled her up. The instant that she touched him, she began whispering a spell and in moments Ben was completely under her control. They walked up the hill together and into Jakub’s house.

  Marcella opened the kitchen window and looked around the house, quickly finding exactly what she needed. “Shandor! Come here.” She tilted Ben’s head to the side, exposing the large artery on his neck. Ben was powerless, not a single muscle in his body could heed his silent pleas. He helplessly watched in horror as he saw her lift the blade over his neck and uttered a short chant in a strange language.

  With a lightning quick jab, she punctured his artery. A crimson stream shot out like a macabre fountain that sprayed Ben’s blood through the kitchen. Marcella placed her open mouth over the wound to let the warm liquid fill her. She stopped the spurting rupture with her finger. Her human body gained nothing from this form of food, but Marcella was after something much more nourishing to her master. Mankind had an infinite supply of hate, fear, envy, and cruelty. Some humans had less, some had more, but each one held the precious poison deep in their soul. Each human that walked the earth had the ability to provide Lilitu with dark energy that she so desperately craved.

  The owl had followed them to the house and flew in through the window that Marcella had opened for it. It transformed into the creature that Shandor had seen many years before. Its wings spread to an enormous size and shimmered as if they were covered in tiny diamonds. “Come master. I offer you this blood.”

  The great wings wrapped around Ben and Marcella. The hideous creature opened its gaping jaws and gnashed dozens of razor sharp teeth in anticipation of a fresh meal. Marcella removed her finger from Ben’s neck, letting the blood gush into the mouth of the monster. The creature quickly drank its fill before shifting back into the owl, and making a speedy departure. The stream of blood clotted into a gooey mass on Ben’s neck. Marcella put her hand on the body of Jakub. She chanted a spell and the spirit of Shandor passed quietly to the body of Ben.

  Jakub stumbled back into his room and collapsed on the bed motionless, just as Shandor had advised. Marcella wiped the blood from her face and looked at his new strong and healthy body. “Much better, Shandor. The time is close and we have no time to waste. We need to be on our way to the ancient place tonight.”

  “How will we make it before the others?”

  “You forget that I still know much of the old magic. We have time for one more thing.”

  She forcefully pushed the body of Ben to the ground. Lilitu had received her nourishment and now it was Marcella’s turn to get what she needed.

  Marcella tugged and pulled at the tight pants that covered what she wanted, what she desired. It had been far too long since she let her need, her power, take over. What better way to sate herself than with a young, virile male.

  It had been many decades since Shandor felt the pleasures of a woman, but truth be told he had no desire to bed Marcella. However, this body had cravings of its own and quickly responded to her need.

  Shandor looked back into the bedroom and saw Jakub laying there, shaking from everything he had just witnessed. Rest now my old friend. Your nightmare is over and mine is just getting warmed up.

  He probed the memories of the body he now occupied and realized who Ben was and his relationship with Ryan and the others. Shandor had to figure out a way to use this to his advantage.

  Chapter Fifteen

  IT WAS LATE afternoon and the sun was now behind them as the yacht cruised through the calm waters toward the Turkish coast. Ryan sat back in the comfortable chair at the controls of the yacht and silently calculated the time left before they would arrive at the port. Abraham was in the other seat, engrossed in a book. “Well Abraham, five hours and we’ll be tied up in port.”

  “Excellent!” Abraham looked at Ryan and noticed how he seemed to be thinking about something more than controlling the boat. “I wouldn’t worry too much, Ryan. I seriously doubt there will be any problems with Kate. When I met her she seemed very level headed and dedicated to her work. She would be the last person to get mixed up with criminals.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t thinking about Kate. Not at all.”

  “Then of course, you are thinking about Lexi. Talk to me boy, I’m a good listener.”

  “I am thinking about her. I guess I’m just sorting out some things in my head. You know, for the longest time I’ve been chasing after what lies beyond the horizon. For the last year or so I’ve been kind of re-evaluating where that has taken me.”

  “Ah, yes. You are wondering if maybe it’s time to settle down. You may feel that way now, but you have to ask yourself a question. Can you do it without longing for the adventurous life you’ve led before?”

  “Well, I know for certain that it’s time for a change. I’m excited now about a new kind of adventure. It’s no secret to you, I suppose. I’m really thinking about how I would like to just drop everything and ask Lexi if she would want to be with me. To live our lives together. The thing is, I’ve never been very good at any sort of commitment in a relationship, until I met her. This is the only part of me that lacks confidence and experience. With Lexi, everything is completely new. I’m like an open book. I have no qualms about letting her in. Will that change? Will I start to clam up and push her away like I’ve done with everyone else?”

  “Ryan, what you don’t realize is that you have already changed by letting Lexi into your heart. It may be unchartered waters for you, but you’re not in this alone. She feels the same way about you. What’s the slogan? Just do it. She is waiting for you to ask.”

  “I think so too, Abraham. The thing that is stopping me is that I have to consider the fact that I don’t know if she has reached the point where I am at. I know she might feel that way right now, but look at how things are going in her life. She just moved out to her own house. She has her own business, and she needs to experience life on her own terms. I feel like I would alter all of that for her somehow. After all, I was kind of a wild card that she was dealt. If somehow her own dreams faded away—well that would break my heart. I think she would always resent it and quite possibly me. Don’t you think so? I’m thinking it would be better if we just try to keep enough distance between us so she can keep on with her dreams.”

  “Boy, if you take that approach, you will lose her for sure. What is that saying about absence making the heart grow fonder? Bullshit! That is nothing more than stringing her along. Everything you hoped she would be able to achieve in life on her own, is actually better accomplished WITH someone at her side. If you weren’t so far aw
ay and I wasn’t so old, I would smack that big dumb head of yours.”

  “Ha ha Abraham, I think I’ve been doing that to myself enough.”

  “I want you to seriously think about every one of those little things that happen in the course of a day. Imagine being able to share a laugh, a smile, or steal a kiss. Imagine when things are going bad as they often do in life. Wouldn’t it be good for you, or for her, to be able to have someone to turn to? Someone that you can always count on? Those are the things that make it worthwhile. Just be there to support each other when you need to. There are no written rules on how relationships should work, except for one. To love each other. You want an exciting adventure? Go to her and tell her that you want to spend your life with her.”

  “Still, doesn’t it just seem so sudden to you, Abraham?”

  “Listen to me, boy. I’m a romantic. I believe there is such a thing as love at first sight, and I believe in fate. You may have just met a short while ago, but I’ll guarantee you that you two have spent more time together and have experienced more than most people do, before taking a leap like that. And another thing, if you are worried that she will change, or you will change in the course of a relationship, well you need to accept the fact that people DO change. The key to happiness is to let that change grow out of your love for each other and not because you are imposing change on each other. Too many people try to transform their partners into what THEY think they should be like, and that is when things go sour. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I’ve seen miserable couples like that. You two on the other hand, want nothing more than to NOT change each other in anyway, because what you see in each other, is perfect just the way you both are. You both have the winning lottery numbers right there, boy. Any changes will be because you will grow together. Believe me, you won’t regret it.”

  “You are pretty good at giving advice, Abraham.”

  “Really, you both worry too much about the same thing. One last thing. Imagine again, that from this moment, you will never see her again. How does that make your heart feel?”

  “It aches, it hurts like a hunger.” He couldn’t imagine going through another day without Lexi in his life and he decided that he needed to tell her exactly that. “Abraham, could you handle things up here for a bit?”

  “Certainly Ryan. Going to find Lexi?” Abraham was genuinely excited at the idea of Ryan and Lexi finding each other.

  “Of course!” Ryan beamed back.

  Abraham stood up and took over the captain’s chair for Ryan.

  Ryan made his way down to the main lounge of the yacht. It was exquisitely finished with highly polished exotic woods and a marble counter for the bar. There were half a dozen pieces of oversized, red leather upholstered furniture over a teak wood floor. The designers had spared no expense in every detail, from the lighting fixtures to the artwork on the walls.

  Ryan assumed that Ben must have borrowed this yacht from a very powerful friend. Perhaps, it was a prize that was confiscated by arresting some well-to-do weapons smugglers. He looked over to the couch and spotted Lexi sprawled out, fast asleep. The book she had been reading, had fallen to the floor. He picked up the book and looked at the scantily clad lovers embraced on the cover and smiled. He flipped through the pages and nearly blushed at an intimate scene described in lurid detail.

  At least I know where she gets her wild ideas from!

  She was dressed in shorts and a flimsy tank-top that did nothing to conceal the hardness of her rosy nipples. He found a soft throw and with a light kiss on her cheek, he covered her up. Lexi opened her eyes half way.

  “Hey, Ryan. I’m sorry. I just wanted to relax a little and I guess I relaxed a little too well.”

  “Oh, go right ahead. I was wondering what you were up to. You looked like you were getting a little cold, so I covered you up. Do you mind if I sit here with you?”

  Lexi smiled and sat up half way. She patted the spot where her head had been resting and Ryan sat down. Lexi laid back down, so that her head was cradled in his lap.

  He combed his fingers through her silky auburn curls with one hand. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Lexi finally spoke. “So...you look like you have something on your mind, Ryan. Is there something you want to talk about?”

  “Actually there is. Remember back in Haifa? I asked you about where you saw us going after this is over. Well I have to be honest, I just don’t think it can work out.”

  Lexi’s heart stopped and Ryan noticed her face had turned completely pale.

  “No! I meant that I can’t see it working out with us being so far apart and being apart isn’t an option. I can’t imagine going through another day of my life without you in it.” He said, in one quick breath. He desperately needed to correct the path of the conversation.

  “I’ve always felt like there was something missing in my life, until I met you. You fill the empty space in my heart and it’s a perfect fit. I love you and I’m not going to let go of this feeling.” He took her in his arms and lifted her closer to his face while she jubilantly threw her arms around his neck.

  “Ryan, please don’t look at me. I’m starting to cry. Just keep talking. Tell me. Tell me what you want.”

  “Well, I was thinking about how you have this new business started, a house you’ve bought, and a new life that you are getting off the ground up in Montana. I was hoping it would be okay with you if Buddy and I were to come up there with you. I can give you a hand fixing up that house. I’ve stashed away more loot than I know what to do with, so I know I won’t be holding you back. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find some other business ventures to dream about. I just want to be with you, Lex. What do you say?”

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Lexi looked him in the eye and asked him about her concern on a light-hearted tone. “What about your little bungalow on the beach? Will you still have to go off into the jungle and get yourself shot at?”

  “Oh the house? That belongs to the company. I was planning on quitting the business I’m in anyway. The plan was to have them buy out my stake in the company. If you’re worried that I’ll go off chasing the call of the wild, let me ease your mind. I wouldn’t even ask you any of this if I didn’t intend on being there with you. Unless of course, you toss me out.”

  “Not likely.” Lexi said in a low voice as she covered his lips with hers.

  What started off as a small light kiss, quickly turned into a devouring hunger for both. They licked and nipped at each other’s mouths, the heat flared between them. Ryan quickly tugged her shirt over her head. His mouth slowly ran over her neck and chest, stopping only to suck each hardened bud into the heat of his mouth. He flicked the tips of her breasts with his tongue while gently squeezing each mound with his free hand.

  Lexi moaned aloud as he continued his sensual torture. Her hands reached for his waist, pulling and tugging at his shirt. She desperately needed to remove the offending article of clothing. He broke free from her just long enough for her to remove the shirt.

  Not wanting to stop again, Lexi quickly peeled off the rest of her clothing and watched as he did the same. She pushed at his chest to let him know that she wanted him to sit back down. Lexi straddled him and began teasing him. She rocked back and forth along his length, kissing him softly, slowly. He was hard to the point of bursting, but she wanted him begging for her. Payback. She thought and chuckled, when he started to squirm beneath her in a desperate attempt to bury himself deep inside of her wetness. She loved knowing she had that sort of power over him. It was completely erotic, yet foreign to her.

  Lexi raised herself up before sliding back down onto his throbbing length. She needed him to be inside of her. She rose slightly, quickly bringing herself back down again, feeling every thick inch of him. Her body shook in delight as his patience ran thin. He grasped her hips firmly pushing himself up into her at a rapid pace. She moaned in bliss as an orgasm washed over her body. She wound her arms tight around his neck and held on for the ride of her life.
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  Eventually, they went up to the bridge, both looking every bit of just having had incredible sex.

  Abraham looked at them and broke out in a hefty laughter. “Fate!”

  Lexi winked at Abraham and quickly changed the subject, asking him about her parents. “Abraham, could you please tell us a little more about what types of research my parents and you had in common?”

  “Oh yes, it’s quite interesting actually. Your parents and I were of the same school of thought on a matter that sort of pushed us to the brink of acceptance in the weird world of academia.”

  Once Ryan assumed the control of the yacht, Abraham took out some of the books and papers he had been looking over earlier. He spread them out on the chart table. “It meshes right in to the situation we are dealing with, in regards to the demon called The Seven.” Ryan looked over and winked at Lexi, to acknowledge how well she had diverted Abraham’s commentary about fate.

  “Okay class, let’s start by defining antediluvian. Literally it means before the deluge, before the great flood. I’m going to be very general because I don’t know what faith, if any, you believe or what creation story you follow or any of that. Just about all of the ancient civilizations had a story about a great flood that pretty much cleaned the slate for civilization to restart with modern humans, and the other living creatures we have today. The bible, of course, has the very well-known story of Noah and the Ark, but all of the civilizations of Mesopotamia had various flood stories as well.

  So we have the Great Flood that all of these different groups of ancient people believe had happened. Scientifically we have found evidence also of a Great Flood, as well. The difference between all of these stories and the evidence really comes down to exactly when it occurred. Your parents as well as I agreed that the flood that impacted the civilizations of the Middle East happened around 5,700 BCE. All of the oldest civilizations, like Sumer seem to be around four thousand years old. So these civilizations rose up after the great flood.