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

by Mina Carter

  Jane whimpered as hot tears ran down her cheeks. "Please don't do this," she pleaded, her voice strangled. She closed her eyes tightly and focused her thoughts on Sebastian. He was her only hope. If only he could hear her. She screamed his name in her mind.

  The man's hand fondled its way down over her body, and Jane squirmed and wriggled under him, trying to buck him off. Her efforts proved to be futile, and she quickly began to feel weak. A tingling sensation was starting in the base of her neck, but she refused to let the feeling take over her body. Not now! she thought. She tried to focus on staying alert.

  The sound of her nightgown ripping filled the room. "Please! No!" she whimpered, sobbing.

  Suddenly, the weight of the man on top of her was gone. He was suddenly sailing through the air, his body crashing into the armoire at the other side of the room.

  Jane sat up quickly and reached for the small lamp on the nightstand. When she flicked the light on, it illuminated the room enough to see who her savior was. "Sebastian," she whispered.

  His eyes were glowing bright blue as he stared down at the man. Sebastian picked him up with one hand, and Jane watched the man's legs dangling in the air. She stared at the sight in front of her and tried to comprehend it. Sebastian was effortlessly holding the man, who was at least two hundred pounds, at least two feet off the ground with a single hand.

  "Who are you? Why are you here?" Sebastian demanded.

  The man could only gurgle out a response. He began to gasp for air, and his legs kicked as he tried to get oxygen into his lungs. When he finally passed out, Sebastian let him fall to the ground with a loud thump.

  Sebastian then approached Jane and asked, "Are you all right?"

  Jane stared at him. His blue eyes were luminous and wild. His breathing was labored, and between his parted lips she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. Sebastian had fangs. A thought crossed her mind even though she found it hard to believe --- he's not human.

  She backed up from him suddenly, bumping into the nightstand. "I-I'm okay," she managed, her fear evident in her voice.

  His brows creased, and he quickly turned away from her. "Call the police," he said.

  Jane grabbed the phone. Her hands were shaking as she dialed 9-1-1. When the operator answered, Jane said, "I need the police at 114 Sycamore Street. A man broke into my house."

  While she was on the phone, Sebastian glanced at her. He stared down the length of her body, and Jane realized her torn nightgown was barely covering her. Sebastian hastily gathered a sheet from the bed and began to wrap it around her carefully.

  Jane stared up at him. His eyes were back to their normal icy blue, and his breathing was regular once again. She couldn’t figure out if she was more confused or scared at what she had just witnessed. By the time he finished wrapping the sheet around her, she was a ball of tension.

  Sebastian slowly backed away. “Jane,” he started, but then a voice called for her at the bottom of the stairs, and she never got to hear what he was going to say.

  A few seconds later, Matt appeared in the doorway. He was in his uniform and had his gun drawn. He glanced around the room, and his eyes rested on the man on the floor. "What happened?" he asked Jane, his voice full of alarm.

  Jane ran across the room and threw herself into Matt’s arms. She couldn't speak. She could only cry.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  JANE SAT ON the back of the ambulance as an EMT meticulously checked her over. She had changed into a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt and discarded the torn nightgown in the trash. She couldn't stop shivering, but she knew it wasn't from the cool night air.

  She stared across the yard at Sebastian being interviewed by the same police officer who had finished taking her statement moments ago. The officer scribbled down notes as Sebastian talked.

  Suddenly, as if knowing she was staring at him, Sebastian turned and gazed intently at her. He looked like a regular human on the outside, but something was different about him. His blue eyes had been glowing, and then there were his fangs. She shivered again at the thought of the fangs tearing into her flesh.

  "Jane," Matt called, his voice snapping her back into reality. "I think you should go to the hospital to get checked out."

  She shook her head. "No." She had had enough of hospitals for one lifetime. She looked Matt in the eye. "I'm fine."

  He sighed, exasperated. "You know, when you say you're fine, I know you're not."

  "I'm great," she corrected.

  The corners of his mouth turned up as he tried not to laugh. But soon the feeling of laughter subsided as his brow puckered in dismay. He ran his knuckles gently over her cheek. "I was so worried about you. If anything would have happened to you ---." He choked back the words.

  "Everything is all right now," she breathed. "How did you get here so fast anyway?"

  "Well, I was making a round on your block, and I saw that your door was wide open and your bedroom light was on. Then the call came over the radio as I was getting out of my car."

  The EMT said, "Besides some scratches and bruises, ma'am, I can't find anything else wrong."

  She felt lucky in the aspect that it could have been a lot worse. The ordeal had been brief but traumatizing. "Thank God Sebastian was there in time to stop him."

  Matt nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was pretty convenient how he showed up just in the nick of time," he murmured.

  Jane eyed him speculatively. "What are you trying to say?"

  Matt brushed off the comment with a smile. "Nothing. I'm glad he was there too." He brought her hands up to his mouth and softly kissed the palm of each of her hands. "I wouldn't have forgiven myself if anything would have happened to you."

  Jane gently pulled her hands from him. "I'm tired. I just want to go to bed." She glanced back over across the yard, but Sebastian was nowhere in sight. She looked around, but didn't catch another glimpse of him.

  "Let's go inside." Matt put his arm around her for support as she stood, and he walked her to her house.

  * * *

  Sebastian calmly answered the police officer's questions. His mind wasn't focused on the questions, however. His mind was focused on Jane, who was less than twenty yards away. Feeling her eyes on him, he glanced over at her. She kept her gaze locked with his for only a matter of seconds before she looked away as Matt spoke to her.

  Her thoughts were jumbled. She was confused and scared. He frowned. She had seen too much. She had witnessed him in his true form, and he was terrified of not knowing what she was going to do with the information. He didn't want to scare her away, but he feared it was too late for that.

  The cop asked him a few more questions, and he answered them quickly while keeping part of his attention on Matt and Jane's conversation. She was not telling Matt or anyone, for that matter, anything about his secret.

  "I think that's about it," the cop said. "I have your number. If we need any more information, we'll give you a call."

  Sebastian nodded before turning to his house. Once inside, he let out a sigh of relief. He stared at his basement door. His hunger was almost unbearable, but it would have to wait. Every cop on duty was outside his door, and he had to be on his toes until they left.

  He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of wine. That would suffice…for the time being. He drank the vintage wine and savored the taste of each grape on his tongue. His superior senses of taste and smell gave him the advantage of experiencing every step of the wine's process right down to the earthy smell of the soil the grapevines had been planted in.

  He walked to a window and pulled back the drapes slightly. Jane was walking into her house. Matt had his arm wrapped around her, and Sebastian felt a pang of jealousy surge through him. There was something about Matt that sent his senses into overload, and he needed to figure out what it was that Matt was hiding.

  He left the window and drank the last of the wine. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and walked into the library. He inhaled deeply. The sm
ell of vanilla filled his nostrils, and the scent reminded him of Jane. He opened a small drawer in the antique secretary desk and picked up a photograph. His fingers gently brushed over the girl in the photo. "Jane," he whispered.

  Sebastian could distinctly remember the day he had taken the picture. It had been a cool autumn day, and she was bundled up in a coat and scarf under a cherry tree. They had spent the day in a quaint, old town in Maryland. They had strolled the cobblestone streets for hours and bought trinkets at various shops.

  He stared down at the photo. Now that Jane knew what he was, she would probably keep her distance. He closed his eyes tightly. "I wish I had the strength to stay away from you. You're better off without me," he said, painfully. Carefully he placed the photo back into the desk and closed the drawer.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  JANE STARED OUT the window as the police cars and ambulances left. The only car left was Matt's police car. He lingered in the kitchen, pacing the floor.

  Jane's eyes drifted to the house next door. A soft light was coming from the living room window. She wondered what Sebastian was doing. Emotions mingled and fluttered through her insides. He had just saved her life, and she hadn't even thanked him.

  She thought about everything that had happened since she had met Sebastian, and everything led to one conclusion --- Sebastian Alexander was a vampire.

  Matt touched her shoulder, causing her to jump back from him. "Whoa," he said.

  "Sorry," she apologized.

  "You zoned out there for a minute. I was worried you were going to have another episode."

  She shook her head. "I was just thinking."

  Matt cleared his throat. "I want to stay until daylight, Jane. I just don't feel right leaving you here by yourself."

  Jane turned to him. "Matt, the guy is in jail right now. I really don't need protection." Then she added, "Besides, you're still on duty. I don't want you to take time off work for me."

  He nodded slowly and fiddled with the broken doorknob on the kitchen door. "I'll call somebody to fix this in the morning. Lock your bedroom door and leave some lights on in the house. That will deter anyone else from coming around." He looked at her. "I'll try to drive by as much as I can tonight to check on the house. Call me on my cell if you need me. I can be here in a matter of minutes or sooner."

  Jane smiled. "Thanks, Matt. I appreciate your help." She walked him outside and watched him leave.

  She wrapped her arms around herself as the cold night air nipped at her skin. Her eyes darted over to Sebastian's house. The house looked dark and daunting just like its owner. Sebastian had kept so many things from her. Jane wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

  She crossed the yard and climbed the steps to his porch. She raised her hand to knock, but the door opened before her knuckles even reached the wood. Sebastian stood in the doorway staring at her. His black button-up shirt hung open, revealing his smooth chest. The look on his face was pained as if he had just lost something or someone very close to him. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words escaped her.

  "Jane." He said her name with such vehemence that she found herself quivering.

  Tears filled her eyes and spilled down over her cheeks. "I-I just wanted to thank you," she managed to say.

  Sebastian reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm. The pad of his thumb wiped away the tears. "I would do anything for you, Jane. I want you to know that."

  A million thoughts ran through her head at once. They shared a connection that could not be explained. She believed that he would do anything for her, and she believed it full heartedly.

  Slowly, she raised her hand to his face. Her fingertips grazed over his smooth, strong jaw and then his soft mouth. His lips parted as he inhaled sharply. He gently took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips.

  Jane stepped forward and stared up at him. He was so different, but yet still the same. She was filled with a hundred emotions. She watched him with a mixture of wonder and fear as his hand skimmed down the length of her neck. His fingertips lingered over her jugular, and she knew he could feel that her heart was beating fast. She watched as his blue eyes grew luminous just like they had earlier.

  Suddenly, he pulled back and turned away from her. "I'm sorry, Jane. I can't do this. You have to leave."

  Jane was tired of waiting and being left out in the dark. She refused to let him go this time. She crossed the threshold of the house and closed the door behind her, leaning against the wood. "I'm not scared," she whispered.

  He kept his back towards her as he said, "You should be."

  "I know you have the same feelings for me that I have for you, and I know you won't hurt me." She walked around and faced him.

  His eyes were screwed tight, and his breathing was ragged. He was struggling against his inner demons, and she briefly wondered if she had made a mistake coming over. But she decided to press forward. She took his face in her hands. Slowly, he opened his eyes. They were glowing with such an intense blue, she found herself mesmerized by them.

  Her heart hammered even harder against her ribcage as she stepped back, pushed her hair and bared her neck to him. His eyes focused on her throat. "Will it hurt?" she asked, her voice wavering.

  Abruptly, he grabbed her arms and shook her once, hard. "What are you doing?" he yelled.

  She stared at him. His fangs were clearly visible behind his parted lips. "Sebastian," she whispered, the fear evident in her voice.

  He released her and turned from her once more. "You need to leave, Jane. You shouldn't have come here."

  "I know what you are, Sebastian," she whispered.

  He glanced back at her. "Then you know you shouldn't be here."

  Can you read my mind? she thought. So many times she had wondered if he had the ability of telepathy.

  After a while, he replied, "Yes."

  "I don't care what you are. I know who you are," she insisted.

  In an instant, he had her pinned against the wall with his hands on either side of her head. "No," he growled. "You don't know me at all. You don't know what I'm capable of." Then he pushed away from the wall and walked away. "Leave, Jane, before you get hurt."

  She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "Show me what you are capable of," she demanded. With all of the courage she could gather, she whispered, "Bite me."

  Slowly, he backed her up against the wall once more. "Say it again," he demanded, his voice raw.

  "Bite me, Sebastian," she said, louder this time.

  He closed his eyes as if savoring her words. And then very gently he gripped the nape of her neck and drew her throat to his mouth. Jane took in a shaky breath as his lips parted, and his tongue darted out of his mouth. He licked her neck, and she braced herself for what was going to happen next. His sharp fangs scraped against her delicate skin, and then they slowly sunk into her flesh.

  Jane gasped loudly at the painful entry. Sebastian wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. He stroked his left hand up and down her back, and she found herself gradually relaxing. The pain steadily subsided as he drank from her.

  His lips pressed down on her flesh, and she could feel her blood leaving her veins and entering his mouth. It was an odd feeling that was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

  After a few moments, she began to feel light-headed, and she pressed her hands against his chest. He instantly released her and stepped back. She looked up at him. His lips were covered in her blood, and his tongue darted out to lick every last drop. The color of his eyes slowly returned to their normal blue.

  With a sharp fang, he bit into his finger and pressed his blood against the puncture wounds on her neck. "This will heal you," he explained.

  She put her fingers on her neck, and the bite mark had magically closed. "Wow," she gasped.

  He brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek as seriousness clouded his features. "Did I hurt you?"

  "No." He hadn't hurt her, and he had stopped wh
en she asked him to. After a while she said, "I have so many questions for you."

  "I know," he breathed. "When I told you things were complicated, I wasn't kidding." He stared into her eyes. "I just want you to know that I didn't lie about what happened with Elizabeth. I did not touch her."

  Jane let out a long sigh. "I just thought you were one of those guys that when you get what you want, you leave."

  "I…would…never…do…that…to…you," he said, stressing each word.

  "I believe you," she whispered.

  His lips stretched into a smile, and he pulled her into his arms. Jane rested her head against his chest. She was exhausted from everything that had happened. He gently picked her up in his arms. "Let's get you to bed."

  Jane nodded wearily and fell asleep before they even made it to the top of the stairs.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  JANE SAT IN her dining room. She was reeling from the events that had occurred hours earlier. Matt sat across the table from her as they watched the locksmith replacing the broken doorknob in the kitchen.

  "How are you feeling?" Matt asked.

  Jane shrugged. "Okay I guess considering."

  Matt stared down at his hands splayed in front of him on the table. "Jane, there's something I need to tell you."

  She reluctantly asked, "What is it?" She didn't know if she could handle any more revelations in her life.

  "The man that attacked you had a long scar down his face."

  Jane gasped. Jack's killer had bore a similar scar. "Is it the same man who murdered Jack?" she asked, anxiously.

  "We don't know yet. Our detectives are trying to figure that one out."