Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  Another crack came from the egg, and Hamish headed toward Jin. Claude’s gaze followed him, the look on his face yearning.

  Noah shifted his gaze to the egg watchers. “Mother!”

  Jin snapped around and stared at him.

  “Your choice.” Noah jabbed his thumb at Claude. “Is he out? Or does he stay?”

  Her jaw clenched, her gaze set on Noah instead of Claude.

  “What’s wrong?” Noah took a step toward her.

  She shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all. It’s just the way you called me Mother. Like you trusted my opinion.”

  He supposed it was, but that wasn’t answering his question. Still, that softening on her face made him feel as if something jagged inside him had smoothed and healed.

  Another piece of the puzzle finding its place.

  She waved her hand at Claude, as if he were inconsequential. “You decide what to do with him. I trust your opinion, too.”

  Before he could reply, another large crack came from the egg. “Aaaah,” Lila said and turned her back to him.

  As Noah watched her, the room filled with an incandescent light. A sound came from Claude, and Noah shifted to watch him. To make sure he wouldn’t harm the egg.

  But Claude was staring at the egg with wonder lighting up his face.

  Noah had to turn to the egg. He had to.

  But first...

  “You hurt the baby or anyone,” he said, his voice low, leaning toward Claude, “you’re a dead man and a dead dragon.”

  “I won’t. I swear.” Claude looked up at Noah. “Please. You don’t understand. I’ve been driven here. I feel like I’m here for a reason. The same reason I didn’t kill myself. The reason you didn’t kill me. I think I’m supposed to be here.”

  “You stalked my mother. You came into my shop and my home with an assault rifle.”

  “I never planned on using it. I was desperate. I just wanted to be part of Jin’s life. Either that or I wanted to die.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure anymore what I really wanted then. But now...” He stopped and swallowed. “I have to see this. I have to.”

  Noah narrowed his eyes.

  Claude laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. He held his hands out, begging. “Just let me stay. Please. Don’t send me away. If you feel that you must send me away, just get the damn assault rifle and kill me instead. I can’t live this way anymore. ”

  “I don’t need a rifle to kill you,” Noah said.

  “I don’t need a damn rifle, either,” Lila said, on Noah’s right side, her voice belligerent.

  Suppressing a laugh, Nosh slid his arm around her shoulders. She didn’t forgive as easily as he did ... but she hadn’t lived as many years, either.

  Claude looked past them at the egg, and another sound of awe came from his throat.

  Noah switched his attention to it, and Lila moved forward for a better view.

  Without words, both of them were giving permission to Claude to stay. The egg was cracking, and there was no way Noah wanted to miss this. No way he wanted to tarnish the birth with bloodshed.

  They all stepped forward, and as they neared Jin and Hamish, the shell split apart in perfect fours, revealing a green dragon a little under a foot and a half tall. With the sun shining on it, the dragon glowed.

  Breaths of wonderment filled the room.

  “A girl,” Claude whispered in a voice full of hope.

  “A girl,” Jin said aloud, her voice lilting with happiness.

  “A girl,” Noah found himself saying. He wasn’t sure how they knew, but there was nothing hanging out between the legs. And it just seemed to be a girl.

  He took Lila’s hand and was glad she wasn’t holding a gun. He and she both squeezed the other’s hand.

  It looked so...

  “Beautiful.” Staring at the small dragon, Claude sank to his knees.

  Jin picked up the small dragon, cradling the creature in her arms, and crooned. Hamish stepped in front of Jin and took one of the green front paws, which would’ve been a hand.

  “Look how perfect she is,” he murmured.

  Aware of Lila staring at the newborn, Noah glanced down at her. In her face, he saw the baby love. He bent to kiss her lips softly. When he pulled away, he saw the question in her eyes, and he knew it was the same one that was in his.

  “If you want one,” he said. “If we can make one... I’ll try. I’ll leave the choice up to you.”

  He waited for an answer, but she turned to look at the mother and father with the small dragon. And still kneeling, watching the small family as if enthralled, was Claude.

  And he remembered how alone he’d felt himself so often before Lila came into his life. He put his hand on Claude’s face. The half dragon’s head snapped around, and Claude looked at him, his eyes full of need.

  Noah sighed. “You can stay for dinner.”

  Now Claude’s eyes filled. “Thank you.” His voice choked, but he spoke anyway. “You won’t be sorry. I promise. Anything you want. Anything.”

  “Honestly.” Lila shook her head at Noah then gazed down at Claude with a scowl. “You’re lucky you’re here on a day so miraculous, because I’m going to agree with Noah that you can stay. And just as a warning ... someday I might take you up on your promise to do anything we want. And that day you might be sorry.”

  Chapter 24

  Jin woke up to a new day, with the first rays of the sun beaming into the living room. She was lying on the rug next to Hamish. Not the most comfortable resting spot, but she’d slept on cave floors, so she wasn’t complaining. And Noah had given her and Hamish pillows, so her head was fine. In fact, everything about her was fine. Especially as she looked at her baby, and she gasped and sat up straight.

  She shook Hamish’s shoulder, then bent to kiss him awake. He immediately clasped her tightly and rocked onto his back, pulling her on top of him. With a laugh, she rolled away from him and sat cross-legged on the rug. She gestured to their other side.

  “Look! A new surprise.”

  He sat up, his golden-blond hair messed and sexy, and she wanted to run her fingers through it. Later. Right now, she had other joys to experience—like his expression at this new surprise. As he looked where she pointed, his jaw dropped open. He gaped at the baby, then her.

  “It’s ... human. How can that be?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Will it change back?”

  “I don’t know.” She bit her lip as Hamish crawled toward the baby sleeping on the rug. This morning, the baby had blonde wisps of hair and creamy-gold skin.

  She was still beautiful, but it was a different beauty from last evening.

  “She’s adorable,” Hamish said, his accent thicker than before.

  Jin crab-walked to his side. His arm slid around her and hers around him. She, who was usually so careful and almost staid, felt wild and free today—like a young woman again ready to explore life.

  As if the baby had made her young again.

  Or maybe it was love that had made her young.

  “You look different.” His voice was hushed with amazement.

  “I look like a woman who’s gotten lucky.” She craned her neck to kiss him, and his lips were soft and cushiony beneath hers. With a sigh, she pulled back before it became too passionate. Though she’d recovered faster than a fully human woman, she wasn’t quite ready for anything else. In any case, they were in Noah’s living room, and perhaps she was more human than she’d like to be. It felt wrong to make love to him here, where her son could walk in on them any second. She could wait until they were somewhere private.

  And to top it off, Claude, who she’d thought was her enemy, was sleeping in the guestroom. Almost like an extended member of the dragon family.

  And that was good, too. She’d spent a long time alone. When she’d felt frozen inside, and only the hot sun had warmed her, and only the wine and the music had pleased her. And only the occasional glimpses of Noah had fed her sou
l.

  That was the dragon way. But her frozen dragon heart was melting now. She had Hamish, the baby, Noah, Lila ... and even Claude.

  Life on earth was changing quickly. It was time for her to change, too.

  “We can go back to California,” Hamish said.

  “Or we could go forward,” she said.

  “Italy or France?”

  “Italy or France would be wonderful.” Anything with her new love and new baby would be wonderful.

  A small sound came from in front of them, more like a chirp than a cry. She rolled over and picked up the baby girl. “You are the most beautiful girl in the world,” she said, looking down at her.

  “Almost as beautiful as her mother.” Hamish scrambled to the other side of the baby, his head bent, holding her small starfish hand in his. “I love you, my little jewel, our miracle, no matter what you decide to be.”

  She looked up at him and cooed.

  He laughed, and Jin’s breath sucked in.

  “That’s the name I’ve chosen for her,” she said. “Miracle.”

  “Perfect.” Still holding Miracle’s hand, he leaned forward and kissed Jin again.

  When they separated, they were both smiling. No words needed.

  Chapter 25

  “It’s nice,” Lila murmured in the bed they shared.

  Noah rolled to his side, and love welled up inside him. This woman... What they had found together hadn’t been easy, but it was worth every difficult and dangerous second.

  He slid his hand under the covers and spread it over the warm flatness of her stomach. She made a sound of satisfaction that reminded him of Mystic. “I thought what we do together in this room was much more than nice.”

  She laughed, his favorite sound.

  “Not that. That’s always amazing.” Her eyes smiled up at him. “What’s nice is having family.”

  “Even Claude?”

  She threatened him with a fist and called him an idiot. Contentment filled him. He laughed and she joined him.

  The laughter settled down, but the contentment remained. He put his other hand on the side of her face, his long fingers reaching up to the top of her hairline, his blunt fingertips covered by her thick golden hair.

  “That is nice.” He thought of the disaster that had made up her family. He’d never expected to hear from his own mother, but this visit was a pleasant surprise. All the more pleasant since it made Lila happy.

  She was his family.

  She was his love.

  She was the reason he woke up every day happy to be alive.

  “I heard them in the living room,” he said.

  Her right eyebrow cocked. “Eavesdropping?”

  “If they must speak so loudly...”

  She giggled.

  Grinning, he continued. “They’re talking about a winery in Italy and France. We could visit.”

  “We could. Claude will probably be there, too.”

  “Very likely. I think he doesn’t want my mother as his lover. I think he wants her as his mother.”

  She nodded. “Perhaps he’s not such a bad guy after all.”

  “I’m sure he’s not.”

  “And then there’s the baby,” she said. “She’s darling.”

  He continued to look down at her. “Maybe we might have our own someday.”

  “Maybe.” She put her hand on the side of his face. “And if we can’t have children, just you and I are enough, too.” She grinned. “And our newly extended family.”

  He moved over her. “I’m willing to give you a child. Anytime. Anyplace. Anyway.”

  “Forever,” she whispered, her face glowing.

  “Forever and ever.”

  She opened herself up to him and kissed him as if it might be the last time. As if she wasn’t sure what would happen next.

  And he kissed her back the same way. Though her fears weren’t voiced, he knew she had them. And so did he.

  Life couldn’t be counted on. But for now, he had this. And right now, that made him a happy man. And he knew the ways to make her a very happy woman.

  Starting right now.

  -THE END-

  Thank you for reading Dragon Mama Blues. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy Dragon Blues, the first Dragon Blues book.

  Here’s more about Dragon Blues:

  Once a dragon...

  Saxophone player Noah Long shifted from dragon to human 2500 years ago, but the dragon blood still coursing through his veins has kept him healthy and virile. Now his secret is out, and the man who discovered it will do anything to make Noah's blood his own. Noah's only ally is martial arts expert Lila Fox, who heats up the fire in his belly...and his heart.

  Twice a killer...

  Lila Fox's first kill was at age sixteen after her stepfather put her mother in a wheelchair. Fourteen years later, she kills another abuser to save a woman's life. When the man who wants Noah's blood kills her sister, she can't let the death go unanswered. She teams up with the strangely compelling Noah, and discovers he's not all man and has a few tricks of his own.

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author Edie Ramer is funnier on the page than in real life. She lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, their dog and one very important cat. She’s happy to be able to do what she loves nearly every day, and she loves hearing from readers.

  Books by Edie Ramer

  Contemporary Romance

  Rescued Hearts series

  Hearts in Motion, book 1–FREE

  Christmas at Angel Lake, book 2

  Crazy Sexy Love, Book 3

  Finding Awesome

  The Halloween Prince

  Miracle Interrupted series

  Must Worship Cats. The beginning, #1

  Stardust Miracle, book 2 – FREE

  Miracle Lane, book 3

  Miracle Pie, book 4

  Mo’s Heart, book 5

  Miracle Interrupted Set (first 3 Miracle Interrupted stories)

  Paranormal

  Cattitude

  The Fat Cat, a Cattitude short story – FREE

  Dead People

  Dead People In Love, a Dead People short story – FREE

  Dragon Blues

  Dragon Mama Blues

  Science Fiction Romance

  Galaxy Girls

  Mixing It Up, a Galaxy Girls novella

  The Kiss, a Galaxy Girls short story

  Anthologies

  Must Love Pets: A Romance Box Set

  Super Romance Bundle

  Super Romance II: Second Chances

  Heart 2 Heart – Free

  Light & Dark – Free

  Stand-alone

  You’ve Got Murder, co-written with Karin Tabke

  The Seventh Dimension, a short story

  Connect with Edie Online

  Website:

  http://edieramer.com/

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/edieramer.author

  Newsletter:

  http://edieramer.com/newsletter/

  Black Diamond Jinn

  By

  Mary Hughes

  Have sex, avert doom, save the world.

  The Mayan Doom is real. Government witch Amaia Jones has the spreadsheet to prove it.

  Amaia is a desk-bound research wizard, living uncomfortably in the shadow of her famous Venus-magic parents. Then she discovers the world is ending. Tonight. But her bulldog of a boss not only refuses to believe her, he won’t give her the secret to calling the one force powerful enough to help—the jinn. Amaia turns to her mental guardian angel, Rafe, the darkly handsome presence who has comforted her since her parents died.

  Rafe has a secret of his own. He’s a black diamond jinn, one of the deadliest and most powerful of his kind. He’s detected an enemy ruthlessly using blood sacrifice to stoke Y12 public panic. Rafe needs to get into the human realm to stop the Doom, but he can’t unless Amaia calls him, and she is threatened by his scorching sensuality.

  Am
aia’s guardian angel is a stunning jinni and suddenly her job is far more complicated. Jinn take their pound of flesh in exchange for magical help, but the only flesh Rafe wants is her naked. Sounds great, except Venus magic is what drove a wedge between her parents. But her alternatives are rapidly dwindling, and with four hours to go on humanity’s darkest night, the only alternative to surrendering her flesh may be surrendering her life.

  This title contains explicit sexual language and swearing and may not be suitable for all readers.

  Dedication

  To my husband Gregg, for the magic of you believing in me.

  To Jessica Mittendorf, beta reader extraordinaire and powerhouse author in her own right. Thanks, always, for your friendship.

  To Edie Ramer and Leigh Morgan for helping me walk the Indy path.

  To James Hughes, who knows more about writing than I ever will.

  Chapter One

  December 21, 2012

  7:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

  “The Mayan Doom is real, Chief. End-of-world, four hours—and I have proof!” I shoved the stack of papers under my boss’s nose, spreadsheet on top. Not trying to be a dick (physically, I’m actually the opposite) but Chief Wizard Arnie Wenkermann was as nearsighted as a myopic bull dog and as stubborn as winter.

  “Damn it, Jones!” The Chief jerked back. “Your job is to reassure the public, not fan the nonsense higher.”

  His ex–drill sergeant bark nearly blew me away, but I stood firm. “It’s not nonsense. The world is ending tonight. Look.” I shook the papers.

  My boss clamped his eyes shut. “Numbers mean nothing to me.”