Beyond Secret Worlds: Ten Stories of Paranormal Fantasy and Romance

by Aimee Easterling

  Companion Novel - Moonlight - Good girls don’t wear fur, or fight over men, and they certainly don’t run around naked, howling at the moon. But then, no-one ever called Fallon a good girl. As a human unofficially mated to an Alpha werewolf, Fallon is being pressured to “become”...or be gone. Her mate Aiden, the interim leader of the Olde Town Pack, is in a position that demands he either choose a wolf mate...or leave the pack forever. No matter how hot the sex with Fallon is, he can’t ignore centuries of tradition. Become a wolf or not. If only the choice were that simple. Fallon’s options are further clouded by the overt presence of other females desperate to be the Alpha’s mate. And when these bitches get serious, it’s not just claws that come out. If Fallon wants to keep her man and take the title she’ll have to exert a little dominance of her own.

  Companion Novel - Dark Salvation - A gathering storm of violence is on the horizon. Whispered threats of the Acta Sanctorum’s return have the supernatural world abuzz. Only recently aware of the other world hidden behind our own, Kitara Vanders has barely scratched the surface of what being supernatural truly means. A special woman in her own right, she possesses unique telepathic abilities, gifts that have recently come under the scrutiny of the Acta Sanctorum, a fanatical organization whose mission is to cleanse the world of anything supernatural. Targeted, and marked for death, Kitara’s only hope lies with the lethally seductive yet emotionally scarred warrior, Nicholas.

  Knowing full well the atrocities the Acta Sanctorum is capable of, Nicholas is all too eager for the battle to begin. Fueled by pain and rage from the loss of his mate, he’s itching for a fight, but one thing stands in his way, Kitara: a beautiful dark-haired woman with unique psychic abilities and an unusual link to the Saints. Despite his resolve to remain focused on his mission, a purely physical relationship binds them together in a way neither of them expected. And when her life hangs in the balance, Nicholas finds his own is teetering on the edge too.

  About the Author

  Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women. She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime... And, she still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

  And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale...

  Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

  Find Katie Salidas online at:

  http://www.katiesalidas.com/

  Facebook

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

  Twitter

  http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

  Not a Witch

  By Debbie Herbert

  Copyright © 2015 by Debbie Herbert

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Three things.

  Skye could immediately point to three childhood events that should have prepared her for the stunning news of who and what she really was. Not a witch like her mother and brother and best friend, Callie. Not a muggle like her father. And certainly not like the small band of immortals that roamed the Appalachian mountains of home.

  First clue, captured fireflies in her Mason jar had tried to communicate with her, although she couldn’t understand what they said.

  Second clue, she began growing purple highlights in her red hair.

  And thirdly, the most pivotal clue, had been in junior high when she’d spent the night with Callie and the Ouija board had run amuck.

  “We’re going to get in trouble,” Skye had whispered from her lookout position at the bottom of the stairs. What if Callie’s mom or grandma woke up? The Ouija board had been declared off limits.

  “Don’t be a baby. This won’t take but a minute.” Callie carefully pulled down a blanket from the hall closet, laid it on the kitchen table and unwrapped the folds like a present.

  The cardboard box looked harmless. Could have been a Parcheesi set for all the mystic vibes it held.

  A creaking sounded above. “Hurry up,” she urged. “I think I heard one of them get up to use the bathroom.”

  Callie quickly covered the board with the blanket, and they cautiously crept back up the wooden stairs to Callie’s bedroom.

  Once inside, Skye took a deep breath and grinned. “We made it.”

  “Told ya.”

  They sat across from one another on the plaited, wool rug and lit a candle. Callie lifted the board from inside the blanket and laid it out between them.

  A prickle of foreboding ran down her spine. “Are you sure we should do this? My mom would have a hissy. She won’t even keep a Ouija board in the house.”

  Callie dismissively flicked a hand in the air. “It’s fine. I’ve seen them do it before. Just put your hands on the planchette and we’ll ask it questions.”

  Skye laid a tentative hand on the planchette. Somehow, she always let Callie get her way. Actually, she let everyone sway her. Especially her brother, their friend Tanner, and her powerful, witchy Mom.

  “I’ll go first,” Callie said. “Ouija, are there any spirits present here tonight?”

  The heart-shaped planchette crept over the alphabet, briefly settling on three letters, visible through the clear plastic at its center. ‘Y-E-S’

  Callie grinned triumphantly. “It worked! What do you want to ask the spirit?”

  “Nothing.” Skye bit her lip. She didn’t want to know the future.

  “C’mon. You have to go at least once.” A sly look crept into her eyes. “You could ask it something about Tanner.”

  Best to get it over with. She released a deep breath. “Does Tanner like me?”

  ‘F-R-I-E-N-D.’

  Ugh.

  The planchette picked up speed and spelled out two cryptic phrases: different dimensions and not a witch.

  “I am so a witch,” Skye said, an indignant flush heating her neck and cheeks. She was the daughter of a powerful practitioner, for Goddess’s sake. And she’d performed a few spells. The results had been unpredictable and weak—but still.

  “Wonder what it means by different dimensions?” Callie mused.

  Probably meant she and Tanner might as well exist in separate worlds for all he noticed of her. She was nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. Skye shrugged. “Your turn.”

  Callie tapped a finger on her chin, thinking. “Got it,” she said. “Will I ever meet any of my Dad’s family?”

  Skye stifled her gasp of surprise. Callie never talked about him. He’d died before she was old enough to have any memory of him.

  ‘Y-E-S.’

  Callie scowled. “Maybe it’s just telling me what I want to hear.”

  “Didn’t with me. Besides, I’m not moving that thing. Are you?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll try again. When will I meet this relative?”

  The planchette moved to the numbers area of the board. ‘2—’ It stopped moving as suddenly as it had started. A brief hesitation, and then the planchette moved to the alphabet and started spelling again.

  ‘D-A-N-G-E-R.’

  They looked at each other in surprise. “That’s not funny,” Skye said. “Stop it.”

  “It wasn’t me, I swear.”

  A crackling noise, distant at first, increased in volume. She looked around her room for the source. The red ‘on’ light blinked on an old boom box by the dresser.

  It was unp
lugged.

  Through the static emerged a chorus of chanting voices.

  Chill bumps chased up and down her arms. “What are they saying?” Skye whispered. Why had she let Callie talk her into this? She hadn’t wanted to do this in the first place.

  “I can’t tell. I’m scared.” Callie’s eyes were wide and her body trembled.

  Her friend’s fear increased her own. “Me, too.”

  “Look, whatever happens, we can’t let go,” Callie urged. “If we do, Grandma Jo says we might be haunted afterward.”

  The planchette whirled between them. It looked . . . angry. The wooden disk moved so fast they had trouble keeping their hands on it. They concentrated on calling out each letter it paused on.

  ‘D-A-N-G-E-R.’ it spelled again.

  Skye gulped, looking up at the unplugged boom box. The chanting voices emerging through the static sent ice trickles down her spine. She never expected something like this.

  The voices grew louder. One stood out through the garbled buzz, a scratchy voice delivering an eerie, monotone message: “I’m coming. I’m coming,” it repeated over and over.

  She stared at Callie’s pale face in the moonlight. “What should we do?”

  “Just hold on,” Callie said through pinched lips.

  A cold draft shot through the room bringing the curious mixed smell of licorice and menthol. It lifted a few strands of hair on the nape of her neck. She shivered. She was about to let go of the planchette, haunting or no, when it started moving again at a furious pace.

  ‘A D-A-R-K V-I-S-I-T-O-R F-R-O-M Y-O-U-R P-A-S-T I-S A-L-M-O-S-T U-P-O-N Y-O-U B-E-W-A-R-E F–A—’

  The unmistakable sound of glass shattering in another room broke the spell. They jerked their hands away from the board just as the door flew open. Grandma Jo came in first. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing here. How many times have I–”

  “What’s happened?” Callie’s mom flipped on the light switch. Her gaze took in the Ouija board. “What did it say?” she asked, darting quick glances all over the bedroom.

  “It said we were in danger. Something about a dark visitor from the past and then the radio came on and–” Callie’s voice quivered and stopped. Her Mom and Grandma Jo exchanged a guarded look.

  “You smell that, Ginnie?” Grandma Jo asked Callie’s mom. “Artemisia absinthium.”

  “Wormwood.” Ginnie’s voice was flat. “Mixed in absinthe.”

  “Did someone break in the house?” Sobs escaped from her throat. She wanted to go home. “We heard a window break.”

  “Everything’s going to be all right.” Grandma Jo was calm. “Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

  “I’m going to clean up the broken glass downstairs and check things out,” Ginnie said.

  Grandma Jo grabbed her arm. “I’ll come with you.”

  “No, you stay with the girls.” The two shared another silent look.

  Grandma Jo nodded and dropped her hand. She eyed Callie, hands on hips. “Didn’t I tell you Ouija boards invite wicked spirits who like to play tricks on folks?”

  Oh, crap. Grandma Jo would call her Mom, and she’d be in all kinds of trouble when she got home.

  Callie countered with a question of her own. “Are we in trouble?”

  Her grandmother sighed and boxed up the game. “No. I don’t think you girls will do this again anytime soon.” She gave a wan smile and nodded in Skye’s direction. “What are you trying to do? Run off your best friend?”

  “It’s okay,” she spoke up, automatically defending Callie. “I wasn’t really scared.”

  No one believed her.

  “I’m going to get my herbs,” Grandma Jo said. “Be right back.”

  The moment she left, Callie leaned forward. “Don’t ever tell them I was asking about my Dad.”

  Her mouth pursed to ask ‘why’ until she remembered her dumb question about Tanner. The last thing she wanted was to provide a blow by blow account of the Ouija conversation to Callie’s folks. They would mention it to her mom, who would tease her in front of her brother. And her brother would find it hilarious and run tell Tanner. “Okay,” she agreed quickly.

  Grandma Jo came back holding a burning sage stick. She did a thorough sage smudging, taking special care to burn the dried sage at least twice around every window and doorway to chase the spirits away. The sharp scent tickled Skye’s nose, as it always did. Her own mother held regular energetic cleansings after scrying or working with spirits.

  “Now you girls oughtta be just fine,” Grandma Jo said in her no-nonsense voice, running a hand through her spiked, gray hair. Skye bit her lip. Callie’s Grandma intimidated the bejesus out of her.

  “Where did Mom go?” Callie asked. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine. I checked on her when I went to get the sage.” Grandma Jo scooped up the Ouiji board from the floor. “Y’all get to bed now. No more hanky-panky either. Ya hear?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Skye murmured.

  Callie yawned. “I’m tired. I just want to sleep.”

  Liar. Skye would have giggled if she still wasn’t so scared.

  But the smudging did little to soothe their nerves. They whispered about the messages for the rest of the night, afraid to sleep. If her mom said it once, she said it a thousand times–Ouija boards were a portal to The Other Side. It was not a toy.

  Advanced witches only.

  If only she’d listened. The spirits’ answers pricked her mind, preventing sleep. What did different dimensions really mean? Why did it say she wasn’t a witch?

  “Hey!” Callie said, bolting up from the bed. “I’ve got an idea.”

  Skye groaned. “Not another one.”

  Callie whipped the blanket from her legs and swung her legs over the bed. “I’ll get the tarot cards and we’ll see if they can help us figure out what happened tonight.”

  “No.” From deep inside, Skye found the courage to refuse.

  Callie froze, surprise widening her eyes. “Really?”

  “Really.” Skye rolled to her side and faced the wall. Too bad she hadn’t spoken up earlier. Always, she’d sensed the disappointment in her mother’s eyes at her failed spells. Always, she’d known her father had preferred her brother. Always, she was the oddball at school, the last picked in gym or for any game.

  She didn’t fit in anywhere.

  And thanks to the spirit summoned by the Ouija board, she even felt unsure of her own identity. Skye stiffened under the quilt, filled with resolve. She’d have to try harder. Study the craft. Petition the Goddesses. Find a way to win the love and respect of her family.

  Tanner’s image arose in her mind. Friend. Hah. One day he’d return her feelings. She yawned and hugged a pillow, slipping into a dream where Tanner awaited with outstretched arms. Only the moment they were to embrace, her eyes flew open.

  I’m coming. I’m coming. The eerie, hoarse voice from the night’s spirit ricocheted in her brain like a bullet shot inside a deep well. He might have been speaking to her as well as Callie. Her hands gripped the quilt’s edges and she resisted the childish urge to pull it over her head. Whatever happened in the future, she’d deal with it.

  She wasn’t her mother’s daughter for nothing.

  About the Author

  Skye’s full story is in the book, Changeling. The next book in this

  Appalachian Magic series, Charmed and Dangerous, will be available December

  2015.

  Debbie Herbert writes paranormal romance novels reflecting her belief that love, like magic, casts its own spell of enchantment. She's always been fascinated by magic, romance and Gothic stories. She is traditionally published through Harlequin as well as Indie published.

  Her Harlequin books include the Dark Seas Series: Siren’s Secret, Siren’s Treasure and Siren’s Call. Her second series with Harlequin, Bayou Magic, features Native American Mythology, hoodoo, fairies and werewolves. The first book in that series, Bayou Shadow Hunter, is available on pre-order and will be published
in March 2016.

  Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team. Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling with her husband. She has two grown sons and the oldest has autism. Characters with autism frequently land in her works, even when she doesn't plan on it!

  For more information, and to sign up for her newsletter,

  visit www.debbieherbert.com. Or connect with her on social media:

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Debbie-Herbert-Author

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/debherbertwrit

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6092607.Debbie_Herbert

  Black Friday

  A Progenitor Short Story

  by Kate Corcino

  Copyright © 2015 by Kate Corcino

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  “Merry. Freaking. Christmas.” Lena crouched on the jutting inside curve of the mostly collapsed balcony. After breathing the words to herself, she bit the inside of her cheek, tasting bitterness.

  The men one level below were still unaware of her as she watched them reap the rewards of two and a half weeks of her skin-tearing, nail-ripping, muscle-pulling solo labor. She’d been determined to bring her best friend, her only friend, a gift that would curve a wide, surprised smile over his lips. She meant to bring Ace music. The jerk scavengers below her were taking it all.