Paranormal Nights
Page 1
PARANORMAL NIGHTS
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling authors C.J. Ellisson and Celia Kyle have teamed up with SEVEN more sizzling Bestselling paranormal writers to create a pulse-pounding read like no other! Eight stories. Some of the hottest authors in the industry. One place.
WOLF PROTECTOR by Milly Taiden: A woman with a secret. A man with one desire. A case that pushes them to the edge...
WHY THESE TWO by Jackie Ivie: Reika has found her mate. Darryl Bailes. He's big. Brawny. Black Ops trained. Brutal. And stubborn. He's not interested in being anyone's mate - especially a vampire's. Well. The knives are out. Challenges made. And somebody is going to lose.
DEATH TIMES TWO by C.J. Ellisson and Boone Brux: The V V Inn has a ghost problem, one that requires the help of Lisa Carron, resident Alaskan grim reaper. Tasked with helping her, fledgling vampire Asa soon realizes that not only can she provide the dead a peaceful passing, but offer him solace in a way no other woman can.
HUNTER’S BLOOD by Marianne Morea: Revenge. It’s what Lily Saburi craves since the brutal murder of her best friend. A vigilante bent on striking a blow for humanity against the shadowed world of the supernatural, one bullet at a time—until she meets Sean Leighton, Alpha of the Brethren. Sexy, powerful, Leighton is charged with destroying anything threatening his pack, and that includes Lily. Dangerous passions ignite and confuse, but can they rise above hate and distrust to find love?
A WICKED PRELUDE by Calinda B: Chérie Manhattan has sworn off men - until colliding with the sexy, blond, hotter than Hell, Cam Tyson. Her choices: play it safe, yet unfulfilled? Or take a chance on love? Evil demons are heading her way. Will she take the plunge into passion or fall prey to her doom?
DRAGON’S HONOR by Mina Carter: It was supposed to be a simple job. But the Paranormal Protection Agency don't do simple…So Shadow-dragons Baron and Duke are uncover. As humans. Redcaps and trolls attacks pale in comparison to the most startling revelation of all: the woman they’re protecting is Baron's mate.
PLAYING THE ODDS by S.A. Price: A shadow demon grifter looking for a big score meets a sexy stripper with the ability to grant luck to anyone she deems worthy. She is everything he’s ever wanted, and he is everything she’s been told to stay away from. But he knows she’s the answer to all his problems, and plans to show her that a life with a card player is worth taking a gamble on.
NIBBLED BY THE VAMP by Celia Kyle: Wren Minix knew vamps were real. Totally. But mean fairies? Fairies weren’t supposed to be mean! But they are, and she really thought she was gonna become fairy dust if it hadn’t been for the super hunky vampire that saved her. Had she mentioned hunky? And, hey, giving him a little snack in return was no bigs. He helped, after all. Except she wanted one nibble to turn into two and then…oodles.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Wolf Protector by Milly Taiden
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
About the Author
Why These Two by Jackie Ivie
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
Death Times Two by C.J. Ellisson and Boone Brux
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
About the Authors
Glossary
Hunter’s Blood by Marianne Morea
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Acknowledgements
About the Author
A Wicked Prelude by Calinda B
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
About the Author
Dragon’s Honor by Mina Carter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
About the Author
Playing the Odds by S.A. Price
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Epilogue
Other Books by S.A. Price
Nibbled by the Vamp by Celia Kyle
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
About the Author
Copyright Notice
Wolf Protector by Milly Taiden
Federal Paranormal Unit: Book One
Copyright © 2013, Milly Taiden– All Rights Reserved.
All Rights Reserved. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is strictly prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.
A woman with a secret…
The Federal Paranormal Unit is an elite squad of supernaturals dedicated to solving missing persons cases. Erica’s gift allows her a special connection with the crime, but it comes at a deep personal cost… Until now, she’s kept her gift a secret, even from the other members of the team. But this case will throw her together with Agent Trent Buchanan. He’s the object of her secret desires, but he’s also a cocky
womanizer. She’d rather swim in shark-infested waters with a paper cut than admit she has feelings for him.
A man with one desire…
Wolf Shifter Trent wants Erica more than he’s ever wanted any woman. He’s spent years patiently waiting for her to admit that she wants him too. Working one-on-one in a race to find a serial killer, Trent’s patience and Erica’s resolve wear thin. When Trent discovers the truth about Erica, will he accept her for who she is? And can he protect her from the horrors that her gift brings?
A case that pushes them to the edge…
Erica will have to risk it all if she wants to stop the killer, and when she does, Trent may have to put his own life on the line to make sure his mate is protected…
Chapter One
“Brock, he’s doing it again!” Erica glared at the Casanova walking beside her, hating how good he looked in his black T-shirt and ass-hugging jeans. Trent Buchanan. He was her daily temptation and ultimate fantasy. And she’d rather wax her nipples in public than admit it to him. Butterflies swarmed her stomach, twisting and twirling her into one giant, aroused mess.
“What’s Buchanan done this time, Villa?” Brock, their team leader, asked without looking up from the papers on his desk.
“He’s staring at me.” She growled and dropped in one of the empty chairs, huffing out a breath.
Buchanan, The Bastard, as she liked to refer to his cute ass, grinned at her. His full, sexy lips caught her immediate attention. “Excuse me, I can’t help it if it’s a beautiful day, and I’m glad it’s Friday. You’re a grump, Villa.”
It was so unfair that she had to keep pushing him away when her body wanted to curl around his big frame. But if she ever did that she’d turn into another Trent groupie, and that was not her thing. She’d seen the other women in the department walk after him, ogling and almost drooling, as if he were the lead singer in a rock band. Pathetic.
Buchanan folded his arms over his massive chest. Erica’s entire body throbbed every time she looked at him. She drank in the inciting vision and argued with her lust for dominance. Disgusted with her body’s responses, she glared at him again. Her eyes strayed to the scar on his upper lip. She gulped and curled her fingers into her palms, digging her nails deep. Whenever she glanced at the tiny scar, she wanted to nibble and run her tongue over it. It was driving her insane. Thankfully he couldn’t read her mind, or he’d be having a hell of a time making fun of her tough talk.
“Villa, just look at me.” He opened his muscled arms wide and did a full circle for her. Once he was facing her again, he leaned on the wall. He winked at her. “If you didn’t have a stick the size of Texas up your ass, you’d realize what a catch I am.”
“Ouch.” Jane Donovan, the youngest member in their team exclaimed as she entered the office. “You are looking to get your little boy parts cut off when you least expect it, Buchanan.”
Donovan sat next to Erica and played with her phone, or what appeared to be a phone. She was a systems expert and always had some strange gadget in her hands.
Erica peeked at Buchanan again and frowned. It wasn’t smart to let him get the best of her, she knew that, but something about him made her speak without thinking.
Buchanan grinned, lifted a hand to his lips, and blew her an air kiss. “Villa knows she wants me. If she would stop fighting her instincts we’d have moved past this awkward foreplay.”
And that was the reason Erica would rather swim in shark-infested waters with a paper cut than admit her attraction to the six-foot-two wall of sexy muscle. Even if her body was strung so tight she thought she’d soon burst a blood vessel, she would not admit to her growing desire for Buchanan.
“Settle down. Where the hell is Ramirez?” Brock asked, finally looking up at the three of them.
“Probably getting some in the men’s room.” Donovan muttered under her breath.
Erica choked on a giggle. They were so going to get written up. Brock didn’t allow that kind of talk around the building, ever. It was hard enough that they were held to higher standards than the other teams. The senior directors expected miracles from them. Erica was lucky Brock took the brunt of the stress from his superiors.
Buchanan groaned. “Am I missing out on something that awesome? Because I had no idea women were doing that in the men’s room.”
Erica’s smile fell from her lips. He continued to grin at her. “Don’t worry, Villa. I’m all yours whenever you want me. Just say the word.”
“I said settle down,” Brock ordered again. “This is not the time or place for this type of behavior. You know we have a strict code of conduct here.”
Did Buchanan ever not think of sex? Probably not. Shit, even she had a hard time keeping her thoughts away from sex whenever he was around.
Before she got the chance to give him a sarcastic response, Tony Ramirez strolled in, an easy smile over his wide lips. He was a specimen of male perfection, able to make the strongest of women pant. Of course, he also had an ego the size of Alaska. But as much as she’d tried, her panties just didn’t go into a desperate twist with Ramirez. Oh but with Trent…er Buchanan, her body buzzed in awareness the moment he swaggered into the room with her.
“I’m here. Sorry, I was caught up.” Ramirez’s tone dripped with innuendo.
“Oh, brother.” Donovan’s complaint was loud. “Are we here for another lesson on who can get more? Ramirez versus Buchanan? Because, I gotta say, I have better things to do than figure that one out. As far as I’m concerned the women both of these dumbasses get don’t count. They’re all easy.”
“Hey!” Both men complained at once.
Brock’s patience snapped. “Enough!” His voice thundered in the office, making the entire team go silent. “We are not here for a competition on who has the biggest anything, so put your rulers away and pay attention. I don’t want to write anyone up on misconduct, so please, shut your mouths before I’m forced to.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his fingers over his eyes before looking up. His gaze pierced each of them as it traveled the room. “Let’s get to what you’re here for. You all have a new assignment.”
He handed each of the team members a file. When Erica opened the folder, her heartbeat slowed to a thudding crawl. She dropped the file on her lap and stared. A photo of a woman’s naked, lifeless body sat at the top of the paperwork.
“That is Lisa Summers. Age: Nineteen. She was a student at a large state college in upstate New York. She was walking home after her last class and never made it back to her apartment.”
Erica studied the photo and placed her hands on the chair’s metal armrests. She knew if she touched the photo she would not like what she saw. The woman’s pale flesh was marred with bruising, cuts, and burns. A sick knot settled in Erica’s throat, growing with every second she stared at the body. Instant grief for the dead girl filled her. She lifted her gaze from the file and found Brock watching her. Only he knew of her ability.
Everyone else thought she did some kind of profiling. The truth was she got glimpses of people’s highest energy level moments by touching something of theirs, and that included photos of their deceased bodies. A photo could capture a small amount of a person’s energy. Captured energy, even the small bits caught in pictures, was enough to help her connect with the victim. “Why are we seeing a photo of a dead woman instead of a missing one?” Erica asked.
Brock shifted, glancing from one person to the next until his gaze landed back on Erica. She knew whatever he said next was directed just to her.
“Lisa isn’t victim number one. She’s the first one found. According to the medical examiner, she was killed forty-eight hours ago. Her body was placed in an alley.”
The nervous shaking of Ramirez's legs never slowed as he crossed and uncrossed them. “Do you think it’s a ritual killing? Or something like an angry ex-boyfriend?”
Erica hated to think there were more young women out there being tortured to death. Tearing her sight from the horrific image of the dead body, sh
e gulped, eyeing everyone in the office. Donovan scribbled furiously. Paper scrunched under her hands as she flicked from one page to the next, her red hair brushing her cheek and sliding forward when she lowered her face toward the notepad. Ramirez frowned, as if trying to solve the puzzle himself while staring at the photo. Buchanan’s gaze connected with Erica’s. Her heart flipped at his intense look. She gripped the chair, keeping herself from squirming in her seat.
“I don’t know, but we don’t think so.” Brock’s voice jerked her back to reality. Against her will, she broke contact with Buchanan’s dark stare and faced Brock.
Taking a slow breath, she glanced down at the photo again. “Not a ritual… This was a crime of revenge.” She swiped her tongue over her bottom lip, thinking of reasons, reasons why anyone would be battered and beaten the way Lisa Summers had been, and continued to contemplate the photo. “I’m almost inclined to say passion, but I can see a savagery to this scene I rarely encounter.”
“So you don’t think it’s a serial?” Buchanan’s breath tickled the side of her neck. He’d moved closer to her seat and peered at the file over her shoulder. He had his own, but he chose to look at hers instead.
She tried not to shudder, but listening to the raspy tone gave her goose bumps. “I didn’t say that. What I’m saying is whoever killed her had a reason. One we have to discover as soon as possible.” Her stomach churned at what she’d need to do. Tension slid down her spine, expanding with every inch it traveled. She glanced at Brock. “I need to see the body.”
Brock slapped his hands down on the file. The loud thump caught everyone off guard and made Donovan jump in her seat with a gasp. “All right. We’re going to do something different this time.” He stared at Erica. “I know that I have usually teamed up with Villa, but this time I need to stay here. The mayor has scheduled multiple meetings, and our department head wants me there. I tried to get out of it, but it was a no-go.”
His words ratcheted up the anxiety inside her, until it was hard for her to hear through her wall of unease.