Tall, Dark and Paranormal: 10 Thrilling Tales of Sexy Alpha Bad Boys

by Opal Carew

  “Where is my necklace?” She glanced across the surface of the dresser, but didn’t see it. She hoped Nyte had put it somewhere safe.

  “Necklace? You weren’t wearing one when I found you.”

  She felt the blood drain from her face and she flattened her hand on the base of her throat, right where the pendant used to nestle.

  “Oh, no. It must have fallen off.”

  He brushed some hair from her face and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Lucinda, I’ll get you another one.”

  She shifted her wide-eyed gaze to his. “No, you don’t understand. I need that one. It was a gift.”

  And it meant a great deal to her. Just as Rand did.

  A fluttery feeling started in the base of her stomach. Rand had been with Nyte when he’d come searching for her. And she was certain Rand was in as much danger from Remlin as Nyte was.

  “Nyte, where is Rand?”

  Nyte drew away. Only a fraction, but enough to cause her a mild case of panic.

  “I don’t know.”

  At his tight expression, she suddenly felt very cold. She drew the covers tighter around herself.

  “But he was with you when you came to find me. I saw you both outside Remlin’s house. Where did he go?”

  He linked his hand with hers.

  “Lucinda, when I found you, I had to act quickly. If I had taken one second too long, Remlin would have dragged you away again.”

  Her stomach clenched and she drew her hand away as the meaning of his words sank in.

  “You left Rand behind? To face Remlin alone?” Apprehension angled through her at the thought of what might happen to Rand.

  “Remlin won’t hurt Randalph,” Nyte said in a confident tone.

  She shook her head. “You can’t know that.”

  “He has no reason to.”

  Her fingers clutched tightly around the blanket. “What about revenge for ruining his plan? You and I both disappeared. Maybe he’ll decide to take out his anger on Rand?”

  “Lucinda, Remlin will not hurt Randalph.” He leaned forward and took her hands. “Remlin is his uncle.”

  Her eyes widened. “His uncle?”

  Rand had an uncle who was a mysterious wizard with superior magical ability?

  But if Remlin were related to anyone, it would more likely be Nyte. The two men looked strikingly similar.

  She remembered that Nyte had told her he and Rand had always been close, before the incident that had cost Nyte his memory. Could it be that Rand and Nyte were related? Then Remlin would be related to both of them.

  Could Remlin be Rand’s uncle and Nyte’s father?

  But, that didn’t make sense. If he were Nyte’s father, he wouldn’t have set out to hurt him.

  “If Remlin is Rand’s uncle, why hasn’t Rand ever mentioned him to me?”

  “He doesn’t know him.”

  Rand had a phantom uncle he’d never met?

  “But you know him? Why is that?”

  He sat forward and stared at her with an intense expression. “It’s a very complicated story, but maybe I should finally tell you about it.”

  Apprehension quivered through her. Whatever he told her, she knew it would shake up her world in a big way.

  Fate seemed determined to inundate her with mysteries. As she felt the thrill of piqued curiosity encompass her, to her total surprise, she realized that might not be a bad thing after all.

  She squeezed his hands, anxious to hear what he had to say, but before he could speak, a gong sounded.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  His face turned grim and he nudged his head toward the foot of the bed. “Take a look.”

  She swiveled her head and relief bolted through her as she saw Rand standing in the center of the room.

  “Rand!”

  Thank heavens he was safe. She almost leaped from the bed to throw her arms around him before she remembered she was totally naked under the covers. She pulled the blanket to her neck.

  Her face flushed, despite the covering. Her embarrassment shifted to annoyance.

  As relieved as she was to see Rand was all right, she didn’t like his new habit of dropping in on her when she was in bed with Nyte.

  Nyte curled his fingers around hers. “Lucinda, it’s only an image. He’s not really here, and he can’t see us.”

  She squinted at Rand and noticed that he was fuzzy around the edges.

  “Nyte, I must speak with you,” Rand--or rather the image of Rand--said. “Let me in.”

  A haunting sadness had cast shadows beneath Rand’s eyes, and his cheeks were as pale as the snow white hair that billowed around his shoulders. Alarm skittered through her. She grasped Nyte’s arm. “He must be in danger. Let him in.”

  He shook his head. “First, if I lift the barrier, even for a second, Remlin could kidnap you again. Second, Randalph does not have enough power on his own to project that image past my barrier. That means Remlin is helping him.”

  She couldn’t shift her gaze from Rand. Why did he look so empty and bereft? What had happened to him?

  “Or it could mean that Remlin has captured Rand and this is his ransom note,” she suggested.

  Nyte flicked his fingers toward the image of Rand and it disappeared.

  “I told you--”

  “I know. He’s his uncle. But haven’t you ever heard of dissension within a family?”

  He sighed. “If you only knew.”

  Lucinda ignored the comment for now. “And if Rand and his uncle have never met before, Remlin may not feel any family loyalty to him at all. We’ve got to find out if Rand is okay.”

  He drew his arm around her. “We? I’m not going to let you--”

  Lucinda glared at him, amazed at how quickly he could forget his promise not to control her.

  He raked his hand through his hair. “Let me rephrase that. It’s dangerous for you to leave here. I don’t know what Remlin wants, but until I do, I don’t want to give him the chance to kidnap you again.”

  “But you won’t find out what he wants locked away here.”

  Nyte tossed aside the covers. “Fine, I’ll go and find out.”

  Fear for Nyte’s safety bolted through her and she grabbed his arm. “Wait, you can’t do that. Remlin wants to hurt you.”

  He sat on the side of the bed and smiled at her. “Lucinda, you can’t have it both ways. Do you want me to find out what’s happened to Randalph or not?”

  She hesitated. “I think we should both go.”

  “Not a good idea.” He drew her hand into his and continued in a very persuasive tone. “Lucinda, I would do anything to protect you. Remlin knows that. Do you really want to give him that much power over me?”

  As his gaze held hers, she felt awash in his love. He would do anything to protect her. She knew that. It was the reason she had been so determined to escape Remlin in the first place. If Remlin captured the two of them, he could force Nyte to do whatever he wanted by threatening to hurt Lucinda if Nyte didn’t comply.

  She had to think of something else.

  “I guess it won’t work for me to go alone?” she asked.

  “Definitely not.” He kissed her. “So, are we agreed? I’ll go and you’ll stay here?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t like it.”

  He smiled. “I know. You’ve made that very clear.”

  Her hand tightened around his. “I don’t want to be locked in this house again.”

  “You won’t be. No one can get in unless I allow it, but you can get out any time you want.” He tipped up her chin. “But you won’t leave. Right?”

  She hated the thought of sitting back and waiting while her man went to battle, so to speak. But what he said made sense.

  She sighed in resignation. “All right, I’ll stay here and wait.”

  He stood up and conjured himself into some clothes then, with a glimmer in his eyes, he tugged the covers from Lucinda and dragged her into his arms. The textured pattern of his
black wool sweater prickled against her bare breasts as his hand stroked the length of her spine. He tangled his fingers in her hair and brought her lips to his in a firm, passionate kiss, leaving her breathless.

  “When I get back,” he murmured, “we’ll carry on from here.”

  His lips turned up in a smile that would melt any woman’s resistance. Which was totally unnecessary, because Lucinda no longer had any resistance to Nyte’s brand of magic.

  The magic of love.

  * * * *

  Nyte teleported to Remlin’s house in the Arctic, this time clothing himself in a layer of warm air rather than a parka. The extra energy it cost would be worth the advantage in maneuverability. Not that he really believed Remlin meant him any harm, but he believed in being prepared. When he arrived, he sensed that the protective barrier around the dwelling had been dropped.

  An invitation to come in?

  A trap?

  Warily, he shifted himself into the house, appearing on the inside of the large front window.

  Remlin lounged on a plush recliner, his feet stretched out in front of him, a fine crystal flute filled with white wine in his hand. He placed the glass on the table beside him and his mouth turned up in a half smile. A smile Nyte had learned never to trust.

  “I was wondering when you’d arrive,” Remlin said.

  At the sight of Remlin, old memories bubbled to the surface of Nyte’s mind. Good and bad.

  An image of a younger Remlin, a self-satisfied expression on his face after transporting the two of them to the rim of an active volcano, reminded him that most times with Remlin were both exhilarating and dangerous. They’d been grounded for a week after that incident, but Nyte had always enjoyed the rush of excitement Remlin provided. Remlin had a penchant for trouble, but he had been the cause of some of the best times of Nyte’s life.

  Nyte might long for the good times with Remlin, but at the same time, he couldn’t ignore the bad. Those negative incidents, which had impacted Nyte’s life so severely, threw a shadow over everything Remlin had ever shared with him. His gut tightened at the thought Remlin had nearly destroyed three people’s lives.

  “Why have you come back, Remlin? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

  Remlin pushed himself to his feet and strolled toward Nyte. “That’s why I’m here.” He held his hands out at his sides in an open gesture. “I know you may find this hard to believe, but I want to apologize.”

  “Apologize?” The word burst forth like a minor explosion. “After destroying everything I held dear?” Nyte slammed his fist on the wall. “You tore Clarissa from us.”

  Remlin’s back stiffened slightly. “It was her decision to leave.”

  “But she wouldn’t have if you hadn’t seduced her with visions of all the wonders you could show her, the places you could take her. She became dissatisfied with her life. We couldn’t compete with that and you knew it.”

  His fist clenched so tightly he thought his fingers might break. “I could have survived her leaving, but you had to know it would break Randalph’s heart.

  Remlin’s shoulders slumped and he stared out the window at the frozen vista beyond. “I understand that now.” He turned his gaze back to Nyte. “But I didn’t back then.”

  Nyte grunted and turned away, a knot forming in his stomach at the thought of the pain they had all endured because of Remlin.

  “Nyte, I’m not here to justify my actions. I never meant for it to end the way it did. I meant to annoy you, and have a little fun--”

  Nyte pivoted toward him, his face twisted in a snarl. “Yes, Remlin the merrymaker. Having fun at everyone else’s expense.” He glared at him. “This time you went way too far.”

  “I told you, I’m not trying to excuse what I did. I’m trying to make amends.” He stepped forward and placed his hand firmly on Nyte’s shoulder. “Nyte, let me right the wrong I caused so long ago.”

  Right the wrong? Obviously, empty words to ease his conscience.

  “Can you bring back Clarissa?” Nyte growled.

  Remlin’s green eyes, uncharacteristically serious, stared into his. “Would you really want me to?”

  The quiet question crushed the air from Nyte’s lungs. Just what would he do if Clarissa returned to him now?

  He shoved Remlin’s hand from his shoulder and stepped toward the fireplace. “Then what do you have in mind?”

  “The real damage that was done--”

  “That you did,” Nyte corrected.

  Remlin nodded. “Yes, that I did--was to destroy the relationship between you and Randalph. I’m here to help you and him patch things up.”

  Nyte’s eyebrows shot up. “And how do you propose to do that?”

  “At this point, by encouraging you to talk to him.”

  Nyte thumped his fist on the mantel. “I’ve tried that but he refuses to talk about it. He’s totally closed me out.”

  Remlin leaned against the side of the couch. “Do you know he believes you killed Clarissa?”

  His heart compressed painfully at the reminder. “That’s what Lucinda told me.”

  “But you don’t believe it, do you?”

  “No.”

  After Lucinda had revealed what Randalph had told her, he had pretty much decided Randalph had made it up to convince Lucinda to turn away from him.

  Remlin’s green gaze bored into him. “Nyte, think about what happened right before Randalph showed up that night.”

  Nyte didn’t have to think hard. The argument with Clarissa had been etched into his brain. Argument? Hell, it was a fight explosive enough to light up the night sky. And afterward, in his rage... .

  An image of the fireball he’d hurled in anger whizzed through his brain. He’d stared at the ruined remains of the room for long moments, the pain of Clarissa’s rejection burning through him. He didn’t know how long he’d stood there, but he remembered turning around and seeing Randalph standing behind him. But Randalph hadn’t known about the argument. He’d arrived much later.

  Hadn’t he?

  Tendrils of doubt coiled through his mind. How long had Randalph been there?

  “He saw enough to believe you killed her,” Remlin said.

  The words acted like a fist in the gut, knocking the wind from him. He slumped onto a chair, his legs suddenly rubbery.

  He shook his head. “How could Randalph think I would hurt her? He knew me better than that.”

  Remlin’s eyebrows arched up. “Did he?”

  His gaze shot to Remlin’s. “What do you mean by that?”

  Remlin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Don’t you realize how hard you were on him? How demanding?”

  He curled his fingers over his knees. “That was only because I knew what a fine wizard he would be someday. I had to push him. It was for his own good.”

  “But it had its price.”

  Nyte sat up straight, his back rigid. “And that was?”

  “He never got close to you.”

  He locked gazes with Remlin. “Are you saying I failed him?”

  Remlin waved the comment away. “No, of course not. But I think you will if you don’t reach out to him now.”

  Nyte slammed his hands flat on his thighs in disbelief, then pushed himself to his feet. “Reach out to him? Have you forgotten he tried to kill me?” He stepped to the fireplace, then leaned against the mantel and stared into the hot, orange flames. Like the fireball Randalph had hurled at him. He could almost feel the heat consuming his body.

  “Rand was young, his emotions turbulent.” Remlin stepped beside Nyte. “He reacted. Don’t condemn him for that.” His hand settled on Nyte’s shoulder. “Believe me, he’s suffered because of it. It’s time to put an end to the pain.”

  Suffered? Nyte remembered the bitter cold he’d felt surrounding Randalph’s heart and knew it to be true. Remlin had done well with that. He’d forced Nyte to come face to face with Randalph’s pain.

  Remlin’s fingers curled around his shoulde
r. “As for him closing you out, think about it. The whole situation was very traumatic for him, but everything that happened, except for one thing, was beyond his control.” Remlin held up one finger in emphasis. “Only one thing was his fault.”

  Nyte shifted his gaze to Remlin’s. “Striking out at me.”

  “Exactly. And he’s had to live with that. Centuries of fending off the terrible guilt. The only thing justifying it in his mind was the fact you had murdered Clarissa. Imagine what it would do to him if he gave you the chance to explain, and you actually have a good reason for what you did.” Remlin shook his head. “There’s no way he could risk opening up to you.”

  Remlin’s words drew a vision of Randalph, blocked behind a self-imposed barrier. If Nyte broke it down, he risked Randalph’s sanity. Yet, he couldn’t leave Randalph alone behind an impenetrable wall of glass.

  “What do you suggest?”

  Remlin squeezed Nyte’s shoulder. “He has to know you forgive him.”

  “And how do I convince him of that?”

  Remlin shrugged. “Tell him.”

  It sounded so simple, Nyte wasn’t sure it would work. And yet, he knew it was the only thing that could.

  At least it was an approach. It would be better than stumbling around the problem as he’d been doing so far.

  Nyte stared into Remlin’s green eyes for a long moment. He couldn’t believe Remlin was the one standing here giving him advice. His heart warmed at the thought Remlin had turned himself around. He’d matured a lot since the last time Nyte had seen him. He had finally taken responsibility for his actions, and he’d put a lot of thought and effort into bringing Rand and Nyte together again.

  Nyte did something he never thought he’d do again. He offered his hand to Remlin.

  “Thank you.”

  Remlin clasped Nyte’s hand firmly, a smile spreading across his face.

  “Before I forgive Randalph, maybe I should get in a little practice,” Nyte said. “Earlier, you said you came to apologize.” Nyte squeezed Remlin’s hand. “I accept your apology, Remlin... and I forgive you.”

  Remlin’s smile broke into a wide grin, showing a row of even white teeth. He threw his arms around Nyte and slapped his back. Poignant emotions surged through Nyte as he enjoyed the first expression of warmth he had shared with Remlin since late adolescence.