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

by Opal Carew

  Gregory pulled the sword out of Adonis’s chest. Adonis sank to his knees, the sharp pain blurring his vision. He reached up and held his hand to the fresh wound, but he hadn’t died. The hunter’s sword hadn’t killed the vampire in him.

  Michael yanked the sword out of Gregory’s hand, then slammed him against the wall. “Get a grip, you idiot!”

  Rachael hugged Adonis. “You didn’t die,” she mouthed against his lips.

  He halfheartedly smiled. “No, imagine that.” His whole body shook as the adrenaline still coursed through his system. His head still reeling from the notion the hunter’s blade hadn’t terminated him immediately, although he’d only been turned recently, so he wouldn’t have shriveled up like the ancient ones.

  Despite his vampiric vision, he was cast into darkness. The sounds around him faded to deathly silence.

  ***

  Rachael barely heard the conversations around her as she gripped Adonis’s hand while Michael and Ned carried him out to Adonis’s SUV. Adonis didn’t stir and she couldn’t face her cousins in the event they knew Gregory had spoken the truth.

  “He’s one of them—a bloodsucker,” Gregory shouted from inside Piaras’s house still.

  “Shut up,” Ferris said, his voice beyond angry.

  That’s when Rachael saw Ferris and one of her former suitors carrying Zachary out of the house. Like Adonis, Zachary was unconscious, bleeding, deathly pale. Rachael squelched tears threatening to spill.

  She caught Uncle Tobias’s eye. He seemed in control, yet that control was slipping as he hurried to ensure the rest of Piaras’s people were dead and that the hunters were all accounted for.

  Adonis had kept his fangs from extending, and she felt his blood still pumping in his wrist. He just had to live. He couldn’t give up now.

  As soon as Michael and Ned lay Adonis in the middle seat, she climbed in with Adonis and rested his head on her lap.

  Michael hurried off to speak with Uncle Tobias to get his orders. Ferris watched, but stayed beside the vehicle.

  “Was anyone else hurt?” she asked in a very small voice, feeling that Piaras and everything associated with him was her fault.

  “Zachary’s in bad shape.” Ferris sounded withdrawn, weary.

  “Will…will he live?”

  Ferris avoided looking at her and didn’t say anything.

  Rachael wiped away insolent tears and brushed Adonis’s hair out of his face. “What about Danai and the rest of her family?”

  “Uncle Tobias spoke to the father, then put them in a vehicle, and they’re headed for the house.”

  Then Michael and her uncles Brent, Curt, and Tobias converged to speak briefly. They looked in Rachael’s direction. They didn’t appear happy. Not that having two nearly dead hunters, one of whom was Uncle Tobias’s youngest son, was anything to be joyous about.

  “Meet you back at the house,” Michael said to his father, then headed for the SUV. His gaze caught hers and held, and she suspected he knew about Adonis. But had he already known when Adonis saved his life at the warehouse, or only now because of Gregory’s ranting?

  “Let’s go,” Michael said to Ferris, and the two climbed into the vehicle. Then Michael pulled out of the estate and didn’t speak for some time as he drove to Uncle Tobias’s home.

  She couldn’t ask him if he knew about Adonis, not in front of Ferris in the event Michael was keeping it secret from the family, but she was dying to know if she could be honest with him.

  “Will Zachary be all right?” she asked through a tear-choked voice.

  “He’s lost a lot of blood.” But Michael wouldn’t say anything more, and she figured it was best to leave him to his dark thoughts. The two brothers often fought, but Michael was always protective of Zachary when the situation warranted it.

  Ferris didn’t speak either, but she figured if she hadn’t been in the vehicle, her cousins probably would have discussed matters.

  Finally Michael said, “Why the hell were you and Danai at Piaras’s estate?”

  She hadn’t even considered they’d be mad at her over that, after all that had happened. Rachael stuck her chin up, wiped away more tears, and glared at the backside of Michael’s head. She wondered if he was madder because she had been at Piaras’s estate, or because Danai might have been killed?

  “He murdered my parents. He wanted me. I knew I could get close to him.”

  Ferris shook his head.

  “And Adonis planned this whole damned charade? Used you to free his parents? Used you as the bait? Hell, I ought to finish him off myself.”

  “He saved your life,” Rachael said softly.

  Michael tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swore under his breath. “And Danai? What role did she have in this whole mess? Hell, we barely got them out of there alive.”

  “She wouldn’t have stayed behind, Michael. Even if it had been just the two of them. They had to free their family. You know how it would be.”

  “And what about us? As a team we go against such odds. A team. No one is an individual. You know that.”

  “I had to kill him,” she said more to herself than to Michael. Although killing him hadn’t given her any real satisfaction like she thought it would. Probably because Zachary was clinging to life, and Adonis’s situation was so tentative.

  Rachael blinked away more tears and squeezed Adonis’s wrist, his pulse growing more thready. “Live for me, Adonis. Live for your family. They’re safe now. But they need your strength and Danai needs you.”

  Michael looked up at her through the rearview mirror. “There’ll be a family meeting as soon as we get home.”

  They often had hunter recaps following a hunt, recalling the mistakes they’d made and the successes also. But an exclusive family meeting meant something else. And she suspected—nothing good.

  ***

  Adonis fought to open his eyes, desperate to kill Tiberus, the vampire who was protecting Piaras’s flank. Piaras was on top of Rachael, ready to bite her and Adonis could see her fingers stretching to reach her dagger, her fingertips just barely touching the pearl handle.

  He tried to maneuver Tiberus toward her so he could push the weapon to her with his boot. But the bastard knew Adonis was trying to aid Rachael and effectively kept him from her. Their swords clanked angrily, the hard strikes sending a shudder up Adonis’s arm. And then the break he was looking for and yes! He drove his sword into the vampire’s heart, Tiberus screaming, then collapsing in a mummified heap.

  But there was no time for jubilation and as Rachael reached her dagger and thrust it into Piaras, Adonis reflexively shoved his sword into the already mortally-wounded vampire. But knowing his sister and family were at risk as well as Rachael, all he could think of was protecting Rachael before moving toward the sound of the ongoing battle down the hall.

  Until Gregory targeted him. Hell, Adonis was certain one of Piaras’s friends would have skewered him at this point, not one of the hunters.

  He couldn’t kill the bastard as much as he wanted to for endangering his family’s lives and screwing up his and Danai’s to such an extent.

  Now he felt so cold, but he was unable to open his eyes. He couldn’t fight the dark or what waited within. Rachael. What had become of Rachael?

  ***

  Rachael took her seat, ready once more for the inquisition, praying Brent didn’t have a syringe in his pocket this time.

  The ladies were taking care of Adonis’s family in the dining room, while Dr. Stevens saw to Adonis’s and Zachary’s injuries. Uncle Tobias hadn’t allowed her to see either of them, but had Michael escort her straight to the conference room to begin the questioning all over again.

  Only this time there were no suitors, only her uncles Brent, Curt, Tobias and her cousins, Ferris, Ned, and Michael. This time Uncle Tobias sat back, looking drained, probably too upset over Zachary’s injuries.

  Uncle Brent questioned her instead. “Tell us the truth in your own words about Adonis.”

>   She took a deep breath, her hands like ice.

  “Rachael,” Uncle Tobias warned.

  But she couldn’t tell them what he was. She couldn’t, not if they didn’t already know. They’d kill him. “What do you want to know?” she asked softly, but her words wavered.

  “Michael says he used you as bait to kill Piaras,” Uncle Brent said.

  Rachael looked at the floor. “I had to kill him.”

  “What is he?” Uncle Tobias asked, sounding resigned.

  She lifted her gaze. He looked so weary, like when his wife had died. “He’s a hunter,” she said, her eyes and voice defiant.

  Uncle Tobias’s expression lightened some, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. But then he frowned. “He’s not the same as us.”

  “He’s…he’s better,” she blurted.

  “Hell, listen to yourself,” Ferris hotly objected.

  Uncle Tobias waved his hand for silence. “How is he better?”

  “He saved Michael’s life. Do you deny it?” She cast a pleading look Michael’s way. “And Gregory’s, too. Adonis would never hurt one of our kind.”

  “He got you to go into Piaras’s lair without our backup,” Michael bit out. “He endangered your life.”

  “I was the only one who could have gotten close to Piaras. He would have vanished and returned later for me. I distracted him and then—”

  “Adonis was able to kill him. We know, Rachael,” Uncle Tobias said.

  Rachael closed her gaping mouth. They thought Adonis killed Piaras?

  “But Adonis should never have used you as bait. We don’t know what they hell they did back in Florida, but that is unacceptable behavior here.”

  She kept her mouth shut, hoping her uncle would lighten up.

  He took a deep breath. “I’ve spoken with Adonis’s father and for now, they’d like to join our family, if only to stay with us until his family can heal.”

  But her uncle didn’t sound thrilled with the prospect.

  “I want to marry Adonis,” she blurted out.

  Her uncle didn’t seem surprised. But Ferris and Ned both swore under their breaths.

  Again, Uncle Tobias motioned for silence, and that’s when she realized something graver was the matter.

  Someone knocked on the door and Uncle Tobias said, “Yes?”

  Dr. Stevens poked his head in the door. “Zachary is coming to and Adonis is coherent now, asking to see Rachael. His family has already been in to see him.”

  “All right.”

  The doctor shut the door.

  Uncle Tobias shook his head. “I don’t want you to marry Adonis.”

  Rachael opened her mouth to object, but Uncle Tobias signaled for her silence. “But I’ll grant this. Only because you would leave with him if I didn’t approve. And…we need him here, for Zachary’s sake.”

  Zachary?

  “Maybe Adonis can help him cope. Go see Adonis now, Rachael. I’m getting too old for this. Maybe Michael’s right. It’s time for me to step down and let him run the League.”

  Michael gave him a dark laugh. “You’ll be running things for many more years, Father, and we’ll continue to appreciate your leadership.”

  “Go, Rachael,” Uncle Tobias said. “I want to have my hunters’ recap now.”

  Before she could mention she was there, too, and should have some say, Michael grasped her arm and led her out of the room. “Adonis needs you. You both can tell us what happened later.”

  “How long did you know, Michael?” she asked as he shut the door to the conference room.

  “I suspected something when you approached a vampire in the dark both on the balcony and behind the hotel, when you had always been so afraid of the dark and of human vampires. I suspected something when you questioned me about vampires instead of asking Zachary when you knew you weren’t supposed to see me. And again, when you were seeing some hunter that conveniently kept popping up places.

  “I knew he was a hunter, but I suspected he was something more. I thought he could help protect you since he seemed to want you like a hunter would. But when he saved my life in the warehouse, although I had a hard time believing my eyes, I knew then for sure. Gregory, of course, confirmed what I’d seen. But I confided in uncles Brent and Curt and both were of the same opinion. Maybe Adonis could help us. I just didn’t think Adonis would take you to Piaras like that.”

  “Thank you, Michael. Piaras wanted Adonis to take you out because you had a contract on some vampiress named Dominique. But Adonis wouldn’t do it.”

  Michael stared at her, then sighed. “I wondered how he knew so much about them. I wasn’t happy about you being with him. But now…well, Zachary’s just like him. And my father feels he’ll need guidance to get him through this dark period of adjustment. By the way, my father banned Gregory from the region. Go see Adonis. He’s part of the family now.”

  “Zachary was bitten?” she asked, her heart wrenching with the news.

  “Yes, and it’s not good.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Everything would be different now. Everything. “But we’ll have to show him we love him no matter what,” she whispered and gave Michael a hug.

  Michael didn’t say anything, just looked bleak with regret. She assumed then he felt it his own fault that Zachary had been bitten.

  “It’ll be all right, Michael. Trust me. Adonis will help Zachary to adjust. Thank you, Michael, for everything.”

  He bowed her head to her and left her off at the door to the sick room. “I’ll…let you see him in private.”

  She swore his eyes glittered with tears. He was holding his own feelings in check, trying to keep his hunter’s composure, but he’d always been close to his younger brother, Zachary. She knew Zachary would be all right. That the family would grow through this ordeal. She knew it with all her heart—if they stuck together and accepted the changes.

  Then she hurried to the room where Adonis was staying. As soon as she opened the door, she found Adonis already dressed, coming for her as if he’d never been injured. “You’re mine, Rachael Bremerton. I still need to heal, but that won’t keep me from business.” He took her hand and led her back to the conference room, his gait slower, and she realized just how he was still injured, but he had to get what had happened out in the open.

  “But my uncle said we could get married, and he’s having a recap of the hunt, so we shouldn’t disturb him.” She was afraid she’d upset her uncle, make him change his mind.

  “Without us?” Adonis raised his brows. “Without our version, they’d miss the best half of the story.”

  Before she could object any further—she knew her uncle would not be pleased—Adonis opened the door, walked in with Rachael’s hand in his, then shut the door.

  “You want to know about Piaras and how we took him down?” Adonis asked.

  Tobias looked a little startled, but Michael looked on with admiration.

  Brent came over and shook Adonis’s hand. “Welcome to the family and the new millennium.”

  Arrogant, arrogant, but how she loved Adonis, hunter and vampire all rolled up into one extraordinary man.

  Everyone, including Uncle Tobias, extended heartfelt welcomes.

  But the sizzling kiss Adonis reserved for Rachael proved just where she stood with him. And she gave him one right back, before she began telling the story of how they took down one of the most maniacal vampires of their region.

  Adonis watched with pride as Rachael told the story. She’d brought down their worst enemy and made a name for herself in hunter circles forever. But best of all, she’d given Adonis back his humanity, and he loved her with his heart and soul.

  She gave him a winning smile and motioned for him to tell his version. But he bowed his head to her, then rose from the chair. “I weary now. If you’ll excuse us—”

  “Not too weary to call for the minister first,” Tobias warned, his chin tilted down, his eyes narrowed.

  Marriage first, other issues later. Could A
donis live only a human’s lifespan with Rachael?

  He ground his teeth to keep them from extending and gave his mate a devilish smile.

  Could he only live with her for one human’s lifespan? The hunter side of him had his mate and couldn’t have been more satisfied.

  The vampire side wished to be appeased.

  ###

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my Rebel Romance Writers critique group, Tammy, Judy, Randy, Vonda, Betty, and Pam, who always encourage me no matter what, and my son and daughter who share my love of the fantastical!

  Also by Terry Spear:

  Romantic Suspense: Deadly Fortunes, In the Dead of the Night, Relative Danger, Bound by Danger

  The Highlanders Series: Winning the Highlander’s Heart, The Accidental Highland Hero, Highland Rake, Taming the Wild Highlander

  Other historical romances: Lady Caroline & the Egotistical Earl, A Ghost of a Chance at Love

  Heart of the Wolf Series: Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Seduced by the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Heart of the Highland Wolf, Dreaming of the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, Silence of the Wolf, 2014, Hero of a Highland Wolf, 2014, A Highland Wolf Christmas, 2014; A SEAL Wolf for Sale, 2015

  SEAL Wolves: To Tempt the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas

  Silver Bros Wolves: Destiny of the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Dreaming of the Wolf, Silence of the Wolf

  Highland Wolves: Heart of the Highland Wolf, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas

  Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger, Jaguar Fever, Jaguar Hunt, 2014