Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  A small smile curved his lips despite the strain on his face. “Ah Mia, my sweet brave girl, your wish is my command.” He pulled out slowly, and Mia squeezed her eyes shut, unable to hold back tears as the motion brought more pain at first. He kept moving, however, slowly retreating from her body and penetrating her again, and the ancient rhythm somehow ignited a small spark inside her again. Sensing it, he gradually picked up the pace and changed his angle slightly, so that the broad head of his shaft nudged some sensitive spot deep inside. His arm reached between them, knowing fingers unerringly finding her clitoris, and he pressed lightly, keeping the pressure steady and letting his strokes move her against his hand. Mia’s body tensed again, this time for a different reason, and liquid heat began to gather in her core. She found herself starting to pant, echoing his heavy breathing, and the tension inside her became nearly unbearable, every thrust of his cock bringing her closer and closer to the edge without sending her over. The pain didn’t go away—it was still there—but somehow it didn’t matter as every nerve in Mia’s body focused on her desperate need for the release. He groaned, his hips now hammering at her, and she screamed in frustration, small fists beating uselessly against his chest, her body vibrating like a guitar string from the intolerable tension deep inside. And suddenly it was too much. She felt him swell up even more, and then he was coming with one final deep thrust that sent her over the edge, his pelvis grinding against her sex as her entire body seemed to explode with an orgasm so powerful that she literally saw stars, her brain almost short-circuiting from the intensity of the climax.

  She lay there afterwards, feeling his cock still twitching inside her even as it became softer and smaller. His shoulders and back were slick with sweat, and his breathing sounded like he had just run a marathon, his body lying heavily on top of hers. Her own limbs were shaking slightly, she noticed with a curiously detached interest, and her heart was pounding as though from a physical exertion.

  He pulled out then, and Mia felt the loss of heat from his body, a strange inner coldness taking its place. He left the room, and she brought her knees up to her chest in a slow, painful motion, her body feeling foreign as she curled into a fetal position on her side, her mind oddly blank. There were streaks of blood on her thighs, much more blood than the spotting she’d always thought was the norm.

  He came back a minute later, a small white tube in his hands. Squeezing out some clear substance, he coated his finger in it and reached between her legs, entering her sore opening despite her faint protest. Almost immediately, Mia felt the burning pain beginning to abate as the mystery gel worked its magic.

  “It’s an analgesic, and it will speed your recovery,” he explained, wiping his hand on the sheets to get rid of the excess. “Unfortunately, I can’t heal you completely because the last thing I want is for your membrane to regrow itself.”

  Mia responded by curling up into an even smaller ball. More than anything, she wanted to shrink and disappear, to pretend that none of this was real. He didn’t let her though, gathering her closer to him in a spooning position, his large warm body curling around her own. “I hate you,” she told him, wanting to lash out and hurt him somehow. She felt his sigh against her back. “I know,” he said, gently stroking her tangled curls.

  They must have lain like that for a few minutes. The sheets smelled like sex, Mia noticed, and like him. There was also a metallic odor that Mia realized had to be the remnants of her virginity.

  “You never drank my blood,” she said, finding it easier to communicate like that, with her back turned toward him.

  “No, I didn’t,” he agreed, adding, “I think you’ve had enough new experiences for one day.”

  How considerate of him, Mia thought bitterly. Such a gentleman, sparing the poor virgin additional trauma. Never mind that he was the cause of that trauma in the first place.

  As though sensing the direction of her thoughts, he said, continuing to stroke her hair, “I’m sorry it was so painful for you. I know you won’t believe me right now, but I never wanted to hurt you like that and I never will again. Had I known how narrow you were inside and how thick your membrane would be, I would have made sure to remove it before we got anywhere near this bedroom. Once I was inside you, it was too late—I just couldn’t stop. It won’t be like this next time, I promise.”

  Mia listened to his little speech with a growing dread in her stomach. “Just to be clear,” she said slowly, “I don’t ever want to do this with you again. Ever. If you touch me again, it will be rape in the very real sense of the word.”

  Korum didn’t answer, and Mia realized with a sinking feeling that he very much intended for there to be a next time. “You’re a monster,” she told him, trying to pull away. He let her go, getting up himself. Before she realized what he wanted, he bent over the bed and lifted her in his arms, carrying her naked out of the room.

  He brought her to the same bathroom Mia had showered in before. At some point, he must have filled the jacuzzi because it was ready for them. He carefully set her on her feet in the wonderfully hot water that came up to her waist. Her legs still felt shaky, so Mia lowered herself into the bubbles, finding a step on which she could sit. Powerful jets pleasantly massaged her tired muscles, washing off dried blood and semen on her thighs, and Mia leaned back against the edge and closed her eyes, trying to ignore Korum’s naked presence.

  A scary thought suddenly entered her mind, causing her eyes to pop open. “You didn’t use any protection,” she hissed at him, horrified at the realization. “Am I going to catch some kind of a weird STD or worse—get pregnant?”

  He laughed, throwing his head back. “No, my sweet—both would be an impossibility. You’re far safer having sex with me than with any human male, regardless of how many condoms he wears.”

  Mia exhaled in relief. The gel he’d used earlier and the hot water were doing wonders for her physical state, and she felt nearly back to her old self. She was also hungry, she realized.

  “I should get going,” she said, looking around the bathroom for a towel or a robe to wrap herself in. She still didn’t feel comfortable being naked in front of him.

  “Why?” he asked lazily, moving his muscular back to take better advantage of the jets. “You already missed your class and you don’t have anything on Wednesdays.”

  Apparently, he knew her class schedule by heart.

  Mia shrugged, no longer surprised by anything. “I’m hungry, and I want to go home,” she said, telling the truth.

  He grinned at her, looking happy for some reason. “I’ll make you something to eat. Why don’t you relax here some more, and I’ll come get you when the food is ready.”

  She nodded, deciding not to argue at the memory of the delicious meal he’d made before.

  Still smiling, Korum rose and stepped out of the tub, water streaming down his golden skin and well-defined muscles. Despite everything that happened, Mia felt a spark of arousal at the sight of him fully naked. His back was broad and muscular, and his hips were narrow. His ass was the best she’d ever seen on a man, tight with muscle, and his legs looked powerful. She wondered if Ks needed to work out to maintain their looks and resolved to ask him at some point later.

  “Like what you see?” he asked with a sly smile, obviously noticing her scrutiny.

  Mia blushed a little and then told herself not to be a ninny. “Sure,” she said with a straight face. “You’re very pretty, like a male Barbie doll.”

  Far from offended, he laughed with genuine amusement. “Not like Ken, I hope. Isn’t he missing the requisite equipment?”

  Mia just shrugged in response, not wanting to get into this kind of banter with him right now. Grinning, he exited the room, leaving her alone to enjoy the jacuzzi for the next twenty minutes.

  By the time he came back, Mia was already showered and wrapped in the familiar robe she’d discovered in the bathroom closet. She even found the slippers she’d worn before and gladly put them on. Showering here was becoming a
habit.

  She accompanied Korum to the kitchen, her mouth watering at the delicious smells emanating from there. He had made another one of his signature salads and a dish of roasted buckwheat with stir-fried carrots and mushrooms. Feeling like she was starving, Mia attacked her food with appreciation, and so did he. For a while, the kitchen was silent, except for chewing noises and the clattering of their silverware. Finally feeling replete, Mia leaned back in her chair. He was done with his portion, as usual, and was observing her with a half-smile.

  “What?” asked Mia self-consciously, wondering if she had a bit of lettuce stuck between her teeth.

  “Nothing,” he said, and his smile got wider. “I just love watching you eat. You do it with such enthusiasm—it’s very endearing.”

  Mia flushed a little. He obviously thought she was a glutton. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Yeah, what can I say? I really like food.”

  He grinned. “I know. I really like that about you. Very unexpected in a girl your size.”

  Mia smiled back tentatively and got up from her chair. Now was as good a time as any. “Okay, well, thank you for the meal. I’ll just change and get out of your hair.”

  The smile left his face. He clearly didn’t like hearing that. “Why don’t you stay?” he suggested softly. “I promise not to touch you again today, if that’s what worries you.”

  Mia swallowed, suddenly feeling on edge. “I really have to get going,” she said, hoping that she was misreading his body language—that he didn’t really have the intention of keeping her there against her will.

  He looked directly into her eyes. Whatever he had seen there seemed to make up his mind. “Okay,” he said slowly. “You can go home.” Mia’s breath escaped in relief—prematurely, as it turned out. Because he added next, “But I want you to come back here tonight. Gather whatever you need for the next day or two—or I can buy you new things if you prefer—and come back here by 7 p.m. I’ll make us dinner.”

  Mia stared at him. “And if I don’t?” she asked defiantly.

  “Then I will come and get you,” he answered, the look in his eyes leaving no doubt of his seriousness.

  “But why?” Mia burst out in frustration. “Why do you want to be with someone who doesn’t want you? Who hates you, in fact? Surely, there can’t be a shortage of willing women for you. You’ve already gotten what you wanted from me. Can’t you move on to another victim?”

  His eyes narrowed in anger. “Well, Mia, you’re right. There is no shortage of women who would love to be in your shoes, and I could easily get myself another ‘victim,’ as you so nicely put it.” He took a step toward her. “The reason why I want you—as unwilling as you pretend to be—is because chemistry like ours is very rare. You’re very young, even for a human, so you don’t realize what we have. Do you honestly think that sex would be like that for you with another man? Or that just any woman could have that kind of effect on me?” He paused and continued in a softer tone, “This kind of attraction happens once in a blue moon, and I know better than to give up on it even if you’re running scared right now.” Staring into her shocked face, he added with a familiar golden gleam in his eyes, “I know this is all very new to you, and that you probably felt more pain than enjoyment today. It won’t be like that again. The next time you’re in my bed, I promise that your only screams will be those of pleasure.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Mia left his apartment and walked home, her thoughts whirling in chaos. She was no longer a virgin, and she had the residual soreness between her thighs to prove it. His gel thingy had helped with the majority of the pain, but she could still feel echoes of his fullness inside her. Her sex clenched slightly at the memory of the orgasms he’d given her, and she shivered with the intensity of her recollection. And he wanted to see her again, tonight. In fact, it sounded like he had no intention of dropping his pursuit—in complete disregard of her wishes.

  At that thought, Mia got angry again. He had no right to do this to her. His species may have guided human evolution, but that didn’t mean he owned her. Whatever special chemistry he thought they had did not excuse his behavior, and Mia hated the idea that he thought he could have her whenever he wanted. She wished there was something she could do to thwart him, but her own response to him had made a mockery of any resistance.

  It was a long walk back to her apartment, but Mia wanted to stretch her legs and clear her head before potentially seeing her roommate. By the time she got to her building, she was sufficiently tired that going up five flights of stairs seemed like a chore. She was looking forward to plopping down on the couch and doing something totally brainless—like watching a show on her laptop.

  This was not her day, however. Jessie had guests, Mia realized as she opened the door and heard masculine voices in the living room. Walking in, she was surprised to see two men she’d never met before.

  One of them—an Asian guy—looked to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, while the other had to be at least thirty. The older guy caught her attention immediately. There was something about the way he sat on the couch that gave her the impression of a coiled spring. His hair was blond, and his ice-blue eyes were extraordinarily watchful. He looked to be of medium height and lean, maybe even a bit on the skinny side.

  At Mia’s entrance, they both got up. Jessie remained sitting, looking pale and strangely guilty. “Hi, Mia,” she said with some hesitation. “This is my cousin Jason and his friend John.”

  Mia’s eyebrows rose. “The Jason we mentioned this morning?” she asked in confusion.

  The Asian guy nodded. “The one and only.”

  “Oh, hi . . . nice to meet you,” Mia said politely, trying to connect the dots.

  “They’re here to talk to you,” Jessie said, and Mia realized why she looked so guilty.

  “Are you guys, like, the Resistance or something?” she asked incredulously. At their non-response, she drew her own conclusion. “Look, I don’t know what Jessie told you, but we really don’t have anything to talk about—”

  “On the contrary, Miss Stalis,” John said, speaking for the first time in a slightly raspy voice, “we have a lot to discuss. Jason—why don’t you catch up with your cousin while Miss Stalis and I conclude our discussion?”

  Seeing Mia’s response in the stormy expression gathering on her face, Jessie gave her a pleading look. “Please, Mia, I know you’re mad at me, but I really think they can help you. Just hear them out, okay? Jason said they can give you some good tips on how to handle this situation—that’s why they’re here.”

  Mia sighed heavily and bit out, “Fine.” Apparently, her relaxing afternoon at home was not to be.

  “When does he want to see you again?” John asked quietly.

  Mia blinked in surprise. “Uh—tonight at seven.”

  “Okay,” he said, “that gives us enough time to bring you up to speed. Tell me—have you been shined?”

  “Shined?”

  “Did he use any kind of alien device on you that shined a reddish light on any part of your body where the skin was broken?”

  Mia stared at him in shock. “How do you know about that?”

  Taking that as an affirmative, he said, “You can’t leave the apartment then. Jason—why don’t you take your cousin to see a movie while Miss Stalis and I talk here?”

  Jason nodded and left with Jessie in tow, although Mia could see that her roommate was just dying with curiosity.

  When they were alone, Mia asked angrily, “What do you mean, I can’t leave the apartment?”

  “You have been shined. He basically branded you—you now have little nano machines embedded in whatever part of your body has been shined on. They transmit your location to him at all times. If you were to do something he doesn’t expect, such as leaving your apartment when he thinks you should be home, he would know immediately—and it could make him suspicious.”

  Mia looked at her palms in horror. “You mean, when he healed my scrapes, he was really putting a tr
acking device inside me? Why would he do this?” She raised her head with suspicion. “And how do you know all this?”

  “Miss Stalis—” he said wearily.

  “Please call me Mia,” she interrupted.

  “Okay, Mia,” he agreeably repeated, “we have been fighting the Krinar for a very long time. Don’t you think we would’ve learned a lot about our enemy in the process?”

  “Okay,” Mia said slowly, “let’s say I believe you. Why would he do this? Brand me like that?”

  “To know your whereabouts at all times, of course. It’s standard operating procedure for them.”

  Mia stared at him with shock. “Well then, what can you do to help me?”

  “We can’t help you, Mia,” John said bluntly. “But you can help us.”

  Mia inhaled sharply. She was afraid it might be something like this. “I think you’ve been misinformed. I don’t want to get involved with your cause in any way, shape, or form. You can’t win, and the last thing we need is to return to the days of the Great Panic. I just want to be left alone—by Korum, by you, and by everyone else—and if you can’t help me with that, then you should just get out.” She pointed at the door.

  “You are already involved, Mia, whether you like it or not. Do you know who your K lover is?”

  “He’s not my lover!” Mia said sharply.

  “You haven’t slept with him?” Seeing the color flooding her face, he said, “That’s what I thought. I’m sure he wasted no time taking exactly what he wanted from you, just like they took our planet.”

  Mia fought her embarrassment. “What do you mean, do I know who he is?”

  “Did he tell you anything about himself? Do you know why he’s here, in New York? How the Ks ended up coming to Earth in general?”