Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  Her free hand curled into a fist on the couch.

  “You acted foolishly tonight. Two pretty girls going out dressed like that—any number of bad things could have happened to you. And drinking until you throw up—you might as well schedule a liver transplant for yourself in the near future. Your human body is already fragile, and I won’t allow you to abuse it like this.”

  Mia’s nails dug into her palm in frustrated anger. To be lectured like this, as though she was a stupid teenager, was beyond humiliating.

  “If you want to go out dancing, I will take you. And no more nights out with your roommate—the two of you clearly cannot be trusted.”

  Mia just stared at him with a mutinous look on her face.

  “And now,” he said softly, “we should discuss your little misconception earlier . . . the fact that you actually believed that I would kill you for kissing a boy in a club.”

  “You nearly killed Peter,” said Mia, frantically searching for an explanation for her earlier panic. “Why are you so surprised that I was scared?”

  “Peter deserved exactly what he got for touching what’s mine.” He leaned toward her. “You, on the other hand, have nothing to fear from me. When have I ever hurt you—aside from the loss of your virginity?”

  It was true. He had never caused her physical pain—at least not of the unpleasant kind. He was always very careful not to hurt her with his much greater strength. Of course, he didn’t know she was helping the Resistance.

  “Mia, I know we literally come from different worlds, but some things are universal across both species. I sleep with you every night, I kiss and caress your body, I take great pleasure in having sex with you—and you think that I could just snuff out your life like that, with no regrets?”

  He still might, if he discovered her true betrayal.

  Taking her silence for the affirmative, he shook his head in disappointment. “Mia, I’m really not the monster you’ve made me out to be in your mind. I would not hurt you—ever, under any circumstances. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, suppressing a slight yawn. She felt completely drained, exhaustion creeping up on her during their conversation. Even after the restorative potion he’d fed her, she was more than ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow she would gladly analyze all the ins and outs of his words, but for tonight—she was completely done.

  “All right,” he said, “I can see that you’re tired. Let’s go to bed. You’ll feel much better after some rest.”

  Mia nodded gratefully, and he picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom.

  Entering the room, he placed her gently on the bed.

  Too tired to move, Mia just lay there, watching as he stripped off his clothes. His body was truly beautiful—all muscle, covered with that smooth golden skin. All of his movements were inhumanly graceful and carefully controlled. For the first time, Mia realized that he probably exerted a lot of effort to reign in the enormous strength she’d witnessed today.

  He came toward her, his cock already stiff, and opened her robe. “You’re so lovely,” he murmured, studying her body with obvious appreciation. Despite her exhaustion, she felt her inner muscles clenching in anticipation.

  Climbing over her, he bent down and kissed the sensitive part of her neck. Mia held her breath, waiting for the familiar rush of bite-induced ecstasy, but he just continued nibbling his way down the rest of her body, with only his lips and tongue touching her. She moaned softly, wanting more, but he was ruthlessly slow, branding every inch of her skin with his mouth.

  He reached her feet, and Mia giggled, feeling his lips closing over one of her toes. And then his warm hands touched her foot, massaging with a light yet firm pressure, and Mia arched in unexpected pleasure as his thumb found a spot that sent sensations directly to her nether regions. All of a sudden, she didn’t feel like giggling anymore as tension started building in her sex. He gave her other foot the same treatment, and she cried out, feeling as if he was touching her clit instead.

  He flipped her over then and removed the robe completely. Grabbing a pillow, he placed it under her hips, elevating her butt. For some reason, Mia felt very vulnerable, lying there face down, with her back exposed to the predator she was sleeping with.

  Leaning over her, Korum lifted the dark mass of curly hair off her shoulders, revealing the tender spot of her nape. Bending down, he kissed it lightly, his mouth feeling hot on her sensitive skin. She shivered from the sensation, and he moved lower, kissing his way down each vertebra of her spine until he reached her tailbone. His hands touched her butt, lightly squeezing the pale globes, and she felt his mouth leisurely making its way down to the opening of her sex, teasing the crevice between her cheeks on the way with his tongue. She jumped, startled by the unfamiliar sensation, and he laughed softly at her reaction. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “we’ll leave that for another time.”

  And then playtime was over.

  He settled over her, his legs pushing between her own, opening her wider. Mia gasped as she felt the heavy force of his cock pushing into her. Despite her wetness, he felt impossibly big in this position, and she whimpered slightly, her muscles quivering, trying to adjust to the intrusion. Sensing her difficulty, he paused for a second and reached under her hips, applying steady pressure to her clitoris even as he moved his pelvis in a series of small, shallow thrusts, working himself deeper into her. With his much larger body over her like that, she felt completely dominated, unable to move an inch, and she groaned in frustration, hovering on the verge of relief yet not climaxing. He moved deeper still, touching her cervix, and she froze as every nerve ending stood on edge, waiting for something—pleasure, pain, she didn’t care which as long as she could reach the elusive peak.

  He withdrew halfway then and slowly worked himself back in. The tension was becoming unbearable, and Mia resorted to begging, pleading him to do something, to make her come. “Not yet,” he told her, moving in that maddeningly slow rhythm that kept her at an agonizing intensity level. Whenever he sensed her orgasm approaching, he would slow down further, and then thrust faster when the sensation receded a bit. It was literally torture, and Mia realized that this was to be her punishment for tonight.

  “Korum, please,” she begged, but he was intractable. The slow drag and thrust of his cock was driving her insane. In any other position, she would have been able to do something, to move her hips in a way that speeded up the climax. But lying there like that, with his heavy body pressing her down, she could only scream in frustration.

  “You’re mine, do you understand it now?” he said hoarsely, still keeping up that mercilessly slow pace. “Only I can give you this—what your body craves. No one else . . . Do you understand that?”

  “YES! Please, just let me—”

  “Let you what?” he panted, the torture exerting a toll on him as well.

  “Just let me come! Please!”

  And he did. His thrusts gradually picked up speed, winding her up even tighter, and her screams got even louder . . . and then she went over the cliff, her entire body pulsing and spasming in a release so powerful that every muscle in her body trembled in its aftermath. Her orgasm sent him over the edge as well, and he came deep inside her with a hoarse groan, his seed spurting in warm bursts inside her belly.

  Mia lay there afterwards, feeling his weight pressing her down. She couldn’t breathe easily, but she didn’t care. She felt utterly boneless, unable to move in any case. And then Korum rolled away, freeing her. She shivered slightly at the feel of cool air on her naked sweaty back. He picked her up and took her into the shower again, for a quick rinse this time. And then they finally slept, with him cradling her possessively even in his sleep.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Mia woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly well. Dry mouth, a pounding headache, and the generally shitty overall state that came with the morning after clubbing—none of these were present today, likely due to Korum’s magic potion.

  As us
ual, she was alone in the bedroom. She had learned that Ks needed significantly less sleep than humans—some as little as a couple of hours a night—so Korum was a very early riser. It was just as well. She wasn’t sure she was eager to face him this morning.

  For some reason, she had never expected him to be jealous. With his looks and skills in bed, she couldn’t imagine that any female would prefer another man over him. Her light flirtation with Peter last night had been just that—harmless fun that would’ve never led anywhere.

  Most of the time, she had trouble deciphering his emotions. He usually seemed so calm and controlled, with that slightly mocking expression on his beautiful face. She knew she frequently amused him, and he often liked to tease her just to see her temper flare up. She imagined she was something like a kitten to him, a little creature that he liked to pet and play with on occasion. His reaction last night did not jive with that casual attitude, however. The extreme possessiveness he’d displayed didn’t make sense in light of what their relationship really was. He definitely liked having sex with her, but she could not imagine that she meant anything more to him than that.

  Then again—although she might have misinterpreted his expression last night—it seemed like he’d been genuinely hurt that she’d thought him capable of killing her. Could it be? Did he actually care for her as a person—as something more than his human toy? At this thought, an odd ache started in her chest. It couldn’t be, of course, but if he really did care for her . . .

  And then she remembered a little tidbit about life on Krina. They were territorial, he’d said, and didn’t like to live right on top of each other.

  And she wanted to cry.

  It was all clear now. Of course he had been mad at Peter last night: the poor guy had inadvertently infringed on Korum’s territory. As far as Korum was concerned, she belonged to him now, for as long as he wanted to keep her.

  She was another one of his possessions. And he didn’t like to share.

  As much as she wanted to laze in bed all day, there were things to be done. Her Stat final was tomorrow, and she still didn’t feel fully ready. The last thing she needed was the distraction of her screwed-up love life.

  Getting up, Mia brushed her teeth and got breakfast. Korum wasn’t home at all, and she wondered where he went.

  Before she settled down to study, she decided to check her phone to make sure that Jessie got home safely last night. Sure enough, there were about a dozen missed calls from her roommate and an equal number of texts and emails—each getting progressively more worried. Mia groaned. She should’ve texted Jessie last night before falling asleep, but it had been the last thing on her mind at the time.

  There was no help for it. Studying would have to wait. She called Jessie instead.

  Her roommate picked up at the first ring. “Oh my God, Mia, are you all right?!? What the fuck happened last night? If that alien bastard hurt you in any way—”

  “No, Jessie, he didn’t! Look, I’m totally fine—”

  “Totally fine? Everybody was talking about it last night—how he dragged you off after nearly killing Peter! I came back from the bathroom, and you were gone, and the poor guy was still choking on the floor—”

  “Is he all right now?” interrupted Mia, suddenly overcome by guilt.

  “He was taken to the hospital, but it was mostly swelling and bruises, they said. He’s probably going to have difficulty speaking for a few days, and I’m sure he was scared out of his mind . . .”

  “Oh my God, I am so sorry about that,” Mia groaned. “I should have never put him in danger like that—”

  “Him? What about yourself? Mia, this K of yours is insane! He was about to kill a person for dancing with you—”

  “Kissing me actually . . .”

  “Whatever! It’s not like you slept with the poor guy, but even if you had . . . that’s just crazy!”

  Mia sighed. “I know. I learned too late that they’re apparently very territorial and possessive. If I’d known before, I obviously would’ve never gone to the club in the first place—”

  “Territorial and possessive? More like homicidal! Mia . . . you really need to leave him. I’m scared for you . . .”

  “Jessie,” said Mia softly, wondering how to best phrase it, “I’m not sure that I can leave him yet.”

  “What do you mean? Like he would force you to stay somehow?”

  “I don’t really know, but I don’t think it’s the best idea to break up right now—”

  “Oh my God, I knew it! You are afraid of him! Did he threaten you in any way?”

  “No, Jessie, it’s not like that . . . He said he would never hurt me. I just think it’s best to let the relationship play out naturally. I’m sure he’ll get bored soon and move on—”

  “And you’re okay with that? Just waiting around until he tires of you? Wait, what about the summer, when you go home to Florida?”

  “Um, I’m not really sure how that’s going to play out yet . . . I haven’t really talked to him about that—”

  “Well, you better, because it’s coming up! Finals are next week, and then you’re gone. What is he going to do then? Not let you go home?”

  Jessie had a valid point. Mia had no idea what would happen at the end of next week. For some reason, she had thought that Korum might get bored of her before Florida became an issue. His actions last night, however, were not those of someone who was getting bored with his new toy; in fact, he seemed very determined to hold on to said toy. Mia was starting to worry, but Jessie didn’t need to know that.

  “No, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Look, Jessie, I know it sounds bad, but he’s really not mistreating me or anything. If I just act more considerately, everything will be totally fine. He’ll go back to his K Center soon, and I will have lots of interesting stories to tell my grandchildren . . .”

  “I don’t know, Mia. This is starting to sound like he’s almost holding you captive—”

  “Don’t be silly! Of course he’s not!”

  “Uh-huh,” said Jessie skeptically, “sure he’s not. You can just go anywhere you want, do anything you want—”

  “Well, no,” admitted Mia, “not exactly—”

  “Not at all! He’s keeping you prisoner there—”

  “No, he’s not,” protested Mia. Taking a deep breath, she added, “But even if he was, there’s nothing anyone can do about it. You saw it last night—they can nearly kill someone in public and nobody will say boo. Whether we like it or not, they are not subject to our laws. Jessie—please, just let it go . . . I know how to handle my relationship with him. Obviously, it’s not like dating another NYU student, but it’s not all bad—”

  “Not all bad? You mean the sex is good?”

  Mia blushed, glad that Jessie couldn’t see her. “Well, definitely that—it’s actually pretty amazing . . . but also just spending time with him. He can be really fun . . . and romantic, and he’s a great cook—”

  “Oh, don’t tell me . . . are you falling in love with him?”

  “No! Of course not!” Mia sincerely hoped she wasn’t lying. “He’s not even human—”

  “That’s right! He’s not human! Mia, he’s dangerous. Please be careful, okay? If you feel like you can’t break up with him yet, then don’t . . . but just don’t fall for him, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt . . .”

  “Of course, Jessie. Please don’t worry so much—I’m totally fine. But enough about me,” Mia said with false brightness. “What’s the deal with that hot actor you were flirting with all night?”

  “Oh, he was a total sweetheart. I gave him my number, and he said he will call today—”

  And Jessie told her all about the cute guy and how he was in town for at least a few more months, and how they both enjoyed Chinese food and had the same taste for nineties music . . . It was all so uncomplicated, and Mia envied her roommate for being able to fret over something as ordinary as whether Edgar would call today as promised.

 
; They wrapped up the conversation, and Mia promised to see Jessie the next morning after the Stat exam. And then she settled in to study for the rest of the day.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  On Monday morning, Mia walked out of her Stat exam feeling like she had conquered the world. She’d known the answer to every question and finished the test in half the time. Now she only had to turn in three papers, and the school year would be officially over.

  Elated, she texted Jesse to let her know that she was done. Her roommate was probably still taking her BioChem final, so Mia decided to chill in the park for a bit and wait for Jessie to finish up.

  Parking herself on a bench, she pulled out her phone to call her parents and let them know that the test had gone well. But before she could even press a button, a man sat down right next to her, and Mia found herself looking into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

  “John! What are you doing here?” Mia asked in surprise. She had always seen him inside her apartment, and it was a bit of a shock to see him out in the open like this.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something important, and I wasn’t sure when you would be home next,” he said. “But first, let me ask you . . . are you all right?”

  “Uh, yeah.” Mia flushed a little. “Why, did Jessie talk to Jason again?”

  “No, but we heard about what happened. Your Saturday night adventure made the local papers.”

  Mia shuddered. That was embarrassing. A scary thought occurred to her. “Was my name in the paper? If my parents find out—”

  “No, there was only a description. I doubt your family will make the connection.”

  Mia exhaled in relief. “Yeah, well, as you can see—I’m totally fine.”

  “Why did he attack that guy like that?

  Mia shrugged. “He’s just possessive, I guess. I was really scared, actually, because I thought he’d found out I was helping you. Turns out I was wrong, but there was a very unpleasant hour when I was certain he would kill me.”