Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  CHAPTER NINE

  Tanner stalked down the unmated demons’ quarters in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. In the three days since he’d brought Saige and Logan here, he had shown them around the place, but also tried to give them space. The healers had examined them and, luckily, had released them that same night.

  Now they slept in the guest quarters. Hopefully that would change soon. Logan relentlessly asked about starting Watcher training, and when he did, he’d be living on the same floor as Tanner.

  And if that happened, he’d bet that Saige would stay too. Their sibling bond was tight and precious, and he was glad they had each other to lean on.

  He wandered down the stairs, drawn by a need he couldn’t explain. Emerging one floor below, the guest floor, he drew a deep breath. There were usually several guests staying at HQ at any given time, and tonight several scents mingled together, including Saige’s.

  The sweet jasmine lingering in the air wasn’t recent. He knew she’d met Melixa and another witch, Whysper, today. They planned to start working with her on honing her incredible skill and achieving enough control to not black out after using it.

  His boots thudded on the smooth marble floor. He wouldn’t go into her room—it had a lock and he was sure she used it. But he’d just walk by. Just to hear her breathing steadily, hopefully sleeping peacefully.

  He passed Logan’s room first. Right next to Saige’s, the carved wooden doors matched and gleaming silver doorknobs reflected the fire bulbs along the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, he continued to her door…and frowned.

  His acute hearing allowed him to detect her breathing even through the door, and it wasn’t steady. Punctuated by loud sighs and grunts, her choppy breaths were anything but peaceful.

  A nightmare? Shit, he wouldn’t be surprised, after her ordeal.

  She cried out, and he instantly laid his hands against the carved wood. “Saige?”

  A gasp carried to his ears and he detected the rustle of cotton sheets. A deep sigh echoed through the door, as if she were catching her breath.

  “Saige? Are you okay?”

  Rapid, light footsteps padded across the room, getting louder as she neared the door. The lock clicked as she yanked it open. The light from the hall made her blink, scrunching her beautiful face and stepping back. “Tanner? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

  “I wanted to check on you.” It might sound lame, but it was the truth. “Are you okay? I heard you cry out.”

  “I had a nightmare.” She shoved a hand through her sleep-mussed hair and gazed up at him, looking weary but vulnerable. A soft pink tank top clung to her slender torso, and white gauzy wide-legged pajama pants swallowed up her legs. Only her bare toes peeked out, decorated with a coat of bright yellow polish that he didn’t remember seeing earlier in the day. She leaned her head against the doorframe as her eyes roamed his shoulders. “Can you come in?”

  “Of course.” He followed her into the dark room and closed the door behind him. Wrapping her in his arms, he allowed her scent, her nearness, her touch, to saturate his senses. Gods, it felt good to hold her. “Want to talk about it?”

  “Actually, no,” she murmured into his chest. “It was about being back at the Vipers’ place.” She shuddered. “I can never thank you enough for getting us out of there.”

  “Like I’d leave you to those assholes. I’d kill them again if I could.” His grip tightened. “Have you had many nightmares?”

  “Not really. I’ve had dreams the last two nights but not bad enough to wake me up.” She yawned against his T-shirt. “One of the healers told me this might happen; that it’s normal after a trauma.”

  “True.” He rubbed her back. “I’m glad you talked to them about this stuff. Is there anything I can do?”

  She pulled back to look up at him, brown eyes soft and sweet. “Could you…stay?”

  Primal pride flared in his chest. He knew in that moment that he could never say no to her. “You got it.”

  She climbed into the king size bed and scooted over, making room for him. She looked so small in it. He kicked off his shoes and socks and got in beside her, pulling her against him, his chest to her back. Her hair was silk against his cheek and her jasmine scent surrounded him.

  Lying next to her, feeling her soft curves, stirred his cock. But that’s not why he was there. He sensed the trust she had in him, and it roused something powerful in his heart. “You have a good day?”

  “Yeah.” Her voice was quiet and drowsy. “I like it here. There’s so much going on, and everyone has been nice. I just hope...”

  Her voice hitched on the last words and he guessed the reason why. “No one will hold what happened against you.”

  “I just feel so guilty,” she whispered.

  “Everyone here understands why you had to play along with the Vipers’ sick game,” he murmured. “We deal with kidnappings and coercive situations often, unfortunately.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yep. The realms can be brutal, as you know.” He stroked lightly up and down her thigh, feeling smooth muscles through the thin cotton of her pants. “And by the way, the staff and Watchers are kinda blown away by your power. Mind control is rare but so damn amazing. You’ll get better at it.”

  “I hope so. I’d like to stay here and so would Logan.”

  “You can.” He smiled into the dark, vowing to make that happen as seamlessly as possible. He slid his arm across her waist to grip her hand. “Arawn is wrapping up meetings with the families and will give an official statement tomorrow. And he believes in you.”

  “I still can’t believe he knows who I am. That’s surreal.”

  Tanner nuzzled her hair. “Have you met him yet?”

  “No! I’m too scared.”

  He gave a low chuckle. “He doesn’t bite. Well, only Ria.”

  “Good for them. I’ll just, you know, hang out in the background, trying not to pass out.”

  He released her hand only to brush her hair away from her ear. Unable to resist, he dropped a quick kiss to her cheek. “If you work with Melixa and Whysper, you’ll be fine. They’ll come up with a plan and a pace that works for you.”

  “I hope so.” Her delicate fingers tugged his arm, and he slid it beneath her head, pillow-style. She held his hand between both of hers. “I’m glad you’re here.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  Hell. There’s nowhere he’d rather be. “I’m all yours, Saige.”

  Her breathing evened out, and in minutes she was asleep. Peacefully.

  Had she heard those last words from his mouth? If she had, then fine. He didn’t feel like trying to hide anything from her. And lying beside her felt more perfect than anything he could imagine. He didn’t remember the last time he’d lain with a female and not fucked her. But Saige wasn’t any female. He’d do anything she needed, whether it was busting her out of a hellhole, or simply tucking her against his body.

  It went beyond the need to protect. This was deeper and he didn’t understand where it was coming from, but this female filled every inch of him with her sweetness, and he wasn’t about to let it go.

  ***

  Early morning light tried to force its way into the room, pulling Saige from a warm and blissful sleep. As her sluggish mind roused itself toward conscious thought, three things registered with clarity and made her grin and want to stretch out like a contented cat.

  First, the light told her she was in a room with a window. No more Viper basement, surrounded by concrete and angry shouts. A real room. Even on this third morning of freedom, she still wanted to pinch herself.

  And one with a bed that felt like a cloud, with sheets so soft she wanted to keep brushing her hand across them. Anything this soft had to be no more substantial than a butterfly wing or a gossamer web, right?

  She grabbed a fistful of exquisite cotton and started to bring her hand up to her chin—and bumped into the third, and best, thing. Another hand, draped across her waist.


  Tanner.

  Her body heated and she was glad no one could see the huge smile that had to be pulling her mouth upward. He’d stayed with her all night. He hadn’t snuck out. She hadn’t been sure if he would try to or not, but now all she wanted was to savor this wonderfully private time with him. She took a steady breath and thought about every inch of his legs, which were entwined with hers. Her mind conjured his broad chest and narrow hips, pressed up against her backside. She glanced down at his strong fingers, relaxed against the white cotton sheet. He stayed with me.

  Gods, could there be a better way to wake up?

  Not that she could imagine.

  Joy bloomed in her heart, and in the glow of dawn, she didn’t fight it. Being close to him warmed her inside and out, and it wasn’t just physical. She’d been here three days and couldn’t seem to get enough time with him, though she knew he was busy. The last thing she wanted was to be needy.

  But in this moment, she’d take advantage of every second.

  She lay still for several seconds more, then impatience took over. Slowly, she turned in his arms, needing to visually devour him without anyone else watching her.

  But he was awake. Sexy green eyes opened lazily and his lips pulled up into a grin. “Hey.” His sleep-roughened voice rumbled through her bones, awakening every cell with delicious promise.

  “Hey,” she whispered. “I’m so glad you stayed.” She lay on her side, facing him while he traced a slow pattern on her hip.

  “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” His hand dropped to capture hers. He simply held it, eyes roaming her as if memorizing her.

  She’d wanted to drown in those eyes before—now, she gave in to their endless depths. She let all thought slip away and just breathed him in. His warmth, his scent with a hint of spice, and the tactile pleasure of his hand encompassing hers.

  Minutes passed, and a sensation unlike any she’d known washed over her. Security, devotion, forever. What was this? Her parents would have loved her forever, had they been here. Logan—she loved him with all her heart.

  But this was profoundly different. Her mind struggled to understand, while her soul was telling her to stop thinking so hard and to lose herself in this male. Her face must have given her away.

  “What are you thinking?” His deep voice broke the room’s quiet.

  “Um.” How could she put words to this odd new vibe that she couldn’t explain? She needed to say something believable, because there was no way she could lie to him. “Um, I’ve never slept with a guy before.”

  He arched a brow and his lips twitched as if he was trying to hold in a laugh.

  “I mean—” She scrunched her nose. “That came out wrong. Obviously.”

  “Obviously,” he repeated with a chuckle.

  “I mean, I’ve never stayed all night in bed with someone.” Shit, that didn’t sound right either. It sounded like she had casual sex and took off right after. “I haven’t had many relationships, or whatever, you know? I lived with my parents, and then they were gone, and then Logan and I were on our own.”

  He reached over to toy with a lock of her hair. “So I’m your first sleepover?”

  She giggled. “Yeah.”

  “Did I snore?”

  Her giggle morphed into a laugh. She couldn’t imagine him snoring. “No! I mean, I don’t know. I slept like a baby. Actually...” She stretched one arm over her head. “That’s the best I’ve slept in months.”

  “Anytime you have a bad dream, just call me,” he murmured.

  What if I just want you here? Even if I have good dreams? She gazed across the few inches between them and dared to stroke a hand down his thick biceps. Would she sound clingy if she said that?

  He would probably be too polite to tell her. Then where would that leave her? Clingy and alone in a new home? Shaking off the thought, a new one popped into her head. Half joking, she said, “Or I could compel you to come here.”

  “Oh, really?” He propped up on one elbow and flashed her a devilish grin. “Compel me to your bed? Then what would you do with me?”

  “Ah, well…” She was hit with images of exactly what they could do. Their time at Hades reigned as her best sexual experience ever. But the recent reasons why she’d used her power on males had her regretting that she’d brought it up. “That was a dumb thing to say. Never mind.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’m curious. Try it.”

  “To get you in my bed?” She took a shot at lighthearted. Anything to push away the negative aspects of her power and recapture the security-plus-butterflies feeling that his presence brought. “You’re already here.”

  “I’m very aware of that.” His voice was a husked breath that had her biting her lip. “I want you to try your power on me. See what happens.”

  She blinked up at him. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “Why not? Just for two minutes. Ask me to do something small. Get you a glass of water, recite the alphabet, something like that.”

  “Um…” If it were just for a minute or two, she’d probably be okay. And if she blacked out, she was already in bed. “If I…”

  “If you pass out, I’ll call Logan and a healer right away.”

  “Okay.” Her power was part of her, and she may as well learn to control it. Plus, she trusted him implicitly. She scooted up to a cross-legged position.

  He sat up as well, looking relaxed and ready for anything.

  She took a deep breath and focused on Tanner’s mind, pushing her energy toward him just as she had done with everyone else.

  He quirked a brow. “I feel your power. It makes this static buzz in the air, like some types of magic.”

  She frowned. “Why are you talking?”

  “I’m not allowed to talk while I’m waiting?”

  “Waiting?” She shook her head. “It’s done. I did it. You should be just sitting there, waiting for me to command you.”

  His full lips twitched again and his eyes sparkled. Her cheeks heated as she realized her double-entendre. “Saige.” His low voice saturated her senses. “You don’t have to compel me for that.”

  Oh my gods. Her stomach clenched. Why could she not string words together this morning? She shook her head to clear it. “You should be, like, zoned out. Not acting on your own. Or speaking unless spoken to.”

  “You did it the same way as you’ve always done?”

  “Yeah.” She tried again, this time thinking harder about his mind, willing it to submit to her. She’d never had to do that before, even with the other Lash males.

  Tanner sat there, close enough to touch, looking as sexy and alert as ever. “You did it again?”

  “Yes.” She could only stare at him in wonder. “Oh my gosh. It doesn’t work on you.”

  Green eyes widened. “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. That’s never happened before.”

  He took her hand, turning it over to skim circles on her palm. “Interesting. Definitely mention it to Melixa and Whysper.”

  “I will.” His touch took the edge off her confusion and soothed her. None of this made sense, but did it need to? So what if there was one person who was immune to her power?

  And that person just happened to be a male who affected her like no other? Were her own emotions getting in the way of her ability?

  And if so, would that be a bad thing?

  “I have to go.” He set her hand gently on the bed. “I don’t want to. But I have a training session with my team.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Of course, he had demands on his time. She took a last lingering look at his mesmerizing eyes and the stubble dusting his jaw.

  “I’ll come and find you at lunchtime.” He leaned forward to place a quick kiss on her cheek, then he was off the bed and pulling on his shoes.

  She nodded, already missing him. But he had a job to do, and she needed to find her place now that she was free.

  With him. A quiet voice pulsed with absolute certainty, deep in her heart.

 
Watching him leave with a wave, she wished she could compel that thought into reality.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Two weeks later

  “That’s good, Saige. Release her now.” The melodic voice of the oldest creature Saige had ever met filled the dark quiet room in the depths of Watcher HQ’s spell department. Whysper’s gray hair swished around her tiny shoulders as she nodded at Saige.

  Saige blew out a breath and focused on removing the mental hold she had on Melixa’s mind. She was finally getting used to this, as opposed to leaving someone under her spell and walking away, letting it wear off on its own.

  Melixa’s bright blue eyes blinked and she focused with a new clarity on Saige. “I’m back.” She gave Saige a huge smile.

  “Good. How do you feel?” Saige asked.

  “Great! You?” The young witch studied her with innate perception.

  Saige paused. “Fine. I think I’m fine.” The witches had insisted on keeping her practice sessions brief, at least in the beginning.

  “Whew.” Melixa grinned. “That’s a relief. We don’t want you to pass out, and I’m pretty sure Tanner would blow a gasket if you did.” The witch tilted her head. “I still don’t know why your ability didn’t work on him, though.” She flicked a glance to Whysper, who shrugged.

  “We will know in time. Tanner is still young. As is Saige.”

  Tanner. Saige’s skin warmed at his name. He’d made time to see her every day, showing her around, taking meals with her, and just hanging out. But no more affection than his hand at the small of her back.

  Well, other than holding her after her nightmare. Gods, she’d slept like a baby in his arms. And the next morning had been as wonderful as it had been mystifying.

  He consumed her thoughts and dreams, and she couldn’t deny the amazing sensation that settled over her when he was near. It was like a blanket, warm and secure. A feeling of being protected and cherished. But was it all in her head?