Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection Read online

  This time, I felt much more awake.

  The room was quiet, except for the light beep beep of the machines, and the soft snores of the gorgeous man asleep in the chair next to my bed. A white hospital blanket had fallen off his chest, and now pooled in his lap. His face, usually relaxed and boyish when he slept, looked tense and stressed. His brows were puckered and his lips tight, instead of hanging open like I was used to seeing. His concern for me showed, even when unconscious. His soft brown hair was mussed and falling over his forehead, and I itched to run my fingers through the strands.

  His arms jerked slightly and I smiled. He did that often in his sleep and I thought it was adorable. Well, except when an elbow would accidentally catch me in the cheek. Though that was a rarity now. It seemed as if he’d gotten used to sleeping with me, and his nightly workouts had decreased over the last few weeks.

  As I watched him now, I realized that none of what happened, none of the secrets or lies, would keep me from him. It was all out in the open now. There was nothing holding us back and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man. Even if I had to dodge flying limbs in my sleep.

  The oxygen mask was uncomfortable, and I lifted my good arm to take it off. Once free, I took stock of my injury. I was bandaged up from elbow to shoulder, but at least I wasn’t feeling much pain, just a small throb.

  “Hey,” a deep voice whispered beside me. Adam sat up and ran a hand through his unruly locks as he looked at me, relief evident in his gaze. “Are you hurting?”

  “No.” I lied. I cleared my throat, but it was so dry I could barely swallow.

  “Here.” Adam stood and grabbed a big plastic cup from the table next to the bed, bending the straw to my lips. I drank a little and winced, but soon the cool water washed down easily and I sighed.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, as he pulled back.

  A pop of color in my peripheral vision caught my eyes. A vase of yellow roses stood next to another vase of wild flowers. I scanned the room and counted at least ten more bouquets. “What’s with all the flowers?” I asked.

  Adam’s smile was warm and loving, as he gazed down at me. “These are from some of the passengers and the flight crew. They wanted to see you, but I had to tell them to come back later.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what to say.

  “Your boyfriend was the most upset. He pitched the biggest fit when they tried to put you in a room with another patient. He demanded you get your own room before I could even protest myself”

  My brow furrowed. “Boyfriend?”

  Adam grinned. “Does the name Tommy ring a bell?”

  Wow. “Um, okay. That was sweet of him,” I said, but I was still confused. “Boyfriend?” I asked again, and Adam chuckled. “I was just teasing you. He was really concerned. Said he wanted to come back and give you a pedicure.”

  My brows raised with interested. “Now that’s the kind of man I need around here.” Me and this Tommy fellow might be getting along just fine.

  Adam and I both laughed softly, but it didn’t last long. Falling into Adam’s blue eyes, I sighed with contentment. If only the worsening throb in my arm would go away, then everything would be perfect. I could have called the nurse for my pain medicine, but I wanted a few more minutes with my husband.

  “I guess we landed okay?” I asked.

  Instead of answering, he leaned down to kiss me. His lips trembled beneath mine, as he moved his mouth with purpose, coaxing me to open my mouth and deepen the kiss. I did, allowing his tongue to swoop in and take over. He tasted like coffee and Adam. My favorite combination.

  I blinked up at him as he pulled away, the smile I felt tugging at my lips slipped away when I saw the tears pooling in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He sniffed and shook his head, gifting me with that grin I loved so much. “I’m just so glad you’re okay. You scared me there for a minute.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head and kissed me again, pressing his lips hard against mine for only a moment, before stepping back. “You need to rest.”

  “I will… but first, tell me what happened. I remember a lot of cursing and shaking. Did we crash?”

  Looking away, Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, no we didn’t crash… exactly. You know what?” He gave me a smile that was suppose to reassure me. “Don’t worry about it. We landed safely and you’re okay now. That’s all that matters.”

  “Adam...” Just when I was beginning my argument with the stubborn mule, the door to my room opened, and a tall man with cool gray eyes walked in.

  “Good, you’re awake. Did Adam tell you how he saved everyone’s life on that plane. I mean, it was truly miraculous.”

  It was odd, putting a face to the voice. I’d talked to him many times, but we’d never officially met.

  Nolan Parker stood just inside the room, his hands deep in his pockets as he spoke. Dark blond stubble covered his lower jaw, and his short hair looked almost as disheveled as Adam’s. His steel gray eyes came darn close to matching his tailored suit. I could tell right away why Adam had called him Stone. Though there was nothing menacing about him, he had a hard edge of authority that made him seem… well, hard as stone. Definitely good looking, though. Downright hot, if I wanted to be honest.

  “Glad to see you’re okay,” he said.

  “Yeah, nice to see you, period.” I smiled.

  His chuckle had a nice deep sound to it. Very manly. It reminded me of my husband. My gaze shot to his, and he rolled his eyes. Oops. I probably shouldn’t be ogling another man with him standing there. But Adam seemed resigned to it; like he’d seen it time and time again.

  “So, what was it you were saying?” I asked Nolan. “Adam saved the day?”

  “It was nothing,” Adam said, and even in the dimmed light, I could see the pink rising in his cheeks.

  I smirked, and looked back at Nolan. “What went wrong?” I asked.

  “What didn’t go wrong,” he replied. “The fuel had diminished to practically nothing. Then an engine blew. You’re all lucky to be alive.”

  My eyes widened. “I’m glad I was unconscious then.”

  “Speaking of...” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the verdict? You’re on medical leave, but the higher-ups want to know how long.”

  “I have no idea,” I told him. “I just woke up. I haven’t even spoken to the doctor yet.”

  “The surgery went well,” Adam answered Nolan, but he spoke to me. “The bullet hit a major artery. You lost a lot of blood, so you might feel a little weak for a while. But the doctor said with some physical therapy, you’ll have full use of your arm in no time.”

  “Well, that’s a relief.”

  “Definitely good news,” Nolan nodded. “I’ll let them know you’ll be in touch about returning to work.”

  “Sure.”

  “By the way, we have three of the seven hijackers in custody, including Gutierrez. We also detained four airline staff members that helped them get the weapons on the plane undetected. The others didn’t make it. But Gutierrez is singing like a canary.” His eyes cut to Adam, giving him a knowing look.

  My husband shrugged. “I only threatened him a little.”

  Nolan raised an eyebrow, and Adam sighed. “Okay, I might have used my wolfy charms. He’d already seen my strength, so I added a little claw to his nightmares.” He shrugged again. “No one would believe him anyway.”

  “Speaking of hard to believe,” I said with a sigh. I was getting sleepy again. “A lot of people saw Adam half changed into a wolf. How are we going to handle that?”

  “We’re taking care of it,” Nolan said, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Most don’t remember. Their memories are mixed up with other things that happened up there, but a few were spouting on and on about your wolfy charms, Adam.” Nolan glared at him. “But it’s under control. We’ve spun a story that you were using knives, not claws. So far, they believe it.”

  My eyes closed on another s
igh, and Adam placed his hand on mine, giving it a light squeeze. “She needs to rest,” he said.

  “Yes, I can see that. We’ll talk later, Nikki,” he said. Then I heard the click of the door and I relaxed.

  “You did great, getting rid of him that quickly.”

  I smiled, though I didn’t open my eyes. “I thought that would work,” I murmured. But I was too sleepy to say more. “Why am I so sleepy?”

  “Because I pressed the button for more pain medicine to drip into your IV.” I tried to glare, but my eyelids weren’t working properly. “Don’t get grouchy,” he teased. “I could tell you were in pain.”

  Warm lips pressed against my temple, and I breathed in the scent of the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. “Rest.” He spoke softly into my ear, sending a delightful tingle down my spine. “I’ll be here.”

  “I know,” I smiled. Reason number...

  I succumbed to the blissful, dreamless sleep that awaited me, knowing the man I loved would be waiting for me when I returned.

  CHAPTER 13

  “The Captain has indicated that we have begun our initial descent into the Denver area. In preparation for landing, please assist your cabin crew by placing your seat backs and tray tables in their upright and locked position...”

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Adam smirked.

  Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “No. I told you I’d be okay. I’m not scared of flying.”

  My husband choked on a laughed. “Really? That’s not the impression you gave me when we were landing in Miami.”

  That deserved a punch in the shoulder. “Ouch,” he said, but his grin only widened.

  “For your information, I was only slightly frightened.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I mean, who wouldn’t be with you flying the plane?”

  “Hey! I have experience.” His eyes widened with a mocking, wounded look I ignored.

  “So you say,” I shrugged. “And a hijacking took place.” I pointed my finger at him. “Not so, this time around.”

  “No, you made sure of that, babe.” He chuckled and grabbed my finger before I could poke him in the ribs. Bringing my hand to his lips, he placed a soft kiss on the inside of my palm.

  My eyes narrowed on the devishly handsome man I wanted to simultaneously kiss and slap. Damn his warm lips. That was cheating.

  “I was just looking out for the passengers,” I defended myself.

  “I’m sure they appreciated your holding up the flight so you could walk up and down the aisles, checking things out… twice.” He shook his head and sighed, as if to say, what am I going to do with you. “I can’t believe you used your badge like that,” he added.

  My chin lifted. “I’m sure they did appreciate it.”

  “Didn’t sound like it from the grumbles aimed at your pretty little backside.”

  “Whatever,” I shrugged. I felt better knowing there was no one suspicious on the plane. And I was glad to have a reason to flash my badge one last time.“You have no room to talk, mister.” I raised an eyebrow. “I saw you sniffing around.”

  Adam’s neck turned a deep shade of pink. “Just making sure no weapons got on board this time.”

  I smiled and landed a kiss right below his jaw. We were a couple of worry warts, but as we prepared to land at the Denver Airport, it looked like we made it safe and sound.

  “Come here,” Adam said, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me against his chest. The thump thump... thump thump... of his heart sounded comforting beneath me. The plane rocked a little during approach and I breathed deeply, letting his scent surround me, as the plane descended.

  After weeks of physical therapy, I was almost as good as new. I was too weak to go back to work for a while, but surprisingly, I was okay with that. I enjoyed spending the extra time with Adam, getting to know him even better. Now that my therapy was over, we were taking our honeymoon in the one place we both really wanted to go… Aspen.

  I grinned, anticipation growing in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t wait to get Adam alone. Snow, mugs of hot cocoa, and sex on a rug in front of a crackling fire, here we come.

  “Uh oh,” Adam said, and I glanced up to see him looking down at me, his brows lowered with concern. “That smile never bodes well for me.”

  Grinning even wider, I turned to listen to the flight attendant as she spoke about exiting the plane, but not before I saw the wicked glint in my husband’s eyes. This trip was going to be so much fun.

  CHAPTER 14

  Glittering dots of light surrounded me, like millions of tiny sparkling diamonds, as I trudged through the deep snow. The sun shown bright overhead, reflecting off the fresh powder, blinding me for mere seconds, but it was enough to lose track of my prey. Huffing from exertion, I came to a stop at the edge of the pine forest. I glanced left and right. Not another soul in sight. Including my husband.

  “Adam!” I called, only to hear his name echo back to me.

  A flock of birds flew out of the trees in a frenzy, squawking their complaints. I shielded my eyes, and watched their dark forms against the bright blue sky for a moment, before turning back to the forest.

  A wicked smirk pulled at my lips. “Found you,” I whispered.

  The forest wasn’t dense, but it gave me a break from the blinding sunlight, allowing my eyes to open fully. I breathed in the fresh air, enjoying the peace and quiet. The only sound that reached my ears was the happy chirping of birds in the distance, and my own soft footsteps.

  He’s here somewhere.

  My gait was slow as I scanned my surroundings. The snow was deep enough to cover my ankles, and I silently thanked the sales lady at the lodge’s rental shop for suggesting I wear the calf length snow boots.

  A footprint a few steps ahead caught my attention, and I rushed forward. Or waddled would be more like it. Bending down, I inspected the boot prints, then went to the next. The third set of prints were of bare feet. The snow had been disturbed around the prints, but no sign of his boots. My brows lowered in confusion, but I walked a little further, following the trail until it ended next to a tall pine.

  Circling the tree, I looked all around, but didn’t see anything, other than more trees and snow. I felt a little stupid, but I looked up, just in case. Treetops and sky. No hunky wolf shifter hanging around. I sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. Where did he go?

  A sound to my right had my head snapping in that direction. Everything looked peaceful, but as I focused on the white ground, I noticed a trail of prints. They were definitely canine, but if it was a dog, it was the biggest dog I’d ever seen. Each print had to have been three times the size of my palm.

  Has Adam shifted?

  I took a deep breath, my heart pounding hard in my chest. He’d yet to fully show me his other side, and I had begun to wonder if he ever would. I hadn’t pushed. It wasn’t a secret anymore after all, and I knew he was nervous. Hell, I was a little scared myself.

  Biting my lip, I glanced up and my breath froze in my lungs.

  Standing tall and proud, the wolf stared straight at me, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight. My breath released, and I sucked in some much needed air.

  He was beautiful. Tans, creams and dark browns mixed together to make an elegant coat of fur. His tail hung down straight, the tip damp from melted snow.

  My gaze roamed over the majestic creature, slow and leisurely. I wanted to remember this moment. The first time seeing my husband in his other skin.

  The wolf took a step toward me and, though part of me wanted to back up, I squared my shoulders and stepped forward. We both took our time, our strides slow and hesitant, trying not to scare the other.

  When we finally got only a foot from each other, I dropped to my knees and stared into his brilliant blue eyes. They weren’t the same color as the ones I’d woken up to that morning, but the knowledge and love shining back at me was so familiar, I wrapped my arms around the wolf's neck and buried my nose in hi
s soft fur. He smelled of the woods, of pine, and fresh air… and underneath that was my man.

  “Adam,” I whispered, into his fur. He shifted his paws and rubbed his head against mine. I pulled back and looked at him, tears trailing down my cheeks as I smiled. “You are so...” I sighed and shook my head, unable to find the perfect words.

  The wolf opened his mouth, showing two rows of sharp, white teeth, as his tongue rolled out to the side. I’d swear he was grinning. But wolves didn’t grin, right? I narrowed my eyes and when I saw the twinkle in his arctic gaze, my mouth dropped open. He was grinning.

  Then, I was suddenly flat on my back, eyes wide, looking up at the enormous wolf above me. He straddled my body, looking down at me with that wolfish grin, his tongue still hanging out lazily.

  “What are you…” I was cut off, as my face was covered by a warm, wet tongue. “Eww!” I cried out, as he licked me from chin to forehead. “Gross! Adam!”

  The wolf let out a short, growling bark, then jumped off of me to sprint away.

  I climbed to my feet, wiping at the melting snow on my backside, as I looked for him. He hadn’t gone far - maybe fifteen, twenty feet away. He watched me as I fixed my beanie. I grumbled, my breath puffing out in a cloud in front of my face when I saw it had gotten wet inside. Though I enjoyed the colder climates, I was getting a bit too cold… and hungry. A mug of hot cocoa beside the fire was sounding like a good idea.

  But Adam had different plans.

  He dropped his head down, his eyes narrowing on me, and I couldn’t help the step backwards. As soon as my foot hit the ground behind me, he took off. Straight for me.

  I admit it. I screamed. A loud, short shrill, as I jumped and began backing up swiftly.

  The wolf kept coming. And he was fast. In seconds, he was right upon me. But instead of slamming into me as I’d been preparing for, he came to an abrupt halt a couple of feet in front of me, sliding in a ninety degree angle and spraying snow all over me.