SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (48 page)

“Wouldn't be the first or last time I pull an all nighter,” Jesus grumbled.

“I'll be heading out as well. If you need me, you know where I'll be,” Ben said and followed the couple out of the apartment.

Diana closed the door and then leaned against it as she stared at her husband.

He hadn't moved from his spot. It was painfully obvious from his posture and from the upset she sensed in him through the connection they shared that he was still very troubled.

“Talk to me, Ryder.”

With a massive hunch of his shoulders, he looked down and said, “What's there to talk about?”

She shoved away from the door and stalked to him. Positioned herself so that there was no way he could avoid looking at her. “Don't shut me out, Ryder. Please don't shut me out.”

He blew out an exasperated breath and wagged his head. “You saw the look Michaela gave me. She's still not one hundred percent sure that I didn't have anything to do with Richard's death.”

“But we both know that you didn't. In time she will as well.”

Ryder wanted to believe his wife. Wanted to believe that everything would be all right with the slayers, but he couldn't. “The slayers won't stop until they know who killed Richard.”

Diana cupped his cheek and gazed at him lovingly. “We won't either, Ryder.”

“This isn't the life I wanted for us. For Charlie. Always fighting. Always hoping just to make it just another day.”

“Tomorrow is promised to no one. Isn't that the old adage?” she said and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him hard.

Except that vampires and dhampirs had a wealth of tomorrows. Did he still have them or were the changes in his body signaling that his tomorrows were growing shorter in number?

“Not sure they were thinking about vampires when they coined that phrase,” he said as the peace of her embrace seeped into him, providing comfort and driving away his fears.

A light laugh escaped her. She tilted her head up and met his gaze. “Life isn't easy, especially for people like us.”

“Now, it isn't, but I will fight for us, darlin'. I will keep you and Charlie safe.”

“But you don't have to fight alone, Ryder. The past month you've been so distant. Shouldering the burden yourself, but I'm here, Ryder,” she said and tapped her chest. “I'm here to stand beside you. Be your wing man no matter what happens.”

He couldn't resist her earnestness or baiting her a bit. “My wing man, huh? I think I can handle that.”

An almost effervescent smile transformed her face. “What else can you handle?” she teased sexily and smoothed her hand across his chest.

He was about to answer when a knock came at their front door. Considering it was almost three in the morning it was totally unexpected. He immediately worried that something was wrong with Charlie, who Melissa and Sebastian had agreed to watch until the morning.

Together they walked to the door and he peered through the peephole to find Jason, his doorman, waiting outside.

He flung open the door and the young vampire held out a small package that was crudely wrapped in kraft paper and twine. “A courier brought this by and I was heading for a break so I thought I'd bring it up myself.”

“A courier at this hour of the night?” Diana asked.

Jason shrugged. “Yeah, I kind of thought it was weird myself. Not your typical time for drop offs, but he said it was a priority delivery.”

Ryder accepted the package and immediately experienced an almost electrical charge across his palms.

“Which delivery company left this again?” he asked and narrowed his gaze at he looked at the package, which bore no written address or other markings.

“Not the brown company or one of the other regulars. It was a bike courier. Rode up, left it with me, and then took off. I didn't even really get a good look at him,” Jason said.

He met his wife's gaze and it was plainly obvious she was as concerned as he was.

“Thanks, Jason. We appreciate you bringing it up right away,” he said, reached into his pocket and offered the young man a tip, which he refused.

“No way, Ryder. You just gave me an awesome raise last month, remember?” he said and walked toward the elevator.

He'd gotten the raise because the vampire who'd almost beaten Ryder to death had also carved up Jason pretty badly, but the young vampire had held his ground. It was the least he could do to reward his loyalty.

Closing the door, he turned and walked with the package to the couch and after Diana was sitting beside him, he placed it on the coffee table and undid the twine. The kraft paper beneath wasn't secured by tape or glue and immediately came loose.

He pulled aside the paper to reveal the leather-bound journal inside. Roughly six by nine, it was at least three thick inches of parchment paper and judging from the looks of both the cover and paper, quite old. It was clear from the patina on the cover that the journal had been handled often. It had the rich look of both age and tender care.

Much like with the package, there were no external markings on the cover to give a hint as to what was within, not that he needed the hint.

“Is that what I think it is?” Diana asked and skimmed a finger across the cover, quickly recoiling from that simple touch. “What the hell was that?”

He glanced at her. “You felt it, too? Like an electrical charge?”

She nodded and reached for it again, more cautiously. Gingerly she flipped open the cover to reveal the inscription inside.

“Great. It's in Latin,” she said.

“A required language in my day,” he replied and translated for her. “Aurelius Magnus, Chief Slayer of Rome. May all who read this guard our secrets upon the threat of death.”

“This must be the journal Richard had. The one stolen from his apartment.”

“Yeah, it has to be that one, darlin',” he said and skimmed through the first few pages, experiencing the seepage of power from the journal with each touch. It had been a long time since he'd read in Latin, but he remembered enough bits and pieces to understand that the journal not only contained stories about the history of the slayers but also a number of rituals.

He'd bet that there were instructions for the dark arts practiced on Richard in the journal as well.

He also had no doubt about something else. “They want a reason to kill us.”

Diana nodded. “Yeah, they do, only we have proof of when this was delivered.”

“I'll have Sam send up a copy of the video recordings for the last hour. But what do we do about this in the meantime?” he asked and held the book out to her.

She accepted it gingerly and stared at the cover for a long moment. Lifting her gaze to his, she said, “We read it. Find out if it says anything about what's happening to you. Find out if it has whatever spells or rites were used on Richard.”

“The Slayer Council is going to mightily pissed off if we don't give it back right away.”

She grinned, but then her look turned serious. She laid a hand on his chest and said, “Yeah, I know. But this is important to you. To us.”

Ryder smiled. “It is, darlin'. And we'll figure this out. We always do.”

She smiled again, rose up on tiptoe and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and kept her close, the slayer's journal tucked between them. It warmed and vibrated against them before they reluctantly ended the embrace.

“We need to secure this and then get some rest. It'll be morning soon and time for us to pick up Charlie,” she said.

“I'll put it in the safe in my office.” Together they walked up to his office where they locked the journal away.

After, they crossed the hall to their bedroom where they undressed quickly and slipped into bed.

As he lay on his back, Diana tucked herself into his side and skimmed her hand across his chest in a lazy back and forth motion. She sighed and propped her head up on her hand to look at him. “They're going to do everything they can to get that journal back. You know that, don't you?”

He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. “I know, but it's worth the battle, isn't it?”

With a small smile, she nodded and said, “Our love, our family, is worth the fight, Ryder.”

He captured the smile on her lips with his own, bringing his mouth to hers and kissing her. Whispering against her lips, “I will always fight for you. For Charlie.”

She answered him by deepening the kiss and covering his body with hers. Taking him inside her.

“I love you, Ryder,” she said and wrapped her arms around him.

“I love you, too,” he said and as he let her love draw him in, it brought him the peace he had lacked for so long.

A peace that he'd fight for with every beat of his undead heart.

THE END

Look for FIGHT FOR LOVE, the continuation of Diana and Ryder's story

and a new romance for Ben, in Early 2015.

Dear Reader,

I hope that you are enjoying the many different kinds of paranormal stories in Seductive Supernaturals. It’s been an absolute pleasure for me to join together with the marvelous authors in this box set to bring you this collection.

My contribution, VAMPIRE REBORN, is a novella in The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novel series. This is a series of my heart and vampire Ryder Latimer and kick-ass FBI Agent Diana Reyes. They are two of my favorite characters and I am humbled that it’s been ten years – yes, TEN years – since I first introduced them in DARKNESS CALLS.

I’m currently working on FIGHT FOR LOVE, the next book in the series and I am looking forward to seeing how Diana and Ryder’s relationship develops with the many changes that have happened in their lives.

I’m also finishing up ONE LAST NIGHT, the next novella in the Take a Chance erotic romance series featuring sexy military heroes. In the Take a Chance series, the heroes are challenged to risk opening their hearts in order to possibly reap an immense reward: Love. These stories are sexy and emotional and have been getting rave reviews. I hope you will take a moment to check them out!

Thanks so much for your support of all of us in the Seductive Supernaturals box set!

About the Author

Caridad Pineiro

NY Times and USA Today Bestseller Caridad Pineiro is a Jersey Girl who just wants to write, travel, and spend more time with family and friends. Caridad is the author of over 40 novels/novellas and loves romance novels, super heroes, TV and cooking. Caridad writes dark and sexy romantic suspense and paranormal romances for those who live to love on the edge. Her sweet, but still naughty side, Charity Pineiro, writes contemporary romances packed with emotion and humor. For more information on Caridad/Charity, please visit
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Additional Books by
Caridad Pineiro

ONE SPECIAL NIGHT

JUST ONE NIGHT

SINS OF THE FLESH
re-release

Excerpt from
SINS OF THE FLESH

She never expected that she would become someone’s lab rat . . .

World renowned musician Caterina Shaw is losing her battle against an inoperable brain tumor. Her one chance to beat the disease stealing her life is a risky experimental gene therapy. It’s a risk Caterina is willing take to save her life, but now she’s something she doesn’t understand. Extraordinary powers and abilities have made her something other than human. As she tries to understand what she has become, she finds herself accused of a vicious murder and on the run for her life.

He’s the kind of man who’s hired to take care of problems . . .

Even if it means eliminating them. Mick Carrera is a mercenary gifted at dealing with the most difficult of situations. He’s been hired to hunt down a woman who is nothing like he expects: Caterina is vulnerable, injured, and inhuman. But hidden beneath the weird powers she’s exhibiting is a determined and strong woman whose beauty tempts Mick and makes him think about things that can never be. As passion erupts between them, danger threatens from those who would eliminate Caterina’s existence to safeguard their secrets.

Prologue

The day the music died, Caterina Shaw did as well.

Not physically, although she understood the death of her body was inevitable. She had come to terms with that reality some time ago. She had even managed to deal with the blindness caused by the tumor eating away her brain. But then the pain had become so great that it had silenced the music, stealing away the only thing that had made life worth the anguish.

"You understand this treatment is new and uncertain," Dr. Rudy Wells explained, his voice smooth and comforting. The touch of his hand, warm and reassuring, came against hers as it rested on her thigh.

"I understand," she said and faced the direction of that calming voice.

Another person abruptly chimed in, his tones as strident and grating as a badly played oboe. "We'll begin with laser surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor followed by two different courses of gene therapy."

Two
? she wondered and sensed Dr. Wells' hesitation as well from the tremble that skated across his fingers. He removed his hand from hers and said, "Dr. Edwards believes that we can not only shut down the tumor growing in your brain, but possibly regrow the portion of your optic nerve that the tumor damaged."

Caterina’s only wish when considering the experimental treatment had been to stop the pain so that she could play her cello once again. So that her last months would be filled with the vitality her music provided.