Spooks & Specters: A San DeLain Short Story Collection

Chapter Three

AUSTIN STARED up at the star-filled sky.

“So? What did you think?”

Kage collapsed next to Austin. Then he groaned as he rubbed his leg. “Ow. Damn branch has been digging into my knee.”

“I think a bed is much more comfortable than the darn ground. That’s what I think,”

Austin huffed. “And stop about your knee already. I’m pretty sure I have grass stains in places I shouldn’t have grass stains.”

Kage chuckled.

“But I have this upcoming scene worked out in my mind now. In fact, I have the first two chapters in my head. Being hunted through the woods like my character will be in my book helped a lot. Doing this little role-play really helped me get a handle on that.”

“Glad to be of service.”

Such a funny guy. “I’m sure.”

“Didn’t hear any complaining from you,”

Kage pointed out.

“No. You absolutely did not.”

Although he was thinking about it now. Making love in the woods sounded hot, but in actuality, it was a major pain in the ass. Literally, in some cases. Kage wasn’t the only one a branch had been poking.

Romance generally didn’t deal with reality because, well, that took the romance out of it. Morning breath was definitely a real thing. So was having to pee as soon as you got up. And morning wood. And having to fart. And blowing up the bathroom.

And rolling around in the woods wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, either. But the chase part had been hot.

Also? Austin wasn’t one of those species who self-lubricated, so Kage had to bring that little item along. Because lube was a gay man’s best friend. There was no such thing as too much, in his opinion. Especially when your mate, in his true form, was very blessed in the size department.

They hadn’t bothered with condoms because they were mates, but no way would he have ever allowed some rank stranger into him raw, paranormal or not.

Austin sat up and shoved his hair out of his face. “Where did my jacket disappear to? Did you actually rip through the back of it? I really liked that suit.”

“I did.”

Kage grinned at Austin. “But don’t worry, Susan can fix it. Won’t take her magic but just a moment.”

Susan belonged to their clan, despite not being a daemon—she possessed magical abilities with a talent for healing. Austin was clueless about her expulsion from her coven and chose not to inquire, as it was irrelevant. She was a member of their clan and that was all that mattered.

Of course, belonging to a close-knit clan often meant that other members were privy to things Austin would rather they not know. Like in this case. She likely wouldn’t comment, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be a raised eyebrow when he handed over the jacket for repair.

Austin wasn’t much on fancy clothes, but he’d liked this suit they’d bought for the masquerade ball. The mask was pretty cool too, although the diamonds on it had freaked him out. He saw it sitting over on a stump. He guessed Kage must have grabbed it.

They had purposely waited until the ball was almost over to do this, so it was very early in the morning. The anticipation had built as the night went on, which had definitely added an edge to their role-play.

“I can already feel her judging me,”

Austin joked.

“You enjoyed every second of it.”

“You know what? You ripped the jacket, not me. I’ll just tell her to go look at you with that raised eyebrow.”

“Which distresses me not at all.”

Kage tugged Austin back down.

Austin let himself flop backwards. Leaning up on one elbow, Kage gently kissed him. At some point he had transferred back to his human form, not that it mattered to Austin. He loved the daemon as much as he loved the human fa?ade.

Kage ended the kiss, then lay back down next to Austin. “It’s been quite a while since I took the time to enjoy a starry night.”

“We don’t have too many of those thanks to being downtown. At least here we’re out far enough we can actually see the nighttime sky.”

“We need to take the time to do this more often.”

Kage sighed. “Even though things have been so intense, that’s no excuse.”

“Got to take the time to smell the flowers,”

Austin agreed. “And our last trip was certainly not for pleasure. Although I did enjoy seeing what little bit of Chania and the Church of Adiusdar we did get to see.”

“The next time we return to my homeland, it will definitely be for a vacation, not to bury a half brother I didn’t know I had.”

Austin really didn’t want to dig up the memories surrounding that trip, so he changed the subject. “I think the ball went very well. Don’t you?”

“We had an exceptional turnout, but we usually do. It’s money for a good cause. But yes, I would say ninety percent of those invited showed. If we continue having that type of attendance, Hudson and I may have to move the venue.”

Hudson and Kage were the ones who sponsored this event. First World Group, which was listed on the invitation as the host, was yet another one of his and Hudson’s joint businesses.

“That would be too bad. I love this grand old place.”

The Monarch Hotel was one of the oldest hotels in San DeLain and was definitely a gem.

“I agree, but if the masquerade ball continues to grow in popularity, we simply will need more room. But hopefully we won’t have to deal with that for a few years yet,”

Kage said.

All of the paranormal leaders of San DeLain had been there, along with their members. There had been more than a few movie stars, celebrities, and rock stars also, not to mention several political leaders of the city.

This was truly a gathering of the rich and famous, and it was definitely invitation only. It went without saying, the majority of people who were there were in the know.

It always messed with Austin’s head that the movers and shakers in the community—people who had money and power—knew what walked among the humans. It was your average Joe who had no clue.

Paranormals, of course, were always on their best behavior while out in public. That went without saying.

Now, the Halloween ball that was thrown by the Master of the City was entirely a different matter. It was the one time of the year they could all walk around in their true form and nobody batted an eye.

Kage had told Austin about it when he informed him of the masquerade ball, and Austin was looking forward to it. That should be a blast.

“I’m pretty sure I saw Hudson, Connie, and Kit,”

Austin said, snuggling against Kage’s side.

Kage laughed softly. “Kind of hard to miss that red hair.”

Austin chuckled. “There’s that. Pretty sure I spotted Isadora. I saw several of our people also. Oh, and Axel and Terry. Outside of them, I just wasn’t sure who was who.”

“The vampires were there, as were several merpeople. Both wolf packs were there. I noticed a few witches too. The gargoyles also attended.”

“Oh, sure, I smelled all those people, I just don’t know them well enough to recognize them behind their masks,”

Austin commented.

Kage’s blood had enhanced all of Austin’s senses, which generally he enjoyed, but the sense of smell could be problematic at times. Just because he could smell someone was a paranormal didn’t necessarily mean he could tell what kind of paranormal they were.

Austin shivered.

Kage sat up immediately. “Getting cold?”

“A little bit, yes. We are, after all, lying here naked.”

Kage checked his watch. “It’s a little after one a.m. The ball is officially over. I guess we’d better get dressed and leave so the cleaning crews can get to work.”

Sounded like a plan to him. The last thing Austin wanted was be caught out here bare ass naked.

Kage gracefully rose to his feet, then held out his hand.

Austin let Kage pull him up. He even produced a handkerchief that Austin was in desperate need of—because going without condoms was great… until it wasn’t.

Together they found their clothes, which fortunately hadn’t turned into a search and rescue mission. Austin might’ve been overwhelmed with desire, but apparently Kage had been levelheaded enough to keep their things together.

He was glad somebody had been thinking because he certainly hadn’t. As usual, he was lost to the desire they shared between them.

“Are you ready?”

Kage asked, his hand settling on the small of Austin’s back.

“I think so?”

Austin checked his pockets. “I think I have everything, including this ridiculous mask.”

No matter what, he was making sure he got out of these woods with that thing.

“You are entirely too concerned about that mask.”

“Of course I am. There are diamonds on it. Jeez.”

Even though Austin came from money, it had still been an adjustment for him when he found out exactly how wealthy Kage was. Which made sense, considering Kage’s age.

The moonlight peeked out from a passing stray cloud, illuminating the little area where they had made love. It was a lovely spot and was a memory Austin would treasure.

“Are we walking out of here or what?”

Austin asked.

Not too long ago, he would’ve been completely dependent on Kage to keep him from tripping and falling while they maneuvered through the darkness.

But not now.

A daemon could not change a human into what they were, but they could share their blood, which increased the human’s senses and stopped their aging. Kage had done that with a few of the humans in his clan. And of course Austin… because Austin was Kage’s mate.

“I thought I would just open a portal.”

Which sounded like an excellent idea. Parts of his body were beginning to itch because they’d rolled around in the grass. “Aren’t Maia and Denisha waiting on us?”

“I, ah, told them we had plans and not to wait.”

“Oh greeeeat, more raised eyebrows!”

“You should be used to that.”

Kage laughed as he wrapped his arms around Austin. “Besides, they know us.”

“That’s not the reassurance you think it is!”

Austin exclaimed, giggling as shadows raced toward them.

He was still laughing as shadows enveloped them.

Torn and Tattered