Spooks & Specters: A San DeLain Short Story Collection

Chapter Three

BEFORE KIT’S eyes, a shadow extended from the couch to the ceiling. That… that wasn’t possible. Then a werewolf leaped from it—straight at Nox. Austin jerked his head away from Nox’s hand and collapsed to the floor.

A woman stepped from the shadow the wolf came from, and with a flick of her wrist, opened another… another… tear in space as the wolf collided with Nox. The wolf and the thing that attacked Kit tumbled into the opening, snarling and yelling.

They disappeared. They literally disappeared into a black hole of nothingness.

Kit blinked. Then he blinked again because he wasn’t sure what he’d just seen. Who was that woman, and what was that tear in space? And Mother of all, werewolves apparently also existed. Wait. He had met her before—hadn’t he?—but he was blanking on her name.

He slowly crept around the desk, and seeing the hypodermic needle, he grabbed it. Last thing he needed was to stab himself with it. “Um, I’m just going to set this down here, you know, out of the way.”

The woman’s gaze snapped toward Kit. “Shit. Shit!”

“Yeah. He knows,”

Kage said. “Okay, I’m taking him and Austin to Terry. Denisha, I need you to go after Axel.”

Right. I have met her before.

“But—”

“I know you’re worried about Austin, but I need you to help Axel. Go,”

Kage commanded.

“Austin, you be okay, you hear!”

Denisha stepped into the shadows.

As much as he wanted to deny what he’d just seen, he couldn’t. Denisha stepped into a shadow and disappeared. Kage had basically done the same thing, except he had stepped out of one. That shouldn’t be possible, but it was. None of this should be possible, yet it was happening.

“I know this is a lot,”

Kage said.

Kit dragged his gaze away from where Denisha had disappeared and made eye contact with Kage. As he watched, Kage took a deep breath, then his human fa?ade reappeared.

Kit blinked several times again. And just like that, Austin’s boyfriend looked like a normal human.

“I know you’re probably terrified, especially since you just saw my true form.”

Kit gulped. Terrified? Where did he even start? All they were missing were the vampires. Oh God, were those real too? What else was out there? No, no, he didn’t want to know that.

“Kit?”

Oh, the big demon was talking to him. Kit leaned against his desk. “You’re fucking scary, yes, but so was seeing that person become me.”

“I’m so sorry, Kit,”

Austin said between gasps. “Kage, I’m starting to have trouble breathing.”

Kit snapped his head around. How in the world had he forgotten about what just happened to Austin? What was wrong with him? Oh yeah, that’s right, half of the paranormal world had suddenly appeared in his office.

“I won’t hurt you, Kit, I promise, but I need you to come with me. Bring that needle too. Hurry. I need to get Austin help. Please, Kit. I can’t lose him.”

Right. Austin needed help. Immediately. And Kit was afraid he knew how they were going to get that help.

“I heard.”

Kit crept closer with the needle. “Please don’t make me regret this, and please understand that I’m terrified out of my mind.”

“I know. I’m so sorry. Okay, hold my arm and close your eyes. You will feel a moment of disorientation while we’re in the portal. Just remember you’re safe,”

Kage said.

“We won’t hurt you,”

Austin panted.

Kit closed his eyes as he touched Kage’s arm, and Kage pulled them into the shadows.

AS SOON as they stepped out of that shadow, Kit collapsed. Kage yelled for someone named Terry as he tried to help Kit to the floor. Somehow all three of them ended up on the ground.

“Guess we don’t have to worry about Kit knowing about us. Who’s hurt the worst?”

“Austin,”

Kit said, taking note that the man had on what looked like a white doctor’s coat.

“Austin,”

Kage said at the same time. “Nox injected Austin with king cobra venom.”

Terry knelt beside Austin. “How long ago?”

“A few minutes at the most,”

Kage answered. “Nox was kind enough to tell me that tiger snake antivenom is the preferred antivenom.”

Terry examined Austin. “I need to check that.”

While the doctor and Kage spoke about what just happened, Kit tried to come to terms with everything he had seen and heard.

Paranormals were real and closer than anyone thought.

Kit wasn’t sure how he felt about that, and more importantly, what that meant for him. One had attacked him, and now he knew they existed. Kit eyed the door, wondering if he could make it out before someone stopped him. What was going to happen to him now?

“Kage, stop.”

Austin leaned against Kage. “He’s doing what he needs to do.”

Kit’s attention was dragged back to what was currently going on around him. Who was doing what he needed to do?

“Babe, don’t talk! You’re already having breathing problems.”

The concern—and yes, fear—he heard in Kage’s voice stunned Kit. Kage truly cared about Austin. It was painfully clear to see and hear.

Terry’s phone beeped, and he quickly read the message. “Okay. Okay good. Two minutes. I’ll be back in two minutes. Austin, try to keep as calm as possible. The more upset you get, the faster your heart beats, and the quicker the poison is spread through your body.”

Terry opened a portal and disappeared into it.

“Jesus, that’s a new fucking fear unlocked. I’m never going to look at shadows the same again,”

Kit whispered.

Barely two minutes later, the doctor returned, and he leaped into action.

Kage wandered over to where Kit still sat against one of the walls. He ended up sitting next to Kit on the floor as they both watched Terry attend Austin.

“Is he going to be okay?”

Kit finally asked Kage.

“Yes. Terry is an excellent doctor. I trust him with my life. More importantly, I trust him with Austin’s.”

“You mentioned that Austin is your mate. Does that mean what I think it means?”

“He’s my other half. My everything. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d make it without him. I love him.”

“Yup. It means what I thought it meant.”

Kit blew out a breath. “I have a lot of questions, you know.”

“I’m sure. Once Austin is out of the woods, I’ll do my best to explain everything.”

Kage turned his head and stared at Kit. “You do understand you can never tell anybody what you’ve seen and experienced, right?”

Well, that didn’t sound like a death threat, at least. So that was good, right?

“I read a lot, did you know? I mean, I own a bookstore. I have a huge section of paranormal romance. I don’t know what you are, but I do know about fated mates. I just—I never thought any of this was real,”

Kit said. “I won’t say anything. No one would believe me, anyway.”

Kage huffed.

“Don brought that person into my office. I think you guys called him Nox. My own boyfriend let that man, let him…. Jesus.”

Kit put his hands over his face and shuddered.

How could Don do that to him? He had to have known what Nox planned. He had to. Why had Kit ever given Don a second chance? He wished like anything that he had never laid eyes on Don.

“I heard what Nox said. Don used me to get to Austin,”

Kit said quietly.

And that hurt. It hurt that Don used him, but it also hurt that he had been used to cause harm to Austin.

Kage wound his arm around Kit’s shoulders and hugged him. “I am so sorry, Kit. So very sorry you got dragged into this.”

Yeah, so was Kit. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Nox’s fangs coming at him.

Once Terry had Austin’s treatment started, he walked to where Kage and Kit sat.

Terry knelt down next to Kit. “Hey. My name is Doctor Terry Sanchez. Would you mind if I did a quick examination?”

Examination? Kit looked at Kage.

“Terry belongs to my clan,”

Kage said.

Clan? There was a clan of demons like Kage. And holy shit, this doctor was one of them? But, but he looked normal. Which was kind of the point, wasn’t it?

“He won’t hurt you. Besides, Nox attacked you. He bit you and took your blood. That’s how he was able to assume your identity. Please, let Terry look you over,”

Kage asked.

Kit shuddered as he gently touched his neck. “Yeah, okay. At some point, I need someone to tell me what all of you are and what that thing was that bit me. The werewolf was self-explanatory, though.”

Terry snickered. “Yeah, no mistaking what a werewolf is. Kit? Why don’t I help you up and into a chair? That floor has got to be cold and hard. Then I’ll take a look at you. Is that okay?”

Terry asked as he held out his hand.

Kit stared at Terry’s hand for a full thirty seconds before he finally nodded. “Yeah, thank you.”

Kit took Terry’s hand and stood up.

“Okay? Any dizziness?”

Terry asked once Kit was on his feet. “Blurred vision?”

“No. I feel fine.”

But fine was very, very subjective. Kit wasn’t sure if he’d ever feel fine again. He was certain he’d never look at a shadow the same way. Good God, he might never sleep again.

“Good. Take your time. I’m right here in case you get dizzy.”

Terry helped Kit into a chair in Austin’s room, then he did a quick examination.

Apparently Kit was okay physically, which was great to know. But mentally? He wasn’t too sure. His whole life just got turned on its head. He didn’t know what was in store for him, but it couldn’t be much worse than this.

Right?

One thing was for sure, Kit hoped he never laid eyes on Don again.

A Midnight Bite