Page 19 of Wicked and Wild

Samfelt her cheeks getting red as she realized they weren’t alone on the porch anymore.Anothercouple had come out to view the gorgeous foliage and drink in the crispAutumnair and they were shooting her andR’orncurious looks.Still, she couldn’t just let the bigKindredwalk away—could she?

“Please!” she begged shamelessly. “Idon’t care about yourBeast—I’mnot afraid of him!I…I’vehad lots of scary pets in the past,” she offered lamely.

“Nonethat wanted to fuck you,I’llbet,”R’ornsaid darkly. “No,I’msorry,Samantha—Ihave to go.I’llask your uncle,CommanderBruin, to find anotherProtectorfor you.RightnowI’mmore of a danger to you than your stalker is.”

“But…but…”Samtried to protest, but the bigKindredhad already left the porch and was heading to where his ship and her van were parked side-by-side.

Samwatched him go with tears in her eyes.Shehadn’t known how much she cared forR’ornuntil he walked away.

Andnow she would never see him again.

11

SAM

“Soyou sent away the otherProtectorthatAuntLunasent you?”Sam’slittle sister,Hanna, looked up at her with big eyes.

Thetwo of them were only three years apart in age, but they couldn’t have been more different in temperament and appearance.Despitebeing younger,Hannawas the taller of the two and she had golden brown hair and hazel eyes that looked green in the light and almost silver in the shadows.

Thesistersdidhave a few things in common, however—they were both curvy girls and both had “TheGift” as theirAuntLunacalled it.Thedifference was,Samwas able to use hers to make a living.ForHanna, the situation was quite different.

Hanna’sgift wastoostrong—even stronger than theirAuntLuna’s.Itwas definitely more of a curse than a blessing.Shespent her time avoiding the same places thatSamsought out to make her ghost hunting show.

“Yes,Isent him away,”Samsaid, flopping down on her sister’s couch with a sigh. “Ijust couldn’t stand to be near anotherKindredwarrior.Notafter what happened withR’orn.”

“Whatexactlydidhappen?”Hannaasked, sitting down beside her and offering her an open package ofOreos. “Iknow you thought he was a jerk—did you have a huge fight or something?”

“Notexactly,”Samsaid dryly. “Infact, kind of the opposite.See, we were staying in a room where these two newlyweds were murdered on their honeymoon—”

“Oh, how horrible!”Hannaput a hand to her cheek and her face went pale.

“Sorry, but it’s true.”Samwinced at the look on her little sister’s face.

PoorHanna—herGiftwas so strong that she didn’t justseeandspeakto the dead—they could actually interact with her physically.Sometimesshe felt their pain and sorrow as her own.Andsometimes she saw worse things than the spirits of the dead—supernatural beings that most people would call “demons” or “devils”—dark entities that wanted to cause harm and pain.Theyseemed drawn toHanna—maybe because she had a pure soul that shone so brightly and they wanted to snuff out her light.

“No, it’s okay.”Hannashook her head. “I’mfine.Iwas just thinking of how awful that must have been for you!Andfor them—poor things!”

“Well, theywerebrutally murdered, but that’s not the energy of the room at all,”Samtold her. “Theywere also deeply in love and they like toencouragethe couples who stay in their room to also be, er, in love—if you know whatImean.”

“Butyou andR’ornaren’t a couple, are you?”Hannaasked blankly.

“Well, we weren’t before we stayed in that room.”Samsighed. “WhoamIkidding?We’restill not.Despitewhat went on that night.”

“Whatwent on?Whatare you talking about?Whathappened?”Hannademanded. “Didthe two of you have sex or what?”

“Well, notexactly.”Samcould feel herself blushing.Sheusually told her little sister everything—they were extremely close.Butshe didn’t know how to explain the night of passion with the bigKindredand howR’ornhad gone down on her for hours.

“Comeon—what happened?”Hannabegged. “YouknowIdon’t have any love life of my own, soIhave to live vicariously through you!”

Samlaughed ruefully.

“Well, you’re not having much of a life then, are you?Okay—we didn’t have sex but he did, er…want to go downtown, if you know whatImean.”

“OhmyGod—really?Hewantedto?”Hannaasked.

“Iknow, right?It’snot very common,”Samsaid dryly. “Buthe didn’t just want to—it was like he washungryfor me.Likehe was starving andIwas a five course banquet, if that makes any sense.”

“OhmyGod,”Hannasaid again, but this time her tone was dreamy and envious.

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