All three stories focus on the Cuelebres, the First Family of the Wyr.Dragos Takes a Holiday: When the Cuelebre family heads to Bermuda for some much needed R&R, it’s no ordinary weekend in the sun. Between Pirates, treasure hunting, and a baby dragon… what could possibly go wrong?Pia Saves the Day: The Cuelebres have moved to upstate New York where they finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. Their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured and stripped of his memory. Without Pia’s taming influence, there’s nothing holding back Dragos’s darkest side.Peanut Goes to School: Dragos Cuelebre is no longer the only dragon. At just six months of age, Liam has already grown to the size of a large five-year-old boy. In an effort to give him a taste of normality, his parents enroll him in first grade. But school has a surprising number of pitfalls, and Liam is fast becoming one of the most dangerous creatures in all of the Elder Races.

    But in her court, all is not what it appears to be.2 Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews — A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. As the captive of an irresistibly dangerous male, she has two choices: submit and become a pawn, or take hold of her own destiny.3 Nocturne by Sharon Shinn — Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: the blind, tormented angel who lives there, and whose secrets could now destroy them both.4 Ascension by Meljean Brook — When vampires disappear from a community he's protecting, a world-weary Guardian doesn't know what evil he's hunting, but he'd rather hunt alone than accept help from his ex-lover and fellow Guardian, Radha. But Radha refuses to leave him, because she's determined not just to help him save the community...but to save him.

    A ruthless warrior forged in hate, he lives to force his enemies to their knees. He will stop at nothing to succeed—even abduct and seduce his foe’s beloved bride, ensuring his own child one day sits on the male’s throne. Except, his prize escapes to the mortal realm before the first kiss, her heart transplanted into a mortal beauty with dangerous secrets…Chantel “Cookie” Bardot is a professional gamer girl great at trash talking, bad at peopling. After a long awaited surgery, she begins to morph into a powerful fae princess. Catapulted into a strange land ruled by a cruel but seductive villain, she must battle flesh and blood monsters and navigate royal intrigues. But the true danger is Kaysar, whose every wicked touch tempts her beyond reason. Should she run…or descend into the darkness with him?

    But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander . . . Dorian A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play . . . Partners in Persuasion Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him . . . Flirtation of Fate Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries . . .Note: Some of these short stories have been published separately as digital e-books or as parts of multi-author anthologies.

    Harold Tyler, code name; Eastwood, the second chance was mandated. Losing a leg in the line of duty didn’t mean retirement for this Green Beret. Instead of being sent home, Eastwood finds himself transported to a top-secret rehabilitation facility deep inside the infamous Area 51. Confined to an unknown camp beneath the Nevada desert, he comes face to face with Joely Winter, a sexy one-night stand he met in London.Joely Winter was a child prodigy and the inventor of advanced bio-engineered prosthetics. Now grown and the owner of a successful company, she’s contracted by the Department of Defense and put in charge of their new program, PATCH-COM. Here, the military ensures a return on their investment in highly-trained special operations soldiers by patching them up and moving them back out into the field. Unknown even to SEALs, Delta Forces, Green Berets and more, PATCH-COM soldiers operate far beneath the radar and beyond the knowledge of top brass at Fort Bragg.During his time at Camp Lazarus, Joely is determined to keep their relationship professional, barely. But when Eastwood receives orders to bug out, he suffers a crisis of confidence. Returning to the field on his new leg with a new team is too much to handle. Seeing her big, brave, handsome ex-lover doubt himself breaks her heart, so Joely breaks her rule to rally her man. It’s her patriotic duty, after all! But intimacy only draws them closer and when he leaves, he takes her heart with him.With orders in hand and a team of broken soldiers at his side, Eastwood heads out to recover a Ukrainian operative in possession of the very technology now propping him up. It’s a race against time to find the traitor within their midst responsible for betraying PATCH-COM before the operative can sell the stolen tech to their enemies. When the identity of the traitor is revealed, he knows Joely’s life is in danger. Can Eastwood save his woman in time?From Bestselling Author Michele E. Gwynn, creator of the Green Beret series, comes a thrilling, brand new, action-packed military romance series, The Soldiers of PATCH-COM

    . . The holidays always seem to bring out the best in everyone, with heartfelt hugs for long-missed friends, sincere smiles in the spirit of the season, and a feeling of magic in the air . . .Here, for the first time, is a collection of paranormal romances celebrating the holidays as never before. From a shape-shifting leopardess who wants a pack-mate to be her soulmate to a surprise snowstorm that brings a surprise gift, these all-new tales by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Jean Johnson will stir your spirit in all the right places.

    With fancy-dress balls, faery bargains, time travel, blood sacrifice, and festive cocktails, these stories will delight lovers of fantasy and romance, with a dash of seasonal joy.Ballgowns & Butterflies by Kelley ArmstrongThe North Yorkshire moors are always a magical place, but they’re particularly enchanting at the holidays…especially if one gets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas. For Bronwyn Dale, it is the stuff of dreams. Fancy-dress balls, quirky small-town traditions, even that classic one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells. There’s just the tiny problem of the Butterfly Effect. How does a time-traveler make a difference without disrupting the future forever?The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon, a prequel novella to Heirs of Magic, by Jeffe KennedyShapeshifter Prince Rhyian doesn’t especially want to spend the Feast of Moranu at Castle Ordnung. Among other things, his childhood playmate and current nemesis, Lena, will be there... Princess Salena Nakoa KauPo nearly wriggled out of traveling to Ordnung, but her mother put her foot down declaring that Lena can suffer through a feast and a ball for one night. Even if that Rhyian, insufferable Prince of the Tala, will also attend. But this year, Moranu’s sacred feast falls on the long night of the crystalline moon—and Rhy and Lena discover there’s more than a bit of magic in the air.Blood Martinis and Mistletoe by Melissa MarrHalf-dead witch Geneviève Crowe makes her living beheading the dead--and spends her free time trying not to get too attached to her business partner, Eli Stonecroft, a faery in self-imposed exile in New Orleans. With a killer at her throat and a blood martini in her hand, Gen accepts what seems like a straight-forward faery bargain, but soon realizes that if she can't figure out a way out of this faery bargain, she'll be planning a wedding after the holidays.Echoes of Ash & Tears, an Earthsinger Chronicles Novella, by L. PenelopeBrought to live among the Cavefolk as an infant, Mooriah has long sought to secure her place in the clan and lose her outsider status. She’s a powerful blood mage, and when the chieftain’s son asks for help securing the safety of the clan, she agrees. But though she’s long been drawn to the warrior, any relationship between the two is forbidden. The arrival of a mysterious stranger with a tempting offer tests her loyalties, and when betrayal looms, will Mooriah’s secrets and hidden power put the future she’s dreamed of—and her adopted home—in jeopardy. A Memory Of Summer, a Wraith Kings Novelette, by Grace DravenSpinsterhood has never bothered or embarrassed the independent Emerence Ipsan, and the winter festival of Delyalda keeps her far too busy managing her father's shops to worry about matters as trivial as marriage.Until the arrival of a young Quereci warrior with old eyes and an admiring gaze makes her question that notion.

    Jazz, specifically.Unfortunately, he’s a demon, and he’s supposed to be evil. A career as a musician isn’t exactly an option.And he’s cursed, to top it all off.Sick of playing by the rules, Ash and his brothers escape Hell in search of freedom on Earth, only to discover it’s harder than they thought to keep their enemies off their tail. The four rogues quickly become the Underworld’s Most Wanted, and if they’re caught… The consequences will be dire.Everything changes for Ash when he meets a beautiful violinist who can see through his curse. It must be too good to be true, but he can’t resist the temptation.No matter the risk, he has to have her.Evangeline Gregory is just your average human. She works at a jazz bar, plays gigs on weekends…And, apparently, hallucinates demons.At least, that’s what she tells herself happens when, moments after she meets the man of her dreams, she sees him shift into a seven-foot-tall, red-skinned monster.Not believing her own eyes, Eva decides to investigate and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a supernatural clusterf**k of epic proportions. But Ash isn’t the only one keeping secrets, and the search for answers reveals a shocking truth that will change the course of her life forever.Or maybe just doom it.My Funny Demon Valentine is a steamy paranormal romance about learning how to love (and what love is in the first place) with an HEA, clothes-ripping-hot love scenes, and a crew of devilish demon brothers who are supposed to be the bad guys.There’s violence, sex, and too much swearing. You’ve been warned.

    Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward. Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

    As a selkie, she kept much of her life a secret, even from her good friends the D’Artigo sisters. But now a dark presence from her past has found its way across the ocean, in the form of a man obsessed with possessing her. With the D’Artigo sisters’ help, Siobhan must stop him before he destroys everything she loves.Includes the never before published short story Vanished As well as a preview of Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld novel, Autumn WhispersShadow of Mist previously appeared in Never After

    But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen. But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

    Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

    She will crawl to the bottom if she must. But even so, as the frost steals through her clothes and claims her by inches, she wonders if it wouldn’t be wiser not to follow him any longer. She wonders if it would hurt less to lie here and let the cold take her.Dawsyn does not know what it is to live below. She was born on the Ledge—a prison with no need for walls and chains, an icy mountain shelf. When an opportunity to escape the Ledge presents itself for the first time in half a century, Dawsyn must take it. All she has to do is trust the very creature who kept her captive in the first place.

    . .Rochelle Alers, "Love Lessons"Tyrell Hardcastle is knocked off his feet when he meets a local high school teacher. Now all he has to do is overcome her objections to him being the "younger man".Donna Hill, "Lady in Waiting"Noah Hardcastle is engaged to beautiful Tara Mitchell. However, their relationship is threatened when Noah's first love Rachel, returns to D.C. to prove to him that he is all she ever really wanted.Brenda Jackson, "Irresistible Attraction"Sydney Corbain never forgot her explosive encounter with Tyrone Hardcastle at her brother's wedding. So when she runs into him in New York City on business, they both see this as an opportunity to explore their undenaible attraction.Francis Ray, "Blind Date"Ayanna Hardcastle pretends that she is dating wealthy businessman Tanner Rafferty, in order to get her matchmaking friend off her back. But, she never imagined that Tanner Rafferty would show up to collect on that claim!

    You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.