Hardest GoodbyeEllis.I feel him.Before I even lay eyes on him, I sense him.The air in the room seems charged, my awareness of him heightened, but he is a stranger to me.Unfamiliar, yet familiar.Unknown, yet known. And something inside me says, “Hello, I’ve been waiting for you.”Macsen.I see him. I've seen him a hundred times before and I know this will not be the last, but each time I do, I feel it. That invisible tether. I remember everything.I remember him.His eyes lock with mine and then move away too quickly. I am nothing more than a stranger, another face in the crowd.While he is my favourite hello, and my hardest goodbye.

    What is a prince to do? THE PRINCE When Prince Nemir is forced to leave his cushy homeland to make nice with a neighboring kingdom, he knows the trip will be unpleasant. He's not much of the outdoorsy or adventurous type and Tasnia is known for its roughness, its chimeras, swamps and worst of all, its oves... THE OAF Soluc is the leader of the militia of the oves, the ogre-elf hybrids of Tasnia. But controlling a group of half monsters who want nothing more than to draw blood and have fun is proving more complicated than he expected. Especially when there is an extra prince in the kingdom just to confuse him. Not to mention a jealous brother, willing to stop at nothing to take his place...

    For three long years I have searched the earth and, finally, I have accepted it: I am the last of my kind. I do not belong in the world of people or technology, but the only other choice is dying of loneliness. I have managed to create a life on the edge of society, terrified to come close, terrified of being recognized as the monster only little children believe in. Lately I have realized staying in the wilds may have been a less desolate life.Can you maybe find me someone to be alone with together?Photo Description: A well-built man with dark facial hair stares into the camera, eyes piercing and expression uncompromising. He wears primitively constructed fur clothing that leaves much of his muscular, veiny arms and toned torso bared to the weather. Although his skin is damp from the snow, he seems unaffected by the cold.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    That’s not supposed to be possible. As a wolf shifter, he’s supposed to be able to heal. The omega gene he was born with means he’s capable of carrying shifter young and Liam is worried that whatever is wrong will mean his one-day hope of having pups will be dashed. But despite the fears keeping him away from the doctor until now, he knows he needs to go.It turns out the sickness is temporary, but the treatment causes a whole other problem.Mason’s alpha gene means he’s one of very few wolves who can impregnate an omega male. For two years, he’d been watching Liam, but things kept getting in the way. When Liam shows up in heat, Mason recognizes the opportunity he needs and doesn’t hesitate make to Liam his mate and the father of his pups.But Liam has old wounds and fears to work through which the pregnancy is only making worse, and Mason isn’t sure how to get past them to show he’s serious about making a life together as loving mates. It’s not until a female wolf decides Mason should be hers that Liam makes his biggest worry known—and Mason can finally put the fears to rest.

    But the killer stalking David’s lover may leave him no choice but to embrace his dangerous nature.Originally published in the anthology Queer Wolf edited by James E.M. Rasmussen, now the short story is offered for free on the author's website. Click the official url below for the free download.

    A phone call sends them to Wyoming, where Ethan must confront his past and seek answers to a question he never got a chance to ask. Kris Caldera and Dawood Haddad have brought Dawood’s adopted son, Behroze, to America. But the family is struggling. Kris and Behroze fight constantly, with Dawood caught in the middle. What lingers in Behroze’s dark glower? How can Kris build a connection with his stepson? Adam and Faisal al-Saud take their first steps in public as a married couple. Immediately, questions fly, and the United States takes a special interest in Adam. Between navigating the Americans’ demands and trying to make sense of what their long-term houseguest, Doc, needs from him, Adam can barely keep himself together through Ramadan. In Rome, Cristoph and Luca battle risings and revenants and their own separate fears about Alain. Alain has pushed them both away, and as corpses pile up in Trastevere, Cristoph and Luca face their biggest fear: who has Alain become and what will they need to do? Sasha Andreyev has made a name for himself at NASA. He’s one of the best astronaut trainees in the class. When it’s time to fly home to visit Sergey Puchkov in Moscow, he’s able to secure a surprise for Sergey: he’s coming home with something special, and he’s ready to give Sergey the high-speed ride of his life. And in Washington DC, Tom Brewer and Mike Lucciano are ready to say those two little words: I do. Author Note: Each couple’s story is independent of the others. And, though they all appear together in this novel, each universe remains separate and distinct. The Executive Office and the Hush/Whisper universes are not connected. The A Time to Rise universe also stands on its own. Readers may not be familiar with every couple or have read every novel. It is perfectly okay to read only the couples you care to. This novel contains scenes of mature sexual content and is considered High Heat!

    His only chance at holding onto his inheritance is to get his cattle to market before his brother-in-law. That means braving Mason Canyon, which on top of being snake-infested and easily flooded, is also shifter territory. Most clans would just as soon shoot humans as look at them.His only hope of making it is to trust the shifter who's agreed to help him, and pray that Rani won’t double-cross him. If Carter doesn't go he loses everything, and if he doesn't make it there his family is as good as dead.

    Unfortunately, he can't escape his Solis Genes. Sent from the Elvan Army to the Fae Honor Guard to the Fae Marines, he knows the transfers are due to his father's manipulations to make him marry Brant, his ex-fiancé. Gunny, a Fae Master Gunnery Sergeant, wants nothing more than to stay away from love and take care of his platoon. Playing nursemaid to the pretty Elf Lieutenant is not on the list but he can't deny the attraction when his wings pop out every time he's around the man. But Callon's father had plans for the power he will gain through Callon's marriage and he's not about to let anything, even the Marines, stand in his way. A protective Platoon, Ex's who don't understand no, and Callon's father's plans stand in the way of Callon and Gunny, making a Present Uncertain let alone a future.

    As he spends the night at a village's inn, the innkeeper begs him to help stop a mischievous kitsune, a fox spirit, plaguing their village. But when he captures the spirit—in the form of a hauntingly beautiful man—Hajime learns that the kitsune has troubles of his own. The pearl that contains the fox's soul has been stolen, leaving him a slave to the new owner, who is forcing him to attack the village. Hajime agrees to help the fox retrieve the jewel, but living with a fox spirit isn't easy, and the budding trust between them is constantly tested. Kitsune are tricksters above all, and Hajime must decide how much of the story the fox tells him is truth. What's worse, an old comrade of Hajime's is in town, bringing with him the sour memories of Hajime's time as a samurai. Hajime must find a way to locate the thief and steal back the jewel before the thief turns the kitsune's considerable power against him. Novella. Mature content.

    First there was the stranger in the coffee shop who sucked Raven's finger and then licked him. Then there was the missing person's report.Which is how Raven finds himself paying a visit to Freshán Chetlér, with no clue as to what awaits him...Raven's life is about to undertake a monumental shift.

    He can’t command spells, he has never been taught to fight, and as the fifth son of the King, he will never rule. Everyone believes he’s a weakling, most of all himself.Powerlessness is Llyskel’s problem—and his pleasure. In his secret fantasies, the prince dreams of nothing more than finding himself helpless at another man's hands… particularly the hands of Captain Ariv of the Guards.Then Ariv makes Llyskel’s dream a reality, and as the powerless prince surrenders to the soldier’s desire, he finds his own true strength at last. But a web of royal politics is closing around Llyskel, threatening to tear him from his lover, and it will take all his newfound courage to escape…___________________________contains five shaded black-and-white illustrations by Yana GoyaNOTE: This is the second revised/re-edited edition of The Fifth Son. It was previously published by Storm Moon Press.

    The leader, Marguerite May, writes romance novels, and not just any kind: The dude/dude kind that are so freakin hot, Heath gets embarrassed to critique them. But don't tell anybody: He secretly adores her books and buys them all. With a fake ID.Marguerite’s son, Ryan, just happens to be the most beautiful guy in the universe. Confident, athletic, and with such a cool mom, Ryan’s got everything a high school senior could want—which is everything Heath lacks. Too bad Ryan is straight. But thanks to a flaky computer and an unexpected request, Heath will get to know his idols better, and he’ll discover that nothing he believes about them is true.

    Unfortunately for Grunk, he hates the city, he'd rather be in his dragon form than his human one, and he already hates the job even though it’s only his first day.Then he meets his assistant, Kyfan, and he's instantly smitten. When he finds out that Kyfan has never really flown and rarely spends any time in his dragon form, Grunk is shocked and insists on changing that, immediately. After all, flying with the lovely Kyfan's way better than sitting behind his desk in his office.It turns out that Kyfan is a lovely little dragon and once they've flown together, Grunk knows that they share a bond and he prepares to make his claim. The fact that it's going to annoy the council is only a bonus.

    Not that his luck with snakes has been any better. It's not easy being a wereboa constrictor in a world that worships werewolves.When the customer he's been watching for months turns out to be an interested wolf, his first instinct is to flee, but his attraction to Brad Cannidy is undeniable despite the strained relations between their families. Then Jeff’s anaconda ex-boyfriend re-enters his life as a pair of snakeskin boots, the hunt begins for the murderer who is turning weres into accessories, and Jeff will have to decide if a boa and a wolf can really mate for life. Read an excerpt here

    The demands of their public roles as president of l’Association Nationale de Sorcellerie and chef de la Cour of the Parisian vampires keep them busy dealing with fallout from the war and the alliance, particularly the not-always-successful partnerships between vampires and wizards.The foundation of an institute to research and educate wizards and vampires about the implications of the partnership bonds only adds to those responsibilities. When political factions, both vampire and mortal, oppose their leaders' decisions, the stress begins to affect Raymond and Jean's deepening relationship. And when political opposition turns to vandalism and then to violence, they'll have to find a way to reconcile their personal and professional lives before external and internal forces pull them apart.