After all how was I supposed to know he was a mage shifter and I was to become his warrior to own.Photo Description: A bird, the size of an eagle with feathers the color of fire is about to land on the leather glove of a warrior. Flames drip from his tail and the bearded, brown-haired man stares straight ahead. His eyes show his amusement, or is it more? Dressed in the armor of his profession, the man is a professional soldier, or royal guard.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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.

    Now his house is a prison, and he's working from home while his sister checks up on him. The only diversion in Jonah's routine is catching the odd glimpse of a man in the apartment across the way taking off his clothes in front of the window. But then Jonah is distracted by Liam Brooks, the nurse his sister sends over when she goes on vacation. As they dance around their growing attraction, Jonah and Liam begin to wonder about the man in the window. Why is he always dressed in the same clothes? Why is he there one minute and not the next? How is it that he lives in an old woman's apartment? It's while trying to answer these questions that they stumble across a fifty-year-old missing persons case they can't resist trying to solve.

    He proved them wrong. Now he's back at the landscaping business, Potosi and Sons, he shares with his two older brothers—but they seem more interested in getting Anthony to sell out his share than in celebrating his recovery.The oil-and-water relationship between Anthony and his brothers is hardly new. Even when they were kids, Sal and Chip delighted in terrorizing their baby brother with stories like "The Hook," complete with visits to the abandoned Victorian a half mile down the two-lane.Now Anthony towers over his brothers...but he's still the youngest. When the new owner of the Hook House calls an order in, they take a little too much satisfaction in sending him to face his old fears. And learning to open up again to trust, desire—and maybe even love—is far scarier than The Hook.

    With nowhere to turn after my father died, I tried my luck in the capital city. Little did I know how quickly I would be robbed, beaten and forced to sell myself into servitude. But I was lucky enough to gain the attention of Roberd Tallisk, an irascible but intriguing tattoo artist who offered to mark me with enchanted ink for the enjoyment of the nobles. I was given a chance to better my station in life, and I could not refuse.But the divine rulers want not only the art but the body that bears it. In their company I can rise above the dregs of society and experience a life most only dream of, at the cost of suffering their every desire as a pawn in games of lavish intrigue. Their attention is flattering, but I find I'd rather have Tallisk's. Caught between factions, I learn that a revolution is brewing, one that could ruin Kered—and Roberd and myself along with it…

    When he opens the shop before dawn, he hears the waves. When he walks along the beach after sunrise, he admires the surfers—one in particular: Cameron Brown. A chef and café owner, Cameron secretly watches Luke right back. When Luke proposes a business deal, Cameron seizes the chance to get close. But Cameron’s ideal man is physically perfect, and Luke’s awkward limp could be the flaw that fractures their romance.Part of the Under the Southern Cross anthology.

    The Empire claimed and culled his childhood friend, and he has never forgiven the government for its callousness. When Rhan is assigned to help Imperial soldiers find a dangerous heretic, he is hard-pressed to keep his opinions—and his invisible advantages—to himself.Surprisingly, one of the young guides in the hunt, Aerik Rodan, shares some of Rhan’s ideas. As the journey brings their minds closer, it also ignites the passion between them. But any thoughts of happiness are threatened as the hunt for one heretic soon leads them to the source of the heresy and a truth about their world that could bring chaos and war upon them all.

    Will the commander’s fickle affections be enough to cement Yoli’s loyalty when Yoli‘ is threatened?Kitchen servant Yoli is one of only three men who know a carefully guarded secret about High Commander Koehen, the brilliant general who united their lands against a common invader. The enemy wants that secret, and they are willing to use either kindness or cruelty to obtain it.Yoli will have to decide if his loyalties lie with the commander, who has shown him more affection than anyone in Yoli’s life, or with his own best interests. Commander Koehen’s attention is capricious at best; he summons Yoli only when it is convenient for him. Will it be enough to hold Yoli’s devotion when Yoli is offered his fondest dream to betray it?

    Contains cross-dressing, deceptive gender-bending, and (as the title might imply) more than one kind of drag.Words:22549 completeArt by staringatsuns

    His ex-lover Lewis has stolen his research into the legendary Pictish saints, mystical pre-Celtic statues hidden somewhere on mist-wreathed Dove Island. Now Mitch is tearing out to the coast in the hope of reaching the saints before his treacherous ex can stake a claim.At Mitch’s side is his devoted assistant, Owen. Owen adores Mitch, but he’s the quiet, loyal type. Despite himself, Mitch is still dazzled by memories of flamboyant Lewis. He’s in danger of destroying his newfound happiness with Owen – and, as the race for the saints intensifies, he’s losing perspective. Will Mitch learn how to appreciate the love of a good man before he plunges himself and Owen too far into the deadly mysteries of Dove Island?Word Count: 25,172

    Greedy and capricious, the man will be the bane of Teyth’s existence as an adult, but as a boy, Teyth is too busy escaping his stepfather to worry about his ruler.Sold into apprenticeship to the local blacksmith, Teyth finds that what was meant as a punishment is actually his salvation. Cairsten, the smith, and Diarmuid, his adopted son, are kind, and the smithy is the prosperous heart of a thriving village. As Teyth grows in the craft of metalwork, he also grows in love for Diarmuid, the gentle, clever young man who introduces him to smithing.Their prince wants Diarmuid too. As the tyrant inflicts loss upon loss on Teyth and Diarmuid, Teyth's passion for his craft twists into obsession. By the time Teyth resurfaces from his quest to create immortality, he’s nearly lost the love that makes being human worth the pain. Teyth was born to sculpt his emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Together, can they keep their village safe and sustain the love that will make them immortal?

    Bonded to his dragon, Miri, together they lead a squadron of fliers. His fliers respect him, his enemies fear him, his reputation precedes him. Yet, nothing in his life could have prepared Drekken for his greatest challenge: babysitting.Stranded after a deadly battle, separated from his squadron and Miri, Drekken finds himself the only hope for two young empaths and their nursery group of hatchlings. He must lead them all to safety and, along the way, discover some truths about himself.Words: 20,697

    Despite his better judgment, he agreed to let the young mercenary travel with him to the battle at Foray. Their travels become a journey of sexual discovery, love, and, ultimately, on the battlefield at Foray, loss.Two years later, Drake is called to be Master of Arms at Marden Castle. Drake can handle that, but he can't handle Logan, the Duke of Marden.Logan's green eyes, long blond hair, and boyish charm make Drake feel things he'd rather keep buried. But if Drake can open his heart again, he'll find everything he's never wanted and always needed: a home, a son, and a man to love and who loves him. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices, ménage (m/f/m, m/m/m), violence.

    It's a fact he has always known and tried to hide. Abandoned as a baby, he has always felt out of place, never really knowing where he came from or why he can do the things he can.Jackson Harcourt has long feared the day he will meet his mate. Banished from his birth pack, Jackson soon found himself in charge of a pack of outcasts and misfits, all looking for somewhere to belong. Fifty years ago, Jackson met and fell in love with a seven-hundred-year-old vampire named Alek, and together they have not only built themselves a pack, but a family.When fate throws Sam, Jackson's true mate, into Jackson's path, Alek's ancient heart feels as though it will finally break into too many pieces to ever again be whole. As Alek prepares for the worst though, he begins to wonder if perhaps fate doesn't, truly, move in mysterious ways.

    Not some slight, beautiful nobody of a harper who pushes him up against a wall and kisses him.In the aftermath, Wulfstan isn’t sure what he regrets most—that he only punched the churl in the face, or that he really wanted to give in.Leofgar is determined to prove he’s as much of a man as any Saxon. But now he’s got a bigger problem than a bloody nose. The lord who’s given him shelter from the killing cold is eyeing him like a wolf eyes a wounded hare.When Wulfstan accidentally kills a friend who is about to blurt his secret, he flees in panic and meets Leofgar, who is on the run from his lord’s lust. Together, pursued by a mother’s curse, they battle guilt, outlaws, and the powers of the underworld, armed only with music…and love that must overcome murderous shame to survive.Warning: Contains accurate depictions of Vikings, Dark Ages magic, kickass musicians, trope subversions and men who don’t know their place.

    There's just one small problem-they're both subs. To work around this, they agree to find their own Doms for play, offering their submission and their bodies to would-be Masters, but leaving their hearts at home. The setup works fine, until the day Ethan meets a hot Dom named Maestro. For the first time, Ethan finds himself keeping secrets from his lover. And Maestro has secrets of his own. Unrequited passion and sizzling hot D/s lead to the three agreeing to a play scene that ends up ensnaring them all in something more powerful than any of them had dreamed of. Can two subs submit to a man who would claim not only their bodies, but their hearts and minds? Or will the intensity of a D/s menage break their world apart?