Born capable of breeding like a female, he was raised in the cruel environment of his sire, Haldon’s, pack. He’s spent his entire short life dreading the time when he’d be expected to breed as many pups as possible. His fears are realized one night when Haldon hands him over to the frightening, yet sexy, alpha of the new Rogue Pack. A few minutes in the virile alpha’s company triggers Kyle’s first heat. At first, he assumes the Rogue alpha will breed him then toss him to his pack for sport. The male surprises him by taking him as his mate instead. Having become the reluctant leader of an unusual wolf pack, Alpha Lorcan simply wants to build a settlement for his ragtag group of shifters. Each of them is either a runaway or an undeserving outcast from packs that treated them badly. They call themselves the Rogue Pack, and instead of turning dangerous and predatory, they have found a new sense of belonging under Lorcan’s guidance.Lorcan wasn’t looking for a mate just yet, but the beautiful omega male thrust in front of him as part of a treaty with Haldon changes his mind. With his new lands secured, he wants to increase his pack and nothing accomplishes that quicker or better than an alpha siring pups. Although still emotionally scarred from his own sire’s cruelty, he is determined to be a good alpha. Doing so by mating with Kyle allows him to mix unwanted duty with unplanned pleasure.As Lorcan and Kyle work to form a bond as a mated pair, outside forces threaten to come between them. If their lives together are to become more than mere duty, each of them will have to overcome his painful past and learn to trust and love.

    A gradual mutation of a virulent strain of super flu gives rise to millions of the undead, who quickly overwhelm treatment facilities and swarm cities around the world, leaving survivors on their own against a legion of the infected. This chilling story is told through the scraps of paper, scrawled signs, and cryptic markers left by survivors as they struggle to stay alive and find those they ve lost in a world overrun by zombies. Through these found notes and messages letters to loved ones, journal fragments, confessions, and warnings readers can uncover the story of what went wrong, and come to know the individual voices of those affected by the zombie crisis.

    Her boyfriend is nice and polite, but he's also quick and careless in bed, and doesn't give Alice the attention and variety she craves. But he's not entirely to blame, because Alice herself doesn't understand her own needs. She's heard about what sex is supposed to be like, but has never felt anything remotely close to what she's read about in runaway bestselling books.Then Alice follows a vibrating white rabbit down a deep, dark hole, which leads to a place beyond her wildest imagination. There are no nice boys--or girls--down here. Only those who indulge in secret, forbidden, kinky fantasies. Alice is confused and frightened and... aroused. She is bound. Teased. Spanked. Toyed. Brought to the limits of sexual endurance. And during her trials, she begins to understand her body's needs for the very first time.This isn't the fairy tale you grew up reading. This isn't for children at all.This is for those with dark desires, who wish to explore erotic excess beyond the plain vanilla of everyday life. Follow Alice down the rabbit hole, if you dare...

    Struggling under the curse of a dead comrade, Clirando, a warrior priestess unready to face the powers trapped within her, must face "The Heart of the Moon" to reveal what has been hidden. In "Banshee Cries," ritual murders under a full moon lead Jo Walker to confront a Harbinger of Death

    By vampires, creatures that can’t exist. But Sara knows better and she’s on a mission to kill as many as she can…until she comes across a man from her past.This short story was originally published in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.

    Wrapped in the woman’s arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda — and he begins to move.The family hides the child — whom they name Stony — rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret — until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world.

    Four jaguar Blood sworn to protect her. Now all she needs… is the Aztec jaguar god to sire her heir. Mayte has spent the last century increasing her power as queen of House Zaniyah by calling more Blood to her side. She loves her jaguar protectors, but even her alpha hasn’t been able to give her a child. Without a daughter to continue the queendom, their line—and the Zaniyah power—will die out. She needs a god to sire her daughter, and for a queen who calls jaguars as Blood… only one god will do. Tepeyollotl is rumored to sleep in mythical Aztlán. Desperate for a daughter, she sets out to find the legendary origin site of the mighty Aztec people. Though she has no idea how she’ll bend the formidable god to her will.

    Must be comfortable with the mystical and at home with haunted spirits. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.) Previous buyers haven’t lasted the night— will you be the one to tame the teeming shadows of this lovely Victorian mansion?Will Ryan and Davis survive the ghosts of the Maberly sisters to win a shot at owning this historic inn? Or do they have a ghost of a chance at finding something else entirely? When things go bump in the night at this inn, it might just be the headboard...LGBT Romance Short Story approx 18k words.

    There was a darker side to this story though. The urgency was due to several assassination attempts and Malik had to marry quickly and produce an heir. The stability of his country depended on constancy and conservative leadership. He couldn’t allow his enemies to win. But he wasn’t prepared for the silver clad goddess that caught his vision as she snuck down the servants’ hallway. Nor was he prepared for her resistance. In a room full of beautiful women, his interest was captured by a beauty that wanted nothing to do with him. Except that she caught on fire when he touched her and her soft, sensuous body inflamed him with need. What was a man to do? Accept the challenge of convincing the lovely Shanelle to fall in love with him. Over a weekend of passionate kisses and stolen passion, Shanelle and Malik discovered that protecting the kingdom could be quite exhilarating. A very short novella by Elizabeth Lennox! Enjoy!

    In her long-awaited debut story collection, dark, lush, and spellbinding short fiction you will find unexpected detours, dangerous magic, and even more dangerous women.Briar, bodyguard for a body-stealing sorceress, discovers her love for Rose, whose true soul emerges only once a week. An apprentice witch seeks her freedom through betrayal, the bones of the innocent, and a meticulously-plotted spell. In a world powered by crystal skulls, a warrior returns to save China from invasion by her jealous ex. A princess runs away from an arranged marriage, finding family in a strange troupe of traveling actors at the border of the kingdom’s deep, dark woods.Concluding with a gorgeous full-length novella, Marjorie Liu’s first short fiction collection is an unflinching sojourn into her thorny tales of love, revenge, and new beginnings.Sympathy for the bones --The briar and the rose --The light and the fury --The last dignity of man --Where the heart lives --After the blood --Tangleroot palace

    It’s the law.Welcome to the apocalypse.Nix never put his name in the marriage raffle for a reason. He doesn’t need a woman. There aren’t that many to go around anyway after a genetically engineered virus wiped out 90% of the female population. He has his job as head of the Security Squadron and it’s all he need. He looks out for the township. He protects the few women there are left.But when his name is called to be one of the five husbands to the woman rescued from the badlands, he doesn’t speak up to correct the error.Because Audrey’s like no one he’s ever met before. Feisty. That’s the name for her. Not like so many of the women they’ve brought back before. She’s not broken. She might be just the woman to handle a rough, brutal man like him.Sharing her with four other men is a small price to pay. In fact, the closer they all grow, the more Nix realizes he might finally have again what he lost so long ago—a real family.But when outside forces threaten everything he holds dear, Nix will be forced to face his deepest, darkest fear. When Audrey’s life is endangered, will he be able to save the woman he’s just learned how to love?Please note that this book contains some dark elements and covers sensitive topics. Any reader that feels they shouldn't venture into this apocalyptic world of sometimes harsh realities should please consider before reading.

    That a civilian corporation wants to exploit the Wolves is a matter of pressing concern.Sergeant Major Ian McIntire doesn’t trust Hannah as far as he can throw her — and that’s quite a ways considering he’s an alpha werewolf. The woman is a pain in his butt and with the Blood Moon coming, the unit needs to complete their mission and get home before tempers flare. While she might know most of their secrets, the one she doesn’t know about the moonstruck Wolf might just get them all killed.When a covert operation goes wrong, Mac must trust Hannah to save his men — and his heart. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are more personal under the full moon, but when a Wolf loves a woman, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.Warning: Pursue an alpha Wolf at your own risk. Hot sex, bad words, and action of the blood and guts kind will ensue.

    Can a stubborn scientist and a sexy cyborg make love grow? Green, a cyborg warrior, cares for one being—his plant Windy. When Windy becomes sick, he’ll do anything to heal her, even venture across the universe to visit a worlds-renowned plant doctor. He doesn’t expect to find love. Doctor Shelby Cooper is the sole resident of a tiny planet. She prefers to be alone rather than risk caring for another being and then losing him. The curvaceous scientist is determined to resist Green’s patient caresses, his thought-burning kisses, his slow seduction. She has underestimated the power of a cyborg’s passion. This is a BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance.

    One kissThe first time Noah Bryant meets Colbie Michaels they collide at the top of a snowy mountain in California and sparks fly. Swamped by sudden emotion – and a desire she can't control – Colbie panics. Before he can get her phone number or last name, she's gone. When they serendipitously meet again in Seattle one week later, Noah is certain Colbie is his destiny, and he can't make the mistake of losing her again.One night... One forever loveColbie wants to believe in a happily-ever-after, but experience tells her falling for Noah is more likely to lead to a broken heart. But how can she resist him as he sets out to prove that they're destined to be together? Especially when he's intent on fulfilling every last one of her secret desires and he’s willing to keep proving it to her every day...and every sweet and sinful night.

    Twenty-five chances to impress.When the test takes an unexpected and tragic turn, Idir is handed the power of life and death.How do you value a life when all you have is multiple choice?