But it,s totally worth it.In these supernatural stories by five of today's hottest writers—Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Scott Westerfeld (Specials), Justine Larbalestier (Magic or Madness), Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere), and Laurie Faria Stolarz (Blue is for Nightmares)—love may be twisted and turned around, but it's more potent than ever on its quest to conquer all.From two students who let the power of attraction guide them to break the hard-and-fast rules of their world to the girl who falls hard for a good-looking ghost with a score to settle, the clever, quirky characters in this exciting collection will break your heart, then leave you believing in love more than ever.

    Seventeen year old Rebecca Winters’ main goal for ten years has been to graduate high school and take down the people who killed her parents. When she stumbled upon a werewolf pack in the middle of Phoenix, she knew she’d found a way to make her dream come true. Instead of getting vengeance, an act of war has put her into a position of power and forces her to put her thirst for family justice on a temporary hold. He is duty bound to protect her. Lucian (Lucky) Lamont is a member of the Protectors, an elite supernatural police force who works for the Authority. Their main goal is to keep humans in the dark about the creatures who live among them. Lucky is assigned to protect and manage Rebecca, despite her refusal of help. His cover is simple; he poses as the dutiful ‘pretend’ boyfriend in order to keep an eye on the new alpha wolf. She is his mate. Gabriel Black though taking his pack back from the witch who was chosen as the new alpha would be simple. He thought wrong. His entire world was turned upside down the moment he met Rebecca at the Authority Council meeting…and he was hooked the moment he kissed her to prove she wasn’t dating his best friend, Lucky. It’s like being torn between two lovers. Rebecca is pulled in hundreds of different directions while she attempts to find a way to survive the supernatural world, protect her family, and discover who massacred her entire pack days before her first transformation. She doesn’t have time for romance. But the heart wants what the heart wants. And the wolf gets what the wolf wants – or so her alpha believes. While Rebecca manages to keep her head above water as she unlocks political and family secrets which could destroy her, she loses sight of the most important people in her life and one of them pays the ultimate price.

    Once there, she discovers that her birthmark is more than it seems. She has been marked by a vampire’s soul. Not only does she hold his soul, but Amelia is also his soulmate.After almost a century of searching for his soulmate, Mitchell Lang fears the worst—he is going to lose Amelia to another man. His heart takes over, and his impulsive decision to take away her free will and to intensify their bond quickly turns her growing love into hate.When they become trapped in the emotional rollercoaster of their souls' bond, open conflict erupts. Amelia has no intentions of belonging to anyone, not even her soulmate, and Mitchell refuses to let her go.While she frantically searches for a way to escape his grasp, Amelia unlocks the painful memories of her past and uncovers a powerful secret. But before she has a chance to explore her newfound edge, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly game of revenge and is forced to realize that YOU CANNOT RUN FROM DESTINY.

    It is a Morganville Short Story.This story came about just because I wanted to know more about Myrnin for my own understanding of his character, and sometimes, the best way to achieve that is to write a character’s history from his/her point of view. The character tells me what’s important, and what changed, for better or worse. Discovering that Myrnin’s father had some type of mental disorder was important to me, because of course when he was born, such things weren’t really understood. When I was working on the draft of the first book in which Myrnin appeared, my co-worker who read it said, ‘Oh, you’ve written a bipolar character, and he’s actually really cool! Did you know that I take medication for that?’ She went on to relate all the ways he was familiar to her. I was amazed, and honoured. I won’t name the co-worker, for privacy, but I say now, as then: thank you for sharing your story with me, and you know who you are. I hope Myrnin continues to make you proud.

    What is his real mission and will his Aunt Archangelica approve of his treatment of her cat?In this short story, New York Times Bestselling Author Gail Carriger uses her comedic voice to delve into the history of one of her most beloved characters. If you have ever wondered about Alexia's father, this will give you a glimpse into his adventures and character.This story was first published in The Book of the Dead, a Jurassic London anthology.

    Rae Wilder has problems. Supernatural creatures swarm the earth, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Stalked by a handsome fairy who claims she is like him, demonkind, Rae thinks maybe it was a mistake breaking the rules by going over the Wall into demon territory. Plunged into a world of dark magics, fierce creatures, and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. The changes to her mind and body are startling, but rather than accept her purpose she struggles against who she is destined to be. Throw in a big lust for a vampire who can't keep his hands off her, and life starts to get complicated. Rae is forced to make the ultimate choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control. BrE.

    A series of strange encounters, and her relentlessly curious nature, lead her into the woods where she meets a destiny that has been chasing her since birth. She is unknowingly brought into a world of demons that is fraught with turmoil and deadly power struggles. Lord Balthazar, a demon prince trying to hold his new kingdom together, seizes on the opportunity and takes her hostage. Alexandra’s strong willed, defiant personality not only gets her into heaps of trouble, but also manages to gain the unlikely affections of the demon lord that holds her captive. As time begins to run out for both of them, sacrifices must be made that are to neither one’s liking, and by the time they realize what they truly want, it may be too late.

    Her dad's a demon. And she just wants to be ordinary. Sydlynn Hayle's life couldn't be more complicated. Trying to please her coven, starting over in a new town, and fending off a bully cheerleader who hates her are just the beginning of her troubles. What to do when delicious football hero Brad Peters--boyfriend of her cheer nemesis--shows interest? If only the darkly yummy witch, Quaid Moromond, didn't make it so difficult for her to focus on fitting in with the normal kids. Add to that her crazy grandmother's constant escapes driving her family to the brink and Syd's between a rock and a coven site. Forced to take on power she doesn't want to protect a coven who blames her for everything, only she can save her family's magic. If her family's distrust doesn't destroy her first."A great, inventive plot, a deeply flawed, self-deprecating, heroine . . . What more could you want?" -- Amazon reviewer Hobbitual.Don't miss the exciting sequels in the Hayle Coven Novels: Witch Hunt Demon Child The Wild The Long Lost Gatekeeper Flesh and Blood Full Circle Divided Heart First Plane Light and Shadow Queen of Darkness Dark Promise Unseelie Ties Ancient Ways The Undying Shifting Loyalties Enforcer Coven Leader The Last Call"

    who can read minds. But Sookie's far from being the only person in Bon Temps, Louisiana with a handicap, what with the local vampire population demanding their unhuman rights and weres fighting for territory ... In fact, Bon Temps is a pretty lively place these days!A Touch of Dead collects together all the Sookie Stackhouse short stories in one gorgeous volume, and showcases the writing talents of international bestseller Charlaine Harris.

    Two worlds. One prophecy. Seventeen-year-old Ember Lonergan has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie.Mace is a monster, a soulless assassin tasked with a single purpose: follow Ember. He only has two rules. Do not interact with her. Do not to kill her. Simply watch and report. But Mace has never been good at following orders, and Ember is a temptation he simply can't resist.Whisked away to a small Florida town, Ember must learn to embrace a family she's never known, a supernatural world she never knew existed, and a power so vast it just might kill her. All that stands between Ember and destruction is that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery.Can she learn to trust him before it's too late?This edition features exclusive hidden art under the dust jacket.

    But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed.Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an abomination-something that should not exist-and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends-a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop-Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation . . . before it's too late.

    Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was... well, not very motherly.After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that's not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn't who, or what, she thinks she is. Lilly has a very special ability and it's just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again. Raven is a fantasy novel for children and young adults set in the beautiful province of British Columbia.

    This short story tells the tale of that night, and sheds a little light on her masters’ motivations.

    Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college. When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees. However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

    Of miniscule stature, rather beastly looks, and with fragile, delicate wings, even his family has shunned him, banished him from his beloved Paris. That he is the only gargoyle ever to help defeat the Dark Lord and his hordes of minions makes no impression. But now Levet has come home, determined to be restored to the official Gargoyle Guild. To do so, he must confront the most feared gargoyle in all of Europe. The one who tried to kill him as a child: his own mother. . .With few allies, Levet's survival may depend on the aid of two strangers: Valla, a beautiful but damaged nymph, and Elijah, the fiercely possessive, love-struck vampire clan chief to whom she can't quite surrender--unless Levet has something to do with it. . .