Powerful, sexy, protective and romantic - this collection of half stand-alones, half series starters, and all sexy, paranormal, Alpha male shifters to scratch your itch and make you howl! Featuring: J.M. Klaire - Alphas Divided - Part 1 Of 3 Emma is a typical cop's daughter, who is very rarely held accountable for her actions, until the day she gets caught shop lifting with her best friend and partner in crime, Kate. Desperate to turn the girls back towards the straight and narrow path, their fathers send them to live with Emma's deceased mother's "people." Emma is first shocked to learn that her mother has "people", and then she is even more surprised to learn those people... aren't completely human. Thomas is the ageing Alpha of a hidden werewolf pack, whose two sons, the mysterious Elam and the dark and sexy Galen, soon find themselves enamoured of the two new women, vying for the position of Alpha, and starting to uncover the secret of Emma's mother's past. Jacqueline Sweet - A Slice Of Honeybear Pie (Bearfield #1) Matt Morrisey is a bear shifter with a sweet tooth, an easy smile, and muscles for miles... When Mina Brooks' dreams of opening her own bakery go up in literal flames, she has no choice but to run. Bad men are after her and they won't stop coming until she's silenced for good. It's hard to escape though when you roll your car off a mountain road and get tangled up with the local police. Trapped in jail with her enemies closing in, Mina is all but done for. Matt Morrisey expected the call would be just another drunk who needed a lawyer he couldn't afford, but when the big shifter laid eyes on his client and her sweet curves, he knew his life was about to change. Mina was his fated mate, he could feel it in his blood. How could he convince the terrified woman that they were destined for each other, that he could protect her, without scaring her off? As fate pulls the two of them closer, and the dangerous men close in on Mina, Matt has to prove he's got what it takes to defend the woman he loves from the mysterious forces pursuing her. Desirae Grove - The Bear Heiress Lindy Woodford lives a quiet life as the town baker’s daughter, spending her days working at a grocery store or reading. When the Clan’s leaders announce that she will be the new Queen, it’s the last thing she expects. Blake Owens and Jake Smith have been friends since childhood. But they share more than boyhood memories; for the last few months they’ve both wanted the same girl - Lindy. Now that she’s chosen to be a Queen, their dreams have crumbled to dust. The prophecy of Lindy’s mates is specific, but finding the right pieces of the puzzle proves to be less clear-cut. The whole town is overcome with the challenge of finding its new leading trio, yet every step seems to push the lovers further apart. Lindy, and her men will stop at nothing to be together. But will their love make them the leaders their town needs or will it all end in disaster? Terra Wolf - Purrfect Chaos (Purrfect Mates #1) Shrewd billionaire businessman Tom Puma has catapulted Calico Enterprises into the stratosphere of profitability. His wicked thinking and juggernaut personality have propelled him from one challenge to the next without fail. Where most people set goals for themselves, Tom simply wakes up one day and does it, that's just how he is. What most of his competitors and employees don't know is that much of his tenacity and ferociousness is born from the wild. That is, from the wild feline that lives with him. From panther to housecat, Tom has the incredible ability to alter his form at will. Curvaceous and successful, Jacy is the vice-president of Majestic Enterprises, one of Calico's most powerful competitors. Her father, the owner of Majestic, is also a ruthless adversary of Tom's. So when he all but tells his daughter she must go to work for the enemy, Jacy is anything but thrilled. Like Tom, she's yet to find a challenge she can't handle. Yet for all her trickery and witchery, Jacy finds that perhaps she has met her match with her new boss. Love blooms, stocks rise, and personalities clash. Will the witch let herself be seduced by the allure of a black cat, or does the chaos reign supreme once more? Claire Ryann - Quest Of The Alpha (Sierra Moon #1) Lane knows that if the pack of misfit adoptee wolf-shifters is going to survive and re-establish the high Sierra territory, he'll need to find an alpha female. A natural alpha. A strong female who will be up to the task of becoming matriarch of the new pack. When he meets Tara hiking through the mountains alone, he knows he's found his new mate. Now he just has to explain the whole werewolf thing and hope she doesn't freak out. Tara thought the incredibly sexy man with the piercing green eyes just might turn out to be more than a vacation hook-up. He seemed genuinely into her curvy figure and everything was going just fine until he revealed that he's really a werewolf - and he wants her to be his new mate and become the pack's alpha female. Just her luck. She finally finds a great guy who's into her, and he turns out to be a crazy man! Cora Wolf - Alphas Unleashed - Part 1 Of 4 Ignore your urges and desires. Trust no one, especially other werewolves. Flee from the vampires that hunt you. And when the full moon forces you to turn you hide… and survive. This is how werewolf Sara Cole lives, and how she becomes cornered by two vampires, looking for another rare and valuable werewolf pelt to sell to the highest bidder. But alpha werewolves Connor and Marcus have been craving a female werewolf for years, and they’re not about to let a couple of vampires take what they desire. They’ve rediscovered the lost ability to turn at will, and they no longer fear the vampires that hunt them. Now they are the hunters. Connor isn’t shy about his lust for Sara’s curvy figure, and Sara is intoxicated by the scent of Connor’s strong, dominant wolf, even as she battles her deep-rooted mistrust of her own kind. Marcus, rich and reserved, doesn’t seem interested. But he is only biding his time, waiting for Sara’s mating heat to begin. He’s older, more experienced, and knows that he doesn’t have to chase Sara. She will come to him. Artemis Wolffe - Bear Back Mountain (M/M Romance) Bear shifter Hunter Reed has never had much luck in the love department. As if his struggles weren't enough, the pressure of his family's tradition to be mated by their 30th birthday is wearing down on him. In an effort to appease his family and ensure a strong line of heirs, he joins a dating service as a last-ditch effort, not expecting it to lead anywhere. Fitness trainer and former party-goer Alexander Gray only craves one thing now; the comfort of a lifelong relationship. When he meets Hunter at their gym, the smouldering tension between them is undeniable. Before either of them realise it, their relationship is moving to the next level, as secrets are revealed and mysteries solved. That is, until one day the dating service calls Hunter to notify him of his 'match'. Betrayed and broken, Alex writes off what he thought was something special as just another mistake in his life. When Hunter comes after him though, he isn't taking no for an answer. For him, love is more important than rules, which are made to be broken. Armed with the power of a granted wish, Hunter tracks down his lover to claim him as his own and to provide his family with the heir they desire. Callie McKenna - Once An Alpha (The S Files #1) Mystery. Intrigue. Lust. The sexiest shifters. This book has it all... Curvy FBI agent Myla Peyton has always believed in logic and science. But when she is assigned to the paranormal S Files investigation agency, everything she believes in is challenged. And what’s worse is her partner, David Lyndon. Sexy as hell and arrogant to boot, Myla can’t stand him after encountering him during her time at the FBI academy. There’s something different about him that she can’t put her finger on. Why does he sniff the air like a dog, and why do his eyes sometimes seem to glow? The two are sent to the sleepy mountain town of Bakewell Springs, Colorado, to investigate multiple disappearances of hikers over the years. Someone…or something... is snatching them up in the night, and it’s up to the two agents to figure out what’s really going on. Can Myla resist David's mysterious charms while solving the case? And can David resist the urge to claim his curvy mate? Warning: This book contains lots of HOT sex, adult language and violence. If this is not the kind of stuff you like to read, skip this book. However, if you like dirty, raunchy sex with a strong, sassy and smart BBW heroine, then this is right up your alley. Enjoy! Anna Craig - Surrendered To The Pack (Wicked Wolf Shifters #1) This is a CLIFFHANGER short novella that is part of a serial. This is NOT a full-length book. Cassandra Wakefield's life is about to change. College student and regular girl, she also comes from an isolated mountain town that for centuries has been under the thrall of a very wicked pack of wolf shifters. If the insatiably hungry shifters don't get their annual female sacrifice, all hell will break loose on the town. This year, Cassie lost the draw. She's about to face down a magnificent pack of sexy alpha men. Despite her nervousness, she's undeniably intrigued... and deeply aroused. Steely-eyed yet magnetic alpha Trevor, outrageously hot, flirtatious Mac, and drop-dead gorgeous Finn, who has headlined her most secret fantasies for years now, await her. Pack Alpha Trevor Reginald doesn't do three things: drama, hysterics, or emotions. Pack dynamics are for drama, town surrenders tend to get annoyingly hysterical, and emotions - well, emotions are useless things for which Trevor reserves no time. He's here with his packmates for one reason only: to take the surrender's virginity and thus ensure his pack's continued healthy existence. But bringing the lovely Cassandra into the Wicked Mountain Wolf Pack stirs something in Trevor he hasn't felt in years. Something he will fight tooth and claw to resist before it overwhelms his reason and his very way of life... Because Cassie and all the wolf shifters are in for a huge surprise - one that Cassie might not survive after she is surrendered to the pack. Wicked Wolf Shifters Serial - Part 1 (Sexy Shifter Smut) To the reader: This story contains hot sex with all the dirty details, naughty language, characters who say "oh, hell yeah" to the fun times, the potential edges of shifter violence, and yes, a cliffhanger. If that isn't your thing, this story probably won't be either. But if all that sounds great, this short piece of Sexy Shifter Smut is for you! Christa Kelley - A Bear In Need (The Marked #1) Bear shifter Brandon Mitchell is cursed. Destined to lose the woman he claims as his mate, he's lived the life of an arrogant, cocky playboy to keep from getting his heart broken. But deep down, Brandon wants what he can never have: A family of his own, with a few cubs and a curvy goddess of a woman to keep him in line. He never thought he'd find her in a feisty witch from his past, and now he'll stop at nothing to break his curse and claim her as his mate. There's just one problem: The woman he wants - the woman he's doomed to lose - is the only witch who can help him, and if he wants to protect her, he'll have to find a way to resist her first. Liz Malone just can't catch a break. After promising to secure her grandmother's spellbook, she's back in her old hometown and faced with confronting the dark, powerful figure who still holds sway over her life. If that wasn't bad enough, she gets drawn in by the charm and confidence of her old high school crush. She never wanted to go back to Star Lake, and yet here she is, setting aside her own problems to help Brandon break a curse so he can take a mate. A mate she just knows isn't her. How could it be when the only thing between them, after all this time, is a one-night-stand? Content Warning: Explicit love scenes and smokin' hot werebears. Adult only bear shifter romance! Sink your teeth into ten hot paranormal tales, by authors you know and love, plus hot new authors to discover.

    She wants to prove the myths are real. After all, one of these ancient myths saved her life as a child. A dark prophecy warns against prying. Undeterred, Aileen assembles a team of investigators and sets on a journey in pursuit of the truth. Cursed to guard an ancient treasure… Isolated in the mountains, bound to an old, powerful object, Drakon has lost all sense of time and space. He was waiting for something, but he can’t remember what. Or, was it someone? If only he could sleep for an hour, if only he could close his eyes and dream, maybe it would all come back to him: his true name, his mission, his humanity, the memory of her… Unaware of the danger, Aileen steps into the dragon’s cave.Lured by her beauty, Drakon can’t decide if he wants to turn her into dinner, or sweep her off her feet.He wants to eat her (in more ways than one), she wants to save him. But there are vile men on Aileen’s trail, and all they want is to kill the dragon, steal the Golden Fleece, and get rid of the expert in Greek Mythology.Tears of the Dragon is a full, standalone novella, with a happily-ever-after, and NO cliffhangers. Intended for readers 18+

    It's something kids do, not 36-year old women, whose boyfriends have left them for the office intern. But her best friend Lauren has a secret she's bursting to share: there are men out there who absolutely love voluptuous girls like her. All Dina has to do is tap Shiftr, the cute little paw-print app that Lauren has just installed on her phone. In the time it takes Dina to get over her shock that there are guys who can shift into animals, she's hit up by Logan - a dark-eyed bear-guy with a torso like sculpted marble and eyes like pools of lust. He tells her that he feels a magnetic connection to her, but before she can tell him that the feeling's mutual, her clumsy thumb swipes the wrong way, and he's gone. Dina is distraught, but Tamika, the creator of Shiftr has a cunning plan that may just bring them together again. Will Dina find the sexy Logan in the midst of the eccentric matchmaker's beautiful, opulent summer garden party? And will they discover that they're fated to be together? Kristin To the outside world, Kristin Pasternak is a feisty, statuesque, auburn-haired journalist. Only those close to her know that she suffers from PCOS, a condition that has left her unhappy with her body, and scared that she won’t be able to have children. When best friends Dina and Lauren introduce her to Shiftr, the secret dating app for curvy girls and shape shifting men, she thinks that none of the guys will want her - especially smoking-hot tiger shifter, Roman, whose profile says that he definitely wants cubs. But, according to the app, Kristin and Roman are a 100% match, and when Roman scents Kristin for the first time, he seems to know her body better than she knows it herself. Will the sexy tiger be able to convince Kristin to let go of her insecurities and abandon herself to the crazy attraction that sizzles between them? Melissa Melissa Ericson has a panic attack as her best friend Lauren is giving birth, but sexy shifter doctor, Harley, is on hand to calm her down. When she later finds out that he's not only on Shiftr - the secret dating app for curvy girls and gorgeous shape-shifting men - but is also a great match for her, she's ecstatic. But there's something about Doctor Harley that keeps tugging at Melissa's mind, and suddenly she's drawn back into a place she never wanted to think about again. The past is so confusing and painful for her, but will the smoking-hot werewolf prove to be her destroyer or her savior? This is a 78,000 word boxed set consisting of three standalone books, packed with heart-stopping romance, danger, heroism, passion and suspense! HEA and no cliffhanger! Note: These books and all other books in the Hope Valley Dating App series are standalone and can be read completely independently.

    And wings.A human bent on free love. And drunk.Any joke could be made with those two lines.But the town of Woodland Creek, it's no laughing matter. Hostile and magical residents guard their secrets. It's too easy to be found out.When Isaac Stone first meets Kennedy Kirk, he's tempted to shove her off the clock tower. After all, she is gripping his private parts to lean over and see his town. One little push is all it would take...Isaac never anticipated he'd be the one to fall.**THIS IS A 35,000 WORD NOVELLA**

    I wake up chained to the wall of a dark cell aware of two things: I failed my sister, and I smell my enemy.When I’m taken to meet Dare, the alpha of the Silver Tip pack, I’m sure I’m about to lose my throat. The last thing I expect is for the Alpha to recognize me as his fated mate. No way is he going to let me go now, and I still have to find a way to rescue my sister.As I plot my escape to save her, I find that if I leave, Dare could be killed by power-hungry members of his pack. And now he’s more to me than my fated mate—my heart is involved. With time ticking by on my sister’s life, I have to make a choice I never thought I’d face—my sister’s life or my mate’s? That’s if I can survive the undead shifters intent on killing me first...

    Ariel Jones hasn’t figured out how her life changed so much in a single day. Before she can blink and ask about what is going on, she’s being shot with a billion nanos and some very potent wolf blood. Now she can suddenly turn into a giant white wolf with the bloodlust of a starving animal. And she’s an alpha wolf…or so she is told by the even larger, very male, black wolf who was used to create her. Hallucination? She wishes. Whether human or wolf, Reed talks in her head and tells her how to handle things…or rather how to kill them…starting with the men who hold them all captive. Too bad he can’t tell her how to put her life back like it was. Admittedly, there are perks to being a werewolf, such as meeting sexy werewolf guys like Matthew Gray Wolf. It’s not like the science labs were overrun with sexy men in white coats. She also doesn’t mind learning about a side of herself she never knew existed. It's great changing into a real wolf whenever she wants, but being a living experiment wasn’t part of the scientific career she’d planned for herself. Neither was falling for the local werewolf alpha, but what else is a newbie werewolf caught in her burning time going to do?

    And that he’d find her in a bustling cafe. Yet just the scent of sweet, mortal Torrance Watson ignited a driving, explosive need to claim her that he knew his pack would never sanction. Did he have the courage to cross the line by sealing the blood bond that would make Torry his alone — a disloyalty few of his kind ever survived — or would he live an eternity without love? LAST WOLF HUNTING As if sending the next rogue back to hell was his life’s mission. But after seeing Jillian Murphy for the first time in a decade, Jeremy knew he could no longer ignore his desire. Now Jeremy and Jillian must join forces to uncover the betrayal that threatens to destroy the pack’s stability. And when they’re done — well, Jeremy’s not about to again deny himself the one thing he wants most in this world... Jillian belongs to him, and this time his little witch is going to know it! LAST WOLF WATCHING With any other woman, it would be. But not with Michaela Doucet. He barely knew the provocative Cajun, but already her beautiful face haunted his dreams. Now he had to protect Michaela from the Lycans who wanted her dead. Even if this decision would change his entire life. Even if it was pure madness. Brody had no other choice. He never had...Get the first three Bloodrunners reads, now available in one volume!

    In that time, she’s witnessed much that leads her to believe there is something strange about Monroe and his staff. Tight-lipped and unwilling to rock the boat, Lilly performs her duties with skilled efficiency. Nothing could make her falter from her schooled indifference to the odd occurrences that plague StoneCrow…that is until King Mulholland arrives. After years of being surrounded by Monroe’s gorgeous staff, Lilly is disconcerted to find that she cannot shake her attraction to King. Worse, he’s assigned as Monroe’s Chief of Security meaning he’s constantly in her presence. The distraction of King coupled with sudden threats at home has Lilly wondering if the two aren’t somehow connected. Are Monroe and King hiding something? Skin Walker, King Mulholland, is called home to repay a debt to his friend, and Dominant Skin Walker, Monroe StoneCrow. Determined to even the field and then move on, King goes to great lengths to avoid Monroe’s machinations where pairing Walkers is concerned. Only two things stand between King and his freedom: Monroe’s scheming, and Lilly Worthington. Inexplicably drawn to Monroe’s personal assistant, King is certain Monroe is somehow to blame. King struggles to fight his urges where Lilly is concerned; however, when Lilly is attacked all bets are off. Single-minded, feral, possession consumes him and his need to protect Lilly begins to outweigh his desire to play hardball with Monroe. When King is finally stricken with what Monroe calls the affliction, King is more than ready to claim his angel…he is eager!

    But one of the most powerful warriors of his kind will be put to the ultimate test. Is he strong enough to resist his greatest temptations? Or will he be forced to surrender—body and soul? HER BEAUTY IS A WEAPON.Denae Lacroix is a beautiful MI5 agent on a deadly mission. Sent to the Scottish Highlands to spy on the mysterious Dreagan Industries, she discovers too late that she's been set up—as human bait. She is an irresistible lure for a man who has not seen or touched a woman for centuries. He is a man with a destiny—and a desire—that could destroy them both…HIS PASSION IS A CURSE…It's been twelve hundred years since Kellan has walked among humans—and there's no denying the erotically charged attraction he feels for Denae. But as a Dragon King, he is sworn to protect his secrets. Yet the closer he gets to this smart, ravishing woman, the more her life is in danger. All it takes is one reckless kiss to unleash a flood of desire, the fury of dragons…and the fiercest enemy of all.

    But when the man she cares for chooses another, her life gets caught in a tailspin. A new crew announcement could mean a change in her stars, but there is a catch. It’s the Blackwing Crew, and is run by fire-breathing dragon shifters. Not only that, but when she finds her bravery to travel to the Smoky Mountains and apply, the crew has somehow attracted the most damaged and terrifying shifters in the world. And one of those has his sexy eyes on her. Logan is decisively deadly when it comes to protecting the fledgling Blackwing Crew, but the grizzly in his middle is a monster. He’s here for one reason, and one reason alone – to go out fighting. But the quiet beauty, Winter, has him wishing he could be saved. When the alpha of the new crew, Dark Kane, finds out what Logan really is, the choice of life and death may not be up to him anymore. And now he and Winter will have to go to war if they want a chance at forever. Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets. Intended for mature audiences.

     Our breakup hadn’t been grisly, but after nearly two years, the thought of seeing him again had everything tightening in me because … I still loved him. But that was the past, and I knew I had to move on, right? LAW Brittin was the only woman I would ever love. She was it for me, even if she broke it off because of my domineering ways. I screwed up when I lost her, and I spent the next two years regretting it. But she’d wanted space, and when she left for the city, I let her. But now she’s back, and it’s my chance to show her I can give her everything she wants. It’s my chance to show her I can be the man she deserves. I just hope I haven’t let too much time pass, because not having Brittin in my life is a fate worse than death. Warning: This short story features a growly bear shifter and a stubborn heroine. It's hot, to the point, and you'll end up wishing you had your own shape-shifting alpha to keep you warm at night. Bear With Me was previously published under the title “Yes, Sir” and was included in the Cuffed and Claimed anthology. It has since been slightly revised and re-edited, but the story itself is the same.

    1 The Bastard Stepchild - George R.R. Martin 2 Death by Dahlia - Charlaine Harris 3 The Bleeding Shadow - Joe R. Lansdale 4 Hungry Heart - Simon R. Green 5 Styx and Stones - Steven Saylor 6 Pain and Suffering - S.M. Stirling 7 It's Still the Same Old Story - Carrie Vaughn8 The Lady is a Screamer - Conn Iggulden 9 Hellbender - Laurie R. King 10 Shadow Thieves - Glen Cook 11 No Mystery, No Miracle - Melinda M. Snodgrass 12 The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery - M.L.N. Hanover13 The Curious Affair of the Deodand - Lisa Tuttle 14 Lord John and the Plague of Zombies - Diana Gabaldon15 Beware the Snake - John Maddox Roberts 16 In Red, with Pearls - Patricia Briggs 17 The Adakian Eagle - Bradley Denton

    If you see a door leading to the basement, inform a librarian immediately.(The entire library is strictly off limits during winter break.)~*~Ever since she was young, Kennedy Fisher has been obsessed with dragons. Now that she’s matured a little, she’s added Rex Draconis to her list of obsessions.Not that she needs more than two things on her list. I mean, a billionaire heir bad boy and dragons are probably more than enough to last her a lifetime, don’t you think?Anyways!Rex is nice enough, though she wouldn’t say he’s into her. Except then why did he join her paranormal mysteries club? And why does he give her an ancient book explaining some of Steamydale’s oldest small town secrets on Christmas Eve?One of those secrets leads to her breaking a very important rule, which also leads to the discovery that her list of obsessions may be shorter than she first thought.Dragon’s may actually exist! And one’s been hiding under her nose this entire time...Also, that point about Rex Draconis not being into her? Um, that may have been slightly wrong...Talk about obsessions!By the end of the night and into a hot and heavy Christmas morning, she’s going to find out just how wrong she was. If they survive a rule-breaking adventure in the university library, that is...

    Whether you like them large and in charge or sleek and sexy, you'll find the right story to spice up your night in these pages. Featuring:A.J. Bennett — MasqueradeBecca Vincenza — ContractedBlaire Edens — FrenziedCarolyn Spear — Taming the PumaDara Fraser — Lion's Pretend GirlfriendDesiree Holt — Shadow of the WolfDominique Eastwick — Bearing the HungerErin Hayes — I Found My RhinoEver Coming — The MismatchmakerH.D. Gordon — Blood SportHazel Boyer — Accidentally MatedKate Richards — An Evening in the SuperstitionsLila Felix — Wolf ProtectorLisbeth Frost — Encounter on a MountainLouisa Bacio — The Luna TwinsMargo Bond Collins — Laugh Out LoveMarissa Farrar — Wolf TornMerryn Dexter — Bear Faced LiesM.J. Haag — Escaping the LuthaRachael Slate — Untamed Lord of Thessaly

    He’ll do whatever is necessary to protect the Wildlands, even if it means working with the human FBI to prove the Pantera aren’t responsible for the sudden rash of puma attacks. But his honorable intentions have met their match when his liaison turns out to be a beautiful, mysterious woman who stirs his most primitive instincts. A WOMAN WITHOUT A PASTReny Smith refuses to allow her amnesia to ruin her life. She’s created a new identity and is determined to become a successful FBI agent. Unfortunately, that means working with a Pantera diplomat to solve the latest assaults in New Orleans. Sebastian is not only a risk to the secrets she’s worked so hard to conceal, but also to her career. She’ll have to choose whether to run from the man who threatens to strip away her defenses, or listen to her heart and become the woman she was always meant to be. AristideHE MUST MATE A PANTERA FEMALEGorgeous Nurturer Aristide, is a rare male. He wants to be mated, wants love and a family. But only a Pantera female will do. The problem is, the one female Ari can’t resist is human, and when she’s captured by the Pantera and called their greatest enemy, Aristide must decide between the abiding want of his puma heart and the vow he’s made to his shifter species. A HUMAN WOMAN WITH A DANGEROUS SECRETReporter Katherine Burke lives for one thing. Her five-year-old son, Noah. She will do anything to protect him, including writing heinous lies about a group of puma shifters she doesn’t even believe exist. But when she’s captured by the Pantera, sees the amazing truth of who they are, and gains the love of an honorable male, she knows she must choose between more lies or trusting someone for the first time in her life.