But before he can make a decision on his future, he finds himself in trouble with the dark-haired sexy, Head Elf, Gabriel. Trouble comes in the form of having to be the Head Elf's assistant for the season, but after a kiss under the mistletoe, their relationship takes a naughty turn and by Christmas, Christian only has eyes and love for Gabriel. Will the Head Elf return his deeper feelings?

    Jack is more like a stone around his neck than a help, and while Dae had problems letting Jack go, he knows he has to do it. Still, things go from bad to worse. Dae has a secret, one that he inadvertently reveals to his vet assistant, Sean, when things go terribly awry. His dual life doesn't faze Sean as much as his vengeful ex-boyfriend. Can Dae and Sean adjust to their newfound attraction and keep Jack from ruining everything for them?

    That is, until he meets sexy firefighter and cursed shifter, Xander Brighton.Xander has never given much thought to having a mate. Now that he’s found Braxton, though, he will do whatever it takes to keep his new partner safe and happy.But Braxton’s ex-lover, Mason, isn’t about to let them move on to their happy-ever-after without a fight. In fact, he will stop at nothing to reclaim his ex, and Braxton begins to suspect that Mason may be hiding an ulterior motive. With Xander’s help, Braxton races to unravel the mysteries surrounding his ex before someone ends up hurt...or worse.

    They’ll never know just how close they are to the truth. His pack slaughtered by the ancestors of those very ranchers, Jacob’s learned to trust no one and accept his solitary life.Oliver Wingate loves and respects wolves. As a conservationist, he believes they should be re-introduced into their once-natural habitat. Yet he meets resistance from all the ranchers who feel the wolves will prey on their herds.When Oliver runs afoul of some of the locals, it’s up to Jacob to ensure the young idealistic man doesn’t lose his life in a battle for the wolf’s survival...and all the while trying to keep from falling in love...

    They've decided that he will be the first of the dragon shifters to mate with a male because of their dwindling numbers and few women. Only when a Draken mates can he shift into a powerful dragon. As if that wasn't bad enough, they've not only selected one man but two for him to mate with. Brody can't believe this is happening to him when the two men who bullied him as kids walk into the council chambers.Parker's kiss, and Jax's touch send Brody running from the only home he's ever known, to cross into the human lands. He meets Matt on the way, a man he thinks is human. Matt is everything that his dragon mates are not. He's gentle and loving, and Brody learns to accept the feelings he's always had. When he doesn't shift to a dragon being with Matt, Brody thinks they can live happily together away from his homeland. But Parker and Jax will not give up on the man they have wanted for so long, even if it means hiring a werewolf to track him.

    While the scars on the outside have faded, the damage inside is much harder to conquer. Zeke resigns himself to a solitary existence, aside from his sister Enessa and, of course, his mama's occasional visits.Brendon Shanahan has a very meddling cousin, Gloria, who is best buds with Enessa Matthers. When the two women convince Brendon that he should hook-up with the reclusive Zeke, a plan is hatched that sets a series of events into motion - with potentially deadly consequences.Can Ezekiel conquer his fears and accept what Brendon is offering? Or will Brendon walk away, giving up on the love he has waited for? And will the visits from Zeke's mama - deceased for four years now - help the two men find their way to each other?Only time will tell, and that may be the one thing the lovers don't have, because someone is out to destroy everything Zeke and Brendon hold dear - and this time, the bad guy just might succeed.

    Especially hot chocolate. He also has a weakness for human men, even though both humans and gay men are frowned upon by the pack. He just knows that his mate is a human male, even if he hasn’t found the right one. It's fun looking for him. There's an edge of danger and whole lot of fun.Connor is the town's only baker. He makes bread, cakes, cookies and pastries that he sells out of the local diner. What's for dessert depends on what he’s in the mood for, and you don't want to make him angry because it totally affects the food. While some of the townsfolk don't appreciate that he's gay they all have to admit, the desserts rock when he's happy. What happens to the desserts when Dayton and Connor's worlds meet?11,200 words

    When his first assumption is proved incorrect and he learns the woman and baby with Ben Moore are not his wife and daughter, Mutegi realizes he actually has a shot at claiming the human.But first Mutegi and his friends need to save the trio from Ben’s sister’s sadistic ex-husband. It was a difficult task. The man had already chased Ben and Cassie across three states in an attempt to steal his daughter back, ignoring the court’s ruling that had deemed him unfit.If Mutegi manages to find a way to save the siblings from the madman, can he also figure out how to tell his human mate that he’s a shifter?

    So when my best friend asks me to check up on her brother—a lion/tiger hybrid who was been banished from his own pride—I agree...And find out I’m his fated mate.Hart’s been through a lot, and I know it. The circumstances of his birth made him an outcast, and those scars run deep. He’s also got a million excuses for why he never came back to claim me the way he says he wanted to.But when he sees me on his doorstep and suddenly decides to make up for lost time… well, let’s just say I’m not falling for it. Claiming is a forever thing. And nothing about Hart Sherman with his fancy career and solitary lifestyle says he wants forever with small-town guy like me.If he wants me to believe he’s serious, he’ll have to prove it. By finding a place in the pride for the amazing man he made himself… and for the liger he was born to be.

    Short story about Sterling and Rhys

    He needs a major grant to make progress on his research into the history of astronomy.Scott Black, a former gay pornstar and wanna-be actor, comes to Anton for help on an audition and the sparks fly. But when Anton's grant presentation doesn't go as hoped, Scott takes charge and offers Anton a way out. Scott's family owns a library full of manuscripts that need cataloguing and he's been thinking about trying theatre.Will Anton fight for the grant so he can stay in his secure job or will Scott be able to rescue him and tempt him to explore new horizons?

    But the sightings being reported to DNR officer Jack Allen are anything but typical. These reports indicate a huge species of the wolf, and they re scared.Having grown up in the town, Jack knows just whom to ask for help, long time friend Ryan Walsh. It doesn t hurt that he s had a crush on Ryan for as long as he can remember.As a wildlife photographer, Ryan lives in the woods and pretty much keeps to himself. He d be perfectly happy to share that existence with a certain sexy DNR guy. So when Jack asks for his help in tracking a huge wolf, Ryan jumps at the chance to get Jack alone.But what will happen when Ryan shifts into his canine form and Jack is looking down the barrel of his tranq gun?"

    Owen is disconcerted to realize he's still attracted to Caleb Black but refuses to pursue him. Caleb left him once, and Owen's not going down that road again.Caleb is ready for a second chance with Owen and gets it when fate and the matchmaking McKenzies conspire to strand the two men in a rustic cabin during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Can Caleb convince Owen to rekindle their romance so they can stop spending their holidays apart?Nine Lights Over Edinburgh By Harper FoxDetective Inspector James McBride is riding high on the belief that he's about to bust a human-trafficking ring. But just five days before Christmas, his unorthodox methods catch up with him and his world comes crashing down.McBride tries to concentrate on his new day job as security for the visiting Israeli ambassador. He even starts to feel a renewed sense of self-worth when the leader of the Israeli team, the aristocratic Tobias Leitner, takes a bullet for him in the line of duty. But he can't forget the trafficking case, especially when his investigations result in the kidnapping of his own daughter! McBride has no one to turn to for help-no one, except Toby.Can these two very different men work together to bring about a holiday miracle-and heal one another's heart in the process?I Heard Him Exclaim By Z.A. MaxfieldWho Likes a Skinny Santa?Steve Adams's heart hasn't been in the Christmas spirit ever since doctors put a stent in it and ordered him to clean up his act. No longer filling out his Santa suit or allowed to make merry, he's forgoing the holidays this year and heading to Vegas to indulge in the few vices left to him: gambling and anonymous sex.His road trip takes a detour when he encounters Chandler Tracey, who's just inherited guardianship of his five-year-old niece. Overwhelmed, Chandler's on his way to deliver Poppy to his parents. But fate has other plans and, after car trouble, Chandler and Poppy accept a ride home with Steve. Though the heat between the two men is obvious, they put it on simmer while they band together to make Poppy's Christmas as perfect as possible.Steve soon comes to believe that while Chandler is the right person to look after Poppy, someone needs to look after Chandler. Fortunately, Steve knows just the man for the job.Icecapade By Josh LanyonOn the eve of the new millennium, diamond thief Noel Snow seduced FBI special agent Robert Cuffe, then fled into the dawn. Now a successful novelist, Noel uses his capers as fodder for his books, and has modeled his hero's nemesis (and potential love interest) on Cuffe. Though he leaves Robert a drunken phone message every New Year's Eve, Noel hasn't seen or heard from him in a decade.So he's thrilled when his former lover shows up at his upstate farm one Christmas Eve. Elation quickly turns to alarm when Robert accuses Noel of being responsible for a recent rash of diamond heists. Robert is all business and as cold as ice: it seems his only interest in Noel is to put him behind bars.Innocent of the crimes, and still as attracted as ever to the oh-so-serious lawman, Noel plans a second seduction-providing he can stay out of jail long enough!

    Then the ice and snow blew in, trapping him downtown. But he's not the only one prowling around the office. James is pleased to find Nick still at work and opens his house to Nick, offering him a place to sleep.Nick is shocked when James grabs his hand to lead him across the icy street and more shocked when the man starts undressing him. The night may be cold outside, but the heat is rising in James' apartment.

    Little does he know that mating Davi will make him an alpha stronger than most—and more dangerous.Davi Braizer is an omega. In his world, that means he is to stay hidden from sight, not allowed to speak to anyone, and at the alpha’s beck and call every day of his life. It’s a miserable existence until his alpha is defeated by a man who just might not be completely human.When Salvador’s past comes back to haunt him, hiding his true nature is no longer possible. If he wants to keep his mate safe, he’ll need every ounce of power to defeat the man bent on destroying him. And that means becoming the monster everyone fears.