Generations of Russells have lived and died with only their familiars at their side. The presence of a friendly familiar is enough to keep even the loneliest witch sane, and yet Piotr deliberately hasn’t chosen one. He forces himself to keep busy instead, but the emptiness of his house haunts him even more the spirit of Great-Great-Aunt Elysia in the parlor. With Samhain and Halloween approaching, he’ll have much to do, and knowing that, his concerned coven seizes the chance to intervene and sends help to his door in the form of Bartleby Dorchester. The rarest of rare jewels, Bartleby is a human familiar: a witch with no magic of his own, and a desire to find a strong witch to help and serve. In particular, he desires to help and serve Piotr, and everything in Piotr wants to let him. Bartleby was meant to be his familiar; Piotr knows it as surely as he knows when it will rain or when the apples in his garden will ripen. But what Piotr wants from Bartleby, all he’s ever wanted, is for Bartleby to love him, something he thinks is impossible. Russells live and die unloved, and he won’t allow Bartleby to feel obligated to spend his life with him as his familiar if he could be happy in love with someone else. But Samhain is a time for change, when walls come down and borders grow thin, and Bartleby isn’t going to waste what might be his last chance to convince Piotr that they were meant to be. He might have no magic, but love is a power all its own.

    I’ve spent weeks winning his respect, and as an added bonus, the sexual tension built on the foundation of his hate is so arousing I almost forget we’re just fucking with each other.Only we don’t have time to process, because we’re thrown into the middle of a raging forest fire, trying to find a missing hiker before it’s too late.At the worst possible time, I figure out the case, but if I tell Hayes he’ll hate me. If I don’t tell him, we might die in the woods. How to tell your partner you nearly killed his last partner when you want to keep fucking him, while dodging bullets, was not covered in FBI training.

    It's been years since we last spoke, but the moment I see him, it's like we're back in high school, sneaking off behind the bleachers to fool around.But you know what the kicker is? I'm not interested in guys. It’s just that there’s something about Red that makes it impossible to keep my hands to myself. Something that burned me up from the inside back then, and that has me all fired up now.Because damn, has Red grown up hot.And my straight ass is feeling the heat.

    When his on-campus job proves to be too much, he quits and turns to the only person he can handle asking for help—Gabe, vampire, bar owner, and Sei’s occasional lover. Sei had never seen himself as a waiter, but he’s willing to do just about anything to stay in his apartment, as long as it means he doesn’t have to involve his overbearing mother, Tanaka Rou.He takes the opportunity that Gabe gives him, and with the help of the waitress who’s training him, he learns that his natural assets are more than enough to win anybody over.**Free short fiction.

    She is tired, hungry, and there is foul-smelling blood on her boots. All she wants to do is to go home, but when Mercenary Guild offers her a job she can't refuse, she finds herself protecting a man against Russian wizards.This story was originally published in the anthologies Dark and Stormy Knights and Magic Graves.)

    When the rest of the pack objects, he agrees to let Stiles come along to pose as his mate. Derek is reasonably sure that he's not going to make it out of this weekend alive.27,067 words Complete

    Such as, nearly killing myself with a mop bucket or frying pan. When my car breaks down not far from said gorgeous, god's house, I learn that Flynn is my best friend's alpha and there is more to my obsession than my ridiculous habit of accidental suicide attempts. We're connected. Flynn Becker I've been watching my mate for months and waiting for the perfect time to finally claim him. When he comes sputtering to a stop not far from the leap house where I'm the alpha of a large leap of leopards, I'm both excited to finally have him close and worried about how to explain our world. When I find out he already knows about shifters and his best friend is a member of my leap, I feel like this mating just got easier. But fighting both, members of my own kind, and my precious mate's insecurities, might be too much for even a chosen bond. I have to find a way to protect my mate from a crazed she-leopard and prove to him that he could never be, JUST Ridley. Previously published alternate cover version of ASIN B07CK6FRX4 can be found here.

    And this scene should appear in the story at some point. Have fun with it! I want to laugh.Anything else you want to do with it is fine by me.Photo Description: In the picture we see a cheetah in full run, chasing an ostrich through a steppe-like landscape. The ostrich’s wings are spread, his feathers ruffled, as he tries to escape the faster, but physically weaker, cat. Above those two, we see the line SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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, almost a year after his first full shift, he finally feels as if he is making a difference at the Anderson nest. Ori’s happier than he’d ever been, until a few words from his master, Raynard, suddenly bring all of Ori’s old fears rushing back to the surface. The nest’s elders want to have a party for Ori’s birthday, but Ori can’t see any reason to celebrate in it being a year since he reached his avian maturity. After all, what’s the use in learning to be a good swan when Raynard never wanted a swan in the first place? Please Note: This story is best read in order as part of the Avian Shifters series. The previous book is Duck! and the next book is Magpie.

    Aching to stay. What lies between is sweet torture.For nine years, Scott Lund has been erasing himself. Making sure his own kind-those who can control people's minds-can't track him down. It has been a lonely existence. So lonely, that when he makes a real connection with a stranger, he breaks his own cardinal rule and falls asleep in the man's arms.Rory McIntyre has been sent by his pack alpha to keep a protective eye on Scott. Seduction wasn't part of the plan, but once he lays eyes on the Minder, Rory isn't satisfied to keep his distance.The moment Scott opens his eyes, he panics and flees-straight into a Minder trap. The handsome stranger from the night before turns out to be his rescuer, who whisks him away to a safe place. Wolf Town.Overwhelmed by Rory's family, Scott knows only two things for sure. His attraction to Rory is growing by the minute. And to keep his lover safe, he must put as much distance between them as possible . Warning: Contains dangerous mind control, bone-cracking violence and full-body-contact sex with an irresistible wolf shifter.

    Time is against them and even love might not be enough to survive the change.Dan Bailey is a loner, a shifter without a pack that no pack will accept unless he has a mate. He's only looking for work and a few beers with friends when he meets Blythe Kenner, and suddenly his priorities change.Blythe doesn't trust anyone—especially shifters. All he wants to do is bide his time working behind the bar while getting his law degree. That is until Dan walks in and makes it his sole vocation to get under Blythe's skin…and his covers. Blythe never counted on having a shifter as a lover, and complicated doesn't begin to describe how he feels.Dan knows how he feels and he's not going to let Blythe go without a fight. But time is running out. A rival pack isn't happy with Dan's living arrangements, and if Dan can't win Blythe's trust soon, their very lives will be at stake.

    When he gets hired by a couple to help with the Omega’s rougher-than-normal heats, he doesn’t think much of it.It’s just another job, after all.Omega Josh and Alpha Damon are obviously in love. They have everything Leo has ever wanted—safety, acceptance, tenderness. There is no way there’s space for Leo in what they have.There’s no way Leo is good enough for either of them.Falling in love with clients is a terrible idea, let alone two…Leo just doesn’t know how to stop.

    Luke thinks he's destined to be a lone wolf. But once they find each other, their lives will never be the same. Fresh out of the institution after a failed suicide attempt, Finn's ready to crawl back up and reclaim life. He'll stick to his plan, take the tests, kiss all the butts and get back into grad school. That’s all he thinks about until he meets his new roommate the older, intimidating Luke. Kicked out of his pack for being gay, alpha wolf Luke sees no way out of the solitary life he leads. That is, until he sees Finn, bent over the kitchen island, and the need to claim him, take him, becomes too much to bear. He'll do whatever it takes to bring Finn out of his shell and convince him they're mates. But Luke’s alpha essence begins to change Finn in ways he never could have imagined. While the possibility of starting a family fills him with pride, the fear of the unknown, of what it could do to Finn, fills him with dread. One thing Luke knows for sure--there is no going back, not after finding Finn.

    On the way, he has an accident and is injured. He wakes up with no memories of his past, not even of his name.Xander Dane is a wolf shifter and Second of his pack. He saves Jessie’s life, only to realize Jess is his mate. Xander has been in the closet his whole life. Coming out may be harder than ever because not only does he have to tell everyone he’s gay and risk exile, but he has to tell his mate he’s part wolf. Since Jessie can’t remember who he is, Xander has to take a chance on a man who may have a life waiting for him somewhere else – a life that doesn’t include Xander.This is the extended release version of Wrong Turn, which has been lengthened to more than triple its original size. Genres/Tags: Gay M/M / Shape Shifter / Wolf Shifter / Coming Out / First Time / Marking / MatingApprox. Word Count: 34,263

    Terrorism was suspected but never proven, and when nothing happened--no epidemic, no unexplained illnesses--the whole episode was written off as an elaborate hoax. But Lycanaeris was selective. Only those of a certain age, and with a specific gene in their DNA were infected. Time would reveal the pathogen’s true nature, when those susceptible grew up Altered. Daniel is one of thousands forced to hide his altered status by living a quiet life. He’s not like the others, though. Daniel can’t help looking so distinctive or being able to see every altered for what they really are. To those abducting altereds, that skill makes him valuable. For Jordan, shifting from human to wolf means living under the radar to avoid unwanted attention. Meeting Daniel complicates matters. Daniel’s existence is a threat to Jordan and his friends, but Jordan can’t seem to shake the strange connection between them. When danger threatens, there’s little time for Daniel and Jordan to work out their feelings before lives are at stake.