Almost.A deadly hunter.Hraban has dedicated his life to taking down creatures like Drakjan, protecting those who cannot protect themselves.An uneasy truce.When fate forces them together, the nix and the hunter discover a dangerous attraction… and a threat that can destroy everything Drakjan has come to love.~~~~~~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. "Still Waters" contains sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. ~~~~~~This story prompt and photo inspired "Still Waters":Dear Author,I only have two words for you: ginger merman! Everything else is up to you.Photo Description: A redheaded, muscular young man with a short beard stands in a lake, a scraggly stand of seaweed-draped deadwood behind him and mountains in the distance. He looks directly at the viewer, wearing a neutral expression. The water comes up to just above his waist, and he is lifting a sturdy white net from the water with both hands.

    Unfortunately for squirrel shifter Jamie, his first day back is anything but restful. When his adoptive brothers can’t resist winding Jamie up and sending him on a wild squirrel chase for last season’s buried nuts, he finds himself diverted from his mission in the best possible way.Sawyer is a man stuck in a tree with no way down, and things are about to get a little weird when one very inquisitive squirrel turns up to save the day. At least it’s not the mountain lion who chased him there to begin with. Still it takes a while before Sawyer’s convinced he’s not seeing things. By the time he’s got his feet back on the ground, it’s Jamie who needs a little TLC—fortunately for both of them, Sawyer’s tent is close by, and Sawyer has the perfect way to heat things up.

    If you haven't read both books, this will spoil major events. You've been warned._______________Status: CompleteWords: 6,403

    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.

    That his cousin agrees to pay for the vacation certainly makes a cheesy ghost tour bearable. Lee's plan is to get the work out of the way quickly, then spend the rest of his time on sun, sand, and all the blood and sex a vampire can stand. But the cute hotel clerk he picks out proves to be anything, but an easy snack.

    That is until he meets Xavier Dumont, a mysterious and dead sexy younger man. After having his heart broken by his long-time lover, Stephen is going through the motions and burying himself in his work instead of following his dreams. But if Xavier has his way, Stephen will seize the day—and the night.

    A cobra shifter, he’s held captive by a collector who keeps him—and other shifters—in a private harem-style “zoo” in the Libyan desert. Considered a dangerous predator by the other shifters, and little more than a boy toy to the collector, Jiri is friendless, timid, and despondent.Miksa is the collector’s latest find. But honey badgers are known for their bad attitude, fearlessness, and fighting spirit. Miksa has no doubt he’ll escape, even if it means taking the whole zoo down with him.When honey badger and cobra meet, there should be instant enmity—after all, honey badgers eat cobras—yet both men find themselves oddly drawn to the other. Romance blossoms, but can it survive captivity and beyond? In order to do so, Jiri will have to find a strength he doesn’t know he possesses and Miksa will have to open a heart long closed to anyone except his immediate family.

    It can bring love, luck, madness, misfortune, pleasure, and pain. Of all the myths and legends, superstitions and old wives tales, no lunar legend is as well known as those surrounding the wolves...Moon Dogs by Erica Kealey—FBI Agent Grant has had enough of his partner Cary's running and hiding. He knows what he saw, he's okay with what he saw. Now all he has to do is convince Cary of that.The Wolf and the Moon by Kayla Bain-Vrba—Dag's life is an endless series of battles, as he fights Game after Game for the amusement of others, his interest in life lost when he killed his own lover. But then, in the middle of a Game, he encounters a familiar face …A Kind of Remedy by Ashley Shaw—Enticed by gold to participate in an experiment, Nicolaus finds himself regretting it almost immediately. When he comes out of it unscathed, he considers himself lucky. Then the headaches begin …The Were Curse by Sasha L. Miller—When Innot is abruptly escorted to the royal palace he expects nothing good to come of it. But even his worst imaginings did not involve a journal stolen from him years ago, and incomplete spell cast upon the crown prince.Runaway Prince by May Ridge—On the run from his family and a life he hates, Astin reluctantly stops to rest at a trashy motel for the night. The very last thing he expects is Delaney, a bold, beautiful rentboy—and Astin's mate.The Wolf's Moor by Lupin Drake—Seamus enjoys his life as a bartender in a Scottish town; it's a far better life than the one he led two hundred years ago. The only shadows in his life are the curse that afflicts him and a handsome, determined investigator.Moonwitch by M.J. Willow—Prince Athanes arrives in Kamare to solve the mystery of several soldiers attacked by wolves. But the more he learns of the attacks, the more he realizes there is far more going on than a simple matter of hunger and sickness …Coming Home by Elizah J. Davis—With his parents dead, Caleb is alone in the world. Having no reason to stay, and nowhere to go, he wanders aimlessly around the country. Then, one night, he turns into a wolf, and the most frightening thing about it is that it doesn't feel strange at all …The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn by Megan Derr—Astor is good at telling it like it is, a trait that annoys everyone who knows him, but makes his ghost debunking books a raging success. But even he isn't right about everything, a fact made clear when a simple research trip proves to be anything but.

    Two vampire knights sworn to protect her.It's about to get very hot... and bloody...Ever since her mother was murdered by monsters five years ago, Shara Isador has been on the run. Alone, scared, and exhausted, she's finally cornered in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Out of hope with nowhere else to turn, she's ready to end it all when two men come to her rescue.They say she's a lost queen descended from Isis, and they're her Blood, vampire knights sworn to protect her. It all seems like a crazy nightmare, until the alpha offers his blood. Then she realizes she's never wanted anything more. Except maybe his body... and his friend's, too.But they're not the only ones searching for a lost queen. Shara must learn how to wield her new powers quickly and conquer her fears if she intends to keep them all alive.This is a MMFFM+ polyam series and Shara will never be forced to choose just one. #whychoose

    The last thing Matthew expects is for the pack’s alpha to be the home he’s always been looking for.Bram can’t believe his nose when the trespasser his enforcers drop at his feet turns out to be something entirely different. Nursing Matthew back to health becomes Bram’s priority, but the pack isn’t thrilled to have a human in their midst.When the pack gives them an ultimatum—either Matthew joins the pack in truth or leaves—the only question is, if he decides not to stay, will Bram be able to let him go?Metal Heart is the first novel in the Metal and Magic series, a dystopian urban fantasy romance filled with magic, adventure, and the perils of being human in a world filled with supernatural creatures. Previously offered as a newsletter short from the author.

    Though of course, Venus is in my chart and Lady Petunia has caught sight of the bothersome barracuda once more.Max Rigel is my most sinful of temptations, the shark in the dark who wishes to lure me to his sea cave and I don’t know if I’m Fae enough to resist him for long.But one thing is for sure, I will make certain the Vegas get the big A.S.S. party they deserve for their birthday or I’ll die trying. Succulent squids be damned!This is a 25k novella set in the world of Solaria during Book 5 of the Zodiac Academy series, Cursed Fates, featuring Geraldine and Max as they attend the party of the century and try to resist the lure of the moon as it pushes them together once more. It’s full of slippery salmons and more buttery bagels than you can shake a stick at and is best read after Cursed Fates.

    Imogene wants to seduce her. Imogene Hale is a lowly parlourmaid with a soul-crushing secret. Seeking solace, she takes work at a local vampire hive, only to fall desperately in love with the amazing lady inventor imprisoned there.Genevieve Lefoux is heartsick, lonely, and French.With culture, class, and the lady herself set against the match, can Imogene and her duster overcome all odds and win Genevieve’s heart, or will the vampires suck both of them dry?New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger presents this stand-alone lesbian romance is set in her popular steampunk Parasolverse, full of class prejudice, elusive equations, and paranormal creatures taking tea.Supernatural Society stories can be read in any order. Look for surprise appearances from popular Parasol Protectorate characters and the occasional strategic application of cognac.Delicate Sensibilities?This story contains women pleasing women and ladies who know what they want and pursue it, sometimes in exquisite detail.

    For over two years, Michael has been scouring the midwest for buried newspaper articles and obscure medical reports, and now he's finally pinpointed the source of the problem. Too bad he can't exactly go to the cops and tell them his friend was murdered by vampires. Since it's his duty to start wiping out the scourge, he's posing as bait—and he's got a bag of sharpened hickory stakes to do the job.Everything should go smoothly, given the amount of preparation that Michael has put into the hunt. He's got a practiced repertoire of come-hither eyeliner looks and a full blister-pack of the date rape drug Rohypnol. But he didn't count on Wild Bill showing up.Wild Bill is a vision in spiked hair and scuffed black leather—exactly the type of guy Michael would have fallen for…if he'd ever had the chance. Unfortunately, with a vampire in his sights, Michael has no time for an actual date. Despite his best efforts, it seems there's nothing Michael can do to shake Bill loose. Looks like they're in for a wild, wild ride.

    " I'm a cop with the Alandale City police force. I love my job, protecting the public and getting rid of scum was what made my day. Everything was going just fine until my lunch was interrupted by some rich, arrogant jerk in an Aston Martin who thought he could just speed past my squad car and get away with it. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I wrote Mr. Ledéo his speeding ticket, but after what happened to me, I wish I had just let him go. Maybe then, my world wouldn't have been turned upside down and inside out. Warning: This serial contains strong adult content not meant for sensitive eyes. The novelettes in this serial will be filled with dark, twisted, raunchy and steamy scenes between powerful, sexy men that will either offend you or get ya revved up. This series will not be pulling any punches, and it won’t apologize for hurting your feelings, either. You’ll find no fluff and ruffles here. These demons play hard and they fight dirty. There are approximately 25100 words in this novelette.

    The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.