The Unlikely Vampire by Scarlet Blackwell2. Sacrifice by J.L. Merrow3. One Last Wish by Josephine Myles4. Mayan Time by Erik Orrantia5. Fire Can Make It Rain by Nix Winter6. The Hunter & the Hunted by Stevie Woods

    The choice is simple: the prince will travel to his enemy's kingdom and share the king’s bed, or else the war continues. But Rin will not lower himself to be a whore, so he demands a contract requiring the king to be faithful. In return, the prince will risk his life by giving the king a child.Where Rin expected nothing more than a business arrangement, he receives affection, yet the more surprising realization is the willingness of his own heart to return the same. But even his king cannot save Rin from those who wish him harm, and their joining might be over before it can fully bloom.

    He's been in love with his childhood friend for years, though Vincent's never shown an interest in him beyond friendship. Ruggedly handsome, wealthy, and successful, Vincent is everything Oliver is not. And above all, Vincent doesn't prefer men. Then Oliver discovers Vincent hires a man during his visits to a London brothel. Desperate to be with Vincent, Oliver orchestrates a deception, switching places with the brothel's employee. Yet Oliver’s in for another surprise. Restraints and a leather bullwhip? Apparently Vincent isn't as conservative as he appears. Lord Vincent Prescot has a secret of his own. One kept locked away and only indulged once a month. But this month's appointment is different. The mysterious man is so beautiful in his submission, rousing protective instincts Vincent can't deny. Yet Vincent refuses to believe he prefers men, for it could mean the end of his hopes of earning his father's respect. Will betrayal destroy them or will they be bound together by deception? Note: This is a previously published work. This second edition has been edited with minor changes. For readers who purchased the original edition, this second edition is not substantially different.

    Or Troy, the cop whose obsession with saving a brutalized human trafficking victim turns deadly. Or Drew, the mental patient who begins to suspect his nightly delusions of abuse by his doctor are actually real. Or David, the cuckolded husband who decides the best way to get revenge is to seduce his wife’s barely legal son.Stealing Innocents is an exploration of our darkest human impulses, where sex is power, love is horror, and there’s no such thing as a happy ending.* * * * *NOTE: This collection contains edited second editions of three stories that were previously individually published, plus one all-new story, by Lisa Henry writing as Cari Waites.

    Those of us who survived the subsequent wars that decimated the world as we know it, throwing us back into a pre-industrial era are the lucky ones. Those of us who survived are the lucky ones.Except… Some of us are different. Some of us are changing. Some say the virus mutated. Some say it is a result of genetic warfare. All I know is that I can see better in the dark, I can hear from further away and I am stronger now than I ever have been before. And I have claws.We may not be the lucky ones after all.Photo Description: A person stares out at you, someone clearly no longer human. His hair is white, his skin is dusky purple, and his eyes are the color of honey. He’s scarred, a cut spanning his face from cheek to cheek, and he’s looking at you like you might be lunch.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.

    Finding the gorgeous and fragile Quinn living in his parents’ home, his body heats for no other.Quinn is a submissive male wolf who has spent most of his life abused by his former alpha. But being mated to his new pack’s alpha provides him with a level of safety he’s never known before, and a whole new world of passion and lust.Just as their love begins to blossom, a wolf from Quinn’s past threatens the happiness he’s found in Declan’s arms.

    Sometimes, I felt he was turning me into an extension of him, and if he ever ordered me to leave, I’d decay like a severed limb. Sometimes, I lay awake at night, empty inside, carved out and hollow, as if he’d already taken everything from me… As if I could only be whole while he was in me.I didn’t know anymore if what I felt was love or insanity.---At nineteen, Rees’s life had come to an end. An orphan who loads ships for a living has no hope to die with dignity. Soon, he won’t be able to work, and then hunger might kill him before his illness can. He feels no fear or regret when he offers his body to the immortal Demon to consume.Despite the colorful, terrifying legends surrounding him, the Demon is a practical and benevolent landlord. He finds joy in taking care of his estate, farming, raising horses, and watching the villages thrive. His only vice is seduction. He likes how human men crave, their warmth and scent, their primitive urges. He only lets his lovers stay for a little while. Human lives are transient after all, like shooting stars. Better to enjoy them while they shine brightly and send them on their way.Until one day, a dying boy comes to the estate and changes everything.---Desires of a Monster first came out as a short novella in the spring of 2020. This is the full story, complete with Rees’s point of view.

    This all changed when he met Mykael of Lithonur. Not only was Mykael challenging what Joseph used to believe about his sexuality, he was also desiring a Tsatrya who ruled one of the continents of the New World. Before Joseph could stop himself, he had fallen deep for Mykael who was now trying to convince Joseph to become his true mate.

    Get the composition right, you have the latest mind-control drug on the market. It’s the sex-traders’ dream, or worst nightmare, depending on the concentrated dose of the ink—and just who’s wearing it.For Kiyen, the ink means he’s able to strip raw the minds of the best and worst of society. He’s one of MI7’s top killers and never more driven to select and take down a target. For Falen, the ink has ensured he’s spent his early years as a willing sex slave and low-grade empath. Hiding out in a small town and trying to bury the needs running through his body, Fal’s hoping to stay under the radar of MI7 and their specialist killers. But the ink itself has a mind of its own, wanting to ignite the natural dynamics driving a Dom and sub, so when Kiyen is forced into Fal’s small world, prejudice battles a pure need to touch. Only problem is: Kiyen’s on the run, and in a world where thought can be the worst crime of all, Fal’s in for a fight for his sanity to find out just what it is that’s making a young killer run for his life.

    Tags: graphic torture, murder, paranormal, forced incest, rape Byron is tall, handsome, well spoken, wealthy, and has outstanding taste in wine and food. You’ll be impressed by his impeccable attire and eloquence in conversation, ranging from Baroque art to the newest advances in pharmacology. With his charming smile and elegant manners, Byron truly is the perfect date… and who doesn’t love a man who appreciates opera? What’s the catch, you ask? Just this: if Byron finds you suitable, he will subject you to utterly depraved forms of torture. No, I’m not talking about S&M. Byron will mutilate, rape, and then kill you. Don’t think that you will survive the encounter, because you won’t. He has a perfect record. Intrigued? Would you like me to arrange a rendezvous? It has to be in the next few days because he’s leaving on a trip south to much warmer climes, and his calendar will be completely full. Yes? Very good. I will make a reservation for two under the name of Smith. Who am I? I’m Gloria, his personal assistant.

    Aren's never had reason to believe the stories, but when he takes a job as a bookkeeper on the BarChi, a dusty cattle ranch on the remote Oestend prairie, he soon learns that the wraiths are real. Aren suddenly finds himself living in a supposedly haunted house and depending on wards and generators to protect him from unseen things in the night. As if that's not enough, he has to deal with a crotchety old blind woman, face "cows" that look like nothing he's ever seen before, and try to ignore the fact that he's apparently the most eligible bachelor around.Aren also finds himself the one and only confidante of Deacon, the BarChi's burly foreman. Deacon runs the BarChi with an iron fist and is obviously relieved to finally have somebody he can talk to. As their relationship grows, Aren learns there's more to Deacon and the BarChi than he'd anticipated. Deacon seems determined to deny both his Oestend heritage and any claim he may have to the BarChi ranch, but if Aren is to survive the perils of Oestend, he'll have to convince Deacon to stop running from the past and finally claim everything that's his. Reader Advisory: This book is set in an alternate reality and contains scenes of violence, mild D/s and bondage, and a M/M/M ménage scene.

    Or so the local legend goes...Professor Rhys Davies, a part-time parapsychologist, is writing a book on California hauntings and he believes the crumbling ruins of Berkeley House will make a terrific chapter -- if he can gain access to the house and grounds. The only obstacle is brooding cop and self-appointed caretaker, Sam Devlin. As obstacles go, Devlin is a big one.But you know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall..."Ghost of a Chance" first appeared in the 2007 anthology, Scared Stiff, where Josh joined best-selling authors William Maltese, Sarah Black and Laura Baumbach for a quartet of very different stories of m/m supernatural doings that had readers panting (in more ways than one) under the covers.

    Like Peter, a young man with a strict rule about one-night stands with locals. He breaks that rule for Lucien, the owner of The Den, a rival nightclub where there are no boundaries, no taboos. Only he doesn't realize just who Lucien is when he does. When Peter finds out that the man he wants to get to know even more is a vampire, he figures he should have stuck to that rule. He's not fan of vampires or most other creatures of the night, but Lucien is relentless in his seduction. Peter resists Lucien as long as he can, but when he gives in, he does it in a big way, falling headfirst in to the dark, violent world of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures he's only read about. Peter and Lucien begin a very dangerous dance of sensual heat and deep emotion, one that causes them nothing but trouble. No one approves of the human and vampire match, including those in Lucien's Coven, old enemies, and even older friends. Peter and Lucien have to struggle to stay together and protect those they love. Can they beat the forces that will try to tear them apart forever? And can they face what will become of Peter if they stay together?

    If he fails and the Ankylos go to war, the human race will likely be exterminated. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s under pressure to marry and produce an heir. When he mistakes the brothel owner, Kazha Deinos, for his escort prior to the negotiations, the resulting evening makes Jathan realize his life is missing a man who can be a true partner to him.Kaz never met his most important client, and Jathan’s misconception allows Kaz the freedom to give in to desires he’s never let himself indulge in before. But Kaz has a business to run, one that a rival is trying to steal, which will force him to reveal his true identity to Jay. There’s also the little issue of Jathan’s impending marriage. Kaz is not interested in being a boy on the side of Jay’s marriage, no matter how much he’s come to care for Jathan. Will Jathan and Kaz find a way to be together, or will losing the man Jathan’s grown to love be yet another price he must pay for saving the human race?32,900 words

    When the package turns out to be a piece of Peyton's past and brings that past violently into the present, it is up to Johnnie to resolve a years old problem and put the past where it belongs once and for all.