Martin's Press, 2005) NOTE: This short story appears as a chapter in Acheron, located in Part I-Greece, 7382 BC

    Thanks to a mistake, I was exiled from the Dragon Reaches and sentenced to work for Alex Radcliffe, a vampire who owns the Fly by Night Magical Investigations Agency. Now, not only do I have to adapt to Earthside culture, but every time I turn around, somebody’s trying to kill us. And worse, Alex is as gorgeous as he is exasperating. But you know what they say: All’s fair in love and bounty hunting…When an old friend of Alex contacts him about a haunting at the High Tide Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend, Washington, we think we’re on a simple ghost hunt. But our investigation quickly transforms into a deadly fight as we uncover an eighty-year-old murder, a cursed house, and a dark force trapping the spirits within. To stop impending disaster we must break the curse and lay the angry spirits to rest.

    In just a few hours, she’s survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a vampire she both desires and fears.For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago. Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death.A terrifying plan has been set in motion, one that will plunge Dante and Abby into an epic battle between good and evil – and a desperate race to save their love…

    Warrior. Legend. Lover.Discover a secret, sensual world of winged vampire warriors and the women they crave—in an epic battle between unearthly longing and immortal love...On The Wings Of DesireAlison Wells is no ordinary woman. Born with supernatural powers, she can never make love to a man without putting him in grave danger. But when her special vision reveals a glorious muscled man soaring overhead on mighty wings, she feels an overwhelming attraction she cannot resist—even as he tells her: "I have come for you. Your blood belongs to me." In The Heat Of PassionKerrick is a vampire and a warrior who has fought his hunger for a woman's love for the past two hundred years. As a Guardian of Ascension, he is sworn to protect Alison from the death vamp armies who crave her blood and her power. But Kerrick has cravings of his own—a forbidden longing to open his heart and veins to Alison. To share his blood...satisfy his thirst...and seal their fates forever.

    At first the ever-practical Joy is ready to dismiss her vision as a product of too much gin and too many vampire romances, but while traveling through the Czech Republic with Roxy, Joy begins to have some second thoughts about her mystery lover because she is suddenly plagued by visions of a lethally handsome stranger. Then, when she and Roxy attend a local GothFaire, Joy meets Raphael Griffin St. John, head of security, and she becomes even more bewildered because the dark and dangerous Raphael seems too close to her dreams for comfort.

    First in an exciting new trilogy. Former Spanish knight Don Raphael Perez has been a vampire for seven centuries, and is now the leader of the largest vampire territory in North America, spanning Texas and Oklahoma. But a rival is challenging his rule. Then he meets veterinarian Grania O'Malley, who's never felt the touch of a man. Raphael has sworn never to initiate a woman into the eternal pleasures of the flesh, but now it may be the only way to save her from his bloodthirsty adversary...

    There are typical vampires who would be right at home in a horror story or a gothic romance; historical vampires; contemporary, gritty, urban vampires; fang-in-cheek comedy; boy-meets-girl sweetheart stories (if a little bloodier!); and erotic tales of inhuman passions and midnight pleasures. Look out, too, for stand-alone stories relating to existing series and characters of contributing authors, or stories which develop more fully characters who have only walk-on parts in those authors' longer fiction. Includes writing by big-name authors such as Jennifer Ashley, Kim Harrison writing as Dawn Cook, Caitlin Kittredge, Diane Whiteside and Eileen Wilks.

    She draws upon her dark powers and serpentine grace to lead men into temptation. That is, until she faces her greatest temptation, Heaven's own Sir Hugh Castleford. Once a knight and now a Guardian, Hugh's purpose has always been to thwart Lillith, even as he battles treacherous hunger for her. When a deadly alliance unleashes a threat to humans and Guardians angel and demon are forced to fight together against evil and against a passionate desire for each other.

    He's made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian's only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.The Law Maker...Veritas' normal role is police, judge, and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait...well, all's fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian's carefully cultivated, devil-may-care roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they're drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences.

    But when Marley Turner stumbles upon Damien's plantation searching for her missing sister, for the first time in two hundred years it's Damien who can't resist the lure of a woman. But his past sins aren't so easily forgotten-or forgiven.

    But, unfortunately for the gods, the humans have all but forgotten their glorious existence…and this fact really pisses off the all-powerful, immortal beings. Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, takes one look at the mysterious Terese Lafitte and knows that he wants her. Even in this modern century, a god takes what he wants. But Terese isn’t a mortal, not any longer. As a newly turned vampire, her attraction to Apollo is downright lethal because desire arouses not just her body, but also her bloodlust. But Apollo likes a woman with bite, and now that he’s found Terese, he’s not about to let the little vampiress out of his sight or out of his bed. When Terese’s psychotic vampire ex begins to stalk them, Apollo knows that he will have to use all of his strength to keep her safe. Lucky for Terese, Apollo has more power than she could ever have imagined.When you trifle with the sun god, you will get burned. Warning: This story contains hot sex, a desperate vampire, and one alpha Greek god. Adult language included--and beware of the monsters.

    People are happy, crime is practically nonexistent, life is good… unless you’re Sabine Crowley, who has been chosen to be the next blood bag for the vampire lord who has protected the town from otherworldly creatures for 200 years. Sabine has big dreams for her life, and none of them include becoming a vampire’s concubine. On her 18th birthday, she seeks solitude to process the cruel turn her destiny has taken. As she sits alone in Cleary Park, a sexy stranger approaches her. He’s tall, mysterious, handsome, and a complete jerk. He soon reveals himself to be a vampire and she’s terrified of him and her strange attraction to him. She wants to get as far away from him as possible, yet finds herself wondering if she’ll see him again. Remy, the cocky newcomer vampire, has been summoned by his maker, Bastian, to take his place beside him in the hierarchy of vampires inhabiting Willow Creek. He’s none too thrilled to be stuck in a boring little town in the middle of nowhere where he’ll have to feed exclusively from the girl he’s been paired with. He’s repulsed by the whole situation. When Sabine tries to run away from her fate, Remy is forced to follow and bring her back. They’re unwillingly thrust into each other’s lives and reluctantly find an undeniable attraction between themselves. Will they ever look past their contempt for one another and act on their urges? Or are they destined to hate each other forever?

    She releases the Carpathian from his bonds—only to unleash his voracious appetite on herself…“Awaiting Moonrise” by New York Times bestselling author Maggie ShayneA Science professor enters the steamy bayou to find a new species of animal, convinced that its presence is behind the stories of lycanthropy in the region, but finds herself tempted by a legendary creature straight out of her most sensual nightmare…“The Night Owl” by USA Today bestselling author Emma HollyLittle ever seems to stir in the sleepy woods of a small Vermont town, until a new owner takes over the exclusive local inn. He is centuries old and has traveled far and wide to find his queen—and now nothing will stop him from claiming her…“Seduction’s Gift” by New York Times bestselling author Angela KnightAll’s fair in the war between desire and resistance when a lady cop pulls over a speeder—and finds an immortal lover who is determined to seduce her into accepting her own passionate destiny…

    Bound by the gods. The Dark Warriors are taking their battle from ancient Scotland to the modern world—where a woman’s love can set them free…A MYSTERY OUT OF TIMEGwynn Austin has no idea why her father has disappeared on a mysterious trip to Scotland. When she goes on a desperate mission to search for him she finds more than she bargains for in a ruggedly handsome, wickedly exciting Highlander who exudes danger and mystery. And when she discovers her own link to Scotland, she’ll have to trust her heart to help lead her...A LEGEND IN THE FLESHPropelled through time by powerful Druid Magic, Logan Hamilton uses his immortality and powers of the god inside him to help prevent the awakening of an ancient evil in the modern world. He never expects to find help in the form of a beautiful, alluring, and all too tempting woman whose passion and strength matches his own. Together, Logan and Gywnn must fight for their love—before a demon from the past destroys them both…

    And she knew she'd never be able to trust one who'd turned her from a human woman into a vampire! Or a Dardaptoan--whatever he'd called her. She knew the truth--he'd kidnapped her and taken her from the very world she knew. And now he wanted her to believe some goddess she'd never heard of had preordained them being together?He was absolutely crazy.Theodoric Sebastos had spent the long centuries waiting for and longing for his mate, and when he found her he would do whatever he had to in order to convince her that they belonged together and that she could trust him.But how was he to do that?