He has no memory, no future of his own, yet deep inside Pasha knows that that he is meant for better things. The day that Pasha spots the dangerous pirate in the bar, he knows that he mustn't let the stranger slip away, regardless of what he must do to attract his attention.Captain Griffin Hawke spent the greater part of a decade searching for his lost king, only to find Helios Dayspring crouched between his knees, swathed in the robes and shackles of a whore. Though he is appalled by the downfall of his king, the hardened officer finds himself falling for the allure of the sensual creature who has taken his place. Returning Helios to his position on the throne is the only right thing to do, yet Griffin knows that in doing so, he risks losing his lover forever."A whore is a whore is a whore, unless he's something else completely. I guess I must be an uncommon whore." -- Helios Dayspring

    A meeting with a stranger, and a case of restless boredom brings him to the illegal fighting rings that thrive in the ninth. Here he meets the most irreverent man he has ever seen, who still manages to rouse his protective instincts. Russ Andrews has spent all his life in the ninth, fighting in matches to earn the money that lets his family eat. The ring is where he meets the bored new fighter who irritates him and arouses him in equal measure. A tentative friendship turns into an arrangement of mutual comfort. But then, Gabriel isn’t prepared for the rush of possessiveness he feels for Russ, and Russ isn’t prepared for his world to crumble around him. As things come to a head, they mus learn to lean on each other to get through the tough times. Content warnings: This book is intended for an adult audience as it contains explicit sex, graphic violence, and descriptions of situations where a character is forced to give consent.

    His father hides from his problems in alcohol, his mother hides from her misery in drugs, and his brother fled to the relative safety of the royal palace. Vellem found solace in the Royal Army Corp of Engineers, but true escape from a life of violence remains out of reach. Then his brother provides him with an unexpected chance: marriage to a prince of their country's oldest enemy to help bring about peace once and for all. The marriage promises Vellem not just a fresh start in a new land, but a challenge to his famed skills in building roads and bridges. But before he can settle into his new life, tragedy strikes, and Vellem isn't certain he's up to rebuilding the ruin left in its wake.

    His men fight not only for their country and Prince, but they fight for each other. Launioc’s King sends the army into war against Villious and their Queen. As his men die, Rathian’s heart breaks and he longs to find the one person to help him survive the war and the loss of his men.Stakel is a Queen’s Consort and is abandoned by his fellow Consorts during a battle with the Vanguard. Taken prisoner, he finds himself learning about the enemy he’d been taught to hate. Stakel has been forced to do things he hated and fight for a ruler he owes no loyalty. In Rathian, Stakel finds not only a ruler, but a lover to whom he can give all of himself.Contains: M/M sexual practices and voyeurism.

    The version now available is published under the title "Beyond the Darkness."Zack Banning hasn't had an easy time of it recently. After spending more than fifteen years in the Marines, he's discharged due to a head injury received in combat. With no missions to run or people to save, it's all he can do to get out of bed in the mornings. The pills the doctors have him on to keep his injury-induced delusions at bay don't help the situation. When he discovers a young man being accosted outside of a bar one night he sees it as a chance to feel the satisfaction of saving someone once again. He just doesn't realize until it's over that the young man came to the bar to warn him that someone is out to kill him. What Eljin tells him is a story so outlandish, Zack begins to wonder if he's having one of his delusions. Because if Eljin's story is true, the entire foundation of everything Zack believes just flew out the window. Fleeing through the countryside with Eljin, Zack tries to understand everything without telling the man he's nuttier than a fruitcake. But the more time Zack spend with Eljin, the more he wants him until he can't think of ever being separated from the little elf. The only way to save Eljin is to take him back home-through the veil between the two worlds. Arrival on the elf's side of the veil isn't perfect, however. They encounter a war between the elf worlds, the threat of human invasion, and a bias against humans. Zack and Eljin have to keep their wits about them as they try to save their home, their family, and themselves. Special Content Alert: M/M

    Guilty of seven murders, the werewolf needed to be put down.Unfortunately, Darren’s assigned to infiltrate a Halloween party in a leather miniskirt, high heels, and a wig! To make things more difficult, once he comes in contact with Aden, the last thing he wants to do is kill him.Distracted by lust neither can control, they stumble over a conspiracy that involves the darkest magic, betrayal, and murder. A conspiracy that binds Darren and Aden inextricably tighter as the danger moves closer...

    A shadow is cast there one day when a tall, cloaked figure approaches the stand of Will Marchman, a young patent-medicine salesman. Fanule Perfidor, commonly known as the Dog King, isn't welcome at the Circus. No resident of Taintwell is; they're all Branded Mongrels, officially shunned. But Will is beguiled by the stunning, mysterious Perfidor. Their mutual wariness soon gives way to desire, and a bond forms.Soon the naive but plucky pitchman becomes embroiled in a dangerous quest. Fanule suspects Alphonse Hunzinger and Purinton's civic leaders are responsible for the disappearance or incarceration of countless Branded Mongrels. But why? As Will's passion and regard for his tormented lover grow, he's determined to help Fanule get answers and prevent any further persecution... or worse. They just have to stay together-and stay alive long enough-to see their plan through.

    Someone who will protect not only him, but also his secrets – and he may have found the perfect man for the task. Being a soldier is Jeffery’s life. He won’t be defined by his past, but fights for the present, not some future he will never see. Yet, his mandatory reassignment to the palace as Prince Akoni’s personal guard forces him to set aside his plans. His role places Jeffery in the presence of nobles whom he despises, and Prince Akoni is worse than most. Can two men learn to trust each other, or will the secrets they carry bring about their own demise? Will having Jeffery close to him help Prince Akoni to become King – or cause more deaths? They need to depend on each other, for the sake of the future, because if they cannot, the past will only repeat itself and neither of them will survive.

    His first solo assignment is treating John Doe 439, a man found outside the city, battered, traumatized, and apparently mute.Despite a strong taboo against Empaths forging romantic relationships, Patrick realizes he feels a strong attraction to his patient. Soon he learns the man is a high-level Psychic Talent named Jac. Then Jac reveals that there are abusive people hunting him for his gifts, and Patrick’s uncomplicated world explodes.Jac needs to meet up with his companions and flee the city before anyone else can find him—but it may be too late. Word of Jac’s talents has leaked to Central Government in Chicago. If Jac wants to retain his freedom, he needs to run—now. And if Patrick wants to explore a relationship his society tells him he can’t have, he’ll have to exchange the safe fetters of his job for the uncertainty of liberty.

    Nico Stamford is a member of the Geisha class. Though he has been trained for marriage all his life, becoming a healer and a priest in the process, all he wants is to cook and open a restaurant. Instead he becomes a candidate for the ritual. He hopes the Goddess will look kindly on him and eliminate him before the final choices are made. Alex DeVrie is a member of the Warrior class who has recently returned triumphant from a clash with an alien enemy. Made a duke of the Sixth Land as a reward, all Alex needs now is a husband. As soon as Alex sets eyes on Nico, he refuses to settle for anyone else.Tradition says they can part ways after a year and a day. But love begins to grow as they unravel the mystery behind tragic events in the Sixth Land, and they uncover a conspiracy that could change their society.

    But being a Wanderer-born thief does not leave him many opportunities in life. So when a stranger comes bearing a contract to kidnap a prostitute and deliver “her” overseas, he’s hard-pressed to find a reason to turn it down. Veyl is the highest paid “companion” at the Silver Tree Manor, an upscale brothel in the village of Aaullsworthe. At the tender age of twenty, he is steeped in ennui and still reeling from a broken heart. When he is called to a room at the local inn, he is charmed by the handsome dark-skinned man who has paid for his services. However things get ugly once Kaidos realizes it's not a woman that he's brought to his bed.What begins as a journey full of discord slowly evolves into love. But when the ruthless ambition of a dying tyrant tears the lovers apart, Kaidos must convince an army to help him rescue the man who is worth more to him than a king’s ransom.

    The only way to appease the goddess and earn back his place at her side is to learn compassion — or bypass her entirely by raising the power to break his exile.Tor MacAran is stuck in a dead-end job in a tiny town that’s barely on the map. He’s been alone and hurting all his life, and he’s about ready to end his pain by whatever means he can.When a Halloween encounter dumps Tor at Ash’s feet, the two men find themselves tied together by the Dragon Mother in a way that neither can escape. Can Tor teach Ash what it really means to be human? Or will Ash’s bid for freedom destroy Tor and plunge the Westlands into a war no one can win?~90,000 wordsContent warning: This story contains sexually explicit material and describes sexual relations between men. This story also describes situations that may be triggering or disagreeable to some readers, specifically, scenes of dubious consent.

    Born in a mysterious facility, he knows he's not human, but an experiment with a purpose that no one is willing to reveal. His life is a routine and an hourglass of when he will disappear. He has no hopes, no dreams, until one day someone new interrupts that routine. Someone like him, someone free, and it changes everything.

    In 1960, a superfood was invented that made starvation a thing of the past. Manna, the cheaply manufactured staple food, is now as ubiquitous as salt in the world’s cupboards, pantries and larders.Nelson Oliver knows plenty about manna. He’s a food scientist—according to his diploma, that is. Lately, he’s been running the register at the local video rental dive to scrape together the cash for his exorbitantly priced migraine medication.In a job fair gone bad, Nelson hooks up with copywriter Javier and his computer-geek pal Tim, who whisks them away from the worst of the fiasco in his repurposed moving truck. At least, Nelson thinks those two are acquainted, but they’re acting so evasive about it, he’s not sure how they know each other, exactly.Javier is impervious to Nelson’s flirting, and Tim’s name could appear in the dictionary under the entry for “awkward.” And with a riot raging through Manhattan and yet another headache coming on, it doesn’t seem like Nelson will get an answer anytime soon. One thing’s for sure, the tension between the three of them is thick enough to cut with a knife...even one of those dull plastic dealies that come in the package with Mannariffic EZ-Mealz.(Gay fiction, adult content)

    They didn’t choose this life, but are making the best of necessity. The danger is always there, chasing just on their heels. It’s these tender moments that make it all worthwhile. The moments when the love shows through.Photo Description: A manga image shows two young adults. The blond, shaggy haired man, is sitting on a stool having his hand bandaged by the other. The other man, whose hair is slightly darker, is taking care of his companion, placing a kiss on the wounded hand as he tends to it. The image is simple but very caring.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.