Helping his brother escape the zoo, Rainy discovers more than just an array of animals. Rainy scouts the zoo, planning a mission to rescue his brother, who’d been sold by poachers while in wolf form. He gets a whiff of the most intoxicating scent, the man Travis Carlyle, his mate. But he quickly finds out that before he can claim the handsome veterinarian, Rainy has to convince Travis that he’s worth coming out of the closet for. Travis leads a quiet, discreet life, avoiding any situation that could possibly out him to his family. After so many years alone, Travis finds the love, affection, and acceptance Rainy offers him too hard to resist. But just when he decides Rainy might be worth the persecution of revealing his sexuality, he discovers Rainy has been keeping secrets, a lot of secrets: Werewolves, Shifters, Mates? When he watches a shift with his own eyes, Travis is forced to accept the truth. Too bad not everyone wants Travis to know the wolves’ secrets, tossing him into a feud between shifters. When Travis’s father tries to come between them, can Rainy convince Travis to choose a dangerous, love-filled life with him instead of the comfortable, quiet existence he’s led with his family?

Declan McIntire, alpha of the Stone Ridge pack, spent over a century rejecting the daughters paraded under his nose, hiding his preference for a male. Scenting Lark Trystan at a pack BBQ, he's ecstatic to discover the cute, sexy human is his mate. He's even more pleased that Lark knows about shifters and has been interacting with them for months. Declan quickly realizes that instead the issue is his large size and dominant personality. Since the pack alpha is straight, Lark can't figure out why Declan's suddenly taking an interest in him. He also doesn't understand why he's so drawn to the big man, especially considering his poor track record with relationships. Dominant men always seem to think he'd make the perfect punching bag, and Lark has the scars to prove it. When Lark ends up in the hospital, Declan puts everything on hold, determined to take his mate home and prove that he's nothing like Lark's previous lovers. But not everyone in his pack is accepting of a gay alpha. Can Declan find a way to reconcile the two? Or will he have to choose between the pack he's devoted his life to and the man who is quickly coming to hold his heart?

Doctor Gordon Digby came to Stone Ridge to help rescued shifters heal from their time abused by poachers. Finding a mate wasn’t even a blip on his radar. Fate throws a wrench in his plans in the form of sexy tiger shifter Grady Stryker. The man sets Gordon’s blood on fire and scrambles his senses. But Grady’s a detective, and the good doctor has secrets he doesn’t want revealed, including his own animal’s transgressions. Detective Grady Stryker believes finding your fated mate is the greatest gift a shifter can receive, so he doesn’t understand Gordon’s reticence, until a friend gives him a little insight into Gordon’s past. His resolve set, Grady realizes the best way to win his mate just may be the most fun: seduction. Grady’s plans get put on hold when more poachers appear in Stone Ridge. Except these humans aren’t really poachers. They know about shifters, and if they can’t capture them, they’ll eradicate them. Can Grady convince Gordon to accept him in time to stop the humans from harming more of their friends? Or will they be too distracted to see what’s right in front of them?

Out of the cage: Events we wish we could forget still shape our lives. Crypto Zoologist Drake Whitton works as a genetics professor at Colin City College while he figures out how to remove the eccentric label from his name, given to him by his peer’s response to his last paper on the existence of the chupacabra. He thinks he’s found the opportunity he needs when a private firm asks him to dissect and analyze a new DNA strand, and he discovers it contains both human and reptilian characteristics. His plans are derailed when his car gets hijacked by a detective on the run, his home gets broken into by people from the corporation he’s been doing research for, and he gets seduced by the doctor assigned to care for the hijacker. Doctor Ailean Carmichael never expects to find a mate, let alone a human one, but he’s willing to take what Fate gives him. After all, not all humans are like his late foster parents, right? And an orphaned, exiled black jaguar living in a wolf shifter’s territory doesn’t have too many options. He decides seducing the naïve professor will be delicious fun for both of them, until Ailean realizes he needs to protect his little mate from those bent on experimenting on and eradicating shifters. But when Ailean discovers Drake actually works for the scientists trying to destroy him and his friends, will he take the time to listen to Drake’s explanation? Or will he decide all humans really are the same?

Out of the cage: Sometimes you don’t need a leash to bind two being together. Todd Abernathy spent three weeks in a cage. Experimented on by scientists, he retreated deep into his wolf to survive. The night of his rescue, the scent of his mate was the only thing that convinced him to return to human form. Small for a wolf shifter, it didn’t surprise Todd when his brother Phillip insisted on joining the local wolf pack with him. His larger, younger half-brother had felt responsible for him since puberty. But Phillip couldn’t help him find the mate he’d scented, and when Todd finally figured out that Detective Lyle Sullivan was the man he was searching for, the human had been captured by the same men who’d experimented on Todd. Lyle’s escape almost comes too late, because the experiments done to him scramble his DNA, nearly killing him. The only way to save Lyle is to complete the experimental procedure the scientists started on him. Todd’s relief that the recovering Lyle recognizes him as his mate is short-lived. Lyle starts exhibiting increasingly aggressive and dangerous tendencies. Can Todd find a way to help his mate accept what’s happening to him and teach him how to co-exist with the new creature living inside his mind? Or will Lyle lose himself to the beast and force his friends to put him down?

Out of the cage: The problem with peeling away a mask is that you never know what’s underneath. Jared Templeton returned to Colin City for one reason, to make it through his sister’s wedding. After that he wanted to return to his home in Massachusetts and go back to his blessed solitude and his life as an assassin. He didn’t plan on attending a viewing for a deceased mentor, agreeing to help his shifter friend rescue a blind man, or learning that he had a shifter mate, a male shifter mate. He’d never been attracted to a man before, but he couldn’t deny that he lusted after this one. And he had no clue what to do about it, or how he could fit the wolf shifter into his life if he did give in to his desires. Carson Angeni is the enforcer for the Stone Ridge wolf pack. He’s followed his alpha’s commands and obeyed him without question, even to the point of taking lives to ensure the safety of his pack. When he’s faced with a mate who kills for money, with no remorse and no conscience, he questions Fate’s choice. How can he accept someone who seems to get his jollies by goading those around him, not to mention Jared lives halfway across the country? But as he gets to know the man, Carson learns that there is more to him than Jared’s brash exterior displays. There’s definitely a connection between them and both have trouble denying it, but Carson can’t accept Jared’s work as an assassin. And when Carson discovers that Jared knew from the beginning that he was Carson’s mate, it creates even more tension between them. Can Carson learn to trust his mate while trying to convince Jared to give up the only life and the only job he’s ever known, to settle with him in Stone Ridge?

Dagus Whitton is tired of being controlled. After his brother Drake moved in with his shifter mate, Dagus had felt a great sense of accomplishment from finally living on his own, especially considering his blindness. But that was before being kidnapped by scientists bent on using him as a bargaining chip against the shifters living in the area. Now he struggles being alone, but hates always having someone watching over him. He’d had his life neatly in hand and just wants to get that feeling of contentment back. Discovering a mate has its pros and cons, and Dagus isn’t certain he’s ready for more drama. Brad Nadeau never thought he’d find a mate, since his homophobic father filled his head with the belief that Fate didn’t grant them to gay shifters. When his biker gang walks into a gay bar in Colin City for a night of fun, Brad’s world is turned upside-down. Not only does he find his mate, but he discovers that the guy is human, blind, and already knows about shifters. That should make claiming Dagus easy, right? Except accepting his mate means Brad will have to leave the only family he’s known for the last thirty-seven years, his motorcycle gang. When his leader tells him that the gang needs to move out in less than forty-eight hours to search for a missing member, Brad is faced with an important choice, and not much time to make it in. Learning that the local wolf pack is experiencing dangerous unrest due to several members not liking all the other shifter breeds in the area doesn’t make his choice any easier. Is Brad ready to face down shifters like his father to start a whole new life with a mate he isn’t certain wants his brand of care?

On the road: Breaking down was the best thing to ever happen to him. Mutegi Atieno is shocked to discover the man stranded on the side of the road in a broken down truck is his mate. When his first assumption is proved incorrect and he learns the woman and baby with Ben Moore are not his wife and daughter, Mutegi realizes he actually has a shot at claiming the human. But first Mutegi and his friends need to save the trio from Ben’s sister’s sadistic ex-husband. It was a difficult task. The man had already chased Ben and Cassie across three states in an attempt to steal his daughter back, ignoring the court’s ruling that had deemed him unfit. If Mutegi manages to find a way to save the siblings from the madman, can he also figure out how to tell his human mate that he’s a shifter?

Miach Coleman can’t believe the turn his life has taken. He’d worked hard to take control of his life after being shoved into foster care when his mother died. The minute he’d turned eighteen, he’d joined the military. Learning that shape-shifters are real and what a threat they could be to humanity, he moved to the private sector, working for the Crystal Lake Corporation. He allowed the scientists to use their research to increase his agility, strength, and healing so he could combat these creatures. Now, having spent three weeks under shifter’s care, he’s begun to question everything he’s learned about them. They treat him far better than the scientists treat shifters. No experiments. No neglect. No torture. It took Nick Greely three long, sexually frustrated weeks, and a heart-to-heart with his alpha, to finally admit that Miach could be his mate. But there’s a reason Miach is their prisoner. He’s been brainwashed by the scientists to think that all shifters are abominations. Between the experiments done on him in the name of science and the fact that the wolf pack has had to keep him prisoner for so long because he’s a threat to their pack, Nick has no idea if he can reach the man, mating pull or not. Miach is amazed at the camaraderie he sees between the wolf shifters, proving that they’re not just instinct driven killing machines. And Miach can’t deny the attraction he feels for Nick, one of his sexy guards. When Nick hits on him, he takes what the wolf offers, changing his life in a single night. But Miach quickly discovers there’s no happily-ever-after written in his stars. If he wants to keep Nick, Miach will need to keep him safe from another shifter who wants him dead, get away from a fellow mercenary trying to rescue him, and prove to the wolf alpha he’s sincere, all while keeping his integrity intact.

Detective Catlin Hill doesn't understand the instant, possessive attraction he feels for the slender John Doe in the hospital bed. But the minute those scared baby blues meet his, Catlin lets his protective instincts rule him. The guy has amnesia, and it’s only from a conditioned response that Catlin confirms his name is Gallo Ricci. After passing the case to a fellow detective, he takes the victim home with him and gives in to lust. For some reason, it doesn’t even faze Catlin when his new lover turns into a horse in his living room. When a group of guys drop by and start talking about mates and centuries of living together, Gallo has a panic attack, proving his past abuse won’t allow him to take charge enough to claim Catlin. Is their relationship doomed from the start? And what's tough enough to take down a shifter and leave him in the hospital?

Caspian Carpathian is a nearly two centuries old vampire. He's learned to control not only his blood-lust, but his emotions as well. That's how he became the perfect diplomat for the Vampire Council. In an attempt to warn the vampire ahead of time, Caspian is sent to Stone Ridge to learn about the scientists threatening shifters. He's not prepared to come face to face with his beloved. After a rocky start, he discovers that Casey, a small, bunny shifter, fears him and his teeth. Now Caspian has to use every ounce of restraint he can manage and every seductive tactic in his arsenal to win the trust of the one man that completes him.

On the road: A picture could be worth a thousand words, or it could be his salvation. The haunting eyes in the picture capture Caleb Belikov’s attention, and he knows he has to confirm whether the white buffalo is really just an animal, or a shifter trapped at a zoo near Albuquerque. Caleb talks his alpha and a few friends into accompanying him and discovers not only is the buffalo a shifter, but he’s his mate. But rescuing Emmett will put the lives of innocents in danger, creating a whole new set of problems. Can Caleb and his friends figure out how to keep everyone safe from a blackmailing alpha?

When Eli escorts an injured shifter to Stone Ridge territory for medical treatment, he arrives in town suffering from motion sickness. The last thing he wants is to meet his mate while praying to the procelain god, but that's exactly what happens. To make matters worse, being ill messes up Eli's senses and he doesn't recognize the cute sub as his mate right away, sending the other man running. When Eli catches up with Sam, it doesn't take him long to realize the wolf shifter has been burned badly in a past relationship. Can he figure out a way to earn Sam's trust? Or will his mate run a second time?

As a retired gay military man, a wolf shifter, and owner of a bike repair shop, Kade McGraw is comfortable with who and what he is. When Kade does a favor for his adopted sister, Theresa, he discovers his mate is joining them, as the date of Theresa’s friend. The fact that Tom is human and knows nothing about the existence of shifters is only one of many hurdles. His mate doesn’t want to admit he’s gay, and Kade finds himself fighting for his future as Tom fights the mate-pull. A straight-laced marketing executive, Tom doesn’t understand his attraction to the tattooed, pierced biker with the burning green eyes and sensual smile. Tom is so deep in the closet, he may as well be chained there. But Kade turns up at the oddest times, and somehow he seems to know every one of Tom’s hidden desires, turning his body against him. It doesn’t matter how much Tom likes it, though, because he has family obligations that don’t include revealing his sexuality. Can Kade convince Tom that he can help him and his family? Or will Tom fold under the pressure?

Out of the cage: Sometimes a detour on the road of life is actually the right direction. Valiant Vee Cotter lives in the middle of Nowhere, Idaho. His life consists of three things, hanging with his best friend Brice, working at a truck stop at the edge of town, and getting persecuted by the local homophobes. All that changes when a sexy trucker, Kyle, takes an interest in him, convincing him to start a long distance relationship, and Vee finds himself falling hard and fast. Kyle Rainier’s life is taking a detour, literally. When his standard run from Denver to Boise and back has him making an unscheduled stop in a little town on the border of the Idaho National Forest, Kyle’s mate runs right into him. Using the truck stop’s shower room, Kyle seduces Vee and begins the bonding process. The next day, on his return trip to Denver, Kyle spends the night getting to know the human. It’s not until Kyle is back home in Stone Ridge that he finds out he has a big problem. The local Idaho wolf pack kidnaps his mate and they’re holding Vee hostage. Can Kyle rescue his mate and convince him not all shifters are bad?

On the road: Sometimes the 8-legged freaks are the good guys. Haben Bello heads for Kansas to help his old friend, Wes. The human attorney deals with child custody in shifter-human cases, protecting shifter secrets. Wes needs help uncovering the true motives behind a young boy’s mother who suddenly wants custody after she’d given up all rights to him twelve years before. When Haben meets the boy’s human foster father, Lou Reynolds, he realizes the man is his mate. Lou is still coming to grips with the fact that shifters exist. It’s one thing for his son to be able to turn into a lion, but a spider? Lou may be able to accept Haben the man, but can he learn how to accept Haben the tarantula? And what about when Haben’s job in town is done and he decides to move on? Lou has a son and can’t just up and leave to join Haben on his nomadic travels. Can Lou trust Haben’s insistence that he’s willing to turn his life upside down, adopt a lion shifter cub, and settle down after nearly one hundred years of freedom?

Out of the cage: First impressions are rarely accurate when shifters are involved. Christopher ‘Chris’ Peterson loses a bet. Now, he has to spend an evening at a straight bar dressed in drag. But don’t worry, his friends will be there to protect him. Too bad they do a lousy job of it. His knight in shining armor takes the form of a sexy Cajun, Manon Lemelle. Chris immediately finds himself drawn to the handsome man. Too bad Manon thinks Chris is a woman. Still, Chris can’t resist accepting a date with him. His friends are right, and it ends in disaster, because Chris finds himself liking Manon entirely too much. Manon Lemelle’s maman warned him that his mate would lead him on a merry chase. Nothing could be truer. When he meets his mate, Chris Richardson, he’s introduced to a lovely, slender young woman. He enjoys her wit and charm, her shy attitude, and longs to hear her breathy voice whispered into his ear. There’s just one small problem. Chris, is really Christopher, and he’s a man. Can he convince his mate that even though their entire relationship started with lies, on both sides, they can still make this work?

Out of the Cage: A bit of Irish magic isn’t always a good thing! Frederick Reb Drunger is accompanying his alpha and the alpha’s mate on vacation. He’s one of the wolves charged with protecting them while they all enjoy the sights of Ireland. He never expects to discover his mate is a human friend of the local Irish pack. That should make him easy to claim, since Daithi Murphy knows all about shifters. Except Daithi already has a boyfriend, Evan, who’s extremely possessive and not at all happy when Reb wants to get to know his mate. When an Irish goblin targets Reb, can he find the culprit behind the attacks and convince Daithi it’s worth uprooting his life and moving to Colorado with him?

Yuma Batacan didn’t mean to reveal that he was a penguin shifter to the human, Hunter Driscoll. But between the pain caused by a gunshot wound, the disorientation of waking in a strange place, and the thrilling scent that told him the human was his mate, Yuma couldn’t find it in him to stop the change. Now he has to convince the abused and injured human that he isn’t some kind of monster. And Yuma has to do it quick, before Hunter’s attackers come back to finish him off.

Out of the Cage: When your mate can just fly away, you need to give him a reason to stay. Gustav Hermance is finally putting his life back together. He’s landed a job as a foreman for a construction company, he hasn’t suffered a panic attack in months, and he’s found an apartment of his own. Gus’s hard-earned independence has helped him put the experiments the scientists conducted on him behind him. It brings quiet nights, poker evenings with buddies, and learning to be comfortable with his mated friend’s displays of affection. Everything is going well, until he scents something so wonderful, he becomes obsessed with it. Gus thinks he’s found his mate, but the guy’s scent fades too quickly for him to locate the source. With the help of his buddies, he starts a search of Stone Ridge that quickly expands to include the forests around them. What he finds is Tible, a creature he never knew existed. Can he convince the sexy male that their differences don’t have to tear them apart?

Out on the Road: Misunderstandings can happen even when no words are exchanged. That doesn’t mean it has to be the end. It’s taken over a week for Terence Williams to heal from defending his friends against an alpha lion shifter. Although he’d lost the fight, badly, Terence was saved by his mate. Unfortunately, Terence’s mate didn’t stick around to enjoy the victory, and Terence wants to know why. While Terence heals, his friends are out searching for the mysterious black lion shifter who’d saved him. When they find him, it doesn’t take long for the male to exert dominance and claim Terence. He discovers a problem pretty quickly. Perrin has never been part of the human world. He’d lived his entire life as a scientific lab rat until escaping eight months before. Living on the run, Perrin stays mostly as a lion, roaming from place to place. He doesn’t know anything about shifters or mates. Just when Terence manages to convince Perrin to come live and build a relationship with him under Kontra’s protection, the local lion pride beta, Patrick, arrives. He claims Perrin is now the lion pride’s alpha since he’d killed the old one while saving Terence. Can Terence help Perrin adapt? Or will Perrin return to the simpler life of a wild lion?

Out of the cage: One can never be patient enough if it means earning the peace caused by true love Raul Braga is finally ready to admit the reason he’s been so distracted of late is because of a man—but not just any man. Raul finds himself attracted to a wolf shifter named Sean Garcia who comes from a pack in Idaho. Even though his buddy has agreed to help him look into the shifter’s current whereabouts, Raul doesn’t have much faith that a member of the homophobic pack they’ve had problems with in the past would ever admit to being interested in him, too. Imagine Raul’s surprise when Sean shows up on his doorstep. Sean claims that Raul is his mate, which explains the attraction. Still, Sean didn’t come alone. He has an infant girl with him. Sean is the legal guardian for his niece, Lily, who is his deceased sister’s cub. Now, Raul has to decide if he’s ready for not only a relationship with a male, but a male that comes with a ready-made family. Before he can start to figure things out though, Raul is sent away on an assignment. Although the kisses are mind-blowing, will they be enough to help him overcome his fear of settling down?

On the Road: They say what you’re missing is always found in the last place you look. Sometimes, you find it when you’re not looking at all. Kontra Belikov has been searching for his mate, Tim Laurent, for nearly sixty years, ever since he missed his chance by giving the just-of-age teen time to experience life. While heading back to his gang, he’s surprised, but grateful, to discover Tim in a small town. When Kontra pursues Tim, their chemistry is explosive, but right after, Tim pushes him away. Tim doesn’t believe they’re mates and feels guilty accepting affection since his lover of almost twenty years passed away just six months before. Frustrated, Kontra gives Tim his space, all the while vowing to get through to his mate. Space, once again, seems to be a mistake when the next morning, Kontra discovers Tim has been kidnapped. Can Kontra rescue Tim, find out why his mate’s old flock is trying to keep them apart, and convince Tim they are meant to be together?

On the Road: Sometimes, the shy quiet type, really aren’t shy or quiet at all. Payson thought he’d found his mate once, but had been wrong. With his senses screwed up by scientist’s experiments, he no longer trusts them. He sleeps with any nice smelling, willing male—and some females—hoping his hyena will want to keep one of them. He’s shocked and delighted when he and his animal are in agreement over one sexy, nerdy human—Land Zimmerman. The sex is fantastic, Land’s shy virgin playfulness even better, and Payson gives in to his hyena’s urge to mark Land. The next morning, things heat up, and not in a good way. Payson’s jealous hyena attacks a fellow pack-member standing a little too close to Land. Can Payson convince his skittish human that he’s not as crazy as he seems?

Into the paranormal world: A man’s idea of good and bad can be put to the test at the most unexpected moments. Maelgwn, leader of a clutch of gargoyles in Durango, Colorado, only planned to be in Stone Ridge a few days to help a fellow gargoyle’s mate through laying their first egg. His plan to leave changes when he scents his mate in the hospital. He discovers his mate is Bobby Truman, a human who has no idea the paranormal world exists, even though a number of his friends are shifters. Maelgwn begins the arduous process of watching and waiting, searching for that perfect opportunity to make contact with his mate. Bobby Truman is tired of his boyfriend, Seth’s, abusive friends, especially when Seth doesn’t do anything about their antics. The broken nose, compliments of Seth’s buddy Grant, is the final straw. When he’s attacked by muggers and rescued by a mysterious stranger in the dark, Bobby hopes it’s the opportunity he needs to make a clean break from Seth. Even if it doesn’t work out with Maelgwn, maybe Bobby can keep his new love interest’s attention long enough to prove to Seth they are really done. Bobby thinks it’s odd that Maelgwn won’t come into the light, always meeting him after dark, but he’s nowhere near prepared for the truth when it finally comes out. Can Maelgwn convince Bobby that the things that go bump in the night aren’t always bad and to take his place at Maelgwn’s side in a paranormal world? Even when that means uprooting his life and moving?

Out of the cage: A good relationship needs three things: respect, communication, and compromise…besides love, of course. Vincent Dobs Marché thought he scented his beloved—his fated one-and-only—at a shifter enforcer challenge months ago. Since rogue shifters killed his mother, bonding with one is the last thing he wants to do. He runs from the knowledge, vowing to live his life alone. Fate has other plans. Slowly, blood from human donors becomes unpalatable to him, until it’s easier to go hungry than deal with the taste. When he hits the verge of collapse, his friends step in, forcing him to return to Stone Ridge and give the shifter a chance. When Dobs meets his beloved, Franklin Drunger for the first time, the big, sexy, wolf shifter’s blood calls to him. Frankie seems just fine with the idea of Dobs drinking from him, so he gives in to his desire and bites the man. Reb, Frankie’s protective older brother, isn’t nearly as open-minded and attacks Dobs. Acting on instinct, Frankie defends his mate, shifting to wolf form. Dobs panics at the sight of the wolf and insults his beloved. Angry and hurt, Frankie flees. Can Dobs learn to accept the gift Fate has given him and convince Frankie to give him another chance? Or is it too late for him to earn the love of the special shifter he’s been given?

On the Road: Breaking a curse has never been so much fun… Vail Tamang is a playboy. He’s never claimed to be anything else. What he does claim is that he doesn’t want a mate. The truth is a little more sinister. When he scents Draven Mansetti, Tim’s half-vampire, half-warlock mentor, he realizes his worst fear has come true. Draven is his mate. Vail tries to avoid the man, but Draven manages to track him down anyway. He’s left with no choice and shares a family secret. His family line is cursed. Can Draven convince Vail that some curses can be broken? Or will Vail walk away before giving them a chance?

Demitri Vinetti knows his parents believe his claim that he's gay, is an act of rebellion. But when Demitri scents Kiernan Wabinaw at the diner where he works, and the human keeps coming back again and again, he's certain he's found his mate, a male mate, proving Fate's on his side. Getting advice from friends, Demitri digs deep for courage and asks Kiernan on a date. Kiernan is shocked and flattered that such a handsome young man would take an interest in him, especially since his forty-fifth birthday is just around the corner. He's been fantasizing about Demitri since first spotting him at the diner a couple of weeks ago, and he's happy to take him up on his offer. When Kiernan learns that Demitri's parents have beaten him for going on a date with him, he discovers protective instincts he's never known before. But the fact that Demitri's less than half his age and his parents are abusive is only the first of many shockers. Will Kiernan be able to accept that shifters exist? Or will Kiernan chalk Demitri up as too much trouble and run the other way?

On the Road: Life is full of compromises, but the best ones allow you to end up in a better place than where you started. When Adam Kingston decides to enjoy a cat nap in tiger form, he never thought he’d be woken by the cries of young moose shifters, nor did he expect to need to save them from a douchy wolf shifter and his buddies. The day takes a turn for the better when he’s pleasantly surprised to discover the moose’s brother, Noah Oleander, is his mate. Except Noah is in the closet, is the legal guardian for his two siblings, and is on the run for attacking his alpha’s son. Can Adam get Noah to stick around long enough to find a way to help him? Or, will Noah decide it’s easier to grab his siblings and keep on running?

On the Road: Finding love can make even a little dirt and sweat okay. Rueben Malone travels to a small town in Oregon, searching for his missing brother, Ricky. Since the police don’t have any leads, he thinks it’ll be difficult. Instead, Rueben finds Ricky holed up in the same motel as him, held by a group of men hiding…something. Rueben knows his brother has crazy conspiracy ideas and wants nothing to do with them. Once he’s confirmed that Ricky’s life isn’t threatened, he decides his trip shouldn’t be wasted, and seduces the sexy, slender blond, Lamar Jaworski. Rueben suddenly finds himself ensconced in his brother’s conspiracy world. When Lamar, the one man who should be trying to help him understand, disappears, will Rueben take the opportunity to run?

Out of the Cage: Even the best laid plans can go awry, sometimes in the most wonderful of ways. Raven cares about one person: himself—his comfort, his desires, and his freedom to do as he pleases. He’s fed up with scientist Sampson Marlow making decisions for him and ready to start a new chapter in his life. One last assignment goes horribly wrong, and he’s the one who ends up in a cage…of sorts. Seeing the silent war between the two parties from the shifter’s point of view gets his conscience involved—not that he’d ever admit that to anyone. Upon escaping the wolves and returning to the scientist’s facility—fully intending to hand over his resignation—Raven finds himself drawn to a small Arctic Fox shifter held captive by the scientists. Although it puts Raven’s plans to move on and forget that paranormals exist on the back burner, he can’t seem to help himself. Raven does something he never thought he’d do. He goes to the enemy for help in freeing the shifter. Raven just wants to return the little fox to his skulk. He sure as heck-fire ain’t gonna keep him. Then he’ll move on with his life. What could possibly go wrong?

Into the paranormal world: It’s all fun and games until someone’s life is threatened. Adalric Bachmeier is the leader of his vampire coven and not accustomed to being patient, but to win his beloved’s affection, he tries to be just that. Unfortunately, time runs out too soon. Adalric can’t put off returning to his coven, as well as his duties, any longer, and he plans to take Seth Goodwin with him, willingly or not. Seth never would have believed that creatures of myth and legend existed. Coming face to face with a vindictive, bloodthirsty vampire opens his eyes real quick to a whole new set of evils in the world. He can’t figure out why Adalric continues with his overtures of friendship, especially when he’s been nothing but rude and cold to the guy. After all, Seth wants nothing to do with a vampire. Adalric insists that Seth must go with him to his coven, and he uses the guise of marking him as taken—making him off-limits to other vampires—to finally sink his fangs into the human. Even though Seth finds great pleasure in Adalric’s arms, when the truth of their relationship comes out, will their fragile bond withstand the tension? Or will it snap, sending Seth running?

At over four hundred years of age, Xavier Agueda has all but given up hope of finding his beloved, his soul mate. Then Detective Owen Hanson comes to the vampire’s estate to question Xavier’s coven leader’s partner. Owen’s blood calls to him like nothing he’s scented before. When his leader learns that Owen may be his beloved, he helps Xavier plan to meet him again. It takes a couple of weeks, but finally they schedule a BBQ at a mutual friend’s home, giving him the opportunity to see Owen again. Can Xavier convince Owen to accept the attentions of a man? And if so, how will Owen react to learning vampires exist? Reader Advisory: This story is best read as part of a series. Sequel to: A Bite of Fulfillment

Out of the Cage: Time can heal all wounds, but only if they’re acknowledged and treated. Valarius Lemusson’s pride leaders send him to a shifter gathering in Stone Ridge where various paranormal representatives are discussing the revelation that the government knows about their kind. While there, he enjoys a night at a club and discovers his mate, Brice Gaithers, being attacked in the restroom. He rescues the human and, after filing a police report, takes him back to his room for a night of tender aftercare and sweet seduction. A surprise meeting with a wolf’s mate reveals that Brice already knows about shifters, giving Valarius hope, until he also learns that Brice wants nothing to do with them. He’s prepared to give his mate time to accept him, but enemies from his past come stalking, forcing his hand. Can Valarius figure out how to convince Brice—someone already intimate with the aggressiveness of shifters—that he can give him the love and stability Brice desperately craves? Warning: attempted rape scene.

On the Road: To combine two lives, first one must understand the components of each. When Ryan Carpenter realizes the scientists he works for are torturing sentient beings, he feels the need for penance in the form of helping the shifters free their comrades. To that end, Ryan heads to Oregon to offer aide in shutting down one of the scientist’s training facilities and freeing any captive shifters. He’s unprepared for one of the men, Sam Abbott, a Texas longhorn bull shifter, to express an attraction to him. Unfortunately, Ryan has secrets of his own, and knows if he becomes involved with Sam, a shifter, his own transgressions against Sam’s kind would eventually come out, destroying anything they might have built. Walking away—especially for the good of everyone—should be easy, right?

Out of the Cage: When taking on a wild animal, prepare to be bitten. Persecution from Jason Truollo’s immediate family becomes too much—his stepfather’s backhand to the jaw is the final straw—and he heads toward the only family who had understood when he came out, his Uncle Raul Braga. When he gets there, he’s shocked when not only does his uncle welcome him with open arms, but he finds his uncle in a committed relationship…with a man. Not only that, but many of Uncle Raul’s friends are gay, too. Finally, Jason feels like he’s found a place he fits in. Even better, he meets a man who pushes all his buttons, Michel McDover, but surely the sexy rugged mountain man can’t possibly be gay. Except he is, and he makes his interest in Jason plain. Deciding learning the joys of sex from an older man is perfect, Jason begins a torrid fling with Michel. A surprise encounter with some strangers in the woods makes Jason realize he may have far more to learn than he ever thought possible. For the hope of love and acceptance, is he willing to keep an open mind?

Into the paranormal world: When Fate pairs opposites, will the magnetism push them apart or draw them together? Cornelius Roister is a flirt, has been since coming out. He lives loud, proud, and for the moment. What only his best friend, Gustav Gus Hermance, knows is that it’s a defense mechanism, an act, used to keep people from getting too close. People that are close can hurt you, and he’s had enough pain to last him a lifetime. When Cornelius visits Gus at his new home, he is ecstatic to discover his mate in Einan, a gargoyle enforcer. Until him and large-and-in-charge Einan have their first personality clash…and then their second. They just can’t seem to carry on a conversation without disagreeing or arguing. Is Cornelius’s mating doomed before it even gets started? Or can Cornelius and Einan find some common ground?

On the Road: When a meddling interloper stops a mating, Fate decides to give someone a second chance. Aaric Tamang lost his chance at bonding with his mate almost seventy years ago. Because his family line had been under a curse, he’d walked away from the woman Fate chose for him rather than put her in danger. Now, decades later, the curse has been broken, but since his mate had been human, meeting up with her was impossible. Then why does the scent of a male wolf shifter catch his attention like no man ever has before? Crain Ponders claims they’re mates, but that can’t be right, can it?

Out of the Cage: When a shifter won’t do…maybe a vampire will. Sebastian Seb Russo is forced to take a commercial flight to his next assignment since the Vampire Council doesn’t have any planes available. His leaders have charged him with assisting the alpha of the wolf shifters in Stone Ridge, Colorado with communications between paranormals and the human government. Except, the one thing that would delay him happens…he discovers his beloved, his soul mate, on that plane. Now, Seb finds himself in Las Vegas, trailing the human Dirk Lemans. His attempts to woo the human are successful, until he makes one too many verbal slips, and he discovers a powerful truth. Dirk thinks Seb is a shifter…and not too long ago, shifters held him captive. Can Seb convince Dirk that not all paranormals are the same?

Into the paranormal world: Sometimes giving in to temptation can lead to unexpected rewards. Martin "Marty" Beakman finds himself entranced by a bearded, cloaked stranger in a coffee shop, Raymond. Although he feels like a stalker, he returns again and again until he eventually figures out a pattern. When Marty is confronted by his brother Matthew regarding his actions, he admits his attraction to someone he’s never even spoken to. After his brother encourages him to change that, Marty follows Raymond in an attempt to do just that. Instead, he sees something almost unbelievable…Raymond removes his cloak, spreads wings, and flies into the night. When Raymond, out of the blue, contacts Marty online, will he give in to his desire to learn more about the guy? Or, will the strange sight the evening before keep him from seizing the opportunity?

On the Road: Sometimes family makes decisions for you…and you just have to roll with the punches. Richard Ponders joins the Tamang wolf pack when his younger brother, Crain, mates with one of its members. When the pack gathers to celebrate passing the alpha mantle from father to son, naming Abbott Tamang as alpha, Richard discovers his mate is part of the Tamang pack, too … and it’s the new alpha. Sensing unrest in the pack, Richard decides allowing the pack to settle is the safest thing for everyone. Unfortunately, the choice is taken from him when Crain asks him to come over and discuss more changes in pack dynamics, bringing him face to face with Abbott. Now, not only will Richard be fighting for a position in his new pack, he needs to fight for the trust of a man he’s been hiding from for weeks. Can he and Abbott come to terms? Or will the unrest in their pack tear them apart?

On the Road: Sometimes, learning to get past your own problems, means focusing on someone else. As an orphan, Chip had never really had a home or even much to call his own. After being adopted, he’d hoped he’d found acceptance. Unfortunately, a year later, he shifted into his bobcat for the first time and his new parents had thought him possessed. Forced to run, Chip lived mostly as an animal for decades. Having grown up alone in foster care, it hadn’t been much different and he hadn’t thought it too bad…until the day he’d been captured and tortured by scientists. Rescued by Kontra and his gang, Chip finally sees the light at the end of the long, lonely tunnel of his life. Scarred, malnourished, and suffering from panic attacks, Chip struggles to get his body and mind back under control. When the gang visits a pride of lion shifters, Chip meets Grimes, who claims they are mates. Can he manage to get past his hang-ups and grab onto the happiness Grimes offers him?

Into the paranormal world: A wounded heart is not easily mended, requiring a soothing, patient hand. Matthew Beakman’s life just got turned upside down. His brother, Marty, stumbled across something strange and fascinating and amazing! Gargoyles exist! Matthew wants to know everything about them. First, though, he wants to find the gargoyle that saved his brother’s life and thank him. Their people’s leader, Maelgwn, points out a blood-red, behemoth of a gargoyle named Vane, then warns Matthew away from him. Never good at following orders—and because he can’t help but find himself intrigued by the huge creature across the room—Matthew tracks Vane down anyway. At first, he’s confused by the way his body responds every time Vane growls at him, until a conversation with Logan makes him suspect that he and Vane are mates. Unfortunately, he also learns Vane went through some extreme torture in the hands of humans. How can he convince the stubborn gargoyle that not all humans are the same?

Out of the Cage: Sometimes a healing touch comes from a predator. Having been raised by his puma shifter godfather, Edwin Aldridge has always known that paranormal creatures exist. Edwin works as a genetic engineer, attempting to apply a shifter’s healing abilities to humans. When Edwin learns that another scientist has done something similar, he looks forward to reviewing his work. Edwin quickly becomes infatuated with Byron, the wolf shifter who delivers the information. Remembering his godfather’s stories, Edwin realizes the wolf shifter is his mate. Unfortunately, once Byron learns about Edwin’s research, the wolf shifter rejects him. When Byron Ziegler scents Edwin, he knows the skinny government agent is his mate. He plans to pursue him, eager to learn everything about the human so they can build a life together. Then Byron learns that Edwin is a scientist working on shifter DNA. He’s devastated and turns his back on the human. While Byron regrets the decision, how can he bond with a man that wants to do the same thing as the people his pack spent years tracking down and stopping? Will the mate-pull be enough to help them find common ground?

On the Road: Life’s blessings can come in the darkest moments. Enjoying a last hoo-rah before another tough year of college begins, Kai Sudderson and his friends vacation in Kansas. He takes advantage of the secluded pond system behind his rented cabin to go swimming…in his platypus form. Living with his aunt and uncle, Kai had never met anyone else with the ability to turn into an animal. That is, until he gets himself snared in a beaver trap and a penguin shifter rescues him. Unable to pass up the opportunity for not only knowledge but medical treatment, Kai accompanies his new friend home. There, he meets Dorian Yaris, who—despite being so much older and having such a serious disposition—calls to Kai like no other. When Dorian explains about mates, will Kai consider the bonding thing with someone so obviously different or will he deny everything and return to his former life?

Into the paranormal world: Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you. For the last twenty-five years, Roland’s Iberian lynx had been used as an attraction in curiosity shows. One night, strangers take him away. Upon waking, he’s disoriented and scared…until he recognizes the scent of his old friend, Vane. Separated when Roland was sold and Vane wasn’t, Vane had since been rescued, and now offers the same freedom to Roland. With the force of Vane’s entire gargoyle clutch behind him, Roland finally feels like he can make a new start. Except, one of the gargoyles claims that they are mates, but Roland can’t sense it, revealing a secret he never wanted exposed. Tobias is thrilled to discover that Roland is his mate until the lynx shifter denies their bond. When the pretty shifter declares he can’t bond with anyone—and Tobias learns the life-changing reason why—Tobias vows that it doesn’t matter to him. He’ll stand by and care for his mate through any difficulty. His devotion is quickly called into question when dangers from Roland’s past forces Tobias to spend time guaranteeing his mate’s safety instead of spending time with Roland. Can Tobias prove to his mate that he truly wants him and doesn’t consider Roland just another duty?

On the Road: Sometimes intervention comes from the most unexpected places. Having been married at one time, over a century before, Luc Laurent never expects to find another to spend his life with. His confusion is understandable when his son hands him an extra helmet and tells him to hang onto it. Luc understands later that afternoon when he rolls his motorcycle to a stop in front of a fellow shifter’s home and discovers that the shifter’s cousin, Dylan Sudderson, is his mate. While the fact that his mate can walk only with the aid of crutches concerns Luc, it’s certainly not the deal-breaker Dylan seems to think it is. Luc is far more concerned about the fact that Dylan is human, so very young…and in the closet. While Dylan is more than happy to get physical with Luc behind closed doors, he’s afraid of losing his parents if they find out he’s gay. What will it take to convince Dylan to not only come out of the closet, but accept that Luc shares his spirit with a European Eagle Owl?

Out of the Cage: Sometimes, when something seems too good to be true, it isn’t. When wolf shifter Yates Cruner helps save several humans from a dingo shifter pack using them as slaves, he doesn’t expect to find his mate among them. Oh, not one of the humans, but one of the surviving dingo shifters who has been beaten and abused just as much as the humans. It seems the dingo pack had one rule...I’m more dominant than you, I can do whatever I want to you. Yates realizes his little mate has a long road of healing ahead, and most of it isn’t for physical wounds. Aryen Fowles learned his place early in life, keep his head down, kneel at the other shifter’s feet, and do whatever they ask. If he did that, he could avoid being punished. When a group of strange shifters take over the pack, the rules change. Aryen struggles to understand what’s expected of him. When one of the wolves offers him pleasures he’d never experienced before, he wonders if he could accept his offer at face value or was it too good to be true? Content Warning: This story includes scenes of near rape and talk of dubious consent.

Into the Paranormal World: Sometimes running from something will lead you right to it. Logan McByrne enjoys working at his construction company, drinking beer with his buddies, and sex with no strings attached…usually in that order. When his occasional hook-up, the gargoyle Geoffrey, gets too serious, Logan heads to Oregon for a working vacation at his friend, Zander’s ranch. On a hunting expedition to thin a large pack of coyotes that have been terrorizing his buddy’s goat herds, he runs into the last thing he expects, a group of wolf shifters. Zander panics, there are shots fired, and Logan is blamed for a stray bullet that hits one of the wolves. James Jimmy Noleander is the beta of the Tamang wolf pack. While he never expected meeting his mate would grant him an immediate happily ever after, he never in his wildest dreams thought his mate would shoot him. Jimmy wants to forgive his mate, but laws are in place and restitution must be made. On top of that, Jimmy discovers that a jealous gargoyle is on Logan’s tail and Logan has commitment issues. Can Jimmy keep Logan safe, figure out a way to convince Logan of the benefits of mating, while finding suitable reparation that won’t drive his mate away?

Out of the Cage: The predator isn’t always the one in charge…sometimes, it’s the prey. Jamie Stratton has never had a serious relationship in his life, hopping from bed to bed, waiting patiently for his mate. Having just hit the three hundred year old mark, the wolf shifter is ecstatic to meet Paolo Muccio. He and Paolo spend one glorious night together, but then Jamie learns of his mate’s kink. Swamped by memories he thought buried centuries ago, Jamie panics and runs. Paolo can’t believe his luck. Not only did wolf shifters rescue him, but when they take him back to their pack territory, he meets his mate. The icing on the cake, though, is the fact that Jamie is submissive. In his excitement, Paolo pushes too hard too fast, causing his mate to remember past hurts. Can Paolo not only track down his wayward mate, but prove to Jamie that he can be trusted in all things?

Into the Paranormal World: Sometimes going against family leads to better rewards than sticking with them. After seventeen years in captivity, Caladon O’Hara is freed from his cage by gargoyles. His rescuers take him to their manor, give him a safe place to recuperate, and set him up with a new identity, Caladon Wykert. They also aid Caladon in tracking down information about his son, Taolma. Upon seeing a picture of his son’s face after so long, Caladon goes into mild shock, overwhelmed at seeing him as an adult for the first time. Nurse Leroy Wilde works part time at the gargoyle’s mansion. He handles daytime shifts since Perseus, the clutch’s head doctor, has not yet mated and turns into stone during daylight hours. When he spots Caladon through a doorway, he’s quickly smitten by the tall, handsome shifter. Still, Leroy keeps his distance. He’d tried dating an African American once before, and due to his family’s bigotry, it hadn’t turned out so well. When Caladon suffers a shock, Leroy is called to help. His mere presence yanks Caladon out of his stupor, only for the shifter to declare they are mates. Leroy is unable to resist the siren call of the mate-pull, and he agrees to a date. He quickly discovers that his family isn’t the only complication…because at the time of Caladon’s kidnapping, he was still married. Mates or not, Leroy refuses to get involved with a married man.

Logan St. Clair made some bad decisions and fell in with the wrong crowd. After believing a fellow wolf shifter’s bigoted opinions, he helps attack their pack’s brand new alpha and alpha-mate…his male alpha-mate. They lose and Logan is exiled. To his shock, Logan is approached by another alpha, Kontra Belikov—a bear shifter who leads a nomadic group of bikers. Even knowing Kontra is mated to a male, the allure of a new pack is too strong, Logan accepts. Most of Kontra’s pack-members are in gay matings, and Logan learns to be polite and accepting of those who are gay, even forming his own opinions. While Logan no longer loathes homosexuals, he never expects to feel attraction to a guy. That’s exactly what happens, however, when he meets Kai’s human friend, Tyson Grubler. He doesn’t understand it and fights it with every fiber of his being. Except, when Logan sees Tyson head into a club bathroom with a stranger, he loses control of his wolf’s possessive instincts. Logan tosses Tyson’s trick out of the stall and sinks his teeth into a very shocked Tyson’s neck. Realizing what he’s done—started the bonding process—Logan flees. Can he come to terms with what his wolf already knows—that Tyson is his mate?

On the Road: In order to come home, first you must leave it. Deke Sommers knows staying with his boyfriend is a bad idea. Michael enjoys ménages just a little too much and often tries to get Deke to share someone with him. Deke is not interested. He gives Michael permission to occasionally enjoy them on his own as long as he’s safe and honest about it. Unfortunately, that’s not enough for Michael, and he surprises Deke by inviting a couple of friends to his apartment to play with him. Deke does the only thing he can…he flees. Calling up his life-long friend, Dirk, who is traveling with his vampire lover, Deke asks for help. Dirk tells him to meet him in Stone Ridge. There, Deke once again sees Luther Caldwell, a wolf shifter he met over lunch in Las Vegas months ago and hasn’t been able to get out of his mind since. Except, Luther is straight, or in the closet, isn’t he? When Luther is neither shy nor reticent upon their meeting, claiming they are mates, can Deke trust another dominant male? Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of near rape.

On the Road: We always find what we’re looking for in the last place we look. At nearly three centuries old, Diego Tamang decides to take a more proactive approach to finding his mate. He walks away from leading his pack, so he can travel with Kontra Belikov and his shifter motorcycle gang. His decision pays off when he walks into a backwater town’s diner and scents his mate, Zachary Young. Quickly making his intentions clear, Diego wonders what will be harder to overcome—Zachary’s young age, or his mother’s clearly displeased attitude. It turns out, neither, for soon Diego discovers that witches may have caused Zachary’s injury, which forces him to use a cane…and Zachary doesn’t know he’s a shifter. Can Diego ease his young lover into the paranormal world while keeping him safe from those that would do him harm?

Into the Paranormal World: Sometimes getting a crash course in things unknown doesn’t always end in disaster. Zander Wheeler knows they’re out there: shape shifters, vampires, and other things. Having lost his wife over a year ago, Zander finds himself seduced by a married man. Ashamed, Zander asks his friend Logan McByrne to help him sever ties. Logan agrees, and in doing so, reveals a whole new world to him. Zander learns that his lover is a vampire, which is why he’d become so enamored with him. Then, Logan hooks up with a wolf shifter, and to top it off, a massive winged creature—the gargoyle Geoffrey, according to Logan—is claiming he and Zander are mates. When Zander demands they all leave him alone, save for Logan, they agree. Still, some sixth sense tells Zander he hasn’t seen the last of Geoffrey. He’s right. When one of his billy goats becomes aggressive, Geoffrey swoops in and saves him. With Geoffrey keeping to the shadows, they begin a dialogue. The more they talk, the more Zander realizes they may not be all that different after all. Except, he’s already been played by one paranormal. Can he open his heart to another?

Out of the Cage: Running away from trouble is wise...unless trouble follows you wherever you go. Toby Dallow followed his employer, mentor, and friend, Edwin Aldridge, to the small mountain town of Stone Ridge, Colorado. While he'd never begrudge Edwin the bond he has with his wolf shifter mate, Toby longs for something like that of his own. When a handsome stranger picks him up in a grocery store, at first, he thinks it's a joke. Learning the man is sincere, Toby takes advantage. After all, he thinks not too many sexy studs are into overweight science geeks. Blamed for something he didn't do, Tullion Kuznetsov is on the run. Traveling back roads in search of a place to hole up, he stops for supplies. His vampiric senses fixate on the blood of a short, plump human browsing the cereal aisle. Drawing closer, mixed feelings assault him when he realizes he's finally found his beloved. Unable to resist his other half's siren call, Tullion embraces the gift Fate has given him...at least, for one night. Then, he'll need to walk away. After all, how can he, in good conscience, involve the shy, quiet Toby in his problems?

Just a little Love Bite: When you ignore your senses, you can miss out on something pretty important. Daystrum Striplan, second in command of the Esson vampire coven, knows he’s been distracted the past month or two. He just can’t figure out what tugs at his mind…or rather…whom. Every night Daystrum’s dreams are plagued by a slender male figure with striking blue eyes. When he wakes, his fangs ache with the need to sink them into the man’s column of tanned flesh and taste his blood. Unfortunately, Daystrum can’t remember where or when—hell, even if—he’s met the man in his dreams. Then, the evening of the coven Christmas party, Daystrum scents the object of his obsession, Korbin Harris. He’s not the only one who notices the human, though. Jaymes, the master of a visiting coven also expresses his interest, and that vampire doesn’t have to beg forgiveness for forgetting their first meeting…a meeting that Korbin remembers. Can Daystrum earn the forgiveness and affection of his wayward beloved?

Out of the Cage: Crossing the bridge between knowledge and acceptance sometimes takes a leap of faith. Rowen St. Paul has watched his friends find their mates for years, waiting patiently for Fate to give him his own. When Wesley O’Connor—a troubled eighteen-year-old—is transferred to the school where Rowen teaches history, he’s shocked to discover that the senior is his other half. While Rowen realizes quickly that Wesley returns his desire, he plans to keep his distance…at least, until the school year is over. All that changes when the young hooligan breaks into his home and messes with his computer. Catching him in the act, they begin a steamy affair with one rule—keep it off school grounds. Between Wesley still being in the closet and Rowen needing to explain that he’s a shifter, they have enough obstacles. Still, in a small town, a secret of this nature doesn’t stay secret for long. Just as the truth is discovered by Wesley’s school bully, bad choices from the young man’s past complicates matters further, endangering not only their relationship, but their lives. Can Rowen prove to Wesley that together they can withstand the pressure?

Into the Paranormal World: Even cold-blooded creatures can get a little hot under the collar. Tristan has never been what someone would call a social guy. Like the alligator he shares his spirit with, he prefers being alone. Now, after enduring decades of forced isolation as an animal attraction in a curiosity show, Tristan is even more reclusive than ever. He lives mainly in animal form, swimming in the large pond on the gargoyle’s estate. When he helps kidnap his abuser, Bud Wallice, Tristan decides interrogating the bastard is a great reason to finally interact with others. Eventually, Bud is reported missing by his wife, and the trail leads to the gargoyle’s estate. Tristan meets Detective Collin DeSoto, who is looking into the disappearance. Tristan immediately recognizes the man as his mate, and while the sex between them is explosive, that’s the only easy thing between them. Collin isn’t out to his incredibly large family, and he doesn’t approve of how Tristan handles Bud. Can the pair resolve their differences, or will Tristan end up returning to his pond…alone?

Just a little Love Bite: The intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden. A couple of months before, Jaymes Martinez—master of the Amarillo coven—received from Fate the best Christmas present possible. He discovered his beloved in the young human Paul Cosborn. Unfortunately, Paul was only seventeen at the time, so Jaymes returned home and did his best to focus on readying his coven for his beloved. Now, two months later, Jaymes is ready to make his move. He convinces fellow vampire, Daystrum, who'd been keeping an eye on Paul for him, to bring him out to the ranch to visit. After one steamy make-out session with Paul, and one oh-so-satisfying bite, his beloved disappears. Can Jaymes track down his missing beloved in time for them both to enjoy a romantic Valentine's Day?

Out of the Cage: Pause…a temporary stop or rest, a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty. Derek Sommers is fleeing a bad situation, made worse by foolish decisions from years before. He’d given into his father’s demands once and it had cost him a relationship with his brother, Deke. When Derek’s father demands he marry a certain woman, Derek has had enough. He decides to find out if Deke’s partner was telling the truth and travels to Stone Ridge in hopes of repairing ties with his brother. Except, even from states away, Derek’s father doesn’t want to let him go. Dillan Shoreman travels to Stone Ridge to visit his godson, Edwin. When he nearly takes out a man jay-walking, he discovers the battered human is his mate. Having been alone a long time, Dillan thanks Fate’s oddly timed blessing. Unfortunately, he discovers that convincing his mate they have a future together will be harder than he thinks. Between a manipulative father, a guilt-tripping mother, and a conniving wannabe bride, Dillan’s mate already has plenty on his mind. Can Dillan convince Derek that he can give him the peace, healing, and strength that his heart so desperately needs?

Into the Paranormal World: Sometimes falling down the rabbit hole involves a rather painful and embarrassing face-plant. Wren Cleaver only wants to keep his goddaughter safe. Having looked after Penelope since her parents died when she was sixteen, Wren is used to keeping tabs on her. It’s hard for him to remember that she’s an adult. It’s also hard for him to accept that she’s dating a man twice her age, Golren Rabenau. When Wren drops by her home one evening to talk to Penelope about her involvement with Golren—who he discovers is not who he says he is—Wren arrives just in time to see her climb into the man’s SUV. Wanting to know where Golren is taking his goddaughter, Wren follows them to the grounds of the massive Falias Estate, a place, according to town gossip, has been shrouded in mystery for decades. Sneaking onto the grounds, Wren thinks the arboretum will be a safe place to sneak inside so he can learn a bit more about the place’s occupants. Unfortunately, he’s faced with the shock of his life…massive snakes. Watching them transform into humans would cause anyone to faint from shock. Right?

Just a little Love Bite: A good person learns from his mistakes. A great person learns from other people’s mistakes. Nathan Hanson is still working through the recent changes to his life. When he walks away from Diana, his long-time girlfriend, he comes out to his father, Owen. To his surprise, he learns that Owen is gay, too. Unfortunately, Diana doesn’t want to move on. When she continues to call him, Nathan changes his phone number. Next, she starts dropping by his work, so he gives her description to his work’s lot security, asking them to keep her out. Nathan even moves into an apartment on the far side of town, near to where his father now lives, but sometimes he still feels like he’s being watched. When Nathan finally gets up the courage and accompanies a few friends to a gay bar, he just wants to have a little mindless fun to take his mind off his problems…and maybe, finally act on his desires for another man. There, he meets Lexington Paistro, who is handsome, sexy, and into Nathan. He’s also a vampire. Having learned of paranormals when his father bonded with one, it’s not the biting that Nathan fears. It’s the possessiveness. He’s still trying to extricate himself from a woman who thinks she owns him. Will Lexington behave the same way?

Out of the Cage: Sometimes dealing with unexpected events can drive you crazy…but that isn’t always a bad thing. Borscht Kuznetsov is the master of his vampire coven. He likes his donors silent, his people obedient, and his life orderly. When an alarm on the northern outskirts of his property alert him to intruders, he leads the charge to drive the humans from his land. To his surprise, Borscht discovers they were chasing an Egyptian fruit bat. Confused by his sudden onslaught of protectiveness, he realizes the little creature is a shifter…who refuses to shift. With his only memories that of his time spent in captivity, Sekani doesn’t know much. He can’t even understand the words of the people around him after he escapes from his prison. Still, one of them smells really good…and the man saved him from the hunters. When the man finally says a few words in halting English, Sekani learns that his world is so much larger than he could ever have imagined. Can Borscht handle his beloved’s overabundance of excitement, especially when he learns that Sekani has friends that need rescuing?

Just a little love bite: Patience is a virtue…until someone’s life is on the line. Garner Vorzman suspects that his beloved—the other half of his soul—is none other than Brock Sanchez. While everyone considers the human an all-around good guy, he is also a womanizing playboy. Having spent almost one hundred years in the military, Garner draws on his knowledge of strategy. He uses the levity of the coven Christmas party to his advantage and seduces Brock. Unfortunately, the human runs from their connection. Hoping if he leaves Brock alone he will come to crave what they’d shared, Garner waits for months. He runs out of time when drinking blood from other donors becomes nearly impossible. Angry at the human’s apparent obstinateness, Garner tracks Brock down and issues an ultimatum. Give them one dalliance every other week so Garner can draw the blood he needs, or their one night stand will no longer remain a secret. If Brock agrees, can Garner turn the strong-arm tactic into something that will win the man’s affection?

Just a little love bite: When the monster comes out of the dark…sometimes he eats you up in every way you love. Peter has lived with vampires for almost two decades, ever since his own parents were killed in a house fire, and he considers himself pretty knowledgeable about paranormals. Stopping for a cup of coffee in a diner, Peter finds himself turned on by the steady stare of a big Italian. When he makes a pit-stop at the diner’s bathroom, he doesn’t expect a hook-up. That’s exactly what Peter gets…and he also learns he doesn’t know as much about paranormals as he thinks he does. His new lover, Balthazar, is a demon who is coming up on his one thousandth birthday. He kidnaps Peter, claiming him as his amina, his soul, a reward from the Gods for doing his job well for a thousand years. Except, Balthazar’s job is sucking out the souls of the living and delivering them to Death. If Peter can get past the stigma of being bonded with a soulless demon, can Balthazar keep him safe from whoever is sending minions hell-bent on keeping them apart—not to mention Peter’s meddling vampire friends—long enough for their bond to seal?

Into the Paranormal World: Putting your faith in the unknown can be terrifying, but the rewards can far outweigh the fears. Kort is a gargoyle and known as the friendly playboy of the clutch, while nothing could be further from the truth. As much as he flirts with almost every available male that enters the gargoyle’s estate, he’s never taken any to his bed. Kort is waiting, just as he has been for over three hundred years. After watching a number of his buddies be blessed with their mates, he has faith that Fate will soon reveal his own other half. When Kort smells something wonderful on the clothes of a fellow gargoyle’s mate, he is quick to question the human. He suspects the other man has been in contact with his mate. Learning that the owner of the scent, a human named Mace Capston, was just in the emergency room, Kort locates the human’s home and takes up a vigil. He waits impatiently for his opportunity to speak to the human. The first time he has a conversation with the injured man, however short and in the darkness, leaves Kort eager for more. When Mace’s attacker returns, Kort whisks the cute human to safety…too bad his mate passes out from fear in the process. Can Kort convince Mace that the creature from the dark is not the real monster?

Cayden Rochette works as a negotiator for the Stone Ridge wolf pack. For decades he has worked behind the scenes with his alpha to secure peace for the pack’s future, which often leads to long stretches away from home. After one such assignment, he discovers a cat shifter staying in his house as his brothers’ guest. One sniff is all it takes to realize the small feline is his mate. Still, the Andean mountain cat is a shy shifter recently rescued from years of torture at the hands of scientists. The cat hasn’t even shifted, yet, even after staying with the wolves for weeks. With a little help from the mate-pull, Cayden earns the cat’s curiosity—if not his trust—enough for him to shift, anyway. That opens up a whole new world of questions. Ajax grew up away from shifters and knows little of their ways. Can Cayden convince the solitary shifter of the benefits of staying with him?

Just a little love bite: The instinct to please your peers should never be stronger than your conscience. Cassium Jones is closing in on his fourth century mark and over the years has held many roles, from farmer to soldier to vampire enforcer. Now, he’s ready to settle down in moderate relaxation…if working a cattle ranch can be considered relaxing. He loves the wide open spaces, the fresh clean air, and even tending the animals. Handling the maintenance and care for the Angus cows in the northern pastures offers plenty of solitude, and he should have been left pretty much alone. Instead, Cassium stumbles upon an injured Angus bull amongst the livestock, and realizes the bull is not only a shifter, but his beloved, his soul mate. Cassium learns Garth has been driven from his herd for disobeying a controlling alpha, leaving behind two young children. While Cassium is happy to help reunite the bull shifter with his kids, is he ready to take on the role of parent when all he wanted was to retire?

Out of the Cage: A bear of a man walks into a bar…and meets his slender, clean-cut opposite. It could be love at first sight…or not. Hessian Roshburg, Hess to the few he calls friends, loves beer, barroom brawls, and breaking into places he’s not supposed to. He also enjoys strolling through the woods—in Kodiak bear form, of course—and scratching his back on trees. After dropping off a stolen file to his friend Dillan, he indulges in one of his favorite pastimes. He visits a gay bar for a few beers and a little dancing. He’s shocked when he bumps into his mate, literally, and it’s none other than a straight-laced, stick-up-his-ass raven shifter named Gilbert. Hess can’t wait to ruffle the guy’s feathers. In an effort to figure out what makes the other shifter tick, he digs a little too deep and uncovers a couple of secrets he shouldn’t, putting not only his own life in jeopardy, but the lives of those in Gilbert’s flock. Can Hess fix his mistake, prove his intentions, and keep his mate and friends safe…all at the same time?

Just a little love bite: The bigger they are the harder they fall. Lucius is finally feeling confident with his place in his pack. His new alpha and inner circle are fair and kind, and everything his abusive ex-leaders were not. Learning about the world beyond pack lands, Lucius takes online courses to earn his GED, planning to focus further studies in botany. Everything changes when his pack takes in a dozen Angus shifters rescued from a herd in Texas. One of the rescuers who accompanies the shifters is a vampire that makes Lucius’s blood sing. Gypsum Vereen. While Lucius can’t deny his attraction to the male, he’d given up sex when the new alpha took over. His old inner circle had made the act nothing but degrading and painful, and he never wants to experience that again. When Gypsum speaks of making love, can he dredge up enough faith to take a chance and learn the difference? Reader Advisory: This novel contains references to past rape.

Out of the Cage: A vampire in motion remains in motion…until he runs into his beloved. Between discovering that two of his brothers have accepted male beloveds and learning his eldest brother is moving their coven to the United States, Aleksei Kuznetsov’s world has been turned upside down. He’s never been good with change, so he flees his family and what he believes are their unnatural predilections. After several months of soul searching, he’s ready to make amends. However, realizing that being gay isn’t unnatural, and accepting it for his brothers, doesn’t prepare him for running into Remy Smithson. The human’s blood calls to him like he imagines a beloved’s should. Can he wrap his mind around what’s happening quickly enough, or will he lose the best thing that may have ever happened to him?

Into the Paranormal World: One man’s lie is another man’s truth. Walter wonders if he made a mistake. One minute, he’s helping his boss recapture stolen animals. The next, he realizes everything is not as it seems. A split second decision completely changes his life, and he takes a bullet meant for someone, something, else. Awake and lucid after months in a coma, Walter discovers the true depth of his boss’s treachery. Now, he knows myths and legends are real, and his boss had even been holding some of those creatures captive. The animals hadn’t been stolen, they’d actually been freed…by gargoyles! One such beast, a black-winged, golden gargoyle named Treatise, fires his blood like no one ever has. Except, Walter is a traitor. Can anyone truly trust him, even the gargoyle who claims him as his mate?

Out of the Cage: Lifting the spirits of another can lift your own spirits, too. Hector is fresh out of a cage for the first time in his memory. Learning about the world is exciting and scary, and he looks forward to experiencing life. While out having fun with his flock-mates, Hector runs across a human, Rocky, who smells amazing and makes his Scops owl flutter wildly inside his mind. Except, the guy turns down his request to dance. He learns later that Rocky is a bouncer, so he’s at the bar working. Wanting to catch him either before or after his shift, Hector begins to regularly frequent the club. Unfortunately, that earns him the reputation of being a party-boy, which causes Rocky to keep his distance. The human claims he has responsibilities which a partier wouldn’t understand. How can Hector, so new to freedom, convince Rocky that he can handle responsibility when the human won’t even tell him what it is?

Into the Paranormal World: To everything there is a season, including a time to lay down arms and to love. Jeremiah Tully lost his sister when a shifter attacked them while camping with friends. He blames himself…and rogues, believing they are a danger to society. When he finds a group of like-minded people who call themselves hunters, he joins up and spends three years helping them hunt, capture, and sometimes even kill shifters and vampires. Then a few new guys show up, telling tales of demons, and how they want help capturing some. Jeremiah doesn’t believe their tales, but when the demons attack, Jeremiah quickly turns into a believer. He flees the building, but then is chased down by one of the monsters when he crashes his dirt bike. When he wakes in some kind of clinic run by gargoyles, he thinks he’s a dead man. Instead, he learns that some humans live side by side with the gargoyles as mates, and one of the gargoyles, Grateman, is claiming him. While Jeremiah realizes he does have an odd attraction to Grateman, can a mating between a gargoyle and a hunter really work?

Just a little Love Bite: A nip here and a tug there could bring two people together. Tate Locklear has worked as a vampire enforcer at his coven for almost two centuries. He’s ready for a change of pace. When his master calls for volunteers to protect shifters in the forest, he thinks it’s the something new that he needs. Tate discovers it’s so much more when the scent of a reclusive leopard shifter’s blood calls to him. Somehow, he must convince the pretty kitty known as Psion, that staying in human form longer than it takes to open and close a door can be extremely pleasurable and beneficial to both of them. Unfortunately, that also reveals a new problem. Can Tate get Psion past his fear of blood so he can claim him?

Out of the Cage: Sometimes love needs a little coaxing to grow. Stake Dolan has worked as a firefighter for almost a decade. He knows he's loud, brash, and occasionally abrasive, not that he tries to be. Sometimes, he just blurts out stuff without thinking. His thoughtless words get him in trouble, and the chief orders him to lead the clean-up of some of the local hiking trailheads. At one of them, Dolan rescues a kitten stuck in a tree and meets Cecil Rochette. The friendly man makes a pass at him, but Dolan quickly shuts him down. While he knows a few of his fellow firefighters are gay, he is not. Still, while he doesn't know why, there's something about the guy that arouses him. When Cecil keeps popping up in his path, interrupting his life, he begins to wonder what it'd be like to give in to the mischievous man's advances. Will doing something so different be worth the price, especially when no one has been able to tolerate his mouth for long?

Just a little Love Bite: Some bonds should never be forged, and others should never be broken. Abyzou is a demon, sworn to serve the horseman of Pestilence. Over the centuries he's served his master well, spreading disease and sickness at his bidding. Now, he's coming up on his one thousandth birthday, the day he can bond with his amina and share that person's soul, binding him to this plane. Except, Abyzou realizes his amina is none other than the bigoted vampire Toni Bastille. Even aiding the handsome male in a fight doesn't seem to lessen Toni's ire against Abyzou. To make matters worse, vampires drink blood to survive, and they believe demon blood is toxic to them. How can he convince a vampire that hates demons that they are meant to be together?

Into the Paranormal World: Change is never easy, but it is oftentimes worth the painful effort. Taolma is a young boa constrictor shifter who has recently been reunited with his father after almost two decades apart. He currently lives with a clutch of gargoyles on the outskirts of a small town, but he doesn’t mind. There’s a massive arboretum to sun in and a pond to swim in, plus plenty of trees to climb. Due to the small town atmosphere, Taolma doesn’t expect to find his mate any time soon. Imagine his surprise, excitement, and disappointment when he walks into a hotel room and discovers his mate. Quinn is slender, muscular, and handsome. Oh, and he’s a hunter recovering from claw-wounds received by a gargoyle. Taolma hadn’t planned on settling down any time soon, but the pull to mate is undeniable. Can he figure out how to convince a hunter that not all shifters are evil, come to grips with Fate giving him a mate when so young, and of course convince a man who hates paranormals that they were meant to be together?

Out of the Cage: Moving on can be painful, especially when it's what you need, but don't want. Vampire Nikolai Kuznetsov enjoys his life of blood drinking and torture. The first he must do to continue living, and the second he does for the safety of his family. He loves his blades, wielding them with elegant precision. At his brothers' urging, Nikolai attends a poker night...just to do something that they deem as normal. Finding himself drawn to the blood of a mild-mannered, somewhat reclusive wolf shifter is the last thing Nikolai expects. Except, Parker Jones walks away without giving the slightest indication the he feels the same pull...other than his aroused scent, of course. Nikolai studies Parker, trying to figure out why the shifter would ignore the pull between them. He discovers the wolf shifter is still mourning his long deceased human lover. Tenderness and understanding aren't in Nikolai's nature. Can Nikolai find another way to connect with his beloved?

Into the Paranormal World: Something vastly different might seem dangerous, but it could be just what you need to find yourself. Sumak finally convinces his gargoyle clutch’s leaders that he can do more than cook food, prepare picnics, and wash dishes. He revels in his new, part-time job of walking their territory’s boundaries. Enjoying the moonlight, Sumak goes farther than he should and stumbles across a young human out jogging. He immediately recognizes the male’s scent as his mate and follows him to a parking area. Taking note of the license plate on the human’s truck, he discovers the man’s name is Andre Capston. His joy at learning that his mate is the brother of Mace Capston—a fellow gargoyle’s mate—is short-lived. Sumak finds out that Mace’s family disowned him years ago for being gay. Sumak struggles with how to pursue his young mate, but Fate steps in, giving him an opportunity. Can Sumak convince his mate that true family loves and supports each other no matter what their differences?

Just a little Love Bite: You can't control how another will respond to adversity. Mathe Winters knew his coven's vampire second was bringing several dingo shifters home to their ranch. He didn't expect one to be his beloved. Still, there's something about the way Julian looks at him, with a gaze so full of hope...and a little fear. He finds himself instantly smitten. wanting to show the dingo shifter the wonders of his cattle ranch home, Mathe runs into a snag. While Julian had met bull shifters, it doesn't prepare him for the reality of dealing with the non-shifter variety. He gets too close to the wrong animal and ends up injured. Can Mathe earn Junlian's forgiveness—and win his trust—so he can show his dingo how to play safely in his new home?

Out of the Cage: First impressions are not everything. Armand Zeroni wakes up in a strange house. He doesn't know how he ended up there...or even where there is. His first instinct is to flee, and the idea is reinforced when he discovers a general from his base inside a room, tied to a chair. Armand frees the general and escapes into the woods, where he stumbles across hiker Zakhar Kuznetsov. The handsome Russian seems mildly familiar, but he can't put his finger on why. Promising a ride into town, Zakhar leads Armand and the general back to the trailhead...and right into an ambush. Armand finds himself back at what he learns is a massive estate...populated by people believing they are vampires and shifters. Zakhar explains why they captured the general, but after being lied to by the man, can Armand believe a word out of his mouth? On top of that, holding a general against his will goes against everything Armand has been trained to believe in. How can he just let that go?

Wolves of Stone Ridge: Book Thirty-Seven The vampire Vadim Kuznetsov has watched every member of his family find their beloveds—the other halves of their souls. Some were able to connect fairly easily, while others had a rocky road. They are all now happy, though. Vadim wants that for himself, but fears it as well. He's a big man, and his anatomy is even bigger. So big that some lovers have even complained. What if he hurts his beloved? Joining his family at a restaurant, Vadim's worst fears are realized. He meets his beloved, the human Kendrick, who turns out to be a small, slender twink. The boisterous human is straightforward with his interest, but Vadim's concerns hold him back.

Out of the Cage: Cupid isn't the only one who shoots arrows. Gideon Ruck has been bow hunting the woods of Colorado with his father for nearly two decades. In that time, he's seen an odd thing or two, but he's always kept his mouth shut. After all, he believes what animals do in the world is their own business. When his father comes down with the flu, he starts the hunting season alone. His second morning out, he sinks two arrows into the biggest buck he's ever seen, but it still takes off. When Gideon finally catches up with the injured animal, he finds not a deer stuck with his arrows, but a man...a naked man. Even with panic spiking through him, Gideon takes one look into the stranger's big, pain-filled brown eyes and knows he can't walk away. Still, he fears the repercussions for shooting the man, Alejandro Lopex, so he takes him home...only to realize the guy isn't actually a man at all. Alejandro wants to find one of those odd things Gideon has seen. Is Gideon ready or even willing to turn his life upside down for a complete stranger...even one he accidentally shot?

As a demon, Belial has existed for millennia. Having missed his first chance at bonding with his amina a thousand years before, and with his second thousand years of service coming to a close, he’s keen to seek out that special someone. He needs to bond with that one key person, binding him to the mortal plane and freeing him from the Horseman of War’s service. Before seeking out that special person, Belial heads up one last mission to incite a skirmish between a vampire coven and a group of humans. To his surprise, he scents his amina near the vampire coven about to be attacked. Belial comes face to face with the blood-crazed vampire Gabriel…who Belial learns was tortured and experimented on by the very humans set to attack the coven. For the first time in his life, Belial joins a side. While he might save the coven, can he figure out a way to save his own anima…giving them both a chance at a future?

Into the Paranormal World: A little holiday magic can make the world a brighter place. Grigoris has spent over six hundred years alone. As a gargoyle who lives away from most of society this isn't surprising. Sure, he's had his clutch-mates and his work, but he's never truly had someone to share it with. When Aaden Hauser, a young black human sneaks into his garage, attempting to locate a friend and warn him of trouble, Grigoris instantly realizes the skittish male is his mate. While they enjoy a brief interlude, his sneaky human slips away. Grigoris uses a mutual friend to track him down and to learn more about him. In the process, he discovers something disturbing about the young male's family. Grigoris realizes, although he's the last person to rouse holiday cheer, his young mate needs it now more than ever. Can Grigoris figure out how to not only woo his wary human, but lift his spirits enough to accept that change can bring unexpected joy?

Out of the Cage: A cage of the mind can manifest in unusual ways. Viktor Minsky spent months recovering after having been captured and tortured for information about his friend. While he still bears the scars, he’s proud that no matter how they’d beaten and starved him, he’d never caved. After Viktor joins a group of vampires and shifters to free captured shifters, he’s charged with tracking down several of the vendors that deliver supplies to the facility. When Viktor stops at the ostrich farm that supplied the meat to the scientists, he meets the owner, Finn O’Riley. Not only is Viktor shocked to discover the man is a shifter, but the scent of Finn’s blood causes his mouth to water. He suspects the shifter is his beloved, the other half of his soul, but Finn’s response to his appearance bluntly proves that he wants nothing to do with him. Can Viktor learn if Finn’s hostility is caused because he’s in league with the scientists, or is it caused by something else entirely?

Just a little Love Bite: When the unexpected happens, it doesn’t always mean the end. When the Horseman of War decides to have a little fun and he accompanies a favored demon into the human realm to join in a skirmish, he never expects to meet a vampire that jumpstarts his libido. A romp with Monte Hanover would be fun, passionate, and maybe even worthy of a repeat…after they finish the battle, of course. To his surprise, he helps rescue a prairie dog shifter that brings out protective instincts he didn’t even know he was capable of. Unfortunately, little Xerxes turns out to be Monte’s beloved. Scratching his itch with either man seems unlikely. Then, the unthinkable happens, and he realizes without his intervention, it would mean the death of both men. Can he take that leap? Or will War decide two lives, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t really worth the changes he’d need to make?

Into the Paranormal World: Sometimes the truth is even stranger than fantasy. Officer Tian Chavez goes undercover at a college in Durango, Colorado as Tian Whithern, a gangster. It’s not the first time he’s taken such an assignment, since he looks years younger than he actually is. Finding out who’s offering strength-enhancing drugs to students and other townspeople takes a jaunt around the crazy maypole when he discovers the truth. It’s not drugs that give the ability, it’s completing a mate-bond with a paranormal creature. To his shock, he learns that gargoyles, shifters, and even vampires are real. Now, he needs to come up with a viable cover story. To make matters even stranger, Tian runs across Chef Roman, a gargoyle who seems to think they’re mates. While he finds the huge male attractive, Roman isn’t an exceptionally personable individual. Tian isn’t certain what to make of him or his gruff, bumbling attempts at seduction. When he realizes accepting a life with Roman would mean the end of his work…plus other drastic changes to his life, can he decide on what’s the right path?

Out of the Cage: Freedom takes all forms, including how to learn to live with yourself…and your limitations. Drako Rundin had a rude awakening to the paranormal world—holy crap, vampires and shifters are real! Still, he thinks it’s pretty cool. After so much time thinking he’s weird for being a gay, video-game-loving geek, he finds he’s not the only oddball. Accepting his new friends’ offer to go to Denver, helping the pair move an ostrich farm in the process, he meets so many more people who are different. Kwanza doesn’t know how long he’s been in captivity. He just knows he’s grateful to the group of friendly paranormals who rescued him. While he remembers shifting to human form—decades ago—he struggles to actually do it. The other shifters are patient and accommodating, giving him wide open spaces in which to live. When Kwanza meets Drako, he recognizes the plump, cute human as his mate. While he succeeds in shifting, he can’t seem to hold it for long. With Drako’s help, can he relearn how to be human all over again?

Out of the Cage: Renewing the fireworks can get a little crazy. Jared Templeton has settled down with his wolf shifter mate, Carson Angeni. For the most part, he's given up his life as an assassin, but he finds other ways to fill his time. When he comes home with the scent of another male on him, Carson shows Jared that he hasn't forgotten what he gave up to be with him.

Just a little Love Bite: When a dingo shifter finds a reluctant mate, he needs plenty of help from his friends. Pascal agreed to move with his two brothers to a vampire coven which runs a dude and cattle ranch. With both of his brothers wrapped up in their mates, he has plenty of opportunity to explore. He accepts his sexuality as he learns his likes, dislikes, and craving, which include submitting to a dominant lover. With abuse part of Pascal's past, his brothers don't understand why he occasionally sports bruises from sex he claims is consensual. When the new blacksmith arrives at the ranch, Pascal finally understands what his brothers had talked about when describing the mate-pull. Abner Johnson is all he can think about. Unfortunately, while the huge redhead is okay with a little fun, he doesn't want a relationship...with anyone. He's also upfront about his feelings on biting—don't even try it. Can Pascal get help wooing his mate from his family and friends, even when they don't understand his desires?

On the Road: A series of unexpected meetings bring a solitary hippo shifter to a new family and friends...if he's willing to take a chance. Jethro Gunther has been servicing the motorcycles of his old pal's gang for over a decade. When his buddy brings him a new customer, Jethro finds himself attracted to only the second man in his life—Wilhelm Smith. The first guy had left Jethro used and rejected, so he'd turned to one night stands with biker bunnies. It was just easier. Wilhelm, however, seems different One night, he realizes just how different Wilhelm actually is. Shifters are real? They are, and not only that, Wilhelm refuses to be a dirty little secret. Can Jethro accept his new reality and figure out a way to openly incorporate a male partner into his life?

Into the Paranormal World: Getting lost in the woods, an otter shifter discovers a treasure beyond value. While helping out some of his buddies, Aziel Boltson learns the creatures that go bump in the night are real. His mother's stories are true—gargoyles, shifters, and more actually exist. The local paranormals—a gargoyle clutch—have an estate north of town. Aziel loves using the natural wildlife as an outdoor gym, lifting tree branches and swimming in the pond. Spotting the pond's local gator going after a huge otter, Aziel moves to intervene. He ends up injured, but it's not all bad. The otter turns into the sexiest man Aziel has ever seen—Jerome Laguna. While he's never been with a guy, he can't help but want this one. To Aziel's pleasure, Jerome claims he is his mate. Unfortunately, a prophesy of Aziel's mother's rears its ugly head in the form of Jerome's family attempting to hunt him down and take him back to the Amazon. Can Aziel and his friends help Jerome escape his otter family's clutches or will the prophesy be fulfilled, forcing Aziel to lose his one true love and his future in one fell swoop?

Out of the Cage: When an enforcer goes on a task for the council, he discovers a duty that will impact the rest of his life. Adisa Derringer has worked for the Shifter Council for over one hundred years. After refusing a councilman's orders, he narrowly avoids losing his enforcer position. Accompanying another councilman as his security is a second chance. Unfortunately, Adisa doesn't agree with why the shifter leader is visiting the pack—to assess the wolf shifter alpha's activities and perhaps remove him as leader of his pack. Adisa approves of the wolf shifter's actions—discreetly fighting the scientists experimenting on their kind. The Shifter Council doesn't see it that way. When Adisa is shown one of the rescued shifters—a massive wolf seemingly driven to the brink of madness by the experiments done on him—he realizes the feral beast is his mate. If Adisa must again go against a councilman's orders, it may not be only his job he'll lose. Can Adisa nurture the tiny spark of humanity he spots in the wolf's eyes, or will he lose out on both their futures...and maybe their lives?

Just a little Love Bite: Getting captured by vampires, a Priest learns more about himself than he ever thought possible. Giles Corsair joined the ranks of the Priests to fight demons. He thought he was destroying the spawn of the devil and stamping out evil. When he ends up captured by the creatures he was told are demons, he’s in for a rude awakening. They’re not demons. They’re vampires. He learns demons are around…except they’re not the spawn of Satan. They claim to have been created by the gods. Giles doesn’t believe a word of it…until he sees a demon in the flesh. To his utter shock, Giles feels an unholy attraction to the beast. It calls itself Thanach and makes advances toward him, calling him his amina, his soul, and telling Giles that he is Thanach’s gift from the gods. Confused by his unexpected desires, Giles discovers the greatest battle he fights is within himself. Can he come to grips with the shifts in his reality, or will the battle cost him his sanity?

On the Road: When a fae prince makes a bad bet, he must rely on strangers to win his freedom. Lord Elron Paxton is a fae prince—one of many. Bored with the never-ending politics of the Fae Court, he takes a dare to enter the human world. Elron gives his bodyguards the slip, finds a fun gay club, and prepares for a night of revelry. Unfortunately, Elron wakes in a dirty room crowded with other men. He finds himself stuck there for days, weighing the pros and cons of revealing his true nature to a number of humans—something against fae law—just to save himself. When a crow shifter appears outside the window, Elron hopes he's found an alternate way of saving not only himself, but those stuck in the room with him—even if they do think he's nuts for talking to a bird. Can he trust the crow to get help before the men who kidnapped everyone sells them on the black market...or will he have to break fae law to save them, sentencing himself to certain death? Reader Advisory: This tale speaks of past abuse / rape.

Into the Paranormal World: A horse shifter must accept past mistakes in order to take a leap of faith. Nolan had screwed up by hitting on the wrong human—a mated human. In his mind, it's just one more mistake in a long line of screw-ups. After years of hiding his sexuality, the wrong shifter spotted him with a guy in town. He'd been driven from his herd—earning a life-changing injury in the process. Nolan no longer has a sense of smell. Due to that, he hadn't been able to scent the humans in the area when he'd shifted to stretch his horse's legs. He'd been captured and tortured by psychotic humans for months. After over a month of living and recuperating with gargoyles at their massive estate, he's approached by a gargoyle...one that claims they are mates. While Nolan finds Craven super sexy, he doesn't know if he can trust it. He can't smell Craven, after all. Would tasting his blood be different...or would that just be one more screw-up to add to his growing list?

Ranger Kinzington just wanted to help his brother, Yannis, out of a jam. To do that, he made a deal with the devil—his boss, Councilman Krakow. Everything goes to hell in a handbasket—fast—and he ends up on the wrong side of a huge pack of wolf shifters…and a demon! Taken to the pack house for questioning, Ranger just knows he’s facing certain death. His terror is only exceeded by his sadness that his failure could also mean the death of his brother. To Ranger’s shock, his interrogation and torture is interrupted by a stranger—a shifter claiming to be his mate—a shifter who isn’t even a wolf. Ashton is an American kestrel shifter—a small raptor who’s an alpha in his own right. While Ranger appreciates that Ashton seems willing to fight on his behalf, even if he can clear up the mess with the wolves, how can he manage to save his brother and find a life with his male mate, too?

Out of the Cage: A vampire strives to create a little holiday magick. Vince Marché hadn’t planned to get injured. It was supposed to be a routine inspection, after all. Surely he can find a way to use it to his advantage, right? With a little ingenuity and a lot of help from friends, he strives to reassure his wolf shifter beloved and offer him the perfect Christmas present.

Just a little Love Bite: After getting out from under his mother’s thumb, a young man fears he traded one taskmaster for another. Raphael Corsair didn’t understand his brother’s sudden desire to couple with some huge black guy. Still, staying with Giles at the Montana cattle ranch gave him the opportunity to escape from under his mother’s thumb. Lenora Corsair was dominating and controlling, and Raphael would do anything to get away from her, even learn how to ride a horse and rope cows. To his surprise, the ranch’s owners offered him an office position. The only disconcerting aspect came in the form of big, handsome Kase Corrocus. The ranch hand made no bones about the fact that he was interested in Raphael. Except, Raphael didn’t consider himself gay. Then why did his prick get hard any time he was near the disconcerting man? On top of that confusion, why couldn’t his mother leave him alone?

When a Shifter Council hearing proves corruption in the council, Councilman Regales Colearian takes it as a personal affront. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he handles all grievances himself. That includes going to Stone Ridge to meet the shifters impacted by the scientists the wolf pack has been fighting against. Once there, he runs across the last person he ever thought he’d meet—his mate, Armand Theodore Conway—who happens to be a human male. Regales learns that Theo knows about paranormals, but has no interest in bonding with one. Theo is a Navy Seal and has seen so much depravity he feels tainted by it. Plus, Theo isn’t gay. While Regales has never considered himself gay either, at over four hundred years old, he’s been alone a long, long time. He knows claiming Theo will turn his life upside down, but it’ll be worth it. Stepping out of his own comfort zone isn’t easy, so can Regales manage to convince Theo to give a stuck-in-his-ways bear shifter a chance?

On the Road: After being rescued from kidnappers, a young man must learn to free his mind in order to embrace his future. Deter McNellis never thought he'd be a victim—living through a kidnapping, rape, and the threat of being sold as a sex slave. Getting rescued is only the beginning of healing. He's forced to relive the experience over and over in his dreams and when he has to share it with the authorities. To Deter's shock, he finds himself attracted to one of the deputies helping with the investigation—Marrakesh Anderson. The deputy invites him to call him Mac and gives off signals that he's interested in Deter, too. Deter finds Mac's clumsy attempts at wooing sort of sweet, and he struggles to overcome his fears so he can spend time with the handsome man. The appearance of the kidnapper's buyers makes Deter worry he'll never feel safe. To top it off, Deter discovers Mac is hiding something...something life altering. Can Deter gather enough courage to open himself to a future so full of change, or will his fears send him running? Reader Advisory: This book makes reference to past abuse / rape.

Baron and his friend plan a coup, staged in hopes of a better future, but it all goes horribly wrong. He is caught, and his friend is killed. When Baron refuses to rat out his buddy’s wife and daughter’s location, he’s tortured for his silence. Left hanging in his chains for several days, Baron expects death. Instead, he’s rescued by a stranger who assures him that his friend’s loved ones are well. Baron asks to be taken to them and ends up at the estate of a gargoyle clutch. Baron’s surprise is compounded when Conchlin walks in with his evening meal…and Baron recognizes the small, bright-orange gargoyle as his mate. While Baron wants the man, he doesn’t think he can give Conchlin everything he needs to complete their bond. Before Baron has even had a chance to heal and find out, Conchlin’s past comes back to haunt him, putting their mating in jeopardy. Baron realizes it’s not all about him. Will standing beside Conchlin and supporting him through adversity be enough for them to find their future together?

Patrick Brown knows he’s a little odd for a vampire, enjoying cooking and dancing. It works for him, though, since he’s his vampire coven’s chef, and he loves spending hours doing both as he shimmies around his kitchen. On a routine food run he stops a robbery at his local grocer’s. To Patrick’s surprise, the blood of one of the officers calls to him like nothing ever has. He realizes the human policeman is his beloved, his soul mate. While Patrick easily scents the human’s arousal, betraying his interest, Officer Allen Robinson barely gives him the time of day. Undeterred, Patrick begins a quest to learn everything about the human, and with the help of friends, he sees him again…and again. Can Patrick figure out a way to woo his closeted cop, or will fears and prejudice destroy their chance at a future?

Wendell Burgeon just wanted a hot night in town. Instead, he picks up a stalker…a dangerous one. When his make-up doesn’t hide the bruising, a friend at the office jumps to conclusions and tries to cheer him up. Cecil Rochette convinces his brother Teague to give Wendell a ride in his classic car…the one Wendell has been drooling over for years. To Wendell’s shock, Teague’s behavior belies his brawny jock image. He’s kind and sweet and seems interested in him, asking Wendell on a date when the car ride is over. He even comes to his rescue when his stalker shows up. Can Wendell’s knight in shining armor truly be as wonderful as he seems? When Wendell discovers that Teague has secrets of his own, he must make a decision. Who’s the more dangerous…his stalker or his knight?

Over fifty years before, Vincentius Goldstein agreed to join the Shifter Council with the express intention of bringing their technology into the future. After all, he’d had fun hacking into it and knew it wasn’t secure. He’s done that, and now finds the almost daily meetings and constant infighting trying his patience. Vincentius prefers the seclusion of his computer room. When he discovers someone hacking into his system, his excitement is stirred for the first time in decades. After figuring out where the hacker is located, Vincentius sends a council investigator after him. To his shock, when the investigator returns with the hacker, a small guinea fowl shifter named Cho, Vincentius recognizes the man as his mate. Even with the mate-pull, Cho fears him. After all, Vincentius had ordered Cho kidnapped and taken away from the safety of his flock mates. Can Vincentius figure out how to win the favor of his captive, or will he lose the best thing to happen to him in over three hundred years?

Rusty Peruke works as a mechanic and is close with his family. His wheelchair bound brother, Korvyn, lives with him, and he sends extra cash home to his parents on a regular basis. When he meets Acheron while the man is at the shop buying a set of fast wheels, Rusty is both excited and concerned—and it’s not because he’s never been with a guy. Acheron is a loner scorpion shifter who hasn’t stayed in one place since he left his family home over eight decades before. Rusty has no intention of running out on his family. To him, their needs come first. Can two polar opposites find enough common ground to build a future? Or will assumptions and miscommunications create a wall between them that’s impossible to scale?

Over the last couple of years, Mitch Lindson has watched his buddies fall in love and bond with gargoyles. He’s happy that they’re happy…but he doesn’t understand it. Settling down with one person isn’t even a blip on his radar, yet. On top of that, all gargoyles are male. Mitch used to double date with his friends. He can’t figure out their sudden switch. When the gargoyle Kardamon breaks up his bid to seduce a daughter of one of the paranormals, Mitch is shocked to feel arousal for the male. Confused, he runs. The dreams start shortly thereafter, leaving him horny and dissatisfied. When he discovers he can’t slake his lust in his usual fashion, Mitch’s frustration grows. It doesn’t help that Kardamon manages to seek him out at unexpected times and in secluded places, driving his unexpected and unwanted desire higher. Facing off against Kardamon, can Mitch find a way to get the blue gargoyle out of his system without his life being turned upside down? Reader Advisory: Lady bits are spoken of in this story, however, no m/f intercourse takes place.

Sekani just planned to stretch his Egyptian fruit bat’s wings a little while his vampire lover, Master Borscht Kuznetsov, sat through a conference call. Unfortunately, his short flight takes an unexpected turn when he runs into another bat…of the non-shifter variety. Sekani’s headlong rush puts him in unexpected peril. While Sekani can speak telepathically with Borscht, will it be enough for his vampire to find and rescue him?

Out of the Cage: A simple errand to the city causes a wolf shifter to bump into his future…if he’s strong enough to coerce his mate into embracing it. Gracen Robicheaux felt his petition to fight for the beta position of the Stone Ridge, Colorado wolf shifter pack was a sign from the gods. After over two hundred years, he could finally openly express his desire for a male mate. When Gracen runs into the human Lance Coracans, he changes his opinion. The gods are laughing at him. His worst fear has come to pass—kids. Lance has a very young daughter for whom he’s fighting for custody. Still, Gracen reminds himself that Lance is his mate. Embracing change will be worth it. However, between an injured babysitter, a sick daughter, and pack challenges, their missed and rescheduled dates are piling up. Can Gracen convince Lance that he really is serious? Or will finding out he’s a wolf shifter be the straw that sends Lance running?

Elder Bodb has walked the earth for over a thousand years. All that time, he’s waited patiently for Fate to bring him his mate. When he travels to the Falias clutch to share sentencing information on one of their former members, he catches just the faintest whiff of something…something intoxicating. His mate is finally near. After discovering the smell originated from the brother of a man mated to a gargoyle, Bodb learns that Nicholas Lindson doesn’t know about the paranormal world. To make matters worse, Nicholas is engaged to some socialite in Texas, and the wedding is only a few weeks away. Bodb discovers that’s not the worst thing, though. Nicholas is the heir to a Texas cattle baron empire, and his father is very involved in his life—overly so. Can Elder Bodb figure out how to not only share that paranormals exist and woo Nicholas, but to extricate his human out from under the father’s domineering hand?

For over a century, Lachlan Addair worked for the Shifter Council as an enforcer. When the ruling body decided to open a new investigative branch, Lachlan was the first to volunteer. Infiltrating and exploring a shifter unit without detection is right up his curious cat’s alley. When Lachlan’s duty to report the causes of strife within a lynx pride has him slipping into Councilman Goldstein’s estate undetected—just for fun, of course—Lachlan stumbles across Thad—his mate. Unfortunately, the wild turkey shifter is standoffish and brusque. He doesn’t trust Lachlan and makes no secret that he thinks the mate-pull is nothing but a trick of the pheromones—something he’s determined to ignore. Lachlan loves a good puzzle and is undeterred. He admires Thad’s loyalty and uses his extensive wiles to cultivate a little of that for himself. When Lachlan is injured wrapping up a case, will it be the catalyst his mate uses to reject Lachlan—his job could bring so much danger to his flock, after all—and send him on his way?

Just a Little Love Bite: A long-awaited-for vacation ends in disaster, forcing one man to make the ultimate life and death choice. Eric Young and Daren Creston met when both attended a pride parade in Denver with friends. They'd immediately hit it off. Three months later, city-dwelling Eric moved in with small-town living Daren, and they made their home in Colin City. Seven years later, they are still very much in love. After years of saving, Eric and Daren head to a dude ranch for a little sun, fun, and sexy cowboy roleplay in the bedroom. The place has amazing reviews, is run by vampires, and was recommended by their wolf shifter buddies. After a tragic riding accident leaves Daren's life hanging perilously by a thread, Eric is willing to do anything to save his lover. Death, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, hears Eric's cries. His interest is piqued. When Death makes the pretty human an offer—the price, Eric and Daren's souls—will Eric take it? And if he does, will Daren ever be able to forgive him? Reader Advisory: This is a M/M/M menage.

Prudhoe Rison is a specially trained fae enforcer and had been sent to the human realm to search for a missing prince. After completing that task, he should have returned home, but feeling a pull to stay, he’s remained for several weeks. Wandering the town to discover the source of the sensation has proven fruitless…until he drives past the library. The pull he’s been feeling intensifies, and he follows it into the building. There he meets Korvyn Peruke—his paramour—the other half of his soul. Prudhoe is drawn to Korvyn’s friendly disposition and outgoing personality. Even though the human is wheelchair-bound, it doesn’t stop Korvyn from enjoying life. At first, Korvyn doesn’t understand why the serious and handsome Prudhoe is taking an interest in him—until he puts two and two together. A visit from a fae enforcer alerts Prudhoe that people in his own realm are talking about him. It also tells Korvyn—who already knows about paranormals—that Prudhoe is something other. Can Prudhoe keep Korvyn safe when trouble from the fae realm comes calling, or will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep Korvyn safe?

Out of the Cage: A new wolf shifter enforcer accompanies his alpha to San Francisco on a rescue mission, but he discovers something even more valuable than a new pack. Mishka Fadgen is new to the Stone Ridge wolf pack, and after losing a challenge to earn the beta position, he’s offered a slot as an enforcer instead. His first task comes soon, as the alpha’s daughter, Sara, goes missing from college. Mishka accompanies several others to San Francisco, following a lead to her whereabouts. While his alpha is busy consulting with a detective who’s aware of shifters, Mishka hits the streets and starts searching. What he finds, however, isn’t what he expected—his mate. Mishka discovers a young, crippled human living in an abandoned warehouse. With a lot of coaxing—and the promise of a good meal and a hot shower—Mishka convinces Aramis to join him at the home the shifters have rented. When the detective shows up, an untrusting Aramis disappears. Learning that Aramis may be able to help discover Sara’s whereabouts only heightens his need to find the man once more. If Mishka manages to track Aramis down again, can he convince his mate that his intentions are sincere and not just a means to an end?n

Kinsey has watched for centuries as his father’s bigoted views tore his family apart. Seeing the rift between his parents grow wider than ever, he does the only thing he can think of to fix it, even knowing it could very well cost him his enforcer position. Sneaking into Falias clutch territory, Kinsey searches for his estranged brother, Conchlin. He finds him at a bowling alley. Once he gets in there, the scent of another quickly distracts him—the human Jimmy. For the first time in Kinsey’s life, he puts his own desires first. With some help from Conchlin, he meets Jimmy and slowly begins to woo him from the shadows. Just when Kinsey prepares to reveal the existence of paranormals and that he’s a gargoyle, his worst fears manifest—his father discovers where he’s been going and beats Kinsey to sharing the truth with Jimmy—terrifying him in the process. To top it off, his father offers Kinsey an ultimatum—stay out of Falias clutch territory forever or be labeled rogue. Can Kinsey find a way to fix the damage done by his father, or will he lose not only his family, but Jimmy as well?

While out on assignment to collect a human’s soul, Lindemere catches the scent of his amina, his soul, the person meant to be his reward for a thousand years of service to his master, the Horseman of Death. Distracted, he ends up in a trap meant for a gargoyle. While Lindemere could have easily gotten away, he decides to play along in hopes of getting a chance to speak with and perhaps woo his human. Before he even has the opportunity to learn the sweet-smelling man’s name, Lindemere’s master comes for him. During the course of the fight, Lindemere’s amina is injured, so he takes him to the demon realm to heal…and also in the hopes of beginning their bond. When the human wakes, Iago reveals that he considers paranormals selfish and prideful, an elitist race, and they should share their secrets of healing and longevity with mankind. Can Lindemere discover the source of Iago’s suppositions and find a way to change his mind, or will Iago refuse his suit in protest of what he considers paranormals’ slight against humanity?

After being woken by a phone call in the middle of the night by his alpha, Leopold Caldwell heads to San Francisco. Alpha Declan requests his services in creating an identity for a rescued human whore. What Leo finds when he gets there is a scared young human who is completely overwhelmed by his new reality. Oh, and he happens to be Leo’s mate. Even as he’s ecstatic to meet Jerry, the other half of his soul, Leo recognizes the hurdles they’re facing. Not only is Jerry struggling to accept the existence of shifters, but there are also still people after him…people who seem bent on establishing possession of Jerry. After a close call where Jerry is nearly kidnapped, Leo decides it’s time for a change of scenery. He takes him back to Stone Ridge and a secluded cabin owned by his family line. Unfortunately, trouble follows. Can Leo use his quick wit swiftly enough to save not only Jerry but his own future as well?

Seever Kerns has spent the last fifty plus years as his best friend’s subordinate, even though his lion is far more powerful. When he meets Reese Nelson, he realizes the human is his mate and thinks Fate is rewarding his patience. Unfortunately, even though Seever can scent that Reese is attracted to him, the human resists, hiding behind a belligerent façade. Trouble with a rogue shifter soon interrupts his attempts to woo his standoffish mate, and Seever makes a grave mistake. He had assumed that Reese—who was there visiting his cousin, Rocky, a human bonded to a shifter—was aware of shifters and the paranormal world. Reese freaks out, refusing to believe what is right before his eyes. Even Rocky’s influence does little to calm him. Can Seever convince Reese that they belong together, or will Reese cut his losses and flee, which would put his human in even more danger?

Spieron Virche has served his coven as an enforcer for less than a decade when he’s given the honorable task of helping a gargoyle elder. To his surprise, erasing the memory of the man threatening the other paranormal gives him an outsider’s glimpse into a human who piques his interest—Albert Lindson. When Spieron is asked to lead the way to Albert, he’s more than eager to do so. As soon as he meets the man, Spieron suspects the reason for his interest. He takes advantage of the man’s shock at his son’s unexpected arrival to taste the human’s blood, and his world is turned upside down. Albert is Spieron’s beloved, the other half of his soul. Too bad the aging mountain man is settled in his solitary life and expects to die alone within a few years. Can Spieron find a way not only to draw Albert back into the world but convince him that his life is far from over…in fact, could it be just beginning?

Jared Templeton has been mated to his wolf shifter, Carson Angeni, for over a decade. Having spent the first half of his adult life as a high-paid assassin, Jared thought he’d struck a decent balance with pack life. Everything changes when their beta takes a position on the Shifter Council. That forces Alpha Declan to hold a challenge for a new Stone Ridge pack beta, which draws in unfamiliar wolves. The way one of the contestants—Larson—watches Jared arouses his suspicions, but he tells himself he’s being paranoid. Jared wasn’t being paranoid, and Declan’s daughter Sara is kidnapped. Even though they manage to save her, Jared still blames himself and acts rashly in an attempt to catch the culprits. His choice puts not only him but Carson in a tight spot with their alpha and a few others in the pack. Will Jared remember that pack is there for each other and aren’t just people to protect? Or will Jared’s past catching up with him create too big a wedge to overcome?

Into the Paranormal World: When a dominant vampire finds his beloved in a fear-filled gargoyle, he discovers a softer side he didn’t realize he had. Basques Grouper takes his job as the head enforcer for the Maven coven very seriously. When his coven’s Master Krispin learns that the nearby gargoyle clutch has a new chieftain, Basques is sent with his coven’s second-in-command and another enforcer to meet with him. The meeting is going well…until a small blue gargoyle enters to serve refreshments, and Basques scents his blood. When he asks to taste the male, his over-eager approach, sends the gargoyle running. Basques learns the small gargoyle is Dloben, and under the prior chieftain’s rule, he’d been abused. Working to change his approach, Basques must put his faith in the mate-pull and the advice of strangers. Can Basques convince his shy beloved that he’s not like the dominant paranormals he’s dealt with in the past?

At five-foot-two and skinny to boot, Maximus Bonner has always been a little sensitive about his size. When he’s forced by his job to attend a team-building activity at Rolling Meadows Ranch and Resort, his worst fears are realized—outdoor activities. On top of that, he overhears the hottest cowboy at the place making fun of the little stringbean. His anger getting the best of him, Max lodges a complaint against the sexy man. As a vampire, Rhyme Mythstone has been waiting for his beloved for over a century. Imagine his surprise when he comes in the form of a tiny slip of a redhead with a fiery temper. With one teasing comment, his chance at wooing the human goes up in flames. Max wants nothing to do with him. Can Rhyme figure out a way to prove that he loves his beloved’s size and can make him happy?

Castrose Zukan returns to the hideaway his brother, Clayton, had been using, only to find it destroyed. After checking the escape route they’d created, he discovers Clayton didn’t leave alone. While it takes a few days, Castrose figures out who took him…and where. He sneaks into the United States and heads to a little mountain town called Stone Ridge. What he doesn’t expect is to become the hunted. When Eion MacDougal watched his two eldest brothers and dozens of others in their wolf shifter pack find their mates, he never lost hope that he would find his own someday. Out hunting with family in wolf form, that day comes when he runs across a guy with a sniper rifle. Revealing himself has unexpected consequences. The big, blond human faints. With help from his family, Eion takes him home. Help from his pack tells him who the human is…and why he’s there. When Castrose wakes, can he win the man’s trust? Or will his mate flee from Eion when he learns he’s part of the group that kidnapped the human’s only family?

Pierce Rinkon lives a simple life. Having been born with a learning disorder as well as a disability, he knew he was considered by most to be a little on the dim side. That doesn’t stop him from enjoying his life, though. His work as a receptionist for his small town’s sheriff’s office allows him plenty of interaction with others. For fun, Pierce runs, boxes, and finds men interested in a quick romp. After all, he doesn’t expect anyone to be interested in him long-term. While out on a morning run deep in the woods, he spots an old acquaintance—retired deputy Mac. When Pierce heads over to say hi, he watches something crazy happen…an animal changes into a man. As he’s struggling to process what he’s seen, a good-looking dark-haired guy named Daevon makes it plain he’s interested in him. Except, Daevon isn’t human, and he turns into a scary-looking wolverine. On top of that, Pierce discovers Daevon is smart, educated, and is a retired college professor. How could Daevon possibly be interested in a dumb, small-town hick like Pierce?

Stanton Thundler has been looking forward to the haunted hay maze ever since his coworker’s boyfriend promised everyone tickets. When he gets there, the place doesn’t disappoint. He laughs, screams, and hollers with the rest of his buddies…until he lingers over a display too long, takes a wrong turn, and ends up separated from his friends. Stanton doesn’t mean to bump into the slender hottie and knock him into a puddle of mud. Francois Toulouse is irritated when he’s ordered to go to a coven near Amarillo and inspect their beef. The only thing he knows about cows is how to cook them so they taste amazing. Then he learns a seer has foreseen that he’ll meet his beloved there. The human Fate chooses for him is not what he expects. Stanton is big, brawny, dirty, and a polar opposite to Francois’s fastidious tidiness and sophistication. Still, Stanton was his beloved… To Stanton’s surprise, Francois asks him out. While he’s flattered, he declines. What would be the point when even Stanton can see they have nothing in common?

Attain Walsh knew something was odd at Nicholas Lindson’s ranch. Ever since his best friend married Sandra, things have turned…strange. Wanting to get to the bottom of things, Attain begins to show up unexpectedly. He’s shocked to stumble across Nicholas making out with someone other than his wife. The idea that his buddy was a cheat had never crossed his mind. Unable to help himself, Attain confronts Nicholas…and learns that the marriage is a sham. Both Nicholas and Sandra have separate partners. Not only that, but his friend’s partner—Bodb—isn’t human. He’s a gargoyle. When Attain meets more of them, he’s shocked to find himself attracted to one of the huge beasts—a dark-blue gargoyle named Ssimeas. Then he learns about mates—someone the gargoyle considers the other half of their soul—and Ssimeas claims that Attain is his. But Attain is a confirmed bachelor. He has no desire to be anyone’s soul mate. Can Attain convince the gargoyle to leave him alone? Or will the male’s flattering pursuit sway him into turning his life upside down?

Wilson Nebrusky is not where he thought he would be at this point in his life. He’s nearing forty, his store is struggling, and his marriage to Shandell is in shambles. His one pride and joy is his seven-year-old daughter, Kendra. While Wilson has always accepted his bisexuality, he’d never been tempted to step out on his wife. When he can’t get an encounter with a hot, green-eyed stranger at a bar out of his mind, he finds himself tempted. Good thing he doesn’t know the guy’s name or his whereabouts. That all changes when the man—Brennan MacDougal—limps into his shop. Brennan is friendly and kind, and he’s honest about his interest in Wilson. He also says he won’t share Wilson, and as much as he wants to, he won’t touch him while he’s with Shandell. If Wilson wants a future with Brennan, who he is quickly coming to think of as his soul mate, he has a hard road ahead. How can Wilson disentangle himself from his controlling wife, her demanding family, save his business, and still keep his daughter in his life?

Keeping the Peace: A shifter enforcer discovers his mate in a human whose connections make him question Fate’s plan. As the owner of an authentic Irish pub, Sinjin Gallagher—Jin to his friends—thought he’d seen it all. That all changes when a huge bruiser of a man enters his establishment looking for one of his regulars. To Jin’s surprise, the guy isn’t there to cause trouble…but to stop it. What’s even odder is when he finds himself aroused by the man’s efficiency as he deals with that threat. As a pacifist, Jin doesn’t understand his unexpected desire. Tideus Solverman runs across information that Councilman Goldstein would be attacked while eating at an Irish pub. As a council enforcer, it’s his duty to stop it. Even with the distraction of the hot pub owner—Jin, his mate—he gets the job done. Realizing his size and abilities intimidate Jin, Tideus still believes with a little patience and the mate-pull, he will prevail. Well, he does until a bit of information comes across his desk—it was Jin who told the rogues when the councilman would be there. Can Tideus trust in Fate and get the answers he needs, or will he walk away and leave extracting the truth to an impartial enforcer?

When Deacon Ferdmin learns his brother, Daevon, is transitioning into a new life, he decides it’s time to do the same. Plus, as a badger shifter, he’s tired of living in the city. Buying a motorcycle and heading cross-country to meet up with Daevon, Deacon enjoys the change of pace from his prior high-stakes job as a firefighter…until his motorcycle breaks down. There’s only a couple of mechanic shops in town, and the first one he goes to refuses to service his machine since he’s openly and obviously gay. As angry as it makes Deacon, when he walks into the second shop, he quickly turns grateful. He scents that somewhere within the depths of the dingy space is his mate. However, Deacon also realizes that approaching the man—Axel Spumoni—will take some finesse. Not only has Deacon already experienced discrimination, but he notices Axel is a burn victim. Can Deacon figure out a way to woo his reclusive, wary mate while dealing with the backwater town’s hostility?

Into the Paranormal World: Out for a jog, a cougar shifter stumbles across a discovery that will change his life. A couple of years before, Virgil McBride’s life changed…for the better. He’d been working as a ranch hand at a cattle ranch in Texas while hiding the fact that he was a cougar shifter. Then his boss brought home a gargoyle mate. It didn’t take long for staff to transition, wheedling out those humans who weren’t trustworthy. Virgil loves his new freedoms, allowing him to shift and explore the ranch in animal form. While out running as a cougar, Virgil scents something amazing, and he realizes his mate is near. Searching out the source, he finds something he’s never seen before…and it isn’t the dilapidated hunting stand. Virgil meets Shaw, a wombat shifter. Even though he assures his mate that he would be welcome at the ranch, Shaw isn’t convinced. After learning why—the beta of Shaw’s wombat wisdom is claiming him as his mate—Virgil realizes he’s not going to be able to fulfill his wombat’s dreams on his own. Can Virgil win Shaw’s trust enough to get the help they need to free his mate and give them a future?

Out of the Cage: When a human meets a man who awakens feelings he’s long denied, he runs…only to find himself as the prey. Sheridan Andorran would never be considered a good man—not even a decent one. He’s done far too many questionable things in the name of self-preservation. When his brother orders him to kidnap his niece, Sheridan intends to do it. Except, outside the home where Kendra is staying, he runs across a man charged with stopping him—Rory MacDougal—and the man awakens every hidden desire he’s ever felt. One kiss from Rory and Sheridan knows he’ll never be able to hide his desires from his homophobic brother again. He does the only thing he can think of to save his own skin. Sheridan flees. A day later, stranded on the side of the road, he starts hitchhiking…only to be picked up by Rory. Sheridan learns his brother is dead, his sister is in jail, and the only family he has left—his niece and her father—want nothing to do with him. Rory asks Sheridan to stay. Can he learn how to become a different person, a better man, and make amends to those he owes before his checkered past catches up with him? Reader Advisory: This story is best read after finishing The Crystal Connoisseur.

Just a little Love Bite: A man struggling with his identity realizes he has his very own guardian angel…if he’s strong enough to accept him. As an angel sent to help a struggling soul, getting kidnapped isn’t even a blip on Zylen’s radar. Before he can connect with Howard, the human he’s sent to help, he’s taken hostage. He’s rescued by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Zylen recuperates in the Horseman of Pestilence’s realm, sharing everything he knows, before continuing on his mission. Finally meeting Howard, he experiences something he never has before—attraction. At first, he thinks it’s a by-product of spending time in the demon realm. Then Zylen has an epiphany. Howard is his stella guida—his guiding star—the only human in existence whose life would give him more purpose than his duty to his creator. Zylen knows he can’t reveal his true nature unless Howard chooses him. Unfortunately, the whole reason he was sent to Howard was to offer guidance as he struggles with a choice—find a girl to date, appeasing his mother, or finally come out. From what Zylen’s angelic gifts have shown him, the odds aren’t stacked in the coming out category. Between meddling family, homophobic females, and the threat of hunters, can Zylen show Howard what can be between them without revealing his true nature and damning them both?

Ronald Oleander, Ronnie to his friends, has been looking forward to this road trip for months, ever since he'd aced the test for his motorcycle license. With the wind on his face, he follows Noah and Adam-his older brother and his brother's mate-through winding back roads. Their destination is a small town in Wisconsin where they're meeting up with Adam's old biker gang. Ronnie has been warned the place is homophobic and never to go anywhere alone. Except, when he arrives, the first thing he notices is an enticing smell. Ronnie wanders around the back of the diner to investigate and finds a pair of humans pounding on a smaller guy. Breaking up the fight, he sends the jerks packing. When he focuses on the beaten man, he discovers he's the source of the smell-and is also not only a shifter, but his mate-Hector Ramirez, an armadillo shifter. At barely twenty-one, Ronnie didn't expect to find the other half of his soul so soon, and he doesn't feel ready. Still, he can't deny his instincts. For better or worse, can Ronnie accept not only a mate but figure out a way to stop the people after him?

Into the Paranormal World: After a master vampire’s evening meditation is interrupted, he discovers his well-ordered life quickly begins to unravel. Master vampire Krispin Stearling has led his coven for over one-hundred-fifty years. Ruling his people while running a successful hotel and bar—which affords the vampires a safe, discreet place to search for donors—creates a great deal of stress. Krispin finds refuge on his rooftop garden and meditates there often. Imagine his surprise when his beloved literally falls out of the sky, taking out a swatch of bushes with him. After Krispin drives away his beloved’s attacker, he takes him to his suite and ensures he’s well cared for. He learns his name is Washington, and he’s a tracker for the nearby Aerasceatle clutch. The gargoyle who’d injured him is a rogue he’s been tracking. While Wash admits to wanting to pursue his bond with Krispin, he has reservations. Wash’s clutch recently gained a new chieftain, a new inner circle, and he’s just coming to terms with the changes. Can Krispin convince Wash that switching his loyalty once more, to a vampire no less, will be well worth the upheaval it’ll cause to both their lives?

Out of the Cage: After falling off a cliff and becoming seriously injured, a man’s world is turned upside down. Elroy Greer has been having a really bad month. A co-worker blames him for mistakes he didn’t make. His car is broken into. He lost most of his friends to his ex in the break-up. Then his hiking buddy bails at the last second, leaving Elroy alone at a trailhead. He decides some time in nature to get away from it all is still an excellent idea and heads out on his own. True to his bad luck, Elroy gets caught in a spring flash storm, loses his way, and tumbles off a cliff. He expects to die out there, but he doesn’t. Elroy wakes up in a log cabin with a man who’s already supposed to be dead—Rueben Calhoun. Except, Rueben is calling himself Dermot Reever. As Dermot begins explaining about wolf shifters and mates and that they are destined to be together, Elroy can hardly believe it’s real. He’s sure he’ll wake up and find it’s all been a pain-medicine-induced dream. If it’s not a dream, can Elroy really take the chance that his bad luck won’t ruin everything and have enough faith to begin a relationship with a wolf shifter in hiding?

Aiden Rolston has loved Garrett Morrison from the moment he met the vampire. Unfortunately, Fate didn’t make him Garrett’s beloved—his soul mate. He knows that eventually, he’ll lose him—either to old age or to someone of Fate’s choosing. Aiden certainly didn’t think it would be to murder—his own. Garrett’s coven master always warned them not to get too attached to donors. That doesn’t stop him from losing his heart to sweet Aiden, and he’s the only human he’s fed from in almost three years. Garrett knows the man isn’t his beloved, but he just can’t bring himself to look at or to touch another. Then…he fails him. The Horseman of Pestilence finds the bonds his brothers—War and Death—created with their chosen ones fascinating. Their men make his brothers happy and give them companionship. Pestilence finds himself longing for the same thing, so he tells Death. When Death returns with an opportunity to create a bond with a dying human and a guilt-riddled vampire, he doesn’t have long to make a choice. Can Pestilence convince the broken pair to give a bond between them a chance? Reader Advisory: This is a M/M/M ménage.

Keeping the Peace: When a sensual shifter meets his mate in an undercover operative, he must learn the true meaning of accepting one’s mate. Prescott is bored, lonely, and even a little jealous. While he feels bad about that last one, he can’t do anything about it. Everyone in his flock have found their mates, and they’re so lovey-dovey Prescott wants to gag. It wouldn’t be so bad if he could go out and search for his own mate. Unfortunately, due to the unrest in the shifter community and his flock living with a councilman, the estate is on lock-down. Tired of it, Prescott sneaks out and heads to a new dance club. He intends to dance and get laid, but what he discovers is so much more. When Nkosi Akintola follows Prescott into the men’s room, they realize they’re mates. As much as Nkosi wishes he could bond with Prescott that instant, he can’t. He’s a black mamba shifter on an undercover mission, and timing is critical. As a member of the rogue shifters trying to topple the Shifter Council, Nkosi knows his duty must come first, even before his mate. After giving Prescott the information Nkosi has gathered, he takes the wood duck shifter home. When Nkosi returns from his mission an injured man, will Prescott forgive and accept him?

Following his brother, Bodb, to a ranch in Texas, Lludd works there as a gargoyle enforcer. He protects not only Bodb, but his mate, their holdings, and make-shift family. Over the last few years, Lludd has watched a number of others find their mates in and around the area. He longs for that himself, but as a gargoyle, he has no safe way to search out that special person who is the other half of his soul. At over a thousand years old, Lludd is losing patience. When Bodb gives him a dressing-down for saying something thoughtless—again—he heads to the barn in a foul mood. Naturally, that’s when Lludd stumbles upon his mate, startling him but good—Sheriff Archer Montgomery. The sheriff had been doing some discreet investigating after receiving an anonymous tip about shady goings-on noticed at the ranch. Introducing Archer to the paranormal world is the easy part. Getting him to accept Lludd is quite a bit harder. Can Lludd find a cure for his foot-in-mouth syndrome before driving Archer away for good?

Out of the Cage: Meeting his mate in the most unlikely of places, a wolf must figure out how to win the loyalty of his polar bear. Beta Dixon Holsteen is more than ready to leave behind Savannah, Georgia and the problems facing the Shifter Council. He misses the beauty of his mountain home and the bonds he’s forming in his pack. After returning to the council’s headquarters for one last meeting, Dixon stops at the cafeteria to get a bite to eat before heading to the airport. To his surprise, he scents his mate in a big polar bear shifter bussing tables. He learns Helsinki Akna had been picked up while in the company of a rogue ex-councilman. Speaking with the big, shy man, Dixon realizes quickly that it wouldn’t take much for someone to manipulate the soft-spoken bear. His mate is a bit…dim. Still, Dixon knows that finding a fated mate is a gift, and he wants him. When Dixon makes his intentions known, Helsinki is confused, being under the belief that Fate doesn’t create same-sex matings. Some of those who Helsinki associates with reinforce that opinion. Can Dixon convince Helsinki they truly are meant for each other while extricating him from the unhealthy influences he’s been under for years?

On the Road: When a realtor reviews a home before showing a prospective client, he finds something unexpected.Bruin Rawlins is a musk ox shifter who enjoys his job as a realtor since it allows him to meet so many new people. That increases his opportunity to find his mate-the other half of his soul. Imagine his surprise when it's not a client who turns out to be that special someone, but a beaten, battered human he finds in a home he's checking out. Giving in to his shifter instincts to care for his mate, Bruin takes the man home and, with the help of his brother, treats his injuries. When the human wakes, he panics and runs. To Bruin's embarrassment, it's his mammy who manages to calm him, taking him to call his family and giving Bruin a chance to learn his mate's name-Juan Ramirez. When Juan's relations arrive, other people are with them. Bruin learns that Juan already knows about shifters. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's ready to jump in and bond. Can Bruin earn Juan's trust while keeping him safe from whoever had hurt him?

Just a little Love Bite: When a man who thinks he’s straight acknowledges his attraction to another guy, he has to fight more than the shifter’s stubbornness to win him. When Jerome Harsnen’s best buddy, Stanton, meets a hot guy and gives in to his bisexuality, he learns something unimaginable—vampires are real. Stanton’s lover is one, and he’s part of a coven in Montana. Since Jerome’s younger brother is already living in another state, he decides to move with Stanton when his buddy asks him to. While Jerome could admit to being wholly unprepared to live with a coven of vampires, he’s even more ill-equipped to handle meeting a shifter who revs his engine like no one ever has before. The shifter lets slip that Jerome is his mate, but then he walks away. After some soul-searching, Jerome decides to track the man down. It’s a small town, after all. He discovers the guy is a red fox shifter named Deputy Cain Whistler. When Jerome goes to introduce himself, he’s surprised to find Cain having lunch with his fiancée. At least that answers why Cain walked away. With the wedding fast approaching, can Jerome figure out if his fox is worth fighting for and why Cain would be willing to walk away from his fated mate?

Keeping the Peace: Walking into the interrogation room, a council enforcer realizes Fate has decided to throw him a curveball. Enforcer Delanrue Drudeson is a komodo dragon shifter who’s known as the intense brother, the unapproachable one, but he has his reasons. Keeping his brothers safe from a sadistic alpha while growing up meant he’d had to be a careful, manipulative adult…from a very early age. Specializing in interrogation for the last several decades, Delanrue is happy with his life. Then he walks into a secure room where he’s supposed to question the occupant by any means necessary—Midget Suvergy, a guinea pig shifter. Except, one sniff tells Delanrue that Midget is his mate—the other half of his soul. Knowing the mate-pull could easily compromise his judgment, he immediately assigns the interrogation duties to another. That doesn’t stop him from walking back into that room to be with him. Midget claims just to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and to Delanrue’s relief, his words scent true. Then word comes down that Midget is wanted for the murder of a member of his guinea pig muddle. Delanrue isn’t stupid. It’s easy to see that Midget is no killer, no matter what anyone says. Can Delanrue’s connections keep Midget safe long enough to clear him from the conspiracy dogging his steps?

Destrawn has been second of the Aerasceatle clutch for a little over a year. Under Chieftain Kinsey’s rule, Fate has begun smiling on them, and some of their people have found their mates. While Destrawn is happy for them, he doesn’t think Fate will bring him his own any time soon. He doesn’t consider himself good mate material. He’s too dominant, controlling, and some would even say overbearing.When Destrawn heads to the nearby Maven vampire coven to hear news that could be too dangerous if voiced over the phone, he discovers he’s wrong. The vampire giving the report regarding the paranormal hunters descending on their area—a seasoned and savvy tracker named Sorbin—is his mate. Ready or not, Destrawn knows he has to accept him. After all, he only gets one, and if he doesn’t accept Sorbin, the vampire’s ability to feed will be compromised, which would lead to his death.Can Destrawn learn to surrender to his mate’s needs while remaining strong enough to keep everyone safe?

The last thing Sage Kanston wants to do is go to the Shifter Council Headquarters to help his older brother, Glade. He hadn’t been on good terms with him…ever. While growing up, Sage remembered Glade to be a bully, and that trait hadn’t changed when he’d been a pride enforcer. Sage doubted it had varied when he became a council enforcer, either. Still, he likes keeping his momma happy, so to the Council Headquarters he goes. When the enforcer sent to escort Sage to Glade’s boss arrives—some guy named Mycroft—he’s hit with a scent he never expected. Germaine Messalla, the tall, slender, anaconda shifter, is his mate. His world is turned upside down because his pride always told him same-sex fated matings didn’t happen. To make matters even more confusing, Sage learns that a couple of councilmen are in fated gay pairings. So many things he’d been taught…just aren’t true. As Sage comes to grips with the changes in his reality, allowing him to accept Germaine, he realizes others in his pride could benefit from what he’s learned. Except, there are those attempting to keep the changes on the council secret. Can Sage and Germaine uncover who’s still attempting to keep certain things under wraps so he can help his pride?

Markus Reussmin is a wolf shifter who’s worked as a Stone Ridge deputy for over a decade. Over the last couple of years, he’s had a few people comment on how he doesn’t look as if he’s aged a day, but he’s always laughed it off as good genes. After all, he isn’t ready to go into hiding so he can reappear after a decade with a new reinvention of himself.When the sheriff’s department receives a report of smoke in a remote part of the forest, Markus is dispatched to check it out. He hikes into the area and discovers a rudimentary campsite. That’s not all. The site is occupied by none other than his mate…judging by the delicious scent pervading the area.With the help of his shifter nose, Markus locates the hiding human—Ronan Dyer—who turns out to be wary and untrusting of law enforcement. That makes sense, since he’s hiding from the government. Can Markus convince the skittish human he’s not the bad guy so he can help him, even as he explains the complexities of shifters and matings before his pack’s mountains are invaded by government stooges?

After being kicked out of his parents’ home at the age of fifteen due to being gay, Tony Harsnen always felt grateful that his older brother, Jerome, took him in. That’s what had urged him to work uber hard to make his own way. The last thing he wants to do is run back to his brother when he has a problem. Unfortunately, Tony has to put his pride aside for the needs of a friend. When Tony helps his best friend, Shellie, escape her abusive ex-husband, he should have known that wouldn’t be the end of it. After the controlling bastard discovers Shellie is pregnant, he comes after her. Tony knows he can’t keep Shellie safe on his own, considering the man’s extensive network of just-as-abusive friends. Tony flees back to his brother’s side. Tony is surprised to learn Jerome is in a relationship with a guy, but that’s not the biggest shock. His brother is living on a ranch…full of vampires. Not only that, but the second-in-command of the vampires, Kellan Harlon, expresses an interest in him. While Tony’s first instinct is to run, he resists. Shellie needs him, and Kellan and his vampires can keep them safe. Will Tony give in to Kellan’s seduction before his need to bolt overrides his common sense?

Lawyer Jory Dartmore runs across some confusing points in a case file. He calls the ex-employee who’d been working on the file, Attain Walsh, but his phone is picked up by the man’s lover, Ssimeas. When Ssimeas tells Jory that Attain is unavailable for a while, he invites Jory to the ranch for dinner and to speak with Attain afterward. Jory accepts, curious about the man who’d won the heart of Attain, a confirmed bachelor. Jory enjoys the meal and the company before slipping into an office to speak privately with Attain. When he opens the door to leave, he comes face to face with…something other. To Jory’s eternal embarrassment, he faints. Biscane would forever feel horrible for freaking out his mate, even though he wasn’t trying to. He was just heading upstairs with his breakfast when a scent catches his attention. He can’t resist pausing to sniff around the door. While growling with delight at the delicious aroma...the door opens, and Jory appears. Fortunately, Biscane’s gargoyle reflexes and strength make it easy to catch him. Upon finding out that Jory is a high-profile lawyer working at a firm with at least one homophobe, can Biscane figure out a way to bring his human round to the idea of sharing a life with him?

Clayton Zukan is a skilled bomb maker, but he’s careful to only sell his devices to those with a worthy cause, or so he thinks. He learns about shifters when an assassin disarms one of his devices and tracks him down. After his brother mates with a shifter, Clayton does his best to hide his jealousy. After all, Clayton would love a mate of his own. The wolf shifter pack is kind enough to build Clayton a large shop with an apartment over it, so he throws himself into his work. It’s pretty remote, and he likes that, so he doesn’t have to watch all the mated couples’ sickly sweet antics. Taking a hike, Clayton comes face to face with an animal that shouldn’t be living in the mountains of Colorado—a cheetah. When the beautiful animal transforms into an even more gorgeous man, Clayton feels the mate-pull, and he’s overjoyed. Fate has brought him his very own shifter. Except, the sexy man—Bailey Dyer—claims not to know what a shifter is. When explanations begin, can Clayton convince Bailey that paranormals are not the enemy, especially after learning that Bailey volunteered for the experiment that turned him into a shifter?

Enforcer Knossis Raund doesn’t know why Fate has forsaken him. He meets his mate, only to discover she’s a happily married woman in a great marriage with several kids. Refusing to bring heartbreak to the family, Knossis seeks out the one thing he can think of that will allow him to still have a sex life—a vampire’s bite. As a vampire wrangler, Chissom Minscote is confident in his abilities. He knows Knossis expects to be bitten by a female vampire. Except, none are available, and the handsome shifter is desperate to feel…something. Chissom is happy to help. Hank Everly is a human who’s been working as a donor for over ten years. He loves the thrill of the bite, but he knows never to get attached. When Chissom asks Hank to help him show a lonely and heartbroken shifter a relaxing evening, he’s happy to help the handsome pair. An unexpected attack, a myriad of injuries, and the intervention of a Horseman of the Apocalypse bring the trio to a crossroads—accept the bond of Famine so they can bring their attackers to justice or die. Can the group learn to care for and trust each other as they unweave the twisting plot against them?

Able Lieder hasn’t seen his mate in six days, but he can’t do anything about it. He knows the guard—Olson—doesn’t understand why he feels drawn to him, bringing him treats and talking sweetly to him. He can’t explain it to him, either, since the scientists are keeping him in cat form. When Able overhears the scientists talking about an experiment that will surely end his life, he figures he should be grateful Olson isn’t around to see his demise. Except, then Able is rescued. A group of shifters arrives and frees everyone, led by a grizzly shifter named Kontra Belikov. At first, Able fears that they killed his mate in the process, but Olson is nowhere to be found. With the help of Kontra’s gang, can Able figure out where Olson disappeared to?

Keeping the Peace: A chance encounter at a barbeque changes the course of a councilman’s life. Councilman Lorian Bakerman knows his mother’s dinner invitation is a set-up. Having been dodging her attempts to introduce him to eligible shifter women of her choosing for the last several years, he’s learned all the signs. Ever since other single councilmen have begun finding their mates—male mates—she’s been urging him to settle down... with someone she finds appropriate. When Lorian accepts a barbeque invitation from Enforcer Germaine for the express purpose of avoiding his mother’s plans, he’s shocked to find himself drawn in by a pair of sad hazel eyes. Scenting the shifter, he realizes that Randy Cullers is his mate. While Randy acknowledges their connection, he seems timid and uncertain, leaving Lorian confused... until he learns that Randy is mourning the loss of a long-standing partner. Lorian wants Randy and is willing to give him time. Can his patience hold out as he helps Randy’s heart mend while stopping his meddling and manipulative mother’s ways before she scares him off?

Into the Paranormal World: While coordinating their defense against paranormal hunters, a vampire meets a gargoyle who will turn his life on its head. Ridger Carruthers watches his best friends find their beloveds in members of the nearby gargoyle clutch. Having met all the males, he knows none of them are his own. He doesn’t think anything of it when he zips over there to deliver electronic supplies. Joining the gargoyles for a meal, Ridger comes face to face with someone new—the visiting gargoyle elder, Vermidian. The male is quick to declare that Ridger is his mate... as well as demand that he leave Wyoming to live with him in Ohio. Beloved or not, Ridger gives in to his knee-jerk reaction and tells him no. As an elder, Vermidian can’t remember the last time someone refused his command. To hear his fate-given mate tell him no shocks him, but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on the vampire. Instead, Vermidian invites himself to stay at Ridger’s coven, with a pair of Elder Enforcers in tow. With so many dominant personalities in one place, Ridger and Vermidian hit bumps quickly and not just with each other. Can they learn to communicate in time to save not only their relationship but the coven and clutch from hunters, too?

Just a little Love Bite: When a demon runs across his amina early, he searches for a way to secure an early bond. As a demon under the Horseman of Famine, Beltine enjoyed helping his horseman take out a coven of witches. It was a wonderful change of pace—doing something other than spreading famine upon different areas of the human plane. When Famine teams up with his brothers to track down a dangerous and mysterious artifact, Beltine is happy—and honored—to be chosen to help. Their information takes them to an exotic animal rescue facility in the mountains of Idaho. Upon getting there, they discover that some of the animals aren’t animals—they’re shifters trapped in animal form. What really shocks Beltine is that one of the males is his amina—his soul. Except, Beltine is still a couple of decades away from his thousandth birthday. Still, once his amina—Kavan—finally returns to his human form, Beltine finds himself just like any other paranormal. He wants what the Moirai have deemed his. With his time in service to Famine not yet up, as well as trouble still on the horizon, Beltine isn’t certain what his best move is. Will even the help of his horseman be enough to find an answer?

Out of the A vampire doing his friend a favor runs across his beloved in a confused human altered into a shifter through experimentation. Agreeing to do his fellow vampire enforcer a favor, Nereo Belmonte heads to Stone Ridge, Colorado. He thought the task sounded simple enough—search the minds of four men who’d been experimented on and see if he can restore their memories. To his surprise, when Nereo walks into the room, he finds himself drawn to the blood of one of them—Warren Berger. With a vested interest in the job, Nereo worries the mental fog he encounters may never clear, leaving Warren’s mind in danger of returning to the experiments’ original programming. Warren knows his name. He knows his duty—follow Doctor Winoan’s orders. Everything else is immaterial. Except, when Winoan orders him to kill a man, he hears a noise that makes him question that—a snarling hiss that sounds like an order to stop. To Warren’s surprise, something deep within his psyche responds, and he obeys, as does his three team members. The odd presence in his mind decides that the speaker—a cheetah, which turns into a man—is their new leader. Warren doesn’t understand what’s going on, but he has no choice but to obey. Upon meeting Nereo, that voice in Warren’s head purrs with delight. Warren agrees—he wants the man. While peering into Nereo’s red-irised gaze, odd images flood his mind, clouding him with confusion and distrust. Can Warren learn to trust Nereo, allowing him to help, before those who worked with his old boss finds a way to counter his internal voice’s control and steal him back?

On the On the mend from the biggest mistake of his life, a giant panda shifter is on the cusp of receiving the greatest of gifts... if the man’s mind can be restored. Zhaul had just wanted a night of fun... away from the responsibilities of his panda sleuth. Accepting the offer of a back-room hook-up from the wrong person landed him in a cage as a science experiment. Upon being rescued, Zhaul is devastated to learn that no one in his sleuth had even reported him missing. Meeting his mate lifts his spirits. Learning that the black bear shifter has been be-spelled by witches, Zhaul thinks perhaps Fate is laughing at him. The alpha of the shifter gang who’d rescued him as well as his mate—Kontra and Tim—assure him that there is a way to break the spell, and they’ll do everything in their power to help him find it. Then he discovers a way to connect with his mate—climbing trees. Can Zhaul discover how to build on that before those who’d held him captive come calling?

Keeping the When a komodo dragon shifter revisits a roadside diner to collect his mate, the human is missing, forcing him to go on the hunt. While out on an assignment for the Shifter Council, Enforcer Dane Drudeson runs across his mate—the human Danny Nunez. He could have called in a replacement and stuck close to the man to woo him, but due to the time-sensitive nature of his mission, he chooses not to. Instead, Dane seduces the sweet, sexy human and secures his phone number. Knowing where Danny works and the town he lives in, Dane feels confident he can track Danny down when he comes back in a few days. Except, after Dane secures time off and returns to the small town, Danny is gone, forcing Dane to go on the hunt. After discovering Danny was injured by his own father, then driven out of town by bigotry, can Dane track down the other half of his soul before something else happens to his sweet, vulnerable human?

Into the Paranormal After a vampire fixer returns to his coven at his master’s behest, he meets his beloved... in a gargoyle so strait-laced, he doesn’t know what Fate is thinking. Salem Galdesque was busy doing a favor for one of Master Krispin’s allies when the news of several beloveds in his home coven reaches his ears. He’s happy for them even as he snickers at the shackles it places upon them. As his coven’s fixer, he could only imagine the trouble such a bond would cause to his own life. Salem loves being able to solve a problem by any means necessary—whether it be by a payoff, seduction, or a good, old-fashioned beat-down... and maybe even more—and answering to a beloved would be nothing but a headache. His tactics makes his job easy, not to mention fun. When Salem is called home to the Maven coven, he meets the gargoyle Keefe and realizes Fate has bestowed upon him a rather dubious gift—Keefe is his beloved. After just a couple of encounters, Salem knows that between Keefe’s serious need to color inside the lines and Salem’s own prevalence toward shades of gray, their different outlooks will cause nothing but problems. Still, Keefe is Salem’s beloved, and he knows he only gets one, so they come to an agreement—no talking shop with each other. When they both uncover leads regarding the hunters troubling the Maven coven, can they figure out how to work together, or will their issues tear not only them apart, but the coven as well?

Just a little Love Bite: An angel’s assignment places him in the path of his hurting stella guida, leaving him wondering if he has the skills to help. When Nester joined Murdoch’s coven a couple of years back, Murdoch knew they weren’t beloveds. That didn’t stop him from falling hard and fast for the hazel-eyed vampire, who seems to return his affection. Bringing in a donor for threesomes happens often and keeps the spice in their relationship. Murdoch is ready for the next step—family—and Nester claims to be, too. They agree to a surrogate and artificial insemination. Except, then Murdoch ends up running late to an appointment to meet the surrogate at the facility and walks in on Nester banging the woman. His lover claims it’s no big deal, but it is to Murdoch. If Nester was willing to do that with their surrogate, who else had he been involved with behind his back? Murdoch takes a step back from Nester, trying to get some perspective, angering the other vampire. A guest at the dude ranch—Malakai—offers to listen to Murdoch and offer advice. Murdoch finds himself extremely attracted to the gorgeous male, although his lack of scent confuses him. An unexpected accident allows Murdoch to taste Malakai’s blood, revealing that not only is the male his beloved, but Malakai is also an angel. Can Murdoch come to grips with the revelation—and why Malakai had hidden their connection from him—before Nester figures out a way to sabotage any hope for their future?

On the Road: Having known who his mate is for over a year and a half, now that he’s free, the brown bear shifter will do anything to win his human’s heart and claim him. Shannon knew it was a mistake. He should have found a better way, a way that didn’t put the remaining members of his sleuth in danger. Except, with his brown bear driving him, he takes advantage of the unguarded phone and calls the very people who’d enslaved them—the witch circle. To Shannon’s relief, no one is seriously injured in the witches’ attack, and the circle is stopped. On top of that, the women brought Shannon exactly who he’d hoped—Evan Reyes. Shannon had known Evan was his mate the second he’d scented the skinny twink while in the head witch’s kennels. Being be-spelled, Shannon had never been able to do anything about it. Now, he can. Of course, Shannon has a butt-load of restitution to get through first—not to mention having to figure out how to counter the witches’ lies that are filling Evan’s head—but this is his mate. With the help of his sleuth, even though they’re annoyed with him, Shannon can fix everything, can’t he?

Out of the Cage: An estranged man heeds his brother’s call and finds his choice blessed by Fate, if he can connect with the altered human. Anthony Holsteen hasn’t been in the same state as his brother, Dixon, in nearly a century. While they keep tabs on each other and talk a couple of times a year, they do better while far apart. All that changes when Dixon tells Anthony about the many problems his new wolf shifter pack is facing—government conspiracy, witches, humans being turned into shifters, and to top it off, a bigoted sheriff forced into retirement. While Anthony knows that living in close proximity to Dixon could create waves, he accepts the position of sheriff. After all, he would prefer to be in the know when it comes to those causing problems with paranormals. Even though Dixon has warned Anthony that most of the wolf shifters in his new pack have found their fated mates, he doesn’t expect it to happen to him. He isn’t a wolf, after all. His kind are deadly and feared and rarely find their mates. The scent of one of the altered humans, however, is undeniable. Anthony realizes that Crew Kester is his mate. Except, Crew isn’t gay and is just coming to terms with being a shifter. The man runs. Can Anthony put aside his dominant nature long enough to accept aid from a pack he doesn’t know so he can win the trust of a confused and wary Crew, not to mention his affection?

Into the Paranormal World: When a group of paranormals visits his clutch, a friendly gargoyle must find a way to win the trust of a shy, tech-savvy vampire. Holden has watched as many of the gargoyles in his clutch have found their mates. His hope that his own mate will turn up begins to wane when years pass, and no new mates are found by the remaining single members of the Falias clutch. He begins to despair that Fate has moved her gift of mates to another clutch. When a fellow gargoyle’s mother becomes gravely ill, the chieftain of another clutch—Chieftain Kinsey, who is also her son—comes to pay his respects. Holden is pleasantly shocked to find, amidst all the grief, there’s a ray of happiness. One of the men in Chieftain Kinsey’s entourage is his mate. He learns the man’s name is Lathe, and he’s a vampire. Except, Holden discovers that scenting Lathe and wooing him are two very different things. Lathe only came because Chieftain Kinsey wanted his people to review Maelgwn’s security measures while he was there. Holden realizes that Lathe’s reclusive and wary nature has something to do with the scarring he sports on his left side. Can Holden figure out a way to earn Lathe’s trust before the one who left Lathe so scarred comes to finish what he started?

Keeping the While attending a fellow enforcer’s wedding, a water buffalo shifter runs into his own mate in a skittish human in need of protection. Austin O’Malley doesn’t intend to stay for the wedding reception. He’ll watch the service and offer his congratulations before leaving. While he’s happy for his friend, he doesn’t want to bring down the spirits of the other guests with his dark attitude. Then he plans to head to his mountain retreat and enjoy a secluded vacation that’s been a long time coming. He needs the time to come to grips with the deaths of his two middle brothers as well as what he must do next—reach out to his estranged youngest brother with the news of what’s happened. All Austin’s plans change when the headiest aroma teases his nostrils while at the wedding. Sitting in the back, he doesn’t know where it’s coming from, making the ceremony the longest twenty minutes of his life. Afterward, he tracks the smell to a cute little twink with soulful brown eyes. A whispered question to a friend he’d seen talking to the man reveals his name is Pete Saugner, a councilman’s private mechanic. When Austin approaches Pete, he’s alarmed by the fear he spots in the much smaller man’s eyes. A fellow shifter shares what Pete’s scent should have told Austin. His mate is human, although he does know about paranormals. Can Austin figure out how to connect with Pete and keep him safe from a specter from his past?

Just a little Love Bite: A cheetah shifter walks into a honky-tonk bar to do reconnaissance on members of a cougar shifter pride... and runs into the biggest distraction of his life—his mate. As the head enforcer for the Shifter Council, Mycroft Portent doesn’t usually do field work. Except, with Fate blessing those under him with finding mates and taking unexpected leave, he finds himself shorthanded. When a report of a shifter alpha shirking his duties to his pride comes across his desk, he decides to head to Texas himself, taking fellow enforcer Dakota Drudeson with him. Tailing several members of the pride’s inner circle leads Mycroft to a backwater honky-tonk bar. He and Dakota head inside, intending to watch their behavior. Mycroft firmly believes that the way a shifter treats a species weaker than himself is very telling of their home life. Mycroft doesn’t even make it to the bar before the scent of his mate hits his senses, distracting him. Unable to help himself, he leaves the reconnaissance to Dakota in order to track down the other half of his soul. To his surprise, Mycroft realizes his special someone is a vampire—Boyd Johnson. While the timing is terrible, Mycroft trusts in Fate’s plan. Can he figure out how to complete his mission while giving Boyd the time and attention they need to forge their bond?

Out of the Cage: After a thoughtless outburst reveals his secrets, an altered shifter must finally come to grips with not only his changing reality, but his sexuality, too. When Corporal Brian Haas took in a fellow marine’s comatose younger brother in an attempt to figure out how to heal him, he never could have imagined the chain of events that it would set off. The testing his patient—Bailey Dyer—had been forcibly subjected to changed his DNA. Bailey had ended up turning into a paranormal creature called a shifter, giving him the ability to turn into a sentient cheetah at will. Upon learning of shifters’ existence, Brian agrees to relocate to the mountains of Colorado to help his buddy and the shifters looking into those targeting them. He builds a new bunker, preparing for when the thugs of the shadow military branch come calling. Brian knows it’s just a matter of time, and he has every intention of making sure he and his new friends will be ready for them. Brian spots a cheetah trotting into his yard. Assuming it’s Bailey, he doesn’t think anything about it…until it starts purring and rubbing up against him. This cheetah is not his ex-patient. When the man shifts, Brian finds himself face-to-face with a blond calling himself David Preston, and he seems to be just as confused by his sudden infatuation as Brian…until David calls Brian his mate. Brian realizes his life is about to be turned upside-down all over again…if the confused altered can come to grips with his own changes.

On the Road: Expecting to die in a cage until rescued by demons, a trapped camel shifter finds new hope in a sweet, feisty human. Stuck in camel form, Rudy loses all track of time while held in a small, exotic animal zoo run by a circle of witches. They even saddle him up and use him to give customers rides. When demons wipe out the witches and their acolytes, he’s certain he and the other shifters in the place will be next. Instead, the demons free them and take them to a shifter gang deep in the Louisiana bayou. When Rudy and the several others who still can’t shift are ordered to hide from an arriving vehicle, they obey. Curious, he peeks through the trees and watches three figures emerge from a black SUV—two clearly federal agents and one not. As they disappear inside, the most wonderful aroma drifts across Rudy’s senses, and he realizes one of the visitors is his mate. Rudy longs to rush in and discover who, but he forces himself to wait, knowing he should only reveal himself to his one and only. To Rudy’s great relief, the federal agents leave, and their scents don’t interest him. Even in camel form, Rudy makes it known that the visiting human—Gary Badoga—is his mate. Upon learning that Gary’s head has been filled with lies about shifters by witches, can Rudy figure out a way to connect when Gary seems afraid of his animal?

Into the Paranormal World: When a gargoyle sneaks into a strip club, he scents the other half of his soul in a distrustful stripper. When Tasker overhears a few bonded gargoyles and their mates planning a night out at a strip club, he convinces them to sneak him in through the back. Once there, to Tasker’s shock, he scents his mate somewhere in the seedy joint. With a little help from friends, Tasker discovers that a sexy black stripper with the stage name Mongo is his mate. The human’s medium-brown skin and bleached-blond hair calls to him, but as much as Tasker would love to whisk the human from the place, he knows that wouldn’t be a good move... so he once again relies on friends. Camry Palcha never thought he would end up a stripper, but after getting cut off when he came out, desperate times calls for desperate measures. The pay is good, even though he refuses the side offers of backroom hook-ups with clients. While he’ll never admit it to anyone at the seedy place, he’s a virgin. No way does he want his first time to be with someone paying him. When a guy named Mitch approaches Camry about hiring him for a private gig, he nearly refuses. Except, the money will set him up for months, and that’s after covering his upcoming college tuition. When Camry arrives at the address, he’s shocked to find himself at a mansion. After girding up his courage and entering, Camry learns that paranormals are real. When one comes onto him, Camry has no experience to fall back on. Could Tasker’s interest truly be real? Or was the gargoyle’s desire simply a novelty, just like the rich jerks at the strip club who’ve been pestering Camry for weeks?

Keeping the After a komodo dragon shifter learns that someone he thought was human is actually a dragon, he becomes obsessed with seeing his true form. Dakota Drudeson has been working for the Shifter Council for over fifty years. In all that time, he’s believed that dragons—real dragons—either have never been real, or they’d died out centuries before. Imagine his surprise when his boss allows it to slip that dragons are alive, well, and there’s even one working at Shifter Council Headquarters—a dishwasher named Charon, whom Dakota has always thought was human. Watching Charon every chance he gets, Dakota quickly becomes infatuated with the small male. The fact that his boss has warned him that Charon’s short, slender, blond frame isn’t what he truly looks like doesn’t concern him at all. Even the fact that the man’s smell doesn’t trigger interest from Dakota’s Komodo dragon doesn’t deter Dakota. He wants to earn Charon’s trust and see his dragon. Due to Dakota’s promise to never reveal that he knows Charon is indeed a dragon, he can’t even explain his odd obsession to his brothers. When Dakota finally gets his chance to admire Charon’s gorgeous, metallic-purple dragon form, the man’s true scent rocks him. Charon is his mate. So when Dakota reveals himself, why doesn’t Charon recognize him, too?

Out of the Cage: An altered human isn’t surprised when Fate pairs him with a wolf shifter, but he is by the trouble dogging the man’s steps. Miles Philson had his world nearly destroyed by a man who he should have been able to trust and look up to. Instead, it made him wary of forming connections of just about any kind. After joining the military, his brothers in arms helped him get past some of that, only to have that same general turn his life upside down all over again—by mutating him and his team into cheetah shifters and chemically altering their minds. Once rescued from the general’s clutches, Miles watches the other members of his team meet and fall in love with what the shifter world calls fated mates. When he meets wolf shifter Ron Reussmin and feels the pull, he understands what it means. The new feline presence in Miles’s mind wants the boisterous, good-natured man, and Miles finally understands why his buddies didn’t resist their new partners for long. Unfortunately, Ron is a deputy in Stone Ridge, and they’re going through some growing pains. An ex-employee is doing her best to stir up trouble. Can Miles keep his wolf shifter safe while staying off the radar of the shadow branch of the military that’s searching for him and his team?

Just a little Love Bite: A friendly human manages to extricate his life from the seedy streets... until a specter from his past comes calling. Years before, Saul Mandisa came to Vegas to work on stage... only to find out it requires a lot of dancing, and he has two left feet. When his minimum wage job didn’t quite cover food and rent, he took a few side hustles that he wasn’t proud of. Finally landing steady work allowed him to extricate himself from that life... or so Saul thought. Even after five years, Saul would never forget Reagan the Hammer—right hand and enforcer to the infamous crime boss—Luigi Arnasta. At first, he ignores Reagan’s calls. Then he does his best to avoid the man—and his henchmen—at all costs. After all, Saul wants nothing to do with that life, and he never had. His luck runs out when he meets a couple of friends for drinks and discovers one of them essentially sold him out. To Saul’s shock, a sexy Frenchman steps in and sends Reagan packing—a man named Jean-Paul Tremblay. When Saul discovers his savior is a vampire who seems to think he’s the other half of Jean-Paul’s soul, will he risk taking a chance on the devil he doesn’t know?

Into the Paranormal World: Aaron never saw it coming when his wife betrays him, so he wonders if the want and need he sees in the dark eyes of a monster could possibly be real. When Aaron Boltson discovers his wife cheating on him, he thinks his life is over—romantically, anyway. He can’t imagine trusting another that way. Even flings don’t sound good. Licking his wounds do, though. After all, if a woman who’s supposed to love him unconditionally can’t stand to touch his fat body, how could anyone else? Her words, sure, but Aaron can’t seem to get them out of his mind. Aaron reaches out to his younger brother, Aziel, needing to get away. Aziel immediately books him a room in Durango, near where he still lives, and welcomes him with open arms. After a few days of vegging and relaxing, Aaron opens his door to Melanie—his soon-to-be ex-wife—who begins begging for reconciliation. Shocked, Aaron is grateful for Aziel’s intervention. Aziel rushes Aaron to a barbeque at the estate where he lives, but a gathering with lots of strangers—even welcoming ones—who are all in lovey-dovey partnerships is a little hard to stomach. Aaron retreats to a gorgeous garden maze maintained at the estate. From there, he takes refuge in the forest. Becoming lost, Aaron stumbles across the most stunning fairy-tale cottage he’s ever seen. When a monster appears, Aaron would have forever denied fainting... except he wakes in a bedroom with Aziel by his side. His brother reminds him of stories told by their long-deceased mother... things he had never thought to be true, and gives the monster a name—Grimley. Days later, as Aaron’s memories of the beast plague him, he wonders why thoughts of searching for the reclusive Grimley seem far more compelling than returning his wife’s urgent phone calls? Even with Aziel’s tales of love, devotion, and companionship whispering in his ear, Aaron wonders what on earth he would possibly do if he actually spotted the beast again... other than faint a second time?

Out of the Cage: When a law officer moves to a small town for a new start, the last thing he expects is coming face to face with the mystical. If Goliath Dickman hadn’t had the most loving and supportive parents he could ever imagine—and he’s seen plenty of depravity during his years on the force—he would have thought his parents hated him. After all, how could they have named him what they did? Goliath would never tarnish the memory of his beloved mother by saying such a thing out loud, however. So when the opportunity arises, he transfers to a deputy position in a small town. After losing his temper on the first day—thank goodness they’d been understanding guys—Goliath asks the others to call him Ollie, and he settles in at his new place in his new town. He runs across Earl Raukus at a local restaurant and finds himself enamored with the pretty, brown-eyed blond. Unfortunately, Goliath spots Earl laughing and chatting with a black-haired guy across the room, and his hopes are dashed. Imagine Goliath’s confusion when Earl continues flirting with him. Uncertain, he switches to his default—he clams up, responding curtly. Confused by the hurt that fills Earl’s eyes, Goliath tracks him down... and discovers something the town can’t possibly want getting out. Could the world of shifters truly be real, and what would be his place within it?

On the Road: A young Cajun who’s never learned to stand up to his brother gets support and an extra push from the most unexpected of places. Horace Broussard knows he needs to learn how to say no to his brother, Herbert. His older, larger brother always seems to drag him into trouble. Except, the two times he’d gathered the courage, Herbert had explained why it was a bad idea... with his fists and feet. The first time had left him pissing blood for days. The second time had culminated in a broken wrist. Horace doesn’t say no to his brother anymore, which is how he ends up poaching gators in the swamp... again. When they spot a small pack of wolves running through the cypress trees, Herbert orders that they go after them, claiming a wolf pelt on his floor would be cool. Just like many of Herbert’s bad ideas, Horace ends up in hot water. They’re caught by the owners of the wolves—a fierce biker gang. Except, then something crazy happens. A huge African elephant grabs Horace in its trunk and carries him into the swamp. When other animals arrive and turn into men, he wonders if he’s hit his head and is hallucinating. Can the paranormal be real, and if so, how can he keep this revelation from his dominating brother? Reader Advisory: The first chapter of this tale overlaps with the last chapter in Pursuit by Camelback.

Just a little Love Bite: An angel runs into a dilemma when the man he’s supposed to be helping is associated with his stella guida. As an angel, Mordecai has the ability to read the thoughts of others. Sitting in a coffee shop, eyeing the human he’s there to help—Charles—Mordecai listens to the man’s internal troubles so he can discern the best way to assist him. Mordecai hears Charles wondering why he’s agreed to meet his workout buddy, Jeffrey, for coffee... knowing Jeffrey intends it as a date. According to Charles’s thoughts, the human has never bothered acting on his occasional flash of appreciation for the opposite sex, and he doesn’t see the point in doing so now. Mordecai assumes that his task is to help Charles come to grips with his desire for the occasional male. In the past, he’s spent time talking with his assigned human, walking them through a bit of soul-searching. Mordecai doesn’t think anything is special about the assignment. He’s done it plenty of times before. Everything changes when Mordecai gets his first look at Jeffrey and meets the man’s gaze. The human, Jeffrey—Charles’s date—is his stella guida, his guiding star—the one human he can share a soul with. How can Mordecai help Charles come to grips with dating Jeffrey, when every instinct screams at him to take him for his own?

Keeping the A buffalo shifter doesn’t consider himself worthy of a mate, but Fate has other ideas. Warsaw knew that joining the rogues was wrong. Except, when his best friend begged him to help a pair of disgraced ex-councilmen, he couldn’t say no. After all, he could never have the man he secretly loved. The guy was already mated. Warsaw joined the wrong side of a shifter war, and they lost. While most consider Warsaw lucky because he wasn’t sentenced to death for his crimes, he doesn’t feel that way. The man he’d loved is dead, as is his best friend, both having died due to the shifter battle. Feeling empty inside, Warsaw does his job in silence, ignoring the nasty looks and slurs from others. His one joy is his little Shih Tzu, Jasmine. When Jasmine is viciously attacked by an unknown shifter hell-bent on punishing Warsaw further, a sympathetic acquaintance introduces him to a warlock to help his dying dog. To Warsaw’s shock, the warlock—Urskin Claspin—is his mate. Except, after everything that he’s done in the name of love, Warsaw doesn’t believe he deserves the happiness and peace a mate would surely give him. Can Warsaw figure out how to accept Fate’s gift while discovering who still has it out for him?

On the Road: A CIA agent heads to the bayou to question a group of shifters, only to discover a gift from Fate he isn’t sure he can have. Agent Rhone Craigson has known about shifters for nearly a decade. He also knows there’s a group of them currently hiding out in the remote bayous of Louisiana. When several missing persons reports come to Rhone’s attention, all from that area, his curiosity is piqued... along with a healthy dose of concern. For the safety of, well, everyone, shifters need to stay under the radar. Rhone needs to know if the shifter group is involved in the disappearance of humans in that area. Due to the fact that there’s a mole in the CIA, feeding the military sensitive information, he decides to visit the shifters in person. When Rhone arrives, he finds the group surprisingly welcoming and forthcoming. Joining them for a meal, he spots a cute, dirty-blond-haired twink that causes an unexpected dose of attraction, who’s introduced as Mickey, a meerkat shifter. When Mickey claims they’re mates, Rhone knows that means Mickey expects them to bond and live as a couple. While Rhone can admit that he wouldn’t mind getting to know the little shifter, so much is going on within the agency. Can he discover the mole to ensure Mickey’s safety, or is walking away the safer option?

Into the Paranormal World: Experiencing a unique connection with a fellow online gamer, a human searches for him in the real world and is drawn into something he never thought possible. After being medically discharged from the military, Cian Huntsman finds solace in two things—working out to keep his mobility and online gaming. In one game, he comes across PraernaTheResilient. Cian engages the man. He soon finds himself fascinated by him, and they share many conversations, even outside the game. Cian soon realizes he wants more from Praerna and asks if they can meet. To his disappointment, Praerna says no, reminding him that he prefers online anonymity due to a disfigurement—hence his name—resilient. Having scars himself, Cian assures Praerna that whatever it is won’t matter to him. To Cian’s disappointment, Praerna shuts down communication with him. Unable to let it rest, Cian enlists the help of an army buddy and hacker to aid him in searching for Praerna via his IP address. Once found, he goes there to surprise his friend... and maybe get some answers. What he finds is that the paranormal world exists and that Praerna is a gargoyle. Cian learns that his obsession with Praerna is caused by the Fates, as they are mates—the other half of each other’s souls. Can Cian come to grips with his new reality in time to help the gargoyles when his buddy warns him that others in the area are searching for them, too?

Keeping the Peace: While escorting his king on a diplomatic mission, a dragon stumbles upon someone who threatens his commitment to his duty. Vicar Rhomes has had the honor of being head honor guard to King Leortis—the dragon king—for several centuries. Escorting the king to Savannah to discuss a rogue dragon they’re tracking with the Shifter Council is normal procedure. Joining a couple of councilmen for a meal, Vicar fills his plate only to stumble over a pretty auburn-haired cutie... spilling his clam chowder all over the poor man. Mortified, Vicar snaps at the shifter. It’s only after the blushing beauty strips his shirt that Vicar gets a clean whiff of his heady scent and learns who the man is to him—his mate. Getting doused in clam chowder isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to Desmond while working in the cafeteria. It’s the blistering put-down spouted by the huge, gorgeous black man that makes him blush. After whipping off his soiled shirt, Desmond assures the male that he’ll get him a fresh bowl... and is shocked when the guy does a one-eighty—nearly falling all over himself to apologize. Then Desmond smells the man, and he realizes the source of his sudden change. The guy is his mate... and he’s not just a dragon, but a powerful one. While Desmond wants his mate, he remains wary. He can’t help but wonder which personality is the dragon’s real one. Can Vicar figure out how to continue to do his duty to his king while proving to Desmond that he’s not an unmitigated jerk?

Out of the While doing a favor for the leader of a wolf shifter pack, a spec ops soldier makes the discovery of a lifetime. After having been illegally experimented on by a shadow branch of the military bent on creating the perfect super soldier, Ulrick Lanston needed a place to relearn himself. Not only did they bond him with a massive jaguar, allowing him to turn into the cat at will, they’d messed with his brain, taking away his free will. After losing his handler and ending up at loose ends, Ulrick tracked down an old army acquaintance he could trust. That led him to Alpha Declan’s wolf shifter pack, and he’s been hiding out with them for over a year. They’ve helped him come to grips with the changes made to him, teaching him how to become one with the animal now living within him. When Alpha Declan asks Ulrick to sneak into the territory of a coyote shifter pack to look for a missing pack member, he can’t say no. While doing reconnaissance, Ulrick runs across the prettiest coyote he’s ever seen. His jaguar wants to rub all over the wonderful-smelling shifter, marking him as his own. Ulrick knows what that means. His cat has decided the coyote is his mate. Can Ulrick win the affections of the skittish coyote shifter and bring him home with him while still fulfilling his mission for Declan?

Just a little Love After a vampire stumbles upon a bleeding, unconscious human, he makes one of the rashes decisions of his life. As much as Julian Allard has enjoyed the trip to Las Vegas, he’s more than ready to head home. While on vacation, his coven master, Jean-Paul, found his beloved—the other half of his soul—making his task of security that much harder. Julian wants to get Jean-Paul and his human, Saul, home to the safety of their territory. At the airport, Julian feels the need to do one more sweep of the area. Never second-guessing his instincts, he does just that. Near the back of the hangar, Julian sees a human backhand another, who’s handling a baggage cart. The smell of the fallen human’s blood draws Julian, and he rushes to his side, scaring away the unconscious man’s attacker. A quick taste of the human’s blood confirms Julian’s suspicions. The pretty red-haired human is his beloved. Acting on impulse, Julian sweeps the human into his arms and rushes him onto their private jet. Even as Julian cares for his unconscious new and forever love, can he figure out a way to explain, well... everything?

Into the Paranormal When a human ranch foreman hears a gargoyle claim him as his Fated mate, he isn’t certain even the paranormal can mend his trust button. As a Native American, Stanley Redfeather has always believed there was more to the world than what the average person could see. Learning about gargoyles and other paranormals is almost anti-climactic. Doing his job working as the foreman of his boss’s massive cattle ranch continues as normal. Occasionally, having a bunch of gargoyles, vampires, and shifters around causes a little hiccup, especially when one of them finds their Fated mate, but for the most part, it’s business as usual. That changes when a trio of gargoyles arrive for a meeting, and after one sniff, one of them—Kultrak—claims Stanley is his Fated mate. Stanley knows what that means. He’s supposed to be the other half of the gargoyle’s soul, bond with him, and build a centuries-long life with him. While Stanley wouldn’t mind having someone to share his solitary life with, he needs to know the gargoyle more than a day before trusting the male that they’re perfect for each other. When Stanley gets injured, will Kultrak’s protectiveness in the face of the upcoming danger drive him away or draw him nearer?

On the Road: When a brown bear shifter runs across his mate, he discovers a scarred soul in need of healing. As a brown bear who’s been be-spelled by witches and rescued by horsemen and demons, Madagascar has spent months recovering. He’s bored. When Kontra’s gang gathers the information they need to take out a facility holding and experimenting on shifters, he decides to help them. While there, Madagascar runs across his mate—a wolf shifter working as a janitor... who pulls a gun on them. After disarming and securing the man, they learn his name is Ishmael Cartwright, a shifter who’d been kidnapped and sold by a now-deceased councilman gone rogue. The experiments done on Ishmael have left him with little memory of his past, and he believes any recollections of him shifting are delusions brought on by the house fire that left scars on his back. With Ishmael believing the scientists saved him, can Madagascar find some way to break through his conditioning and win his mate?

Keeping the Peace: After a miscommunication, a shifter must track down his missing mate. Enforcer Rigel Patterson is known around Shifter Headquarters as a playboy, and he’s okay with that. After all, he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying himself while he waits for Fate to deliver his mate to him. While at a club, Rigel is thrilled when She finally delivers the other half of his soul to him—a handsome human named Tucker. Rigel quickly whisks his mate out of the club, enjoying a night of passion. Except, upon waking the next morning, he finds Tucker gone. Rigel realizes that he should have done a little more talking, but it’s too late. He enlists the aid of friends to help him find Tucker. When Rigel runs across Tucker by accident, he’s overjoyed. In his enthusiasm, he accidentally outs Tucker to his parents. After an explosive display, Rigel realizes explaining he’s an alligator shifter, mates, and the paranormal world could be the least of his problems. Can Rigel convince Tucker to forgive him and give them a chance?

Just a little Love A vampire tracker thinks he’s missed his chance, only to discover his beloved in the most unlikely of places. Henry Cosker knows he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. His uncle’s abuse took care of that. Still, when he learns his uncle is out of jail and begins getting mysterious—and chilling—messages from an unknown number, he puts two and two together. Even though it’s against his uncle’s parole, Henry knows the man is after him. Getting run off the road, he does the only thing he can think of... he runs into the woods and jumps a fence. As it’s been a few years since anyone in Gerald Wintry’s coven has found a beloved—the other half of their soul—Gerald figures he’s missed his opportunity. Over the centuries, he’s seen that Fate’s gifts come in waves, and he’s resigned himself to having to wait until the next round. That changes when, while following up on a tripped sensor, Gerald spots a human running into the back of the garden maze. Tracking him down, he learns his name is Henry, and he’s Gerald’s beloved. Except, Henry is wary of strangers, and for good reason. With a little help from a few friends, Gerald convinces his beloved that he can be trusted. Can Gerald keep Henry safe from the specters of his past?

On the When a bear takes a stroll through the woods, he runs into the greatest gift of his life... or rather, that gift runs into him. Years before, Valentine and the rest of his bear sleuth were captured, tortured, and bespelled by a circle of witches. Even after getting rescued, he still struggles with the aftereffects, and not just because the spells were reinforced with blood magick—demon blood, making them exceptionally difficult to counter. Finally, the Horseman of Death appears with the answer. While the removal of the spells is nearly as agonizing and exhausting as having them placed on them in the first place, the sleuth still decides to go for a celebratory run. In his sluggishness, Valentine gets distracted by an enticing aroma and doesn’t move fast enough, getting struck by a logging truck. As he struggles to get away on three limbs, the driver exits the truck, and Valentine is hit by the realization that the human is his mate—Stone, according to the name on his shirt. Even with a newly broken arm, Valentine realizes he just may be having the best and worst day of his life. He’s just met his mate... if he can find Stone, that is.

Out of the While helping a stranded friend, a shifter discovers Fate’s greatest gift. Nedrick Quittor answers the phone expecting to hear that his buddy, Rierdon, is running late because he always seems to run late. That’s true today, too, as Rierdon’s truck broke down, and he’s stranded. Ready to laugh and tell his friend I told you so because Nedrick had warned Rierdon to fix the problem over a week ago, he heads to the campground where his friend is waiting. After confirming the truck needs a tow, he’s approached by the sweetest-smelling human he’s ever encountered—Brett. Nedrick is momentarily shocked to discover that his mate, the other half of his soul, just walked up to him. In the course of helping him, Nedrick learns that Brett’s there camping with friends... and one of them, Karissa, is dating him and already has designs on his mate. On the plus side, he discovers that Brett’s already friends with a few of his pack-members. The human just doesn’t know it. With a little help from his friends, can Nedrick steal his human without revealing the existence of shifters to those who’d use that knowledge against them?

Keeping the When a musk ox shifter makes a detour to help a friend, he runs into Fate’s greatest gift. Link Rawlins may be a big man, but even though he shares his spirit with a massive musk ox, he’s not a dominant shifter. He’s happy in his role of helping behind the scenes, using his computers to research, hack, and compile information for others. When Link gets a call from a fellow shifter about some family trouble, he can’t say no. After all, he’s already in the area. Upon arriving at Amelia’s apartment, Link finds her next-door neighbor, Ezra Pendle, already rendering aid. Realizing the human’s his mate, the other half of his soul, Link steps in to back up Ezra’s order for Amelia’s antagonistic father, Gary, to leave, and Link manages to score a date. Unfortunately, Link’s shy, soft-spoken nature leaves him tongue-tied, and the date doesn’t go well. Ezra is active and outgoing, and they just don’t seem to have much in common. Can Link find a way to convince Ezra they’re meant to be together, or will danger created by Link’s work end with dire consequences for them both?