Teo Solace has worked hard to achieve his dream of owning a house. But he didn’t know he would become next-door neighbor to werewolves or that refusing the pack’s demand to sell the house to them would end with being kidnapped.<br><br>Jerico Franklin left his pack sixteen years ago, and he never planned to return. By refusing to mate with the female his father picked for him, he believed he was doomed to live the rest of his life as a lone wolf. He didn’t expect to wake up in a dark cellar with a human by his side. Jerico shouldn’t care about the human, but when he learns his former pack intends to kill Teo to take over his house, he knows he has to find a way to get them out of there before he loses control of his wolf.<br><br>Teo never believed he’d care for a wolf, but spending days in the dark with nothing but Jerico’s voice to cling to shifts his perspectives. Humans are a dime on a dozen. One more or less shouldn’t matter, but Jerico would’ve lost himself in the dark if it wasn’t for Teo. For how long will Jerico be able to keep Teo safe from the pack? For how long can he keep him safe from himself?

In a world where all supernatural beings are either dominant or submissive, Shiro Amano doesn’t have many choices. As a submissive, any dominant walking into his bakery can order him around. He hates it. All he wants is to live his life in peace and bake pastries he can spike with emotions far away from obnoxious alphas.<br><br>Pitch Rhys wants a mate, but he won’t settle for anything but a true mate. As a powerful wolf shifter, he has subs flocking around him, but his true mate is hiding in the kitchen of a bakery and refuses to see him. He can order him to, of course, but since he threatened Pitch with a knife when he allowed his power to leak, he doesn’t think it’s the way to go. Instead, he’s settling to see how many pastries and cups of coffee he can consume in a day.<br><br>Two years ago, Shiro escaped an abusive relationship, and he’s not looking for a new one, but when word gets out Shiro is an unmated sub, dominants are invading the bakery. Pitch does his best to scare them off so he can woo Shiro at his own pace, but things escalate too fast. Will Pitch be able to get Shiro to trust him before it’s too late? Can he convince him he wants nothing more than to make him happy and keep him safe?

Once every century, a shadow walker is born. Ivan Charna is that shadow walker, and he and his sister Raina are on the run from wizards who want to sacrifice their blood in some crazy rite. They never stay long in one place, and they do their best not to stand out. When Raina loses a bet, Ivan is forced to work off her debt, and they have to stay put. As long as no wizard figures out what they are, Ivan doesn’t mind all that much since he gets to work with his favorite vampire.<br><br>Malik lives in a cell in a basement. He’s never allowed to go anywhere without chains around his wrists and ankles, and there is a stake hovering over his heart at all times. Master can trigger the stake with a push of a button. He doesn’t even have to be in the same room to do it. Malik dreams of a different life, a life with Ivan, but he’s a vampire, and vampires have to do what their masters tell them.<br><br>Ivan only has to steal one last diamond, then the debt is paid, and he and Raina can leave town. It should be easy, but when Remington Redwood, the man Raina owes money, insists on having Malik shadow his every step, it complicates things. Malik might dream about making Ivan his, but getting him away from Master alive has to be enough. Ivan knows it’s a stupid risk to take, but if he’s stealing a diamond, what’s to say he can’t steal a giant vampire too?

Seven years ago, Gael Moore, the love of Ethan Moore’s life, walked out on him and their daughter without a second glance. Ethan didn’t see it coming, and it made him question everything about himself. They were happily married, or so he’d thought. He believed they’d achieved their dream. Everything was perfect. Until Gael tore his soul apart in only a few seconds. Now their daughter is getting married, and as fathers of the bride, Ethan and Gael will stand united once again. It’s for one day only, and Ethan has worked hard on building walls around his heart and appearing unaffected, but he’s only half a person without Gael. He doesn’t know if he ever can trust him again, and when Gael begs for forgiveness, he’s not sure what to do. Will he ever be able to feel whole without him?

Are you willing to commit murder to save your daughter? Jinx Kilduff is in trouble. Big trouble. The leader of his community wants him to take out Gertrude, the leader of the Myrfolk community. To get Jinx to follow through, he kidnaps Jinx’s daughter. Jinx doesn’t want to kill Gertrude. He’s been trying to get her to take him in so he can escape the life he’s trapped in. Now he’s forced to kill her instead. Namir Klossner wants to be left alone. He doesn’t want anyone in his space, so no one is more surprised than him when he offers a panther shifter from another community to stay in his guestroom. There is something about him that makes Namir want to keep him close. Mostly it’s because he doesn’t trust him, but he’d be lying if he said that was the only reason. Jinx will do whatever he has to do to get his daughter back, but maybe there is a way other than to kill Gertrude. And maybe, just maybe, he can stay with Namir. There is nothing Namir hates more than vampires, so when he hears Jinx has a daughter and she is kept prisoner by one, he swears to do everything in his power to get her back ... and if he succeeds, maybe Jinx will want to stay with him.

The best way to avoid getting bitten by vampires is to stay away from their mouths. In this box set, you’ll encounter a vampire or three. They’re just like other people, except they are super fast, can pin you down without breaking a sweat, and want to feast on your blood. The smart thing to do is to stay away, but where’s the fun in that? Contains the stories: A Vampire Chew Toy: Devin had no idea supernatural beings existed until he was snatched off the street and turned into a blood slave. Then he realized vampires are real. One year later, he was saved, but now his captor has escaped prison. He might fear vampires, but faced with the danger of being taken again, he turns to the vampire who saved him last time. Will staying by his side be enough to keep him safe? Bring Him Back, Jack: Shadow walkers are rare, but Ivan Charna is one. He has to hide from wizards who want to use his blood for their magic. When his sister loses a bet, Ivan is forced to work off her debt. He doesn’t mind since he gets to work with his favorite vampire. He only has to steal a diamond, then the debt is paid. It should be easy, and if he’s stealing a diamond, what’s to say he can’t steal a vampire? Vampire Food: A former blood slave. A strapping vampire. More zucchinis than any man could eat. Rue, a former blood slave, is trying to find peace, but when the tranquility is threatened, he turns to Noah, a vampire. Noah has never met a magic user before, and he fears Rue’s former owners are trying to get him back. Rue never believed he’d be able to trust Noah, but who better to keep him safe from vampires?

For more than a year, Gabe Callan has known Riley Irving is his mate, but Riley isn’t ready. He stumbled into Gabe’s bakery one night after having left his abusive ex, and he’s still dealing with what he’s been through. Gabe knows he needs time, but he doesn't know how much longer he can wait.<br><br>All Riley wants is a safe, slow, boring life. He doesn’t want any adventures other than those he reads about in romance novels. But maybe he’s read too many paranormal books because he’s imagining the guys at the bakery growling, and sometimes he believes he sees their eyes shift color. Maybe he’s going insane.<br><br>Gabe is scared to tell Riley the truth about what he is. If he waits too long, Riley will feel betrayed. If he tells him too soon, he will run away, and Gabe isn’t sure he can survive without Riley. How do you tell your skittish human mate you’re a bear shifter?

A former blood slave. A strapping vampire. More zucchinis than any man could eat.<br><br>Rue Yarrow was rescued from a blood bar and taken to a gated community of supernaturals. Haunted by nightmares and memories, he does his best to avoid people. His only solace is his garden, where he uses his magic to grow an abundance of vegetables. But one day, it isn't the zucchinis greeting him, but a severed human head.<br><br>Noah Caramine wants as little drama as possible, and interfering with a vampire clan's business is never a good idea. He's never met a magic user and is curious about Rue, but he fears there will be consequences for stealing the blood slaves. <br><br>When body parts start popping up inside the walls, Noah doesn't know if someone is trying to frame them for murder or distract them from keeping the blood slaves safe. Rue never believed he'd go near a vampire again, but when threats are drawing closer, he turns to Noah. Who better to keep him safe from vampires than a vampire?

Humans off the paved road are nothing but shifter food.<br><br>Romeo Gallo has to flee town. The problem is that the only place he can think of going is an old ranch he's inherited from his uncle, and it's off the paved road. Humans are fair game if they're off the paved road, and being eaten by shifters has never been on the list of things Romeo wants to experience.<br><br>Ciar Moonlight is a panther shifter, perfectly happy living a laidback life on the ranch. He wants nothing to do with humans. But one night, one moves into the house, and Ciar finds it hard to stay away.<br><br>Romeo soon learns he isn't the only one living on the ranch. Shifters and vampires keep popping up, and since no one has eaten him yet, he'd go as far as to call a few of them his friends. And there is a panther reluctant to leave his bedroom, so maybe one is even more than a friend. Ciar might not have wanted to get to know a human, but now when Romeo is living in his territory, he's Ciar's to keep, right? So if someone tries to get rid of Romeo, it's Ciar's right to defend him. Right?

A vampire on guard. A psychic on the run. A cabin with one bed.<br><br>Jameson Whitlock trusted the wrong person. Again. As a walking lie detector, he should be able to tell when he's being played, but so far, he hasn't had the best of luck. After yet another kidnapping attempt, he leaves town in a hurry and runs to his uncle's fishing cabin to hide.<br><br>Harland Duke comes back after having fed only to find a light on in the cabin. Had he known there would be takeout, he wouldn't have bothered to go into town.<br><br>No one is happier than Harland that he didn't snack on the man sleeping in his bed when it turns out he’s his boss' nephew. Jameson isn't pleased with having to share the cabin with a vampire, but it's not safe to return home yet. To pass the time, he spends his days fishing, but what's easiest to catch -- a fish or a vampire?

Would you travel to another planet on the off chance of finding your soulmate?<br><br>Alien Tails is a set of three MM romance novellas about tail-waving aliens who travel through space and find their human destined mates in the most unlikely of places. But once they've found them, will they be able to convince their mates to see past their differences and accept that they're meant to be?<br><br>Contains the stories:<br><br><strong>There Will Be Aliens</strong>: Carlo is having a bad day, and now he’s seeing aliens too. After a futile struggle, he finds himself on a spaceship leaving Earth. Zenon doesn’t know what it is about the earthling male. They’re to get females, but he’s claiming the male as his payment for the mission. Can he keep Carlo safe from all the dangers lurking along the trip? He has to because Carlo is his, and he’s not letting him go.<br><br><strong>How to Soothe a Dragon</strong>: Long before Derek was born, the planet was taken over by a mind-controlling alien race, and everyone is affected except for him. Ocren is obsessed with his human neighbor, but four years of chasing him up the stairs in their apartment building has Derek refusing to speak to him. Until he accuses him of having broken into his apartment. How will Ocren make Derek believe it wasn’t him?<br><br><strong>The Devil Will Care</strong>: What would you do if the devil claimed you were his destined mate? Khaal isn't really the devil. He's a red-skinned, horn-wearing, tail-waving, eight feet tall alien who claims Azrail is his mate. Azrail has read about mates, but it can't apply to him. He's human. But when Khaal plans to escape, Azrail is ready to go. Being mated to the devil can't be worse than being locked up in prison, can it?

Zale wanted to see a dragon. He never expected a miracle.<br><br>Zale Hagan is dying. He doesn't have many days left, but he wants to see a dragon before he leaves the world behind. As a fisherman, he's seen where land ends many times, but he wants to visit the town where the human realm ends and the dragon realm begins.<br><br>Albus the Abomination is a blacksmith on Dragon Row. As a white dragon, he has no status and does his best to keep out of the way of the other dragons living there. But one day Zale steps into his smithy, and everything inside Albus catches fire.<br><br>Albus can tell Zale is very ill, but he can't let him die. Dragon mates don't get sick, and they live for a long time. Albus tries his best to get one of the other dragons to mate with Zale, but when no one wants to, Albus is at a loss. He could breathe fire into him, but then Zale would have to live his entire life with a white dragon, and no one wants that, do they?<br><br>NOTE: <i>Mated to the Fire Dragon</i> takes place on the same street as <i>The Book Dragon’s Lair</i> but can be read as a standalone story.

Some people perform miracles, others serve soup.<br><br>Bassel Uxium will never save the world. He doesn't have the skill. He's the product of his parents' sin, a psychic with no control over his powers. But he can serve soup, and soup works wonders in its own way. He isn’t bitter about it. Some people create miracles, others give a frozen soul a warm bowl of love. <br><br>Thor Espen's life changed in a heartbeat. A few months ago, his sister died, and he became the guardian of his nephew. His life isn't fit for a child. He's the owner of a nightclub, and his schedule doesn't leave room for a cub. When his nephew starts spending time with the weird soup guy with the food cart outside his club, he allows it.<br><br>Bassel aches for the little boy who is cloaked in grief and tries to ease his sorrows with soup, one bowl at a time. He aches for Thor too, but in a different way. Thor should focus on work, but he can't get Bassel out of his head. Can a bear shifter and a defective psychic have something together, or will the budding relationship turn to ashes, along with Bassel's predictions of a fire?

What would you do if the devil claimed you were his destined mate?<br><br>Khaal Lupehell isn't really the devil, but he's a red-skinned, horn-wearing, tail-waving, eight feet tall alien who claims Azrail Crow is his mate. For eight months, Azrail has been in an intergalactic prison, and for the most part, he's managed to keep his head down and melt into the interior. That all changes when he runs into Khaal.<br><br>Khaal has to get out of prison. He'd planned to escape even before he met Azrail, but now he has to find a way out. He can't live with his mate in a prison cell. It's out of the question. So he'll steal a ship, take Azrail, and they'll run for their lives. It'll work out fine. Hopefully.<br><br>Azrail has read stories about destined mates, but surely it can't apply to him. He's human, and humans don't have mates. But when Khaal talks about escaping, Azrail wants to come with him. Being mated to the devil can't be worse than being locked up in prison, can it?

Can you forgive being rejected by your mate?<br><br>For as long as Jyran Pechman can remember, he's dreamed about finding his soulmate. As a child, he lost his family, and he's been moving around ever since. He hates it, and he wants nothing more than to have a home. A mate. A place to belong.<br><br>Gideon Everett might have dreamed about the day he'd find his mate, but his mate was never an unorganized, nut-hoarding squirrel shifter in those dreams. Wolves eat squirrels, so when Jyran walks into Gideon's bar, he throws him out and tells him he wants nothing to do with him. He has a reputation to think about, and he will not be known as the wolf who mated a squirrel.<br><br>Being rejected hurts more than Jyran ever imagined, and he swears never to set foot in Gideon's bar again. After the initial shock, Gideon is almost sure he made the right decision. Almost. What if he made the wrong decision? Now when he knows his mate is out there, can he live on as if they've never met, or does he have to ... ugh ... apologize?

Jeremiah Pace hasn't left his house in thirteen years. He doesn't trust anyone, least of all shifters. School was a nightmare, and despite never interacting with anyone in the village, the bullying continues in his adult life. Someone is putting ads in the paper, encouraging people to drop by his house for one service or other, but Jeremiah never opens his door.<br><br>Zeeb Hemming is a lone wolf and the new chief of police. He's only been in Stoneshade for six weeks when he learns about the ads and goes to knock on Jeremiah's door. Not because of what today's ad said, but to get to the bottom of what's going on. Human or not, Jeremiah deserves to live life in peace. The moment Zeeb nears Jeremiah's house, he knows he's his mate. But he can't have a human mate.<br><br>Jeremiah pleads with Zeeb not to stir anything up. Yes, the ads are bad, but things can always get worse. Zeeb is furious someone is mistreating his mate and is willing to skin anyone who has any connection to the ads alive. But how is he to convince Jeremiah to trust him when he talks to Zeeb through a gap in the window instead of opening the door to his house?

Lex Gray was in love once. He was young and gave his heart to Cash Udolph, who he believed would be with him forever. When his world fell apart, Cash was nowhere to be found. Lex left Warwood, the tiniest village ever placed on a map, and swore never to come back. Seventeen years later, he's there to attend his grandmother's funeral.<br><br.cash lost="" his="" mate.="" lex="" begged="" him="" to="" run="" away="" with="" him,="" but="" as="" the="" enforcer="" of="" a="" werewolf="" pack,="" cash="" can't="" leave="" warwood.="" when="" everything="" came="" crashing="" down="" seventeen="" years="" ago,="" he="" shifted="" into="" wolf="" and="" ran="" off="" woods.="" clear="" head="" make="" plan="" how="" convince="" stay="" get="" pack="" accept="" having="" human="" back,="" was="" gone.<br=""><br>Lex needs to get out of Warwood, but driving in the middle of the night might not have been his best idea. A naked man jumps up on the road only to turn into a wolf before his eyes, and Lex slams the brakes hard enough to slide off the road. When Cash is called in to sort a situation with a human, he never expected the human to be his Lex. He's been given a second chance, but Lex wants to leave as soon as possible. Can Cash convince Lex to allow him back into his life before the tow truck gets there?</br.cash>

Devin Jace lives in a huge mansion together with six other people, five of them turn furry, and one needs to drink blood to survive. Sometimes, he suspects it's all a dream. Four years ago, he had no idea supernatural beings existed. It wasn’t until he was snatched off the street and forced to live as a blood slave he realized vampires are real and don’t sparkle.<br><br>Three years ago, Mars O’Ceallaigh was part of the team who saved a badly scarred and severely traumatized Devin. As the only vampire on the team, he got to work undercover. To keep up the facade, he tasted Devin's blood. Not a day has gone by since without him thinking about it, both the taste of the blood and Devin. But he wants Devin to be happy, and since he knows vampires are his worst nightmare, he does his best to keep out of his way.<br><br>When the team learns Devin's captor has escaped prison, Mars is convinced he will come for Devin. Devin might fear Mars, but there is someone he fears more, so when Mars swears to keep him safe, Devin trusts him. Mars more than enjoys being by Devin's side at all times, but will spending every minute of every day with him be enough to keep him safe?

Time and time again, Ryu the Ravenous has petitioned to be allowed to move to the human realm, but every application has been denied. As a black dragon of near royal blood with plenty of gemstones in his treasure cave, many females want him for a mate. Ryu doesn't want a female mate, though, and when he's badly burned in a conflict between tribes, he sees his chance to escape.<br><br>Egil Olsen is running The Book Dragon's Lair, a bookstore on Dragon Row, while Draken the Dreadful, his mate, is away fighting a war on the other side of the veil. The relief of not having Draken around is great. For the first time in years, Egil doesn't have to watch every move he makes. When word reaches him that Draken is on his way home after having been injured, he considers running away.<br><br>The dragon stepping over the threshold to The Book Dragon's Lair isn't Draken, though. He claims to be, but Egil knows his mate, and while all dragons are dangerous, the male standing before him is nowhere near as cruel as his mate. Ryu never wanted to be a book dragon. Books don't sparkle, but if it's the price he has to pay to be in the human realm, he will pay it. He'll take over Draken the Dreadful's treasure, and he hopes he can take over his mate, too. Egil doesn't want to be mated to a dragon, but without a mate, he'd be homeless and without a job.<br><br>A few hours after having met Ryu, Egil thinks being mated to him might not be too bad, but how will they be able to fool the people around them into believing Ryu is Draken? And what will happen if the real Draken comes back?

Dear Diary,<br><br>My therapist wants me to write a diary to help me manage my depression. I have no idea how it'll work, but I didn't have the energy to argue with her.<br><br>All I want is for life to go back to the way it was before I walked in on Christopher and Jason. Or maybe not because I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Christopher for cheating on me in our bed, but I want to function as I did before that moment. Before I lost everything.<br><br>Do you remember Lars Olsen from school? I do my best to stay away, but it's like he's magnetic and pulls me in every time I see him. I shouldn't be dating. I don't want to force my crazy on anyone, but he's asked me to dinner. He deserves a sane partner, so it would be unfair to go, wouldn't it?

Hayden Perry moved to Landown two and a half weeks ago. He was excited to get the event planning job he'd applied for, but apart from bumping into a cute guy in the elevator, things don't pan out the way he'd hoped. His boss is an ass and his co-workers are idiots, but as much as he dislikes them, he can't afford to quit until he has another job lined up.<br><br>Corey Hope's school years sucked. With a crippling stutter, he was easy prey, and despite being grown up, his bullies still haunt his nightmares. After he left school, he gave up on trying to talk, and communicates solely through sign language and written text. It works great even though he wished he could say something when Hayden flirts with him in the elevator.<br><br>Hayden does his best to catch Corey in the elevator as often as he can, and he thinks they might have something, but it all comes crashing down when Corey sees him having lunch with his colleagues. Corey might be drawn to Hayden, but seeing him with his school bullies has old memories washing over him. He won't let them hurt him ever again, and he'd rather forget about Hayden than risk Hayden hurting him.<br><br>How will Hayden convince Corey he's nothing like his colleagues when Corey refuses to see him?

In a world where the government controls everything, and every citizen is given one government-approved kill, Sid Barker is doing his best to keep his head down and not get noticed. At some point, he must have failed. Being a potato farmer doesn't generate enough income, and Sid is making moonshine on the side to keep himself fed, but one day a liquidation agent shows up at his farm, not to kill him, but to blackmail him into giving away his moonshine for free.<br><br>Thorn Hull is a liquidation agent. Every time someone hands in an application to have someone terminated, he or one of the other agents has to perform the kill. It's a well-paying job, but no money in the world can fill the void in Thorn. He regrets ever becoming an agent, but no one has ever quit the agency and lived to tell the tale.<br><br>One night in a bar, Thorn runs into Sid, who's far from the dirty little kid he'd been the last time Thorn had seen him. Sid remembers Thorn from his childhood and asks him to help him talk sense into the agent who's blackmailing him. Things soon escalate, and Sid and Thorn find themselves on the run from the liquidation agency. How will they be able to deal with the blackmailer at the same time as they're on the run from the government's trained killers?

Everything would've been perfect if Grayson Dawe hadn't been forced to share his garden with Camden Hensley. Grayson has everything he needs in life -- a job, friends, a house he loves, and a garden. He wants to grow enough vegetables to cover his needs over the summer, and he has a plan for how to achieve it.<br><br>Camden Hensley loves his garden. He loves beautiful flowers in perfect rows, sweet scents and buzzing bees, but his neighbor, Grayson, messes everything up. He mixes vegetables with flowers in the growing beds and is incapable of placing plants in straight lines. And when Cam pulls out the plants growing in the wrong place, Grayson snarls at him.<br><br>Grayson doesn't want to fight with Camden, but he's completely unreasonable. Cam only wants Grayson to stop creating chaos and to grow flowers instead of vegetables. Neither of them is willing to back down, and days in the garden usually end in shouting matches, at least until Grayson realizes he can shut Cam up by kissing him. But will they ever be able to agree about what plants should grow where?

Jace Villin likes straight lines and clean surfaces. Life is so much easier when everything is in its right place, and he and his friend Felicity have a good system for the cubicle at work. They have a drawer each, one side of the bulletin board each, and they don't interfere with each other's territories. But then Felicity quits, and Jace has to share his cubicle with someone else.<br><br>Paxton Sallow promised himself never to work in an office again, but there are no job openings, and he has bills to pay. The job might be the most boring he's ever had to endure, but at least he can amuse himself with moving Jace's things around. It's amazing how upsetting a crooked label can be.<br><br>Jace doesn't know what to do with Paxton. He wants to snarl at him to respect his boundaries at the same time as he wants to run his fingers through his hair and kiss him silly. Paxton knows he should leave Jace alone, but he can't help himself. He wants to see Jace outside of work, but how will Paxton get him to agree to have a cup of coffee with him when he runs off as soon as he tries to ask him out?

Nick Adore has been in hiding for six years. He does his best to pass himself off as human and only wants to be left alone. But one day, he walks in on a robbery. Instead of quietly walking away, he reveals himself as a blood witch, and now the werewolf king demands to see him.<br><br>Conri Biast is king. He has been the king of Norbridge for eleven years, but someone is trying to take him down. For months, he's known there's a blood witch in his territory who refuses to pay his respects, and that puts him on the top of his list of suspects. But when he goes to confront the witch, things don't turn out the way he'd planned. The witch is his mate.<br><br>Nick doesn't want to be anywhere near Conri. Being close to kings always ends with him getting hurt, but he finds himself sucked into the power struggle. Conri doesn't know who he can trust, but he knows he needs Nick by his side. Together, they're strong, but are they strong enough to keep the throne?

A year ago, Cole Hudson got out of an abusive relationship. Since then, he’s been hiding in the kitchen of his bakery, avoiding people best he can. He prefers it there, but his best friend Gavin has other ideas.<br><br>Gavin is set on finding him a boyfriend, but Cole doesn’t like hanging around bars, and it’s precisely what Gavin has in mind. As Cole’s self-proclaimed wingman, Gavin is on the hunt for a worthy partner, but it isn’t an easy find.<br><br>Cole doesn’t want to date; he only wants to spend time with Gavin. Gavin only wants Cole to be happy. How many men flocking around Cole will he have to chase away before the right one shows up?

Ashton Cross was stupid enough to fall out a window while trying to catch a criminal. Now he’s on sick leave and has been for weeks, and has nothing to do but watch his neighbors go about their day. It’s driving him insane. When he gets a Christmas card not meant for him, he doesn’t think much of it, but then there is another and another, all with the same motif.<br><br>For two years, Rafael Vidal has been hiding from his ex. He almost believed he’d gotten away when his neighbor knocks on his door to hand over a stack of Christmas cards. One look at the writing, and Rafael suspects he has been found.<br><br>When Ashton understands the situation, he’s set on catching Rafael’s ex. He might not be ready to get back to active duty at the police station, but finally, he has something to do, and he doesn’t mind keeping Rafael close. Rafael is trying to distract himself by helping Ashton put up Christmas decorations, but will they be able to enjoy Christmas with his stalker ex lurking around the corner?

Derek Herman is living a nightmare. Long before he was born, the planet was taken over by a mind-controlling alien race, and everyone is affected except for him. Derek does his best not to draw attention to himself, but it’s not going well.<br><br>Ocren Starburst is obsessed with his human neighbor. Every time he sees Derek, he wants nothing more than to grab him, hold him, and keep him forever. And four years of chasing him up the stairs in their apartment building has resulted in Derek refusing to even acknowledge his existence. That is, until Derek accuses Ocren of breaking into his apartment.<br><br>Derek found a button on his living room floor, the same kind of button Ocren wears on his police uniform. And while Ocren hasn’t broken in, he knows the button means someone has. Ocren’s race has kept their shape-shifting abilities secret for years, but now his other form wants out to slaughter everyone that dares to get too close to Derek. And staying in control proves hard when threats toward Derek increase.<br><br>Will they be able to keep Derek safe without Ocren losing control of his dragon self?

Charles Bowman was having a bad day even before his friends showed up to kidnap him for his birthday. He lost his nametag, missed the bus, and was late for his shift in the sandwich shop, but that isn't the worst. The worst is he's accidentally been poisoning Hubert, the owner of the candy shop across from the sandwich shop, with gluten despite Hubert ordering gluten-free sandwiches.<br><br>When Charles finds himself soaking wet on a deserted road in the chilling October night, the worst gets an entirely new meaning. But right as he's about to give up, Hubert comes driving on his motorcycle. Being responsible for gluten poisoning aside, Charles has never been as glad to see his knight in black leather, but is going home with Hubert a good idea? Or will the worst get even worse?

Adrian Green’s new next-door neighbor isn’t really a dragon, but he does snarl an awful lot.<br><br>The first time Adrian saw Lorcan Walsh, he knew he needed Adrian’s help. Lorcan has a fractured leg and an empty apartment. Luckily, Adrian doesn’t mind helping him fill his lair with gems, and Doris’s second-hand shop has everything a dragon could possibly want.<br><br>The problem is, Lorcan doesn’t seem to want his apartment decorated, and sneaking presents past a grumpy dragon isn’t easy.<br><br>All Adrian wants is to cheer Lorcan up, but when Lorcan’s ex appears at the door, Adrian fears not even vintage coffee cups will get them their fairy-tale ending. What if the way to a dragon’s heart isn’t lined with treasures?

After years of the government taking everything he grows, homesteader George Vega has had enough. Food is scarce and people are starving. To provide for himself, he’ll need to break the law. Together with his next-door neighbor June, he sets up a system to hide food from the controller during his weekly collecting visits.<br><br>Axel Rowe won’t survive much longer. Every scrap of food he can get his hands on, he gives to his six-year-old daughter, but it isn’t nearly enough. Luck is on his side when he secures a job as a controller. He realizes taking the job will make people dislike him, but he has to eat.<br><br>George understands the danger he’s in when his old, lazy controller is replaced with a new, more observant one. Axel suspects there is something George is withholding, but when George takes care of him after nearly collapsing from hunger, Axel is more curious about how he's able to keep food for himself than he's interested in reporting him. George knows the risk, but after having looked into Axel’s desperate eyes, he’s compelled to take care of him. But can an outlaw homesteader have a relationship with the man who’s supposed to make sure he follows the law?

Nico Allegretti has been best friends with Matt Barnes since kindergarten. There is no one more important to Nico than Matt, and while he’s known for years Matt is the one for him, he’ll never tell him. He won’t risk ruining their friendship.<br><br>On his way to meet Matt at the restaurant, a case of mistaken identity ends with Nico in the trunk of a car. When he’s released, his kidnappers give him twenty-four hours to give them what they want. The problem is, Nico has no idea what that could be.<br><br>Not knowing what else to do, he turns to Matt, who is a cop. Together they go into hiding while looking for clues. Being kidnapped doesn’t change Nico’s resolve to not let Matt know how he feels, but hiding in a small cabin together makes it hard to ignore. Matt’s small touches and compliments must mean nothing. Had Matt felt the same, he’d let him know by now ... right?

Flynn Thomas is back in Hartley. His plan is to be out of there before anyone notices he’s back. He left twenty years ago and promised himself he’d never have to face his childhood bullies or set foot in his bigoted hometown ever again. But it’s been six months since his mother passed away, and someone has to clear out the house. Caspian Cook is out on a walk with his three dogs when he sees Flynn Thomas, at least he thinks it’s Flynn Thomas. He never forgot the red-haired boy his brother used to harass, and he never forgot how he used to wonder if there were freckles underneath his clothes as well as on his face. Flynn mistakes Caspian for his childhood tormenter and flees. Caspian can guess why he’s in such a hurry to get away, but he hasn’t seen Flynn in twenty years, and if he allows him to run off, he fears he’ll never see him again. Will spending time with Flynn be enough for him to forget who Caspian’s brother is? Flynn needs help. He underestimated how much work it would be to move his mother’s things. Caspian offers to give him a hand, but can he trust someone who looks like his worst nightmare?

Four years ago, Dimitri Petrov had his leg blown off by a landmine while in military service. Suffering from PTSD, he doesn’t do crowds, and he doesn’t do people. If he had his way, he’d never leave his house at all. Dimitri’s sister, Irina, runs a dating agency, and despite that it would be better for business if they had a pretty woman working the front desk, Irina insists Dimitri’s the man for the job. In a whirlwind of pink shirts, flapping hands, and outrageous flirting enters Elian Hubert. Elian needs a date. Invited to speak on love through time in fiction at a Valentine dinner, there is no way he’s showing up alone. When Dimitri tells him The Single Pursuit is unable to help on such short notice, Elian suggests Dimitri be his date. Dimitri doesn’t do dates, and he doesn’t do dinners, but Elian’s made him happier in the last few minutes than anyone’s been able to do in years. He might not do Valentine's, and he might not do gatherings, but maybe he can do Elian ... a favor and accompany him to his presentation? If things go too badly, he can always hide behind a curtain and pretend he’s somewhere else.

Carlo Russo is having the worst day. Not only has he lost his job, caught his boyfriend cheating, and had one too many shots with his best friend Grace, now he’s seeing aliens too. Big, black, tail-equipped aliens. After a futile struggle, he and Grace find themselves on a spaceship leaving Earth. Zenon Scoreceds Qhainqons doesn’t know what it is about the earthling male. Their mission is to bring back ten females in hopes of them being able to provide their planet with children, but he wants the male. What he’s going to do with the male, he doesn’t know, but he’s claiming him as his payment for going on the mission. Carlo doesn’t approve of kidnapping, but the aliens aren’t too bad, and once the language chip is installed, he finds it entertaining to talk to them. Zen in particular. They’re standoffish and never show any emotion, but Carlo has no problem cuddling up next to Zen at night. All Zenon wants is to spend time with Carlo, but it’s his job to get them all home in one piece. Will he be able to keep Carlo safe from all the dangers lurking along the trip? He has to because Carlo is his, and he’s not letting him go.

Espen Urso would rather stay inside and enjoy a nice, sweet cake than be out in the worst storm of the year. But there’s a group of alpha shifters trespassing, and he needs to defend his territory and keep the people in his village safe. A group of wolf shifters he can scare off, but when he realizes they’ve hurt a defenseless little bird, he loses his patience. Arvid Rai is having a bad day. He’s an omega on the run, with a group of alphas on his tail. If there hadn’t been a storm, he could have easily flown away before the stupid wolves got their hands on him, or the angry bear noticed he was in his territory. But there is a storm, and the idiot who grabbed him broke his wing, so now he can’t fly anywhere. Still, he deems it best to stay with the growly bear rather than having the other alphas fight over him. Espen has never believed in the myth of omegas, and it isn’t until he takes Arvid in he realizes how much trouble he’ll be in when shifters from near and far learn he has one in his home. Will he be able to keep Arvid safe from other shifters? Is it even possible to defend his territory with an omega in it?