Tag Archives: Shapeshifters

PRET OPS by EmmaRay Garrett #SecondEdition #PNR #Vampires #Werewolves @changelingpress

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Even on the toughest op, there’s always time for love.
If you don’t get killed first.

 

Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Renee George
Genres/Themes: Action Adventure, Paranormal, Bisexual and More,
Shapeshifters, Werewolves, Vampires
Length: Box Set

This collection contains the previously released Pret Ops novellas Familiar, WarWolf, Infiltrator, and Identity.

In a world where preternaturals work behind the scenes to keep men and supermen safe, the Recondite Corps is the CIA, FBI, and Armed Services all in one.

Familiar: In the wilderness of Siberia, the past will resurrect itself and secrets will be exposed. There’s only one way to defeat The Veil, but can Stas and Nat do it, alone?

WarWolf: All Jeremiah has to do is convince Joshua that in order to stop the mounting violence between the human mob and the Heteroclites, they’ll need the help of the only female the Ascendant vampire can’t forget.

Infiltrator: Brian O’Connor has been in the office too damn long. Rescuing the President’s daughter from guerillas sounds like the perfect op: a little action, a little fresh air, an exotic locale.

Identity: After building the newest branch of the Corps, Cyber Operations, John and Cole Marshall are ready for a real test of their new unit’s skills. Being called in to track down a stalker turned murderer targeting one of their own sounds right up Cy Ops’ alley.

 

Get it Today at Changeling Press

 

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2019 Emma Ray Garrett
Excerpt from Pret Ops 3: Infiltrator

Charlie groaned, lifting a hand to her aching forehead. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into now?” The sickening pound in her skull didn’t provide an answer.

Charlene Thompson, First Daughter, was stuck in a shit hole, somewhere near the equator based on the oppressive heat, with no idea who’d cracked her on the skull and brought her to this place. It was safe to assume it had to do with her father and/or politics, but beyond that…

The acrid smell of wood smoke and the sickly sweet stench of decomposing plants clogged her nostrils. Her skin felt grimy, sticky, where sweat had partially dried and mixed with the dirt of the floor beneath her. Charlie ached for a hot bath for about a half a second. You can bathe when you’re free.

Weak sunlight drifted in through tiny, irregular holes cut high into the walls of the room. Her vision blurred and her stomach pitched, but Charlie choked down the bile. Blinking to clear her sight, she struggled to her feet. Her entire body protested each movement, but Charlie fought through the pain and staggered to the nearest wall.

She stood on weak legs, breathing slowly, and pressed her shoulder to the wall, completely focused on staying upright. She stayed there for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes. Finally, the thumping in her skull ebbed to a dull throb and the triple vision cleared to a muzzy, but coherent, single sight.

“Now what?” Charlie looked around the dimly lit space. A wooden door faced her, but she didn’t see any handle or knob. “Great.”

From outside she heard voices speaking, though she couldn’t make out the words. The rapidity of the speakers’ cadence reminded her of Spanish. Having grown up in New Mexico, and despite the situation she was in, the sound of the language comforted her.

The earthen room blocked out the dialogue. Thinking the door might offer better eavesdropping, Charlie straightened from the wall and made her way toward it. Getting there took all the strength she’d mustered and she slipped to the floor beside the rickety entrance. The voices outside weren’t much clearer, but the depth of the tones suggested the speakers were probably male. She caught a word here or there, but three she heard distinctly gave her hope. Rio Orinoco and transportamos. The first words signified the Orinoco River, in northeast Venezuela, and the second suggested they were transporting something.

“Probably me.” Knowing where she was gave Charlie a sense of control. She’d never been to continental Venezuela, but she’d enjoyed the islands off the coast more than once.

She forced her sore brain to think about her college geography. The Orinoco River was one of the longest in South America. Her memory wasn’t the best, but she hoped they were in the Lower Orinoco, near the delta and the Atlantic Ocean. Based on the humidity, it was quite likely. It was possible she was somewhere in the plentiful mangrove forests, the swamps, of the country.

Charlie held onto her hope. Even if she were in the middle of a swamp, she’d rather escape and take her chances with Mother Nature than stay here and wait. Tensions between the States and Venezuela hadn’t been the best for more than twenty years. However, a lot of the country was urbanized. If she could escape, and make her way out of the jungle, if that’s where she was, she had a good chance of getting home.

The voices outside grew louder, approaching footsteps launching her heart into her throat. She couldn’t afford to let her captors know she was awake. Without thinking, Charlie scrabbled away from the door, flopping onto the floor and closing her eyes. Something scraped against the wood and the door opened.

Though her blood pounded, Charlie stilled her breathing to soft, shallow expulsions and inhalations. She rolled her eyes beneath her lids, the action stilling any fluttering that might give away her cognizant state. The footsteps moved closer and she felt a hard, round object pressing into her back. She didn’t react and her visitor shoved at her deeper.

When she remained unresponsive, he must have been satisfied. With a grunt, he shuffled away, the sound of rubber soles on dirt sending relief surging through her body. The door closed with a squeak and a thump and Charlie had to stifle a sob. She had no doubt the man had nudged her with a gun.

“What have you done, Dad?” Anger at her father gave her strength, but Charlie couldn’t sustain it. She needed to formulate a plan of escape. Whether her father was involved or not, Charlie knew it was up to her to get free. Waiting on the US government for a rescue wasn’t an option.

She got up slowly and crawled back to the door. She pressed her ear to it, listening, learning. More and more words became clear, and Charlie felt the beginnings of a plan form.

 

“…and I — I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

-The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost

The last line from award-winning author Emma Ray’s favorite poem pretty much sums up her life. Her tendency to do her own thing is what her friends and family love best, and least, about her. Chaos is a constant in the Garrett home, which currently houses her intelligent, energetic children, a devoted husband, a very large, very lazy, white tom-cat, a very crazy, very small black cat, and a very happy, very healthy rescue pooch — who’s black and white.

Other books by Emma Ray Garrett

 

The Recruit by Julia Talbot #GayRomance #NewRelease #PNR #shifters @changelingpress @juliatalbot

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One wolf who’s lost everything. One kitty who doesn’t play well with others.
One hell of a team.

 

 

Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genres/Themes: Paranormal, Gay, Men in Uniform, Shapeshifters, Werewolves

 

When Alpha Ops team leader Tuck’s last mission goes terribly wrong, he and his team are put on hiatus until they can get their proverbial stuff together. His guys are starting to get restless, and a bear shifter, a couple of predatory birds, and a fox can be pretty impatient when they’re bored. When their benefactor decides a new team member will be their salvation, Tuck has no choice but to accept.

Jayden isn’t interested in working with a team who really wants nothing more than to kick his butt. As a cougar shifter, he’s perfectly happy to work alone. So why does Tuck make him want to stay? The two of them have to find a way to work out their issues, or the team may never get another job. Good thing they have enough attraction to keep them going, even when everything else is going off the tracks.

 

Get it at Changeling Press

 

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2018 Julia Talbot

Jayden Fell bounced as he waited for his contact. He was so fucking bored. So bored. He needed to do something, anything that was fun and exciting and… Look at that. That was a pretty man. Lupine, he’d bet, bitchy, but pretty. Fuckable.

The guy was moving slow, looking around. Cautious.

Whoa. Looking for him, he’d bet.

Jayden wondered how long it would take. He could tell the moment the man scented him. That big body vibrated with awareness. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” He chuckled softly, his ears twitching. Not yet. This was too much fun.

The guy turned in a circle, frowning. “Look, I’m supposed to meet a contact here, but a member of my team died last time out, so I’m a little twitchy. Show yourself before I start shooting shadows.”

“That sucks. I mean, you can shoot at me, but that wouldn’t be very friendly.”

“I’m not feeling friendly.” Listen to that growl.

“Goodie.” Jayden didn’t need this shit. He wasn’t a fucking applicant. He was supposed to have this contract already.

“Where the hell are you?” The man turned and looked right at his hiding spot.

“Are you blind or am I that good?” He slid out of the shadows, letting himself be seen.
That got him an even deeper scowl. “Just give me whatever information I’m supposed to get from you.”

He let one eyebrow lift. “Obviously we’re waiting for the same thing, then. Information.”

“What?” Dark eyebrows rose high. “You’re the courier.”

“The courier? Me? Hardly.”

“Then who are you?”

“I was told you were my pick up. Tucker, yes?”

“That’s me.” Tucker drew up, still frowning. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Time to hasta. Jayden wasn’t sure what had gone wrong, but it sure had.

Tuck grabbed his arm. “No. Tell me.”

“Hands off, pup.” He growled softly, giving a clear warning. “I don’t need to be fucked with.”

“Then tell me what the hell you were told. I can’t leave without whatever you were supposed to give me.” The voice was more wolf than man now.

“I was told my team leader was picking me up for training with a new team. Nothing more.”

“Team leader…” Tuck went ice cold. He pulled out a phone, punching numbers furiously. Yeah. Time to get the hell out of Dodge. Whatever this was, he didn’t need some FUBAR shit.

“Yeah. No. Get me Daniel, you fucking lying cat.” Tuck was snarling, but watching him hard.

“I’m out of here. Obviously, someone’s wires are crossed.”

“No.” The word shot out like a bullet. “You wait. If you’re on a team it’s mine, so you follow my orders anyway.”

“If your boss doesn’t trust you enough to tell you he hired a new guy, I’m out.” A team was only as strong as the lead.

“Did you not hear me?” The wolf was in his path in a heartbeat, still holding the phone to his ear. “You’re not going anywhere until I get to the bottom of this.”

“I heard you.” He just didn’t care. Two totally different things.

One hand landed on his chest when he made to pass by. The touch was like grabbing an electric fence. He blinked up, stunned into stillness. What the actual fuck?

Those golden-brown eyes flashed at him, surprise plain, but then someone came on the line of the phone Tuck held. “What the fuck? Sending me a new team member and having Lucien lie?”

The heavy brow lowered, and then his teeth bared. “I won’t do this bullshit. This isn’t how this works. If I can’t trust you… if Lucien’s being fed shit intel…”

Someone talked for a good long while on the other end, making the Tuck guy look like he was going to explode. “Then just send the right information from now on. Jesus. I take it this means we’re back in the field?”

Oh no. Nope. No way. He wasn’t going to be whatever this was. No way. He felt like he was a pawn, somehow. Jayden didn’t like that feeling. Too often it made for bullet holes in flesh.

Which burned. Like whoa. He was the anti-fan.

“Fill Lucien in on the real sit-rep, please? Assholes.” Tuck hung up, then stared at him. “New team member. Christ.”

“Apparently not. No harm no foul, man. I got no intel on you, and you got none on me. We’re solid.” Why would someone put him where he wasn’t wanted?

“No.” Tuck blocked his escape again. “My team doesn’t run in the field without you, and I’m not letting them down. Get your ass moving.”

Jayden let one eyebrow lift, let himself sink into pure D insubordination. “No.”

 

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where she’s embraced hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Ellora’s Cave, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved.

Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, her website at www.juliatalbot.com, at Cafe Risque http://caferisque.blogspot.com andhttp://changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=66 at Changeling Press.

 

Dragon Stone by Stephanie Burke #GayRomance #LGBT #NewRelease #UrbanFantasy #PNR @Flashycat @changelingpress

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He is Vulwin Valas — The Silver Prince.
Heir to the Dhrovish throne, strategist, warrior… model?

 

 

Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genres/Themes: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Gay,
Magic, Shapeshifters, Elves Dragons & Magical Creatures

 

His Shining Majesty, King of the Dhrovish Throne, has one son, the Silver Prince Vulwin Valas who is a prince, a strategist, a warrior, and a… model?

In the human world, Prince Vulwin Valas is known as Win Arcarius, openly gay, very promiscuous, and one of the most highly sought-after models ever. To the Fae Realms, he is known as the Silver Shadow, the King’s assassin, and someone not to be crossed.

A routine visit home suddenly becomes more complicated, and Vulwin finds himself with a new mate, a new enemy, and a future he never considered before with… a dragon.

Iffear comes to Vulwin at his most vulnerable, but as magical enemies and a plot to destroy the Dhrovish throne make themselves known, the newly mated couple finds themselves drawing closer together in order to survive.

 

Get it from Changeling Press

 

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2018 Stephanie Burke

Vulwin would have never noticed the male if it hadn’t been for the cat.

Really, in this age of mass hysteria about the agents of evil, who was brave enough to walk around with a cat in tow? And not only that, the cat was huge, black, and definitely noticeable.

The second thing he noticed was the chains around the male’s wrists, waist, and neck — rather his corded waist, very thick wrists, and a neck that was exposed due to his lack of hair.

He didn’t have a chance to contemplate this event further because his king, with a boding voice, bade him approach. He entered the audience chamber and ignored the massive set of silver doors that slammed shut behind him.

“I see you have returned to us from the realm of man.” The king eyed him from the top of his tousled hair to his bare feet. “Unscathed?”

Vulwin nodded, standing tall before his king. “That I have, Your Shining Majesty.” Vulwin wanted to smirk at the man, indeed he did, but common sense prevailed and he contained his amusement at this old familiar back and forth.

“Strip.” The order was given negligently as the king turned to speak to one of his many advisors.

Vulwin looked around the chamber. Some things never changed. His king’s pet crows still perched along the rafters of the dimly lit room. A mixture of candles and old fashioned gas lights gave the whole chamber a yellow tinge, while burning incense took away that odd smell that filled the chambers because of the gas lights.

This audience chamber was dominated by the huge circular throne platform. It stretched along the back wall, its concave design dominating the small room. In the center sat the highest chair, the throne of the king, draped in furs and embroidered silks given as tribute from faraway lands. On either side of the throne sat two chairs, one for each of His Majesty’s advisors who helped him maintain peace and order in the realms.

Knowing that he would be ignored until he complied, Vulwin let go of the human glamour he wore, his long, pale gold hair disappearing with a subtle flow of light, lengthening until it became the knee-length silvery white that helped lend him his second name, Valas — silver in the old tongue.

As the light passed over his body, it took along with it his human skin tone — the pale gold that humans called albino and that his human manager found attractive — and in its place his natural skin bled through.

Valas was proud of his skin tone, black as the starry night with a tracery of brilliant stars that gleamed when the light hit it just so. Others called his complexion speckled, the mark of a blessed child, and with his easy life he tended to agree with those old tales. No one else in the realm had skin like his and he was proud to show it off, a little miffed that his current assignment had him hiding it from prying eyes, but content to be smug about it when he was summoned to make his periodic trips home.

Removing the glamour was but the first step. With a wave of earth magic, he conjured from the floor a low table that sprouted forth like a small tree. It grew to about waist height and then Vulwin began to carefully remove the jewelry that adorned his body, starting with the delicate chains and hoops of gold that swung daintily from his long, pointed ears.

Unlike other Fae, the Dhrovish could be identified in an instant from the long, arching ears that rose up majestically from the sides of their heads. It was a point of pride to sport the most perfectly arched ears and the Dhrovish adorned them properly to show off their shape. He knew that Elvhenkind often looked down upon the Dhrovish for their midnight complexions and their large, ungainly ears, but he thought they were overcompensating for their lack by harping on the subject. Besides, a good, large set of ears generally meant that the Dhrow was sporting something thick and meaty between his thighs.

Oh yes, Vulwin Valas had a massive set of ears.

The necklaces of gold followed and the many rings that adorned his fingers and toes were removed next. Then the human clothing was carefully pulled off and folded, the long tunic of black silk, the loose fitting pants, and the anklets with their tiny bells.

He wore no underpants — he couldn’t get used to that human concession — so he stood there naked save for the thick swirl of ornate gold rings that encircled the base of his cock, his chastity device.

He stepped back from the conjured table and turned his gaze to his king…

 

Have You Been Flashed?

It’s the question Stephanie Burke is asking. Stephanie is a multi-published, multi-award-winning wife and mother of two whose unparalleled imagination causes her no end of trouble. From sex shifting shape-shifting dragons to undersea worlds, up to sexually confused elemental fey and homoerotic mysteries, all the way to pastel challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.

Stephanie is co-founder of the charitable organization Write 4 Hope, co-creator of the Japanese Culture and Anime Convention Mikomicon, home-school mom, English tutor, an orator on her favorite subject of writing and world building, a sometimes teacher when you feed her enough coffee and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching more and varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.

Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and interracial stories that make the reader sit up and take notice.

You can find Stephanie at
TheFlashcat.net
Facebook.com/TheFlashCat
Flashycat2004@aol.com
Theflashcat.tumblr.com

 

 

The Leopard Prince by Raisa Greywood #NewRelease #PNR #scifi #shapeshifter #aliens @Raisa_Greywood @changelingpress

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I’ve accepted my mate and my leopard.
Can we protect our female from the evil pulling us apart?

 

Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Angela Knight
Genres/Themes: Futuristic, Paranormal, Scifi, Alien Encounters, Shapeshifters
Length: 107 pages

My brother is dead, executed at the hand of my beautiful and fierce snow leopard mate, Chen Daiyu. But Norkad was a pawn in a bigger game, and chose death over helping me protect my female. I want to resurrect him just to kill him all over again.

The bond between me and my elegant, deadly mate grows stronger every minute, until we know each other better than we know ourselves. She is perfection, body and spirit, and in her feral desires that heat the blood in my veins.

But there are those who would use my Daiyu for their own purposes. And when they take her from me, nothing will stand in the way of getting her back. For her, I would destroy worlds and dance in the ashes.

Get it Today at Changeling Press

 

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2018 Raisa Greywood

My leopard lounged in smug contentment in a corner of our shared mind, purring as she washed her paws.

“Gloating is unattractive,” I told her.

So is pouting. Why are you unhappy, Xīngān?

“I want to be left alone with my mate. There are too many demands on our time. Why can we not have a few days to ourselves?”

She laughed, knowing exactly what I wanted. It included a bed, a locked door, no comms, and definitely no clothes.

Be patient, little cub. You will have your whole lifetime to enjoy Dakar’s company once we finish our duties.

Heat blossomed in my belly as I thought of all the things I wanted to do to my delicious mate. Dakar inhaled sharply and glanced at me as our shuttle approached his ship, leaving the muddy ball of Earth behind us. His eyes darkened and he smirked, revealing the points of his canines. The sweet, musky perfume of his arousal filled my lungs and I hid a smirk. I wasn’t the only one who wanted that locked room.

The docking bay opened, its marker lights drawing a path into the belly of the ship. Akari whimpered behind us. I knew the eagle must be frightened, but I had no way of comforting her until we landed and the doors closed behind us. She was probably like most shifters; terrified and uncomfortable with confinement. The sensation must be worse for large birds.

My mother and sister would be able to help her. She would be more comfortable among female shifters. Jinjing’s calm presence would soothe her as well, but I doubted my sister by mating would leave Huang.

The bay doors closed behind us and the atmosphere equalized with a hiss of pressurized air. Dakar unfastened his harness and opened the shuttle doors. A male I didn’t recognize poked his head inside and grinned at Akari, but she hid her face behind the Dalai Lama.

“Welcome back, Commander. If you’ll step out, we’ll get you unloaded.” He disappeared from the door.

“Go ahead, and take the human with you. I’ll sit with Akari for a moment.”

Dakar blinked at me, giving me a questioning glance. “Are you –”

I glanced back at the young eagle. She was shaking badly and her pale skin darkened with the tracery of feathers. “I’m sure! We’re about to have a lot of trouble in here.”

He looked over my shoulder and frowned. “Miss Takamoto, I’m afraid you can’t shift in the shuttle.”

I growled and pushed him out. My leopard hissed and added a hard swat to his backside as he stumbled from the shuttle. Stubborn males! She chuffed out laughter as he stared at us from the deck. I’d have to apologize later.

“Akari, I’m sorry, but my mate is right. You can’t shift in the shuttle, but I know a place that will be big enough for you if you can hold it for a few more minutes.”

She exhaled, then wiped a hand over her face and stood up. “Yes, revered leopard. I’m ready.”

I took her hand and helped her step down from the shuttle. Males bustled everywhere and the noise of conversation and equipment was loud compared to the silence and peace of my home. I could hear Akari’s harsh breaths over the noise and the stench of her fear filled my nose.

She shifted several times as she tried to control her panic, making the males stop their work and stare. Their attention made her distress worse, and I wished I’d thought to clear the deck before taking her out.

Trying to control my irritation, I pushed my leopard’s strength out to encompass her in a bubble of peace. “Pick one shape, Akari. I don’t care what you do, but choose one and I will help you keep it.”

She whimpered one last time before settling on my arm, her feathers fluffed out to make her appear larger. I wished that I could hood her and tie jesses around her feet as the ancient falconers did. Her talons clenched tightly on my arm. The Ximeran fabric prevented them from digging into my flesh, though I knew she’d leave bruises.

She fought me with every step. Her immature body demanded that she protect herself against perceived threats. Her lack of control was worrisome and I knew we’d have to keep her secluded until she grew comfortable. I hurried through the corridors toward the holo, hoping I could keep her under control until we reached that place of safety.

Exhaustion from nearly twenty-four hours without rest made me irritable and easily angered. As the door shut behind us, I shook her from my arm. With a dismayed screech, she took to the air and perched on a branch above my head. I knew I shouldn’t take my aggravation out on her, but I was simply too tired to coddle her further.

“Someone will bring you food shortly, Akari. It will be a male, and I suggest very strongly that you don’t hurt him. You may hide if you wish.” Remembering the shy boy who served as the cook’s steward, I added, “Quite frankly, he’ll be more comfortable if he doesn’t see you. You will be confined here until you can regain control of your eagle.”

She flared her wings, clicking her beak angrily. I held my gaze on her until she settled, and said, “I’m sorry. I know you have troubles and I will speak with you later. Right now, I’m exhausted. My brother is badly injured, and I’ve insulted my mate. I must see them and rest before I can give you the attention you need.”

 

Raisa is an up-and-coming author of romance with a dark and naughty twist. Her heroes are sometimes flawed but always the alpha in the room, while her heroines are atypical and can take anything those bossy alphas dish out.

The one thing that Raisa most loves is tipping tropes on their ears and making fun of them. She also adores alliteration.

She’s lived all over the world but currently resides in the Midwestern United States with her husband, two irascible cats, and a big bay rescue horse.

Visit Raisa on her website!

Golden by Allyson Young #shifters #PNR #NewRelease #KindleUnlimited #99cents @allysonyoung45

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Golden: The Pride of Panthers 1

 

Trace da Costa is determined to unite the nomadic and unsocial panther shifters of the Americas in order to add their voice—as a pride—to that of the rest of the world’s shifters. Humans are aware shifters exist which has led to innumerable problems, especially threatening the survival of the solitary big cats.

His followers have already embraced the idea of mating and staying together to raise their cubs and when he finds his mate he must convince her of the rationale behind the change in tradition.

Aura Maas has no interest in males, aside from the occasional one night stand and even if Trace da Costa is her mate she isn’t willing to give up her lonely lifestyle, having become inured to it at an early age. She is well aware of the risks with no one to have her back and resistant to the idea of being responsible for another—especially a cub or two.

But she’s impossibly drawn to Trace and when danger strikes they make a formidable team. Not to mention how great the sex is. She agrees to commit for a month, against her better judgment because her cat has already accepted him and her human side is fighting a losing battle.

But there are other forces at work, from traditionalists to hunters and it’s only when she flees on instinct and Trace follows her that she accepts her fate. She is claimed by him—and him by her.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B07K8QMMTP

 

Excerpt:

“Where is she?” The tension in his voice betrayed his need.

Rock Gideon spoke from the side of his mouth. “Secured in the back room.”

His gut clenched as his entire body went on alert. “What do you mean, secured?”

“Tied, wrapped, and gagged. Secured. She should be waking up from the injection right about now.”

“You drugged and secured my mate.” A stupid man might have missed the dire warning in Trace’s tone. Rock was anything but.

Easing up on his elbows, the big male shook his hair from his eyes. Trace held his stare, their beasts close to the surface. The wolf broke first and dropped his gaze for an instant. “It took five of my pack to subdue her. Shade and Blaze are still recovering—in wolf form! It was a fucking bloodbath. Without the injection, you’d still be looking for her, and how I managed to administer that is a mystery.”

Despite the damage to Rock’s people, Trace couldn’t help but feel a frisson of arrogance and satisfaction. Aura Maas was worthy of him and his pride. Not that his loosely knit group of panthers were actually a pride, but they were still connected. And he required a mate to help bind them together before their kind faded into the mist. It was his lifelong ambition and one within his grasp.

He’d outlived his parents, and his sister… Well, he hadn’t given up hope for Ariana, not yet, but most everyone else had, and it was as if he was the last of his line. And so he was determined to build a larger family, both for safety and longevity of their species.

“I apologize for your trouble and offer my regards to your pack. I’ll also increase the prize money.”

With a huff, Rock turned back to his beer. His tone was admiring, if grudging. “Whoever tames that cat will have a lifetime of—”

Whatever the wolf thought Trace would have with Aura was clearly beyond his ability to describe. Trace hid a smug smile and said, “I’ll see her now.”

“Help yourself. Just keep between her and the fucking door once you cut her free.” Rock fished a key out of his shirt pocket. “New deadbolt. And the window is barred. We’ve kept … guests before.”

The information gave him pause but for a moment. Whomever Rock kept prisoner or in a way station wasn’t his business. The alpha wolf had a reputation of being on the up and up. Regardless, he didn’t have time to ponder. His mate awaited him.

 

About the Author:

Allyson Young aka Peri Elizabeth Scott lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada where she and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business.

She has always enjoyed the written word, and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. That was followed by a mix of spicy (Ally) and sweet (Peribeth) romances in various genres as well as a post-apocalyptic adventure without a lick of romance by Peribeth.

A bestselling Amazon author, a hybrid, and a coauthor, as of August 2018 she has published seven series and several standalones—all available on Amazon—with others in the works.

https://www.facebook.com/sweetnspicyauthor/

 

 

A Pack of His Own by Emily Carrington #PNR #UrbanFantasy #DarkFantasy #LGBT #GayRomance #NewRelease @CarringtonEmily @changelingpress

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A psychic vampire, werewolf, foxgod – and a mother-in-law?
How can they make time for anything else?

Publisher: Changeilng Press
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genres/Themes: Box Set, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy,
Elves Dragons & Magical Creatures, Gay, Shapeshifters, Vampires

A psychic vampire, werewolf, foxgod – and a mother-in-law? How can they make time for anything else?

Tangled Up in You: Retired SearchLight agent Jason Campbell finds himself compelled by a fox demigod who gets to him through the magical medium of music. As Jason falls deeply in love with Reynard, he discovers Reynard is slave to a monster. Jason struggles to free both Reynard and the fox-god’s son, but he must do so without weapons, without backup, and without all the facts, which could lead to death’s retirement.

A Very Psychic Vampire Christmas: Charlie and Luis, A werewolf and a psychic vampire, have been mated for two years according to werewolf custom. They’re planning to get married, to comply with psychic vampire tradition, as well. Unfortunately, the psychic vampire matriarch wants her son to stay away from his werewolf lover — and she’ll stop at nothing to break them up.

Get it Today at Changeling Press

Pre-Order for November 16th at Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and Kobo

 

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2018 Emily Carrington
Excerpt from Tangled Up in You

As commanded, Jason Campbell skipped through the wild flowers that divided his sister’s wheat field from the dirt lane.

No.

He walked. Neither shambling nor plodding, he walked. And although he had been ordered to “go skip in the daises” by his sister, he was only obeying because he wanted to be out of the house. He’d been in Kansas less than three hours, and he already wanted to run back to DC.

But nothing awaited him in Washington. The nation’s capital held nothing for him now that he’d been let go.

Jason stopped, head tilting as he caught the ringing, mournful sound of an acoustic guitar being strummed. He discounted it and kept walking. Any idiot could make the guitar sound what Jason called “surface beautiful,” meaning technically perfect but without a soul. It was a welcoming instrument, almost as easy as a child’s recorder and much more pleasant.

He stopped again, and he felt a slow smile stretch his mouth. The guitarist was plucking the instrument and making music. True and compelling runs of notes, like water over a fall. Jason nodded to the melody carried on the galloping accompaniment. He knew this one, and he began to sing softly.

“Papa, Papa, build me a boat
“That I might on the ocean float.
“To hail all ships as they pass by
“And to enquire for my darling boy.”

It was a griever’s song, full of loss and providing no promise of comfort. Jason loved it and would have, he told himself, even if he hadn’t been smarting from forced retirement.

He left the band of wildflowers and walked beside the dirt lane where only the occasional tractor passed. He would be trespassing in the neighbor’s field by following the music, but he had a hope that trespassing wasn’t as strictly watched and enforced here as in DC.

The melody rang over the broken chords, and the second verse flitted through Jason’s mind. He didn’t sing. It seemed blasphemous to cover the guitar’s voice with his own.

As we were out on the Eastern Isle
We lost four men
And your darling boy.

He entered another field of wheat, passing between the rows like a ghost, unseen and leaving little to no trace of his travels. Children of the Corn. He smirked briefly before letting it fall away. Child of the wheat is more to the point, but who ever heard of a horror story with that title? There were things that lived in corn fields. And wheat fields. Hungry things that called for human blood and were often sustained on birds and bugs while waiting for weary travelers.

Jason had killed some of them.

He shrugged the memories away and fixed his gaze on the single grain silo that lifted its head above the drowsy August world. There was a farmhouse beyond the structure but a good distance off, leaving the gray and cylindrical exclamation point all but alone.
The music seemed to be coming from the tower’s top. And impossible as that surely was — grain silos were places of storage, not sitting — Jason shielded his eyes and squinted, looking up for the first glimpse of the player.

“I’m too far away,” he whispered as the music left off “The Sailor Lad” and went into a skipping tangle of notes he didn’t recognize. “I can’t possibly see him. Or her.”

Still he peered, and much sooner than he would have thought, he’d reached the base of the grain silo. There was a broken ladder on its side, a rusted thing that hung in defiance of the building’s otherwise well-tended look.

He began circling the massive cylinder, searching for another way up. Because the music was definitely coming from above him, and he needed to find the guitarist. He needed to.

And while he sought, the laughing melody went on.

* * *

Reynard sensed the gnat far below, and his heart ached. He fell into a faster rhythm in an attempt to relieve the pain. Go away, he thought at the gnat who was really an innocent of some kind. A human innocent of some kind. Go away. Save yourself. Not that he was dangerous on his own, but he was bound to a ravenous beast.

“Go away, go away,” he chanted against the plucking of his right hand. “Go away, go,” he muttered as his left hand found chord after chord and changed, without Reynard’s conscious desire, to another depressing ballad. This one was without words, and Reynard hated the silence left when he quit speaking.

He purposely changed the music and, unable to keep away from the mildly dirge-like, began making up one of his own.

“Fly, little, fly, little,
“Fly, little bird.
“Far away from me,
“Far away from him,
“Far from your own desires.”

That wasn’t half bad, and Reynard went on:

“Run, little, run, little
“Run, little bear.
“Dangerous parents you have.
“Dangerous you will become,
“But dangerous I am.
“Run. Run. Run.”

But the gnat — the man — was now prodding at the ladder below. If he kept doing that, he would discover the silo’s secret. Then there would be little Reynard could do to keep him away. To keep him safe.

He bent a touch more magic into the song, hoping it would affect the man as his first attempt with small magic had not. And he sang.

“Creep, little, creep, little,
“Creep, little gnat
“Far from me.
“Far from here.
“Far from your death.”

For an instant, this seemed to work. The man hesitated with his hands not quite resting on the invisible rungs of the ladder that only looked rusted.

Then he began to climb.

He did it fast, as if he was afraid he’d rethink his actions. Or maybe, Reynard decided when he caught a glimpse of the man’s briefly upturned face, as if he had climbed invisible ladders before. The act might be completely commonplace.

What sort of man is this? Reynard stepped back from his window as the stranger neared. Why isn’t he affected by my music, by my magic? A frisson of excitement rushed to the ends of all his fingers and curled his toes. There had never been a mere mortal able to resist him. Who was this man?

Maybe he isn’t a mere mortal human. But when Reynard had sent out his magic to stop the stranger, he had felt no answering magic. The immune newcomer was as mundane as sliced bread.

He allowed himself a brief smile as the memory of his childhood, years without sliced bread, years of loaves never precut, flitted through his mind. He’d lived long enough to see something that had once seemed ostentatious become common. This man, too, might become the accepted thing.

But not now, he thought, as the stranger climbed through the window and stood in the same room with Reynard in spite of the “go away” melody. Now he is a miracle.

Reynard bowed, not wondering at his sudden desire to be formal. “Welcome.” That sounded as if he’d expected the man. “You are a surprise.” That sounded rude. Quit analyzing your words and say something that is truly you. “You are welcome here, miraculous stranger.” That at least seemed like him, even if it remained overly formal.

The average-looking man returned his bow. “Thank you. I am Jason Campbell.”

Weren’t names a thing of power? Yes, but this man seemed unafraid of that.

 

Emily Carrington has been writing m/m erotic romance (specializing in urban fantasy) since 2010. She is currently branching out into the other letters of the LGBTQ rainbow. She lives in Maryland with her guide dog. For short stories about the main and side characters in her books, please visit her website.

Website: emilycarrington.com/

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/4619715.Emily_Carrington

Facebook: facebook.com/emily.carrington.370

Twitter: twitter.com/CarringtonEmily

Stray Cats by Megan Slayer #PNR #UrbanFantasy #shifters @changelingpress @MeganSlayer

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Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genre(s): Paranormal, Romance
Theme(s): Shapeshifters (Other), Magic

 

He’s got cat class and cat style — she’s got the flash. Together they’ll create magic.

 

Hildegard’s given kittens to a few special young women, but her cats aren’t all they seem. Each skeptical owner plus her affectionate shifter equals love cat-style — but will love prevail over the evil threatening to kill their furry best friends?

Together these cat shifters and a very special witch will create magic.

 

Copyright ©2016 Megan Slayer
Excerpt from Cat Class

“If I don’t let Godzilla out, I won’t have curtains. Again.” Hayden stepped outside the restaurant and jabbed the numbers on her phone to call her friend, Cole. She needed a ride home.

She clutched her pepper spray in one hand and her purse in the other. No way she’d let some creep-o terrorize her. “I’ve got to get to Godzilla,” she chanted as she waited for her friend to pick up the phone. “I never should’ve let that asshole take me out. Damn grabby hands.” Visions of shredded curtains and one pissed off black cat came to mind. But just like a dog or his monster namesake, if he didn’t have time to wander around the backyard, he destroyed things in her house.

“You never should’ve gone to lunch with him,” a voice said. “Not on Halloween.”

Hayden screamed and whipped around, her purse leading the way. If she was going down, she’d go down swinging. “Who the hell are you?”

The person who’d spoken stepped out of the shadows. “Chill.” He put both hands up. “I’m not armed.”

Hayden inched closer to get a better look at him. Dear God in Heaven, the man was naked and in front of a restaurant full of people. Her gaze roved down his lean torso to the thatch of black hair at the base of his cock. She swallowed hard. Naturally, the crazy man would be good looking. Her luck didn’t run any other way.

“Hayden, honey, I don’t want to hurt you.”

A shiver ran up her spine. Didn’t want to hurt her? How the fuck did he know her name? “Who are you?”

“Godzilla. It’s a stupid name for a cat. My brother would be named Godzilla. He likes to bite and scratch. Although, naming him Fang worked, too. Hildy thinks it’s funny to name us after things we do.” He shrugged. “I just destroyed that set of curtains by accident. I never meant to piss you off.” The man folded his arms. His black hair shimmered, and his eyes glowed the same shade of green as her cat’s. He even had the same odd way of staring at her as if he knew what she was thinking, and he talked like he knew all about her cat.

“Do you want my purse?” She stuck out her hands. “Take it.” The guy might remind her of her cat, but cat shifters were the stuff of legend. Besides, didn’t Halloween bring out the crazies? Yes, he was some lunatic in character trying to scare the shit out of her… and it was working. She shivered. “Take it.”

“I’m taking you home.” He swatted her hands down. “There’s a long story I need to tell you, but the short of it is, yes, I’m a shifter. I chose you as my human, and now I’d like to go home and explain where you won’t freak out.” He inched toward her. “I won’t hurt you, but I will rip the limbs off the asshole who dicked you over at lunch. Now let’s go. It’s freezing, and I’m not fond of showing my ass off in public.”

“No.” She held her ground. “I don’t know you from Adam and you want me to take you home? No way, buddy. Blow.”

“Now that’s just mean.” He scratched his brow. “Okay, look, I come from a long line of shifters. Black cat shifters. My litter had four. Hildy knew about us and protected us from a scientist who would like to use me for some crazy-ass experiment. Somehow she knew you needed me. I’m glad you took me home because I knew you were the one for me.” He stepped closer to her. “Hayden, I need your help. We aren’t legend, and some bad people know about me. You’ve got to help me.”

He crouched down before her and curled into a ball. His human form morphed into a cat. After a moment, the cat sat on his back legs and stared up at her. He even had the tiny white tuft on his chest — the same tiny white tuft like Godzilla had.

“Godzilla?” Hayden swayed on her feet. This wasn’t happening. Her cat was a cat, not a shifter. She collapsed on the nearest bench and rested her head in her hands.

A pair of bare feet strode over to her. She glanced at the legs connected to the feet. The man squatted down in front of her. The mystery man who claimed to be her cat. Tears blurred in her eyes. What else could she do? Laugh or cry?

“Hayden, honey, shifting destroys my clothes.” He tipped his head to look her in the eye. “Let’s go home. I’ll explain everything there. I’ll show you what I am.”

 

 

#NewRelease – Their Chance at Redemption @Maiadylanauthor @evernightpub #shapeshifters #PNR #eroticromance

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Thank you, for hosting me for, Their Chance at Redemption – Retribution 2. This book released in January with Evernight Publishing.  If your readers would like to they can post questions to me on Twitter tag me using @Maiadylanauthor and I will answer them as I see them.

She was their greatest chance at redemption.  They were her greatest hope for survivial.

 

Purchase Links:

AMAZON UK:  http://amzn.eu/ggaYLhx

AMAZON AU:  http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01JB8JY6W

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EVERNIGHT:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/their-chance-at-redemption-by-maia-dylan/

 

Kieran Murphy knew that Josie Cadman was important to him from the moment he saved her from a mad man. The only thing stopping him from claiming her was the fact she wasn’t his mate.

Josie convinced herself that what she felt for Kieran was nothing more than hero worship. Hearing that he’d found what he was looking for, and it wasn’t her, made it painfully clear that no matter what her feelings, they simply weren’t reciprocated.

When she bumps into Liam McMurtrie, literally, Josie starts to believe that perhaps there might be an alternative option. It’s not until the three of them cross paths in the heat of another battle on the streets of Chicago, that their true fate is revealed.

Can the three of them deal with another mafia mad man hell bent on destroying their lives and still find their way to a future together? Or will they lose their chance at redemption?

**erotic romance, ménage a trois, paranormal, shape-shifter, anal sex, double penetration

 

EXCERPT

“Josie,” Violet said the name out of the blue, and immediately the image of the woman popped into his mind, her blonde pixie haircut giving her a look of sexy sass and, combined with her full lips and startling blue eyes, took his breath away.

“Aha!” Violet exclaimed excitedly, pointing a finger up at him accusingly. “This melancholy vibe you got going on has nothing to do with the challenges this city faces from Santiago’s douchebag replacement heading this way, and everything to do with Josie Cadman. I knew you had the hots for her, and I totally know she’s jonesing for you, so what’s the holdup? Let’s get to the mating, claiming, biting stage of your relationship so I can get me some female companionship around here. There is way too much—um, wait. What’s that look for?”

Kieran had winced when Violet had talked about mating and claiming Josie, and there was a very good damn reason for that. Josie was not his mate, at least not in the true shifter sense of the word. As soon as he had walked into that warehouse four months ago to face Santiago and help Violet rescue Josie, he had wanted Josie for his own. Everything within him screamed that she was theirs—hell, even his damn lion roared with the need to make her his. But the mating bond had not formed. Her scent, an alluring mix of honeysuckle and citrus, called to him for sure, but there was no connection within him that signaled that she was the one woman destined to be his. From what he had been told, there was no missing that when it happened. How could she be his if there was no bond?

“Fuck me sideways,” Violet said gently, stepping back with a look of pure horror on her face. “Forget everything I just said then about, you know the whole mating thing and the fact that Josie is jonesing for some lion loving, because that just might have been a breach of the damn sisterhood code. Nope, not ruining one of the only two female friendships I have, no siree! You just forget I said anything about it and—”

Kieran’s frustrated growl erupted, and Violet stopped rambling. The last thing he needed was for her to go running back to Josie and telling her that Kieran felt nothing for her. “Christ, woman, would you let a man get a word in? Josie is a beautiful, amazing, strong woman that any man would be proud to call his. I would have to be dead from the fucking waist down not to feel anything for her, and she would have to be completely blind and oblivious not to see my reaction to her every damn time she walks into a room.”

Violet frowned. “Then there is something else going on here, because I’m not stupid and have seen the way you both look at each other. Hell, there has been more than one occasion I’ve had to go find my mates for a little somethin’ somethin’ in the afternoon from the sexual tension the two of you give off, if you know what I mean. And if you don’t, I mean in the sexual kinda way.”

Kieran groaned, closing his eyes for a moment. “God damn it, Violet, there’s a visual I just did not need in my day.”

“Then what the hell is the problem?”

Kieran sighed, an ache forming in his chest. “She’s not my mate.” Violet’s eyes widened in surprise. “When a shifter finds the one the Fates have destined for them, they experience a physical reaction. Their scent draws them like nothing else, and their entire being shakes with the knowledge that they have found their mate. It is rare for a shifter who is an only child to find their mate, but I know I have one. Somewhere out there, she exists. I don’t know how I know that, but I do. But it’s not Josie. Despite wanting her with everything within me, I experienced nothing to indicate she is my mate. Without that, then I run the risk of connecting to her, coming to love her, and maybe, if I am the luckiest son of a bitch on the face of the planet, convincing her to fall in love with me. Then what happens if I meet the woman the fates have destined for me? What then, Violet? Because I am all outta answers. I will end up ripping Josie’s heart out, and probably my own at the same time. I can’t do that. Not to her. She’s lost too much.”

Josie had lost a lot during this damn war. Both her parents had been killed and her sister was missing, presumed a victim of one of Santiago’s human trafficking rings. Kieran had been telling himself since her rescue that he had been taking care of her. That his daily visits were a chance to simply ensure the safety and protection of a woman who had helped him and his pride rid the city of Santiago. But if he were honest with himself, it was because he couldn’t stand for a day to go by without having just a slice of her in his life.

Violet took a deep breath, and Kieran hated the flash of pity that flickered across her expression. “You’re a good man, Kieran Murphy.” Kieran cringed at the words no man ever wanted to hear from a beautiful woman. Sure, she was mated to two of his pride, but the premise remained true. “No, I mean that. My experience with males hasn’t been the best. Other than my Poppa and my mates, there haven’t exactly been a huge number of male role models in my life. But I’m gonna add you to that list, Alpha Kitty. It must be hard to not act on that attraction when you have to know that it is returned.”

Kieran nodded quietly. “You have no idea.”

© MAIA DYLAN, EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING, 2016

 

ALL ABOUT MAIA DYLAN

Mother, wife, author, and all around crazy…

I write the kind of books that I love to read. Love stories between strong men and their independent soulmates. Usually, their path to Happily Ever After is a bumpy one, but there is always a Happy Ever After.

In the world’s I create there is someone (or two, or three) for everyone!  Love comes in many forms and I believe it is all beautiful and should be celebrated!

I live, love and write in New Zealand, married to my husband of eleven years with two beautiful children who I truly believe were sent as a blessing, but sometimes to try my patience, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

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#NewRelease – Chasing Christmas @AuthorDulce @changelingpress #LGBTQ #Christmas #romance

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Genre: Paranormal
Themes: Christmas, New Adult, Gay, Shapeshifter
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Publisher: Changeling Press

College senior and ocelot shifter Beck Prescott is home for the holidays, but there’s only one present he wants to find under his tree — his sexy neighbor, Chris Wilcox. Even though the wolf shifter is older than Beck, Beck knows they’re destined to be together.

Getting Chris to agree is another matter, but Christmas is the time for miracles, and Beck thinks this is the year he may get his fondest wish. A mate.

Available Now at Changeling Press

Pre-Order for December 8th at Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and Kobo

Excerpt

Beck Prescott couldn’t decide if he was elated to be home because it meant spying on his super sexy neighbor, or being filled with dread because he knew his parents would ask, once more, if he’d found his mate. Truth be told, he’d known since he was sixteen who his mate was, but he had fuck all chance of landing the sexy beast. Their neighbor, Chris Wilcox, hardly knew he existed. They’d barely spoken aside from a random hello here and there over the years. And was it any wonder? Chris had to be close to his parents’ age. Not that he looked a day over thirty, despite the silver at his temples.

He peered through his bedroom window and into the house next door. It just happened to be that Chris’s bedroom was directly across from Beck’s, which had been both a pleasure and a torture for the last five years. The object of his obsession was doing pull-ups in the bedroom doorway, his abs rippling with the movement. Beck licked his lips and pressed his hand against the growing erection in his jeans. It wasn’t the first time he’d wondered what it would feel like to be held by such strong arms. The few guys he’d been with couldn’t compare.

Chris did several more pull-ups before dropping to the ground and grabbing a nearby towel to wipe the sweat from his face and body. Beck wondered where Paul was — Chris’s significant other. Even though he knew Paul sometimes went out of town for business, it seemed odd he’d be gone during the holidays.

“Beck!” his mother yelled up the stairs. “I know you’re here. Your car is in the driveway.”

He sighed and pushed away from the window, making his way downstairs. His mother stood at the bottom, her arms folded and her foot tapping. The look of displeasure on her face was completely his doing, mostly because he’d been avoiding her.

“Were you going to hide up there until you starved?” she asked.

“I was going to come tell you hello,” Beck said. “I needed to put my things away.” And do a little drooling over Mr. Sexy.

“Your father and I have to go out tonight. A dinner with his law firm,” his mom said. “I’ve made some spaghetti and it’s in the fridge. All you have to do is warm it up. There’s a loaf of Italian bread in the pantry, if you’d like some to go with it.”

“You didn’t have to cook for me if you had plans,” Beck said. “I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

She patted his cheek. “You’ll always be my baby boy. I’m going to be busy the next few days planning the Christmas Eve party, so I won’t get to spend much time with you until Christmas Day.”

“It’s fine, Mom. I know how to entertain myself.” Mostly by looking out his bedroom window. “Besides, we’ll have almost a full week after the party before I have to return to campus.”

“I’ve delivered all of the invitations except one,” his mom said. “Will you take this one over to Mr. Wilcox? I’ve been in such a rush I overlooked it.”

She handed him a red envelope with silver writing across the front. Beck took the invitation and smoothed a hand down his wrinkled shirt. He grabbed his leather coat off the hook by the door and pulled it on before stepping out into the snow. Little did his mother realize she’d just given him the best present ever: a reason to talk to their neighbor.

Beck trudged through the ankle-deep snow and walked up the icy steps of Chris Wilcox’s home. He rang the bell and waited, stomping his feet to keep the blood flowing. Shifter or not, it was damn cold outside.

The door swung open and a shirtless Chris stood in the doorway. “Beck. I didn’t realize you were back home.”

“Christmas break, but it’s my senior year, so it won’t be long before I’m back for good. Or at least until I get my own place.”

Chris nodded. “You’re what? Twenty-one now?”

“Only for another month.” Beck held out the envelope. “Mom wanted me to bring this by. It’s your invitation to the Christmas Eve party she throws every year.”

Chris reached out to take it, his fingers brushing against Beck’s. It was enough to make the young shifter shiver, and not from the cold. Chris’s gaze raked over him as he opened the envelope. He scanned the contents of the invitation and frowned a little.

“I’m afraid Paul will not be attending with me,” Chris said.

“Is Mr. Murphy out of town?” Beck asked.

“Yes. Indefinitely.” Chris’s gaze locked on his. “Paul and I are no longer together.”

Beck’s heart leapt at the words, but he tried to hide his excitement. “I’m sorry. I know the two of you were together a long time.”

Chris shrugged. “He found his mate.”

“Maybe you’ll find yours,” Beck said, his voice low as he held the older shifter’s gaze. Beck thought it might be his imagination, but the shifter’s eyes seem to warm as he stared back. He wondered what it would take to not only gain the attention of someone like Chris, but to hold it.

#NewRelease – A Shifter Concern by @AuthorDulce @changelingpress #GayRomance #LGBTQ #PNR

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There’s a killer on the loose in New York City, and it’s up to shifter agents Akoni Kekoa and Naoko Gima to solve the case. The body count is rising and the pressure is on as the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs demands resolution.

Now is definitely not the time for personal issues to arise, but when they find their mate living out of a box in an alley, they can’t turn their backs on him. Slater is wary, and they can’t blame him — but with some luck they’ll not only win their human mate’s heart, but stop a rogue shifter before he kills again.

Little do they realize their present and their mate’s past would collide so violently. When they take Slater into their home, they never dream it will lead the killer right to their door.

Available Today from Changeling Press

Pre-Order for 11/24 from Amazon, B&N, iTunes, or Kobo

Excerpt

“I don’t like this case,” Naoko said. “Something doesn’t feel right about it.”

“Yeah, it’s leaving an icy chill down my spine. We’ve solved plenty of murders, but this time it’s different. I don’t like that it’s a rogue. He could tear apart the country before he’s caught. This asshole is methodical. The way the crime is devoid of any evidence that could give us a lead suggests that he’s either cleaning up after himself or he’s careful not to leave any clues to begin with. You almost have to wonder if he plans the murders before the sex even happens.”

“Think we’ll have any better luck than the previous agents?” Naoko asked.

“At this point, I’m thinking no. Not unless the M.E. finds something new, or another murder happens and he leaves more evidence. Each crime scene is too damn clean except for his smell and DNA, neither of which do us much good. Can you imagine trying to track a scent in this city? Fuck, most days it smells so bad I wish my nose didn’t work.”

Naoko nodded. “Tokyo is much the same. Too many people.”

Akoni pulled into a parking space on the corner a block down from their favorite cafe — a minor miracle. If driving in New York was a nightmare, parking was usually even worse. If the city weren’t so damn big, he’d just walk everywhere. Being a shifter, it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle a bit of walking.

He locked the car and they pushed through the crowd on the sidewalk. It was impossible to walk in the city without being shoulder to shoulder with a stranger. He’d often questioned his sanity in moving to such a place, and sometimes thought about going back home. Then another case would land on his desk and he’d remember his skills were put to better use here.

The cafe was crowded when they stepped inside and they had to wait twenty minutes before a table was ready for them.

Akoni didn’t even look at the menu since he ordered the same thing every time they ate here. Naoko perused the selection before setting his menu aside.

“You’re getting the Reuben, aren’t you?” he asked Naoko.

“Of course.”

“Then why look at the menu?”

“They might have added something new,” Naoko said. “Besides, something else might have looked good today.”

Akoni snorted. “Face it. You’re like me and eat the same damn thing every time we come here. The regular wait staff even knows our order by heart.”

Naoko smiled. “Are you saying we’re getting too predictable? Maybe we should order something else, just to throw them off.”

Akoni chuckled. “No thanks. My stomach is settled on having a club on rye with broccoli cheese soup.”

Their favorite waitress made her way over to their table. “Morning, agents. Same as usual?”

“Morning, Bethany,” Akoni said. “Yeah, we want the usual. Can I get an extra pickle though?”

“You bet.” She smiled. “Just water for both of you, or can I tempt you with some soda or tea?”

“Water for me,” Akoni said.

“I think I’ll actually have a lemonade today,” Naoko said. “Something tart would hit the spot.”

Bethany scribbled down their order and headed for the kitchen.

Akoni yawned and cracked his neck.

“I told you last night to let me take care of that for you,” Naoko said.

“It’s just stress.”

Naoko snorted. “If it was just stress, you would be fine right now. We spent a good hour relieving stress as I recall.”

Akoni smiled.

“No arguments tonight. I’m rubbing your neck and putting some Icy Hot on it before bed. You probably need a chiropractor. I bet you’re out of alignment.”

“That shit stinks.”

Naoko growled softly at him. “You will take care of yourself or allow me to do it. The last thing we need is to have you out of commission because you were too damn stubborn to see a doctor or get a little TLC.”

“I had plenty of TLC last night.”

Naoko’s lips twitched. “I meant of a non-intimate nature. Although, I’m happy to offer that kind any time you’d like. There’s a perfectly good bathroom down the hall right now.”

Akoni’s eyebrows went up. “Are you suggesting that we play while on the job? Shame on you. First time we’re caught fooling around, while we’re on the clock, they’ll assign us different partners. It would be different if one of us was having a heat cycle, but last time I checked, it’s not the right time of year for either of us.”

Naoko sighed. “Fine. Take the fun out of my day.”

Their food arrived and Akoni attacked his with gusto. His stomach was growling so loudly he was surprised they hadn’t thought a bear was loose in the restaurant. Naoko regarded him with some humor as he took small bites of his sandwich in a more leisurely manner. Akoni swore his mate could be starving to death and his manners would still win out. It both fascinated and confounded him.

Naoko wiped his mouth with his napkin, but Akoni didn’t see the point. It wasn’t like food would dare leave his mate’s face a mess. He could even eat spaghetti without a speck of sauce landing on his chin or his clothes. Akoni, on the other hand, practically needed a drop cloth to eat the stuff. His mate had often compared his eating habits to that of a cub still learning to feed himself. Instead of being offended, he’d laughed it off. He was a messy eater and knew it.

They finished their meal and left enough money on the table to cover the bill and a tip. Pushing back from the table, Akoni made his way to the restroom to clean up. He splashed cool water on his face and washed his hands. A noise caught his attention and he pricked his ears. It sounded like shuffling on the other side of the wall, the wall that faced the back alley. Probably just a vagrant or a bunch of rats, but it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.

Naoko was waiting for him by the front door, and as they stepped outside, he motioned for his mate to follow him around the corner. Despite the sun shining brightly, the alley was dim. The narrow strip of concrete between the cafÈ and the building next door smelled like rotten garbage and human refuse. His nose wrinkled as they advanced down the alley.

Movement caught his eye as someone ducked into a large cardboard box. It wasn’t uncommon to find homeless people living in alleys in New York, but there was something about the situation that felt different. The shuffling sound reached his ears again and he realized it was the person in the box. Stopping in front of it, he tapped on the top. “Bureau of Paranormal Affairs. Please step out of the box.”

There was more shuffling and then a head of auburn hair appeared. When the man stood, he was nearly as tall as Akoni, but not quite as broad. Blue eyes stared at him defiantly. The man had dirt smeared on his skin and his unwashed smell filled the air.

“You have no jurisdiction over me,” the man said.

Akoni sniffed at him. “Human.”

The auburn haired man nodded. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Akoni’s brow furrowed and he leaned in again, getting a better sniff, trying to go past the smell of unwashed body, trash, and urine. With a soft growl, he felt his wolf rise inside of him. Naoko placed a hand on his arm.

“Easy,” his mate said.

“Mate,” Akoni said, his voice a near growl.

Naoko looked at him in surprise, then leaned in to sniff the human. Surprise registered on his face and Akoni knew he smelled it too. Whoever this human was, he belonged with them. He just wasn’t sure how to get the human to come with them. It wasn’t safe for him to remain on the streets, not with a rogue shifter on the loose.

“What do you mean by mate?” the human asked. There was distrust and uncertainty in his eyes.

“What my not so eloquent partner and mate is trying to say is that you belong with us. You’re our mate,” Naoko said.

The human snorted. “Yeah, sure I am. Next thing you’ll tell me is that you’ll take care of me as long as I’m willing to perform sexual favors.”

Akoni rumbled again, his fangs lengthening. “Someone propositioned you?”

“At least once a day,” the human said.

The defiant stance told Akoni that he expected the same of them. The wolf didn’t know how to get the human to trust them, but if they could just get him home, then maybe he would see they only wanted to take care of him.

About the Author

With an overactive imagination and a penchant for making up stories, was it any wonder Dulce Dennison decided to be an author? From cowboys to shapeshifters, she has a story for them all, but her passion lies in writing m/m romances. Dulce believes in love in all shapes and sizes, and that everyone deserves a happily-ever-after.

Married since 2000 to a man she isn’t sure is quite human, her husband and children (which she fondly calls the demon spawn) keep her busy, but never too busy to write. Is there such a thing as too busy to write? Most mornings you can find Dulce set up with her laptop, a cat curled up next to her, and a steaming cup of coffee just an arm’s reach away.

Dulce loves to hear from her readers! You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter or visit her website at dulcedennisonauthor.weebly.com. You can also sign up for her Newsletter for information on sales and new releases!