Summary:
Hunter Beaumont doesn't understand his grandmother's deathbed wish: "Destroy Beaumont House." He'd never even heard of the place. But after his grandmother passes and his first love betrays him, the family house in the Wisconsin woods looks like a tempting refuge. Going against his grandmother's wishes, Hunter flees to Beaumont House.
But will the house be the sanctuary he had hoped for? Soon after moving in, Hunter realizes he may not be alone. And who -- or what -- he shares the house may plunge him into a nightmare from which he may never escape.
Sparks fly when he meets his handsome neighbor, a caretaker for the estate next door, but is the man salvation...or is he the source of Hunter's terror?
OMG! A Demon Inside is just as, if not more so, creepy as it was 4 years ago. I'm really not going to say anymore than I did in my original review, I don't want to give anything away to any new readers. I'll say this, Demon was my first Rick R Reed book and it was not my last, he has a way of blending heart and creep with just the right flavor of mystery to create not only a great story but a world you get sucked into. You feel every bump in the night, hear every body-less whisper, think every did-I-see-that, did-I-hear-that, did-that-happen? moment. If you love being scared then A Demon Inside is definitely a read for you.
Original Review October 2016:
First off, the fact that most of this story is set in Wisconsin was a real upside for me. As a Wisconsinite, it's always a thrill to read stories set in my state, it's not one often used and on top of that, one of my college advisors has written many books about haunted Wisconsin, we even have one here in my hometown, so the location is just an added bonus. Now, back to A Demon Inside, this is the first book by Rick R Reed that I have read and well, let's just say it won't be the last. To say Hunter Beaumont's life will never be the same when he doesn't follow his grandmother's dying wish to destroy Beaumont House is an understatement. A Demon Inside is creepy, weird, and just plain scary but there's also a little romance which may seem out of place in such a dark story but truthfully, it only heightens the freak out factor. Along with the Wisconsin connection, I'm a bit of an introvert myself so I felt for Hunter immediately and understood so much of what his inner monologue was saying. A great addition to my Halloween/paranormal shelf.
RATING:
Summary:
There are many kinds of monster that walk the Earth. Some are ugly. Others speak beautiful words through forked tongues. But the worst possess the grace of angels, and the hearts of demons.
Upperclassman Conall is rich, impeccably dressed, and set for a prestigious career in the Party hierarchy. He doesn’t lack for anything—except, maybe, love.
When he finds Mark, alone, abandoned and hurt, he doesn’t expect one act of kindness to alter the course of his life forever. There is more to Mark than Conall can even dream of. The beautiful, vulnerable boy Conall knows is not human. A dark power lies within Mark—it can make him immortal... but love might be the price.
Fallen Love has dark magic, sweet romance, and lots of action.
Summary:
Moonrise will never be the same.
A werewolf with a death wish bargains with a hunter for salvation.
Justin has spent several lifetimes atoning for the violent nature of his curse. A mindless angry beast several nights a month, he carries a burden of blood for past sins. Tired and lonely, he’s seeking an end to his torment.
Vincent bears the curse, though only by half. A hybrid, he hunts those of his brethren who let their monsters take over. And he’s hell bent on destroying them all, until he's forced to deal with one who’s begging for peace. Except deliverance wears many guises.
Their desire for redemption erupts in a fiery passion drawing them closer together.
Summary:
Angel Hills Pack #1
Emotions run high when five omegas are traded to the Angel Hills Pack, which has suffered a decline in population after an illness killed a fourth of its wolves.
Emotions run high when five omegas are traded to the Angel Hills Pack, which has suffered a decline in population after an illness killed a fourth of its wolves.
After a previous mating Justin would rather forget, he’s happy to leave his old compound and start afresh. A part of him hopes the gorgeous second-in-command alpha, Milo, will choose him for a mate. As memories of his life with Stone haunt his dreams, Justin struggles to make the right decision for himself as well as his four pups.
Gabriel doesn’t want to mate at all, but as one of the traded omegas, he knows he doesn’t have a choice. He just hopes he’ll end up with a beta and not an alpha. How does he feel when he’s mated to both? Grey is the pack alpha of Angel Hills and he and his baron beta, Ian, want to start a family to continue the dynasty. Is that all they want Gabriel for, a breeding machine?
When an intruder is detected in the compound, everyone is on high alert, especially as the new arrival proves remarkably adept at remaining hidden. Will the newly-created mating bonds be strong enough, or will rancor and bitterness win out?
Summary:
Being called upon to pull Santa’s sleigh is an honour for any reindeer shifter, but for Dashiel the timing couldn’t be worse.
Stuart was looking forward to his Christmas Eve date with Dashiel, only to have him cancel at the last minute. He puts his disappointment aside and instead focuses on making his younger brother’s Christmas as wonderful as it can be, despite the loss of their parents the previous winter.
While flying over his home town, Dashiel spots a young boy on the streets, and he knows he has to help. When the young runaway turns out to be his date’s little brother, he brings him on board the sleigh, determined to see him safely home to Stuart.
Can a reindeer shifter pull Santa’s sleigh, reunite two brothers, and find love this Christmas?
This is just an amazingly cute sweet holiday tale. I always love it when authors play around with known legends and give it their own little fresh spin. In Sleigh Duty, we find Dashiel having finally asked out his workplace crush on a date only to find out he's been called to the North Pole for sleigh duty. Throw in a badly timed background statement from a fellow reindeer shifter and his crush, Stuart, suddenly thinks he's off having some fun-fun time instead of going on that date. Stuart thought this one was different but then he heard otherwise, or at least he jumped to the conclusion without inquiring(something his grandparents call him on later). I can't forget Stuart's little brother, Sammy because he absolutely adorable. Sammy's probably well on his way to being like his brother and jumping to conclusions one day but his late night adventure changes everyone.
Sleigh Duty is a short novella about faith in others, believing in what you don't see, and family that will open your heart to all the joys of the season. That makes it sound incredibly deep, well maybe parts are a bit but in a good way, but mostly this is just fun and it certainly ticked all my #ChristmasReads boxes. Definitely one not to be missed this holiday season and if your list is already too long then be sure you mark it for later when you need to be reminded of the magic that is all around at Christmastime.
RATING: 
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Random Paranormal Tales of 2020
A Demon Inside by Rick R Reed
But there was someone. A very handsome, strapping someone who was staring down at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. The man was about Hunter's own age but tall, well over six feet, with broad shoulders, curly, unkempt blond hair, a full beard, and the most piercing blue eyes Hunter had ever seen.
"Are you okay?"
The guy squatted down next to him. Hunter smelled wood smoke.
Hunter tried to stand, but his legs failed him. The day, so far, had been too much. He fell back on his ass and smiled at the guy, realizing he must look every bit the lunatic he worried he was.
"What happened?" The guy's gaze drifted toward Hunter's hand, still buried in the snow.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"I pulled a pan off the stove without a hot pad is all." Hunter found the coordination to stand, brushing wet snow off his ass. What was this guy doing in his backyard, anyway? "And you are?"
"I'm sorry. My name's Michael Burt. I work on the Beasley place next door. Caretaker, general handyman, and jack-of-everything-else." He nodded back toward a place behind Beaumont House, and Hunter suddenly remembered the little cottage he had seen on his first visit.
Hunter didn't know if he was up for making chitchat with a neighbor, not after all that had gone on today. And what had gone on, anyway? He looked at Michael Burt, wanting to speak, but the facility for language seemed to have momentarily deserted him.
Michael smiled, giving Hunter a glimpse of perfect white teeth with a tiny gap between the front two. This little bit of imperfection only served to make the man better looking. He furrowed his brows. "Is something wrong? You look like -- well, you should pardon the cliché -- you look like you've seen a ghost."
Hunter wondered if he should tell Michael about his day so far. Would he think him insane? Or better yet, was the perpetrator of his sparkling clean and ordered house standing right before him, maybe amused by Hunter's discomfort and fear? He hoped not. He had run away from people doing bad things to him. It would be just his luck if he'd only run to a place where worse things were done. But if Michael Burt hadn't unpacked for him, who had?
The thought of a human perpetrator was much more comforting, really, than the alternative.
Hunter found his voice. "I just moved in." He cocked his head. "And the oddest thing happened when I got up today."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I had all this unpacking to do and furniture to place, but when I came downstairs, it had already been done for me. Isn't that weird?" Hunter forced Michael's gaze to meet his own. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"What do you mean? What would I know? I just saw you moving in yesterday. Today I was out back and saw you come outside. Thought I'd come over and introduce myself."
"You didn't have anything to do with it? Really?" Hunter felt his heart begin to beat a little faster. He realized he wanted Michael Burt to laugh and put his hands up in a gesture of surrender and say something like "You got me" or "We have some strange customs up here in Wisconsin."
But he didn't. "Um ... no. I wouldn't presume to go inside your house without an invitation. And as much as I'd like to welcome you to the 'hood, such as it is, I really don't have the time to do what you described. I've been on the phone and the computer most of the morning, taking care of some medical bills for Mr. Beasley. I just came out for a smoke -- I know, filthy habit -- when I saw you."
If Michael Burt was lying, he was a damn good actor. And Hunter couldn't really press the man, but what other explanation could there be?
"Of course it wasn't you." Hunter peered back into the kitchen and saw a haze of smoke still hanging near the ceiling. "I've never had this happen before, but maybe I did it all in my sleep. I've read about such things happening."
"Very weird. Are you sure you're okay? Would you like me to come in and have a look around?"
Fallen Love by Alex Stargazer
Two dart in front of us, and for a moment, I freeze. They are creatures of nightmare: their legs are spindly, misshapen, and they seem to glide across the road. They hiss again. A split second later, they leap.
The first is incinerated in mid-air by a laser flash, and the android crushes the second. A slick, black-green substance drips from its dead body; the smell almost makes me retch.
I snap back to reality: we need to keep running. The boy is already in front of me.
“How many?” he cries.
“Does it matter? Let the android take care of them.” Despite my cavalier words, I’m close to panic. I squint, trying to make out the Upper Quarter. Not far, I think. We can make it.
The android opens fire, and at a glance I see what the boy meant: there are many, way too many. Several fall in the firestorm, but others clamour to take their place. This isn’t a lone attack; this is a swarm. And we’re right in the middle of it.
“Run faster!” I scream. “We’re almost there!”
But it’s too late.
A mutant slams into me with the power of a sledgehammer. I heave against it, fighting with its mandibles: I have to stop those fangs, so gleaming with venom, from sinking in and finishing me off.
And then the weight is off me. Through the corner of my eyes, I see it sail high into the air and into the reach of the android, but my sight never leaves the boy who saved me.
“I had to return the bleedin’ favour,” he says, hand outstretched. I don’t have time to thank him. He lifts me and we’re running again. The lights of the Upper Quarter are tantalisingly close. They shimmer behind an immense force-field, designed to keep out mutants and undesirables. Riffraff like the boy I just rescued.
Not that I have time to worry about that right now. “My ID will open the force field!” I cry, and I throw myself forward, fumbling for the ID.
With a flash of the reader, we cross the threshold. We’re in.
We breathe deeply, and I collapse against him. The mutants hiss, disappointed, and quickly slink back from the force field. A few are not so lucky, and are noticed by one of the guard towers. Machine gun fire turns the monsters into bloody smears on the ground.
Still, my interest isn’t on the monsters—it’s on him. It isn’t just the muscles, which are hard and powerful against my body. His scent is masculine, and sends a surreptitious thrill through me.
Before, I feared death; but now, I feel very much alive.
“That was fun,” I say.
“Fuck you.”
Spell of the Werewolf by JR Loveless
“Because you are so closed-minded you can’t see anything but what you want to see. Justin is a good person. He didn’t ask to be what he is. We can still find the one who bit him!”
Vincent laughed, a clear cynical sound behind it. “If he can find the one who made him. The number of werewolves grows every day. It’ll be impossible. So, no. He has to die!”
Justin had heard enough. He stepped forward and called, “Vincent.”
Vincent whipped his head around and smiled, harsh and bitter. “So you decided to show. This human means that much to you?”
“Let her go,” Justin snarled, ignoring Vincent’s question. “Then we can fight.”
“I’ll let her go… once you’re dead.”
Justin pulled the sword from his back and moved into the light shining from the fountain. “Let’s do it then.”
“Ah, so the little boy went and got himself a big knife, did he? Do you even know how to use it?” Vincent taunted him.
He did an expert twist of his wrist, sending the blade of the sword spinning around him. Vincent’s eyes narrowed just before he attacked. Their blades clashed against one another as they fought; their movements almost an elegant dance between them. “So you’ve had some training, kid? It’s not enough to save your ass.”
Vincent thrust at him, but Justin cut up with his sword and sent Vincent’s flying into the air. The blade clattered against the ground, landing a few feet from them. Before Justin could strike at him again, Vincent leapt backward, grabbed his sword, and flipped, landing several yards away from Justin. Justin knew it wasn’t going to be an easy fight.
Circling one another, their swords glinted in the moonlight. Justin narrowed his eyes while he waited for Vincent to make the first move. Too impatient to wait for Justin to make his move, Vincent went to strike once more. Justin blocked the blow and attempted a return hit, but Vincent was too fast, crashing his sword into Justin’s. Swords crossed at the blade, Justin thrust upward and managed to nick Vincent’s cheek. Vincent cursed, jumped backward, and touched the small cut. His fingers were dark with a smear of blood when he dropped his hand from his cheek. Justin smiled mockingly at him. “Aw. Did I cut you?”
Vincent curled his lip into a snarl and rushed toward Justin with his sword raised. The fight continued for some time, and eventually they stood facing one another, panting for breath. Justin could see Vincent’s anger reflecting outward from bright violet eyes. He’d never met another person with eyes the shade of amethyst. If he were honest with himself, Vincent would have caught his attention many years ago. The broad shoulders, gorgeous white hair, high cheekbones, and obvious strength rang all of Justin’s bells. Of course, the idea of Vincent ever having an interest in him caused Justin to snort.
The sound set off the next chain of events, flaming Vincent’s rage even higher, or so Justin figured when Vincent struck harder than before. They circled each other. Vincent took the next chance to slice at Justin, but Justin grabbed his wrist and wrenched him forward and over his shoulder, sending Vincent’s sword across the ground to Kara’s feet with a clatter of metal on the cement. Justin immediately pinned Vincent underneath him. Breathing heavily, Justin sat there atop Vincent for several seconds without a word, trying to catch his breath.
“I don’t want to kill you,” Justin rasped.
Vincent looked up at him in skepticism. “Why?” Vincent demanded.
Justin retained eye contact with him. “Because I don’t like hurting someone who hates those monsters just as much as I do.”
Vincent seemed to contemplate Justin’s words, and then something seemed to click inside Vincent. The fight left his body. Justin became aware of Vincent’s hard body against his, their suggestive position, and what it could have meant in another world. Flushing, Justin stood and held his hand out to Vincent, who studied him for several heartbeats before allowing Justin’s help up from the ground. Justin rushed to Kara’s side to untie her hands and massaged them to bring the feeling back into them.
“Don’t think this means I trust you, wolf,” Vincent growled as he retrieved his sword. “If you even so much as look at a human in the wrong way, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
The sound of his sword bottoming out in its sheath punctuated his promise.
Kara glanced at him and snapped, “How do we know we can trust you?”
“You don’t.” Without another word, he strode off into the darkness.
Sleigh Duty by LM Brown
“Dashiel, you’re up next,” the elf in charge of fittings called. “Get your hooves moving, you’re holding everyone up.”
Dashiel wondered who had first depicted Santa’s elves as cheerful little toy makers. He had yet to see one smile. They seemed even more miserable than he was right now. Of course, he hadn’t met many, and it was the most stressful time of year for them. Not to mention they hadn’t seen daylight in three months. That would make him grumpy too. Still, there was no need for them to prod him in the rear quite so hard to get him moving.
The next few hours were spent being trained in how to respond to the reins. Dashiel didn’t mind learning how to pull the sleigh, he just wished they could leave off the bells until they were in the air. The constant jingling was driving him up the wall.
Then came the flying lessons. Yuri must have seen Dumbo recently, because he was giving them a loud rendition of the song about elephants flying, but substituting reindeer instead. Apparently teasing the first timers like Dashiel was the highlight of his night. There were three shifters who had never been summoned before, Dashiel being the youngest of the trio.
The first time Dashiel’s hooves left the ground he almost panicked. Thoughts of flying off into space nearly had him hyperventilating, even though the others assured him that no matter how hard he tried, he would never even reach the height of a plane.
Finally, they were as prepared as they could be. Dashiel took his place beside Fred. Yuri and wife were in front of them, the couple taking the lead.
Everyone went quiet when Santa arrived. He was just as Dashiel had pictured him, though he had never seen him in person. Unlike the couple in front of him, Dashiel’s parents had never been summoned on the same night, so he had never been brought to the North Pole with them.
As they took off into the sky, Dashiel glanced below and saw how large the toy factory truly was. It was so much more than a single building. There was an entire village, with every house decorated for Christmas.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” he said to Fred.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Fred replied.
“You’re not scared of heights are you?”
“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t look down.”
Dashiel snorted. “I’d rather look down at the ground, than at Yuri’s arse all night.”
“I heard that,” Yuri replied. “I’ll have you know, my arse is the envy of reindeer the world over.”
Dashiel couldn’t laugh properly in his reindeer form, but he was starting to feel the Christmas spirit now. Chances were, he would be required to do sleigh duty again in the coming years, but there were those who were only summoned once in their life, and since he didn’t know if he would be called again, he intended to make the most of tonight.
But there was someone. A very handsome, strapping someone who was staring down at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. The man was about Hunter's own age but tall, well over six feet, with broad shoulders, curly, unkempt blond hair, a full beard, and the most piercing blue eyes Hunter had ever seen.
"Are you okay?"
The guy squatted down next to him. Hunter smelled wood smoke.
Hunter tried to stand, but his legs failed him. The day, so far, had been too much. He fell back on his ass and smiled at the guy, realizing he must look every bit the lunatic he worried he was.
"What happened?" The guy's gaze drifted toward Hunter's hand, still buried in the snow.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"I pulled a pan off the stove without a hot pad is all." Hunter found the coordination to stand, brushing wet snow off his ass. What was this guy doing in his backyard, anyway? "And you are?"
"I'm sorry. My name's Michael Burt. I work on the Beasley place next door. Caretaker, general handyman, and jack-of-everything-else." He nodded back toward a place behind Beaumont House, and Hunter suddenly remembered the little cottage he had seen on his first visit.
Hunter didn't know if he was up for making chitchat with a neighbor, not after all that had gone on today. And what had gone on, anyway? He looked at Michael Burt, wanting to speak, but the facility for language seemed to have momentarily deserted him.
Michael smiled, giving Hunter a glimpse of perfect white teeth with a tiny gap between the front two. This little bit of imperfection only served to make the man better looking. He furrowed his brows. "Is something wrong? You look like -- well, you should pardon the cliché -- you look like you've seen a ghost."
Hunter wondered if he should tell Michael about his day so far. Would he think him insane? Or better yet, was the perpetrator of his sparkling clean and ordered house standing right before him, maybe amused by Hunter's discomfort and fear? He hoped not. He had run away from people doing bad things to him. It would be just his luck if he'd only run to a place where worse things were done. But if Michael Burt hadn't unpacked for him, who had?
The thought of a human perpetrator was much more comforting, really, than the alternative.
Hunter found his voice. "I just moved in." He cocked his head. "And the oddest thing happened when I got up today."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I had all this unpacking to do and furniture to place, but when I came downstairs, it had already been done for me. Isn't that weird?" Hunter forced Michael's gaze to meet his own. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"What do you mean? What would I know? I just saw you moving in yesterday. Today I was out back and saw you come outside. Thought I'd come over and introduce myself."
"You didn't have anything to do with it? Really?" Hunter felt his heart begin to beat a little faster. He realized he wanted Michael Burt to laugh and put his hands up in a gesture of surrender and say something like "You got me" or "We have some strange customs up here in Wisconsin."
But he didn't. "Um ... no. I wouldn't presume to go inside your house without an invitation. And as much as I'd like to welcome you to the 'hood, such as it is, I really don't have the time to do what you described. I've been on the phone and the computer most of the morning, taking care of some medical bills for Mr. Beasley. I just came out for a smoke -- I know, filthy habit -- when I saw you."
If Michael Burt was lying, he was a damn good actor. And Hunter couldn't really press the man, but what other explanation could there be?
"Of course it wasn't you." Hunter peered back into the kitchen and saw a haze of smoke still hanging near the ceiling. "I've never had this happen before, but maybe I did it all in my sleep. I've read about such things happening."
"Very weird. Are you sure you're okay? Would you like me to come in and have a look around?"
Fallen Love by Alex Stargazer
Two dart in front of us, and for a moment, I freeze. They are creatures of nightmare: their legs are spindly, misshapen, and they seem to glide across the road. They hiss again. A split second later, they leap.
The first is incinerated in mid-air by a laser flash, and the android crushes the second. A slick, black-green substance drips from its dead body; the smell almost makes me retch.
I snap back to reality: we need to keep running. The boy is already in front of me.
“How many?” he cries.
“Does it matter? Let the android take care of them.” Despite my cavalier words, I’m close to panic. I squint, trying to make out the Upper Quarter. Not far, I think. We can make it.
The android opens fire, and at a glance I see what the boy meant: there are many, way too many. Several fall in the firestorm, but others clamour to take their place. This isn’t a lone attack; this is a swarm. And we’re right in the middle of it.
“Run faster!” I scream. “We’re almost there!”
But it’s too late.
And then the weight is off me. Through the corner of my eyes, I see it sail high into the air and into the reach of the android, but my sight never leaves the boy who saved me.
“I had to return the bleedin’ favour,” he says, hand outstretched. I don’t have time to thank him. He lifts me and we’re running again. The lights of the Upper Quarter are tantalisingly close. They shimmer behind an immense force-field, designed to keep out mutants and undesirables. Riffraff like the boy I just rescued.
Not that I have time to worry about that right now. “My ID will open the force field!” I cry, and I throw myself forward, fumbling for the ID.
With a flash of the reader, we cross the threshold. We’re in.
We breathe deeply, and I collapse against him. The mutants hiss, disappointed, and quickly slink back from the force field. A few are not so lucky, and are noticed by one of the guard towers. Machine gun fire turns the monsters into bloody smears on the ground.
Still, my interest isn’t on the monsters—it’s on him. It isn’t just the muscles, which are hard and powerful against my body. His scent is masculine, and sends a surreptitious thrill through me.
Before, I feared death; but now, I feel very much alive.
“That was fun,” I say.
“Fuck you.”
Spell of the Werewolf by JR Loveless
“Because you are so closed-minded you can’t see anything but what you want to see. Justin is a good person. He didn’t ask to be what he is. We can still find the one who bit him!”
Vincent laughed, a clear cynical sound behind it. “If he can find the one who made him. The number of werewolves grows every day. It’ll be impossible. So, no. He has to die!”
Justin had heard enough. He stepped forward and called, “Vincent.”
Vincent whipped his head around and smiled, harsh and bitter. “So you decided to show. This human means that much to you?”
“Let her go,” Justin snarled, ignoring Vincent’s question. “Then we can fight.”
“I’ll let her go… once you’re dead.”
Justin pulled the sword from his back and moved into the light shining from the fountain. “Let’s do it then.”
“Ah, so the little boy went and got himself a big knife, did he? Do you even know how to use it?” Vincent taunted him.
He did an expert twist of his wrist, sending the blade of the sword spinning around him. Vincent’s eyes narrowed just before he attacked. Their blades clashed against one another as they fought; their movements almost an elegant dance between them. “So you’ve had some training, kid? It’s not enough to save your ass.”
Vincent thrust at him, but Justin cut up with his sword and sent Vincent’s flying into the air. The blade clattered against the ground, landing a few feet from them. Before Justin could strike at him again, Vincent leapt backward, grabbed his sword, and flipped, landing several yards away from Justin. Justin knew it wasn’t going to be an easy fight.
Vincent curled his lip into a snarl and rushed toward Justin with his sword raised. The fight continued for some time, and eventually they stood facing one another, panting for breath. Justin could see Vincent’s anger reflecting outward from bright violet eyes. He’d never met another person with eyes the shade of amethyst. If he were honest with himself, Vincent would have caught his attention many years ago. The broad shoulders, gorgeous white hair, high cheekbones, and obvious strength rang all of Justin’s bells. Of course, the idea of Vincent ever having an interest in him caused Justin to snort.
The sound set off the next chain of events, flaming Vincent’s rage even higher, or so Justin figured when Vincent struck harder than before. They circled each other. Vincent took the next chance to slice at Justin, but Justin grabbed his wrist and wrenched him forward and over his shoulder, sending Vincent’s sword across the ground to Kara’s feet with a clatter of metal on the cement. Justin immediately pinned Vincent underneath him. Breathing heavily, Justin sat there atop Vincent for several seconds without a word, trying to catch his breath.
“I don’t want to kill you,” Justin rasped.
Vincent looked up at him in skepticism. “Why?” Vincent demanded.
Justin retained eye contact with him. “Because I don’t like hurting someone who hates those monsters just as much as I do.”
“Don’t think this means I trust you, wolf,” Vincent growled as he retrieved his sword. “If you even so much as look at a human in the wrong way, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
The sound of his sword bottoming out in its sheath punctuated his promise.
Kara glanced at him and snapped, “How do we know we can trust you?”
“You don’t.” Without another word, he strode off into the darkness.
Sleigh Duty by LM Brown
“Dashiel, you’re up next,” the elf in charge of fittings called. “Get your hooves moving, you’re holding everyone up.”
Dashiel wondered who had first depicted Santa’s elves as cheerful little toy makers. He had yet to see one smile. They seemed even more miserable than he was right now. Of course, he hadn’t met many, and it was the most stressful time of year for them. Not to mention they hadn’t seen daylight in three months. That would make him grumpy too. Still, there was no need for them to prod him in the rear quite so hard to get him moving.
The next few hours were spent being trained in how to respond to the reins. Dashiel didn’t mind learning how to pull the sleigh, he just wished they could leave off the bells until they were in the air. The constant jingling was driving him up the wall.
Then came the flying lessons. Yuri must have seen Dumbo recently, because he was giving them a loud rendition of the song about elephants flying, but substituting reindeer instead. Apparently teasing the first timers like Dashiel was the highlight of his night. There were three shifters who had never been summoned before, Dashiel being the youngest of the trio.
The first time Dashiel’s hooves left the ground he almost panicked. Thoughts of flying off into space nearly had him hyperventilating, even though the others assured him that no matter how hard he tried, he would never even reach the height of a plane.
Finally, they were as prepared as they could be. Dashiel took his place beside Fred. Yuri and wife were in front of them, the couple taking the lead.
Everyone went quiet when Santa arrived. He was just as Dashiel had pictured him, though he had never seen him in person. Unlike the couple in front of him, Dashiel’s parents had never been summoned on the same night, so he had never been brought to the North Pole with them.
As they took off into the sky, Dashiel glanced below and saw how large the toy factory truly was. It was so much more than a single building. There was an entire village, with every house decorated for Christmas.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” he said to Fred.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Fred replied.
“You’re not scared of heights are you?”
“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t look down.”
Dashiel snorted. “I’d rather look down at the ground, than at Yuri’s arse all night.”
“I heard that,” Yuri replied. “I’ll have you know, my arse is the envy of reindeer the world over.”
Dashiel couldn’t laugh properly in his reindeer form, but he was starting to feel the Christmas spirit now. Chances were, he would be required to do sleigh duty again in the coming years, but there were those who were only summoned once in their life, and since he didn’t know if he would be called again, he intended to make the most of tonight.
Real Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet another book. Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” You can find him at his website or blog. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix.
Alex Stargazer is an author of dark, fantastical tales that snare you in with epic world-building—and keep you reading with funny anecdotes and beautiful love stories. He currently hails from rainy Scotland, but he can be found all over Europe. Since publishing his first novel—the Necromancer—at 14, Alex has released two short stories and an upcoming new novel, named Fallen Love. Sign up to his newsletter to stay up-to-date.
When not establishing the finer points of magecraft or the peculiarities of dragons, Alex is working hard on getting a Master’s degree in boring topics like economics. In his spare time, Alex enjoys exploring the wilderness of Scotland—though Austria, Italy and the Nordic countries fascinate him most. If he really needs to blow off some steam, Alex will shoot zombies in his favourite shooter, Left 4 Dead 2.
Alex can be found on Twitter or on Facebook at Alex Stargazer Writes Books. You can also get a free short story on his website.
J.R. Loveless began her adventure in writing romance at the young age of twelve. Her foray into creating her own worlds and telling her characters’ life stories was triggered by her own love of reading. She currently resides in South Florida with her dog and two cats, volunteers for an animal rescue in her spare time, and works as a manager for a financial lending institute. Someday she hopes to begin writing as a full-time career and bringing more of her ideas to life.
Her journey into gay romance began in 2005 when she began posting her original fiction on a forum for feedback and readers’ pleasure. In 2010, a good friend urged her to submit to a publishing company, and the day she received the acceptance and contract was the best day of her life. Since then, she has been noted to be one of the most purchased audio books after Fifty Shades of Grey on Audiobook.com, received best gay romantic fiction for Touch Me Gently in the 2011 TLA Gaybies, and even received an award for Chasing Seth in 2012.
J.R. adores her fans and loves hearing from them.
Rebecca James loves writing MM romance with a little angst but always with a happily ever after.
Rebecca James lives in the southeastern United States. She's married and has three children, a dog, and a bunch of cats.
L.M. Brown is an English writer of gay romances. She believes mermen live in the undiscovered areas of the ocean. She believes life exists on other planets. She believes in fairy tales, magic, and dreams. Most of all, she believes in love.
When L.M. Brown isn’t bribing her fur babies for control of the laptop, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.
Rick R Reed
EMAIL: rickrreedbooks@gmail.com
Alex Stargazer
JR Loveless
Rebecca James
LM Brown
EMAIL: lmbrownauthor@gmail.com
A Demon Inside by Rick R Reed
Fallen Love by Alex Stargazer
Spell of the Werewolf by JR Loveless
Omega Arrival by Rebecca James
