Holiday Surprise #5
Saint Patrick's Day was the best day of Avery's life, the day after was the worst.
Avery left home for Valle Granja at the insistence of his instincts, and the urging of his mama, who'd always supported him. When he meets his fated mate, Cam, at the Saint Patrick's Day Dance he understands why. But joy is soon replaced with grief when only hours later he learns that his parents were killed in a car accident—having never heard that he met his mate and leaving Avery's five-year-old brother behind.
Finding his fated mate was like a dream come true for Cam, but their bond is immediately put to the test.
Cam knew that Avery was his fated mate as soon as he saw him, and he was excited to begin their lives together. However an early-morning phone call shatters the peace of their new bond. Suddenly he finds himself as the surrport for his grieving mate and orphaned brother, a position which brings up memories of his own.
Can new love survive grief and loss, and can they come together as a family?
Bunny Hop Beau is a 23K word , non-shifter, M/M, mpreg, omegaverse romance
Content note: Loss and grief play prominent roles in this book.
Original Review March 2024:
First off I'm going to say I found Bunny Hop to be a companion piece to Lucky Dance Date(Holiday Surprise #3) as the first chapters are a recap of Lucky but from Cam and Avery's POV. If you haven't read Lucky, I highly recommend doing so, not because you'll be lost in regards to what is going on but to some degree I would say it has spoilers for Lucky, not word-for-word but enough that I would not enjoy Lucky as much knowing what we see here first. For those who think the first chapters are wasted as "rehashing" they aren't, I was excited to see those events from Cam and Avery's POV as the friends of the MCs, not something you often get to see.
As for Bunny Hop, it goes from unbelievably happy happy to devastatingly saddy saddy in a heartbeat, which life tends to do once in a while. As heartbreaking as the death of Avery's parents is, the flip of a coin change in emotional fortune for the pair was in a way refreshing because of the reality of it. Hard to think in terms of reality when dealing with mpreg and omegaverse genres & tropes but the heartache leaves you even more emotionally attached to the characters than one often finds themselves. Let's face it, Cam has been handed the perfect get-out-of-jail-free card(for lack of better phrasing) but he doesn't bite and he shows Avery just how all in he truly is, yet another reason Bunny Hop is a heart grabber.
Once again Lacey Daize has once again proven mpreg can be both realistic and fantasy all at the same time. Can't wait to read more of her awesome stories.
Summary:
VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #1
Finn
Getting into the vampire-only detective unit was the easy part; what’s going to be more difficult is dealing with my new partner, an ancient vampire who keeps threatening to eat me. The unit has never had a human in it, and Marcus—or as I like to call him, Fangy McFangface—would really prefer to keep it that way. He’s grumpy, short-tempered, and broody, but I have a way with words and I know he’s starting to like me, even if he swears he’s not. But what he doesn’t know is that I didn’t join the unit because I was tired of being a homicide detective, I joined because there is someone after me. They’ve already taken enough from me and I’m afraid they’re going to take all of me if I don’t find someone to help. That’s all Marcus was supposed to be, but now, he’s so much more and I can’t imagine my life without him.
Marcus
The moment the pesky human walked through that door, I knew I had to get rid of him. He’s charming and almost everyone else instantly loves him, but he doesn’t understand how risky it is being part of this unit as a human. But as I get to know the stubborn man, I learn that perhaps he’s not as naive as I once thought. And maybe he’s what I needed to realize there is more to life than just work and my dog. A group arises who is threatening to disrupt the alliance between the humans and the vampires, but Finn is the one who shows me how strong that alliance can be and reminds me why it’s worth protecting. When threats hit closer to home, I realize I would do anything for Finn because he’s brought so much joy to my life—and because he’s mine.
This 105k word book contains: A creative use for undergarments, unintentional splits, a wolfhound who just wants to be a part of things, a vertically challenged human who still manages to wrap every vampire he meets around his little finger, the best date ever, possessiveness, really awkward dancing, some workplace revenge, and just a bite or two. Or three.
While the plot of the first book is tied up and completed, there's a minor cliffhanger that will be tied up in the second book.
Operation Destiny by Sarah Hadley Brook
Summary:Follow up to Operation Toy Rescue and Operation Reindeer Rescue
Living on Snow Hope Island has its perks: it’s beautiful, the community is like a family, and if you’re an elf but find the North Pole too busy, it’s the ideal place. Still, Noel is lonely. He loves running Frosty’s Diner and he has a cat, but he wants more.
When Charlie Claus shows up on the island, Noel is instantly attracted to him. The more time Noel spends with him, the more he falls for Charlie. Would Charlie ever give up his life and move to the island permanently?
Same universe as Operation Toy Rescue and Operation Reindeer Rescue but can be read as a standalone.
Original Review December 2023:
When I first read Operation Toy Rescue 5 years ago I absolutely loved it! When I discovered there had been a follow-up, Operation Reindeer Rescue I was ecstatic, gobbled it up, and loved it as well. Then about a week ago I stumbled across yet another one set in the universe of Snow Hope Island and neighboring North Pole, to say my heart's pitter patter picked up would be a bit OTT but I was definitely excited.With Noel and Charlie we get to see how the blending of contemporary and fantasy is what makes this universe something special. There is just the right tinge of normalcy and Christmas magic to satisfy both sides of the holiday coin. Their romantic journey in this holiday short is deliciously delightful. I don't know if the author has plans for future tales from Snow Hope Island and the North Pole but I do know that I'll be keeping an eye out next holiday season because finding these surprises really brightened up my holiday reading time.
RATING:
RATING:
Summary:
Legend Tripping #1
A life in hock.
Seven years ago, Logan Conner and his legend tripper college roommate stumbled into the middle of a ghost war. Logan escaped. Trent did not. Guilt has driven Logan to hunt for answers ever since—not only for why Trent was trapped, but how to return and save him.
On the verge of abandoning the search as hopeless, Logan discovers the solution at last thanks to folklorist Riley Morrel, the man he never expected to fall in love with, and the man he’d do anything to keep safe, including leaving him behind.
A life on hold.
When Logan disappeared in a puff of motorcycle exhaust, Riley’s life took a nosedive. After dropping out of school, he’s not entirely sure it’s not still diving. Sure, he has a job—one that’d send his thesis advisor screaming. Still, there are perks to his gig as the researcher for paranormal investigation show Haunted to the Max: He’s in the ideal position to propose projects for the team to tackle.
Like their latest episode in Portland, for instance, where Logan just happens to be bartending. If nothing else, confronting the big jerk will give Riley some closure.
A life’s last hour.
But as the two men take tentative steps toward each other again, they begin to realize that their relationship, the shoot, and Logan’s quest to free Trent are hopelessly entangled with one tragic day at the riverside, over a century and a half in the past.
And when the smoke finally clears? Not everyone will walk away.
Stumptown Spirits is a second-chance, opposites-attract, supernatural suspense romance featuring a TV show one step past jumping the shark, a narcissistic TV personality, a craven ex-ghost, annoying bosses, interfering (but well-meaning) friends, personal redemption, and, of course, an HEA.
Note: This book was previously published. It has been lightly revised and re-edited, but the story remains the same.
Tin Star Witches: The Witches of Ruby Gulch #3
Augustus Ambrose never planned to return to the United States after graduation. His mother’s final letter, with its dire threats about what would await if he did, had been more than enough to keep him away. But when his Aunt Grace dies unexpectedly and leaves him her ranch in the New Mexico Territory, he can’t ignore it. Grace gave him everything, and he can’t let her legacy suffer for his childish fear of his mother.
Griffith Taylor doesn’t want much. Quiet nights on the range, a big blue sky, and no rattlesnakes in his boots. He definitely doesn’t want to travel to Boston to take care of his late boss’s heir. When he lays eyes on his charge, everything changes. Not just because Augie is the best looking greenhorn he’s ever clapped eyes on, oh no.
Someone wants Griff’s new boss dead, and they’re not afraid to use forbidden magic to get the job done. Griff can handle himself in a fight, but this job might be more than he’s prepared for.
Random Paranormal Tales of 2024
Bunny Hop Beau by Lacey Daize
Chapter 1 - Avery
~January~
I side-eyed the fax machine as it picked up a piece of paper and started printing. The thing was a constant thorn in my side, but no matter how often I tried to convince my bosses that it was obsolete, they insisted that we keep it.
Apparently some people still preferred to fax documents, no matter how secure and convenient the web portals we offered.
I blinked as it picked up a second sheet. The spam adverts that it usually printed always fit on a single page, which meant that it was one of the rare real faxes. I snagged the cover sheet and noted the number of expected pages, and whom in the office I needed to hand it over to.
I smiled when I saw that José—a handsome alpha mortgage broker—was the intended recipient. It gave me an excuse to talk to him.
I’d met José six months earlier, when I first arrived in Valle Granja, and my instincts had immediately insisted that I get close to him. The urge was almost as strong as the one that had made me move there.
I didn’t question it at first. My mama had always stressed that the universe knew what it was doing, and that it guided us through our instincts. But after months of flirting, and him seemingly oblivious, I was starting to wonder if that inner voice had been wrong.
Once the fax finished printing I checked to make sure that it had all arrived properly, then took it to José’s office.
Unfortunately, several minutes—and even an invitation to lunch—later, he still seemed as immune to my flirting as ever.
I forced a smile as one of the other mortgage brokers, Morgan, headed towards me, and passed him as I walked to the break room.
I was almost there when I realized that I’d left my cell phone at the front desk. I turned around to grab it, but stopped when I heard something that stopped me in my tracks.
“...I ran into my old highschool boyfriend, and… I’ve still got it bad for him,” Jose said
“From high school?” Morgan asked. “Man, you’ve gotta move on. It’s been more than a decade, right? Why not give Avery a chance? He’s obviously interested.”
I plastered myself against the wall. Listening was wrong, but I needed to know.
“No omega should ever be an alpha’s second choice,” José replied. “They deserve a mate who looks at them, and knows that there could never be another. We owe them that much since all the consequences of a failed mating falls on them.”
“I didn’t say mate him, just date him.”
“That would be leading him on, and I’m not down for that.”
“Whatever man. Your loss, but maybe you should let him know so he can move on too.”
Jose sighed. “You’re probably right.” There was a pause, then he continued. “So what did you need?”
I stepped away and decided to return to the break room without my cell phone rather than walk past the open office door and give away that I might have heard the conversation.
I needed to think. How had my instincts been so wrong to lead me to a man who was in love with somebody else?
∞∞∞
I flopped on the couch and removed my glasses. I rubbed at a spot with the hem of my shirt until I was satisfied that whatever it was was gone, then I started to put them back on. It was then that a lock of blond hair decided to fall in front of my eyes. I huffed and smoothed it back into place, making a mental note to get a haircut, then put my glasses back on. Finally I picked up my phone. It was time for my weekly call with my parents, and I really wanted to talk to my mama.
José’s words had echoed in my head for days. “No omega should ever be an alpha’s second choice…”
There was a finality in the statement. He would always love his high-school boyfriend, and it would never change. Anybody else would be the backup option.
I knew in my core that the universe wouldn’t pair me with an alpha who would forever carry a torch for somebody else. But I still had a strong urge to be near him.
I blew out a breath and tapped my parents’ number from my contact list.
“Avery! Sweetheart!” my mama said as she answered. “How are you doing?”
I smiled. Somehow just hearing Mama’s voice always lifted my spirits. “I’m good, Mama. How about you?”
She laughed. “Busy as always. You know how it is.”
“I know. But you’ll have to slow down at some point.”
“Ridiculous!” she replied. “Only death itself can slow down your dad and I.” “Somehow I’m not surprised,” I laughed. “How’s Eric?”
Mama sighed happily. “He’s good. He’s at a birthday party for one of his classmates right now.”
I chuckled. “And you were worried that he wouldn’t make friends.”
“All the other parents are your age or younger!” Mama protested. “Your dad and I are in our fifties.”
“I don’t think anybody cares about that,” I argued. “What they care about is Eric, and what they see is a happy and healthy five-year-old.”
Mama sighed happily. “He reminds me so much of you at that age. Full of energy, and so kind to everybody. I bet he’ll even look like you when you grow up. He’s got the same blond hair and slight frame. Just missing the glasses, though the pediatrician’s keeping an eye on his vision. I just wish you’d have been born closer together.”
“Life does funny things. It just decided that I needed a baby brother to keep you busy until I have kids of my own.”
“That it does, and we’re happy to have him around.” Mama paused. “Did you want me to call in your dad?”
I licked my lips, trying to decide.
“Ave? Honey?”
“Mama?”
“Yes dear?
“Do you remember when I moved out here, that I felt that my instincts were pulling me?”
“Of course.”
“Did I tell you about the alpha at my work?”
Mama hummed as she thought about the question. “You mentioned that there was a handsome alpha there, but that was all. Are things going ok?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. My gut says to stay close to him, and I thought that meant that I was going to end up with him at some point. But I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Oh honey, what happened?”
I took a deep breath. “I overheard him talking to another mortgage broker at the firm. Apparently he’s still in love with an omega he dated in high school.”
Mama hummed. “Ok…”
I paused. “Mama… he said something that I can’t get out of my head.”
“What was it?”
“He said that no omega should ever be an alpha’s second choice.”
Mama sighed softly. “He’s right.”
I blinked. “Mama?”
“He’s right. But it goes both ways. Nobody should ever be the second choice, alphas or omegas. You want a partner who looks at you and can’t imagine anybody better.”
“What’s it mean though? Why are my instincts insisting that I get close to him if I would only be second best?”
“Just because the universe says to get close, doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be your mate. I don’t think it’s ever really discussed, but if we can have fated mates, then surely we can have fated friends.”
“Fated friends?”
Mama laughed. “Why not? If the universe wants people to be close, it doesn’t have to limit it to romantic partners.”
I was silent as I thought about it. Was I meant to have José as a friend, not as a mate? Somehow it felt right.
“Did that answer your question honey?”
I smiled. “It did. I feel better now. Thanks Mama.”
“I think you already knew the answer, but sometimes it helps to talk things out.”
“You’re probably right.”
Mama laughed. “Only on good days. Let me call in your dad so he can talk too.”
“Ok.”
She set down the phone and I closed my eyes, running over our conversation while I waited for my dad to join her.
Mama always knew just what to say to make me feel better about myself, and I couldn’t imagine life without her.
How to Vex a Vampire by Alice Winters
Chapter One
FINN
The first thing I notice as I walk into the room is the woman’s body lying on the floor, her blonde hair splayed out around an abnormally pale face. Just as I kneel down to get a better look, someone grabs my arm and pulls me back. It might have to do with the fact that I’m technically not supposed to be in the room, but I do feel like they could’ve been slightly more gentle.
“What are you doing here?” the man asks, golden eyes sharp. He’s dressed to perfection, not a single wrinkle in his button-up and suit jacket. His dark hair is neatly styled, very much unlike my waves.
“Working. What are you doing here?” I ask. While I know he is the one who technically should be here, I feel like the longer I engage him, the longer it’ll be before he throws me out on my ass. We don’t exactly have a good track record with each other.
“Clearly, I am investigating. And seeing as I did not hear that we were needing help from homicide, I believe you need to move on,” he says.
He’s a handsome man with light stubble, but he has a look about him that tells me he’s used to bossing people around. I saw as much when our paths crossed because of our jobs. I’m a homicide detective and he’s part of the VRC—Vampire Related Crimes.
Even so, my eyes stray over to the woman lying on the floor. I can’t help but wonder how long she’s been dead or who found her body. Since I work with normal homicide, I was not actually called in even though there is a dead body. The department seems to play favorites like that just because I don’t have pointy teeth and look like I’ve never seen the sunlight.
“Do you have permission to be here?” he asks.
“I do!” And then I return to ignoring him. I kneel down, hoping to examine her body before I’m pulled away again, but the man is far too quick. He grabs my wrist and pulls me back to my feet. “So touchy. Do you perhaps miss the time we worked together?” I was on a case a few months prior that was handed over to the VRC after I’d poured hours into it. I wasn’t pleased to be handing my case off to the other department, and even less pleased when the grumpy vampire in front of me had been the lead detective. Somehow, we got stuck working together for the rest of the day, but I hadn’t seen him since.
“No, you don’t have permission,” he said, completely ignoring my question.
“Then why’d you ask?”
And apparently that was his last straw. These fangy types are always a little quick to anger.
“Move along,” he grumbles. Clearly, we’re off to a wonderful start.
I am positive at this point that he wouldn’t mind maiming me. But before he can, I pull up my badge and hold it before him. His gold-colored eyes scan my badge. They’re such a unique color, only seen in a few vampires. Most hold the same color they had when they died, but his are a very clear gold. He takes a moment before handing it back. “What’s this prove? I already know who you are.” He sighs like he doesn’t have time to deal with me and motions to the door like I don’t know where it is even though I’ve just come through it. “You don’t have clearance to be here. It’s outside your jurisdiction, please leave the scene.”
I’m honestly kind of surprised there was a “please” in there with the look he’s currently giving me. “Actually, this is inside my jurisdiction, and I want to know why I wasn’t invited,” I say with a grin. While we are both aware why I wasn’t invited, I feel like making him say it will give me some satisfaction. What’s better yet is the scowl he’s giving me even though he still hasn’t left or forced me to leave.
“You can bring this up with your superior,” he says.
“What’s going on?” a voice I recognize asks. I turn and the new arrival gives me a huge smile. “Finn! I haven’t seen you in what feels like months!”
“It was just a week ago!” I tell the deputy chief of the Vampire Related Crimes unit.
“It sure feels longer!” Chief Brooks says.
“Aww, does that mean you missed me?” I ask as I slide in for a hug whether he wants it or not.
He takes it just because he’s that kind of guy. “More like I was hoping it was longer!”
“Nah! You love me and you know it!”
The older man laughs. “For some reason, I do,” he says as he gives me a one-armed squeeze. “Finn, you already know Detective Church, right? You guys worked together for an afternoon a while back?”
“We did,” the man says. “I didn’t know homicide had been invited to help us with the case.”
“I… don’t think they were. What are you up to, Finn?” Brooks asks.
I give him a smile. “Just happened to hear this called in and decided to stop and see if you needed my help,” I say as nonchalantly as possible.
Neither seems too convinced with my exaggeration of the truth. “Happened to hear it? Seeing as we’re on a different frequency, I’m having a strangely hard time believing that,” Brooks says.
I grab my chest as I stare at Brooks. “Are… Are you calling me a liar? My good man, does this face look like the face of a liar?”
“One hundred percent.”
I grin at him. “Actually… I’ve been offered a promotion.”
He gives me a genuine smile. He’s always been so proud of me no matter what I do. I’ve known Brooks since I was a teenager, and he was a mentor of sorts after I decided to get into law enforcement. Since he doesn’t have children at home, it almost felt like he pulled me under his wing and helped me along the way like I was family. “Wow! Congratulations, Finn. That’s amazing.”
“That I don’t want,” I interrupt. “I would like to be transferred to VRC.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Finn, you know that’s not open for debate. You can’t just join the VRC department.”
“There’s an opening, and you guys have been looking for six months to fill it. I’d like to apply.”
“Finn—” He’s giving me that tone like he wants to be sweet and nice but is also putting his foot down as father-figure Brooks comes out.
“Is it because I don’t gnaw on people? I mean, I can give a mean hickey if that’s what I need to do to get considered.”
Brooks tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. “You’re a crucial member of the homicide department, I know that much, but I can’t have you on the team.”
I hold his eyes as I stand my ground. I’m shorter than both of them and I know my thin stature doesn’t give me much of a leg up, but I’m determined. “I can hold my own.”
“I’m aware, Finn. But it’s still a no. There are no humans in our unit and there never have been because it’s too dangerous. You are a human, so you need to deal with humans; we’re vampires, so we deal with vampires. It’s not a choice. It’s what works, and it’s what keeps everyone the safest.”
I will not be deterred. “I’ve dealt with so many vampires in my life that I’m positive I can hold my own against them.”
“In an empty-handed fight, you’d get your ass handed to you,” Brooks says.
“That’s the issue with you vampires, you think everything has to be a fight. You’re right, I might not be able to take on a vampire hand-to-hand, but I have the weapons skills and the smarts to hold my own.”
Brooks shakes his head. “Why? What’s wrong with where you’re at?”
That’s a secret, but I’ll give him part of the truth. “I need to do something else with my life and you guys are a man short. You guys need me. You guys long for me. You just don’t know it yet.”
Marcus snorts, like I might have forgotten about him. I definitely haven’t. Marcus Church is very well-known amongst us detectives because he’s good at what he does and a bit ruthless. The women, and a few men, all like talking about the renowned Marcus.
“We just filled the spot. Sorry about your luck,” Marcus says.
I tilt my head at the guy in the corner and notice almost instantly that he’s young. Through years of interacting with vampires and watching them closely, I’ve learned how to decipher whether a vampire is young or old since physical appearance doesn’t help. The younger they are, the more they wear to protect themselves against the sun. But they also do other social things that give it away. Vampires are very respectful of age. The older a vampire, the more respect you give them. Then the dead giveaway is how well they can handle blood. This man is hesitant and he’s having trouble with the blood that’s been spilled across the floor, which is easily noticeable by the way he’s wrinkling his nose. “Him?”
Most older vampires, unless presented with a large quantity of blood, can handle the smell and control themselves. And vampire blood is rarely noticed by vampires unless the vampire presented with the blood is extremely young. But it’s a requirement for them to keep a mask on their belts at all times, in case they’re presented with a situation they can’t handle. If they’re driven by bloodlust, there’s no telling what they could do.
“Yes, him,” Brooks says.
“Good luck,” I say with a smile.
Brooks shakes his head. “Don’t give me that tone.”
I widen my eyes like I have no idea what he’s talking about. “I had no tone. I just kindly wished you luck.”
Brooks folds his arms across his broad chest as Church stares at me, clearly unimpressed. “That’s because you think it’s not going to work out.”
“It’s not,” I say, and Church gets a little hint of an expression on his face that tells me he actually agrees with me. “Even Church here doesn’t like him.”
Brooks turns to Church and raises an eyebrow. “While Church might have been a bit… hesitant, our new hire was at the top of his class and Church has taken him under his wing.”
Church audibly scoffs at that and I realize I kind of like the guy.
I smile at Church. When I first met him a few months ago, I thought that he could be a bit of a dick, but I think it’s a façade he puts up. “I can’t wait to work with you,” I say as I give Church a pat on the shoulder.
“Who does this kid think he is?” Church asks.
“He’s like a tiny fly that loudly buzzes around pestering everyone,” Brooks teases even though he clearly loves me and all the stuff I put him through.
“And your new partner,” I tell Church before holding a hand out.
Church glances at it then completely ignores it. “I need to get back to work.”
“When you do, check under the couch, there’s probably a knife or something under there. I’m surprised your superior sniffy skills didn’t kick in and notice it. You can see the scrapes in the hardwood from where they forced it under, and I’m assuming it’s the murder weapon,” I say. “See ya at work tomorrow, Brooks.”
Brooks shakes his head, clearly forgetting how to show excitement. “Don’t come in.”
I grin at him as I back toward the door. “You know you don’t mean that!”
“Don’t come in, Finn! No one wants you!”
“Church does,” I say as I wink toward a scowling Church before leaving the room.
While I know they have no interest in me because I’m human, I also know that I will whittle them down until they let me join. They have to because I need to kill him. And the only way I’m going to kill that asshole is with a team of vampires behind me.
I know, they say that you shouldn’t fixate on revenge.
But I have a vendetta and I’m not going to stop until that man is lying at my feet with every ounce of his blood drained from his body.
And then I’m going to watch him burn.
I might be bad at holding on to decade-old grudges, but this is one that I just can’t drop. Not yet, anyway.
I get into the car and rub at my thigh that’s aching. It’s not like I can rub the pain out of it, but it helps.
Now I just need to get rid of the new vampire, who is book smart but not old enough to control himself in a department such as this one, and show them that I can be a vital part of their department.
I just hope it’s not too late.
MARCUS
I turn away from the interruption and back to the dead woman lying on the floor. She’s a vampire, but a young one. One young enough that a slit throat killed her. VRC deals with any case involving a vampire while homicide deals with human deaths caused by other humans. Occasionally, they mesh, but most of the time if homicide realizes they’re dealing with a vampire in any form, the case gets pushed over to our department.
Which is how I met Finnigan Hayes. I’d been taking over a case that he’d been deeply involved in. While I understood his reluctance to hand over weeks of hard work, it was needed because they realized that the killer was a vampire. Instead of willingly handing it over, we got stuck together for part of an afternoon which led me to realize that he’s an annoying human. Thankfully, I haven’t seen him since.
This is also why I knew that he didn’t belong here, and he knew that as well.
But humans like him think they’re allowed to do anything they want and get away with it. Why should he be allowed to join this unit without the correct requirements? Unless he’s planning on dying anytime soon, he’s not welcome.
“Welks, help me move this couch,” an analyst says as he grabs the edge of the couch to see if the knife really is under it.
The analyst is a human who was pulled in just for the day because the regular one had the day off. Since he’d already been called in before they realized it was VRC’s case, he was asked to stick around.
The analyst grabs the couch as the new recruit, Welks, walks over to help.
“Fuck,” the human analyst cries as he jerks his hand back. “There’s something sharp on the edge of the couch.”
I think nothing of the sweet smell of blood until Welks lunges for the analyst. Briar grabs Welks as he zooms on by, ready to “help” the analyst with his bleeding problem.
“Nope! Out you go!” Briar, a fellow detective and member of my group, says as she hauls Welks outside with her.
Welks had already been on edge all day from being surrounded by blood, and this seemed to just set him off. But if this minor of a thing could set him off, what happens when we’re thrown into a bigger case?
I look up and lock eyes with Brooks. “No,” I state flatly, realizing what the look on his face is saying. “Now, I’m glad that I’m right about the whole Welks thing, but no. There will be no damn human on my team.”
“He’s smart.”
I jab a finger at the wide-eyed analyst. “If the human analyst wasn’t here, that wouldn’t have been an issue.” I know what I’m saying is absolutely stupid. It’s not the human’s fault. A vampire should be able to control themselves even if someone simply pricks their finger.
“Top of his class,” Brooks reminds me.
“No.”
“You should see all the work he’s done.”
“No.”
“He was practically raised by a vampire, so he understands all the ins and outs.”
“How do you know so much about this kid?” I ask in disbelief.
“He talks… a lot. Like if you don’t know everything about him by the end of your first day working together, then he’s either dead or unconscious. I’ve also known him since he was young.”
I narrow my eyes. “‘Our first day working together?’ Excuse me? I must be going deaf in my old age.”
“Tomorrow is going to be so much fun!” Brooks says, and I decide he’s an asshole. That’s alright. I’ll make the kid want to leave.
Operation Destiny by Sarah Hadley Brook
By the time the dinner rush was over, bone-tired. Gus stayed a little later than usual to help but Noel sent him home at eight when the last guest was heading out. He knew Gus’s wife was waiting for him -- they’d just married a few months ago and were still in that adorable honeymoon stage. Not that Noel was jealous about that. Not really. Perhaps a little. Maybe.
He was just starting to clean the grill when the bell rang again and without looking up, he knew it was Charlie. The air crackled and his heart thrummed in his ears as he pivoted slowly and found a snow-covered Charlie, still standing in the doorway, awkwardly hopping from one foot to the other.
Heat spread through him slowly, warming him from the inside out until he felt as if he were wrapped in a cozy fleece blanket. Pure happiness filled him and he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced it like that before.
Their eyes locked for a moment and his chest tightened. Was Charlie feeling it too? Noel swallowed hard and mentally chided himself for briefly forgetting how to speak. Until Charlie let out a quiet chuckle and broke the moment.
Noel waved him in with a smile. “Hey, Charlie. I was really hoping you’d stop by. What can I get you?”
“Am I too late?” He stayed near the door, as if to leave if needed.
“No!” he answered, a little too loudly. “I mean, no, we don’t close for another hour. Come in and get warm.”
He stomped off the snow and came closer. “I meant to get in here earlier, but got busy working again and lost track of time. I do that a lot.”
Noel grabbed a towel and wiped down the counter, gesturing to a stool. “Well, no worries. I’ll fix you up with something warm -- whatever you’re in the mood for.” He bit back a grin at the way Charlie’s cheeks pinked up. Interesting ...
Charlie slipped his coat off and laid it across a stool and stood awkwardly at the bar, his eyes sweeping the empty diner. “Not too busy today?”
Noel braced his hands on the counter and leaned in close, noting a pale pink blush spread across Charlie’s face. He smelled like vanilla and mint and Noel wanted to breathe deep, but figured he might weird Charlie out, so he fought the urge. “It was busy earlier, but this time of year most of the islanders are off to bed early because they’re all up at the crack of dawn.”
Charlie met his gaze. “So am I messing up your schedule coming in late?”
“Like I said, you’re not late. And even if you were, as long as someone’s here, you’re always welcome.” His gaze fell to Charlie’s pink lips and then to his throat as Charlie swallowed hard. Noel smiled as he brought his eyes back to Charlie’s. “Especially if it’s me here,” he whispered and tried not to chuckle when Charlie’s blush deepened. God, the guy was adorable -- and so fun to flirt with.
Charlie chewed his lower lip as he slid onto a stool. “I’d hoped you would still be here,” he admitted softly as he met Noel’s gaze.
Noel’s heart leapt in his chest, but he tamped down the excitement. “Admit it, you just want me for my ham and Swiss sandwiches,” he teased, winking at him.
Charlie surprised him by flirting right back. “Who doesn’t want a man that can handle a griddle the way you do?” He asked coyly as he leaned his forearms on the counter.
Noel grinned. A confident Charlie was an even sexier Charlie. He leaned across the counter until they were only a few inches apart. “How can my griddle and I serve you?”
Stumptown Spirits by EJ Russell
The lobby of Portland’s Vaughn Street Hotel seethed like a skirmish between rival armies: the hotel staff versus the invading Hollywood barbarians. Judging by the glassy stares of Team Hotel, the TV production crew was winning this round.
“Coming through.”
“Sorry.” Riley Morrel dodged one of the other production assistants barreling through the doors with a giant box of cables in her arms, and glanced down at his own empty hands. Everyone knows what to do except me.
Sure, Riley wore the show uniform—a black North Face jacket with the Haunted to the Max logo blazoned across the back in jagged neon-green letters—but he secretly identified more with the beleaguered hotel employees. Ever since his best friend, Julie, the show’s unit production manager, had browbeaten him onto the crew, he’d been in a perpetual state of WTF.
Today, though, was a triple-header of F. The equivalent of Cerberus simultaneously slobbering down his neck, growling in his ear, and nipping at his ass. Because after almost five months on staff, today marked his first time on location with the show, the first time the showrunner had agreed to film one of his story treatments, and his first time back in Oregon since Julie had rescued him from his spectacular crash and burn.
At the moment, Julie was standing at the concierge’s desk, scowling at her cell phone, the thwack of her ever-present clipboard against her thigh audible from across the lobby.
She met Riley’s gaze through the shifting chaos of HttM staff jockeying overladen luggage carts, hand trucks stacked with production equipment, and armfuls of carryout Thai food, and her eyes narrowed.
Uh-oh. Cue the emergency broadcast alarms. Riley knew that look, although in the ten-plus years of their friendship, it had never been directed at him before. He ran a quick conscience check, but couldn’t come up with any reason he’d be on her shit-radar. Nevertheless, he needed a diversion, or failing that, a barricade. Empty hands won’t cut it.
He intercepted one of the grips passing with a luggage cart stacked with black nylon company duffels. “Hey, Wes. I’ve got this. Why don’t you take a break?”
Wes grinned and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his bandana. “Appreciate it, man. Pad Thai and microbrew are calling my name.”
Riley angled the cart until it blocked him from his dearest friend in the world, now charging toward him like a Valkyrie on meth.
Julie executed a neat end run around his luggage fortress and backed him into a corner between a faux-marble column and an aquarium with a single morose betta.
“Logan.”
Riley blinked, gaping as if he belonged in the water alongside the fish. “What?” Julie never mentioned his ex-boyfriend’s name without adding at least a pair of profane epithets.
“Logan, that dickhead douche-rocket. He’s from Portland.”
“So are a lot of people. Over half a million within the city limits. Over two million if you count the surrounding counties that are part of the designated metro area and if you include—”
“Don’t try to blind me with statistics. Explain this.”
She thrust her cell phone at his face, so close that Riley had to rear back and adjust his glasses in order to focus on the screen. His heart dive-bombed the floor. Logan, behind a bar, silhouetted against shelves of liquor. In the harsh downlight, his forearms, decorated with Celtic ink, looked exactly as sculpted as Riley remembered, and his tight white T-shirt seemed to glow.
Riley swallowed against the sneaker wave of want and loss. “He’s a bartender. So?”
“I know that, doofus. But this particular bar is here.” She sliced the air with her cell phone as if it were a battle ax. “In Portland. This picture was taken last night.”
His heart leaped and dropped again. God, in his determination to put Logan out of his mind, he’d missed the obvious. Logan was a native Portlander. Most of the people he knew were here, so it was natural he’d return. But when they’d met, Logan had been heading south, away from Portland, and Riley had assumed he’d continued in the same direction after his bolt.
Ruby Run by Sam Burns
1
Graceful Legacy
Augie clutched his bag to his chest as he slunk through the streets of Boston. It was no louder or busier than London, but for some reason, it felt that way. Newspaper hawkers yelled right in his ear, fat businessmen shoved past him without glancing in his direction, and no fewer than three people had slipped their hands into his pockets.
Little did they know that after living in London for the last two years, he was well familiar with pickpockets. He never kept anything of importance anywhere but his breast pocket.
He also didn’t own a thing of value, so if they had managed to steal anything, they’d have been disappointed.
Well. A month ago, he hadn’t owned a thing of value. A month ago, he’d been assisting an acquaintance—he wouldn’t call the man a friend—in his burgeoning Harley Street practice. Augie had been barely a step up from the man who scrubbed the floor, despite his Oxford education in medicine, because that was the way things worked when you were no one, and a poor no one at that.
A bony-shouldered woman sighed with irritation and pushed him out of the way, mumbling something about country bumpkins. He furthered her opinion, he supposed, when he cringed away from her hand and let her pass without comment.
He turned and scanned the street behind him, then in front. There were no familiar faces. No one paid him any more mind than they had to in order to make their way down the street.
It was ridiculous to expect his mother to jump out of the shadows, but he had still expected it, even back in London.
You’ve destroyed this family with your cowardice,her final letter had said, and he’d almost been able to hear the venom dripping from her words. Stay in your precious England at your pathetic school. If you come back, I’ll see you dead.
Now, Augie didn’t think his father dying of a fever when he was nine had been his fault. It had been his inspiration for wanting to become a doctor, but there hadn’t been much he could do to help at the time. Even if he’d been a singularly talented witch—and he was not—not many people could heal at that age.
Julius was another story, and one Augie tried to think about as little as possible.
He wasn’t in Boston for his mother. He wasn’t even there for Jules. He was there because his aunt; good, sweet, giving Aunt Grace, had died. Her lawyer had posted Augie to let him know of her death, and to tell him he’d been named in her will.
“Paper, mister?” a kid asked, jostling him and drawing him out of his own head. He had to be more careful than to let his mind wander like that. Even if he hadn’t been expecting trouble, he was in the middle of a big city. Sometimes trouble found a man, whether he was looking for it or not. And sometimes a man’s vindictive mother threatened to kill him.
He shook his head at the boy and started to make an excuse, but the second he shook his head, the boy moved his attention to the next passing man. His wage probably depended on how many copies he sold. Augie didn’t need to take up his time.
Augie spotted a fancy green-and-gold-lettered sign on the next block, and the lump in his throat felt a little smaller: the offices of Mr. Benjamin Mailer, esquire, were at hand. The sooner he could get there, the sooner he could figure out what to do with whatever Aunt Grace had left him, and get going.
He wasn’t sure why the man hadn’t simply said what Grace had left Augie in the letter. Maybe sent it along. A little money would have been nice, but chances were, he’d already spent more on the fare to America than Aunt Grace had left him. If not, he could have considered starting his own small practice.
Not that Augie was a good enough healer for that. No number of years at Oxford could change the fact that Augie was a weak witch. Both in his affinity with the human body, and in the fact that he felt ill at the mere idea of performing surgery. Stitching flesh made him shudder and gag, no matter how he tried to acclimate himself.
“Going in?” a young man asked, pulling open the door of Mr. Mailer’s office. Augie realized he’d been standing in front of the building, staring at the sign. He slipped by the young man, nodding and mumbling his thanks.
The young man, it turned out, worked in the office. He’d no sooner followed Augie in when he continued. “Do you have an appointment with Mr. Mailer?”
“Not an appointment, no,” he admitted sheepishly. He hadn’t thought to write ahead, let alone make an appointment. Perhaps his presence was an imposition, and he should ask for an appointment and come back later. Or the next day. He bit his lip, then opened his mouth to do just that, before remembering the letter from the lawyer in his pocket. Yanking his bag away from the front of his jacket, he reached in and retrieved the envelope, worn from multiple readings and the long trip across the Atlantic. “Mr. Mailer sent me a letter. About my aunt?”
He held out the letter toward the young man, whose lips parted in surprise. “Mr. Ambrose?”
“Yes?”
“Just a moment, sir, I’ll get Mr. Mailer right away.”
All Augie could do was watch the man disappear into the back office. The man had been so taken aback, and in such a rush upon seeing the letter. Had Augie said the wrong thing? Had Aunt Grace perhaps died in debt to the lawyer?
It was no more than a handful of seconds until the young man returned with another, older and more distinguished, man in tow.
“Mr. Ambrose?” the older man asked, and when Augie nodded, he held out a hand and offered a wide smile. “Oh excellent, excellent. Please come into my office. We have so much to discuss.”
Aunt Grace had not died in debt, as it happened. Augie had thought, seven years earlier, when she’d offered to pay his way to Oxford to study medicine and healing, that it was an imposition on her funds. It had not been.
Aunt Grace had died a wealthy woman. A major landowner in the New Mexico Territory.
And Aunt Grace had left Augie . . . everything.
He sat there and listened to Mr. Mailer talk about thousands of acres and cattle, and even a pending contract with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway for their planned line to Albuquerque to run across her land. They wanted to buy it, but Aunt Grace had been hesitant.
“She said her husband was tricked into buying the land,” the lawyer told him, shaking his head incredulously. “So she didn’t want to be tricked into selling. I don’t know what she meant, but if he was tricked into it, it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Cattle are big money, and that land is prime real estate.”
Augie didn’t know the first thing about cattle or real estate or, apparently, his own aunt. She’d always been kind to him when he was a child, written him letters about her life in the West, and she’d paid for him to go to school. That was all he’d known.
He felt a pang of longing to have known her better. She’d been the only living family he had left, unless one counted his mother. He did not.
“The ranch is already in good hands, of course,” Mr. Mailer was saying when Augie turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. “But your aunt sent one of her men out to escort you back, if you’d like. She seemed to think you’d want to live there. Her man arrived in town a few days ago, and I’ve sent Charles to get him. So you can understand why we’re so happy to see you. Mr. Taylor was most anxious about the possibility that you wouldn’t turn up at all.”
Did Augie want to live on a ranch? It was what Aunt Grace had wanted, according to her will and the fact that she sent a man to retrieve him.
His palms were sweaty, and he wiped them on his pants. The lawyer didn’t seem to notice, thankfully, just kept droning on about acres and cows and a ranch manager. Aunt Grace had sent a man for him. What if the man didn’t like him? What if they didn’t want him on the ranch?
But it was what Aunt Grace had wanted. Nothing else mattered. Aunt Grace had given him Oxford, and it had been the best thing that ever happened to him, as flawed and painful as it had occasionally been. If not for Oxford, Augie would be dead with the rest of his family, of that he was certain. Hundreds of thousands of men had died in the bloody war between the states, and if Augie had been there, he’d have been one of them.
He owed Aunt Grace everything he had, and if she wanted him to live on her ranch, he would find a way to make it work.
Lacey DaizeLacey lives in New Mexico with her four critters. She’s a Jill-of-all-trades by day, but loves writing in her spare time. She dabbles in a variety of pairings, but jumped feet-first into the deep end of omegaverse the first time she read it. She loves the play on social expectations and the different ways to express romance.
Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.
Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.
Multi-Rainbow Award winner E.J. Russell—grace, mother of three, recovering actor—holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business intelligence consultant (as one does). She’s recently abandoned data wrangling, however, and spends her days wrestling words.
E.J. is married to Curmudgeonly Husband, a man who cares even less about sports than she does. Luckily, CH loves to cook, or all three of their children (Lovely Daughter and Darling Sons A and B) would have survived on nothing but Cheerios, beef jerky, and satsuma mandarins (the extent of E.J.’s culinary skill set).
E.J. lives in rural Oregon, enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.
Sam lives in the Midwest with husband and cat, which is even less exciting than it sounds, so she's not sure why you're still reading this.
She specializes in LGBTQIA+ fiction, usually with a romantic element. There's sometimes intrigue and violence, usually a little sex, and almost always some swearing in her work. Her writing is light and happy, though, so if you're looking for a dark gritty reality, you've come to the wrong author.
Lacey Daize
Alice Winters
How to Vex a Vampire by Alice Winters
Operation Destiny by Sarah Hadley Brook
Stumptown Spirits by EJ Russell
Ruby Run by Sam Burns
