Elemental Love (Delaney)

Cove has been a political refugee for years. Unjustly exiled from his home, the Realm of Water, he had no options left but to seek refuge in the Realm of Darkness. But after years of loneliness, of being thrown away and forgotten, a surprise missive arrives. He's granted a reprieve for temporary return to see his dying mother...but what of the traumatic and dangerous past that haunts his nightmares and threatens him still?Iggy is a young man trying to run away. From the Kingdom of Fire, from his father, from his family's criminal legacy. No matter what he tries, though, he can't seem to break free. All he wants is a friend, a companion, someonebut the demons of his origin hold everyone at bay. Until a chance encounter with a man named Cove, whose life is also in shambles, just might grant him everything he longs for.Two men who have nothing take a chance and forge an unprecedented friendship. After all, facing adversity is easier with someone on your side, isn't it? But as feelings of attraction grow, how much can either really trust a stranger? Can Iggy trust a man exiled from his own country who won't admit to why? Can Cove ever feel safe around Iggy when the fears of his past threaten to choke him?Can water and fire come together, or is it all doomed to go up in smoke?

As a bed slave to a cruel master in the Kingdom of Earth, all Kaj knows is suffering. Every day brings humiliation and pain, and a numb sense of desolate resignation. Even with the new queen's royal agenda to finally put an end to slavery, Kaj doesn't dare look to hope for his future. After all, if there's one thing a slave learns fast, it's that hope is too painful to hold.As bodyguard to the Princess of the Realm of Wind, Zephyr is a man of duty. And for years, duty has been all he's had and all he's needed. With no partner or family to distract him from responsibility, he's favored by superiors. He tells himself that's enough, enough to ease the pain of being "broken." Enough to ignore that his lack of desire for others leaves him achingly alone in a world that expects nothing else.But a new political alliance between their kingdoms means changes for both. For the first time, Zephyr suddenly finds himself feeling things he's never felt before when he meets the beautiful and timid Kaj. Unsure what to make of those feelings or how to handle the aggressively defensive and frightened Kaj, Zephyr struggles to walk the line between duty and honor. Meanwhile, Kaj must fight for more courage and trust than he's ever felt in his life. Can Zephyr learn to understand his feelings and identity while also protecting everyone he cares for? Can Kaj defy his master to do the right thing and also heal from deep, indelible scars?Can earth and wind come together, or will all be lost like dust in a gale?Content warning: This book contains a theme of sexual slavery, on-page depictions of sexual violence including rape, and references to sexual abuse of a child. None of this content is between the two MCs.