Being(s) in Love

Los Cerros is Detective Ray Branigan's town, his to protect in a way that satisfies his werewolf instincts, even though most humans are afraid of him. Los Cerros is famous for its fairy village and its supposedly welcoming attitude toward magical beings like Ray, but Ray is one of only two beings on the police force. While dealing with human prejudice, Ray and his partner have to solve crimes relating to magic, and are forced to rely on the department's part-time magical consultants, something Ray tries to avoid-and not only because werewolves are uncomfortable around magic. Enter Cal Parker, the son of the department's most admired detective. Cal is brilliant, contemptuous of the police, and half-fairy. He's also Ray's mate, a fact that Ray has kept secret despite his every instinct screaming for him to claim and worship, because weres mate for life, and fairies...don't. Everyone knows that. Fairies are beautiful, flighty, and fickle. But perhaps it's not only the humans who have prejudice about beings. Cal isn't shy about his desire for Ray-not that fairies ever are-and Ray's resistance is crumbling. But the situation is growing more dangerous as they get closer to the killer, and by the time Ray accepts the truth of a fairy's heart, it might be too late. Being(s) in Love. Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

Arthur MacArthur is in desperate need of a better paying job. Before Arthur dropped out of school to support his younger sister, he loved being a research assistant at the university, and becoming a personal assistant to a famous historian like Dr. Jones is a chance for Arthur to, sort of, live his dream again. But though Arthur was told Dr. Jones is a dragon, one of the most powerful and least understood of the beings, he didn't anticipate what that could mean-or that he would be so immediately attracted to his boss. Dr. Philbert "Bertie" Jones is a brilliant historian, but he can't keep track of the days of the week, much less find his own notes without help. His house is a hoard of books and antiques, and yet unlike all the stories about vicious, possessive dragons, he seems to have no problem with Arthur taking over the clutter and setting the house to rights. In fact, he seems to delight in it, treating Arthur as if he is something precious. Arthur isn't sure what to make of that. There is nothing special about him, even if Bertie disagrees. Dragons are supposed to collect treasure, and Arthur isn't treasure, is he? Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

After graduating college, Zeki Janowitz returns to his hometown of Wolf's Paw before beginning his career as a consulting wizard. But he has no plans to stay. Wolf's Paw, a werewolf refuge, shuns human magic and a very human Zeki. Despite that, Zeki can't help but wish he belonged there the way he's always wanted to, which has a lot to do with one werewolf in particular, Theo Greenleaf. Years away haven't lessened Zeki's feelings for the quiet werewolf, although Theo has grown even more withdrawn in Zeki's absence. When town gossip informs Zeki that Theo is suffering from a mate's rejection, Zeki is outraged on Theo's behalf-but also wonders if this means he might finally be able to at least get Theo to consider him. For that, Zeki would stay in Wolf's Paw no matter what it cost him. Werewolves usually don't recover from losing their mates, and Theo barely pulled through. Now, he doesn't know what to think when this new, braver Zeki attempts to woo him. It's almost as if Zeki doesn't have a clue that he is the one who broke Theo's heart. But they are grown up now, and the magic the town fears might have drawn them back together for an unprecedented second chance. If anyone can figure out how to woo their mate after messing it up the first time, it might be a clever human wizard and werewolf with hidden talents. Being(s) in Love. Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone, when it comes to matters of the heart.

For five years, Timothy Dirus has lived on the run, in fear of his family. Kept away from other werewolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him. But when Tim finds himself in Wolf's Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans, he immediately draws the attention of its sheriff, Nathaniel Neri. Nathaniel is the epitome of alpha wolf: powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful man Tim has ever seen. Tim should be terrified. But everything Tim feels says that Nathaniel is safe and good and right, if only Tim knew what that meant. Tim isn't sure what to trust-what he was told by his uncle, or his instincts. He's not even certain what his instincts are, and feels like a failure of a were in a town like Wolf's Paw. But Nathaniel is patient and willing to wait while his little wolf figures out not just how to be a wolf, but that he is more than a match for this particular alpha. Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

A Being(s) in Love Anthology. Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone else when it comes to matters of the heart. In 1930s Paris, magnificent Kazimir the firebird never expects to find love but is drawn to a writer with a haunted past. Upon returning from fighting during World War Two, a revered jaguar shifter finds Teo, a third-gender human, left on his doorstep. Early rock 'n' roll DJ Hyacinth the fairy shocks his listeners with his admiration for his quiet and very male human assistant. During the AIDS crisis, a leather daddy troll named Tank dreams of a settled life with the interspecies elf across the bar. Rennet the imp, who remembers too well how cruel the world can be, tells himself he's content to stay behind the scenes for the sake of the human he adores-if only his chaotic, impish magic would stop getting in the way. And Miki, a shy human tending his poisonous and carnivorous plants, is convinced no one will ever want him, certainly not the handsome werewolf grieving for a lost mate. It will take advice from a being of inhuman beauty to convince him to try for what he wants, no matter the risk. Human or being, all must overcome fear to reach for love.

Grad student David is in love with Tulip, a kind and unusually quiet fairy. David is happy to be Tulip's friend, but never risks more because he doesn't believe a fairy could love him, and Tulip has never tried to "keep him"-as fairies refer to relationships. Everyone in their social circle knows Tulip doesn't date humans, even if no one knows why. David is content to pine until, exhausted and more than a little tipsy at a Christmas party, he makes his feelings too obvious for Tulip to deny any longer. Fairies are drawn to David, describing his great "shine" —a quality only visible to fairy eyes but which signifies something about a person's character, but David knows only too well how quickly fairies can forget humans. He can't see his own brilliance, or understand how desperately Tulip wants him, even if Tulip won't act on it. Because of a past heartbreak involving a human, Tulip is convinced someone as shiny as David could never want a "silly, stupid fairy" in his life. But from the moment they met, Tulip has wanted David's shine for his own. Now, if he wants to keep David, he'll have to be as brave as his shiny, careful human. Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

In the nineteenth century, the dragon Dìzhèn put the small coastal town of Everlasting under her protection. Her family was supposed to carry on the tradition, but all of Dìzhèn the Great's heirs eventually left rather than live in the shadow of such a powerful dragon, and to the people of Everlasting, the dragons are more myth than anything to rely upon. Only the youngest dragon of the current generation remains in the big house hidden among the trees: Zarrin, the softhearted disgrace of his family. He might be weak, small, and afraid, but he is determined to show the humans they have not been forgotten... and he will start with the human he has longed for since they were children. The problem is, Zarrin hasn't been around any humans much, and can barely get this one human to talk to him. A lot of the people in Everlasting think grumpy outcast Joe should love to have a dragon trying to get his attention. But Joe refuses to cower in front of the dragons or suck up to Zarrin like everyone else. Yes, Zarrin is sexy, and oddly gentle for a dragon, and stares at Joe with a gaze so hot it makes Joe shiver. But hurt, mistrustful Joe can't believe Zarrin's promises and doesn't realize he is the treasure Zarrin once let slip through his fingers. Now, to win Joe's trust, and the trust of the town, Zarrin has to learn about humans and love, so he can be as brave and strong as Dìzhèn herself. Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

Years ago, Martin Dyer nearly died in the woods outside Everlasting. A beautiful, inhuman creature saved his life, but Martin has done his best to forget it ever happened. He spends his time in a haze of weed as he avoids his emotionally abusive mother-and the way he feels about men. Martin is already a weirdo in his isolated small town; he doesn't need a sexuality crisis, too. He's a mess, but someone-or something-always seems to take care of him, usually a tall, sarcastic deputy by the name of Ian Forrester. No one knows much about Ian, which is how he and his family have preferred it since before Everlasting existed. Ian has resigned himself to a lonely life. He might dream of Martin, but it's only that-a dream. Martin doesn't like men, and even if he did, he doesn't like Ian. No one does, because Ian keeps his secret, and his distance, by being prickly. But the dragons and their magic have returned to Everlasting, shaking the entire town and leaving Martin questioning what he might be able to have if he sobers up and faces the truth. Now, anything seems possible, even a happily ever after for two men who never expected one. Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

Clematis attracts attention whether he wants it or not, and in response, he's turned himself into the ideal fairy, or, at least, what humans think is the ideal fairy. He works hard to embody every fairy stereotype. He can be a sulky prince or a submissive flirt, slutty and arrogant, or silly and soft. Everyone wants him, just not for long. Well, everyone except the fairy Clematis secretly adores. But Clematis has never expected a happily ever after. Then another fairy curses Clematis to be seen as he really is, and Clematis is terrified. He knows the truth, that all there is to him is beauty and sex. That's all that anyone has ever wanted from him. Even his happiness, what fairies call someone who shines more to them than anyone else ever could, does not want the mess that Clematis knows he is beneath the glitter. Except now there is magic in the air, and everything Clematis has done to protect himself from the cruelty of the world no longer works. He's been cursed, or so he thinks. But he forgot that a fairy's power lies in truth, and that fairy curses are often blessings in disguise, and happiness might be within his grasp, after all. Being(s) in Love: Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.

A Being(s) in Love AnthologyVery little is known about seers-those individuals, both human and being, with the power to know both what could have been and what is yet to come. Seers prefer it that way. Some of them run from their visions. Others call themselves artists or authors instead of oracles. But even in the most seemingly innocent of their creations, the truth will out, and lessons will be learned.Two storytellers of different eras and vastly different temperaments weave fantastic tales of magic and romance for their enthralled audiences: A young prince avoids his betrothed and the curse that binds them. A witch uses his magic to help the man he loves court someone else. A warrior betrayed by his lord finds himself in the company of a mysterious stranger. A half-fae is doomed to be sent to the Faery Court unless he can find someone to love him. A lonely outcast finds himself drawn to a forbidden forest. A bookseller at a masked ball wonders if he should pursue a handsome prince. A dragon attempts to woo a beast. A shy servant is given one night to reach for what he wants. Fairy tales that reveal more about the tellers, and their audiences, than they might want.Being(s) in Love:Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they've lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.