When he was hired to take an Omega in a sticky situation quietly to a breeding farm upstate, the underground fixer Hades should have known that something was fishy about the job. But he needed the money and it seemed simple enough. The Alpha hadn't expected to have such an immediate and deep connection to the no-fur entrusted to him. Risking the wrath of the no-fur's mafia owners becomes the least of Hades's problems as he tries to escape with his fated mate. Enlisting the aid of his best friend, a demon ex-lover, an innocent bystander celebrity, and an accidentally kidnapped no-fur, Hades sets out on the first steps towards the fate that was sealed from the moment he put his paws on his beloved no-fur and their world will never be the same. Bestselling authors Hermit & Star have created another steamy, dark world - this time with anthropomorphic feline Alphas and their no-fur Omegas!
Shadwell Sebastian Woolsey stomped aimlessly through the rain. He had a destination but he was in no hurry to get there.
His shoes needed replacing, he noted as water crept in from a puddle he had not managed to avoid. He hated getting wet. Some might say he was a walking stereotype but he had never met another tom who hated it as much as he did. Hell, a fair amount of them used water as their first introduction to the Elemental arts.
Not Shadwell, though. As a Black-fur, he couldn't create an affinity for such a healing Element to use in his magick. His gifts - if you could call them that - were of a much more complicated and forbidden nature. He could scratch the surface of his potential and did fine for himself with what he could do. However, Black-furs could only access their core magick by using a no-fur conduit.
Which was something Shadwell was never going to be able to do. Collaring a no-fur was a luxury for the most elite of Elementalists, something that Black-furs definitely were not. Beyond the prohibitive cost of just owning one, if an Elementalist wished to use a no-fur as part of their magick practice, there was a very expensive licensing process. Only the talented and affluent Calicoes would have the resources to have a collared no-fur. From what Shadwell had heard, most of them who showed any inclination towards Elemental magick when they came of age were gifted a no-fur of their own to use and abuse.
Black-furs like Shadwell were about as far from Calicoes in the social pecking order as no-furs were from toms. His jewel green eyes and thick soot-colored coat marked him as a Cursed One. Which, while still being better than being born a no-fur, was not the easiest of lives. Not that Shadwell was going to ask for pity for how he'd been born.
He'd always been clever and was born with a knack for reading auras, allowing him to see the motives of most toms. What had started when he was young as a hustle to keep himself fed had become a real career with real clients who paid well for his less-than-legal talents. It also allowed him to have an office that doubled as an apartment and featured a gorgeous antique stained glass lamp that he'd gotten cheap because it had never worked. Like every other feline Elementalist, Shadwell enjoyed shiny things. Unlike most of them, Shadwell often got himself into trouble because he could become fixated and obsessed with shiny things.
He couldn't afford many of those these days as his ability to attract clients was uncertain at best. Keeping his apartment office in the City took most of his coin. The office didn't need much anyway. It was a place to keep a few precious treasures and a couch to crash on. Most of his clients preferred to meet in clandestine alleys and bars so they weren't actually seen going into the Infernal Affurs office. Shadwell's best friend Jinx swore it was because of the awful pun in the name, but it had to be the reputation that Shadwell had on the streets.
Even with a solid success rate and reasonable prices, you blow up one small parking lot by accidentally opening a demonic gate and you are suddenly a pariah.
Oh, they'll still pay for your services, but they'd prefer it not to get out that they did. Which made word of mouth a hard sales tactic.
Tonight, like most nights, Shadwell was meeting someone Jinx had set him up with. Thank the gods for Jinx. The Orangelo owned a barely-this-side-of-legal speakeasy in the heart of the City. In exchange for keeping him in rich clients, Shadwell kept the speakeasy cloaked in a shadow spell so it stayed off the radars of the authorities that might like to break up the illegal gambling and smuggling that Jinx allowed to happen in the back rooms.
The whole demon gate incident had also had earned the Black-fur the street name of Hades. His proper name was such a pretentious mouthful and the moniker suited his line of work. Hades didn't just work the underground, he basically ran it as far as the uptown toms were concerned. He investigated the stomach-turning bad things that toms did to each other. For a price. Needed to figure out who had cursed you? Hades did that for a price. Need to find some dirt on a rival business or break up an illegal gambling circle? Hades did that too, for a price.
If he were completely honest, there was very little that Hades wouldn't do for the right amount of money.
Hades stepped into Jinx's bar and made a beeline for the booth where he always did business. Jinx nodded to him as he crossed the room, acknowledging Hades's presence. That also meant that the tom would be here with a drink as soon as he could get away from tending bar. Hades leaned back, making himself comfortable as he waited. He stared at the familiar copper ceiling tiles emblazoned with pictures of mystical places. He relaxed as he watched the cozy lights dance on the tiles.
Shiny things really were the best.
A mixed drink just to his tastes appeared moments before his new client. The Tawny fur was from money, that was for sure. No feline had that wide a waistline and didn't have money. Also his suit was tailored to flatter his giant frame. Hades didn't recognize him as any of the uptown toms he'd worked with before, so chances were he knew Jinx through one of his shadier dealings. He was so large Hades almost didn't notice the no-fur being dragged along on a leash behind him.
He only let his eyes fall on the no-fur for a moment. The money tom had dressed him in a mockery of the suit he wore. The no-fur had on very, very short pants that barely hid anything and a collar with a small tie hanging from it that matched the one the big tom wore. What little fur he had on his head was a mix of blue and greens. Dyed to be more appealing to his master no doubt. His eyes held the blush pink glow that signified an omega who was ripe for breeding.
"Hard not to admire, isn't he?" The fat tom caught Hades trying not to look. "It doesn't bother me. I have a stable of them."
He wrapped the no-fur's leash around a post. The pretty but too thin creature knelt down and put his hands on his thighs as he bowed his head in obedience.
"Another one of whatever he's having for him, bourbon straight for me," Fat Tom said to the waiter who appeared. Once they were alone again, the fat feline finally introduced himself. "I am Gran Martelli of the Martelli Syndicate. Relax, I am not that Martelli. I'm his cousin. There are some odd things going down at my totally legit warehouse and I think I may have gotten tangled up in a big ball of yarn, if you know what I mean."
Hades sighed. "Let me guess, you got into it with a Teffald or you got it on with a Teffald and your rival families are angry."
"Nothing like that." Gran rubbed the sweat off his glass nervously. "That might be easier to deal with."
"Well, out with it! I can't agree on my price if I don't know the job." Hades sipped his drink but had the look of someone about to jet.
"There's been a murder." The fat tom cut right to it. "But that's not what I need you for."
Hades waited for it. Everything about this tom said that whatever the job was, it would be unpleasant. He sipped his drink and resisted the urge to ask for Jinx to bring something for the shivering and obviously hungry omega.
"Feel free to get on with it." He finally sighed. "I know my reputation proceeds me. You can't be wondering if you've come to the right place."
"I need this no-fur to disappear."
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Lucien Gray, the young and powerful head of an international consortium, has always had everything within his reach-wealth, influence, and any woman he desires. But when the unassuming Nina Morrison crosses his path, something unexpected happens. She doesn't fall at his feet, nor does she seem impressed by his status. Her indifference sparks an irresistible challenge in Lucien-a desire to conquer her at all costs. Determined to make Nina his, Lucien's pursuit becomes relentless. But Nina's fiery spirit and refusal to be controlled push Lucien to his limits. With every struggle and defiance, the tension between them grows, threatening to shatter the boundaries Lucien has always maintained. Now Lucien vows to claim her as his own. Will Lucien's obsession break Nina's spirit, or will she force him to confront his deepest vulnerabilities? In a game of power and desire, who will win-and at what cost?
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
Billionaire Bennett Graham urgently needed a wife to close a business deal but his fiancée wasn't ready to tie the knots yet. So his grandmother picked the most unassuming maid for him. Everything was supposed to go incredibly well, and all he had to do was wait until he divorced her a year later. But after seeing Maliyah's ocean eyes.it wasn't looking simple anymore. *** Before I could get her up, it was as if she felt the light and an uncomfortable sound came out of her mouth. "Uh-huh..." She raised her hand to cover her eyes. But I didn't have time to wait for her to wake up, so I told her to "Get Up." My voice seemed to scare her, and her light-fearing eyes suddenly widened and she kept moving to the corner. The only voice in the quiet art room was her fear-filled voice, "No...please...go away...don't come close to me." She was afraid of me? I hadn't even spoken to her before, what was she afraid of? This was definitely not going to work, I couldn't talk to her if she couldn't calm down. Then I moved closer to her, my hand on her trembling shoulder, and I whispered soothingly "Calm down.I'm not going to hurt you.I'm not going to hurt you."I assured and then she moved her hair away from her face as if to stare at me properly. Our eyes met.It was that moment. It felt as if I was enchanted for a moment. Those ocean eyes were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?