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."
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
"We are divorced, Adams." She sighed and wanted to walk away, but he held her. "It doesn't matter." He answered, his voice laced with determination. "I don't love you anymore." "That doesn't matter either. What matters is that I want you, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it." ***** Alicia's life has been a series of ups and downs. She suffered abuse from her husband and his family because she couldn't give him a child. She thought she had seen it all, but not until the day she returned home only to receive the divorce papers from her husband's parents. She pleaded with them, but was met with deaf ears, and so she signed the documents and left. Little did anyone know that she was pregnant. She returned six years later with her baby girl only to find her Ex-husband craving her once more. How will she take this, and what other surprises does fate have in stock for her?
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"