Title: Devil’s Man

Author: Kira Stone

Cover Art: Marteeka Karland

Genres: Action Adventure, Box Sets, Dark Fantasy, Mystery /Suspense /Intrigue, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Themes: LGBTQ+ Bisexual /Nonbinary /Transgender, LGBTQ+ Gay, Magic /Sorcery /Witchcraft, Multiple Partners, Second Edition

Series: Loveland (#1)

Book Length: Box Set

Page Count: 275

Synopsis

Research at Loveland College has never been quite so productive…

Devil’s Man: Roman vows to have Carter, a reclusive professor, one way or another. Roman’s devilish scheme to seduce Carter succeeds, to the great pleasure of all involved, but their tryst ends with dire consequences. To stay alive, Roman and Carter will have to face their deepest fears.

Between the Covers: Leah has to discover why Loveland College students are obsessed with having sex in her section of the college library. Leah turns to Sam, a Campus Security Detective, for expert advice. Together they seek the truth… Between the Covers.

Mayan Destiny: Professor Patrice Valez dreams of Mayan ruins and gods of old. When she wins a grant to study an obscure Mayan temple, she’s stunned, and not entirely happy, to discover her Mayan obsession has a purpose — and a price.

Bump in the Night — “Department of Paranormal Research.” Wade’s colleagues laugh at the title on his office door. But if he can debunk the ghosts of the famed Hoag Mansion, he’ll finally start getting the recognition he deserves. What he finds instead are things that go bump in the night…

Excerpt

Devil’s Man (Box Set)
Second Edition
Kira Stone
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Kira Stone

“Over here.”

There was an impatient huff before a woman said, “I thought you said you knew where it was.”

Leah Spencer paused in the act of replacing a book into its proper Dewey decimal order on the shelf. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. Still, the sounds of heavy breathing were coming from a nearby location.

“I do. It’s right here.” Teeth of a zipper were parted.

“That is not what I’m looking for.” This time instead of sounding aggrieved, the female’s voice dripped with amusement.

Oh, crap. Not again. Her section of the library had to be the hottest make out spot on campus lately.

“Suck me,” a male voice hissed.

“Like this?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s it.”

He started to moan. Wet sounds slipped between the logically ordered tomes to reach Leah’s ears. Her face heated, and so did her feminine core.

“Lick it.”

Apparently his lover complied because inarticulate encouragement ensued. Leah considered peeking around the spines to catch a glimpse of their faces so she could give a description to campus security, but as soon as she moved, the book in her hands rasped against the ones on the shelf at her waist.

“What was that?” the woman asked, suspicious.

Leah froze, her heart beating frantically at the thought of being discovered. It would certainly get her fired if the administration learned she’d been listening to, rather than interrupting, the copulating couple. Assuming, of course, that she survived the humiliation of being labeled a sexual voyeur.

“It’s nothing. Ignore it,” her partner replied.

“I really think –”

He cut her off. “No one ever comes up here. No one except people like us. Might get crowded, but we’re not going to get in trouble.”

His partner seemed reassured by his explanation. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Safe for the moment, Leah carefully stepped out of her shoes so her feet wouldn’t make a sound as she dashed down the main corridor, away from the action. Once she’d reached her miniscule office, she picked up the phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.

“It’s happening again,” Leah said as soon as Campus Security Detective Samuel Zheng answered.

“Damn. That makes the fourth time today.”

The husky tenor of his voice jumpstarted the lust already simmering in her veins. Leah wished she were brave enough to intimately touch herself during one of these conversations. So far, she hadn’t dared. But to come to the sound of his voice, to be that close to him whether he knew it or not, would be… would be… pathetic.

“Leah?”

She sighed, dismissing the fantasy and zeroing in on reality. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“I’m on my way. Don’t let them leave.”

Right, she thought as the dial tone echoed in her ear. Even if Sam ran the whole way, it would take him ten minutes to arrive. She was a five-foot-nothing couch potato. How was she supposed to restrain two healthy adults if they were determined to go? Keep them riveted with a discourse on the finer points of fellatio?

Assuming they hadn’t already left, she’d have to stay where she could monitor them. Listening to their passionate directives. Picturing them…

Enough!

As quietly as she could, Leah tiptoed back to her hiding place. Again, somehow she betrayed her presence. Damn Sam for asking her to do his job!

“There’s another noise,” the woman hissed. “Someone’s coming.”

“No one is coming but me, baby. Suck me a little harder, would ya?”

The woman chuckled softly. “Mmm, you’re such a big boy. Gonna have to find something special to do for you.” In the quiet, close quarters, Leah detected the rustle of fabric, followed by the snick of a bra being undone. “How about this, stud? Does it do anything for you?”

“That… is so… hot.”

Images of what they might be doing flickered through Leah’s mind. She closed her eyes. Their out-of-sync heavy breathing fueled the white-hot lust pulsing between her legs. She envisioned a pair of plump breasts surrounding a hard shaft, the rosy head peeking up from the deep, lily-white valley.

“Gonna let me fuck you?” the guy panted out.

“No, I want you to come like this. All over my breasts.”

“Oh, yeah.”

The smell of sex permeated the air. Leah’s clit throbbed. She didn’t want to risk moving around too much for fear of scaring them off, but she had to do something to soothe the ache in her swollen clit. Using the only option that came to mind, Leah placed a heavy tome between her legs. As quietly as possible, she ground against it so the rigid spine rode over her pussy, sending ripples of pleasure through her body.

People often teased her about getting off on books, but this was the first time she’d actually attempted it. The thought almost made her giggle, but she choked it off.

“That’s it. Fuck my tits, stud.”

“Gonna come,” he announced.

“Do it for me. Do it now.”

Leah was near the edge herself. As he grunted through his climax, Leah rubbed the book between her legs. Given the volume’s size, it took both hands although she badly wished one were free to pluck at her pebbled nipples.

She’d never felt so wanton in her life. She imagined semen coating the woman’s breasts, his hands rubbing it in. Her mouth licking him clean. All the while, her BOB substitute stroked her into a frenzy of wet, hot need.

“Here, let me get that.” Whatever the man’s offer entailed, his partner seemed to enjoy it. Her cry of pleasure triggered Leah’s release. It wasn’t the best orgasm of her life, but her reaction was intensified by the fact that she’d made it happen at all. In the library. Where she could have been caught at any second.

What in the hell had she been thinking?

As she pondered the depths of her recent depravity, the lights overhead dimmed for a full ten seconds, then brightened again. It signaled the five-minute warning before the staff started herding students out of Loveland College Library. Shit! Where was Sam?

Purchase at Changeling

Meet the Author

Kira Stone lives in a warm cave tucked away in the remote Scottish Highlands, where a small band of ever-changing heroes serves as company. As they relax in front of a roaring fire, demons dance in leather pants and angels stroke tunes from the harp strings, while the Fae stop in to share tales from other worlds. Bound by pen and imagination, these are the folk who wait to greet you from the pages of Kira’s stories. Visit Kira’s Website.

Title: Para Schooled

Author: Emily Carrington

Publisher: Changeling Press

Cover Art: Angela Knight

Genres: Action Adventure, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Themes: Elves /Dragons /Magical Creatures, LGBTQ+ Bisexual /Nonbinary /Transgender, LGBTQ+ Gay, Multiple Partners, Shapeshifters, Wolf Shifters & Werewolves

Series: Para Schooled (#4)

Multiverse: SearchLight Academy (#8)

Book Length: Box Set

Page Count: 239

Synopsis

In every relationship, there’s always a choice. Choosing wrong may cost these heroes everything.

Werewolf’s Choice (Para Schooled 1)
Werewolf society has little tolerance for a lone wolf like Don, a man with a complicated past. It’s hard for him to learn to trust, yet pack life calls to his wolf nature. When two basilisks offer a chance at romance, Don refuses to accept anything more than a physical relationship. Will his stubbornness get him and his new partners killed?

Dark’s Lover (Para Schooled 2)
When Blagden, a Night Wanderer-Singer, meets Caleb, he is drawn to the Grand Fae’s struggle to accept his new life. Caleb’s son is blind and the Grand Fae have cast out all disabled children. But Blagden has a terrible secret. He inadvertently steals energy from those he loves. When SearchLight is attacked, Blagden must choose between the Fae he loves and his resolve never to steal energy again.

Kaito’s Silence (Para Schooled 3)
Kaito has always been attracted to werewolves of the opposite gender — until he meets his new sign language tutor, a flamboyant wolf named Stefan. As Kaito struggles with his own sexuality, Stefan starts to feel like an experiment. Can their love thrive or will Kaito’s indecision push them apart?

Excerpt

Para Schooled
Emily Carrington
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Emily Carrington
Excerpt fromWerewolf’s Choice

For Don Sanderson, disabled werewolf, life couldn’t have been better.

He was three thousand miles from the pushy alpha werewolves of Washington, DC. He was starting a new job. And life was just great in general. He’d always wanted to travel and thought he’d never get the chance.

Mostly because of his wheelchair.

But here he was, rolling across the parking lot toward the carefully concealed entrance to the SearchLight Academy campus in California. It was early March and the whole of Death Valley was awash in wildflowers. The perfume in the air was glorious and he’d never felt so glad to be alive.

Well, all right, that was laying it on a bit thick. He recognized his desire, as a therapist, to be healthy and positive in his daily thoughts. This wasn’t perfect because Timothy wasn’t with him. Timothy, damn him, was gone.

Don paused to survey the flowers that crowded right up to the edge of the parking lot. He smiled. Come May or June, there wouldn’t be any flowers. The heat baking off the pavement could fry an egg. Or maybe even melt his tires. But for now, he was content to park outside instead of in the garage. He’d never thought to see Death Valley and get to celebrate its beauty.

Hell, he’d often thought he’d be under the flowers instead of surveying them. Werewolf culture had little tolerance for a lone wolf, and yet they didn’t want him to be part of a pack either. Disabled in more ways than one, he wasn’t desirable. Yet, they couldn’t just leave him be because “lone wolves are dangerous, ravenous beasts and separated from society, they often go insane.”

He’d been raised on that truth, but he wasn’t insane. He had a pack, of sorts. He had SearchLight. It wasn’t the same, and he knew it. Being in a wolf pack, surrounded by your kind, was like being given a drink of water after days of thirst. There was something that called to a wolf’s soul when it came to pack living. But Don had been nicknamed. His full name was Donald. Nicknaming was disrespectful, and he’d been ostracized. No one wanted him.

Well, maybe dead, they wanted him. But only SearchLight could use his talents as he was now: a therapist capable of helping others heal.

He entered the hidden passage, taking the gentle slope down toward the heart of SearchLight’s new campus for students of all ages. There had originally been only one SearchLight campus, in Washington, DC. Now there was this second campus, in the Mojave Desert, shielded from humans and dangerous magical creatures alike.

He traveled through the whispering silence and smiled when the almost creepy stillness was broken by laughter. This place was so new everything practically squeaked. There weren’t any security officers here, not until June, and only some of the professors had reported. He was supplemental staff, and technically he didn’t have to be here until April first, but he’d been so very glad to get out of DC…

There was housing here, as there wasn’t in the nation’s capital. Being all underground and far from usual human habitation, it was easier to have apartments here than in the Panamint Mountains, which were relatively nearby. Soon, Don would be hiding his car inside because he wouldn’t be going anywhere. But today was his first day and he’d longed to be outside with the fifty other cars.

They were hidden from standard human perception by leprechauns magic and other concealment spells, but right now, the parking lot was simply another place for anyone to leave their vehicle because the whole national park was open to visitors. Hiding in plain sight was SearchLight’s favorite trick.

It was still early, barely eight o’clock. He wheeled his way down to the cafeteria, following the signs, and thinking that he’d love to have breakfast in his own apartment. Even well-prepared food, when it was mass-produced, tasted nothing like home cooking.

When he was finally in the cafeteria, he balanced a tray on his lap and rolled through the line. He was aware of people looking at him but that was okay. His right leg ended just below his knee. It was normal for people to steal little glances in his direction. He had two psychic senses even though most LGBTQ werewolves only had one. He could always tell when he was being watched, particularly with negative intent, and he was a telekinetic. He could have rolled along with the tray floating an inch or two off his lap, but why show off? He drew plenty of attention without that.

Reaching a table that was specially designed to allow a wheelchair to roll underneath, he smiled. He was one of two wheelchair-bound staff, and there might be students coming in with similar disabilities. Since Dr. Sowerby’s decree, two years gone, that all SearchLight Academy buildings must be ADA compliant, more and more disabled magical creatures had flocked to the school designed for, and catering to, magical creatures.

“Do you mind if we join you?”

He glanced up as he set his tray on the table. It was a female who had spoken, a female basilisk, and he rapidly searched through the list of names he kept in his head. He didn’t know all of the faculty at the SearchLight Academy back East, but he thought… “Ms. Vaughn?”

She blinked beautiful golden-brown eyes at him. “We’ve never met. How do you know my name?”

“I’ve had students mention your classes.”

“That’s impossible,” she returned as she and the male basilisk with her sat down. “I’m not a teacher yet. This fall will be my first term.”

Confused, he ventured, “Aren’t you the languages expert, Ms. Susan Vaughn?”

Her companion chuckled. “Now I understand,” he said. “No, Susan is my sister. I’m Xavier Vaughn and this is my wife, Cassidy.” He briefly touched a light chain around his neck when he spoke.

Cassidy Vaughn smiled at her husband. Then she returned her attention to Don. “And you are?”

He hesitated. Not because he didn’t want to share his name but because he didn’t know how they would react to his nickname. He’d been known as “Don, the psychic wolf.” He’d been called deformed, not just because of his leg but because of his other disability and his status as a bisexual wolf.

“You’re the therapist, I think,” Xavier said. “I’ve seen you around the DC campus a couple of times.” He seemed to want to give Don a little more time because he continued. “I was filling in for Professor Boyle last fall when he took off time to write a book.”

“You were teaching parapsychology?” Don frowned slightly. “I’m sorry — if I should remember you, I don’t.”

Xavier chuckled. “I have a way of fading into the background. It’s one of my psychic talents.”

Cassidy leaned forward and took a sip of her coffee. “What’s your name?”

Oh, to hell with it. Damned be all the stereotypes that went with a werewolf being given a nickname instead of his full born-with identifier. “I’m Don Sanderson. You’re right, I’m the head therapist here in Death Valley. I used to work off campus at the Healing House where attack victims and bullies alike were sent to recover and change their ways. I’ve only visited the campus twice…” Then he realized where Xavier might have seen him. “I gave a lecture on bullying behavior to all the professors and staff last fall.”

“That must be where I saw you.”

Something in Xavier’s reply made Don raise his eyebrows. But the male basilisk didn’t respond to the questioning look.

Cassidy was toying with a little key on a bracelet. She had a pleased smile on her face. Don turned his questioning look on her.

“Nothing,” she answered his glance. But she took Xavier’s hand and smiled at her husband as if they had a secret.

A rush of jealousy rushed through Don in that moment. He wanted so badly to be looked at in that way, where he held enigmas with a lover. He wished briefly that these two beautiful people were looking for a third…

Purchase at Changeling Press

Meet the Author

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her website.

Website | Facebook | X | Goodreads | Shapeshifter Central

Title: Spiritori

Author: Mychael Black

Cover Art: Bryan Keller

Genres: Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Mystery /Suspense /Intrigue, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Themes: Dark Romance, LGBTQ+ Gay, LGBTQ+ Sex & Gender Shifters, MPreg, Vampires

Series: Splintered Bloodlines (#4)

Book Length: Novella

Page Count: 71

Description

A death mage turns out to be the perfect mate for a human omega.

Lucas Krauss is getting used to being out of a nightmare and acclimating to life with Saridan Tower. His mate is a death mage, one of the deadliest kinds of vamps, and now they are sorting out their lives as a family.

Raphael Santos isn’t fazed by the looks and whispers he gets from passers-by. His status is unmistakable due to his pale skin and the aura that surrounds him. He never thought he’d find his mate, yet a sweet human omega is more than happy to touch him, unafraid of Raphael’s true nature.

But not all is well. House Lorthaen makes it clear that they are not going to leave House Saridan alone, and Raphael vows to protect his family, no matter what.

WARNING: Mpreg, Alpha/omega, Fated Mates, Hurt/Comfort.

Excerpt

Spiritori (Splintered Bloodlines 4)
Mychael Black
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Mychael Black

Lucas

Everything hurt. Not as bad as when I’d… well… when a human cop had swooped in, ready to obliterate Gino Boone. Gino had the jump on him, though, and ate a bullet like a fucking coward. I was happy to be out of that nightmare, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about being here now. The head of House Saridan, Deacon, and another vamp had visited me in the hospital and brought me here to Saridan’s Tower. Outside this apartment, I still didn’t feel entirely comfortable, but when Raphael was around, that all changed.

He was my mate. I didn’t need any sort of test to tell me that either. My gut instinct had made it crystal clear the second the man had walked into my hospital room with Deacon.

When we’d arrived here at the tower, I’d noticed others gave Raphael a wide berth. I couldn’t fathom why, though. He’d told me what he was: a death mage. His magic was the kind that manipulated a being’s life force. There seemed to be a faint aura of… something around him everywhere he went. It didn’t scare me, though. He might’ve terrified others, even other vamps, but not me. In private, he was attentive, almost to the point of being a mother hen. He was soft-spoken and gentle, far more than I ever expected someone like him could be.

The wounds from the beating Gino had given me were healing, though I was still sore. The worst part, though, was not knowing how the rest would play out. Gino had whored me out to random bastards, and, at some point, I got pregnant. Raphael knew, but unlike most alphas, he didn’t seem upset about it.

As I sat on the bed, I put a hand on my still-flat belly. I had no clue whose kid I was now carrying, but I’d always wanted a family. I prayed Raphael didn’t want to get rid of it. We hadn’t had much time to talk since, apparently, there was a rival vamp House determined to bring House Saridan down.

The apartment door opened, and I knew who it was without needing to hear or see him. Of course, no one else would come in here, but Raphael didn’t even need to announce himself.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he stepped to the bedroom doorway.

He hurried over to the bed and crouched in front of me, his height putting us at eye-level. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes and smile. His touch was so gentle and loving.

“I’m okay.”

I caught his hand and brought it to my mouth to kiss the tips of his fingers. We’d only hugged, not even a single kiss in the couple of weeks I’d been here, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait for him to make a move. Aches or not, I couldn’t deny how attracted I was to him.

Raphael smiled. “Did you rest well?”

I nodded. “Slept like a baby, actually.”

His gaze shifted downward the slightest bit, and my breath caught. His smile was wistful. “We need to talk, you and I.” He looked back up at me. “Are you hungry?”

“I could definitely eat.”

Before he could move away and stand, I gripped his hand tighter. Raphael met my gaze, those almost white eyes mesmerizing. I didn’t need to say another word. He cupped the back of my neck with his other hand and pulled me closer.

I couldn’t recall the last time I’d kissed anyone. I certainly never let any of Boone’s guys do it. It was an act so intimate, so personal, that I’d fought to save it for someone special.

Someone like Raphael.

His touch was featherlight, and his lips were surprisingly soft. I opened for him without hesitation. He took his time, tongue stroking over mine, never trying to take control or push the kiss into harder territory. I could’ve kissed him for the rest of my life and never tired of it. He tasted like the peppermint candies I’d discovered he had an affinity for, and a slightly minty scent swirled in my head.

“If we don’t stop now,” he murmured on my lips, “we’ll never get out of here.”

I chuckled. “In all honesty, I’d started to wonder if maybe this attraction was one-sided.”

Raphael pulled back a little and caressed the side of my face. “Never. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first day I saw you in the hospital. You needed to heal, though.” He raised one eyebrow at me. “You still do.”

“I’ll admit I’m a little achy, but… please? I promise I’ll tell you if I need to stop.”

“Tell you what. Let’s go eat. We can talk about us, including the baby.”

I swallowed and stared into his eyes, searching for a hint of what he was thinking. “I… I want to keep it. I’m sorry.”

“Never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Raphael said. “And certainly don’t do it with regards to our child.”

Our child.

I somehow managed to blink away the threat of tears. He wanted to keep the baby, too?

Raphael stood and helped me up as well. “Come on, mate. Food and talking.”

After I got dressed, I followed him out of the apartment, my hand held gently in his. I’d worried how he would react to my statement, and I kind of felt like I was in a daze as he led us to the elevator and down to the tower’s main dining room. According to Deacon, there were fifteen floors, with his place as the penthouse at the top. Then there were several floors for residents and the main dining hall. Raphael’s apartment was a single-bedroom and much larger than one would expect.

Until now, we’d had food brought up to us, but I’d told him yesterday I wanted to try to go out and be around others. I’d spent so long being terrified, but now that I was safe, I wanted my life back.

Purchase at Changeling Press

Meet the Author

Mychael Black has been writing professionally since 2005. He writes gay romance and erotica, but also het romance as Carys Seraphine and queer fantasy as Katherine Cook.

He’s an avid PC gamer with a love for RPGs, a horror fanatic, and a fantasy nut. He also has a weakness for anything relating to skulls, dogs, and Spongebob Squarepants.

Mychael lives on the Eastern Shore of the US with his family. He loves to hear from readers, be it via email or Facebook.

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Title: Impulse Caught

Author: Emily Carrington

Publisher: Changeling Press

Cover Art: Angela Knight

Genres: Contemporary, Mystery /Suspense /Intrigue, New Releases, Romance

Themes: 2nd Chance Romance, LGBTQ+ Gay, Multicultural & Interracial

Series: Marisburg Chronicles (#9)

Multiverse: Sticks & Stones (#3)

Book Length: Novella

Page Count: 76

Synopsis

Riku takes charge in bed, but will he have any control over the day-to-day decisions of a marriage?

Money and status differences challenge Riku and Theo to find a middle ground. Their passion is white-hot, but their ideas of living comfortably are at odds. As their wedding nears, driven forward by Theo’s parents’ sense of guilt, Riku feels the old urge to run.

Riku refuses to give into this impulse at first, but as the comparison between his emotional scars and the mountains of Theo’s familial expectations grow, Riku fears running will be the only less-than-honorable course left to him.

Theo isn’t blind to Riku’s struggles but he doesn’t understand what’s wrong. Each time he reaches out, Riku reaches back, yet they never quite connect. Will their need for each other overcome their differences, or will their passion be subsumed by a wave of conflicting desires?

Excerpt

Impulse Caught (Marisburg Chronicles 9)
Emily Carrington
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Emily Carrington

It was the day after the children had left for the summer. There would be ESY, of course, extended school year, but Riku hadn’t been asked to participate. He’d only been a teacher at the Colton school for the deaf since January, so it made sense he wouldn’t be first pick for ESY. He would have normally chewed over that until he was ill, but since Theo had gone back to work in February, they were living relatively comfortably. Riku’s student loans still put a squeeze on him, but he could manage without panicking.

He was sorting through papers posted on the walls. Most of them had gone home with their makers yesterday, but there were a few that hadn’t been collected. These he grouped into a folder he marked “leftover assignments” and stored for early September.

He glanced toward where Theo was wiping down desks, and Riku had to catch his breath. His fiancé was dressed in casual clothes, but he looked like a Greek statue come to life. Attired in a green T-shirt and jeans shorts, he looked younger than he was because of the cutoffs, but not like jailbait. He was thirty-two, having gained another year in mid-April. Unfortunately, Riku had also aged a year, so they were still a decade apart.

The brush of Theo’s medium brown hair on his green-clad shoulders made Riku think of a book he’d read in high school. It had been about a man who could sing magic into the world. His hair had been red as his Irish heritage, but the physical differences didn’t matter. Theo could definitely have sung magic into Riku’s heart, or anywhere else he chose. His broad shoulders stretched the T-shirt over his pectorals and his shorts showed off his long, muscular legs.

If they weren’t at school, Riku would have suggested they quit working and go goof off instead. Unfortunately, they weren’t in their rented room in Marisburg.

Turning his attention back to his chosen task, he went to the bookshelf and started organizing the books. Ninety percent of the books were in print, but the remaining ones were in print and braille, for his students who, like Theo, had Usher Syndrome or other hearing/vision challenges. He wasn’t the braille teacher, could barely feel the dots under his fingers, truth be told. Still, he liked the idea of providing all kinds of different access to literature. Probably that was part of what made him an effective English teacher.

With his back to Theo as he organized the books, he reflected that today most likely wouldn’t see the two of them making love.

Half a year ago, Theo’s parents, courtesy of his father’s quick tongue, had alienated themselves from their son. Mr. Billings had told Theo that if he could prove himself self-sufficient for six months, he would be welcomed back into the familial fold. Theo’s father had apologized, all but falling over his words in an attempt to retreat from the ultimatum but Theo had taken up the challenge.

Now it was the end of that six months. Theo hadn’t been out of communication with his parents, but certain topics, like his relationship with Riku, had been off-limits. As had his access to the family fortunes.

Theo had been, for the past six months, surviving on his own brilliant mind and on his ability to work from anywhere. Today, though, Theo would be reopening full communication with his parents.

Riku wasn’t sure if he should be dreading that time as much as he was.

It wasn’t that Theo hadn’t been talking to his parents. He just hadn’t accepted any monetary handouts from them, and he’d refused to discuss his relationship with Riku. It was easy to trust him, to believe he had suspended those ties temporarily. Theo was prideful and wouldn’t bend. Besides, the two of them had engaged in actual arguments about money, like any other couple.

Riku found himself smiling. Those fights had always ended in makeup sex, almost like they were a new kind of foreplay. He hadn’t always won the arguments, like the one they’d had about moving out of his ex’s house and into a rented room.

To save on money, he’d wanted to stay “just a little longer” despite the fact that they’d been sleeping on an air mattress in his ex’s living room. The word “uncomfortable” didn’t begin to define that situation but it had felt safe because Riku had been able to pay bills without worrying where he would rest at night.

Theo had ultimately been the hero of that fight because he’d shown Riku how selfish he was being. His lover had managed it without making Riku feel bad, which was almost a miracle.

So, why was he so tangled up about bringing the Billings parents back into the picture? They’d apologized for calling him Theo’s Asian fetish, which was apparently the worst offense in their eyes. Shouldn’t he forgive them?

No, he thought. There’s an essential disconnect between how I view the world and how they do. We can’t resolve that.

Hands closed on his shoulders, and he realized he’d been standing still instead of cleaning. He relaxed into the familiar touch of Theo’s skilled fingers as Theo began massaging his shoulders and that spot where he carried ninety percent of his tension, which was at the base of his skull. He must have been unmoving for quite a while because Theo, partially deaf and visually impaired as well, sometimes missed things that happened around him. He’d noticed today, though.

Riku turned and Theo dropped one hand into Riku’s palm. He signed, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m borrowing trouble,” he said and signed. He caught the light playing over Theo’s hair and reached up to touch a lock that had fallen in front of Theo’s eyes. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

“Thank you.” He laughed. “I do know, but I also am aware that you’re avoiding talking about whatever’s bothering you. What’s wrong?”

Riku shook his head, remembered Theo might not be able to see that, and answered, “I don’t want to talk about it here.”

“Maybe we should go home, and we should resume this cleaning tomorrow?”

He didn’t want to go back to the rented room and face Theo’s parents. “I’d better finish up here or it’s going to drag on all summer.”

“By yourself?”

“You can go back if you want,” Riku offered.

“Why don’t I stay with you, keep you out of your head?”

Riku hugged him, feeling the warmth of Theo’s skin on his forehead as he leaned against him. “I love you. Thank you for understanding how much I need you to be with me right now.”

Theo kissed him, angling his head so their noses didn’t bump. “I love you.” He smacked Riku’s hip lightly. “Now. Let’s get cleaning. I don’t just love you.” He signed into Riku’s hand. “I crave your touch.”

“And my mouth, I hope,” Riku signed back. “I’ve wanted to taste you for days.”

Purchase at Changeling Press

Meet the Author

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her website.

Website | Facebook | X | Goodreads | Shapeshifter Central

Title: Demonium Rex AKA Buttercup

Series: Demon Entanglements (#6)

Author: Stephanie Burke

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC

Release Date: February 20, 2026

Book Length: Novella

Page Count: 117 pages

Genre: New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Urban Fantasy

Themes: Elves /Dragons /Magical Creatures, Hentai, LGBTQ+ Bisexual /Nonbinary /Transgender, Magic /Sorcery /Witchcraft, Multicultural & Interracial, Multiple Partners, Second Edition, Spotlight

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Synopsis

Win is a writer with a new house, a new life, and a rapidly approaching deadline. She doesn’t have time for the voices in her head to be demanding attention. She just wants to finish her book and maybe get laid. But what will she do when the character her subconscious dreams up starts becoming corporeal?

Demonium Rex is the undisputed king of all sexual demons, but when his people come to him with a mark who refuses to crack, he takes action. Now he is stuck in a non-corporeal form while the woman he needs to seduce is too stubborn to just let it happen. And even worse, she sticks him with a stupid name. But in the end, he will show her who’s the real King — or his name isn’t Buttercup.

Excerpt

Demonium Rex AKA Buttercup (Demon Entanglements)
Stephanie Burke
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Stephanie Burke

“Who hurt you?”

Wineva Waller had never felt so warm, so safe, so comforted. It was like she was being wrapped in a huge, soft, silk-lined quilt, or more like floating in a deep pool of the warmest of soft-perfumed waters. It had to be a dream, a lie. There was nothing soft in her life, had never been, would never be.

But why not enjoy the escape and live the fantasy while it lasted? She couldn’t do a lot of things for herself, couldn’t care less about the way the world worked or how people viewed her, but she could at least give herself this, even if it would dissipate like wisps of dew in the morning sun.

There were arms around her, solid and muscular, holding her in a warm embrace that canceled out worry, stress, and time. There was a large male body pressed tightly to her, a hard, fuzzy chest that her breasts were pressed deliciously against, chin nuzzling in the top of her hair, heavy, muscular legs entwined with hers.

As she contemplated who it could be, a large, warm hand slid up from her belly to cup her breast, the palm rough against her nipple. She couldn’t stop the moan from leaving her mouth as that clever, beautiful hand caressed her flesh, the fingers tugging sharply at her nipple, causing her to arch her back as the pleasure shot down her spine and settled in her pussy. She was getting so wet.

“I can feel how much you want me,” the voice purred as a second hand slid down to comb through the neatly trimmed patch of hair at her groin.

Win whimpered, feeling the need to be touched grow inside her. Those fingers were moving too slow. She needed more, she wanted more. She opened her mouth to complain when one of his legs shoved forward, parting her thighs, and she shivered as the cooler air of the room wound around her needy pussy.

“I’ve got you,” the voice insisted as warm, citrus-scented breath caressed her ear. There was a nip there as the fingers teased her mound, sliding down further, the tips caressing the root of her clit, and that one touch made her gasp, arching her hip to get more.

It felt so good… it had been so long…

“Please,” she whimpered as that knowing finger began to run small circles around the base of her clit, making her whole body tremble as she moved her ass back against the hard length of cock.

“Who hurt you?” he asked again, his lips trailing down the back of her neck, his warm breath caressing her skin.

As she tried to figure out what he wanted, there was a sharp nip and then a solid bite to the base of her neck. Sensations she hadn’t experienced in a long time shot down her back as the hand caressing her breast slid up to wrap gently around her neck.

She began to pant, her heart was racing as his hard cock began sliding against her cheeks until the hot bar of flesh was settled between them, not trying to penetrate but just caressing her there too. The feel of him was intense and as she opened her mouth to demand more, the clever fingers at her groin finally moved lower, gently sliding back the protective hood of her clit to lightly caress her tender skin, pulling a whimper from her throat. Her hips began to rise up, seeking more of that electric touch, tearing her breath from her body as her heart began to race even faster.

“Please,” she begged as he began to take control of her body, playing her like a fine instrument and pulling sounds she would have been embarrassed were hers in the daylight.

“I have you.” His voice was deep and rough, his heart pounding in his chest as he turned her and this time pressed against her back to the bed. She could feel it racing, matching the tempo of her own rapidly beating heart as she rocked back against him.

She opened her mouth to demand more as his fingers began to press and tighten around her clit. Win could feel her slick wetness slowly slide down, soaking her swollen labia that was also begging for a touch. She tried to push her hips forward, to force his fingers where she needed them the most, but he only chuckled at her action.

“Who hurt you?” he asked again, biting down harder on her shoulder before he licked the sharp pain away.

Purchase at Changeling Press LLC

Meet the Author

Stephanie Burke

Stephanie is a USA Today Best Selling, multi published, multi award-winning author, Master Costumer, handicapped, wife and mother of two.

From sex-shifting, shape-shifting dragons to undersea worlds, sexually confused elemental Fey and homo-erotic mysteries, all the way to pastel-challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.

Stephanie is an orator on her favorite subjects of writing and world-building, a sometime teacher when you feed her enough tea and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.

Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and multi-cultural stories that make the reader sit up and take notice.

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