So everything about this club is Chesed's taste. Is it wrong I'm more focused that Alex Whitland started a shifter smut book club?
This was not going how I wanted it to. Well Thumbed’s members area is not something Hana’s interested in. So, I’ll change my method. I can be flexible more than just physically. If she doesn’t feel comfortable in a sex club and has an issue with how sanitary everything is, we leave—simple answer. We can’t leave the building without Malcolm and Pam, and I can’t get Hana alone if those two go wherever we go. That left me only one choice. “All right. Have it your way, Princess.” I sighed, grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the hall. “Um, did you listen to a word I said?” Hana Demanded, trying to break free of my hold. “Loud and clear, leannan.” I nodded, not looking back at her as we turned a corner, heading for what appeared to be a dead end with a gilded mirror. “It doesn’t look like it.” Hana snorted, finally able to pull her hand from mine. “I told you I don’t want to be here. You hear that and take me further into this place. How does that make sense? How is that hearing m
As I perused the books, I could feel Aidan’s gaze on me. The shop, much like the one downstairs, boasted an impressive selection. These were books to be enjoyed in the coffee lounge, not purchased or taken home. A smile tugged at my lips as I reached the romance novel section. So, Well Thumbed had these too. I wondered if they had hidden gems, perhaps something I hadn’t read or that Uncle Alex’s book club, Bound To Please, hadn’t discovered yet. My eyes scanned the titles, recognizing several from our book club. But a series we hadn’t yet completed caught my attention. Not all the books were in print, and as much as we loved and wanted to support the indie author, A.D. Burnell, those reading apps could be a bit unpredictable. Yet, in Well Thumbed, all nine of her Queen Among series were here in paperback. I couldn’t resist. I plucked A Queen Among Snakes from the shelf and settled onto the nearest sofa. I set my empty cup down and delved into the book. How did they have books unavail
Three hundred years. Three HUNDRED years as friends, and I’d never wanted to smit Aidan or Albert. That record was broken the minute Aidan walked in and proudly announced he took Hana to Well Thumbed, as while he didn’t have sex with her, he did make out and fingered her. It’s irrational. I have never gotten angry over a woman. Aidan has fucked and fed his way around the world for centuries, and not once have I had this visceral reaction to Aidan giving his graphic details. Yet, when it was about Hana, all I could think of was killing him. This bet is ruining our friendship. I don’t care what Albert or Aidan say. It is. If we didn’t have this bet, I wouldn’t have cared if Aidan came home and said he’d gotten Hana on a suspension rack and used every hole available with his cock and the variety of toys offered at Well Thumbed. I shouldn’t be angry about this. Hell, the sooner one of us wins, the sooner this can be over, and I hopefully will stop feeling like I have to compete with my b
I have been trying to put what happened in the coffee lounge of Well Thumbed out of my mind. I blame the fact it’s been a while since I had sex or did anything sexual. It’s been almost a year since I hooked up with Daisuke, and I haven’t even masturbated since I got to campus. Thin walls may be worse than super hearing. I’ve been too embarrassed that Pamela would hear me even to attempt it. I tried to distract myself from the temptation of letting my imagination run wild thinking about Aidan’s fingers by reading. While reading is generally a great escape, reading books Aidan bought for me isn’t an escape from thinking about him. Especially when I picked up A.D. Burnell’s series. Aidan didn’t buy those. He demanded them, and well, reading sex scenes didn’t help. I won’t admit this to anyone. I don’t even want to admit it to myself, but I took advantage of Pamela still being gone and let my imagination take hold… multiple times over the weekend. Today, I vowed not to stay in my room
My people believe the Creator has a plan for all of us and that every choice brings us down the path he designed for us. It’s not all that dissimilar to how the wolves view their Moon Goddess. The difference is that our Creator doesn’t have some destined mate for us. He gave us complete control over that, and I’m glad. And while the Creator has a plan, that doesn’t mean there aren’t hurdles. I can’t say if the Creator intended Hana to be the path or a hurdle. I know that no matter how I view her, it comes with difficulties and questions. If I see her as a hurdle, what would she be in the way of? If she’s the path… then that would make Harris right, and I don’t want to consider that. I’m struggling to push aside Harris’ words with how much it hurt when Hana distanced herself. I cherished our closeness, the illusion of being together. It was a blow to realize she only intervened to deter Miss Asker. Yet, I can’t help but question her motives. It was a territorial act, a term the wolv
I’ve lost all sense of reason. That’s the only explanation I’ve got for my actions. Two days ago, I made out with Aidan and let him finger me in a coffee lounge. And now? Now, I’ve not only kissed Isak but did so ON CAMPUS! I don’t want to think about how many people beyond his nephew saw us. I’d been doing so well, and I let myself give in to the feelings and need Aidan’s touch elicited. And now I’m on a slippery slope. And no, I don’t mean that as a pun. I’m not making punny sex jokes. I’m not Silvercloud or André. Logically, I should’ve been glad Harris showed up. However, I wasn’t feeling very logical and was mentally punching the Nephilim for his intrusion. Isak’s kiss was different from Aidan’s. I expected that. An incubus demon and an angel were bound to have different styles. And while they are best friends, they have very distinct personalities. Aidan kissed like it was a battle, not complaining because Pam was right. We flirt-fight, so it made sense our kissing would be ano
Was bringing Hana all the way to Barcelona necessary? Probably not. However, it does ensure complete privacy. Well, it is privacy because no one we know is here. There won’t be any chance of some unwanted interruption from friends, family, students, or faculty. Also, I wanted to take her to dinner; I didn’t want a lunch date. A lunch date is something you do with friends or people you aren’t interested in. While I’m still uncertain about the depth or label of my interest, I can say for certain it’s not friendship. In my long life, I haven’t wanted to do even half the things I want to do to Hana with a platonic friend. Thus, it felt like a waste of a date with Hana to take her to some local restaurant for lunch. Traveling to Barcelona wasn’t strictly to impress her; I was craving some paella, too. Dinner conversation was expected. We could discuss anything but my friends and our interest in her. I don’t want to lie, but I cannot tell her about the bet. If I breathe a word of the bet
I didn’t want the date to end, even if I knew it should. We were at the natural conclusion of the date. Plus, if it ended now, I wouldn’t potentially end up in a situation where things could heat up with Isak like they unintentionally did with Aidan Friday night. I don’t know if I can trust myself alone with Isak. If I could lose control and let things get to where they did with Aidan, I wouldn’t want to think of how far I might let things go with Isak. I’m not saying I’m more attracted to Isak than Aidan. They are very different men. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. I like both fruits and for various reasons. Being alone with Isak is dangerous because his mannerisms and this whole date make my emotions out of whack. I can’t let my feelings run things, and I know if he gets me alone, they’ll be harder to shove down. It was already a struggle during dinner, especially at dessert, when I wanted to lick the bit of the cream from the corner of his lips. Yet despite all the logic
Dear Readers, I will be taking the rest of September off from writing new stories to focus on getting The Reluctant Alpha ready for paperback. October will bring the return of Auðr in his short story The Hybrid's Vampire, where he takes a lead role with Sage. Their story will be added to the Bloodmoon and Incubi Anthology. Follow me on social media, look for Author Bryant, to stay up to date on everything I'm working on. See You In October! Bryant
I know they say that time flies when you’re having fun. I’ve never really thought about the passage of time and how fast it can go. I’ve always been an in-the-moment kind of guy. However, certain changes in my life have me contemplating that saying—not only considering it but also worrying about it. I don’t want time to fly. It’s been ten years since my life changed forever. It’s hard to imagine a decade of Pam in my life. I won’t say the years flew by, or they went at a snail’s pace. I savored every day I’ve had her in my life. From the day I met her on the rugby pitch to the day, I knew I couldn’t live without her to the day I proposed to her by Iris Pond, to the day we got married in a very intimate ceremony by Iris Pond, to today when our new house in an uproar of decorating for our baby shower party. Yes, you heard that right. A baby shower. That’s why I’m contemplating the passage of time in ways I never had. It still feels like it was just yesterday that I’d gotten on one kne
The further we got from the restaurant and my parents, the more relaxed I became. I am so glad they live far the fuck away from me. I don’t need that kind of pressure and negativity in my life. I wasn’t already super close to my family, to begin with, and now that I have this supernatural secret, it’s even less. Couldn’t they have just been happy for me? I graduated from a prestigious university. I have a well-paying job lined up for me in my field. I have a nice apartment lined up to move into. Best of all, I have a great and supportive boyfriend. These are things any parent should be over the moon about. I’m not the first kid in the family to graduate from college, but I’m the first who didn’t move home for a year or more after graduation to ‘get on my feet.’ “Pam, you know we didn’t need to rush out. I was perfectly prepared and ready to deal with your parents.” Malcolm said. “I know, but you shouldn’t have to. They’re my family, and I’ll handle them.” I shook my head. “That’
It’s been three and a half years since my world turned upside down. Things I thought were myths suddenly became real, and the world, which was already dangerous, became a thousand times worse. Sure, I’ve been in therapy to work through my abduction and this newfound knowledge of the supernatural. I still have sessions with Doctor Westbrook, but rather than weekly, it’s usually just a biannual check-in. Having Hana and especially Malcolm in my life has made dealing with this new reality easier. The guys at DKE were more relaxed around me once Malcolm not only told them we were dating but that I knew the truth. I thanked the ones who came to help save me. As for the ones that betrayed Hana and her stooges, my meddling wasn’t necessary. Malcolm and Harris had kicked all their asses, and when the frat president returned from break, they were formally expelled from the frat. I accepted that I could never tell my family about the supernatural. Not that they’d believe me if I did. However,
It was weird being around so many werewolves. Sure, we have our share of hybrid werewolves in DKE. Hell, Corin, Derek, and Edward are on the rugby team with me. So, I have no issues with wolves. It’s just different being around full-blooded ones. No one was outright rude or anything. I didn’t like all the eyes on me. I felt like they had a lot of questions they wanted to ask but didn’t know if they should ask them. “If no one’s going to ask it, I’m gonna.” One of the wolves spoke up. “Ask who what, Silvercloud?” Aidan asked, folding his arm as he leaned on the wall with me while we waited for Hana and Pam to finish their talk. I recognized the name Silvercloud—not as a person’s name but as a corporation. It was a tech company that I knew well as a mechanical engineering major. I’ve tried to get internships there but have yet to submit a presentation that was up to snuff. “Silvercloud? Like the tech company?” I asked. “Yes and no.” Aidan shrugged. “That…” He nodded his chin toward
“Where was I? Oh right. Albert, well, he’s a vampire. There are some dampires in DKE, meaning the children of a male vampire and a human woman. Dampires have potential powers, but they won’t be unlocked unless they are turned.” She explained. “McHickey is a vampire? Okay, that I can totally believe. No one ever sees him during the day. And I’ve bumped into him, and he’s cold, literally.” I nodded, which made the most sense of everything she’d told me. “How will that work? If you have to share a bed with him, it’ll be like a human-sized ice cube under the covers. Is his dick cold too?” Hana pinched the bridge of her nose. “I… wouldn’t know. I haven’t done anything like that with any of them.” “Fine, but after you do, you need to tell me. I’m curious.” I chuckled. “I’m willing to accept that these things are real. But how does that all add up to what happened to me?” “So Isak, Aidan, and Albert used to be part of the Order of the Jade Seal. The child vampire, Azer, and the African an
Waking up in a strange bed in a strange place was weird. I at least had Malcolm with me. If I kept my eyes closed, I could pretend we were still at Yale in his frat dorm room. That was normal. That made sense. No getting kidnapped off an airplane by a teacher. No being held prisoner by three crazy people. No fearing for my life. No seeing my new bestie shoot three people in the head. No washing brain chunks out of my hair. And no crazy conspiracy theories flooding my mind to try and explain it all away. Of course, I couldn’t stay in bed and pretend it was all just some nightmare. I’m Pamela Grace Batista. I’ve got a reputation to uphold. So, I put on my brave face. I tried to be upbeat. After finding Hana, I focused more on all the eye candy her hometown had to offer. Though not even the smorgasbord of chunks or finding out Malcolm had been calling me, his girlfriend could truly erase all the anxiety and trauma I was trying to bury. I was glad Hana didn’t plan for us to have brea
After I’d walked Pam to my room, I returned to the kitchen with my frat brothers. For those that were innocent, I understood and would apologize to them later. All this is blindsiding them. For those that are the rats, those fuckers should’ve seen this coming. Our frat motto is Kerothen Philoi Aei, which means Friends from the Heart, Forever. You don’t betray your friends. “You get all their phones?” I asked. “Right here. No one’s going to alert the enemy.” Harris nodded, holding up a grocery bag full of phones. “Why did you have Harris take our phones?” Sal asked. “And what is he talking about ‘enemy’?” Tomaso demanded. If either of them is involved in this, I don’t know how I’ll handle it. They are more than my frat brothers; they are my teammates. Also, if they are involved in this, I don’t know how I’d explain to Coach and the rest of the team why they’re at best on the injured list next semester or, at worst, dead. I didn’t want to think of that possibility, but I knew I had
After texting Hana, I took the initiative. Just call me Santa Pam. I played McFingers like a damn fiddle bringing up Dai-suk-it. He and his friends were already making their plans. I couldn’t hear what they said in that room, but I could imagine. The look on Aidan’s face was priceless when I told him Hana’s lackluster fling was sniffing around. I’ve never seen someone move as fast as he did to return to his room. I checked my flight status on my phone as I entered the frat’s kitchen. I knew there wouldn’t be many guys here over break, but there were close to twenty guys in the kitchen, and they all went silent when I walked in. I arched my eyebrow as everyone turned to look at me. “Um. Hi. Did I interrupt some super-secret frat meeting?” I joked. “Yes.” “No.” “This is bullshit.” “What’s she doing here?” “Get out.” “Are we done here?” It was a cacophony of different answers. Some contradicted each other, and others were just rude. Like fuck you very much. Who the fuck i