Kontra's Menagerie Series

Deter McNellis never thought he’d be a victim—living through kidnapping, rape, and the threat of being sold as a sex slave. Getting rescued is only the beginning of healing. He’s forced to relive the experience over and over in his dreams and when he has to share it with the authorities. To Deter’s shock, he finds himself attracted to one of the deputies helping with the investigation—Marrakesh Anderson. The deputy invites him to call him Mac and gives off signals that he’s interested in Deter, too. Deter finds Mac’s clumsy attempts at wooing sort of sweet, and he struggles to overcome his fears so he can spend time with the handsome man. The appearance of the kidnapper’s buyers makes Deter worry he’ll never feel safe. To top it off, Deter discovers Mac is hiding something…something life altering. Can Deter gather enough courage to open himself to a future so full of change, or will his fears send him running? Reader Advisory: This book makes reference to past abuse / rape.

Prudhoe Rison is a specially trained fae enforcer and had been sent to the human realm to search for a missing prince. After completing that task, he should have returned home, but feeling a pull to stay, he's remained for several weeks. Wandering the town to discover the source of the sensation has proven fruitless…until he drives past the library. The pull he's been feeling intensifies, and he follows it into the building. There he meets Korvyn Peruke—his paramour—the other half of his soul. Prudhoe is drawn to Korvyn's friendly disposition and outgoing personality. Even though the human is wheelchair-bound, it doesn't stop Korvyn from enjoying life. At first, Korvyn doesn't understand why the serious and handsome Prudhoe is taking an interest in him—until he puts two and two together. A visit from a fae enforcer alerts Prudhoe that people in his own realm are talking about him. It also tells Korvyn—who already knows about paranormals—that Prudhoe is something other. Can Prudhoe keep Korvyn safe when trouble from the fae realm comes calling, or will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep Korvyn safe?

Rusty Peruke works as a mechanic and is close with his family. His wheelchair bound brother, Korvyn, lives with him, and he sends extra cash home to his parents on a regular basis. When he meets Acheron while the man is at the shop buying a set of fast wheels, Rusty is both excited and concerned—and it's not because he's never been with a guy. Acheron is a loner scorpion shifter who hasn't stayed in one place since he left his family home over eight decades before. Rusty has no intention of running out on his family. To him, their needs come first. Can two polar opposites find enough common ground to build a future? Or will assumptions and miscommunications create a wall between them that's impossible to scale?

When Deacon Ferdmin learns his brother, Daevon, is transitioning into a new life, he decides it's time to do the same. Plus, as a badger shifter, he's tired of living in the city. Buying a motorcycle and heading cross-country to meet up with Daevon, Deacon enjoys the change of pace from his prior high-stakes job as a firefighter…until his motorcycle breaks down. There's only a couple of mechanic shops in town, and the first one he goes to refuses to service his machine since he's openly and obviously gay. As angry as it makes Deacon, when he walks into the second shop, he quickly turns grateful. He scents that somewhere within the depths of the dingy space is his mate. However, Deacon also realizes that approaching the man—Axel Spumoni—will take some finesse. Not only has Deacon already experienced discrimination, but he notices Axel is a burn victim. Can Deacon figure out a way to woo his reclusive, wary mate while dealing with the backwater town's hostility?

On the Road: When a realtor reviews a home before showing a prospective client, he finds something unexpected. Bruin Rawlins is a musk ox shifter who enjoys his job as a realtor since it allows him to meet so many new people. That increases his opportunity to find his mate—the other half of his soul. Imagine his surprise when it's not a client who turns out to be that special someone, but a beaten, battered human he finds in a home he's checking out. Giving in to his shifter instincts to care for his mate, Bruin takes the man home and, with the help of his brother, treats his injuries. When the human wakes, he panics and runs. To Bruin's embarrassment, it's his mammy who manages to calm him, taking him to call his family and giving Bruin a chance to learn his mate's name—Juan Ramirez. When Juan's relations arrive, other people are with them. Bruin learns that Juan already knows about shifters. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's ready to jump in and bond. Can Bruin earn Juan's trust while keeping him safe from whoever had hurt him?

Ronald Oleander, Ronnie to his friends, has been looking forward to this road trip for months, ever since he'd aced the test for his motorcycle license. With the wind on his face, he follows Noah and Adam—his older brother and his brother's mate—through winding back roads. Their destination is a small town in Wisconsin where they're meeting up with Adam's old biker gang. Ronnie has been warned the place is homophobic and never to go anywhere alone. Except, when he arrives, the first thing he notices is an enticing smell. Ronnie wanders around the back of the diner to investigate and finds a pair of humans pounding on a smaller guy. Breaking up the fight, he sends the jerks packing. When he focuses on the beaten man, he discovers he's the source of the smell—and is also not only a shifter, but his mate—Hector Ramirez, an armadillo shifter. At barely twenty-one, Ronnie didn't expect to find the other half of his soul so soon, and he doesn't feel ready. Still, he can't deny his instincts. For better or worse, can Ronnie accept not only a mate but figure out a way to stop the people after him?

Shannon knew it was a mistake. He should have found a better way, a way that didn't put the remaining members of his sleuth in danger. Except, with his brown bear driving him, he takes advantage of the unguarded phone and calls the very people who'd enslaved them—the witch circle. To Shannon's relief, no one is seriously injured in the witches' attack, and the circle is stopped. On top of that, the women brought Shannon exactly who he'd hoped—Evan Reyes. Shannon had known Evan was his mate the second he'd scented the skinny twink while in the head witch's kennels. Being be-spelled, Shannon had never been able to do anything about it. Now, he can. Of course, Shannon has a butt-load of restitution to get through first—not to mention having to figure out how to counter the witches' lies that are filling Evan's head—but this is his mate. With the help of his sleuth, even though they're annoyed with him, Shannon can fix everything, can't he?

Able Lieder hasn't seen his mate in six days, but he can't do anything about it. He knows the guard—Olson—doesn't understand why he feels drawn to him, bringing him treats and talking sweetly to him. He can't explain it to him, either, since the scientists are keeping him in cat form. When Able overhears the scientists talking about an experiment that will surely end his life, he figures he should be grateful Olson isn't around to see his demise.   Except, then Able is rescued. A group of shifters arrives and frees everyone, led by a grizzly shifter named Kontra Belikov. At first, Able fears that they killed his mate in the process, but Olson is nowhere to be found.   With the help of Kontra's gang, can Able figure out where Olson disappeared to?

Zhaul had just wanted a night of fun…away from the responsibilities of his panda sleuth. Accepting the offer of a back-room hook-up from the wrong person landed him in a cage as a science experiment. Upon being rescued, Zhaul is devastated to learn that no one in his sleuth had even reported him missing. Meeting his mate lifts his spirits. Learning that the black bear shifter has been be-spelled by witches, Zhaul thinks perhaps Fate is laughing at him. The alpha of the shifter gang who'd rescued him as well as his mate—Kontra and Tim—assure him that there is a way to break the spell, and they'll do everything in their power to help him find it. Then he discovers a way to connect with his mate—climbing trees. Can Zhaul discover how to build on that before those who'd held him captive come calling?

Stuck in camel form, Rudy loses all track of time while held in a small, exotic animal zoo run by a circle of witches. They even saddle him up and use him to give customers rides. When demons wipe out the witches and their acolytes, he's certain he and the other shifters in the place will be next. Instead, the demons free them and take them to a shifter gang deep in the Louisiana bayou.   When Rudy and the several others who still can't shift are ordered to hide from an arriving vehicle, they obey. Curious, he peeks through the trees and watches three figures emerge from a black SUV—two clearly federal agents and one not. As they disappear inside, the most wonderful aroma drifts across Rudy's senses, and he realizes one of the visitors is his mate. Rudy longs to rush in and discover who, but he forces himself to wait, knowing he should only reveal himself to his one and only.   To Rudy's great relief, the federal agents leave, and their scents don't interest him. Even in camel form, Rudy makes it known that the visiting human—Gary Badoga—is his mate. Upon learning that Gary's head has been filled with lies about shifters by witches, can Rudy figure out a way to connect when Gary seems afraid of his animal?

Horace Broussard knows he needs to learn how to say no to his brother, Herbert. His older, larger brother always seems to drag him into trouble. Except, the two times he'd gathered the courage, Herbert had explained why it was a bad idea…with his fists and feet. The first time had left him pissing blood for days. The second time had culminated in a broken wrist. Horace doesn't say no to his brother anymore, which is how he ends up poaching gators in the swamp…again.   When they spot a small pack of wolves running through the cypress trees, Herbert orders that they go after them, claiming a wolf pelt on his floor would be cool.   Just like many of Herbert's bad ideas, Horace ends up in hot water. They're caught by the owners of the wolves—a fierce biker gang. Except, then something crazy happens. A huge African elephant grabs Horace in its trunk and carries him into the swamp. When other animals arrive and turn into men, he wonders if he's hit his head and is hallucinating. Can the paranormal be real, and if so, how can he keep this revelation from his dominating brother?   Reader Advisory: The first chapter of this tale overlaps with the last chapter in Pursuit by Camelback.

Years before, Valentine and the rest of his bear sleuth were captured, tortured, and bespelled by a circle of witches. Even after getting rescued, he still struggles with the aftereffects, and not just because the spells were reinforced with blood magick—demon blood, making them exceptionally difficult to counter. Finally, the Horseman of Death appears with the answer.   While the removal of the spells is nearly as agonizing and exhausting as having them placed on them in the first place, the sleuth still decides to go for a celebratory run. In his sluggishness, Valentine gets distracted by an enticing aroma and doesn't move fast enough, getting struck by a logging truck. As he struggles to get away on three limbs, the driver exits the truck, and Valentine is hit by the realization that the human is his mate—Stone, according to the name on his shirt.   Even with a newly broken arm, Valentine realizes he just may be having the best and worst day of his life. He's just met his mate…if he can find Stone, that is.

After being rescued from witches by demons, Aaron finds himself left with a group of biker shifters to be rehabilitated until he regains his ability to shift. Once he does, due to being alone for a long time and being at loose ends, he sticks with the guys until he can figure out his next move. When the bikers take him into the territory of a wolf shifter pack, he's surprised to discover them welcoming and friendly. Deciding to take them up on their offer to stick around and build a life, Aaron accepts a part-time volunteer position at Stone Ridge's firehouse. While there to meet the fire chief, he's shocked to meet his mate—a human named Thoron Ballaro. Even better, Thoron knows about shifters…sort of. When he and Aaron begin navigating a life together, he learns that Thoron has a six-year-old son…and that Thoron's ex-wife is an opinionated bigot. Can they figure out a way to keep Thoron's ex from causing trouble while cementing their life together?

Agent Rhone Craigson has known about shifters for nearly a decade. He also knows there's a group of them currently hiding out in the remote bayous of Louisiana. When several missing persons reports come to Rhone's attention, all from that area, his curiosity is piqued…along with a healthy dose of concern. For the safety of, well, everyone, shifters need to stay under the radar.   Rhone needs to know if the shifter group is involved in the disappearance of humans in that area. Due to the fact that there's a mole in the CIA, feeding the military sensitive information, he decides to visit the shifters in person. When Rhone arrives, he finds the group surprisingly welcoming and forthcoming. Joining them for a meal, he spots a cute, dirty-blond-haired twink that causes an unexpected dose of attraction, who's introduced as Mickey, a meerkat shifter.   When Mickey claims they're mates, Rhone knows that means Mickey expects them to bond and live as a couple. While Rhone can admit that he wouldn't mind getting to know the little shifter, so much is going on within the agency. Can he discover the mole to ensure Mickey's safety, or is walking away the safer option?

As a brown bear who's been be-spelled by witches and rescued by horsemen and demons, Madagascar has spent months recovering. He's bored. When Kontra's gang gathers the information they need to take out a facility holding and experimenting on shifters, he decides to help them. While there, Madagascar runs across his mate—a wolf shifter working as a janitor…who pulls a gun on them. After disarming and securing the man, they learn his name is Ishmael Cartwright, a shifter who'd been kidnapped and sold by a now-deceased councilman gone rogue. The experiments done on Ishmael have left him with little memory of his past, and he believes any recollections of him shifting are delusions brought on by the house fire that left scars on his back. With Ishmael believing the scientists saved him, can Madagascar find some way to break through his conditioning and win his mate?