Mikel McCreary has plans. He wants a lot out of life now that he’s been freed from the chains of his fathers. And he’s willing to work his ass off to make things happen. While working at the valley grocer, he signs up for firefighter training and is one of a handful of applicants who get in… Preston Bellington is from one of the finest families in Bear Mountain, but he bucks tradition and becomes a civil servant, something his family can’t understand. Preston wants to give back to the community to be a part of the valley’s new direction under their alpha, and when he comes face to face with the male who’s his, he knows he’s been on the right path all along. Boyd Marsters is a panther shifter and part of the group of soldiers Deacon brought to town. His skill as a mechanic keeps all the military vehicles moving and brings him face to face with the male who’s his. Making some roots in Bear Mountain sounds better and better as the days pass. Preston and Boyd aren’t a part of Mikel’s plans, and he does everything in his power to make sure both males know that. Problem is, neither of them seem to be good listeners. And both plan on claiming Mikel as their own.

Sent away for their own safety, Kai and Lane have lived away from Bear Mountain for nearly a decade. Calls from home finally bring them back for an extended visit. Lane’s papa is ill… and Kai needs to confront the demons of his past—namely the death of his father, Gregor, and his brother’s part in it. Declan is happy his younger brothers have finally come home and now is his chance to convince them to stay. Only it’s more difficult than he expected it to be. His brothers are happy with the new lives they’ve built for themselves and they don’t want to return to the valley. Only Kai and Lane come face to face with a true reason to stay, a broken, battered male—one of the freed Zed victims who’s struggling to find his way in a new world. Turi’s struggle for mental health makes him skittish at best. The instinct to surrender is at war with his own inner demons. He pushes Kai and Lane away, refusing to accept himself as worthy of love. Will he push them all the way out of Bear Mountain—or can they help him find the peace he needs to heal before it’s too late?

Their need to protect him is greater than their need to claim… Life seems to have it out for Zachary Duchamps. He’s gone from foster home to foster home, until he works his ass off to get into the University of Chicago—hopeful to change his circumstances. But when a side job brings him face-to-face with the paranormal, he’s abducted and sold to the highest bidder. Finally able to escape years later, fate brings him from one nightmare to another. When the battered, exhausted human shows up at their door, bear shifters Chase and LJ rush to protect Zach from whatever demons are chasing him. They immediately scent the man is theirs, but after all he’s been through, they hold back the instinctual need roaring in their blood. Zach’s finally safe in Bear Mountain—but there are two shifters outside the walls, demanding theyare the human’s mates and that he be returned to them. Can Chase and LJ—with the help of a whole community—keep Zach safe from harm and prove to him that not all shifters are monsters? And can Zach let go of his past and embrace his future?

Now king’s consorts, Eilam and Noah struggle to adjust to life in the castle. Things aren’t helped with King Adriel’s desire to hold a ball in their honor—in a little over a week’s time. A thousand guests is a logistical nightmare in and of itself, especially since the guests of honor are in charge of Midnight’s security. Both men try to discourage Adriel from holding the event, but the king is accustomed to having his every whim granted and won’t be dissuaded. Adriel wants to show the whole of Midnight he’s fully accepted his mates. After the months of pushing them away, he feels the need to shout his affection from the mountaintops. Perhaps it’s a bit of guilt driving him to make the grand gesture, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? Eilam and Noah just need to warm to the idea. To get his way, Adriel promises Eilam and Noah twenty-four hours alone with him in his private realm immediately after the ball—where he won’t be allowed to use his magic during the hours between arriving and departing. He’s not quite sure what Eilam and Noah have planned, but whatever it may be, it’s already making him tremble with delight.

Without much thought, Carson gave up his life in the human world to move to Bear Mountain and live with his mates, Jared and Royce. The bond he experienced with his two bears had felt so powerful, that he’d plunged in headfirst, ready for a new adventure. As time has worn on, the potent insta-lust they felt in those first days fades some and the weight of a new, burgeoning romance falls on their shoulders. Adding in a new wrinkle, doubts form that threaten their chance at forever. They all soon discover that a relationship demands work on all sides. It will take commitment to propel them from the lust of their animal mating to the love they all sensed was possible from the start. Unless secrets tear them apart first.

Hollywood talent agent Switch is dragged to Salem while one of his biggest stars is filming there. From the shadows of the trees outside the House of the Seven Gables, he gets a glimpse of a witch and senses something amiss. Intrigued, he shifts into his feline form and curls his body around one of the man’s ankles—immediately realizing it’s his mate. Young witch Cassius Howe struggles to harness his powers. After a run-in with a black cat, he follows the creature, instincts firing. Rounding a corner, the cat is gone, and a gorgeous man is standing in its place. One look at Switch and Cassius is completely enamored. After a wild few days spent in bed, the men realize they have destinies that don’t seem to align. Can the two strong, stubborn men reconcile their dreams or is their mating not meant to be?