Kate Ahrens has a problem—she keeps imagining creepy men following her while she walks to and from her college campus. It's the result of too much time spent developing games, and not enough time talking to actual people. But when she meets the hot librarian with amazing eyes, she starts to think maybe she just hadn't found the right person to talk to. As the fourth brother in the shapeshifting Sierra Pride, Maverick Fournier isn't intimidated by much. Kate, though, with her hot pink hair and sexy piercings, makes him completely lose his cool. He wants to protect her, smell her, and mate her—maybe not in that order. Unfortunately, there are some other men interested in Kate, and their interest isn't at all romantic. Even though protecting her means revealing his animal side, Maverick is determined to keep her safe and win her love. This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after, as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults. The ending leads into the next book (Fierce Dancer), but the main story line is resolved and this can be read as a stand-alone. additional keywords: mountain lion, cougar, shifter, werewolves, gamer, suspense, California, college, new adult, romance, library, college campus

Miranda Hsin is a grad student with a goal: grab her mountain lion samples and get the hell out of the woods. She doesn't mind nature and she's great at tracking her quarry, but there've been some strange footprints—barefoot human footprints—in a stretch of forest that should be free of people. She's used to having all the answers, but suddenly she's without a clue. In danger of being banished from his pride, Gabriel Fournier came to the forest to forget his brother's mate. Now he's finally got his eye on a woman who can make him forget all about Hera, and Gabriel has a chance at happiness…if only the two of them can put enough faith in their love to shake off Miranda's advisor, a woman intent on using Gabriel as a science project. This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults. additional keywords: California, foothills, forest, researcher, scientist, mountain lion, cougar, shapeshifter, paranormal, DNA, graduate student, diverse romance, novella

An arranged marriage, an old grudge, and a whopping element of danger make for a heady Fierce Mates installment! Cora Fournier can't seem to get out from under her family's watchful eye. Granted, her whole stint in captivity with the Nevada Pride has made everyone feel a mite overprotective of her. Still, she's ready to move past her trauma until Jerome, alpha of the Nevada Pride, shows up with his son, Tyler. He wants to make peace with the Fourniers, and he's offering them Tyler as a loyal worker and pride member. There's one catch—according to pride law, in order to stay with the Fourniers, Tyler has to become Cora's husband. Tyler Brooks loved Cora all along. Tortured by his inability to win a challenge against his brother, who'd been intent on keeping her in captivity, Tyler has spent the last two years feeling weak and useless. Now that they're free of his brother, he has a chance to prove to Cora that whether or not this marriage is on paper only, they belong together, and he will fight to keep her. This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after, as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults. The ending leads into the next book (Fierce Lover), but the main story line is resolved and this can be read as a stand-alone. additional keywords: marriage of convenience, shifter, shapeshifter, cougar, mountain lion, werewolf, arranged marriage, California, foothills, forest, kidnapping

Fleeing a dangerous ex, she doesn't expect to run straight into the arms of someone who should be far, far scarier.... Hera Watterson's flight from her small town into the Sierras hasn't gone unnoticed. The guys after her really want the evidence she's trying to bring to Reno. Fleeing isn't easy when her ex-fiancé is a drug dealer…and the chief of police. It's even harder when her car breaks down and a super-hot guy with strange eyes starts getting into her business. Radiator overheating? Sure. But that doesn't have anything to do with the molten feeling spreading through her core. Shapeshifter Blake Fournier has been wandering around the wilderness for months, often coming back to stay at his family's ranch for just a couple of days before heading out again. His inner mountain lion is bored and listless, tired of the routine of hunts, fights, and one-night stands. His first impression of the woman stuck on the side of the road? She's absolutely gorgeous. Second impression? Completely paranoid. But once he gets to know her, his lion only wants to wander into one last place: her heart. This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults. additional keywords: free book, paranormal romance, big cat shifter, mountain lion, cougar, shapeshifter, steamy romance, California, ranch, forest, woods, adventure

Two hearts will never forget, especially when they belong to fated mates. Starla Fournier never thought she'd see her loved ones again, and that included Rourke Mackenzie, her childhood friend. Plagued by guilt and shame from the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, she's finally reunited with her family. The reunion is tainted by the knowledge that her adoptive pride is anxious for her return. Worst of all, seeing Rourke after all these years will make her question arrangements that have already been set in motion—arrangements that will interfere with their chance to be together. A wolf shifter, Rourke Mackenzie has spent the last eighteen years trying to forget Starla. He finds absolution in the flames he battles as a firefighter, in the bottom of a bottle, and in the arms of a long string of one-night-stands. When he finally sees Starla again, the wolf inside of him wants nothing more than to claim her as his, but his human side can't ignore the betrayal of her disappearance. Just when he thinks they'll be able to resolve their differences, a dangerous shifter steps forward to claim her. Rourke will have to act fast in order to protect his mate. This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults. additional keywords: California, foothills, shifter, shapeshifter, mountain lion, wolf, werewolf, cougar, amnesia, second chance romance, friends to lovers, suspense, memory

A brief overview of the political, economic, social, cultural, scientific, and technological advances of the twentieth century and introduces students to the individuals who made history in each decade. Includes suggested activities.