Tales of the Darkworld Series by Lex Valentine

Elysia Granville is gun-shy when it comes to men. A previous relationship went belly-up in a very public way, in front of hundreds of her peers at a Funeral Guild Convention. The one man who helped her on that humiliating day has always stuck in the back of her mind although she avoided him as much as she avoided other men. His kindness to her that day, matched with his tall, dark handsomeness, made her fall a little for him. Despite her crush, she’s never sought him out. Until now... moreElysia Granville is gun-shy when it comes to men. A previous relationship went belly-up in a very public way, in front of hundreds of her peers at a Funeral Guild Convention. The one man who helped her on that humiliating day has always stuck in the back of her mind although she avoided him as much as she avoided other men. His kindness to her that day, matched with his tall, dark handsomeness, made her fall a little for him. Despite her crush, she’s never sought him out. Until now. Declan Antaeus is a big man, athletic, muscular--and a black dragon shifter. With his clan mark of tribal lines creating a twisting dragon that curls from his back and over his shoulder, he’s masculinity with a capital M. But Declan’s got a soft spot for vampire Elysia Granville. He’s been secretly in love with her since he first met her while she was still engaged to the man who eventually dumped her at the convention. He’s been waiting for a chance to get close to her, to finally touch her. And he finally gets it on Halloween, of all nights. less

Black dragon Eden Antaeus is a bad girl. Or so her brother Sean would have her believe. When Sean tells Eden she's the Queen of Kink, someone who can't get off on normal sex, Eden runs straight to the vampire club Carpe Noctem to find someone to have vanilla sex with. What Eden finds is Colin Granville, her brother Declan's new brother in law. Desire burns hot between them despite the lack of surnames and after one night together, they both want more... moreBlack dragon Eden Antaeus is a bad girl. Or so her brother Sean would have her believe. When Sean tells Eden she's the Queen of Kink, someone who can't get off on normal sex, Eden runs straight to the vampire club Carpe Noctem to find someone to have vanilla sex with. What Eden finds is Colin Granville, her brother Declan's new brother in law. Desire burns hot between them despite the lack of surnames and after one night together, they both want more. Getting past the discovery that their siblings are married, Colin teaches Eden that she's not the Queen of Kink and Eden finds a love, and a life, she never expected to have. less

Black dragon Holden Antaeus isn't looking for a mate. His life is filled with family, work, and dating. Women adore him and he's never short of offers for sex, but a relationship isn't something he's interested in. When Holden's brother Sean hires a new executive for Antaeus International, Holden's whole world, and everything he's ever believed about himself, is blown to bits.

Red dragon Emily Carrington found her mate in black dragon Vahid Delrey, but misunderstandings, painful secrets, and distrust keep them apart. Emily thinks Vahid doesn’t want her. Vahid thinks Emily is a stuck up snob who could never truly love him. Both dragons hide crippling secrets from their pasts as their pain at being apart escalates. Emily falls for the strong, sexy black dragon and hides her need of him behind an icy facade... moreRed dragon Emily Carrington found her mate in black dragon Vahid Delrey, but misunderstandings, painful secrets, and distrust keep them apart. Emily thinks Vahid doesn’t want her. Vahid thinks Emily is a stuck up snob who could never truly love him. Both dragons hide crippling secrets from their pasts as their pain at being apart escalates. Emily falls for the strong, sexy black dragon and hides her need of him behind an icy facade. Vahid longs for Emily to need him but can’t bring himself to mate with such a cold woman. When Emily’s secret pain fetish threatens her life, Vahid must decide whether to save her or let her self-destructive ways rid him of the mate he never thought he’d love. Warning this book contains one asshole hero, one cold as ice heroine, mating in shifted form in a haystack, a suicide attempt, spanking, anal play, BDSM and it's all needed to create a very happy ending. less

It's Christmas at Sean Antaeus's house and everyone is there. Siblings, cousins, mates, and even Mistress Christmas with her reindeer and elf! Emily is pregnant and so is Elysia. Holden discovers Garret's secret fear. Colin and Eden play in the sauna. Declan hides behind the Christmas tree. Sean and Careen try to make a baby. And Marius faces his fears for the future. It's a holiday filled with laughter and love, hot chocolate and hotter sex, and a little bit of magic from Magia Alfred Stone... moreIt's Christmas at Sean Antaeus's house and everyone is there. Siblings, cousins, mates, and even Mistress Christmas with her reindeer and elf! Emily is pregnant and so is Elysia. Holden discovers Garret's secret fear. Colin and Eden play in the sauna. Declan hides behind the Christmas tree. Sean and Careen try to make a baby. And Marius faces his fears for the future. It's a holiday filled with laughter and love, hot chocolate and hotter sex, and a little bit of magic from Magia Alfred Stone. Note: This story is a free companion to the Tales of the Darkworld series and is not a standalone Christmas story. If you have not read any of the books, you may miss out on some excellent in-jokes and references. less

When wildling Corey Green discovers his mate is Seth Dylan, a tough as nails, dour werewolf from the McCallan clan, he thinks his life is set. However, Seth's not out and doesn't know if he wants to be. A pivotal sexual encounter between the men has Seth running scared and leaves Corey broken hearted. The men meet again nearly two years later and this time Seth's out but Corey's dark depression is about to send him behind the Veil of the Jewel Box to the fae world... moreWhen wildling Corey Green discovers his mate is Seth Dylan, a tough as nails, dour werewolf from the McCallan clan, he thinks his life is set. However, Seth's not out and doesn't know if he wants to be. A pivotal sexual encounter between the men has Seth running scared and leaves Corey broken hearted. The men meet again nearly two years later and this time Seth's out but Corey's dark depression is about to send him behind the Veil of the Jewel Box to the fae world. Seth's determined to make up for running out on Corey, but the wildling's sunny disposition has gone so dark it may be too late for them to build a life together. With love on his side, Seth sets out return the sunshine to Corey's soul. Warning: Contains two hot gay men who love sunshine, sex that makes the plants and trees grow, and a big bad wolf who will do anything to win the man he loves. Author’s Note: The Tales books up to Common Ground (#5) can stand alone, but read together provide the reader with a comprehensive view of the characters and their family dynamics. With this book (#6), the series takes a turn toward each book being less stand alone. You can read Sunstroked without the others but there will be things you may not understand if you’ve not read Common Ground or Hot Water or Fire Season. Common Ground in particular is key to Sunstroked, most especially the epilogue. less

Life is good for vampire Wilson North. His family left him well off. His job as an estate attorney is prestigious, well paying, and non-demanding. He’s gay and out and never had any issues being either. In fact, until the day he ended up beneath his car, bleeding out and only a few pints of blood from a sure trip to the Afterworld, life had never been a challenge. When Will meets his destiny in the form of an enigmatic Magia named Garrick Forrester he finds the challenge of his life... moreLife is good for vampire Wilson North. His family left him well off. His job as an estate attorney is prestigious, well paying, and non-demanding. He’s gay and out and never had any issues being either. In fact, until the day he ended up beneath his car, bleeding out and only a few pints of blood from a sure trip to the Afterworld, life had never been a challenge. When Will meets his destiny in the form of an enigmatic Magia named Garrick Forrester he finds the challenge of his life. Garrick’s gay but doesn’t live an openly gay life. Instead, he hides his nature behind his ownership of a BDSM club. The two men instantly know they are mates, but that doesn’t smooth the path to their bonding. Garrick wants Will but threats from his past convince him that the only way to protect his lover is to leave him. Shocked by Garrick’s ability to walk away, Will struggles to understand why his mate doesn’t want him. For the first time in Will’s life, something isn’t easy and he must fight for what he needs or give up his chance for happiness. Drawn together by destiny. Torn apart by self-doubts and fear. Two men on the cusp of a dream must set aside the lives they’ve always lived for a chance at a new and brilliant future. Warning: This book contains virgin sex between a sexy self-sacrificing wizard who’s never been catcher and an angelic-faced vampire who’s never pitched, a BDSM bad guy with dark magic, a mysterious royal Acerbian, and a host of characters from previous Tales books who do everything from implode buildings to change diapers…all to help two reluctant heroes find true love. less