The Elemental Collective Vol 2
Magic. Mayhem. Soulmates. Steam.
Nikolai
Nikolai is a Ranger. He always believed his calling was to help the chades, but he never truly believed he would achieve it. Thanks to Max, his dream has now come true. So where does that leave him? His instincts are pulling him in a new direction, but Nik is struggling to let go. Maybe a distraction in the form of the lovely Penelope is in order?
As a paladin, Penny never really had any choices. She was born to provide vitality and protection to wardens, even though it was never her wish. Luckily, her liege is more like a mother figure than a tyrant. When the man of her dreams comes along, Penny is encouraged to pursue him. Too bad she has never been the predator – only the prey.
Caspian
Water warden, Caspian, thought his dark days were behind him. Having had the audacity to be born gay, every day was a struggle against prejudice. It was all worth it to meet Lawson, the man who holds his heart. But Caspian fears all good things must come to an end. Because lately, every time he looks into his soulmate’s eyes, all he sees is shadows.
Born a paladin, Lawson always knew it was his duty to serve. His wants, his needs, his desires, were irrelevant. So, it came as a complete shock when his new male liege turned out to be the love of his life. It hasn’t been easy, but with the help of his brother, Leo, Lawson has carved out a beautiful life with his love. So why is he suddenly questioning it? With darkness creeping in, Lawson fears not for himself, but for what he may do to Caspian.
Please note: Caspian and Lawson are both men. As such, their story contains man-love sexiness. And man-love sex. And just plain man-love. M/M scenes are present in their story only.
Here's a Little Taste of Vol 2...
Nikolai walked into the home without knocking. He was well past that stage. But as he stepped through the heavy wooden door, he felt the usual tickle in his chest that assured him he didn’t take the privilege for granted. He marvelled there was a place that felt so much like home he could simply walk in and be welcomed with open arms. The feeling was never going to get old.
“What the fu – uh, fudge are you doing here? Ever heard of knocking?”
Nik grinned, even as he thought to himself, Did I say welcomed with open arms? The surly voice belonged to Ryker and it was the scowl on the man’s face as much as the quick amendment of his swearing that had Nik chuckling. He loved pissing Ryker off almost as much as Axel loved annoying poor Darius. “Tsk, tsk. You almost had to donate to the swear jar,” Nik said, wagging his finger.
Ryker rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his thick chest. “That jar is going to be the death of me. The kids are going to be millionaires before they’re teenagers.”
With Souline and Hitch getting older and Hitch especially trying to mimic his favourite big people, Darius and Beyden had recently introduced the swear jar. Money was added every time one of the adults used a bad word. Naughty words were still okay, but not bad ones. There was still much debate about what constituted bad vs naughty but so far, the large Vegemite jar had needed to be emptied twice in an as many months. Nikolai looked at the jar perched on the windowsill above the sink. It was half-full of coins and notes. One of the new laws to come from the new IDC was a stipend for paladins. It wasn’t exactly the same as a wage, but it gave sworn knights the freedom to be able to purchase something of their choosing without having to rely on their wardens for every little thing. Yet another thing to thank Max for.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Ryker said, drawing Nik’s attention back to him. “Why are you here, not knocking on my door at breakfast time.”
The disgruntled question would have held more weight if Ryker hadn’t handed Nik a mug of his favourite coffee and then waved a chocolate croissant at him. Nik smiled and nodded, watching as the growly paladin placed the pastry onto a plate for him. “Thank you,” Nik said, taking the plate and mug to the rather beat-up dining table. Ryker grunted and Nik pretended he didn’t know that Ryker was a big soft-hearted bastard with more of a nurturing streak than even Max. “I’m here to say a quick hello to Princess before heading to Eden.”
“She’s fine. Happy as a clam,” Rosa informed Nik, smiling at him from across the table.
And Rosa would know, Nik thought, being a beast warden. He also would never doubt that. The people in the house, and the surrounding cabins, would always treat his cat like family. The same way they did to him. He felt like choking up a little again and wondered why he was feeling so emotional and sensitive all of a sudden. It’s just stress, he told himself. It wasn’t another thing to add to weird new sensations he was experiencing. “I don’t doubt that,” Nik finally said. “But I don’t want her to forget who her real daddy is. Can’t have Beyden swooping in and stealing her from me,” he added with a wink to Beyden’s mother.
