❤️‍🔥City Wolves: Start in New York City with these powerful wolf shifters, the Amana brothers! These wolves are used to running the streets, but none of these men are ready for what is waiting for them... Their feisty human mates. Get ready for action-packed romances as these hot and irresistible shifters take on their biggest challenges yet!

❤️‍🔥Awaken the Dragon: Get ready as these ancient dragons awaken in the modern world of fated, steamy romance! For eons, these shifters have slumbered, but now they are ready to face the destiny that awaits them... Five human women who are going to push their dragon shifter mates harder than they've ever been before. Surrender to the heat and feel the fire as these dragon shifters return to claim their mates!

❤️‍🔥Black Meadows Pack: Awaken your inner beast with these hot alpha wolf shifters and their sexy scientist mates! When a lab accident gifts these brilliant women with the ability to shapeshift, their lives are changed forever... when they find their shifter mates. Immerse yourself in these wild adventures as destiny takes these scientists farther than they ever expected...and their shifter males show them nights they will never forget! 

Chapter 1

Banks

I love my family.

Banks Amana repeated over and over as he waited for someone, anyone, to open the door. He stood outside the luxury condo that sat at the very top of the Amana Tower, waiting.

He could hear loud chatter on the other side, but the chances that the Amana pack would actually have heard the doorbell was... well, complicated. As wolf shifters, they had great hearing. They had most definitely heard the doorbell — all four times — but no one was actually going to stop talking long enough to answer it.

Banks started knocking with one hand while using the other to push the bell repeatedly, his patience wearing thin.

His parents, siblings, niece, and nephews were still talking over each other in that loving way loud families have. Banks sighed and continued his strange mix of noise until, finally, the door swung open.

Iver, his youngest brother, stood there with a shit-eating grin. “I was waiting to see how long you'd last.“

“I thought you would just bust the thing down. Huff, puff, and blow it all away, Banks Amana style.“ Navy, the middle brother, was supposedly the shy one, passed a fifty-dollar bill to Iver, who quickly pocketed the cash.

“You assholes were betting on how long I would stay on the doorstep?“ Banks grumbled.

“Little ears are listening,“ his mother called out from the living room.

“It is nothing they haven't heard before,“ Banks pointed out. He made his way into the living room, where the family was assembled. He quickly gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and shook his father's hand. Banks waved to his brother-in-law before hugging his older sister.

Yeah. It was a lot of people. That didn't even count Jewel's three children. Jewel patted her stomach. The still-flat surface hid some news. Banks had sensed it the second he walked inside.

“Well, now that you've finally arrived, I can officially announce it. I'm three months pregnant.“ Jewel shrugged, but tension lines surrounded her eyes. Her last pregnancy hadn't exactly been easy, and at forty-two years old, this one was likely to be just as difficult. Even with her shifter constitution, there's only so much one body can take.

Both Diana and Marco oohed and aahed at the news, excited to be grandparents for the fourth time. All three brothers, Banks, Navy, and Iver, congratulated Jewel and her husband, Takis. Everyone acted excited even though they had all scented the change, but they didn't say anything out of respect. They allowed the couple the moment to share their news when they were ready.

Banks knew what was coming next. It was like clockwork. He counted down the seconds. Ten, nine, eight... He took a deep breath and braced himself for the line of questioning.

“When do you think you will give us grandbabies, Banks?“His mother arched a delicate brow.

“Mom,“ he groaned, “don’t start. You know I can’t give you grandkids without a mate, and seeing as I haven’t found her...“ He let his sentence trail off, but of course, the incomparable Diana Amana wouldn’t be deterred.

She sighed, a long-suffering saint. You’d think the three kids running around the house would be enough to placate her.

It wasn’t.

“Better you than me,” Iver whispered, clapping his brother on the back.

Diana pointed a finger at him. “I heard that. You are thirty-one, Iver Amana. It will be your turn soon.”

“Anyway,” Banks said, “Dad, how was the last day at the office?”

Marco Amana was finally retiring from the family business after forty-four years at the head of Amana Industries. As the eldest son — and the most responsible— Banks was filling his shoes. Marco was taking it hard, but Diana recently retired from her position as a Professor of Economics at New York City University. They had plans of traveling, playing golf on every possible continent, and probably driving all Amana men crazy with talk of mates and babies.

Marco took a long sip of his drink. “It was fine, I suppose. I have to say, it will hit me in the morning when I don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn.”

“Can you imagine? Sleeping in for the first time in… years.” Mom looked pleased. She squeezed her husband's knee, shooting him a loving glance.

“I haven’t slept in since that one,” Jewel cut in, pointing to her eldest child, a snippy and sassy ten-year-old with her face bent over a smartphone.

“You guys are really making this kid thing seem like heaven,” Banks grumbled.

He liked his quiet. He liked his peace, and most of all, he liked a clean house. He couldn’t abide by mess and disorder. It made him mad. Furious, even.

“I have a few wonderful young ladies I can set you up with,” Mom went on. “You can’t find your mate if you’re not looking.”

I agree with Mom, his wolf said with a huff. We should find our mate.

“Oh!” Jewel cried. “I have a few, too, Mom. We should compare notes. Maybe even host a charity event or something and get all three of these idiots to show up.”

“Are they seriously plotting to take over our love lives while we’re sitting right here?” Navy looked slightly green at the idea of dating.

Banks patted him on the back. “Don’t panic. I’ll be sending you to San Diego soon to deal with a merger. You might not even be in town.”

Navy blanched. “Why? Why would you send me to another city?”

“Because I trust your judgment on this, and I’m the boss.” Banks smiled, but really, he needed Navy to shake off whatever was going on with him. He was a smart and savvy businessman, but his habit of staying locked up in his condo wasn’t good for business. He needed to learn how to schmooze. To wine and dine clients. He wouldn’t learn that sitting in front of his television, or whatever the fuck else Navy did with his free time.

“Dinner is ready, Mrs. Amana,” the housekeeper announced before retreating back into the kitchen.

It took some doing — and lots and lots of noise — but the whole family settled at the dining room table. The meal, a fancy sort of pasta, tasted fine, even though what Banks really wanted was a steak. He’d probably grill up a nice cut once he got home... In the peace and quiet.

“Emmy, seriously, put the phone away,” Jewel warned her daughter.

“Uncle Iver says you’re grumpy when you’re pregnant. He’s right.” Emmy stuffed a mouthful of food down her throat without looking up from her device.

Jewel could have killed Iver the way she was looking at him. Banks chuckled under his breath, hiding his smile with his beer. Thank fuck he didn’t have kids. Oh, Jewel’s brood was fine to have around. They were cute as hell, and he loved to spoil them on birthdays and holidays, but at the end of the night, he went back to his blissfully quiet penthouse suite. Alone.

Well, not always alone. Sometimes, there was a very leggy, very naked companion waiting for him.

But Banks did count his lucky stars that he hadn’t met his mate or spawned another living being. That would seriously cut into his work time. Who even needed that?

“I am not grumpy,” Jewel roared. Actually roared. “I am growing a human.”

“I know, dear,” Takis cooed, trying to soothe his wife. “It’s hard work. Would you like me to get you some sparkling water?”

Jewel nodded, her upper lip quivering. She was seconds from crying.

“Thanks,” Takis snapped at Iver on his way to the kitchen. “For that, you’re babysitting all three of them in the very near future.”

“I like Uncle Iver. He’s my favorite grown-up,” Emmy announced.

“Aw,” Iver drawled. “Thanks, sweet pea. You’re my favorite niece.”

“You won’t be able to say that when this one is born.” Jewel pointed to her stomach. “I’m sure it’s a girl.”

The rest of the evening went in much the same way, that is to say, pure chaos.

Why Mom and Jewel wanted to add more mates and kids to the mess boggled Banks’s mind. That was obviously the very last thing they needed. Or at least, the very last thing he needed.

As soon as dessert was over, Banks made his excuses and rushed home, where he poured himself a nice glass of bold red wine, grilled up a thick steak, and watched the news in peace and quiet.

It was bliss.

He also wanted to be up early and go check out this house he’d had his eye on for a long time.  His real estate agent mentioned it was up for sale and there would be an open house tomorrow.  This could be his chance if he got there and put an offer in early.  What Banks wanted in life he usually got, not by luck but by making wise choices and being the early bird.

Chapter 2

Annika

Annika grabbed her wine glass, the dark red liquid sloshing around as she brought it to her mouth. She took a deep pull, the rich taste exploding on her tongue. 

Fuck it, she thought before downing the whole thing.

Maybe if she was lucky enough, the wine would make up for the night’s awkwardness. But really, there wasn’t enough wine in the world to make the night bearable. Annika didn’t understand why her mother kept insisting they have family dinners.

They weren’t a family. They were three people.

Annika wasn’t related to her stepfather. Not in any way that mattered, which pleased her just fine. Kenneth wasn’t a bad person, necessarily. He was dry as toast and had the IQ of a gnat.

Mom kept trying to make this a thing, but it wouldn’t be. It would be impossible to replace her father. It didn’t matter that he had died nearly fifteen years ago. When he died, he took the life out of the family. He was a loud, boisterous jokester who always had a story to tell or some prank to pull. Kenneth was the opposite. She didn’t understand what her mother saw in the man.

What Annika wanted from a family dinner was loud, chatty fun. The kind of evening that would make her ears buzz long after she had gone home.

But no.

She would go back to her small apartment and turn on the television to the loudest possible setting to pretend there were other people in the room. It drove her roommate and best friend, Liza, absolutely insane, but Annika liked the sound. It was comforting. It was almost like her father hadn’t died. That she didn’t feel so... alone.

“Annika,” Mom tapped her long acrylic nail against the table, “maybe slow down on the wine.”

Kenneth gave her a meaningful look. “Hopefully, you don’t drink like that when I let you take client lunches for me.”

Annika grounded her teeth down and plastered on a fake smile. Sharp Realty was her father’s business. Well, it was actually her parents’ business. Mom had hired Kenneth not long after Dad’s death. He ran things while Mom grieved and raised her. That’s how they had met. Kenneth now thought that he could run Sharp Realty as he wanted.

He couldn’t.

It had been willed down to Mom and Annika. Even now, Annika wasn’t entirely sure Kenneth didn’t try to contest the will. He would much rather run the business without her interfering. But the company was her birthright, and she wanted to run it for herself. As soon as damn possible too. 

But Kenneth was one crafty jerk. He had weaseled himself so well into the business while Annika was busy growing up that it would be nearly impossible to boot him out. 

At least Kenneth hadn’t changed the business’s name.

Sharp still held some prestige in the New York City real estate game.

To Annika, that was proof that a Sharp should be at the top of it.

“I noticed that the CEO of Amana Industries has an appointment booked next week,” Annika twirled her empty wine glass, wishing she could take more. She needed to keep her head on straight for the rest of this conversation to go the way she wanted it to.

Kenneth stuffed a bite into his mouth, taking entirely too long to chew. If he didn’t talk, Annika would keep talking.

“I should take that appointment. You know, as the theoretical name partner of the business, it makes sense. Besides, how am I going to learn and make the big deals you expect me to make if you keep me on the low-key stuff?”

Kenneth wiped his mouth. “I don’t think you’re ready.”

Annika pulled air into her lungs, repeating to herself that she needed to stay calm and collected. “I am definitely ready. I did all of my studies for this. I have been working at the office since I was eighteen. I know what I am doing. You have to trust me with this.”

She wouldn’t back down.

I am a Sharp. I am like my last name: I cut.

Or something badass like that. Annika just needed to believe it now. 

“I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Kenneth slurped his wine.

“Oh, come on. Give her a chance,” Mom said, patting Kenneth’s hand.

Give her a chance? Really? Because I haven’t sold a bunch of our properties like a goddamn pro. Because that is what I am. A pro. 

If Annika could have gotten away with growling, she would have.

Kenneth sighed deeply before taking a huge mouthful of steak. He chewed loudly with his maw slightly opened in that super nasty way he had of eating. It drove Annika insane, but Mom never seemed to mind.

“I’ll make you a deal, Annika.” Kenneth placed his utensils down and crossed his hands under his chin. “If you agree to sell your grandmother’s brownstone, I’ll give you the account.”

The bottom fell out of Annika’s stomach. “No,” she gasped. “You can’t mean that. You know I want to keep that brownstone for myself.”

That property had been in the Sharp family for a long time. It was the house where her father grew up. It was the house she wanted to raise her own kids in. She couldn’t sell it. Not in a million years. It was cruel of Kenneth to even suggest it.

“Oh? You  got a few mils hiding somewhere I don’t know about?” 

Jerk. 

“No, of course not,” Annika answered, keeping a string of curses in her head. “But it was willed to me.”

Kenneth shook his head. “The tenant’s lease is up. Serve them with a notice and put it on the market. Those are the terms.”

Mom smiled. “See? A compromise.”

“Sorry,” Annika snapped. “That house was willed to me by my grandmother. You have no claim to it. It’s Sharp property. You don’t get a say, and you don’t get to leverage it against a client that, by rights, should be mine. It is my name on the door. Not yours.”

“A technicality I should have remedied a long time ago,” Kenneth spat. “It’s my business now. And I’m your boss, so I say if you want to get the Amana account, you need to put that brownstone on the market. The commission alone would be a bonus.”

Annika scoffed. “And what do you think I will do with the money from the sale?”

“Pour into the business, of course.”

The smarmy asshole.

“Mom?” Annika silently pleaded with her mother to intervene, but she didn’t. All Mom did was push around her food, looking anywhere but at her daughter. “You know what? This is absolute bullshit. You are trying to push me out of my dad’s business, but you won’t. I am taking the Amana account.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “And I am moving into the brownstone as soon as the tenant is gone.”

Never mind that I can’t afford the taxes with my salary.

“Annika,” Mom sniffled on the verge of tears.

But Annika ignored her as she left the house, slamming the door behind her as she went.

-

“I need a glass of wine as big as my head,” Annika shouted to Liza as soon as she entered their small apartment.

In theory, Annika could have rented a nicer place all by herself, but she didn’t want to live alone. Besides, it made way more sense to rent a cheaper place and put aside most of her money with the hopes of one day getting rid of Kenneth once and for all.

Liza was sprawled on the couch, a glass of wine in one hand and a bag of mesquite BBQ kettle-cooked chips in the other. “Pour a glass, my friend. Have a chip.” She waved the bag toward Annika. “What happened at the family dinner?”

“Ew,” Annika grumbled, grabbing a handful of chips. “Do not call it a family dinner. That man is not my family.” Annika sank down into the couch and took the wine glass Liza handed her. Annika downed it before munching on some chips as she told Liza the latest asshole move Kenneth pulled.

“Well,” Liza winced. “We’ve known he was a dick since he put the moves on your mom. This is the next level. I wanna shake her for not taking your side on this. But if you want to move into the brownstone, I fully support you. Just let me find another six other jobs to afford rent.”

Annika scoffed. “You and me both. I still can’t believe it!”

“You know what we should do? We should go out. Go dancing and drink until this all seems a little funny.”

The thought of going to a club made her stomach roll. It wasn’t her scene, but Liza’s boyfriend was a club owner. He could get them into all of the swankiest clubs in town... because he owned them. Annika had seen her fair share of Hollywood darlings snorting coke in the bathroom. It really ruined some of her favorite movies.

“Can we just drink here? It’s much cheaper. If you want to dance, put on a playlist and go to town.”

Liza rolled her eyes, stuffing a chip in her mouth. “It’s a good thing I have my sweats on, grandma. Or I’d make you go out.”

“What? I have an early showing. I want to be refreshed, and last time we went clubbing, it took two showers to get the club stench out of my hair. That doesn’t exactly scream luxury homes, you know.”

Liza giggled. “You’re so weird, Annika. Now have a chip and imagine you’re crunching on Kenneth’s neck.”

Annika grabbed the bag and polished it off in record time.

Screw calories.

She was trying to fill a family-sized hole in her heart.