The Devils of Vitality

The Devils of Vitality always hit their mark. Rabbit Trace is a musical prodigy with a secret. Ever since an event that took place a year ago, he gets terrible stage fright before every performance. With a famous mother who's dedicated her entire life to her craft, and the weight of her expectations heavy on his shoulders, Rabbit is only one panic attack away from crumbling. He knows it'll be easier to escape if he stops running from the memory of that night, but he's stubborn and doesn't want to remember something so horrible his mind thought fit to erase it for him. Monotony has helped him make it through, and he's settled into a dull routine that keeps his mind occupied, the worst of the attacks limited to just before performances. That is until one of the infamous Devils of Vitality suddenly takes notice and decides to invade his life, whether he reciprocates or not. Baikal Void has many titles. Each of them comes with a responsibility attached to it. Future Dominus, head of the Vitality Brumal Mafia, is just one of them. He's always known he'd one day have to take the crown, he just never realized it'd be so soon. With his father dying and the inevitable changing of power looming, Baikal struggles to keep his deranged nature under control as he grapples with the upcoming loss. Then one night he's dragged to a recital for his university and sees him for the first time. After one glance he knows he's found his saving grace in Rabbit, the reserved musician who looks like he's battling demons of his own. Just like that, he's got a new title to add to the list. He's going to be the owner of one little ethereal bunny. Rabbit doesn't understand Baikal's sudden and intense interest, or why the Brumal Prince has gone out of his way to collect enough dirt on his mom to force his hand. Blackmailed into a relationship of sorts, Rabbit fights against Baikal's constant advances and his own tumultuous feelings. Everything Baikal inflicts on him is wrong and twisted, and yet the longer he's made to endure, the more codependent Rabbit finds himself becoming. Baikal promises freedom from the predetermined fate he's always been a slave to, but only if he gives himself over to him completely. And if he doesn't do so willingly? A devil is always prepared to take what they want, and Baikal Void is no exception.

Ellie is young, rich, engaged and in love. These are the carefree days before marriage and new responsibility, and anything goes --including house-sitting at eccentric Aunt Kate's palatial estate in Burton, Virginia. Ellie feels right at home here with the nearly invisible housekeepers and the plethora of pets, but she soon realizes that there are disturbing secrets about the local aristocracy buried in a dusty old book she has carried into the mansion. And her sudden interest in the past is attracting a slew of unwelcome guests -- some of them living and some, perhaps not. And the terrible vegeance that Ellie and her friends seem to have aroused -- now aimed at them -- surely cannot be...satanic.

The Devils of Vitality always catch their prey. Bay Delmar is pretty done with life. There’s a reason even his friends refer to him as the Undead or Robot. It’s been years since Bay’s been able to feel anything other than emptiness when he isn’t straddling a hoverbike and risking his neck in one of Vitality’s infamous street races. By day, he’s Professor Delmar, the reputable—yet stony—youngest staff member at the prestigious Vail University. But by night, he’s either racing or sneaking off to the Seaside Cinema where he partakes in other…questionable pastimes. The fact that he suffers from emotional detachment, likes fast bikes and violent porn, aren’t even his biggest secret. No, the one thing Bay can never risk the world finding out is that he has an obsession. With a student. Sila Varun is an apex predator. Being a genius and all-around perfect specimen sort of ensured from the get-go he would be. He’s lived his life at the top of the food chain, and the best way to get prey to let down their guard? Give them a false sense of security. The mask he wears on a daily basis provides him and his brother with a layer of protection, but boredom is always there, scratching at the back of his psyche. Until he discovers Bay Delmar lurking in the shadows—both literally and figuratively. What was meant to be a quickly handled task soon turns into a fixation. Sila’s never grown attached to anything before, and he has no intention of doing so now, so what harm could playing a long game bring? Bay is shocked, and admittedly a little thrilled when the person he’s been secretly yearning for suddenly shows an interest in him, only it’s clear from the start that Sila isn’t the kindhearted boy next door type he’s led the planet to believe. His psychopathic nature is revealed the very first night the two of them share together, and the worst possible thing that could happen does. Bay realizes that only makes him like the younger man more. Since his emotions went dormant, he needs constant stimulation—of both the pain and pleasure sort—in order to feel anything, and Sila’s vicious nature easily calls to the soul Bay thought was gone forever. This psychopath may be the only thing that can breathe life back into him. But how can he convince Sila he’s worth more alive to him than dead? Sila’s always in control, always in charge. He plays everyone like pieces in a game of chess. So why does he feel like he’s stumbled onto someone else’s board? And why is he suddenly wondering if the Devil kills the King after all, or if perhaps he lays claim to him instead?

A Devil of Vitality always stalks the one they love. Zane Solace is determined to make himself irreplaceable. All his life, he's either been a second choice or someone's backup plan. Zane's promised himself that won't be the case ever again, and the best way to achieve that goal is by becoming the Royal Physician of the Imperial family. As a senior at Vail University, he's close to his goal, but juggling his responsibilities among the Retinue, his duty toward the Imperial Heir, and keeping his brother out of prison keep him busy. The last thing he needs is another distraction, especially one in the shape of Pavel, a fellow Retinue member who suddenly seems far too interested in Zane for comfort. Pavel Hart is desperate to be seen. He's spent the better part of the last five years standing on the sidelines, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make himself known. When he finds out Zane has finally ended things with his other lovers, he realizes that perfect time has come, and he isn't willing to take things slow or gently. Pavel has wanted Zane for a lot longer than anyone realizes, and that want has grown into a cloying obsession even he can't control. He'll seize every opportunity he can to bring Zane closer to him, to make him accept that the two of them belong together and always have. Even if Zane can't seem to remember the past they once shared or the promises they once made. Zane isn't willing to be used and discarded ever again, and the last thing he wants is to trust the wrong person based on pretty words--no matter how great the chemistry in the bedroom is. He's torn between his growing interest in a man he hadn't paid any attention to in the past and his goal. When the Imperial Heir and his brother both cause issues, Zane has to decide if he should lean on Pavel or abandon him. No matter what he chooses, one truth remains. Pavel isn't willing to let go, and it isn't that easy to escape the devil.

A Devil of Vitality always courts chaos. Aneski Kendricks wants to know what happened to his brother. And why he was so brutally tossed aside by the one person who should have stuck by him after Russ’s death. It took three years of hard work climbing the ladder to gain leadership of the Shepard gang, but he's finally in a position to demand answers. Even from the devil himself. Too bad the devil and the man he used to all but worship are one and the same. Aneski's plan has always been to get revenge, and not just for his brother, though that's what he tells his friends. He wants to know what happened to Russ, true, but he also wants to know why he was abandoned. If only revenge was as easy as it sounded. Once he’s got Flix where he wants him, it should be, but Ani’s old emotions keep getting in the way. Will his pent-up desire cost him his last shred of decency? What did it say about him that he could still want the man who possibly murdered his brother? Flix Fulmini is a Runner by trade. As the official Runner/Fixer of the Brumal Mafia, he's got sneaking around and secret-keeping down to an art form. Aneski is just a name on a long list of them he’s withholding information from, and out of all those names, he’s the last person Flix feels threatened by. Which is why it's so shocking when he's kidnapped on Vail University campus and wakes up chained to a wall drenched in ice water. Even more surprising is realizing who his captor is. Three years ago, Flix left Aneski behind, but the guy has been holding a grudge ever since. Not to mention the fact he's convinced Flix has something to do with his brother's death, which he isn't entirely wrong about. Flix has been hiding more than a few things, and for good reason, but when Aneski sinks his claws into him and yanks some of those secrets out, Flix has a tough decision to make. Kill Ani before he can tattle to the Brumal? Or force him to his knees? Flix originally left for Aneski's own good, but now that he's come calling, it's getting harder and harder for him to turn away. Pretty soon, he starts wondering why he should even bother. In the past, Ani was this close to becoming his. Perhaps claiming him would be the best way to teach him a lesson. He let Aneski escape him once, but no one messed with a Devil and left with their freedom intact.

The Devils of Vitality always spot a liar. Rin Varun’s got something to hide. That’s a lie. He’s got several things. Traveling to a different galaxy was meant to make his life less complicated, but a year in on this new planet and he’s still fighting off his demons. There’s no better place to learn how to keep skeletons buried than the Academy, where they teach their cadets how to uncover them, and Rin is determined to graduate in order to ensure those demons stay hidden. He doesn’t want to stand out, doesn’t want accolades, or high marks. He just wants to coast by unnoticed, and he’s doing a decent job until he draws the attention of the Devil Prince. Kelevra Diar doesn’t do disguises. Who would bother with a mask when they have a face as tantalizing as his? As the Imperial Prince Third in line for the throne, Kel’s used to getting anything and everything he wants faster than he can raise his hand to snap his fingers. The drawback to this is even murder has lost its intrigue, and there’s nothing more dangerous than a bored Devil of Vitality. Then a cadet catches his eye and suddenly things are starting to look interesting again. Rin is unlike anyone Kelevra’s ever known, with monsters hiding under his bed that might rival Kel’s sociopathic nature. When Kelevra decides to make it his mission to draw those monsters out to play, Rin unsurprisingly resists, but that only makes him more invested. Suddenly the impulsive prince realizes he’s in this for the long haul, even if that means forcing Rin’s hand through an arranged betrothal. Rin has no idea why Kel has taken such an intense interest in him, but no matter what he tries, he can’t shake free of him. The sex between them may be explosive, and Kelevra may be the most attractive person he’s ever seen, but is that enough for Rin to drop his guard and reveal all his secrets?

A Devil of Vitality always draws first blood. Berga Obsidian is only good for one thing. As the Butcher of the Brumal mafia, Berga spends his days between the university and his lab, constantly caught up in one experiment or another. Everyone knows his name, and everyone fears him, but very few get close enough to learn who he really is. Even fewer actually want to. He's spent his entire life trying to make up for a mistake made as a child and is haunted by literal ghosts of the past dressed in pink tulle. Locking himself away periodically to protect himself and those around him has become second nature, that is until one mix-up with a Royal changes everything. Madden Odell can do no wrong. He comes from a prestigious and powerful family and is best friends with the Imperial Prince. By day, he trains at the military academy, keeping up appearances, and by night he runs the illegal street races down at the Docks. He's never wanted for anything for longer than a minute before it's his, that is until Berga strolls in and shakes up his world. Technically, they've known each other for years, but they've never been close. One night of rough and twisted debauchery and suddenly Madden is desperate to change that. By any means necessary. But Berga is far from what he seems, with an unexpected past trauma and a strong fear of abandonment. The two of them also come from different sides of the same coin. Berga is part of the Satellite, a group created to protect the head of the mafia, whereas Madden's position with the prince means he stands with the Imperial family. Even if they can somehow work through their differences and learn to rely on one another, will their leaders ever allow their relationship to strengthen? Or will the two of them have to choose? The life they've always known, or each other?

Brennon Cree made a mistake. Hitting on his best friend was the worst thing he's ever done, and he doesn't exactly have a squeaky-clean record. When he's given a chance to move on, he makes another mistake and seizes the opportunity. Which lands him in the bed of an alpha from another planet. Gunho Idris is hiding because of his rut. The last thing he expects is for a hot guy to suddenly land in his lap. As an alpha unable to scent omegas, the second his nose picks up on Brennon, it's game over for both of them. Gunho might not be from Vitality, but he's not about to let Brennon slip through his grasp, and he can be every bit as obsessive as the devils known to rule the planet.