Council Assassins Series by Charlie Richards, Suede Delray, Liza Kay, Deja Black, Lynn Michaels, Catherine Lievens

Spring Fever - where emotions and happiness come alive following the harsh winter to melt our hearts. The Spring Fever anthology features six shifter stories from some of eXtasy Books' top authors, all encompassing awakening love and in many cases a little bit of Spring lust!

Noel has spent the past seventeen years focusing first on his studies, then on his job as a lawyer, but the man he had a one-night stand with never left his mind—or his heart. He doesn’t know what it was about Roark, but he’s never been able to forget him, and he’s stopped trying. Instead, he works with the council to help shifters who can’t afford a lawyer... moreNoel has spent the past seventeen years focusing first on his studies, then on his job as a lawyer, but the man he had a one-night stand with never left his mind—or his heart. He doesn’t know what it was about Roark, but he’s never been able to forget him, and he’s stopped trying. Instead, he works with the council to help shifters who can’t afford a lawyer. When he receives threats that have to do with the murder case he accepted, he calls Kameron Rhett from the council, who then calls the council’s best-hidden secret—the assassins. Roark has been a council assassin since he was freed from the lab he spent years in. It’s the only place he fits in, with the other assassins, the people who share a trait with him—all of them have been genetically modified. Roark hates his ability to manipulate minds, and when he realizes the man he’s supposed to protect is the mate he thought long lost, he tries to get out of it. But Noel is stubborn and headstrong, and he won’t take no for an answer. Between him and Roark’s bear, Roark doesn’t have a choice, and the more time he spends with Noel, the more he falls for him. Will he be able to save his mate from the man after him? And if he does, will he manage to allow himself the happiness he’s been longing for? less

When Beck accepted a job working for the council full-time, he did it to be close to Roark. After so many years apart, he was looking forward to bonding with his best friend again. He gets more than he’d bargained for when he finds his mate as soon as he steps into the house the council assassins live in. Armand went through what all the assassins went through—he was taken from his life and his family, locked in a lab, and experimented on... moreWhen Beck accepted a job working for the council full-time, he did it to be close to Roark. After so many years apart, he was looking forward to bonding with his best friend again. He gets more than he’d bargained for when he finds his mate as soon as he steps into the house the council assassins live in. Armand went through what all the assassins went through—he was taken from his life and his family, locked in a lab, and experimented on. The result is that he can become any person he wants to become. It might be an asset when it comes to his job as a council assassin, but it makes it hard to remember who he is. Beck doesn’t want to push Armand, not when it’s obvious Armand is struggling. But when Armand is sent on a mission and doesn’t come back, Beck lies to the other assassins and tells them he and Armand are bonded to get them to rescue his mate. They save him, but his mission has consequences for a lot of people—including Beck. Will Armand be able to open up to his mate? What will happen when someone shoots Beck, pushing Armand to take care of things by himself? less

Win is the council assassins’ handler, and that means he has to keep them safe. That’s not an easy thing to do when there’s a group of people trying to kill them, but Win has done his best, and now they’re down to only six people to eliminate before he can take care of his family. But his obsession with their safety means he doesn’t have time for anything else, and that includes Graham, the assassins’ cook—and his mate... moreWin is the council assassins’ handler, and that means he has to keep them safe. That’s not an easy thing to do when there’s a group of people trying to kill them, but Win has done his best, and now they’re down to only six people to eliminate before he can take care of his family. But his obsession with their safety means he doesn’t have time for anything else, and that includes Graham, the assassins’ cook—and his mate. Graham has suspected there was a bond between him and Win ever since he arrived at the warehouse, but since he’s human, he can’t be sure. He won’t get any answers from Win, who spends more time in his office working than he should. If Graham wasn’t there to make sure he ate and slept, he probably would have collapsed, and that’s the last thing Graham wants. Graham’s opportunity to find out if that bond is really present comes when the council puts Win on a forced vacation. It so happens that Graham is headed home to his parents for two weeks, and somehow, Win ends up going with him. Will that interlude be enough for Graham to get through to Win? Or will Win be unable to forget about the work waiting for him back home and ignore Graham? Will the assassins finally find out what’s really happening with the people trying to kill them? less

Lawrence is one of the council assassins, perhaps the one who ended up with the worst ability—he’s a snake shifter, and he secretes his venom even in his human form. He’s never been able to eliminate it entirely from his saliva and bloodstream, and that means he’s made sure to stay away from sex and hookups as much as possible—until now. When he’s sent to kidnap the son of Gavin White, the man experimenting on shifters, he discovers Griffith is his mate.Griffith is a geneticist... moreLawrence is one of the council assassins, perhaps the one who ended up with the worst ability—he’s a snake shifter, and he secretes his venom even in his human form. He’s never been able to eliminate it entirely from his saliva and bloodstream, and that means he’s made sure to stay away from sex and hookups as much as possible—until now. When he’s sent to kidnap the son of Gavin White, the man experimenting on shifters, he discovers Griffith is his mate.Griffith is a geneticist. He works for a shifter-owned company that tries to help the shifters and humans who were experimented on by the Glass Research Company. When he’s kidnapped by a cute blond who tells him his father is doing the opposite—experimenting on shifters to turn them into war machines—he’s horrified, and he wants to help.Lawrence has no idea what to do with the knowledge that Griffith is his mate. They can’t bond, not with the venom in Lawrence’s saliva, so he decides not to tell Griffith about it. He hasn’t counted on Griffith’s stubbornness, though, and when he has to rush to help his mate, he knows he won’t be able to stay away, even though it would be the right thing to do. less

Sky was human once. Now he's part demon, and he can't stop himself from catching fire every time he feels strongly about something. Any emotion will do-fear, shock, arousal. Being freed from the lab he'd spent almost a year in would be a good thing if he could control his new ability, but as it is, he risks setting the warehouse and the council assassins on fire, including his mate... moreSky was human once. Now he's part demon, and he can't stop himself from catching fire every time he feels strongly about something. Any emotion will do-fear, shock, arousal. Being freed from the lab he'd spent almost a year in would be a good thing if he could control his new ability, but as it is, he risks setting the warehouse and the council assassins on fire, including his mate.Ulric can't say he's happy about his mate's ability to control fire, but that's mostly because Sky can't control it right now. Even though Sky pushes Ulric away, he has help and people who can teach him what to do. The problem is that when it comes to Ulric, Sky doesn't seem to be able to keep his emotions in check, and that might mean they can never be together.Ulric is ready to do everything he can to help Sky, even if it means getting burned here and there. Sky doesn't share that opinion, though, and he knows he has to learn control-or let Ulric go. less

Dasha has met his mate, and it’s a disaster. The man was present when the assassins and the enforcers raided the lab, and he was wearing a lab coat. Dasha has been living with the knowledge that the man he’s supposed to spend the rest of his life with is a monster ever since, but it’s eating at him, and he doesn’t know what to do. Oxford was arrested while he was in that lab looking for his brother... moreDasha has met his mate, and it’s a disaster. The man was present when the assassins and the enforcers raided the lab, and he was wearing a lab coat. Dasha has been living with the knowledge that the man he’s supposed to spend the rest of his life with is a monster ever since, but it’s eating at him, and he doesn’t know what to do. Oxford was arrested while he was in that lab looking for his brother. He’s tried to tell the enforcers he had nothing to do with the scientists who worked there, but so far, no one has listened. He managed to escape his cell in the council jail, but he was caught again. And this enforcer finally believes him. When Dasha realizes Ox didn’t have anything to do with the lab, he and the other assassins agree to help him find his brother. They have no idea where to start, though, and they might be too late. less