The Duskriven Chronicles Series by T.D. Cloud

Khouri Lucifin lived a pampered life beneath the earth in the Duskriven. He had a noble-born lover who tended to his every need, and a place to belong in a city that wasn’t kind to half-Drow. But, a bird in a gilded cage is still a bird in a cage, and when he saw the opportunity to escape before him, he grasped it with eager hands... moreKhouri Lucifin lived a pampered life beneath the earth in the Duskriven. He had a noble-born lover who tended to his every need, and a place to belong in a city that wasn’t kind to half-Drow. But, a bird in a gilded cage is still a bird in a cage, and when he saw the opportunity to escape before him, he grasped it with eager hands. From humans who want to kill him to Sorin, the gruff, surly bounty hunter he hired to protect him, Khouri finds that navigating the pitfalls of surface life isn’t as easy as he had hoped it to be. Sorin is just plain rude, but he has his charms and good moments, and when he agrees to train Khouri in the art of bounty hunting, their travels turn more heated than Sorin ever intended them to become. But when Khouri realizes that Navidae, his Drow lover from the Duskriven, has placed a bounty on his head in hopes of bringing him back to their bed one way or another, Khouri is met with the challenge of balancing his old lover with his newfound partner, and all that may yet lie unspoken between himself and Sorin. Betrayal, heartache, and working through a half-century’s old romance of dominance and submission are more than daunting. Balancing Sorin’s possessive nature with Navidae’s long-held claim is even more so. Khouri, though, is up to the challenge. Because when it all comes down to it, why can’t a Drow have both? less

Dealing with Drow nobility had never been Khouri Lucifin’s strong suit. Strange, entitled, overwhelming, untrustworthy– There was no end to their unsavory habits, and when one was a street dwelling, half-Drow thief, dealing with them was a risk that didn’t need to be taken. But when Khouri is contacted by a noble wishing to hire him for a mysterious job, he finds the promise of wealth untold too enticing to refuse. There’s just one catch... moreDealing with Drow nobility had never been Khouri Lucifin’s strong suit. Strange, entitled, overwhelming, untrustworthy– There was no end to their unsavory habits, and when one was a street dwelling, half-Drow thief, dealing with them was a risk that didn’t need to be taken. But when Khouri is contacted by a noble wishing to hire him for a mysterious job, he finds the promise of wealth untold too enticing to refuse. There’s just one catch. The job in question doesn’t call for the skills of a thief, but those of an assassin, and the target isn’t just any Drow, but a noble by the name of Lord Navidae Marrowick. Risk follows Khouri when he accepts. Marrowick, he finds, is far harder to kill than first expected, and far more pervasive than his employer had led him to believe. Navidae has everything Khouri doesn’t, and when he catches Khouri mid-assassination, he responds in a way Khouri simply has no defense against. Succumbing to his mark’s charms is easy, but dealing with the fallout is something Khouri never anticipated. Dominance, submission, deception, and violence– Just another day in the Duskriven, and this time Khouri is determined to get what he wants, nobility be damned. Prequel to Epithymy , can be read as a stand alone novel less

When Khouri journeyed to the surface with Sorin at his side, he anticipated adventures, excitement, and the chance to see things he’d never before dreamed of seeing. The ocean, the beach, and the pleasures to be had in Sorin’s childhood home prove to be exactly the sort of distraction he needs from the homesickness that follows him wherever he goes... moreWhen Khouri journeyed to the surface with Sorin at his side, he anticipated adventures, excitement, and the chance to see things he’d never before dreamed of seeing. The ocean, the beach, and the pleasures to be had in Sorin’s childhood home prove to be exactly the sort of distraction he needs from the homesickness that follows him wherever he goes. Navidae is never far from his mind, a fact that becomes almost a little too apparent when his lover continues to send letters with a frequency they hadn’t planned on. As Khouri attempts to enjoy his oceanside vacation with Sorin and Sorin’s family, the pervasive worry that something isn’t quite right back at home continues to grow, coming to a head when a familiar messenger appears with orders to bring Khouri back to the Duskriven by any means necessary. Mistakes of the past have a way of resurfacing, no matter how deeply they’re buried. The politics of the Duskriven have come full circle, threatening Navidae and everything he holds dear. The enemy this time isn’t someone who can just be assuaged by threats or bribes, and as the danger mounts, Navidae’s desperation rises with it. Khouri and his lovers face their new adversary—first alone, and then with each other, proving that even though the words may come slowly to some of them, forgiveness, apologies, and confessions are expressions best said aloud. (Direct sequel to Epithymy) less