Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9 by Various Authors Page B

The toxin will kill you if you stay here. So right now, I have to get you back, and then you have to get better, and then…."
    "Then?" Alec asked when Kreed finally stopped.
    "Then if it really is you and not the Mating fever, it will still be there, won't it? And if it's not, we haven't fucked up our friendship. I only ask one thing."
    "What?" Alec pushed up straighter against the tree trunk "Anything."
    "Robert gets himself a new roommate."
    Alec grinned. "You know he would never."
    "I don't know it all. And I'm not taking any chances. You're mine from now until we figure this thing out. Then?" he shrugged. "We'll see."
    "Yours." Alec's grin grew wider, even as the idea sank a strange curl of trepidation through him. "You're going to go dragon on me now?"
    "Hell yes. You brought this up. Deal with it."
    In the next instant, Kreed was once again the huge, pearly blue dragon that took Alec's breath away. Alec stared up at him, terrified and fascinated and waited. Either Kreed would rip him apart, or not. There was little he could do about it now.
    Kreed cocked his head, lowered himself to peer at Alec, then lowered one giant wing flat along the ground, offering his back.
    "No way," Alec breathed.
    Kreed snorted.
    "You understand me?"
    Kreed blinked.
    "I should ride you?"
    A low, keening sound crawled up from deep in Kreed's throat and his jaws opened in a toothy leer.
    "You have a filthy mind, my friend."
    Another snort and an impatient shake of the wing, and Alec scrambled up and onto the wide hump of Kreed's shoulder. "All right, then." Alec spread his weight, flattening himself along Kreed's scales and running his hands softly over his neck. "Yours it is. For now."
    Kreed shivered and sprang into the air.
    THE END
    Author bio: Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she's been writing for herself far longer. Often asked why men; what's so fascinating about writing stories about men falling in love, she's never come up with a clear answer. Just that these are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they should also be the stories she wrote.
    These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya's Bower, Loveyoudivine Alterotica, Pink Petal Books, Dreamspinner Press and Total E-Bound.
    Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she's probably spending reading, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!) or watching movies. Well. She has a day job or two, as well, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child care responsibilities.
    She graduated some time ago from college with a Fine Arts diploma, with a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all....
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    ****

SOULMATES
    by Andrea Speed

    The last ritual was blood. As it dripped, slithering over my skin, the power pulsed within me. Tomorrow, he would be mine, even if I have to destroy the entire coven.
    ~ Gabbo

    genre: fantasy
    tags: magic; sorcerer; death; coven; soulmates; forgiveness
    content warnings: some bad language; a bit of violence in the beginning
    word count: 2,980
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    SOULMATES
    by Andrea Speed
    Sometimes, when the power filled him, it was better than sex could ever hope to be.
    The electricity surged through him, nearly lethal but not at all painful. It was a rush that made his heart pound furiously in his ears and made heat pool in his chest as he tasted metal; it felt like he was made of nothing but pure incandescent radiance.
    Oh, he could hear the screams around him, feel the alternate powers whipsawing through the air, but he was too