Araneae Nation

Reine knows marriage isn't about love. It's about making the best bargain you can with what you have and then living with the consequences. Wedding vows are alliances given voice, and I do is on the tip of her tongue. Ennis is a man on a mission to woo the future Araneidae maven, whether she wants him or not. Her clan is wealthy, prosperous, and in dire need of the one thing his people have to offer-protection. But one look at her and all thought of his obligations vanish. He'll court Reine, but he wants the feisty heiress all to himself. Forced to entertain offers from her bevy of suitors, Reine is torn between duty to her people and loyalty to herself. Ennis is the man she wants, but is he the future paladin her fragile clan needs? She can choose to lead with her head or, for once, she can follow her heart. Contains mature themes.

When the head of the Araneidae clan is found poisoned in her nest, her eldest daughter, Lourdes, becomes their clan's new maven. If her clan is to survive, she has but one choice: she must marry before her nest is seized. All she needs is a warrior fierce enough to protect her city and safeguard her clansmen. Such a male is Rhys the Cold. Born the youngest son of an impoverished maven, the only things Rhys has to his name are his sword and his mercenary reputation. His clan is starving, but their fondness for the flesh of fellow Araneaeans makes them unwelcome dinner guests. Torn between loyalty to his clan and fascination with his future bride, Rhys's first taste of Lourdes threatens to melt the cold encasing his heart. Amid the chaos of battle, Lourdes's sister disappears and is feared captured. Lourdes and Rhys pursue their enemies into the southlands, where they discover an odd plague ravaging southern clans as it travels north, to Erania. Determined to survive, Lourdes will discover whether she's worth her silk or if she's spun the thread by which her clan will hang. Contains mature themes.

Born with the ability to communicate with the dead, few things take Mana by surprise. But when a canis lopes into her life, announcing himself as the long-dead father of a childhood friend, she's shocked. To make matters worse, he has a dire message that she alone can deliver. Now Mana must face Vaughn, the male who inspired one too many girlish fantasies, and impart the spirit's message-without acknowledging her source-so the soul can be laid to rest. With rumors of a burgeoning clan war setting his nerves on edge, the last thing Vaughn needs is for an innocent to get caught in the crosshairs. But the woman he remembers as an awkward girl refuses to leave his side until he's heard her out. That's not the only change in her that calls to him. Her kindness soothes his battle-scarred soul-and he craves her in ways a warrior shouldn't. When they are both captured, they learn of an even greater threat. The plague devastating the southlands has come to his clan home. And his best-and only-chance to keep his people alive is the female who walks among the dead. Contains mature themes.

The strongest net is no match for destiny. Daraja has grown up watching her brothers journey down the river on the traditional Deinopidae rite of passage. Each returned with riches from their travels, and lovers with whom to share their lives. Now she has reached the age where she would strike out on her own to seek her fortune-if she were male. Instead, she is expected to sit patiently, weave her nets, and wait for the river to bring a husband to her. Patience, however, has never been her strong suit. Brynmor haunts the forest surrounding the city of Cathis, his disembodied spirit inextricably bound to the wild canis roaming his lands. Until the day he stumbles across a brazen trespasser in his woods. Compelled to step in when the canis suspect her of poaching one of their own, Brynmor fears he has lost a piece of his ragged soul to the feisty, adventure-seeking female. And when the canis confront the real poachers, he is forced to choose which life to sacrifice. Hers . . . or his own. Contains mature themes.

They just might survive . . . if they don't kill each other first. Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses . . . and then she takes their heads. Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it's hers. At least until-to her fury-she's caught napping. A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home. When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he's unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she's lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen. He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the price is high-and they may both pay for it with their lives. Contains mature themes.

There's no easy cure for a love of epidemic proportions. Zuri and her mercenary brothers had a simple mission. Transport a captured harbinger to Erania and collect the bounty. But this job turns out to be anything but easy. Their welcome to the northland is nothing short of frigid. A scuffle with border guards and her prisoner's attempted escape leave Zuri injured-and she and her brothers stuck in quarantine. Worse, the bounty comes with silken strings attached. Strings held by a scientist with a daring, dangerous plan. Because Zuri and her prisoner barged in before his fail-safes were in place, Henri had no choice but to lock them all down until he's sure there's no risk of spreading plague. He'd planned to study the harbinger, but it's the mercenary holding the leash who intrigues him the most. When Henri's experiment goes awry, they learn they've all been pawns in a plan with one goal: bring the Araneae Nation to its knees. Zuri is forced to make a choice that could sign her death warrant-or sacrifice everyone she loves. Contains mature themes.

Some secrets are best forgotten. Fresh from the battlefields of Erania, Marne rides south with Edan, headed for the city of Beltania. Among the Mimetidae guards accompanying them is Asher, who's been a thorn in her side since the day they met. He's rude and abrasive . . . yet he was the first to volunteer as escort. Marne dreams of a fresh start where no one knows who-or what-she is. But first, they must cross the veil. Rumor has it spirits haunt that grim stretch of road, and unwary travelers who enter are never heard from again. Veil or no veil, Asher is honor bound to see Marne safely to her new home. Though truth be told, Marne leaving Erania is the last thing he wants. This journey is his final chance to convince her distance will only make his heart grow fonder. When Edan is lost to the mists, Marne is trapped in a strange land with no allies-with a man who draws her closer every day. Closer to her heart, and her secrets. Secrets she must reveal if they are to save the one man bent on tearing them apart. Contains mature themes.

All's fair in love and murder . . . Betrayed by her lover and exiled from her clan home, Nicolette has carved herself a new identity from the heart of her old life. Hardened by grief and desperate to survive, she hones a new skill set . . . and the daggers that go along with it. Armand is heir to the wealthiest clan in the Araneae Nation. His entire life is as mapped as his heritage. Tradition dictates his every decision, and the one choice he ever made for himself cost him the woman he loved. When Nicolette is offered a contract she can't refuse, she returns to Erania with deadly intentions. Her secrets are safe behind the façade she created. Or they would be if Armand would stop chipping at the cracks in her veneer. One kiss ignites an old flame, and suddenly their history is in danger of repeating. Armand falls for Nicolette's charade, but she can't let a second chance at happiness distract her from her mission. Someone in the Araneidae nest is marked for death, and Nicolette aims to deliver. Contains mature themes.