Rueben would be the first to admit he was stubborn. He hated being told something wasn't possible when there was no scientific basis for their claims. So, when his peers told him searching for fossils in China wouldn't be a worthwhile endeavour, instead of quitting Rueben doubled down his efforts to raise the necessary funds to travel there.But his arrival in Shanghai started with embarrassment and left Rueben fearing his distracted clumsiness had scared away his translator and guide, Yuan Xi, before they'd even left for their destination: the Taihang Mountains in Shanxi Province.Yet Rueben hadn't imagined the most important discovery he'd make in those mountains would be about himself. An overwhelming and confusing discovery that had Rueben wanting to run... had him never wanting to leave Yuan's side.Yuan Xi prided himself on being a sought-after translator, capable of hiding his anger despite the way his European employers treated him and his countrymen. Knew how to keep a smile on his face while being treated like a servant; remaining invisible until needed.But this latest job could be hazardous to his health, and Yuan didn't mean physically. The endearingly clumsy scientist employing Yuan made him question whether he wanted more than emotionless, casual relationships... and whether taking a risk with his heart might be worth it.

Bushfires steal so much from people, but Lyam refuses to be one of their victims. His family spent generations building the Wildlife Park, providing a home for both native and exotic animals and he refuses to let the approaching bushfire steal it away from him. He'd do anything to protect it and the animals who rely on him.Even if that means risking his own life to do it. But as the fire races toward the park, it's not just Lyam taking risks. Jordan fears for his friend and can't let him go play hero without knowing of his feelings for him. He takes a risk that their friendship will survive the revelation and leaving Lyam with a choice. Risk his own life to protect the park, or risk losing it for a chance of something beyond friendship with Jordan. This short story was originally published in the When the Smoke Clears Anthology.  No changes have been made to it.

Do not fear change. Seek to learn what you do not know…Hubert 'Bertie' Thwaites is struggling with the Chinese bureaucracy and their refusal to approve his employer's plan to establish a rail line from Shanghai to Beijing. Understands even less why Feng Shui—or what it even is—keeps being thrown up as the reason why a railway can't be constructed. As his frustration grows, Bertie fears that the whole project might fail before its even begun, but he isn't prepared to accept defeat yet. Pointed in the direction of two Feng Shui Masters' with the political clout he needs, Bertie doesn't hesitate to seek them out. But what he learns is more than the information needed to get his plans successfully approved.Mutual love is within the reach of all.Yang Hei and Yin Guang had worked themselves up from nothing to a position where even the top tiers of Shanghai society sought out their guidance, and it had been any easy choice to extend their services to foreigners desperate to get a foothold in China. But when Hubert Thwaites approached them at a soiree put on by another English merchant for assistance, they find themselves conflicted. Desiring a connection with Hubert that went beyond a simple business transaction, everything becomes complicated as emotions get heated and misunderstandings cause heartache. Will it be possible for Yang and Yin to bring Thwaites into their relationship successfully or will one of them need to make a choice and walk away?

Xanth longed for a family of his own... Longed to be the one who fell pregnant... Except what Xanth wanted was nothing more than a faniciful dream, because Rhaetian knights fathered children, they didn't give birth to them. Or at least that's what Xanth thought, but a chance encounter with Ronan Moutram while at a tournament in the Kingdom of Suevia soon turns the Rhaetian knight's world on its head. A glimpse of a life he'd never thought possible. But after chasing Ronan all the way to Fort Behtan, Xanth quickly learns the path to his dreams is littered with complications, and soon finds himself caught between two men... two men who are as much one person as they are seperate people. He'd wanted to spend two weeks with them, exploring their bodies and their growing attraction, but Xanth was only given three days before the world outside of Fort Behtan crashed back in... and three days might be all Xanth gets unless he can untangle himself from familial obligations and then convince the two men that the child he carries is theirs.

Rueben would be the first to admit he was stubborn. He hated being told something wasn't possible when there was no scientific basis for their claims. So, when his peers told him searching for fossils in China wouldn't be a worthwhile endeavour, instead of quitting Rueben doubled down his efforts to raise the necessary funds to travel there.But his arrival in Shanghai started with embarrassment and left Rueben fearing his distracted clumsiness had scared away his translator and guide, Yuan Xi, before they'd even left for their destination: the Taihang Mountains in Shanxi Province.Yet Rueben hadn't imagined the most important discovery he'd make in those mountains would be about himself. An overwhelming and confusing discovery that had Rueben wanting to run... had him never wanting to leave Yuan's side.Yuan Xi prided himself on being a sought-after translator, capable of hiding his anger despite the way his European employers treated him and his countrymen. Knew how to keep a smile on his face while being treated like a servant; remaining invisible until needed.But this latest job could be hazardous to his health, and Yuan didn't mean physically. The endearingly clumsy scientist employing Yuan made him question whether he wanted more than emotionless, casual relationships... and whether taking a risk with his heart might be worth it.

Bushfires steal so much from people, but Lyam refuses to be one of their victims. His family spent generations building the Wildlife Park, providing a home for both native and exotic animals and he refuses to let the approaching bushfire steal it away from him. He'd do anything to protect it and the animals who rely on him.Even if that means risking his own life to do it. But as the fire races toward the park, it's not just Lyam taking risks. Jordan fears for his friend and can't let him go play hero without knowing of his feelings for him. He takes a risk that their friendship will survive the revelation and leaving Lyam with a choice. Risk his own life to protect the park, or risk losing it for a chance of something beyond friendship with Jordan. This short story was originally published in the When the Smoke Clears Anthology.  No changes have been made to it.

Do not fear change. Seek to learn what you do not know…Hubert 'Bertie' Thwaites is struggling with the Chinese bureaucracy and their refusal to approve his employer's plan to establish a rail line from Shanghai to Beijing. Understands even less why Feng Shui—or what it even is—keeps being thrown up as the reason why a railway can't be constructed. As his frustration grows, Bertie fears that the whole project might fail before its even begun, but he isn't prepared to accept defeat yet. Pointed in the direction of two Feng Shui Masters' with the political clout he needs, Bertie doesn't hesitate to seek them out. But what he learns is more than the information needed to get his plans successfully approved.Mutual love is within the reach of all.Yang Hei and Yin Guang had worked themselves up from nothing to a position where even the top tiers of Shanghai society sought out their guidance, and it had been any easy choice to extend their services to foreigners desperate to get a foothold in China. But when Hubert Thwaites approached them at a soiree put on by another English merchant for assistance, they find themselves conflicted. Desiring a connection with Hubert that went beyond a simple business transaction, everything becomes complicated as emotions get heated and misunderstandings cause heartache. Will it be possible for Yang and Yin to bring Thwaites into their relationship successfully or will one of them need to make a choice and walk away?

Xanth longed for a family of his own... Longed to be the one who fell pregnant... Except what Xanth wanted was nothing more than a faniciful dream, because Rhaetian knights fathered children, they didn't give birth to them. Or at least that's what Xanth thought, but a chance encounter with Ronan Moutram while at a tournament in the Kingdom of Suevia soon turns the Rhaetian knight's world on its head. A glimpse of a life he'd never thought possible. But after chasing Ronan all the way to Fort Behtan, Xanth quickly learns the path to his dreams is littered with complications, and soon finds himself caught between two men... two men who are as much one person as they are seperate people. He'd wanted to spend two weeks with them, exploring their bodies and their growing attraction, but Xanth was only given three days before the world outside of Fort Behtan crashed back in... and three days might be all Xanth gets unless he can untangle himself from familial obligations and then convince the two men that the child he carries is theirs.