Dante’s Circle Reborn: A Dante’s Circle Collection
Dante’s Circle Reborn
A Dante’s Circle Collection
Carrie Ann Ryan
Contents
Dante’s Circle Reborn
Dante’s Circle Reborn
Author’s Note
FALLEN FOR ALPHAS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
AT LAST SIGHT
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
BLOOD’S FIRST KISS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
REAPER’S SONG
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
A Note from Carrie Ann Ryan
About the Author
Also from Carrie Ann Ryan
Dante’s Circle Reborn
A Dante’s Circle Collection
By: Carrie Ann Ryan
© 2020 Carrie Ann Ryan
© 2020 Carrie Ann Ryan
ISBN: 978-1-950443-05-5
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This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
Dante’s Circle Reborn
A Dante’s Circle Collection
Dante’s Circle Reborn
NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan returns to her bestselling Dante’s Circle series with a collection of four never before published and highly anticipated romances.
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FALLEN FOR ALPHAS
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Liam and Alec watched their Pack fall from grace and fought with tooth and claw to make it rise from the ashes again for the Alpha. Once from rival families and now true packmates, they’ve fought their attraction for longer than they should have. Now, as they leave the den in search of a rogue wolf, they’ll finally have a chance to entice their wolves—if they can overcome their struggles and survive what lurks in the darkness.
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AT LAST SIGHT
Jonah assumed he’d seen everything there was to see throughout his long life. He battled dragons, lions, and anything else that came across his path. Now, it’s his job to protect the cubs under his care—something far more dangerous than anyone ever counted on. But when he comes to face to face with Dante’s sexy new bartender, everything changes. From his first look into those silver eyes, he was lost. But they’re eyes that can kill if the world isn’t careful, and some want them for their own.
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BLOOD’S FIRST KISS
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Calypso’s position as a representative on the Conclave for all mermaids is in jeopardy if she can’t uncover the true lineage of a mysterious stranger. Especially since his mere presence seems to rock the already shaky foundation of their people.
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Micha knows exactly what he is: the one supernatural being that everyone claims cannot exist. And he’s been searching eons for his mate. Now that he’s found her, all bets are off. But he must keep his past a secret, no matter the consequences.
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REAPER’S SONG
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He remembers his death. Even remembers parts of his life. But as a newly made reaper, he must do the one thing he knows he cannot: reap his soul mate. No matter that she can see death coming.
Author’s Note
Dante’s Circle is the second series I ever wrote, and the second I completed. I honestly had no intention of going back to the world, not because I didn’t love it, or because I didn’t miss the lightning-struck women. I simply needed to move on to the other stories in my head, and I felt as if the Dante’s Circle series had ended where it needed to.
I know Liam and Alec were left dangling a bit, as were Jonah, Caly, and that secret of mine, Torrent. However, the main characters had their HEAs, and I wasn’t ready to go back to the worlds.
Five years later, I was moving across the country and realized that I needed to write a few more words. I rearranged my schedule and added one more set of romances to the Dante’s Circle series.
For the characters, and for you, dear readers.
Each of the four short stories in this collection has glimpses of romance. They lead to HEAs but are not full novels. They are shorter than the other romances in the series and are important moments in these characters’ lives, but not all of their moments. I hope you love meeting new characters and getting glimpses of the ones we’ve loved in the past.
Will I ever return to the world of Dante’s Circle? As always, never say never. After all…I have an idea. I suppose it’s up to the characters whether I ever get to write more.
Thank you and happy reading!
FALLEN FOR ALPHAS
Chapter 1
When the fist smashed into his jaw, Liam figured he probably deserved it. As this wasn’t the first time he’d been punched in the face, he didn’t move back at the impact, didn’t stumble, didn’t even budge from his spot. In fact, his body stayed exactly where it was. His wolf, on the other hand, wanted blood. It scraped along his skin, the ache a familiar burn; its claws ready to attack. He didn’t let the wolf have control. He never did.
That’s what made him as strong as he was. He wasn’t the Alpha of his Pack. However, he was damn well close in terms of dominance.
Of course, he had to prove it before he could flatly state it. It wasn’t as if any of his Packmates could just let things go and let everyone breathe without bloodshed.
Hence the fist to his jaw.
“You’re weak,” Michael spat as he shifted from foot to foot, his fists at the ready in front of his face as if they were in a boxing ring and not in the middle of the den. They weren’t even in the Pack circle, prepared to do an actual dominance fight that would lead to title recognition. “You don’t deserve to be the Beta. Just because you’ve licked the boots of our Alpha since birth, doesn’t mean you can rule.”
Liam sighed. He might be best friends with the Alpha, Hunter, but he didn’t lick the other man’s boots. Not even that one time when he’d been so drunk that he’d actually fallen at Hunter’s feet. Of course, Hunter and their other friend, Alec, had fallen right next to him since they’d been just as intoxicated. They’d been young, celebrating a recent mating of one of their other friends, and not on duty for the following twelve hours.
“You don’t want to go there,” Liam said slowly. His wolf pushed at him. Still, he didn’t let his inner beast out, not when Liam could take Michael down in his human form alone. Of course, the other guy didn’t know that, or if he did, chose to ignore it. So many people underestimated Liam and would likely continue to do so.
If Liam were to become the Beta of the Pack, he wasn’t sure the preconceived notions would change. That was if he even wanted to become the Beta. His wolf was taking its time deciding if the position fit him. As for his human half, Liam wasn’t sure
he wanted the responsibility.
He was a council member and helped rule his Pack’s governing body. However, his duties were mostly performed through his family. They had been one of the original five families that had representatives on the council. Being second in command to Hunter would be a giant leap in everything, though it wasn’t something he was ready for, let alone something he truly wanted.
Liam ducked under another punch and kicked out, forcing the other wolf to the ground. Michael didn’t stay down long, and Liam hadn’t put too much force into the kick anyway.
He needed to get his head in the game so he didn’t end up with too many bruises after this. He didn’t want to deal with Alec’s glares because he’d let the fight go on too long and was in his head the whole time.
Liam wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with Alec at all.
And because he thought of his friend and didn’t have his mind on the battle in front of him, Michael got in another lucky punch. The impact forced Liam back a step this time, and he tasted blood. He pressed his tongue to his teeth, grateful when none felt loose. The only two wolves who had ever almost knocked one out had been Hunter and Alec. He’d be damned if this little pup in front of him would be the third.
The gasp from the crowd surrounding them forced a growl from Liam’s throat, his wolf just that much closer to his skin. He let his claws slide from his fingertips, done with this pointless fight. Did the others around him think he’d lose to this wolf that was nowhere near his dominance level?
Well, he’d show them. He had to.
“Michael, boy, one day, you’ll be a wolf worthy of the strength you possess. For now?” Liam shrugged. “Grow up.” He slashed, his claws digging into Michael’s shoulder. The other wolf cried out, going to his knees. Liam punched the man in the face for the comments he’d made about their Alpha, his friend, and then Michael was down for the count.
Dominance battle won.
However, it wasn’t a true dominance battle as they hadn’t fought in the circle, nor had it been sanctioned. The others would know where Liam sat in the ranks if they didn’t already. The actual choosing of the Beta, fight or not, hadn’t happened here.
Given what had happened in the months since their former Alpha, Josiah, had stepped down due to his age and power level, Liam wasn’t sure the choice would ever be made. Hunter needed not only a Beta but also a Tracker. He’d been taking his time in choosing because it was his right as Alpha, and he couldn’t just pick his two best friends.
It didn’t matter that Liam and Alec were the next two on the dominance scale right under their Alpha. Things were never quite as easy as they should be. Hunter needed to make a decision, but he couldn’t even begin to start that process until the necessary dominance fights were complete within the circle itself.
Others had already done their fighting within the sacred stones that had once made their original Alpha’s home. Neither Liam nor Alec had stepped foot inside. He wasn’t sure why Alec was hesitating, and that only made Liam want to wait that much longer.
That was par for the course for them.
Alec hesitated while Liam waited, and neither of them ended up satisfied in the end.
Liam pushed those thoughts from his mind and rolled his shoulders, wincing as he did. Michael’s lucky punch hadn’t been Liam’s first in recent weeks, and now he could feel the aches and pains from not using his full strength in the match. He needed a hot shower and a beer, and then maybe he’d get over what had happened today. He still couldn’t bring himself to think about what a fight like this would mean, and what he would have done if the battle had been sanctioned.
As he turned towards his home, he froze at the sight of Alec standing at the edge of the crowd—close enough to watch, yet far enough away that no one could touch him.
That was Alec in all ways lately.
Alec’s jade green eyes darkened when they met Liam’s. The other man’s jaw tightened, tension evident in even his breathing. A breeze caressed them both, slipping through the dark brown strands of Alec’s hair. The other man’s biceps bunched as he moved his arm up to push the hair from his eyes. The action caused his scent to catch on the wind, and Liam inhaled.
Mistake.
The heady scent of man and wolf knocked Liam back so hard, he almost ended up right on his ass. He did his best to hold back from growling or letting his wolf come too close to the surface. He couldn’t let anyone else find out what exactly went on with him when he was in the presence of his best friend.
It wasn’t that he was ashamed of being attracted to another man. As most of the wolves in his Pack were bisexual, Liam wanting Alec bent over in front of him wouldn’t be frowned upon.
It was the fact that Alec hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to be with Liam that killed him a bit inside and kept him from reacting in the way everything inside him wanted him to. And that was something Liam had to learn to deal with, even if part of him broke every time he caught sight of his best friend.
Another scent carried on the breeze, and Liam turned to see his Alpha striding towards them. Hunter had always been a badass wolf, large and scarred from countless dominance fights on his way to becoming their leader. He’d changed in the time he’d spent in the hell realm.
And by hell, Liam meant literally.
Hunter had been betrayed by their Pack and had been sent to the hell realm to fight in the Demon Games. Despite being sent there to die, Hunter had thrived instead. However, he’d lost a part of himself along the way. In the end, he’d come out stronger, though more wary of those he had once trusted with his life.
It had been a stroke of luck that he’d met a demon, an angel, and a woman who had once been human during his captivity and had been able to find his freedom. That woman, Jamie, had introduced Hunter to her best friends—six other lightning-struck women, who all eventually became paranormal creatures in their own right. And that was how Hunter had met his mate.
Becca wasn’t a wolf. She was a leprechaun, who was not only the Pack’s savior, she was also their healer. She’d saved her mate, saved them all, and rescued the Pack in the process.
From the look in his Alpha’s eyes now, however, Liam didn’t think Hunter was coming towards him to stroll down memory lane. It had been a couple of years since Hunter had returned with Becca at his side, and while the other wolf had become more settled, he was no less deadly.
The fact that they were still trying to figure out their hierarchy thanks to politics and wolf dominance trials just reminded Liam of their immortality and the idea that sometimes it wasn’t as easy as saying yes.
“Another fight?” Hunter growled, his eyes glowing yellow. While most wolves had normal-colored eyes while in human form, Hunter’s had become permanently yellow and gold following his time in hell. Liam thought the man’s eyes would have turned that color anyway eventually, considering the strength of his wolf.
Liam shrugged, wincing again. “Michael started it. I ended it.”
Hunter’s nostril’s flared. “You’re not twelve years old, Liam. For hell’s sake, you let that pup play with you before you finally showed your wolf. Are you trying to start more fights? Do you not want to get in the circle and show the others what you are?”
What if I don’t know what I am?
The stray thought went away as quickly as it appeared, and he wanted to curse himself once again for allowing the weakness that had plagued him since he’d been a child to return with a vengeance.
“I beat him, didn’t I?”
“And you got hurt in the process,” Alec snapped as he stormed up. Liam had scented him approaching, of course. He could always tell when Alec was near, wind or no wind.
“I’m fine,” he lied. He wasn’t okay. However, it wasn’t the blood on his mouth or the twinges in his shoulder that mattered at the moment.
“The hell you are,” Alec whispered so low that only Hunter and Liam could hear.
Hunter looked between the two of them, his eyes seeing much more tha
n Liam wanted him to see. “Come back to the house, both of you.” He held up his hands. “This isn’t up for discussion. Liam, let my mate heal you since you can’t seem to take care of yourself. Alec, you come too, as I have an assignment for the both of you.” He growled low. “Disobey my order, and you won’t be happy with the consequences.”
Liam tilted his head, studying his friend. Hunter rarely ordered people to do things. His dominance was so immense that others generally intuitively did what they needed to in order to keep the Pack safe and healthy. Yet for Hunter to order them just then—something he had never truly done with Liam and Alec…something was up.
He didn’t want to risk the wrath of his Alpha and friend, though it grated on his wolf to back down without a fight. Still, he nodded. The fact that his wolf even wanted to fight his Alpha, even a little bit, told Liam that he had more issues than he thought.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alec nod as well, and the two of them followed Hunter back to his place. Liam had spent countless evenings at Hunter and Becca’s home, begging for dinners and playing with their daughter, Hazel. The domicile was like a second home to him. Yet, tonight, he somehow didn’t think it was going to be quite like it always was.