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  Synopsis

  Each page of this anthology offers enchanting tales of transformation and seduction from royal prides to foxy thieves. Lions, tigers, dragons, gargoyles, werewolves, mermaids, and more inhabit each magical story. Fall in love with a shapeshifter in this limited edition collection of shifter romances brought to you by thirteen New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers, as well as hot new authors!

  ROYAL PRIDE:

  A Limited Edition Shifter Romance Anthology

  Limited © 2021 Zelda Knight

  * * *

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written consent, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles, reviews, and so on. This is a collection of fiction. Any semblance to persons, names, characters, organizations, places, events or incidents is the product of imagination. Any resemblance to the aforementioned is otherwise purely subliminal influence from our dormant shifters.

  www.aurelialeo.com

  Cover Design by Design by Definition

  Book Design by Knight Designs (www.authorzknight.com)

  * * *

  FEATURING:

  Lion’s Bride © 2021 Imani Jay

  Stolen Mate © 2021 Juliet Moon

  Breaking Chains © 2021 Margo Bond Collins

  Cat Among the Demons © 2021 Lillia Hunter

  For the Love of a Mermaid © 2021 Diana Dawn

  Earthen © 2014 RaeLynn Blue

  Ritual Island © 2019 J. P. Uvalle

  Tricks, Treats & Trial by Fire © 2021 Sapphire Winters

  Wings © 2021 Sofia Aves

  Bonded © 2021 Isabeau Moon

  Pride of a Lioness © 2021 Katia Kozar

  Serpent’s Nest © 2021 W.M. Dawson

  Foxy Heist © 2021 Zelda Knight

  Visit prideanthologies.com for more!

  Tables of Contents

  Lion's Bride

  A Curvy Girl Instalove Shifter Romance

  About Lion’s Bride

  The Rogue Lion

  Chapter One

  GAÏNDÉ

  Chapter Two

  LINGUERE

  Chapter Three

  GAÏNDÉ

  Epilogue

  About Imani Jay

  Also By Imani Jay

  Stolen Mate

  (Omegas of the Wilds, Book One)

  About Stolen Mate

  Chapter One

  MINA

  Chapter Two

  CAINE

  Chapter Three

  BRIGHTON

  Chapter Four

  MINA

  Chapter Five

  BRIGHTON

  Chapter Six

  CAINE

  Chapter Seven

  MINA

  Chapter Eight

  CAINE

  Chapter Nine

  MINA

  Chapter Ten

  BRIGHTON

  Chapter Eleven

  MINA

  Chapter Twelve

  MINA

  About Juliet Moon

  Breaking Chains

  A La Isla Perdida Paranormal Prison Short Story

  About Breaking Chains

  Chapter One

  MARA

  Chapter Two

  GAGE

  Chapter Three

  MARA

  Chapter Four

  GAGE

  Chapter Five

  MARA

  Chapter Six

  GAGE

  Chapter Seven

  MARA

  Chapter Eight

  GAGE

  About Margo Bond Collins

  Also By Margo Bond Collins

  Cat Among the Demons

  About Cat Among the Demons

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  About Lillia Hunter

  Also By Lillia Hunter

  For the Love of a Mermaid

  About For the Love of a Mermaid

  Chapter One

  The Crystal Petra

  Chapter Two

  The Cavern Of Pools

  Chapter Three

  The Seagate

  Chapter Four

  Marinus

  Chapter Five

  Soul Mates

  About Diana Dawn

  Earthen

  A Dragon’s Keep Story

  About Earthen

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About RaeLynn Blue

  Ritual Island

  About Ritual Island

  Chapter One

  BLAIRE

  Chapter Two

  BLAIRE

  Chapter Three

  DORIAN

  Chapter Four

  BLAIRE

  Chapter Five

  DORIAN

  Chapter Six

  DORIAN

  Chapter Seven

  BLAIRE

  About J. P. Uvalle

  Tricks, Treats & Trial by Fire

  About Tricks, Treats & Trial by Fire

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About Sapphire Winters

  Wings

  About Wings

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Epilogue

  About Sofia Aves

  Bonded

  (The Candle District Series, Book 1)

  About Bonded

  Chapter One

  NAEMI

  Chapter Two

  ARAMI

  Chapter Three

  NAEMI

  Chapter Four

  ARAMI

  Chapter Five

  NAEMI

  Chapter Six

  ARAMI

  About Isabeau Moon

  Pride of a Lioness

  About Pride of a Lioness

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About Katia Kozar

  Serpent’s Nest

  About Serpent’s Nest

  “The sea is endless when you are in a rowboat.”

  “Pain makes man think. Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.”

  “Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.”

  “For there is nothing lost that may be found if sought.”

  “During the negotiation, information is more valuable than eloquence.”

  “I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won’t be able to protect you.”

  “There are no ordinary people. You never talked to a mere mortal.”

  “Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment, and things left unsaid.”

  “We are the playthings of the gods.”

  “The ache for home lives
in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

  “Each of us needs to learn the unique language of our own soul.”

  Epilogue

  About W.M. Dawson

  Foxy Heist

  (A Lucky Break Novel, #1)

  About Foxy Heist

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  SARAH

  Chapter Two

  SARAH

  Chapter Three

  SARAH

  Chapter Four

  MIN-JOON

  Chapter Five

  SARAH

  Chapter Six

  LILLIAN

  Chapter Seven

  TOSHIYUKI

  Chapter Eight

  SARAH

  Chapter Nine

  LILLIAN

  Chapter Eleven

  SARAH

  Chapter Twelve

  SARAH

  Chapter Thirteen

  LILLIAN

  Chapter Fifteen

  BO CHANG

  Chapter Sixteen

  MIN-JOON

  Chapter Seventeen

  BO CHANG

  Chapter Eighteen

  SARAH

  Epilogue

  About Zelda Knight

  Also By Zelda Knight

  Lion's Bride

  A Curvy Girl Instalove Shifter Romance

  © 2021 Imani Jay

  Edited by Jane Quintana’s & Nana Hall

  About Lion’s Bride

  A Curvy Girl Instalove Shifter Romance

  A lion shifter king and a princess share an incredible night. But come morning, she disappears...

  * * *

  Linguére

  I’m the odd princess of my country. The one that’s too tall, too curvy, too opinionated… not a single male wants to wed me.

  * * *

  Gaïndé

  I’m the shifter king who’s lived centuries without meeting my mate. But when my eyes fall on this perfect woman, I know I’m done waiting!

  The Rogue Lion

  GAÏNDÉ

  “We need to go back, brother,” I tell my Lion in a soothing tone. He stands still, ears twitching, eyes lost beyond the horizon. In what we both know is the direction to our home. Our palace. Our kingdom. “It’s okay to feel upset,” I add. “I, too, feel our void. But our people need us. We have to go back, guardian of my soul.” He emits a long, pained whimper, shakes his mane, then leaps on the road to Ndoumbélane.

  When we arrive at the palace, he walks in circles in front of the gate, struggling to relinquish our body to me. “It’s all good, Gaïndé, one day soon we’ll find her. But for now, you have to work with me, brother.” He roars, shaking his big head, then I feel a sensation I haven’t experienced in weeks. The telltale tingle at the base of his spine that signals our imminent transformation. The shift from lion to human. I brace for calm, not wanting to risk enraging him again. I can barely believe it when the turn comes to completion for the first time in fourteen days. I let my head fall back at the base of my neck, roll it from side to side, followed by my shoulders. Then I take stock of my entire body. Tall, strong. A bit less bulk than when we left a fortnight ago, new scars from some of our encounters in the wilderness. But still me. King Gaïndé of Ndoumbélane. Heartbroken, missing a piece of my very soul, but back home to lead my people.

  The guards standing at the gate advance to greet me.

  “Your Majesty, it’s so good to have you back,” one of them says with fervor.

  “We were so worried,” the other one adds, gaze intense with relief.

  Rightfully so, we all know the stories of lion-shifters who went rogue and never returned to the pride. Forever erring in their beast form, stricken with grief, mad with pain. Losing one’s mate will do that to their mind. But we’re back now, and I haven’t lost all hope of finding her one day soon…

  Chapter One

  GAÏNDÉ

  I study the pathetic creature facing me, my large hand running over the neatly trimmed beard covering my jaw. I’ve lost the bushy facial hair, my braids are back to their neat, intricate style, and I’ve regained a bit of weight in the month since I’ve been back from roaming the savanna. The haunted look hasn’t left my gaze though…

  The man standing in front of me looks much older than I do, although I’m more than a century past his measly seventy or so years. I knew his father before him, and his grandfather when I was only a cub. These feeble creatures age so ungracefully, fade from the surface of the earth so quickly, it’s a wonder their species has survived and thrived for so long. The contradiction between their weakness and extraordinary adaptability annoys and baffles me all at once. I despise human beings. “Not all of them”, my treacherous Lion reminds me. I do my best to seclude him from my conscious thoughts. After all, I have a guest to tend to. One desperate for my full attention.

  The specimen standing in front of me is a prime example of human limitations. The mighty King Damél, sovereign of Cayor, the human kingdom neighboring my magical realm of Ndoumbélane. He’s an old man trembling in his boots because the prince regent of Banjul, the nation located on his other flank, has made very clear his ambitions of expansion.

  “Are you sure?” I ask with a hint of annoyance, my deep voice coming out even gruffer than its usual low timbre. I sense my Lion twitch, his curiosity piqued by the entire ordeal.

  King Damél nods, swallowing with difficulty. His bobbing Adam’s apple betraying the state of his nerves. Lamentable. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’d be honored if you agreed to take my daughter’s hand in marriage.” He bows slightly, displaying a deference no king should show one of his peers, magical or not, and I loathe him even more for his meekness.

  “Let me make sure I understand your proposal, son of man. You’re asking for our protection against Banjul, in exchange for your daughter?” I reformulate his ludicrous offer.

  “And riches, Your Majesty. You’ll receive a chest of gold and precious stones as her dowry,” he adds agitatedly. Making me want to tear his goddamn throat out to put him out of his misery. When I don’t respond, simply staring him down, he adds, “And anything else that might please you, King Gaïndé.” As if he possessed anything I could wish for.

  “Are you sure your daughter agrees to this plan of yours?” I enunciate each word. “Once she makes it to Ndoumbélane, there’s no turning back,” I growl low and menacing. Then watch as his throat works again. A sheen of emotion passing over his eyes, and his dark skin turns a shade paler. Oh, for fuck’s sake!

  “She knows, Your Majesty. She’s honored to have been chosen,” he lies through his teeth. I’m sure, praying I tire of his precious princess and send her back home within days. Which is a definite possibility, as it’s well known I have little patience in general, and close to none when it comes to dealing with humans. Not all of them, My Lion purrs again, and again, I ignore Him. I don’t foresee a lot of tolerance on my part for a spoiled princess.

  For years, there have been no great battles to fight, no fearsome enemy to slay, not even an extraordinary beauty to conquer. My Lion emits a growl of disagreement, making me pinch the bridge of my nose. Bringing back the memory of the woman who felt closer than any female of any species, more perfect than any fantasy I’ve ever conjured. “The one who’s proven herself impossible to find for five fucking months, driving me to the brink of insanity”. I need to let go of the memory of our single night together. “No!” My Lion growls. “She’s ours. You have to keep looking!”

  I shut my mind to his demands and turn my attention back to the poor man begging for my help. My insides burn at the thought of making someone other than my mystery woman, My Queen. But I forge on. More than two centuries on this earth and the only time I felt a true connection was with her. I cannot keep going like this. An alliance with Cayor will benefit my people. The prince of Banjul isn’t only coveting new territory but also the many natural resources of the small kingdom. Some battlefield action might just be what I need.

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