Embedded Files
Jack-O-Lanterns (#7)
Dark Fantasy / M/M
Date Published: October 17, 2025
Publisher: Changeling Press
When Preston saves a black cat everything he knows about life and demons is going to be questioned.
While shopping for candy for his friend's Halloween party, Preston saves a strange black cat from a group of teenage boys. Overcome with a desire entirely new to him, Preston takes the black cat home and discovers things are not always what they seem, especially on Halloween.
The cat, a demon named Caleb, has been searching for his mate for months and can't help but be fascinated with sweet Preston. He's determined to drag Preston down to his home in the underwater demon world.
Now Preston must choose between his mortal life, or one full of demons -- and love.
Praise for Kuro
"I'm the kind of person that loves a well-paced erotic story to sweep me away from a long day and this one is perfect for that sort of occasion. I find it to be a fantastic read, a quick one, and well written."
-- 4 Stars from Eric, MM Good Book Reviews
Kuro (Jack-O-Lanterns)
Second Edition
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2025 Ana Raine
"Will you bring some candy for tomorrow?" Jackie's voice was desperate. Before Preston could answer, there was the sound of crashing glass on the other end of the phone.
"Are you all right?" Preston asked his oldest friend. He somehow managed to balance a plate of leftover salad with a cup of almond milk while keeping a good grip on his cell. "What are you doing?"
"Getting ready for the party tomorrow. Or trying to."
"And that involves breaking glass?" Preston smiled. Although Jackie and he had both majored in dance in college, Jackie was anything but graceful.
"No, dummy, it involves me trying to get these crystal dishes I got from my mom to all fit on the table."
"Crystal? Sounds... extravagant. For a Halloween party."
"Look, this is like the fourth Halloween I've been alone. Time to step it up."
Preston sighed. "Okay." He slipped out of his dance pants and pulled a pair of jeans over dark briefs. "What do you need me to bring?"
"Candy. Whatever kind you want. But not cheap shit -- that makes me sick."
"I'm on it."
The wind was colder than Preston had expected. His windbreaker was thin and cheap, more of a decoration than an actual coat. It didn't do much to keep him warm but this was the perfect opportunity to save money on gas. He was between productions, so he needed to save money any way he could. Leaving the car parked in front of his apartment, he walked down the street.
Jackie's request was going to be hard to fill. There were only yellow sale signs where piles of candy should have been. Luckily there was one large bag of chocolate bars, which he grabbed. Narrowly avoiding a collision with a young couple, he felt his cock twitch, sending shivers of anticipation down his spine, almost as if he had a tall, handsome man to go home to... He'd watched too many vampire movies with dark-haired, blue-eyed heroes. Why else would he be getting so hot in the grocery store?
There were hardly any cars in the parking lot.
"Get it," a voice shrieked so loud the plastic bag Preston had been holding fell to the ground when he flinched.
Toward the end of the parking lot, besides a clustering of trees, he saw a group of teenage boys. Preston could make out three of them, all tall and gangly, but a fourth stepped back as Preston neared the group. "What are you..."
"Get out of here, man," the one who had just stepped back ordered. He had dark, pinched eyes and a glance that made Preston's blood boil.
Although Preston wasn't one for fighting, the urge to find out what the teenagers were doing was stronger than any emotion he'd felt in a while. "I asked what you're doing."
"Just havin' fun," one of the other teenagers jumped in defensively.
Two of the four teenagers were quiet, quickly dropping large sticks onto the pavement.
"Isn't there a curfew tonight, guys?" the young man nearest to the woods asked, moving away from Preston.
The tallest of the teenagers took a step back, revealing a large black cat, sitting on its back legs but with an apparent twist in its front leg.
"How could you do this?" Preston asked, brushing past the young men. "This is just wrong."
"Whatevs."
Preston scooped the cat into his arms. The cat was so heavy he had a harder time straightening up again. "Gosh, you're big. And black." The cat reminded him of an anime cat -- bigger and blacker than anything he'd ever seen before. "I think I'll call you Kuro."
The cat swished its head from side to side, glancing back at the retreating backs of his tormenters. Purple eyes, outlined in a deep black that was different from the shade of his silky black coat, stared at Preston. The gaze was penetrating and unearthly. Preston's knees began to tremble. Even his arms were shaking as Preston held the cat close to his chest. He fumbled to pick up the plastic bag, missing the handle because the cat's gaze was so consuming.
Sexuality was running rampant through his veins. He felt like he'd eaten drug-laced candy and was swimming through a current, trying to make sense of reality again. Get a grip, Preston chastised himself.
Maybe that hadn't been enough, which could explain his sudden feeling of fatigue. But there was stunning need to find release. His legs prickled and because his eyes flickered so quickly, there were dark patches clouding his vision.
The cat meowed in his arms, but didn't try to escape. Once Preston entered the glow of his brightly lit street, he was sure that the cat was safer, but the thought of releasing the dark fur pushed a feeling of tremendous pain through his chest.
"I'm not allowed to have pets," Preston said softly, snaking a hand around the bag of chocolate so he could pet the top of the cat's head. The cat had his eyes trained on him. "We should get you to the vet to fix that leg. Although I think we'll have to wait until tomorrow." The cat's purple eyes were unnerving, but he couldn't chase away the intrigue...
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About the Author
Ana is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life, although social work seems to be the most likely. Her best friends are a box of chocolate and her kitten who always sit beside her while she writes. When Ana was in high school, she often wrote about the LGBT community, but now her work is less...innocent. Ana enjoys writing anything and everything, including BDSM, dragons, shifters, magic, and more.
Twitter: @AuthorAnaRaine
Blog: anarainebooks.blogspot.com
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