The Never List

by Jade Presley

To the readers who always struggle to pick a favorite book boyfriend. Don’t worry—here, you’ll never have to choose. It’s okay to love them all.

Those eyes grin like a cat catching a canary. “With all the other sheep?” I’m already backing away, but I don’t break his gaze. “Baa,” I say, then wink at him before whirling around and losing myself in the crowd.

The rubies, that’s Kal Erhart. Sapphires is Axl Dawson. Emeralds is Pierce Bertrand.

And the black diamonds…that’s Jax Lavine.

“Not at all,” she says. “Survival is the most primal instinct. They were smart. Realizing they’d never survive the Athanry is a show of intelligence. But the princes need someone who is not only intelligent but strong, brave, and passionate. Someone who isn’t afraid to check them if they get out of line. That takes more than love. It takes courage and a level of understanding between mates that I’ve never seen in my long life.” She shrugs as if she doesn’t believe she’ll ever witness that kind of connection.

“Fuck me,” he growls. “Is she always like this?” He aims the question at Kal. “You mean fearless, compassionate, smart, and downright fuckable at all times?” Kal asks, making my heart swell and my cheeks blush. “Yep.”

“Or I’ll do worse. If you’re mine and something happens to you, someone threatens you…” I drop my head. Can’t believe I’m admitting this to her as I meet her gaze again. “I’ll burn the whole fucking world down and laugh the ash out of my lungs.”

“The minute I heard your voice, the minute I sensed your emotions, you felt like mine.”