7509 Book(s) Related to the butcher and the wren a novel

In my previous life, I chose the werewolf and gave birth to the Arbiter, only to be burned alive by the younger sister I loved most.
When I was reborn, I knelt before the Oath Stone, handed my marriage pact to her, and watched her gloat in triumph before choosing Sylas, the elf everyone else avoided.
Everyone was waiting to see me make a fool of myself—until the day of the wedding, when he came carrying a gown blessed by the Sacred Tree, lowered his eyes to me, and said, "In this life, I will never fail you."

Elena Cross has spent her life being the perfect daughter, the obedient wolf. Bound to Damon Vance by an ancient blood pact—she's resigned herself to a loveless fate.

Until one frozen night changes everything.

After he got into a fight over another woman, Elena bailed him out. But he left her on the side of the road in a blizzard, fifteen degrees below zero. Elena's body was shutting down when a black luxury car pulled over.

Caleb Vance. Damon's despised half-brother.

Possessive fury burned in his eyes. "You'd rather freeze to death than risk crossing a line?" he growled, lifting her from the snow as if she weighed nothing. His scent wrapped around her, warmer than any flame.

While Damon sleeps with another woman, Caleb carries Elena to his bed.

One is a union bound by blood pact, the other a fated impulse. How will Elena choose?

Three years after her wedding day, Vanessa remains a virgin. Her sickly, cruel husband, the Duke of Tarrick demands she produces an heir with a man of his choosing.
Vanessa’s choices are narrowing every day. To refuse leaves her penniless and alone for when the cruel Duke dies his estate passes elsewhere.
To submit would see her honor surrendered to the new stablehand Fitz. His sparkling green eyes might match her husband, but his cocky, arrogant attitude riles her. He sees no value in her titles and riches, seeking only to enjoy life’s opportunities. Including sleeping with a famously beautiful Duchess.
The added risk of snooping on servants and family scandal suggests Vanessa should stick to her husband's strict rules and simply endure what has been arranged.
But what if giving away her honor to such a casual rogue is the spark that makes her bland world finally explode into life?

Within the luxurious embrace of The Grand Palazzo, Sarah discovers a love she never expected—with her magnetic boss, William. Their connection is a hidden flame, burning brightly away from prying eyes. But the entrance of the enigmatic Berky casts shadows over their affection, challenging Sarah's grasp on the love she's grown to cherish. In the midst of this turmoil, a devastating health revelation alters Sarah's perspective. She embarks on a journey to rewrite her story, leading her to an unexpected visit to William's home.
As tensions escalate, a tragic accident leaves William's life hanging by a thread. Amid the chaos, secrets unfurl, and James, William's estranged brother, emerges as the linchpin in this intricate tale. In a story of love, betrayal, and redemption, Sarah and William must confront life's unexpected twists.
Will they defy the odds, or will destiny's hand pull them apart?

In a world of werewolf packs and ancient magic, a forbidden love ignites between a vulnerable omega, Amelia, and the ruthless Lycan king, Talon. Forced into a breeder's life, Amelia endures unimaginable suffering until Talon's unexpected interest sparks a dangerous romance. But was happens when Amelia flees with her twin pups?Would he be able to find them and bring them back to their rightfully home?Will Amelia be willing to go back to a place she vowed to never return to? Follow this thrilling story for more.

Note: Explicit, erotic content. Not for readers younger than 18 please.

    “Take it off Abby” he demanded looking so fierce but sexy.
      “As you wish master” I returned . I placed my hand on my white shirt and pulled it off through my head slowly.
     “Don’t rush things Abby” he would always warn.
     I took my hands slowly to my back as I tried so hard to reach for my bra hook. I got it. I thought to myself.
    I was about unhooking it but then he interfered.
    “Stop Abby, don’t move” He said to me while he sat down on his seat gazing at me.
      “Imagine me walking round where you are standing this minute. Imagine my hands on your body as you take off your bra hook” He tried creating an invincible scene in my head.
     My hands unhooked my bra unknowingly and I felt the urge to grab him immediately, but no… that wasn’t how it was done with Alex.

“Come back to me, Ivy,” the man whom she used to love with all her heart said.

“No, no,” Ivy shook her head and backed away from him. Her body trembled as fear consumed her whole being. He was the reason her baby was gone! He was the reason for all her suffering!


Ivy thought she was the luckiest woman in the world - she was married to the man of her dream.

But that was just her illusion. On the day she received her pregnancy report, she found her husband in bed with his best friend. Before she had the chance to tell him about her pregnancy, she was forced to divorce and her family was driven to bankruptcy by that one man she loved.

Since then, her life went south. She married a governor in another country whom everyone thought was a gentleman. Everyone envied her, but no one knew he was a sadist who loved to abuse her.

Five years later, the man she used to love met her by chance and begged her to come back.

But would she be able to give her heart again, when all she felt toward him was fear and hatred? Knowing that he was the sole reason her life had turned to be what it was today with endless suffering?

"Mum? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Amelia begged, trying to leave Fernando's side but he didn't let her.

"How could you commit such a sin, Amelia?"


My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded.

My soon to be stepfather was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason, he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.

My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded.

My soon to be step-father was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.

My fate was sealed the moment I stepped inside that school. A simple sentence, seven measly words that put a target on my back, was all it took to turn three years of my life into a nightmare.

Savaş Ewald became my tormentor and my nemesis without knowing a thing about me… or did he? How was I supposed to know, when I didn’t have a single memory of my past and no one willing to tell me anything?

I need Savaş in order to find out about my past, but he doesn't play by the rules. He trades answers for kisses, clues for pieces of myself, but how much of myself am I willing to give him in order to find out the truth?

The closer I get to finding out who I am, the more I realize Savaş Ewald will be my destruction.

Summer vacation is finally here, and Olivia has big plans! Unfortunately, news of Olivia and Luca’s success in finding one of the Seven Supreme Hallows at the Holy Draconic Spring of Tritonis has reached the king of Shutora, and before the two can even leave the school grounds, a royal summons arrives. Olivia, Eldraco, and Luca are going to the capital! The search for the Seven Supreme Hallows continues, and though the royal edict seems like it will spell doom for their summer vacation, the eternally optimistic Olivia comes up with a great idea to make their journey as fun as it can be!

Her father broke her ribs. Her sister stole her powers. And her fated mate?
"You are worthless now. I can reject you and have you thrown out of my pack. I am sure your father would not want a rejected child back in his pack, would he?"
Hayley, the most powerful hybrid ever, discovers that her extraordinary abilities cannot earn her love or respect. Her older sister Elena, consumed by jealousy, steals her powers just after she becomes mated to the Alpha. Lance, who once rejoiced at being mated to such a powerful hybrid, is now disappointed when he sees Hayley powerless. He perceives her as weak and wants nothing to do with her.
But Hayley is far stronger than anyone realizes. As she faces betrayal, jealousy, and dangerous enemies—including vampires and witches—her courage and power grow. Lance begins to see the depth of strength and love within his mate. Can he overcome his pride and finally give Hayley the love and recognition she deserves before it is too late?

Carina is the Soul, one of the last members of a perishing race chased across space in search of a refuge.
Ishaan is a planetary councilor, tasked with the examination of the new species.
But when sparks fly between them and the evil finds them, what choice will they make to save everything?
Love in an Open Hand is created by Mia Davis, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Chloe Warner found out her fiance Derek is cheating on her cousin Sophia not long ago before their wedding. Her cousin is pregnant because she is so jealous of Chloe. Chloe calls off the wedding but her family pushes Derek into a marriage with the pregnant Sophia. Chloe runs away and drinks. She spent a night with a stranger in a hotel and a couple of weeks later found out that she is pregnant too. She can't keep it because her family chases her away with no money. Luckily the man who shared a night with her looking for her. The man turned out Mason Russell a very powerful Alpha. He makes a deal with Chloe to keep her baby and give birth. She will become his partner and they will fall in love with each other. Their relationship starts because of the baby but after turned out they love each other. They will fight against some enemy side by side.

The day he proposed, Atticus knelt before me, holding the Hale family's heirloom necklace.
I thought I had finally survived the ordeal.
After eight years of unrequited love, being humiliated by his sister, nitpicked by his mother, and mocked by the city's socialites for being unworthy of the Hales... Until this very moment, when he personally fastened the heirloom around my neck. Everyone saw it. I, Clara, was finally accepted by the Hale family.
Tears in my eyes, I said yes, thinking it was the happiest moment of my life.
But just days after putting on that necklace, bizarre red rashes crawled up my neck. My pale skin rotted away piece by piece, and my internal organs went into irreversible failure.
The most absurd part? The exact same day I started rotting, his dying mother miraculously cured her terminal illness, and his sister's half-destroyed face was restored to flawless perfection.
Disfigured and barely looking human, I threw myself off the Harbour Bridge—
I opened my eyes, and I was back on the day of the proposal.

A horrific car crash left me paralyzed.
The doctors said I'd never walk again. With no family left, my Aunt Martha and Uncle Thomas took me to their isolated farmhouse.
They cared for me, promising their treatments would help me walk again. After everything I'd been through, I thought I'd finally found safety.
Until today, when the feeling in my legs suddenly came back—but something told me not to tell them.

She used to be a housewife "imprisoned" by her family.

An accident turned her world upside down.

On her daughter's birthday, what unspeakable secret was hidden behind the strange noises coming from the house?

When she was filled with despair, she turned around and stepped onto the stage. Against all odds, she became a big star.

But just when she was at the height of her glory, her home was blocked by a group of unexpected visitors. What on earth were their intentions? Before she could catch her breath, an overwhelming wave of scandals suddenly hit.

Overnight, she fell from the peak to the bottom.

With her career in ruins and her reputation in tatters, how could she save herself? And just then, her daughter disappeared mysteriously, and the only clue pointed in a mysterious direction.

What earth-shattering conspiracy was hidden in that dark corner? "Do you still want to see your daughter?"

My heart sank suddenly, as if it was tightly gripped by an invisible big hand. My breathing became rapid. "Yes, of course I do! What have you done to my daughter?" I shouted hoarsely.

"If you want to see her, do as I say right away!" He roared viciously. "Otherwise, just wait to collect her body!" My legs went weak, and I almost collapsed to the ground. "Please, this is your only daughter!" I pleaded desperately, my voice full of despair and helplessness. "Hahahahaha!"

A crazy and perverted laugh came from the receiver. "Finally, there comes a day when you have to beg me! "You bitch are just asking for it! Cut the crap and do as I say! Otherwise..."

That cold and sinister tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and sent a chill down my spine.

Emerald thought that she and Jace Higginson were divorced. After five years, she returns to the country to collaborate with his company and eventually takes her revenge. What will she do when she sees a different Jace, making her uneasy whenever they meet? What would she do when her supposed ex-husband was still her husband because he didn't file the divorce? Will Emerald give Jace his rights to their son whom she conceived before she left?
Find out how Emerald will try to fight her own feelings towards Jace and his eagerness to win her back as she tries to find her nanny who will eventually unfold her true identity.

Alpha Aziz Funsch is the alpha of the Dark Blood Pack at the age of 16 after his father died. He didn’t wish to have a mate in fear that the vampire king that he was supposed to kill will only use her to get to him. He decided to reject her when the time came because he didn’t want any distraction as he started his mission of finding his siblings. He was worried and scared when he realized that his mate was a human who couldn’t even defend herself.

Mica McLauren is a human who had been chased by his step-father. Her father was killed by a wolf while her mother was killed by a vampire. The moment she heard Aziz yelling MINE referring to her, she realized that she was mate and she didn’t like it even if she was already hooked with his very handsome and manly appearance.

With Alpha Aziz’s mission, what is he going to do to make Mica stay when she keeps on running away from him? How is she going to protect his mate who he cannot reject no matter how many times he thinks of doing it but failed?

What is Mica going to do when he marks her so she won’t be able to leave him? With all the lust and desires she was feeling towards him, how would she handle them when her mind was trying to make her remember how his father died? What was she going to do when she found out that her mate was not just a wolf, but also a vampire?

"You think I would choose you over them Jesse?"

"I can never do that, you are a Beast so you deserve to live with beats like you not me"

Sylvie muttered in pain.

"And you think there is anything you can do about that?"

"You can run for now but I will find you"

Alpha Jesse said.

Meet Jesse who spent his life time looking for his runaway mate who ran away with his child

Sadly he need to pass through many tougher opponents to get her when he finally found her.

“Put them on.” I took the dress and the underwear, then I wanted to go back to the bathroom, but she stopped me. It felt like my heart stopped for a second when I heard her order. “Get dressed here. Let me see you.” I didn't get what she meant at first, but when she stared at me with impatience, I knew I must do what she said. I opened my robe and put it on the white sofa next to me. Holding the dress, I wanted to put it on when I heard her again. “Stop.” My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. “Put the dress on the sofa for a second and stand straight.” I did what she said. I stood there completely naked. She examined me from head to toe with her eyes. The way she checked my naked body made me feel terrible. She moved my hair behind my shoulders, gently running her index finger over my chest, and her gaze stopped at my breasts. Then she continued the procedure. Her gaze slowly moved down between my legs, and she looked at it for a while. “Spread your legs, Alice.” She squatted down, and I closed my eyes when she moved to see me from closer. I only hoped that she wasn’t a lesbian or something, but finally she stood up with a satisfied smile. “Perfectly shaved. Men are like that. I’m sure my son will like that too. Your skin is nice and soft, and you are muscular, but not too much. You are perfect for my Gideon. Put the underwear on first, then the dress, Alice.” I had many things to say, but I swallowed them back. I just wanted to escape, and that was the place and time, when I swore to myself I will succeed one time.

Alice is an eighteen-year-old, beautiful figure skater. Her career is just about to climax when her cruel stepfather sells her to a wealthy family, the Sullivans, to become the wife of their youngest son. Alice assumes that there is a reason a handsome man wants to marry a strange girl, especially if the family is part of a well-known criminal organisation. Will she find the way to melt the ice cold hearts, to let her go? Or will she be able to escape before it’s too late?

Elea Jemima is a young girl who likes music. Even though she has a hoarse voice she is very confident in singing, especially her favorite song which she covers by a solo idol named Drex Ethan, or D.E. Lea is a history major college student, who prefers likes skipping classes. But even so, she always gets an A on every test because she is very good at memorizing whatever book she reads. Elea, who is crazy about Drex, even skips school to watch a concert. Lea can even track where her idol is staying, and where he goes and secretly follow him. Drex Ethan, a handsome idol who has a melodious voice and a perfect face, has a very haughty nature toward his fans. But his amazing face makes the women crazier with him. D.E. only occasionally smiled and seldom did a fan meeting for more than an hour, that's why Elea, who was late for the new album signing event, was desperate to sneak. However, when she infiltrate she saw a big black wolf sitting on the idol's chair in the dressing room. Lea was very hysterical, she ran screaming because apart from being allergic to dog hair, she was also afraid of that kind of creature. The worst thing is that this time it wasn't the dog that was chasing her, but the wolf. The big black wolf! Elea ran until she was pinned in a quiet room, the wolf jumped quickly and cornered her there. With her own eyes, Lea saw that the wolf had turned into the human form she knew. A special idol that she is crazy about. Yes! The wolf is a Lycan, and he is Drax Ethan!

"Strip," he ordered, voice rough. "Slowly. Let me see what belongs to me."
"All of it."
Content Warning (18+) Explicit adult erotica featuring Daddy kink, reverse dynamics, BDSM, and taboo fantasies. All Yours is a collection of irresistible stories where desire, control, and obsession collide.
Part One-The Daddy Diaries-dives into chapters of power exchange, strict Daddies, dominant Mommas, and thrilling role reversals.
Part Two explores forbidden passions, possessive lovers, and fantasies you've been craving. Some rules are made to be followed. Others...broken.

Veda Ahuja is a strikingly beautiful and intelligent woman, known for her feisty spirit, Strongwill and kind heart. With her warm personality and sharp mind, she's the kind of person everyone wants to be around. But for five years, her life has been overshadowed by the unrelenting gaze of one man.

Varun Sengar.

A warlord feared by many, desired by all, and ruled by none-except his obsession with Veda. Handsome, enigmatic, and utterly ruthless, Varun is a man of few words but overwhelming power. Despite the countless women vying for his attention, his heart beats solely for Veda, a love so consuming it borders on madness.

For five long years, Varun has stalked her every move, driven by an obsession that defies reason. His fixation has grown so intense that only his closest confidants know the depths of his madness, resorting to extreme measures to calm his dark rages.

But Veda wants nothing to do with him. When she got to know his family world, She now know what lies behind his striking looks and quiet demeanor-a dangerous man with blood on his hands, a man who lives by no rules but his own. Yet Varun's obsession is unyielding, threatening to ensnare Veda in a world of danger and desire she desperately wants to escape.

As their lives continue to collide, Veda must navigate the suffocating web of Varun's obsession while fighting to maintain her freedom. But how long can she resist the pull of a man who is willing to destroy anything-and anyone-to make her his?

Casabella Smith, a twenty-five year old young lady with beautiful looks, free-spirited and an orphan. Her looks was that of a goddess, which made everyone love her instantly by staring at her but something happened which in turn changed her life forever and she decided to take revenge but with a new identity, name and lifestyle.
Mark Clinton, a business tycoon in his early thirties and still a bachelor, a hard man from the surface but a softy from the inside.
He has searched and yearned for true love but to no avail until he met Casabella.
She came as an angel and filled his life with true love, care and happiness to the point he decided to do a deeper research on her but what he found out about her made him.

💍 Fake vows. Real sparks. One impossible deal…

When Fallon Prescott returns home for what’s supposed to be a routine family dinner, she’s met with a double blow: her father’s empire is crumbling, and the only way to save it is through a marriage she never asked for — to Reid Callahan, the one man she vowed to never see again.

Reid — arrogant, gorgeous, and heir to the powerful Callahan fortune — isn’t exactly thrilled either. But for the sake of business, legacy, and keeping their families happy, they both agree to the unthinkable: a two-year marriage contract. No feelings. No strings. No mess.

Just one problem…
Pretending to be the perfect couple isn’t as easy as they thought.

From tense charity galas to late-night encounters that feel far too real, Fallon finds herself drawn to the very man she swore to keep at arm’s length. Beneath Reid’s cool charm is a tenderness she never expected. And beneath her icy exterior, something’s starting to melt.

As sparks fly and the lines between fake and forever blur, Fallon has to ask herself: Is she falling for the man she promised not to love?

Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, and slow-burn tension that catches fire, The Arrangement is a sharp, sexy romance about love, loyalty, and the lies we tell ourselves to stay safe.

Emerald thought that she and Jace Higginson were divorced. After five years, she returns to the country to collaborate with his company and eventually takes her revenge. What will she do when she sees a different Jace, making her uneasy whenever they meet? What would she do when her supposed ex-husband was still her husband because he didn't file the divorce? Will Emerald give Jace his rights to their son whom she conceived before she left?

"Tell me, has anyone else touched you like this before?"
The heat of his palm against my skin made my knees weak.
"N-No one... y-you're the first," I said before I could stop myself.
I was nineteen, standing on the edge of my mother's remarriage—and the stranger who touched me that night would soon become my step-uncle.
Alice never planned to fall into his world. She only wanted to earn enough money to leave the country, to escape a life that felt too small, too controlled. But one disastrous night in a bar changes everything, binding her to Lance—a thirty-two-year-old tech CEO with power, secrets, and rules she was never meant to agree to.
A one-year contract. Absolute discretion. No emotions.
As Alice is pulled deeper into Lance's orbit, her life fractures into contradictions: a devoted boyfriend who wants marriage, a mother preparing for a new family, and a man who claims ownership over her body while refusing her heart. What begins as silence-for-security turns into a dangerous partnership, where Alice proves she's more than a secret—she's leverage.
But power always demands a price.
When desire collides with ambition, and love becomes a battleground of control and choice, Alice must confront the truth she fears most: if her body surrendered first, does her heart still belong to her—or has it already been claimed?

Adeline Galdur is a 20-year-old alpha's daughter who doesn't believe in a mate bond. She has a boyfriend and plans to get married and mark him. She's smart, strong, and also the pride of her pack, the Nightingale Pack. Kaiser Heroux is the fierce, strong, and powerful alpha of the Blue Moon Pack who enjoys intimate relations with different she-wolves, even as he waits for his mate. During one of his encounters, a witch placed a curse on him, decreeing that he would only find his mate in another world. Initially dismissing it, he continued with his life.

When he encountered Adeline and suddenly disappeared, he remembered the curse the witch had placed on him. However, he chose to ignore it, attributing Adeline's vanishing act to her intentions, which left him infuriated. Despite his feelings for her, he engaged with other she-wolves even more when he felt her infidelity.

Adeline wasn't sure what was happening—being pulled and pushed into Kaiser's world. She couldn't smell him yet, so she remained unaware that he was her mate. Consequently, she continued her relationship with Mike, causing Kaiser's unbearable pain. Although he started getting used to it, he still sensed it whenever Adeline was intimate with her boyfriend.

When the Blue Moon appeared in Adeline's world, she found herself back in Kaiser's realm and finally smelled him. However, the sight of him engaging intimately with another she-wolf sparked her anger.

How will they navigate their interdimensional bond when they have no idea when and how Adeline will come and go from Kaiser's world? What challenges will they face when Kaiser's counterpart in Adeline's world is an adversary she must confront, and when Adeline's counterpart in Kaiser's world is being used to separate them? Why do their paths cross when they hail from two different worlds?

Reynolds Ashford.
His code name is: Devil.
When he returned, he found that his own brother had already passed away, leaving only a tombstone behind. His sister-in-law even planned to marry someone else and divide their brother's inheritance.
The man, who boasts an absolutely flawless record, stood in the rain.
Yet beneath his feet, the Chicago underworld remained oblivious, unaware that their doom had already arrived.

Freya is the adoptive daughter of the warrior mated couple of the Midnight Pack. She didn't have a scent, so everyone thought that she didn't have a wolf, just like humans.

Matteo Harith is the Lycan prince, soon to be king, who was waiting for his mate. He had smelled her since 9 years ago in the palace, but after that, he never found her, no matter how much he looked for her.

When Matteo was assigned by his king's father to look into the case of a pack that had been wiped out, he lived in the Midnight Pack and found Freya.

The moment Matteo stepped out of his SUV, Freya found out that he was her mate. But Matteo couldn't smell her at all. A tournament that had been held within the pack made Matteo find Freya to be his mate when their eyes met.

When Matteo finally smelled Freya's scent, it was also the time that she remembered what had happened in her childhood and that the palace had refused to help them when they asked, which caused her biological parents' death. What is he going to do when Freya was blaming the royals and wanted to reject him even after they mark each other?

I retired for three years, restraining my edge, thinking compromise could bring peace.

But what I got in return was my sister's abduction, my family's estate seized, and my benefactor hanged from the city gates!

Even the Council turned a blind eye, mocking me as bottom-tier trash without even a shred of magic.

Since mortal reasoning won't work, then I'll shatter the rules of this world myself!

At 17, I saved William from the black market.
At 22, he crossed half the globe to marry me with two million dollars.
I built his empire for him, turning him into the biggest arms dealer in the Americas.
Then Karen appeared, and our seven years turned to ashes.
I finally saw the truth:
The roses he gave me were the ones Karen had rejected.
His so-called love was nothing but a hypocritical act for money.
To him, I was just a prop for show, a tool for his business, and a machine for sex.

Three torturous years hauling bodies on the mortuary night shift, and I'd finally scraped together the cash for my brother Charles's heart transplant.
He just waved it off.
"My heart is fine. Mom and Dad didn't die in that gang war, either. I orchestrated the hit. You were the only casualty."
Nearby, my husband, Gerald, casually lit a cigar to deliver his own confession. "I never went bankrupt. 'Laying low' was just my excuse to avoid squeezing into that dingy funeral home dorm with you. I've been at the Long Island estate."
"I was going to punish you for another three years," Charles added, "but the stench of formaldehyde on you is nauseating. We couldn't take it anymore."
I froze, still clutching the credit card. Charles plucked the plastic from my numb fingers and shoved his phone screen in my face. A banking app stared back at me.
Balance: exactly zero.
"My name is still on the joint account," he sneered, tossing the card into the trash. "I drained it this morning. That blood money you made bagging stiffs is being handed out to street junkies as we speak. We'd never touch that filth."
Before the sheer absurdity of it could suffocate me, my parents walked in. Flanked by bodyguards, they kept their distance, eyeing me like a plague rat.
"You thought being the biological daughter gave you the right to ruthlessly bully Violet. We simply wanted to put you in your place."
"Swear you'll never cross Violet again, and you can remain a Falcone," my mother added coolly. "Otherwise, you're dead to us."
In the stifling silence that followed, my phone buzzed. A text from my oncologist.
[Mrs. Castello, the results are back. It's terminal. Do you consent to initiating the hospice and DNR protocols we discussed?]

The day my mother succumbed to complications during childbirth, her younger sister, Vanessa, wed my father.

Fifteen years later, I beheld my husband accompanying Vanessa as she tried on seductive lingerie.

In that moment, I understood—what she truly coveted was never my father, but rather all that my mother and I shared.

My mother perished during childbirth, a casualty of an illicit affair.

I vowed not to repeat that tragic cycle.

Then I returned home, removed my wedding ring, and left behind the divorce papers.

I was dead, and the whole world was celebrating for my sister.

For twenty-two years, I had been the hardest-working but most invisible daughter in the Sterling family, forever living in the shadow of my gymnastics prodigy sister.

Running a high fever, I begged my family to take me to the hospital, only to hear: "Don't you DARE ruin Bella's award ceremony!"

When I was tricked into the abandoned equipment room and used my last breath to call my boyfriend while lying in a pool of blood, all I heard was: "Grace, quit the drama! Bella's accepting her award on stage!"

On stage, thunderous applause erupted as Bella lifted the "Young Gymnast of the Year" trophy.

And I drew my final breath.

When they returned home triumphant, thinking I had run away in a tantrum, they had no idea I was already dead right under their noses.

There are no unmated males in our pack.
Every she-wolf in Hollowfen is promised to someone when she turns eighteen. We just don't get to know who until we walk into the Choosing Hall.
Girls go in wearing white. They come out flushed, shaking, barely able to stand. Some laugh. Some cry. None of them talk about what happens inside.
My sister Thessaly turned eighteen this spring. Gran told her she couldn't attend the Choosing.
She went anyway. She came back on shaking legs, with blood between her thighs and a smile she couldn't wipe off her face.

When I was rushed to the ER with food poisoning, I heard the doctor shout, "We need to pump her stomach, now!"
But my mother, Catherine, calmly stopped the doctor's hand.
"No hurry," she said coldly. "Give her a sedative first."
My brother Austin panicked. "Mom! If you don't detox her, she could die!"
But my mother's voice was ruthless, low and sharp:
"If she dies, she dies. As long as her uterus is still warm, that's all that matters."
"Did you forget our plan? Sarah's transplant surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. If Elena wakes up now, what if she runs away?"
"Our priority is keeping her uterus safe for Sarah—not saving her life."
In that moment, the burn in my stomach was nothing compared to the chill in my heart.
I forced my eyes open and saw my brother—the one who'd always protected me—hesitate for a moment, then slowly let go of my hand.
"...Okay. You're right, Mom. Saving Sarah comes first."
The moment I closed my eyes, I made a decision: If I survived, this life would never belong to this family again.

Harper spent ten years as Joel's perfect girlfriend... until he dumped her to boost his brand. Now Joel's getting married, and Harper's crashing his wedding on the arm of Crew Lawson, the one player Joel hates most. It's supposed to be fake: three months of PR revenge. But Crew's hiding a dangerous addiction, Harper's hiding real feelings, and Joel's hiding the truth about why he really left. Some fake relationships burn too hot to stay pretending.

Selena stole my sister's talent and became a saint. To appease her, my family threw my sister into a mass grave. The first thing I did after crawling back from purgatory was to crush Selena's knees. She knelt before my sister's grave, never to rise again. As for the Archbishop of the Privy Council? He would kneel before the thorny cross on my chest too.

Seven days before the apocalypse, my vampire parents forced me to hand over three million to buy a house for my baby brother in full.

As an actuary, I knew that order would collapse in seven days and the money would become worthless. So I not only readily agreed, but also used their family's records as collateral to raise millions in high-interest loans, building an impregnable, top-secret fortress.

Seven days later, an unexpected change occurred.

The debt-collecting gangs and the endless horde of zombies drove them to the brink of despair. Meanwhile, I sat in a temperature-controlled safe house, sipping freshly ground coffee, calmly watching the cannibalistic karmic retribution unfold on the security camera.

In the apocalypse, there is no family affection, only the probability of survival.

In a torrential rainstorm and a car accident, I watched helplessly as my husband carried his beautiful secretary away.

I also lost the baby in my womb.

Why has the person I once shared weal and woe with become so heartless?

The pain of betrayal cuts like a knife. However, in the face of despair, I met Neo, a college classmate of mine.

He silently stayed by my side and went all out to help me start a wine company.

The flames of revenge were thus ignited.

Can I successfully strike back and make the heartless person pay the price?

I'm a folklorist. Folk traditions are my field.
At first, I thought it was just an ordinary rhyme, a scrap of oral history set to a tune.
"A rag doll in the mire, swinging high up to the sky..."
We all thought it was just a prank.
Until the first person drowned in the bog. Then the second fell from a tower crane. Then the third somehow drowned in a bathtub.
I stared at the black symbol surfacing on the back of my hand.
And then I saw the dean—the one who was supposed to be dead—standing outside my dorm window in a long black dress, smiling at me with impossible tenderness...

I spent ten years following Ashton around like it was my job. He said jump, I jumped. He said he was hungry, I went and made him a sandwich. His homework, his fights, his messes — I handled all of it. I thought that's what being close to someone meant.
Then at the fall pep rally, in front of two thousand people, he strapped me to a platform, blasted me with paint, and let his girlfriend laugh at me through a megaphone.
I was the punchline. I threw up on camera. The video went viral before I even hit the ground.
So I did the one thing nobody expected — I vanished. New school, new city, new number. Every trace of him, gone.
I thought that was the end of it.
But Ashton doesn't let go of what he thinks is his. And what he's willing to do to drag me back? I wasn't even close to ready for that.

I got dragged online by one of my lead devs.

He claimed my "Incubation Project" was a gilded cage—a trap to exploit the team and steal their personal IPs.

The truth?

I funded it out of my own pocket.

Selected candidates would get a $50,000 no-strings-attached seed fund, plus full Ivy League tuition reimbursement. It was 100% voluntary, with zero penalties for opting out.

Since the internet decided I was a toxic capitalist monopolizing their creativity, I gave him exactly what he wanted. I fired off a company-wide memo:

[To protect your creative freedom from capitalist exploitation, the $50,000 Incubation Fund is permanently abolished, effective immediately.]

[As an alternative, the monthly education allowance for all employees is now a $15 reimbursement for basic coding courses.]

The moment the memo dropped, the employees who were counting on that $50k to pay off student loans or change their lives completely lost it.

Now, they're swarming right outside my glass office door, eyes red, begging me to reinstate the program.

To protect my older sister's piano championship, my own brother crushed all ten of my fingers.
To win my sister's favor, my fiancé hired someone to kick the baby out of me.
After surviving a fire that nearly killed me, I finally woke up.
And when I returned, I blasted the hard proof of their affair and their schemes all over the internet. As I watched them lose their minds, lose everything, and drop to their knees begging for mercy, I let out a cold laugh, turned around, and claimed the top of the world!

On my birthday, I was dragged up to the attic and assaulted by several men.
I called my parents, brother, and boyfriend for help, but they all thought I was seeking attention and ruining my sister Sophie's celebration.
"Mia, stop it. We're busy preparing for Sophie's party. If you want attention, find another way."
This was the hundredth time they'd let me down.
But there won't be a hundred and first.
Because I'm already dead.

Olivia had lived in pain for most of her life. Because of her unusually large body, people spat at her wherever she went, tripped her in front of hallway lockers, humiliated her openly.
The only light in her life was the man she had secretly loved.
He was the golden boy of campus, never short of girls to dance with. They had a one-night stand—but later, at a fraternity gathering, he mocked her, laughing about how she smelled disgusting.
The past has a way of resurfacing when you least expect it.
Olivia Evans thought she had left her painful past behind. Once known as Emma Cooper, the fat girl constantly humiliated by her classmates, she buried those memories along with her old identity. Changing her name and transforming her life, Olivia became someone far from the girl who once carried qthe weight of ridicule. But when she walks into a clinic with her daughter and comes face-to-face with Noah Ezekiel Morgan, the man who once shattered her heart, everything she tried to forget comes rushing back.
Now, with her daughter’s life hanging in the balance and a high school reunion she never planned to attend, Olivia is forced to confront the man who hurt her deeply. Will she keep her true identity a secret, or will the emotions she’s kept buried for so long rise to the surface?
The weight of the past may be harder to carry than she ever imagined.