8038 Book(s) Related to the ant and the grasshopper manhwa

Seff stood on the stage with her friend lined up like breeding stock waiting to be chosen by two Alphas to have the honor of joining one of their harems with the honor to mate and birth them children.

It was Seff’s worst nightmare. But she had no choice if she wanted to protect her best friend.

They were close. Their harsh gazes roamed each Omega body down the line until they were looking at Seff. Their faces dawned with deep expression—surprise, then confusion, then knowledge, as if understanding a sudden question. But she was just an unremarkable orphan Omega whose secret of not experiencing heats could get her killed.

The gods in wolf and human form asked, “What is your name now?”


Two Alphas, Kiran Cyrus and Selene Hilal, are obsessed with the same Omega, Seff Bleize. They will do anything to win her love first, even if it means war. What secrets do they hide in their dark and bloody pasts? Who will Seff choose: the gold god or the night goddess?

I bite down on my lip to try and control my hatred for him as my stomach flips with contempt. "You aren't comfortable to sit on," I argue. "I won't be able to fall asleep on you." "Oh, but you are quite comfortable for me," He says, pleasure evident in his voice. His hands keep me pressed against his solid chest, sealing his command. "It is my bed that you sleep in, remember? You will sleep where I tell you to."


In the realm of the Fae, humans have two purposes when they are stolen; They are either bought as pets for the nobles, as my sister and I were, or they are kept as children for those who could not bear their own. Alice is lucky- she was purchased by a Seelie noble, who typically adopt human children as their own. I, however, was purchased as a pet by the bastard son of the Unseelie court, who find little other use for human children.

Adelaide, a homeschooling mother, had no idea that her life, and those of her children, were about to change when she receives a hand-carved metal necklace from her sister. Without giving the necklace, or the unique pendant, much thought, Adelaide is unaware that the handcrafted necklace is the source of her life-changing journey.

After being transported back to 1600s Canada - a time of tribal warfare and the ever-present danger of disease - history comes to life as Adelaide must survive. Determined to find a way back to the present, Adelaide resists the circumstances she finds herself in. Chief Long Knife, however, has other ideas. The handsome warrior sees his new, instant family in a different light and is determined to win his captive's heart.
The Cry of the Wolf is created by Angeline Gallant, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

A group of young teenage rich heiress which is led by Tessha Marie Gavelan, wanted to have a spooky Halloween vacation.
They are bored and want some adventure.
They wanted to make a Halloween documentary just for fun and uploaded it to their webpage.

They search for the most haunted and spooky hometown.
And found four places then raffled them.
Villa del Bungo wins!

A haunted villa in the City of Infierno...

A sudden wrong turn of events happened.
The moment they enter Villa del Bungo is the day that they are trapped and the game of life and death begins!

Unfolding the truth about herself that shocks her...

Who is the mastermind?
Is there any hope for them?
or will they be buried in the City of Infierno?

'Stefano, you don't have a say in who I date."

'I do when it concerns your safety."

'Since when did you care about my safety?"

'Since the day you walked into my life," Stefano says, shocking me to the bone.

Andrea Lopez is a beautiful woman with a wonderful life.

Andrea has everything but the one thing she desires most, Love.

All she has ever received from Love is pain in return. There is no love in her life, but everything changes when she takes a trip to Italy.

She reunites with her first Love, Stefano Costanzo, a cold, ruthless man who hates Love.

He would rather pull his heart out of his body than feel Love, but for how long will he hate Love?

Will the cold, ruthless man allow himself to love again, or will our Andrea never find Love?

It talks about how love can overcome all obstacles irrespective of the situation. If the people involved stay and fight together, they will definitely win.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly crawled out of the blanket and walked over to Gerard who was sitting at the end of the bed, and touched his hand gently, "I need to be stronger. Please hurt me." I pleaded like a puppy asking to be fed.

He dismissed my hand and stood up, walking towards the door. All he did was lock the door and then walk back towards me with slow but sure steps. His hand moved to remove the watch from around his wrist without taking his eyes off me.

Gerard stopped and cupped my chin with one hand, "I'm going to give you good pain." he said with a smirk on his face, and the next second he was actually making his attack on me.


In the beginning, humans lived peacefully, side by side with vampires and werewolves, thanks to the agreement of their ancestors. Until one day, a great war between vampires and werewolves erupted. As a result, vampires were declared extinct, while the number of werewolves was getting smaller.

Still upholding the covenant of the ancestors, the remaining nations tried to live in harmony side by side without disturbing each other. Until one day, a series of mysterious attacks occurred on human settlements, and the werewolves became the prime suspects. Hatred begins to rise in the hearts of humans, declaring war on the remaining werewolves and intending to eradicate them.

Anne, a girl full of ambition to avenge the attack on her family, joins The Vigilante Union, a special force to fight the werewolves. Anne never imagined that the enemy and the savior she had been looking for would be so close to her in the form of the same person.

What will she choose? Revenge or gratitude?

I thought I’d seen every kind of corpse this city could cough up. Then they started showing up with tattoos that bled ink and vanished before sunrise.
I’m Detective Reese Calder, and I’ve spent ten years chasing ghosts with human faces. But this case? This one’s different.
These marks aren’t just skin-deep. They’re alive. And somehow, they know me.
Now I’m digging into a pattern no one wants to see — bodies with no connection, no cause of death, just symbols burned into flesh that weren’t there a day before. And the more I investigate, the more the ink spreads — in my thoughts, in my dreams, under my skin.
Someone — or something — is writing a message through the dead. And it’s starting to spell my name.

David is a boy not like any other, born in a world where they're people who possess remarkable and unbelievable abilities. These people are called dragon warriors and are said to be part man part dragon. They may look human on the surface but they as so much more.

David is one of these dragon warriors, a wind dragon warrior to be precise, at least that's what he believes he is. You see he can't recall his past, doesn't know who he is or where he came from. He lived in a small village with Abari, the closest person he had to a mother. He lived with Abari for as long as he could remember but David always yearned to see the world that lay out the village, driven by a burning desire to know more about the world he lived in and himself.

And when the opportunity came knocking for David to explore the world beyond the small village he lived in, he took it but is he ready to face the true reality of who he is and the role he's meant to play in the world he was born in?

When evil lurks just beyond the sight of what he can see, will he be ready to face it as well as the truth of who he really is?

Read to find out

Oh and I'm planning on publishing this story on Royal Road too

You can check out the story on Royal Road here: https://www.royalroad.com/profile/475791/fictions

As the heiress to the Sinclair family, I inherited billions, yet a car crash left my legs completely paralyzed, confining me to a cold wheelchair for the rest of my life.
My husband, Dashiell, spent three years meticulously caring for me—pushing my chair, feeding me my meds, and holding me as I slept.
That evening, while I was soaking in a warm bath, he pushed the door open. His handsome face carried that familiar smile: "Honey, can I... have you in the tub?"
"I'm a bit tired today," I rubbed my temples and softly declined. "Carry me out."
The moment the words left my lips, his smile twisted hideously. With a vicious sneer, he grabbed my neck and shoved my head brutally underwater...

The sweat shone in the dim light on Vincent’s back while his muscular body forced Lucy’s slender figure under him.

Lucy reached her climax twice already. Vincent felt exhausted, but he wanted to prove that he was worth being in her bed.

Their moans were even louder, just like the sound of their bodies met with each thrust when finally he saw her eyes rolling back and her body tensed under him.

He was just about to climax when Lucy started frowning as a familiar scent hit her nose. Her eyes widened in fear, then she desperately tried to push him off of her, but it was too late. 

The door swung open and the loud, furious growl made Vincent roll off of her, ending up on the floor, meeting his worst nightmare. 

The Alpha stood there himself.

Vincent couldn’t say a word. He heard Lucy’s yelling, while hitting him, falsely blaming him for raping her. But Lucy’s sudden turn couldn’t bother him, as the Alpha’s killer gaze feared him to death, and he just prayed to the Moon Goddess when the Alpha took his first step towards him.

Dr Asher Carter is the eccentric Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, who leaves his pack after his mate cheats and lies to him.

He lives in peace with the humans until Dr Olivia Flores, a vampire, starts to work with him.

Asher doesn’t like her first, but as they get closer, they fall in love. They live happily till Asher gets the bad news. His father passed away, leaving the pack without a leader.

What is more important? A peaceful life next to someone who we love, or our duty?

I had never felt this way about anyone before her. From the way that she held me as we went upstairs to the way that she screamed my name when I entered her, there wasn’t a single moment lost in my mind. Her scent, her taste, her forms, every single little thing about her made me feel like she had been tailor-made for me. When she smiled at me, my heart sang. When she kissed me, my soul set on fire and when she moaned my name, my body stood at attention.

Nothing else and no one else could compare to Mina and the way that I craved for her. She was all that I could ever need, wolf or human. Once I felt we were safely hidden behind a thick cloak of firs and pines, I began undressing myself. I saw her lick her lips as I stood naked in front of her with a soft erection.

“You want to help with that?” I smirked at her.


Mina Langley has survived a cruel and humiliating relationship and as she prepares to move away for a new job and get her life back on track, she’s pulled into a world she never dreamt possible. Visiting her best friend’s family, she discovers the existence of werewolves and finds herself mated to none other than the Alpha of her friend’s pack. Hardships and mistrust fill their promising, whirlwind romance as he struggles to accept a human mate and she wrestles against her brutal past. Together, they try to overcome the toughest challenges as their worst enemy lurks not too far in the dark.

Will the strong Alpha and his mate accept each other?

Can their bond survive through it all?

"Are you for real? I couldn't get my eyes off your lips.
Come over. Your services are needed now".
She heard him and knew exactly what to do..

The only son of a multi billionaire decides to escape the family's wealthy lifestyle and go face life as an ordinary worker in another rich family. There, he is introduced to a vast style of romance and taboo relationships.
Back to his house and life, his step sister has her own plans which reveals later.
But that wasn't the only plan on ground. He had more family secrets to uncover.
Will he focus on building the family business or join in the long taboo already planted in the lineage?
Read on as Steve narrates his ordeals through lust and lessons, happiness and pain, love and ultimate betrayals, and lots more.

“One of the best thrillers I have read this year.”--Books and Movie Reviews (re Any Means Necessary)In the much-anticipated debut of a new series by #1 bestseller Jack Mars, when elite Delta Force soldier Luke Stone, 29, joins a secretive government agency, he is dispatched on the mission of a lifetime: a whirlwind race across Europe and the Mid-East to save the President’s daughter before she is beheaded by terrorists.In PRIMARY TARGET (Book #1), we see the forging of one of the world’s toughest—and most lethal—soldiers: Luke Stone. A 29 year old veteran who has seen enough battle to last a lifetime, Luke is tapped by the Special Response Team, a secretive new FBI agency (led by his mentor Don Morris) to tackle the most high-stake terrorism operations in the world.Luke, still haunted by his wartime past and newly married to an expecting Becca, is dispatched on a mission to Iraq, with his new partner Ed Newsam, to bring in a rogue American contractor. But what begins as a routine mission mushrooms into something much, much bigger.When the President’s teenage daughter, kidnapped in Europe, is ransomed by terrorists, Luke may be the only one in the world who can save her before it is too late.PRIMARY TARGET is an un-putdownable military thriller, a wild action ride that will leave you turning pages late into the night. It marks the long-anticipated debut of a riveting new series by #1 bestseller Jack Mars, dubbed “one of the best thriller authors” out there.“Thriller writing at its best.”--Midwest Book Review (re Any Means Necessary)Also available is Jack Mars’ #1 bestselling LUKE STONE THRILLER series (7 books), which begins with Any Means Necessary (Book #1), a free download with over 800 five star reviews!

I am the lead architect of this massive virtual sandbox world.

To save my NPC wife from a fatal car crash, I enabled a cheat code for her and lied, claiming she was a "VIP player" paying to experience an immersive life-simulation game.

She bought it completely. Not only did she openly flaunt her wealth to buy off a male assistant in front of the whole company, but she also trampled all over me, treating me like a "low-level NPC."

"I am the absolute main character of this world, and the system will always bail me out. As for you, you're just a line of junk code. Get out of my sight immediately."

Watching her face become twisted and arrogant from the illusion of privilege, the last trace of warmth in my eyes completely died out.

I calmly signed my resignation, revoked all her financial shields and vitality armor with a single click, then logged off and returned to the real world.

I knew that the moment I left, stripped of my protection, she would be instantly swallowed alive by the brutal laws of survival.

Raven thought she knew the truth: Darius Pike is a monster.
To avenge her sister, Raven Casmir infiltrates the supernatural Midnight Academy, masquerading as a human girl with a death wish. She takes his spot on the hockey team. She mocks his Alpha authority. She plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the shadows of his billion-dollar empire.

Darius has never met a human he couldn’t break. Until her. The fiery-haired rebel doesn’t bow. She fights. She’s the ultimate forbidden fruit—the sister of the girl he once rejected, and the only person who makes his wolf lose control.

But as blood ties turn to betrayals and ancient MoonWolf powers awaken, Raven discovers the most terrifying secret of all: Her sister lied. And the man she swore to destroy is the only one who can save her from the darkness in her own soul.

DAVIS GREY POV:-

The very first time I saw her at my business partner's office. It was her first day and She was sipping her coffee. Yummmm, I wanted to fuck her sweet little mouth. The second time I saw her i wanted my tongue to roamed all over her body. The third time I saw her with another man, I wished to fuck her pussy mercilessly that she will never imagine about another man. I desired myself to buried deeply in her clit. I always wanted to crush her whole body with my Bulge shaft. But The last time When i meet her, I saw some different kinds of emotions in her deep charcoal eyes. Fuck man, I always admired her but why the hell I am always thinking about her. Now, When I have seen her after two years of long time. Why my mind and heart is again occupied by her thoughts. She is nothing in front of the models who sleeps with me. Why? Why? Why? I don't have any answer and the question is why the fuck she never notice me? She never gave any attention to me And she is ignoring me like a disease.

Sorry, SUNSHINE! But you can't ignore me forever because it's time to show this Indian Beauty that what kind of monster I am. You're Mine, baby. My Possession.

And now I know about my feelings for you.

Story of New York billionaire MONSTER VS Indian Beauty.

A Story of Monster's Madness, possessiveness and obsession....

"I want to break you into tiny pieces at the same time I also want to mend you...." DAVISH GREY

His love was Dark and Dominant but she was his SUNSHINE..

He was passionate and Obsessive about her but She was afraid of him and his monstrous possessiveness..

....

"Why?" I choke out, my hands trembling as I pulled them back to my chest.

As if by instinct, I slide my palm onto my pregnant belly, and was about to tell him about our pup when he turns around, and looks at me.

The look in his eyes was pure, utter hatred. He had never looked at me like that before. He only ever looked at me with loving, gentle eyes, saying that we will soon elope and start a family together.

Now, it has come true, but I'm unsure how to break the news to him when his gaze burns intensely with rage aimed straight at me. His body language has changed, as if he's about to lunge at me and rip me apart, making my heartrate pick up as I stare at him.

"Jax?" I swallow, but the moment he takes a predatory step forward, I find myself stepping back.

"Because I, Jax Arson, hereby reject you, Aria Wales, as my mate!"

Almost in an instant, the most excruciating pain ripped through me unexpectedly. The shock of his words more painful than the rejection itself, because he promised...

The pain was too much to bear. It makes me fall on my knees, clutching the ground as wave after wave of unimaginable pain leaves me gasping for air. Sharp claws extend from my fingers and I began clawing at my chest. I can't stop even if I wanted to, worried it might hurt the baby yet I had no control. It feels like I was desperately trying to tear my heart out of my chest, and I cry out painfully before I hear his next words.

"For the sake of what we had, I suggest you leave Black Shadow Pack. You have three days."

Ravenshade: Blood Moon is more than just a story about vampires and wolves — it’s a dive into a dark, mysterious world where secrets whisper through the fog.
The town of Ravenshade lives under a constant veil of mist, where humans walk unaware of the shadows that watch them.

Selene Darkblood was born to lead an ancient vampire clan, but fate takes an unexpected turn when she meets Rael — a lone wolf haunted by his past and burdened with powers he barely understands.
Between them, something forbidden ignites: powerful, dangerous, and impossible to resist.

As their worlds collide, alliances are tested and the fragile peace between vampires and wolves begins to crumble. Under the crimson glow of the Blood Moon, the line between desire and destruction fades.

This is a story about choices, loyalty, and the courage to love when the world says you shouldn’t.
Welcome to Ravenshade — where blood, love, and destiny intertwine.

I used to be the nation's top lock-picking expert. I saved countless lives.

But I couldn't save my own daughter.

At the dock, two children were strapped to bombs.

The girl had less time—I should've saved her first.

But my husband Damien held a knife to his throat, forcing me to save the other one first.

His illegitimate son.

I compromised.

The moment I opened the lock, the kidnapper ripped off the girl's hood.

I never expected her to be Rosie.

My five-year-old daughter.

She looked at me.

Her lips moved, forming the word "Mommy."

Then the explosion tore through everything...

Step into a world where passion is dangerous and desire burns without mercy.

From candlelit ballrooms to storm-lashed beaches, from secret libraries to the hidden corners of enchanted realms, Fifty Shades of Desire unveils fifty dark, intoxicating tales of lust, obsession, and consuming love.

Forget gentle courtships and sweet promises. These stories explore the jagged edges of surrender and the intoxicating madness of obsession—where one forbidden touch can mean total ruin.

Each tale will leave you breathless… shaken… and aching for more.

Explore your wildest desires, embrace forbidden temptations, and dare to surrender to the darkness.

When I woke up from the car accident, the calendar had jumped to five years later.
who suddenly appeared out of nowhere , was flirting with her lover on the sofa right in front of me, and then threw her credit card in my face: "Useless thing, from today onwards, go earn your own money."
I glanced at my watch and signed the divorce agreement, agreeing to leave with nothing.
Half an hour later, the director of Patek Philippe arrived at my door carrying a royal rare watch and bowed respectfully: "Young Master Stirling, the family welcomes you back."
She froze. I put on my watch and walked out the door without looking back.
Later she realized that when I left with nothing, it wasn't because I had nothing at all, but because I didn't care about what she had.

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, if she got to marry the man she loved for a decade, not abandoned by him.
"We can't have this wedding today. I'll get you a bigger one."And just like that, he rushed off, leaving her heart in shambles.
Some guests whispered and murmured loud enough for her to hear as they walked past her."She is not Luna material, everyone knows that."
"Not Luna material,"Flora scoffs, remembering that particular comment as she picks up her bouquet, ripping it apart flower by flower, "I bet Alice is,"she stares coldly at the picture of Adrian on the screen, in pain of only humiliation and sorrow
A bigger wedding? His promise only makes her realise how ridiculous and pathetic she has been.
She scoffs and shakes her head, no, she doesn't want a bigger wedding, she wants no wedding now.
When Alpha Adrian asked Flora to give up her dream to be by his side, she willingly accepted it and did So.
When he forgot her birthday for three years in a row and said he was sorry, she forgave him every time.
When he hurt her feelings time and time again, showing her he was more interested in her body than her soul, she stomached it and rationalized in her head that someday his love would mean more.
But when he strode into the venue of their wedding and told her he was calling it off instead of saying 'I do' to her because of his ex-girlfriend.
Flora realised the truth she had been denying herself all these years.
She is and will never be anything to Alpha Adrian so when Adrian comes asking for forgiveness this time around, will she forgive him?

Rosemary Decker, a 27-year-old marketing executive fleeing corporate burnout in Seattle, inherits her great-aunt's mysterious bookshop in Thornwick Hollow just as her life crumbles. But the inheritance comes with a chilling countdown—twenty-eight days until a crimson eclipse that occurs once per generation. Holden Ashworth, a devastatingly compelling stranger with secrets older than the mountain town itself, seems to know intimate details about her family history that she's never heard before. As Rosemary discovers the horrifying truth about an ancient covenant that has claimed six generations of women from her bloodline, she realizes Holden isn't courting her—he's preparing her for a ritual that will grant him immortality while consuming her life essence. But some family legacies are worth fighting for, and in Thornwick Hollow, the hunted might just become the hunter when the crimson eclipse rises and old debts written in blood come due.

I died choking on my own tears and pills, watching Julian Vane kiss his bride while my world crumbled. In my past life, someone drugged me, and I spent one devastating night with the man who owned my heart. But Julian looked at me afterward like I was filth beneath his shoes, his beautiful face twisted with pure revulsion. "You're just like all the rest," he'd snarled, "a pathetic, scheming whore." Those words shattered me more than any physical blow ever could.

When I bore his daughter, his hatred only intensified. He watched with cold satisfaction as lies and betrayals destroyed us both. My innocent baby girl died because of the monsters he allowed near us, and I... I couldn't survive the agony.

But somehow, I'm eighteen again—one day before that night that damned us both. This time, I'll burn down everyone who hurt my daughter. I'll make them beg for the mercy they never showed us.

Yet Julian is completely different now. Gone is the man who once spat venom at my very existence. Instead, he touches me like I'm made of precious glass, his eyes burning with desperate longing. "Please," he whispers against my skin, "let me love you the way I should have before."

How can the same man who destroyed me now look at me like I'm his salvation?

On the day of my Chosen Mate ceremony, my fiancé's secret son walked in.
Eva believed marrying Julian, the heir to the Ironwood Pack, would be the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, the child exposed a betrayal that destroyed everything she thought she knew.
But the greatest heartbreak came when assassins attacked. Faced with an impossible choice, Julian abandoned his poisoned fated mate to save the mother of his child instead.
Stripped of her wolf, her music, and her birthright, Eva was exiled as nothing more than a cripple. Then came the cruelest twist of all. The only man who could save her was the one who had rejected her years ago. Lysander. The Alpha King of all werewolves. Julian's own uncle. His offer was as dangerous as it was tempting.
"Sign this contract. Become my Luna, and I'll give you the power to take back everything they stole from you."
Eva accepted because she wanted revenge.
She never imagined that one decision would turn Julian's entire world upside down.
Months later, Julian arrives at the Pack Financial Summit expecting to celebrate his greatest victory. Instead, he finds the woman he abandoned standing at the Alpha King's side, untouchable, powerful, and completely beyond his reach.
Before the eyes of every Alpha and Luna, the man who once threw her away has no choice but to lower his head and address his former fiancée by the last title he ever expected.
"Aunt."

A fire broke out at the fraternity party. I desperately pushed Mia, my brother's girlfriend, out of harm's way, only to get pinned down by a falling beam myself. My brother Liam chose to save Mia first, kicking away my oxygen mask as he left. Mia then locked the door, leaving me to burn alive.

Yet they thought I was throwing a tantrum and playing hide-and-seek. They called me "toxic" and "attention-seeking" on social media, even freezing my credit cards.

"I reject Eveline Shadowbrook as my mate. I have already chosen another mate to stand by my side." Everyone was shocked by Prince Cedric's revelation. Eveline quickly glanced to the side and saw a man with his back to the hall. She immediately recognized the scent she had sensed outside the royal hall as that of the alpha prince. Eveline, a strong and independent young woman, after offering herself as a substitute bride, faces rejection from Prince Cedric. Feeling unjustly treated, she aims to prove her worth and takes control of her destiny. Remaining true to herself, she embarks on a journey full of dangers, fighting against the oppressive monarchy of King Roderick while training with rebellious werewolves to hone her skills. As Eveline gains strength, she catches the prince's attention. She will have to overcome obstacles and make difficult choices that will determine her fate and reveal who truly rules her heart.

Torn between the man she loves, and the man who loves her....

Cordia has always been strong-willed, but she knows her family expects her to accept the hand of her childhood friend, Jaris, in marriage. As the conflict continues to escalate, Cordia hopes it will last long enough for her to find a way to free herself without breaking her friend’s heart.

On the eve of war, Cordia meets a mysterious newcomer. There’s just something about Will that she finds both intriguing and dangerous. She makes a plan to write to him. Perhaps by the time the war is over, Will’s feelings for Cordia will have blossomed into love.

But by the time war begins to wind its way through Missouri, one of these men will be dead, and Cordia will find herself betrothed to a man she loathes. Will she have the courage to follow her heart, or will she do as she is told and acquiesce to a loveless marriage to a heartless traitor?

Bonus story Cordia's Hope!

Forbidden love on the frontier....
Hope is content staying in her hometown of Lamar, Missouri, focusing on her life as a schoolteacher instead of finding love. But when she hears the truth about her parents' romance during the Civil War, how her mother Cordia set out to find her father Will after a deadly battle, Hope is determined to have that sort of adventure as well.

Accepting a teaching position in a frontier town in Texas isn't quite what she was expecting--there are no marauders or gunslingers--but there is one man with a shady past, and when the entire town tells her to stay away from Judah Lawless, Hope finds herself drawn to him.

Is Judah dangerous, or will Hope finally find the romance she's been looking for?

The rules were supposed to keep me safe:

Rule #1: Fix my shattered swimming career.
Rule #2: Hide the crippling panic attacks drowning my future.
Rule #3: Never, ever fall for my new coach.

Too bad Liam James is also my best friend’s brother.

After a tragic accident stole my parents, the pool went from my sanctuary to my worst nightmare. Enter Liam: arrogant, devastatingly intense, and brutally demanding. He thinks I’m a lazy, washed-up athlete wasting his time. I think he’s a heartless tyrant.

But every explosive confrontation at the pool edge only fuels a suffocating, forbidden chemistry we can't ignore.

He’s completely off-limits. Breaking the rules means risking my career, his future, and my best friend’s trust. But when the world spins out of control, his arms are the only place I can finally breathe.

Can we survive the forbidden heat, or will our secrets drag us under?

“When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists, and the end brings a surprising revelation. Strongly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who enjoys a very well-written thriller.”--Books and Movie Reviews (re Almost Gone) MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) is the debut novel in a charming new cozy mystery series by #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose Once Gone has over 1,500 five-star reviews.When London Rose, 33, is proposed to by her long-time boyfriend, she realizes she is facing a stable, predictable, pre-determined (and passionless) life. She freaks out and runs the other way—accepting instead a job across the Atlantic, as a tour-guide on a high-end European cruise line that travels through a country a day. London is searching for a more romantic, unscripted and exciting life that she feels sure exists out there somewhere.London is elated: the European river towns are small, historic and charming. She gets to see a new port every night, gets to sample an endless array of new cuisine and meet a stream of interesting people. It is a traveler’s dream, and it is anything but predictable.But when a wealthy, high-maintenance passenger suddenly turns up dead outside of Budapest, the cruise has become a bit too unpredictable. Even worse: as the last person to see her alive, suspicion falls on London, leaving her no choice but to solve the crime (with her new sidekick, an orphaned dog), and save her cruise line and herself.Laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, endearing, rife with new sights, culture and food, MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) offers a fun and suspenseful trip through the heart of Europe, anchored in an intriguing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page.Book #2 (DEATH AND APPLE STRUDEL) and book #3 (CRIME AND LAGER) in the series are now also available.

I’d worked at my husband’s company for three years, only to be fired by him right when a promotion was within my reach.
It was all because I’d been swamped with overtime work one day and neglected the cat he’d given me.
When I came home that night and found the cat food hadn’t been refilled like usual, my husband, who had always treated me with tenderness, flew into a rage for the first time.
“If you can’t even take proper care of a cat, then don’t come to work at all. Stay home and raise it full-time.”
I parted my lips to explain myself, tears clouding my eyes, but he wouldn’t listen to a single word I said. The very next day, he instructed the HR department to dismiss me from the company.

While I bled to death locked in a storage room, my fiancé Adrian was holding my sister's hand, comforting her.

He hung up on my final call for help, leaving only a voicemail: "If anything happens to Lena, the engagement is off."

My sister once said her birthday wish had always been for me to disappear.

That night, her wish came true early.

But my soul never left.

I watched everyone gather around her, singing happy birthday.

As she blew out the candles, I whispered in her ear:

"Enjoy it while it lasts. This will be your last birthday."

The day I came home carrying the Royal Pack's highest honor, the one that names its strongest warrior, I pictured Irene's proud smile waiting for me, and Chase's arms wrapping around me.

Then I cross into Crescent Moon Pack territory and the smell hits me. Blood, thick enough to make me gag.

I claw through the scorched wreckage like something possessed, not even noticing my nails tearing, blood running down my fingers.

And then I find her. Irene, the one person who'd ever shown me real kindness, lying in the ash. Not breathing. Gone.

Three scents linger in the air, all of them familiar: Garrett. Ivy. And Chase.

I follow the scent to the lakeside lodge, and that's when I hear Chase, his voice dripping with that same gentle warmth I used to love. "Who cares about Irene, as long as you're happy."

Something in my head just snaps.

"Traitors don't get to live."

Tonight, they're all going to join Irene in death.

A kingdom of corruption—that is my birthright.But before my father gives me the throne that’s rightfully mine, I must fulfill one condition:I must find a wife.Dani is the perfect target.Innocent, beautiful, unsuspecting.But vulnerable. Oh, so vulnerable.She says she doesn’t need me.But if there’s one thing I understand, it’s desire.That’s the only weapon I need to bring her world to its knees.So let the wedding bells ring.I’ve found my fake wife.And I’ll drag her to the altar if I have to

ARDEN: I always thought getting accepted into Elite Order Academy would finally make my family proud.
Perhaps then they would stop controlling my every move. Maybe my brothers would stop resenting me. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel so invisible anymore.
No one believed I could do it—not even my mate, Alpha Jaxon Trevane.
The night I planned to tell him... I found him tangled in bed with my best friend.
Heartbroken and humiliated, I left everything behind and went to Elite alone.
But the academy isn’t the fairytale I dreamed about.
Beneath the grand halls and traditions, a brutal game is being played.
The four ruling Alphas of the North, South, East, and West fight for power, dominance... and now, for me.
A virgin. Untouched. Unclaimed. The prize they all want.
There’s the mate who shattered my heart and swears he’ll win me back.
The brilliant strategist who wants me as his Luna.
The dangerous playboy who promises no one will ever touch me but him.
And the cold, possessive Alpha who watches from the shadows—and would destroy anyone who dares to take me from him.
But in a place where love is a battlefield and lust is a weapon... falling in love might be the most dangerous thing I ever do.
Welcome to Elite Order Academy—where every desire has a price, and my body is the ultimate trophy.

Soraya Valeo has always been the wrong kind of alpha. A she-alpha born to two powerful alphas, yet weaker than even an omega. A twin, but the defective one. Where Bianca shines, Soraya is barely existent. Where Bianca shifts with grace, Soraya gets sick at the slightest push of her wolf. And because of their rare shared genetics, they share a mate too.

Everyone expects Kaelion Marcellus to choose Bianca. So when he does, it hurts Soraya, but it does not surprise her.
Heartbroken and done being the family disgrace, Soraya makes a single reckless promise to herself, for one night, she would let herself feel wanted.

The club she runs to is closed. But the man she finds there is not. A dangerously compelling stranger and a night in the backseat of his car that leaves claw marks on his leather and her soul.

Three days later, Soraya arrives at Wolfrite Academy with a new look, a new resolve, and a spark of pride she fought to earn. And then she sees him again. Her stranger is no ordinary alpha. He is the Alpha of Iron Fang. The Alpha of Alpha's.

And her ex-mate's father.

As murders begin to shadow the academy, and Soraya becomes the prime suspect, visions, secrets, and raw desire collide.

Is she truly the monster in her head?

Or does this academy have far more in-store for her than she thinks?

"Leave me," she whispered in a heavy voice.

"Never, Gattina," he spoke huskily while moving his fingers along her thigh, which made her shiver.

"I..I...am..m...not..y..yours," she stuttered, enjoying the havoc created in her body by his calloused fingers.

Suddenly he wrapped his sexy digits against her swan-like beautiful neck and squeezed but not hard to hurt her, but enough to make her feel wet between her plump thighs.

"YOU ARE MINE, GATTINA. ONLY MINE. I WILL DESTROY WHOEVER WILL SNATCH YOU FROM ME. I WILL MAKE HIS LIFE HELL. I WILL BURN HIM ALIVE IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES. " HE shouted in a dominating tone.

She closed her eyes, feeling the pleasure in her body from his dominance, and let out a husky sigh.

His eyes darkened in desire, " FUCK IT."

He smashed his lips against her and sucked the hell out of her pink petals. He was sucking and biting her, letting out his frustration on her beautiful lips...

In my last life, I shoved my wife Sarah out of the path of an oncoming car and ended up critically injured myself.
My mother-in-law, determined to get her hands on my savings, secretly switched my medication with cheap knockoffs and left me permanently infertile.
Then she showed up at my office and made a huge scene, pressuring me to quit my job and become a full-time househusband.
As for her and Sarah? They had the nerve to move in some so-called lover who could "carry on the family line," then used my hard-earned money to support him under my own roof.
When the apocalypse hit, they locked me in a room and fed me to that infected homewrecker.
Now that I've been given a second chance, I look at the three parasites standing in front of me—mocking me, acting self-righteous...
I feel no anger. Only amusement.
Fourteen days until the zombie outbreak, and they're still dreaming about how to bleed me dry.
This time, I'm taking back every cent they stole from me—with interest.
And when the end finally comes, I'll be sitting inside my impenetrable safe house, watching with ice in my veins as they turn on each other in despair.

On National College Decision Day, my two childhood best friends announced they were ditching the Ivy League to follow a scheming charity case to a garbage community college.
In my last life, I informed their parents.
It worked. Their futures were saved, but they killed me for it.
"Let go of me!"
Hayes had my wrist in a death grip, dragging me toward the edge. Ezra stood behind him, hands in his pockets.
"If you hadn't interfered, Willow would still be alive."
"Now it's your turn."
Then I was falling from the stadium bleachers.
I opened my eyes. Decision Day again.

I've run a pet rescue shop for five years. I've lost count of the animals I've saved. Around the neighborhood, people call me the good Samaritan of Main Street. My husband, Adam Carter, and I have been married five years, and he's always been gentle and attentive.

It's a rainy night in late fall, and I come across an injured starling in the alley on my way home, its wing broken.

The second I scoop it into my arms, a man's voice cuts through the dark.

"Tomorrow night, eight o'clock. Whatever you do, don't go home. Your husband's going to sneak out with your best friend, and on the road, they're going to hit someone and kill them. Then they're going to run, and they're going to pin it on you."

I look down into the starling's eyes, and the color drains out of my face.

Five years of what I thought was love, and it was just a trap waiting to close in.

A talking bird. Nobody's going to believe that if I go to the cops.

I don't even think twice. I just take the bird and head downtown.

In my last life, my boyfriend's childhood best friend handed out jars of homemade sunscreen on the boat ride to the island. I'm a marine bio major — one sniff and I knew the mix had something in it that could drive the island's feral hogs into a frenzy. I told everyone to throw them out.
They did. But Brynn didn't look at the group. She looked at me. Eyes red, jaw tight. "You just can't stand seeing people appreciate anything I do, can you?" She turned and ran into the woods alone.
We searched for her all night in a storm. By morning we found her body at the bottom of the cliffs.
A week later, at her memorial bonfire on the beach, every person who'd gotten hurt during the search turned on me. My boyfriend ripped off his bandage and showed his stitches. "If you hadn't humiliated Brynn in front of everyone, she'd still be alive."
Someone said I should burn for what I did to her.
Then hands on my back. The fire. I burned alive on the sand while seventeen people watched.
I opened my eyes. Salt air. Engine noise. I was back on the boat — the morning of the trip.