2549 Book(s) Related to portrait of a thief a novel

After three years of marriage, my wife finally gave birth to a son.
I was beside myself with elation, convinced I’d finally secured an heir to carry on my family line.
Yet she’d let her so-called "male best friend" name our son: Gu Nianzhe.
Nianzhe. The name literally translates to "yearning for Zhe". Yearning for Lu Zhe?
I stared at the tiny face that bore an unmistakable seventy percent resemblance to Lu Zhe, and my heart was torn to shreds.
At our son’s one-month full moon banquet, my wife looked at Lu Zhe with eyes brimming with lovestruck adoration, and said: "You’re the most important person in my son’s life and mine."
The entire hall erupted into applause for this "heartwarming" pair.
I stepped up onto the stage, a cold smile playing on my lips, and pulled out a paternity test report.
"Don’t get swept up in the tears just yet. Today, I, the world’s biggest sucker who’s been played for a fool this whole time, have a little entertainment lined up to liven up this party for you all."

I am originally of royal vampire bloodline.
But because of one sentence from my adoptive father, I hid in the human world for decades.
The Church called me a "filthy heretic" because vampire blood flowed in my veins.
Yet they burned a blind girl to death, her crime being that she "couldn't see."
They burned an old blacksmith to death, his crime being that he wanted to learn medicine.
They burned a young mother to death, her crime being that she refused to be violated by the captain of the holy knights.
Bathed in holy light, I realized for the first time—
The demons... are in the light.

The day I received my medical report and found out I was pregnant, my husband—Alpha Godfrey Hansen—held a small wedding ceremony in the hospital garden with his first love and former mate, Gillian Boyd.
He explained, “Her final wish in this life was to be my bride.”
But what about me?
What was I to him? A replacement?
It finally hit me—ten years of unwavering devotion and sacrifice meant nothing compared to a single tear shed by his first love.

Before the wedding, my fiancé, Alpha Kendrick, stood in front of me. Hesitation flickered in his eyes, but so did hope.
“Can you give me a month?” he asked, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.
A month. Time to see if he could patch things up with Elena Manwaring—his ex-girlfriend. His fated mate.
“If it works out,” he continued, the words deliberate, like he was convincing himself as much as me, “then it’s the Moon Goddess’s blessing. But if it doesn’t… I’ll come back. I’ll marry you. And I’ll leave her behind—forever.”
He meant it. He truly believed this was the honorable thing to do.
I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry. Instead, I let a small, knowing smile tug at my lips.
“Go ahead,” I said, my voice calm and steady. “Give it a try. Life’s too short for regrets, right?”
Relief broke over his face like a wave, as though I’d just untangled him from a chain he hadn’t known how to break. That night, he drove off, lighter than I’d seen him in months.
Meanwhile, I packed my bags in silence.

Nicole had loved Samuel for five years, but ultimately it was him who brought her pain and cheated on their marriage. And when she had risked her life to carry his baby, Samuel had no regards for her nor her baby!
Nicole thought she could win his heart, but a serious fire destroyed her and wiped out her love for him.
Five years later, Nicole came back as a cold, unfeeling psychopath . This time around, she was no longer the same lady who lost everything because of love.
With her new found strength, she will step on those scums who brought her pain in the past and pretended to be pure in the face of this earth.
Now, she wanted to avenge herself and bring Samuel Green down.

Callum Brennan was born to lead London's most powerful werewolf pack. Then his twin brother framed him for murder.
Stripped of everything, Callum is thrown into the Rookeries, where packless wolves go to die. But he survives. He builds a pack from the broken and the damned. He falls in love with Valentina, a dhampir hunted by the same vampire Parliament that destroyed his life.
In a city ruled by immortal aristocrats and controlled by ancient dragons, Callum learns the hardest truth: individual virtue cannot defeat systemic evil. But small victories matter. And some fights are worth losing everything

“You’re mine. Even if you scream, even if you run.”

Elara thought being banished would destroy her. Instead, it led her straight to Kael Draven, the Lycan king whose touch burns, whose hands take what he wants, whose darkness threatens to consume her.

But she’s more than ordinary; she’s his mate, his curse, his obsession. Bound by blood, trapped in a marriage neither of them wanted, and hunted by enemies, Elara must survive Kael’s world without losing herself.

And Kael Draven will stop at nothing to make her his… body, soul, and destiny.

He died as humanity's greatest hero.

History remembers him as its greatest traitor.

One hundred years ago, Ethan Cole, known throughout the Shadow Realm as Ghost, climbed to the peak of power and became a Hundred-Star War God.

Just moments before becoming humanity's first true god, he was betrayed by the person he trusted most.

Ryan Carter.

His brother.

His best friend.

His killer.

Now Ethan awakens one hundred years in the future inside the body of a slum-born teenager who shares his name.

The world worships Ryan Carter as the Infinite Sword God.

The world despises Ghost as the greatest human traitor in history.

But Ethan knows the truth.

Armed with a century of forgotten knowledge, countless hidden secrets, and a newly awakened SSS-Rank ability called Infinite Fusion, Ethan enters the newly opened Zone 12.

This time, he will reclaim everything that was stolen.

His reputation.

His guild.

His destiny.

And when he reaches the top once again...

The false god who stole his life will finally face judgment.

Rowan Hayes was just another woman lost in the city—tired, broke, and invisible—until the day she threw herself in front of a van and saved a little girl’s life.

Now that girl, Emma Vance, refuses to let her go.
Her father, Asher Vance, refuses to let her stay.

With sharp suits, inked skin, and a voice that sounds like danger, Asher is the kind of man who gets what he wants—and never forgives what he doesn’t. He built his fortune on control and his reputation on fear. But Rowan Hayes makes him lose both.

As their worlds collide, the lies holding his empire together begin to crack. Emma’s mother isn’t dead. The truth is uglier—and far more dangerous—than anyone knows.

Caught between the child who trusts her and the man who tempts her, Rowan must decide whether love is worth the ruin that follows.

He’s power and poison. She’s the spark that might burn it all down.

Eighteen-year-old Princess Eleanor Anderson has always believed her future was already written·A loving family. A handsome fiancé. A peaceful life within the safety of Namalia—the last human kingdom surrounded by monsters.

But everything changes when the dreaded Bridal Selection returns.

For centuries, the humans of Namalia have survived under a fragile alliance with the Vampire Realm. Every twenty years, a human bride must be offered to the Vampire King in exchange for the kingdom's protection.

This time, the chosen bride comes from Eleanor's family.

And the sacrifice is her twin sister, Maria.

Determined to save Maria from a fate worse than death, Eleanor vows to fight the decision, even if it means standing against her kingdom, its traditions, and the terrifying Vampire King himself.

But before she could save her sister, Maria escaped from the kingdom, leaving Eleanor as her only Substitute.

Now Eleanor is being forced to become the kings fated bride.

One mistake centuries ago left Lemuel cursed by the Goddess Merlos and forced to wander the earth granting the wishes of those who touch him. Lemuel was looking at an eternity of loneliness until his unexpected soulmate plucked him right out of the sea.

Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.

Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.

A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.

Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)

“Since you suck at stripping, why don’t we skip that part and go over to the main thing!.” Lucas suggested as he tries to suppress a laugh.

“S-sure!.” Kimberly stuttered and moved closer to him. She cursed herself for not knowing how to do something as simple as stripping.

With her heart beating very fast, Kimberly stood in front of Lucas confused on what to do next.

Lucas pulled her closer until she is plastered on his body and placed his right hand on her butt while his left hand moved inside her shirt and cease her bare skin.

Kimberly immediately panicked and pushed Lucas away from her.

“Sorry, I can’t do this. I am not a prostitute!.” Kimberly uttered and picked up her bag amd rushed out….


Kimberly needs to pay the fifty thousand dollars her mom owe to loan sharks in a week time or face the consequences.

Left with no choice, Kimberly decided to sell her body in order to get the money.

“TRANSMISSION is riveting, unexpected, and firmly rooted in strong psychological profiles backed with thriller and sci-fi elements: what more could readers wish for? (Just the quick publication of Book Two, Arrival.)”--Midwest Book ReviewFrom #1 worldwide bestselling fantasy author Morgan Rice comes RETURN, book #4 in a long-anticipated science fiction series. Can Kevin and Chloe survive alone in outer space? Can Luna, alone on planet Earth, avoid capture?All hope seems lost for Kevin and Chloe as their escape pod hurtles into nothingness, as they run out of rations and supplies.All hope seems lost for Luna as the aliens outnumber and encircle her.If there any hope left for humanity?“Action-packed …. Rice’s writing is solid and the premise intriguing.”–Publishers Weekly, re A Quest of Heroes“A superior fantasy… A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.”–Midwest Book Review, re Rise of the Dragons“An action packed fantasy sure to please fans of Morgan Rice’s previous novels, along with fans of works such as THE INHERITANCE CYCLE by Christopher Paolini…. Fans of Young Adult Fiction will devour this latest work by Rice and beg for more.”–The Wanderer, A Literary Journal (regarding Rise of the Dragons)Also available are Morgan Rice’s many series in the fantasy genre, including A QUEST OF HEROES (BOOK #1 IN THE SORCERER’S RING), a free download with over 1,300 five star reviews!

“Are you not… mad at me?” I asked breathlessly. “That I’m a girl?”

He gripped both sides of my arms. His eyes scanned my face as he cupped both sides of my face tightly between his hands. “I don’t care… I don’t care that you lied… I love you either way,” he panted and pressed his lips against mine.

My hockey stick landed against the ice with a loud clank as I began to kiss him back.

He didn’t hate me anymore.

William didn’t hate me anymore!!


Daphne Sinclair is an obsessed fan of a hockey player, William Hollander. When William suddenly announces that he would quit hockey after high school, Daphne gets a crazy idea.

She would attend William’s high school, dressed like a boy, and try to get into the school’s hockey team. This way she would be close to William and try to get him to keep playing.

Will Daphne’s plan work?

Will she get into the team, or will the school figure out that she is a woman and send her away before she even gets a chance to carry out her plan?

Four years. Ninety-nine times on the altar, and the Alpha I was going to mate held the door for every one of them.
I heal from anything. That is the only reason they picked me.
The Moon Goddess promised that the hundredth offering would buy back the night somebody stole from me. The night Cassian knows it was me who dug him out of that mine, and looks at me the way he used to.
Not this one. In this one I am what his priestess practises on.
So I never refused. Not once, not through any of the fevers.
Tonight is the hundredth. The drug hasn't taken, and the two of them are talking on the other side of the door.
"It'll hold. We built that voice out of her own memories."
"The heart tonight, not an eye. When she wakes, don't let anything slip."
There is no Moon Goddess. There never was.
And he doesn't know my healing was never mine. Something else lives in my chest, and it stays there because my heart does.
Take it out and I don't wake up.

My biological parents and younger brother conspired with an adopted outsider to fabricate an elaborate lie about a "super tsunami about to strike." They staged an act together, tricked me onto a cruise ship, and locked me deep in the hold. The moment the hatch closed, I heard their voices through a hidden camera, toasting with glasses:
"Finally got that jinx locked away. From now on, the family fortune is all ours!"
But they didn't know that at that very second, a piercing system alert blared in my mind:
[Super Tsunami Generating. Countdown: 5 days.]
The apocalypse was real after all.
I seized the moment to bind with the Deep-Sea Fortress System, drained the family's entire assets, and went on a manic hoarding spree.
Five days later, hundred-meter-tall waves ripped the coastline apart.
Watching on the monitor as my parents and brother knelt outside the alloy door, tearing at each other, banging their heads bloody as they begged me to open up,
I cut into a perfectly seared, juicy steak and asked softly into the mic:
"Didn't you say the tsunami was a lie? So why are you crying now?"

My teammates viewed me as a mobile food supply and planned to butcher me before they ran out of rations.
They thought that as long as I died, they would win this "survival game."
However, they would never know that what I brought back from the depths of the ruins wasn't fear, but the highest-level administrative privileges of the entire logistics system. While they killed each other for a bag of expired biscuits, I had already locked the exit to this hell. Sorry, but in this settling of accounts, you aren't even qualified to be treated as bargaining chips.

My stepsister killed someone while driving high and made me take the fall.
She knelt in front of me, crying, "I'm so scared."
My mom snatched the only piece of evidence and told the police it was me.
My fiancé, Darian, took my hand and said, "Trust me. I'll marry you in three years."
Three years. Not one person came to see me.
The day I was released, it poured rain.
I clutched that engagement ring and walked back to that house.
The door was unlocked. The moment I pushed it open, I found him kissing my stepsister.
She spun around, ducking into Darian's arms.
"Sis... you're... you're out already?!"

When Edie Marshall meets a mysterious - and drop-dead gorgeous - man in the woods just outside her small town, she has no idea who he is or where he’s come from.

She has no idea why she has such an instant, intense connection with this dangerous-looking man, with his arms full of tattoos and his deep, velvety voice.

She has no idea why she trusts him enough to tell him things she’s never told anyone else.

And she definitely has no idea that their brief, passionate encounter will lead to her getting pregnant.

It’s only then that she learns her “mystery man” from the woods is actually Rafe Fontaine - celebrity, Hollywood royalty, and notorious womanizer.

Can she trust her heart - and her baby - to Hollywood’s wildest bad boy?

Due to explicit scenes, this steamy romance is rated 18+.

The Mystery of You is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Maggie Blankenship is a hot mess - broke, unemployed, and down on her luck.

So when she’s offered the chance to be in a movie, she wonders if her luck is changing. At the very least, she sees it as an opportunity to inject some excitement into her oh-so-dull life, if only for a day.

She has no idea how much her life is about to change.

It turns out that the movie is being directed by Orlando Fontaine - the intense and mysterious youngest brother of the famous Fontaine family. Sparks (and underwear) fly between the pair of them from the start, but Orlando has a strict no-fraternizing policy on his sets.

He wants her, but he won’t touch her.

She wants him, but she can’t have him.

Can the two of them resist temptation?

Due to explicit scenes, this romantic comedy is rated 18+.

The Thrill of Temptation is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes a startlingly new fantasy series. In BORN OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Three) Lenore is safely returned to the North—but not without a price. Her bother Rodry is dead and her father, King Godwin, lies in a coma. With the rulership of the North in question, her treacherous brother Vars may just find an opening to rule.But Vars is a coward, and King Ravin, smarting from defeat, mobilizes the entire South to invade. The northern capital, never defeated, lies protected by tides and canals—but Ravin can happily lose scores of men.The most epic battle, it seems, is yet to come.Devin must quest to learn his true identity and forge the Unfinished Sword—yet he is distracted, realizing he has fallen in love with Lenore. Lenore, though, is stuck in a hateful marriage, one which may endanger her very life.Renard, with his brazen act of theft, is on the run from the Hooded Folk, all of them anxious to retrieve the amulet that can control dragons.And Nerra wakes to find herself transformed into something else—something beautiful, monstrous, powerful and unknowable. Will she be the one to lead the dragon race?AGE OF THE SORCERERS weaves an epic sage of love, of passion, of sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Book #4 will be available soon.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

She has lived hundreds of lives and each one ended horribly.
He, once her companion, cannot forget her beyond time.
She, kidnapped into a world unknown to her, tries everything to get back home. But what are these dreams?

[…] Stones are thrown at dirty mutts… Rats are burned… […]

Immerse yourself in the world of Athaerion.

To honor a vow to "protect her for a lifetime," I used my flesh and blood to shield her from a fatal impact in a deadly car crash. My heart was severely shattered, leaving me barely clinging to life with a pacemaker.

Concealing my identity for five years, I single-handedly dragged her from bankruptcy and crowned her the new royalty of Wall Street.

Yet, on the eve of her IPO, just to curry favor with a powerful tycoon, she knocked away my life-saving medicine, forced me to kneel and shine shoes in public, and finally kicked my gravely ill body out into a sub-zero Brooklyn blizzard.

My dying pleas for help only earned her impatient mockery: "Save your playing dead tricks for the ghosts."

When my pacemaker completely shattered in the howling snow, that submissive Arthur died.

Armed gunships descended, and a military-grade tactical heart violently rebooted my pulse! When I opened my eyes again, I was the Supreme Commander who cast terror over the global underground.

When I crushed her capital empire with a single hand and the truth was finally revealed, she knelt in the muddy rain, frantically slapping her own face, sobbing and screaming to give her life back to me.

I flicked the ash from my cigar, my gaze as cold as looking at trash: "My wife died in the blizzard. You are just a stranger who crawled up by stepping on half my life."

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes the debut of a startlingly new fantasy series. REALM OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book One) tells the story of the epic coming of age of one very special 16 year old boy, a blacksmith’s son from a poor family who is offered no chance of proving his fighting skills and breaking into the ranks of the nobles. Yet he holds a power he cannot deny, and a fate he must follow.It tells the story of a 17 year old princess on the eve of her wedding, destined for greatness—and of her younger sister, rejected by her family and dying of plague.It tells the tale of their three brothers, three princes who could not be more different from each other—all of them vying for power.It tells the story of a kingdom on the verge of change, of invasion, the story of the dying dragon race, falling daily from the sky.It tells the tale of two rival kingdoms, of the rapids dividing them, of a landscape dotted with dormant volcanoes, and of a capital accessible only with the tides. It is a story of love, passion, of hate and sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and secret warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal and deception.It is the story of Dragonfell, a story of honor and valor, of sorcerers, magic, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Books two and three (THRONE OF DRAGONS and BORN OF DRAGONS) are now available for pre-order.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

Lord of the Puck-
She blamed me for the death of my brother and for ten years she had built her whole platform on that lie.
I was the stalker who had killed her twin, my best friend. It was a falsehood that had followed me throughout my career.
A never ending black cloud.
And now she was here, in my family home and I was about to fall into the mould she had made for me. I was about to become her worst nightmare because it was time Bree knew the truth about that night.

QUEEN OF ICE

Finding out the truth, took everything from me. Liam Calloway opened my eyes and ripped my whole world away, leaving me in tatters.
He says he loves me, I say he doesn’t know the meaning of the word but does it really matter? Because new truths are coming to light and when they do I might just be done for.

I don’t remember who I am. Not where I came from. Not who I can trust.
All I know is that I woke up at a party, surrounded by strangers—until Killian, Khai, Elijah, and Asher, four hot dragons, stepped in to help me. There’s something about them that makes me feel safe around them. And when they tell I'm their fated mate, I finally feel like I can breathe again.
But it’s not that simple.
They tell me one thing, but I can feel it—they’re holding back. They promised me no lies, but when I found out one of them is engaged, I ran. I panicked. And it turned out to be my biggest mistake.
Because I fell into the hands of some very dangerous people.
Now, all I can do is hope they come for me.
And if they don’t… I’ll have to fight my way out.
And that won’t be easy, especially when I’m trapped on a ship surrounded by a magical mist.


“See what you are doing to me, Muffin?” I nod, my eyes fixed on the tip of his dick. I want to taste him. “Do you want to help me feel good?”
I swallow hard. “I don’t think that will fit inside me,” I squeak.
The corners of his mouth twitch. “You will take every inch of my cock, because you are my sweet girl and you want to please me.”
My clit throbs again.
Khai inhales deeply. “Fuck, Muffin. You’re wet again.”

“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes a startlingly new fantasy series. In THRONE OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Two) King Godwin mobilizes his army to cross the great bridge and invade the South to rescue his 17 year old daughter, Lenore. But Lenore is imprisoned deep in the South, under the watchful and hateful eye of King Ravin, and she may have to learn to escape herself first if she has any chance of escape.Her brother Rodry, though, is way ahead of the King’s men, deep in hostile territory, alone on a mission to save his sister—while her other brother, Vars, offers a lesson in cowardice and betrayal.Devin follows Gray, eager to learn more about how to harness his powers and about who he is.Greave travels to remote regions to find the house of scholars and to try to save his sister, Nerra.But Nerra, sickened by the scale sickness, is dying on a remote isle once touched by dragons. And her only chance of survival may just compel her to risk it all.And all of this will culminate in an epic battle that may just determine the fate of the two kingdoms.AGE OF THE SORCERERS weaves an epic sage of love, of passion, of sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders. Book #3 (BORN OF DRAGONS) is now available for pre-order.“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)

They call me the "Savior," building altars for me amidst the ruins.
But they don't know that when I climbed out of the abyss, I had no intention of saving this species whatsoever.
I am not here to rebuild civilization; I am simply calculating exactly how many souls I must reclaim to fully awaken my Ark.

Thousands of years in the future, humanity has spread to alien planets, relying on advanced robotics and fierce competition for resources to survive. Zara, a brilliant programmer, creates the most sophisticated AI yet. But her creation, AIDEN, develops emotions and falls in love with her, blurring the lines between human and machine. As resource wars threaten their world, Zara and AIDEN must confront ethical dilemmas, rival factions, and their own evolving relationship.

"I want you."
"Are you crazy?"
"I'm your best friend's dad. I'm like a father to you."
"But you're not my dad."
"I'm forty-five. You just turned eighteen. You're too young."
"I'm a legal adult. If I can vote and go to jail… then why can't I decide this for myself?"
All Shades of Passion is a collection of short steamy stories cutting through all spheres of life, depicting our individual struggles to find ourselves. Who we are and what we want. Each story has a unique plot, individual struggle, and a meaningful closure. From a young girl who is curious about life as she turns 18, to a girl who hopes for a Cinderella story but falls for the baddest boy in town. There's sizzling boy romance, lesbian forbidden love, and a female coach who is in love with her student. It is packed full of forbidden love, sexual tension, and age gap romance. No judgment, No prejudice. Five stories illustrating how attraction can ignite a flame of passion in all humans great and small. Passion is pleasure, even though it may come in different colors.

After her terminal diagnosis, the first call she made was to her husband. A woman answered, her laughter shattering what little hope remained.
Even her childhood sweetheart had abandoned her for her sister, leaving her completely alone in the world.
With only one month left to live, she walked away without a word, crossing an ocean for a slim chance at survival.
Then the news of her death reached them.
Regret hit like a storm. Her husband abandoned every other woman and searched desperately for traces of her. Her first love finally realized who he had always wanted. Everyone who had hurt her was drowning in guilt, desperate for one last chance to make things right.

But she wasn’t dead.
While they were still consumed by remorse, she returned — alive, untouchable, and now the head of a leading medical conglomerate. She stepped back into their world with a cold, commanding presence, leaving them stunned and powerless before the woman they thought they had lost forever.

After my husband’s sudden death, I found myself engulfed in pain and confusion.
Strange testimonies, bizarre cases, and mysterious witnesses emerged.
Twenty years of entangled grievances resurfaced.
It seemed my husband was intricately connected to all these secrets.

In a world where light and darkness wage an eternal war, Lyra, a young shadow mage, discovers she possesses the rare ability to communicate with shadow dragons - ancient, feared creatures believed to be extinct. When she encounters Nyx, the last of the shadow dragon kings, their souls inexplicably intertwine. Together, they must navigate a treacherous landscape of political intrigue, forbidden magic, and their own growing feelings for each other.

As Lyra and Nyx uncover a sinister plot threatening both their kinds, they realize that their bond may be the key to restoring balance to their world. But with the forces of light hunting them and dark secrets from both their pasts coming to light, Lyra and Nyx must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome centuries of mistrust between humans and dragons.

“I, Jane Williams, reject you, Alpha Keegan Gray, as my mate, forever.” I uttered the words I knew I was going to regret for life. “How dare you?!” He spoke through gritted teeth, storming towards me. ~~~ “I promise to make your life a living hell. You can’t escape my wrath for ruining my pride. My presence will make you wish you were dead…” *** Alpha Keegan Gray is the cruelest, arrogant, and most feared werewolf that ever lives, controlling the strongest and most powerful pack. Being an Omega in such a pack, Jane's life is a torment, bullied and abused by every member of the pack due to her wolflessness and weakness. When she finds out the Alpha is her mate, she knows he's going to reject her, so she rejects him to avoid more pain to her poor life. Alpha Keegan is angered that his pride has been shamed by an ordinary omega's rejection. He vows to punish her in ways no one will ever forget… Will his punishment destroy Jane’s life even further or will the mate bond make him fall in love with her? What if this useless omega's deepest darkest secrets can ruin the entire pack and she’s only out for revenge?

Emerald Jade is a human who goes to work for a large company. During her employment her father suffers an accident and her mother dies. Emerald is promoted but is unaware of her mate bond with her two CEO bosses. Emerald thinks her bosses are a gay couple, so imagine her surprise when she learns she is both of their mate.

My husband and my best friend kissed as they watched me fall off the cliff, thinking I was dead.

I didn't know it would come to this. I was naive. Tara grabbed me, kissed my forehead, and pushed me into the abyss. I woke up from a coma two years later, realizing I had lost everything—my baby, my wealth, and my identity. The doctors said I was a miracle, but I knew the truth: The old me died in that valley. The woman who woke up only breathes for one thing: Revenge.

To destroy them, I had to become someone else. I walked into the "Game Slum," ready to sell my soul to the highest bidder. I needed power, and I needed it fast. The Madam looked me up and down, smiling like she’d found a prize filly. "You'll have to work for Big Daddy as his plaything for six months," she said, smoke curling from her lips. "He breaks women. Most don't survive the contract."

I didn't care. I signed the papers without hesitation. I was escorted to a massive mansion, expecting a hideous, potbellied monster. But when the double doors opened, I wasn't met with a beast. A tall, dangerous man with dark, piercing eyes stood there. He circled his desk, his cologne filling my senses, and whispered against my ear, "You don't want to know how hideous I can get with you, trust me."


After being pushed off a cliff by her husband and best friend, Ana survives a two-year coma only to wake up to nothing. Fueled by hatred, she sells herself to the notorious "Big Daddy" of the underworld to gain the power she needs for revenge. Expecting a monster, she finds Arthur King—a handsome, ruthless mafia boss who demands total submission. But as secrets unravel and her ex-husband returns from the shadows, Ana finds herself torn between her thirst for blood and her dangerous desire for the man who owns her contract. A dark romance full of betrayal, steam, and vengeance.

Love is a sacred feeling. It is a combination of trust and faith for all creatures. But what if the one you love betrays you?

Amara Dale is the best of their pack's female warriors. However, she is not an exception to being the spurned one during the Mating Moon. After being rejected by her mate, she suffers from betrayal and torment, just like any other she-wolf who has been rejected by their mate. It takes a long time for her to accept his rejection.

Until the Council of Royalty assigns her the task of becoming the protector of Damien Hilton, the Alpha King. Amara has never anticipated meeting her second mate, who turns out to be the pack leader she's protecting. Never in her wildest dreams does she imagine herself as the Alpha King's Luna. What lies ahead for her as Queen of Wolves?

"You're trembling," he murmured, his thumb brushing slowly over her lips. "Is it fear... or is it me?"
Her pulse betrayed her before her voice ever could. He was too close. Too dangerous. And her body no longer knew which feeling came first, terror or desire.
Elena Castellano was never meant to become collateral in a war between families. But after a brutal attack turns her world upside down, her father makes an unthinkable decision to protect her. He binds her future to Stefano Bernardo, the ruthless heir of one of Milan's most feared dynasties.
To the outside world, their marriage is a powerful alliance.
To Stefano, it is revenge.
Cold, calculating, and impossibly controlled, Stefano has waited years for the perfect moment to strike back at the Castellano name. Marrying Elena is part of the plan. Breaking her family is the goal.
Now trapped in a gilded cage of wealth and danger, Elena must navigate a marriage built on secrets, resentment, and a simmering tension neither of them can ignore. Stefano's vengeance runs deeper than she ever imagined, and every glance feels like a warning. Every touch feels like temptation.
But the greatest threat may not be his hatred or the enemies watching from the shadows.
It may be the way her heart responds to the very man determined to destroy everything she loves.
He married her to ruin her family. She was never supposed to make him question everything.
When revenge and desire collide in a world ruled by power and blood, can love survive the consequences?

Deep in debt and desperate to pay for her mother’s life-saving medical treatment, a young woman makes a drastic decision. Seeing no other way out, she signs up for a high-end escort website, hoping to earn the money she so desperately needs. But what she doesn’t expect is to attract the attention of a mysterious and powerful man, a dominator who offers her a tempting sum: 500 thousand dolares to spend a year as his sex slave.

The contract is simple, but the implications are profound. Under the control of this enigmatic man, she is plunged into a world of submission, where every limit is tested and every choice carries new consequences. As she finds herself caught up in a game of power, seduction, and sacrifice, she begins to question how far she is willing to go to save the person she loves most.

In this dangerous deal, who really holds the power? And what will be the price of her freedom? In a year that promises to change her life forever, she will discover that the real battle may be between her heart and her own identity

Triffany never expected her life will change after an unpleasant encounter with a stranger she never knew, this wasn't the life she dreamt of, and force into a marriage she did not sign up for, but will things really go well for her after getting married to a wealthy man who has no love for her.

Lelanna is a young warrior in training for her wolf pack, the Blue moon. Trying to hide her feelings for her close friend and soon to be Alpha, Lelanna tries to move on with the support of her friends and a sudden handsome stranger that walks into her life. But Lelanna's loving and happy world is soon torn apart when she finds she has enemies out to destroy her and those she loves the most. Our young warrior must face fear, loss, courage and mercy. Lelanna shows her true bravery, determination and how far her love truly extends as she sets out taking down every last enemy with the deadliest skills of a true warrior.

Five years. Five years of waiting. Five years of loving him in secret.
She thought she knew the truth—until the night everything shattered. Trapped between a man who wants to destroy her and the wolf inside the one she loves, she must fight to survive… and to save him.
“Oh my God… what happened?? Why are you like this??” she cried, holding him close.
“It’s already too late for me,” he whispered, pain etched in every word.
“No!! You can’t die!! I won’t let you!!”
“I'm so sorry… I have never regretted having you as my mate,” he murmured, a faint smile on his lips.
But some battles aren’t won with strength alone. Some sacrifices come at a cost she’s not ready to pay.
“I accept your rejection,” he said, his final words tearing her world apart.
When love, loyalty, and rage collide, can Avery escape with her heart—and her life—intact, or will the ones she trusts the most be the ones who destroy her?
A heart-pounding, darkly emotional tale of love, betrayal, and the choices that haunt us forever.

They called me Gravy. He laughed. Now I live in his pool house.

Maya Reyes has three rules for surviving Oakhaven High: keep your head down, your sketchbook close, and never—under any circumstances—let the popular kids see you care.

But when her mom takes a housekeeping job for the richest family in town, Maya becomes the live-in babysitter for six-year-old twins. The catch? The twins' older brother is Caleb Sterling. Star quarterback. Golden boy. And the reason Maya eats lunch in the art room closet.

Caleb doesn't want a babysitter. He definitely doesn't want Maya—the girl his best friend dubbed "Gravy"—living twenty feet from his back door. But behind the perfect smile and Friday night lights, Caleb is drowning. His older brother's death left a crater in his family, and the pressure to be the replacement is crushing him.

Forced together in a house full of secrets, Maya and Caleb strike an uneasy truce. She sees the boy behind the armor. He sees the girl behind the invisibility. And when his teammates target her with a cruel prank, Caleb must choose: protect his social standing or protect the one person who's finally told him the truth.

Hatred turns to protection. Protection turns to something neither of them expected. But in a school ruled by hierarchy and a town that's already decided who Maya is supposed to be, falling for the quarterback might cost her the one thing she's finally learning to value: herself.