194 Book(s) Related to 5 second rule pdf

“I want you.” I’m shocked by his words.

“What?” I was in disbelief. It was hard to believe that this hardened man could want me.

“I want all of you Anna,” he said as his eyes darkened.

“It’s all that I can think of. Fucking you on every surface of this room until neither of us can move.”

When the past and present are entwined, it isn’t just a coincidence.

From a young age, Xander and Anna have been destined by the goddess. They’ve crossed paths in the most unforgettable way, but somehow, they managed to forget each other.

Years later, when they cross paths again, they’re filled with nothing but hatred for each other. But their base instinct recognizes each other.

Drawn to each other by an unstoppable force, the two must fight obstacles that threaten to destroy them and their bond.

And in the end, they’ll come to know that all they have believed was just a lie.

"No! It can't be!" I let out an internal hiss. "He would not dare come here!"
"What the f*ck, Zara!" Levi bumped into me and growled behind me.
"Sorry," I mumbled, wide-eyed.
"Is that?" Levi mind-linked, and I nodded my head.
"Zara," my father uttered. "I understand that you are familiar with Alpha Noah."
I slowly nodded my head.
"Great," my father said. "Alpha Noah has also informed me that you are his fated mate."
I gave a nod in response.
"Superb, Alpha Noah has requested your hand."
"Is that so?" I found my voice.
Both my father and Alpha Noah nodded.
"Interesting," I said. "Were you told by Alpha Noah that he rejected me more than a year ago?"
My father's smile wavered as Alpha Noah's face turned to ash.
Did Alpha Noah really believe I would just blindly obey an order from my father without a fight?


Zara is a silver wolf descended from one of the most powerful packs on the continent.
A year after he rejects her, her fated mate comes knocking on her door to tell her he is back to claim her.
Zara turns down his proposal, and he goes behind her back and asks her father for her hand. The old Alpha agrees to the arrangement.
Zara is unhappy and decides to handle things on her own. She informs her father that she has taken a chosen mate, her Beta, and her best friend, Levi—only he has a secret.
What will happen when Zara's second chance mate attends her and Levi's mating ceremony?
Will he stop the proceedings and claim her as his mate?
A story about two broken hearts finding each other and getting sucked into a web of lies and prophecies.
Will Zara find the happiness she so deserves?

Sophie McDermott's life in fast-paced San Francisco was already complicated as a single mother balancing the demands of work and raising her son, Dawson. Just when she believed her life couldn't get any more hectic, fate intervenes. Being employed by Polo Enterprise should be a dream come true, but Sophie is about to come face to face with the last person she ever expected- Alex Hernandez, her first and only love whom she has spent years trying to forget.

What will happen when these two get to work closely? Will he get a chance to find out Dawson is his son and will they find a way to overcome the damages of the past and finally claim the happiness they have always yearned for? Or will shadows of deceit and jealousy tear them apart once more?

Hannah Sander's always treated as a slave in her park, faces rejection from her mate, Alpha Austin, and betrayal from her best friend, Sarah. However her life takes a dramatic turn when she met Alpha Liam who turns out to be her true mate but now Alpha Liam who turned out to be a sweet alpha suddenly changed to becoming cold and has a dark past which came back to hunt him.
What would happen now that she has found her true mate ?
Why the sudden change in Alpha Liam?
What exactly happened to Alpha Liam in the past ?

Five years. That's what I gave him. And what did I get? Another woman. And divorce papers he never believed I'd sign.

My husband, Zachary Francis, built his empire on my work—then handed my studio to his mistress and told me I wasn't good enough. On my birthday, he pushed me aside to rescue her from a fire she started herself. The day I finally signed? He laughed. He was sure I'd come crawling back.

But Jonathan Morris saw what my husband never did. He sees my talent. He sees me. A man who treats me like something precious, not a tool—he's offering me everything I once thought I'd lost forever.

Now Zachary watches me leave him behind. His company is falling apart. And the woman who replaced me? She's slowly turning into me.

And him?

He said I couldn't survive without him. Now he's the one begging. But I'm already gone.

"Mason, I want to cut all ties with you. No marriage and no bond. We're done,"

"You want a rejection?"

"I know that you have never loved me, Mason... It would be better that we were both free to pursue our own interests."

"Freedom? Willow, freedom is a privilege that only good and innocent people have the luxury of. You are neither of those things so what makes you think that I should let you go free?" He sneered.

"What do you mean?" I said as my brows creased in confusion.

"Isn't it fucking obvious?" Mason mocked as he cracked his knuckles in his hands, "Your parent's hands are stained with the blood of my parents, you don't deserve to be free whilst you atone for their sins?"


Throughout my year of marriage, I have constantly suffered from the pain of Mate Bond. My mate would sleep with various she-wolves but never spare me a glance. He would allow his lovers to mock and insult me, his wife, his Luna, and he did it all just to inflict pain on me.

I couldn't bear it any longer, so I asked to end the relationship, but he refused. Just when I felt pain and confusion, a powerful Lycan King appeared...

"STRIP".. ,, HADES said in his bold , authoritative and demanding tone.His eyes held anger and temper which send fears to her. Every Fibres of her body was shaking under his powerful and dominance gaze. She stood at her Place and didn't know how to react on his words.

"I said Strip My wife".. ,, This time his voice made her trembled and with Shaking hands she started to open her wedding dress.

She removed her veil and looked at him. He was staring back at her with his intense pitch black orbs.

"Remove Your Ornaments Too"..,, He spoke when she stopped removing her Wedding dress. She removed her jewellery but left Golden Nuptials Chain Which he tied around her neck. Her glossy eyes were locked with his blazing eyes

"I don't have the whole Night" ... ,, Hades voice echoed in the room. Her breathing was low and sweats started to appear on her body.

She opened the strings of her wedding skirt and in a flow it fall down on the floor. With trembling hands she again pulled the strings of her blouse and opened the hooks. Now she was in her red lacy lingerie. However ,Not even for a second His eyes moved down and wandered at her curvy body.

His eyes were fixed on her eyes and she was gazing back at his beautiful deep black eyes. He stood up from the bed and came near her. She took a few steps back but the wall stopped and supported her body to stand properly. He bent and tilted his head and whispered in her ear. His husky deep voice and hot breath released thousands of butterflies in her stomach.

"You're not up to my standard".. ,, He said and left her in the room all alone on their wedding night. His words pierced her heart and a hurtful Chuckled came out of her mouth.

Tears were flowing through her eyes but she smiled sadly and said, "My name is DURGASHAKTI, husband and I'm not weak like you thought of me"

Story Of HADES and His PERSEPHONE

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) ONCE HUNTED is book #5 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 600 five star reviews! A prison break from a maximum security prison. Frantic calls from the FBI. Special Agent Riley Paige’s worst nightmare has come true: a serial killer she put away years ago is loose. And his main target is her.Riley is used to being the one hunting, but for the first time, she finds herself—and her family—to be the ones being hunted. As the killer stalks her, he also begins a new rampage of kills, and Riley must stop him before it is too late—for the other victims, and for herself.But this is no ordinary killer. He is too smart, and their game of cat-and-mouse too twisted, and he somehow manages to elude her and always stay one step ahead. Desperate to stop him, Riley realizes there is only one way: she must delve back into the past, into this killer’s twisted mind, his old cases, and re-learn what drives him. The only way to stop him, she realizes, is to face the darkness she thought she had left behind.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE HUNTED is book #5 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“LOVE LIKE THIS creates a world of emotions and turmoil, describing superbly the mind of a young lady (Keira) and her struggles to balance her social life and her career. Sophie Love is a natural storyteller. LOVE LIKE THIS is very well written and edited, and I highly recommend it to the permanent library of all readers that appreciate a romance that can be savored during a weekend.”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos) LOVE LIKE YOURS (The Romance Chronicles—Book #5) is book #5 in a new, sweet romance series by #1 bestselling author Sophie Love. The series begins with LOVE LIKE THIS (Book #1), a free download!Keira Swanson, 28, finds herself spending a magical Christmas with new her new boyfriend and his family in Sweden. How will their relationship end?Keira returns to New York to discover, to her shock, that she has started a new trend in dating that is sweeping across the country—“Scandinavian romance”—and to find herself becoming a celebrity. Even more confusing, her sister gets engaged, and gives Keira constant advice. Overwhelmed, Keira takes solace when Christiano calls, and surprises herself when she agrees to take a week off and meet him on neutral ground: in Greece.Her magazine is thrilled, and they want this to be her new assignment: can love work the second time around, in a different time and place, if you give it one more chance?Greece is spectacular, filled with sun, ocean, ruins and romance. It is one of the most beautiful places she has ever been. But nothing can prepare Keira for her encounter with Cristiano—and the surprise that follows on its heels.A wholesome romantic comedy that is as profound as it is funny, LOVE LIKE YOURS is book #5 in a dazzling new romance series that will make you laugh, cry, and will keep you turning pages late into the night—and will make you fall in love with romance all over again.Book #6 will be published soon!“Sophie Love's ability to impart magic to her readers is exquisitely wrought in powerfully evocative phrases and descriptions….[This is] the perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan re: For Now and Forever)

Drugged by her own father into sleeping with him, she found herself trapped in a forced and loveless marriage, marked by secrets and betrayals. He had another woman in mind and he went to Europe, abandoning her and their son. Four years later, he returns, but not by choice: the son Liam was born to is seriously ill. The only chance of saving his life is to give birth to a new child, a sacrifice that forces them to confront feelings they swore they would never revisit. Will he once again give in to intimacy with a wife who only exists on paper? What about the woman waiting for him abroad? But... what if forgotten feelings begin to surface, confusing their hearts and their choices?


Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. My back was pressed to his chest. His thin lips began to stick to my hair and he began to speak.
“Your back was to me, do you want me to come in another way?”
Nathan lowered his head, he put the tip of his nose close to mine. Our lips almost touched, and breathing was somewhat unsteady.
“Don't you know that with you I'm kind of unable to control myself? I just wanted to sleep with you, to be with you incessantly...”

Betrayed by her husband and abandoned by her pack, Eliza Carter vows to rise from the ashes of her shattered life. Once a cherished Alpha’s daughter, she’s now determined to reclaim her pride and make those who wronged her regret it.
But fate has other plans. When Eliza severs her bond with the man who broke her, a magnetic Lycan prince steps forward—her fated mate. Bound by destiny yet scarred by betrayal, can Eliza embrace a future of strength, love, and vengeance?

"I don't understand," I tell Viktor, desperately.
"I don't know why the bond is still there. I accepted his rejection, I don't want him, I want you. Whatever yearnings you saw between us, is not by choice. You are my mate. I choose you."
"Then why is the bind still present?" he snaps as he turns from me.
"I don't know! And frankly, I don't care! I haven't cared or thought about Dominic in nearly a decade. How can I prove that you are the one I love?" I ask as I take hold of his hands, hoping that he sees my sincerity.
"Have the ceremony with me."
"What?!"
"The mating ceremony, where we bind ourselves to each other. Let's do it. That is the only way I can relax. Be mine. Truly, mine."


Rowan Blaze, abused and maltreated in her former pack and after being rejected and left to die by her Alpha finds a second chance as a rogue. Now known as the Winter Wolf, and leader of the largest rogue coalition, with a renowned dislike for packs, fate offers her another chance at love in the form of Alpha Viktor Thorn, a renowned man known for his wicked intelligence and stubborn persona. How do these two stubborn individuals react to this opportunity? Are they capable of letting their walls down and giving life one more chance? And what of Dominic Valor? Is he capable of letting go of his rejected mate or would he do anything to right the wrong he made years ago?

“We are divorced, Adams.” She sighed and wanted to walk away, but he held her.

“It doesn't matter.” He answered, his voice laced with determination.

“I don't love you anymore.”

“That doesn't matter either. What matters is that I want you, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it.”


Alicia's life has been a series of ups and downs. She suffered abuse from her husband and his family because she couldn't give him a child. She thought she had seen it all, but not until the day she returned home only to receive the divorce papers from her husband's parents. She pleaded with them, but was met with deaf ears, and so she signed the documents and left.

Little did anyone know that she was pregnant.

She returned six years later with her baby girl only to find her Ex-husband craving her once more.

How will she take this, and what other surprises does fate have in stock for her?

“Why can’t I hit you?” Thomas yells, smacking the belt close to her feet.
“Why,” he smacks it on the door above her head.
“Why, why” to the right and left sides of her body.
Melina trembles against the door with her eyes closed and head tucked between her knees. She jumps, sniffing Thomas’ cologne, and tries to hide more.
He’s probably bending down. “I want to hurt you, Melina, but I can’t. Tell me why I can’t. Tell me why,”
She bites her lips to muffle her sobs as she fears they will exacerbate her situation. “Look at me when I am talking to you,” Thomas says, grabbing her hair and pulling her head up.
“I am- so-r-r-r-y,” she says as she turns to face him with her tear-stained face and bloodshot eyes.
******** Melina Davis was born with the face and body of a goddess. Her heart was as beautiful as hers, but it never did her any good. Melina was the unluckiest woman in this world when it came to love. Her first love was an abusive con artist who made sure to exploit Melina's kindness. The second one, who Melina felt was genuinely worthy of owing her heart, was far more dangerous than her first. His name is Thomas Costanzo. He is the second in command of the Costanzo mafia. He was highly feared in the mafia world. Some even feared him more than the don of the Costanzo mafia. Melina didn't know she shouldn't cross him, and she did. She broke the heart of one of the most feared men on this earth, and now, he is out searching for her. Once he finds her, Melina will wish she never crossed paths with him.

Ezra never expected anything good from the world.
The world made that clear the day they found him beside a well. No name. No people. No explanation for why his presence made grown men uneasy.
He expected to die in that village eventually.
He was almost right.
Now he's running. Carrying something the empire isn't ready for. Hunted by things that shouldn't exist this far from the wall. Awakened with abilities even the system refuses to explain.
The village always said there was something wrong with him.
They had no idea.
It's the Second Age of Monsters and maybe the real monsters were never just the ones with claws.

Ryan was never meant to exist.
The illegitimate son of a powerful man, he grew up watching his brother, Jace, the perfect heir take everything.
Status. Respect. Power.
And when Ryan is finally pushed to his breaking point, something inside him snaps.
No more playing the victim. No more living in shadows.
If the world refuses to give him a place, he would create one.
Step by step, Ryan rises.....smarter, colder, more dangerous than anyone expects. He builds his own power, his own influence, his own empire. And with every move, he gets closer to the one goal that drives him......
to prove his worth.
Buried deep in the past lies a secret … a truth that could shake the entire foundation of the family that rejected him.
Blood won't equate loyalty.
Only power will decide who stands at the top.

I thought escaping my yandere ex-girlfriend was the hardest thing I’d ever do.
Then, the apocalypse began.
For six grueling months, I slaved away in a survivor shelter, doing everything to survive.
But gratitude doesn’t exist in the wasteland.
To secure rations, the shelter leaders decided to betray me, trading me away like cattle to a rival superpower base.
As I was dragged out, leaving my old shelter to its inevitable doom, I braced myself for the worst at the new base.
But when I was brought before their ruthless, all-powerful leader, the blood in my veins ran cold.
Sitting on the throne was the very woman who used to drug me, cage me, and possess me.
My psycho ex.
And she’s been looking for me.

BOOK1: The 5-Time Rejected Gamma And The Lycan King

After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate bonds.
To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What's worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself.

She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner.
King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn't thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him.

He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn't seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he's different; and a chance to love her.


BOOK2: The Rogues Who Went Rogue

One of King Alexandar and Queen Lucianne’s most trusted allies, Alpha Tate of the White Blood Pack, has been bonded to a red wolf named Margaret.
The problem? Margaret is a rogue. And she isn’t some small fry, but the leader of a rogue pack that survived rogue-eradicating expeditions. Despite her notoriety, Tate still wishes to give their bond a chance. But Margaret had suffered severe disappointment and betrayal in the mate-bond department once before.

Now, she refuses to give into her wolf’s naïve, primal instincts like she did in the past. It will only break her heart and ruin her life.
Even if Margaret does give in, can Tate really trust her? At the end of the day, she’s a rogue, and rogues pose a risk to the safety of the Kingdom and to his own pack.

As if Tate being bonded to a suspicious mate isn’t enough to deal with, Xandar and Lucianne are faced with new threats stemming from a species that lycans and werewolves had not heard from since the declaration of truce almost 204 years ago - vampires, whose villages are invaded by intruders that left lycan and werewolf scents. The dire situation makes them both conclude that they have to turn to someone for help, someone they locked up not long ago, and this someone kept secrets of his own.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone) HOMECOMING (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #5 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has over 1,000 five-star reviews. When two husbands, best friends, turn up dead in a wealthy suburban town, FBI VICAP Special Agent Chloe Fine, 27, is called in to unmask the lies in this small town and to find the killer. Chloe will have to penetrate this town’s perfect façade, to get past its public appearances to understand the truth of who these men were, and who may have wanted them dead. And in a town that thrives on its exclusivity, that won’t be easy to do.What secrets were these husbands hiding?An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, HOMECOMING is book #5 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the Chloe Fine series will also be available soon.

I watched my fiancé put a bullet through my parents' heads before he blew my brains out—so why am I staring at my own funeral on the car radio?

"Splash!" The icy water woke me up to a nightmare. I had been tied to a chair in a godforsaken warehouse for three days without food or water.

Standing before me was Kurt, the man I was supposed to marry, and clinging to his arm was Vera, my best friend of seven years. They didn't just kidnap me; they drained my billionaire empire dry.

"Let's just kill her and get it over with!" Vera pouted, playing with my fiancé's chest.

I refused to beg. I promised them the Vaughn family would skin them alive. But Kurt just laughed, snapping his fingers. Thugs dragged my parents in and threw them to the blood-soaked floor. Before I could even scream, Kurt pulled the trigger. Two bullets. Two dead bodies.

"NO!!!" I thrashed against the ropes, tearing my skin to the bone. Kurt just smiled, pointed the gun at my forehead, and whispered, "I never loved you."

Boom. A gaping red hole in my head. Darkness.

But then… I jerked awake.

I wasn't in hell. I was in the passenger seat of a moving car, looking into a rearview mirror at a face that wasn't mine. Black hair, striking green eyes.

"Have you gone deaf, you stupid country bumpkin?!" my new "step-sister" screeched from the driver's seat. "You're marrying into the Graves family today as a substitute! You're marrying the paralyzed vegetable, Lucian Graves!"

My heart stopped. Lucian Graves? My biggest, most ruthless rival in the business world?

The radio crackled: "Breaking News: Heiress Elara Vaughn and her parents found brutally murdered..."

I touched my new face as a vicious, bloodthirsty smile spread across my lips. Kurt. Vera. You thought you killed the Queen. But I've just been reborn.

And my new, comatose husband is going to help me destroy you.

"Marry me... or get out of my fucking office. And if you choose to get fired, I will make sure you never work in this city again. I mean every word of it."
Desperate to save her brother, Emma Carter agrees to a two-year contract marriage with billionaire Adrian Steele. No emotions, no intimacy, only business. For Adrian, she is a shield against his mother's schemes. For Emma, it is the only way to protect her family.
Living in his world of power, secrets, and lies, Emma begins to see the man behind the walls, a broken soul who has never been allowed to want. Betrayal and deceit force her to flee carrying a secret that could change everything.
Five years later, a chance reunion reveals what Adrian never knew, a daughter with his eyes and a woman who has learned to live without him. Can he reclaim the family he lost or is it too late?

"Part those legs for me, you little w***e," Miles whispered in Meredith's ear. He entered a finger into her throbbing member before adding a second one.

"You'll be the death of me, Miles," she moaned.

"No, Meredith, you'll be the death of me. I never wanted to own something so badly until I met you. Now, I want to own every inch of your beautiful body."

The story of a girl who lost all hope when her long-time boyfriend decided to end things. She is subjected to taking care of a billionaire who underwent a heart transplant. Their encounter started as a whirlwind of chaos and hate for each other. Slowly, they began to fall in love until they couldn't deny their feelings.

However, Meredith was in search of her missing brother she needed answers to his disappearance. Miles and Meredith's relationship is entwined. How can the billionaire find his second chance at love?

Is there anything you can do about it if your fated mate happens to be the son of the people who you believe killed your parents?

"I, Hades Alexios, the future Alpha of Silver Bow Pack, rejected you, Gloria Alvander as my mate," he stated while looking at me.

I didn't flinch and accept the rejection without hesitation, “Then thanks for your rejection, I, Gloria Lavender, the daughter of Shadow Mystic Pack’s Alpha King, accepted your rejection,”

Gloria was adopted by the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Bow Pack when she was young. And was trained to be a female soldier loyal to the Pack. Although she was regarded as a Beta, she had more power and speed than an Alpha.

The future Alpha of the Silver Bow Pack, Hades Alexios, a possessive and badman, turned out to be Gloria’s mate when she was going to be 18. However, Gloria was rejected by Hades because he prefer a noble mate, not just an adopted girl who was rumored to be someone else's bastard.

As soon as he found out that she was the daughter of the once powerful Pack, he regretted it. He knelt down to apologize and beg her to come back, but Gloria had already met her second chance mate, Apollo Harris. The Alpha of Crystal Blood Pack, the man who had loved at first sight with Gloria in their childhood.

SYNOPSIS

On her eighteenth birthday, Elena felt the electric pull of the mate bond—only to realize her destined mate was Alpha Jaxon Hale, the cold and feared leader of their pack. One night of passion. No words. No promises. And by morning, only rejection.

“This never happened,” he warned.

Humiliated and heartbroken, Elena disappeared under the cover of night. Weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. To protect her unborn child and escape the shame, she cut her hair, changed her name, and began living as a boy—hiding in plain sight.

Now, one year later, she’s not just a mother—she’s a trained killer. Assigned a mission to eliminate a dangerous Alpha, she returns under a false identity, only to get entangled with three powerful men: Rick, Jack, and the very Alpha who once broke her—Jaxon.

But things aren’t as simple as revenge. As truths unravel and bonds tighten, she must make a choice: give her mate a second chance… or choose the ones who loved her when she was no one.

And if she fails her mission, it won’t just be her heart at risk—her twin babies lives hangs in the balance.

I was pregnant for the third time, and yet again, I gave birth to a stillborn baby.
I stumbled to my feet, wanting to see my child for the last time, only to see my husband Qin Duchuan holding a baby and walking into my adoptive sister’s ward.
I followed him instinctively, and heard Qin Weiwei’s delicate voice:
"Brother Duchuan, thank you for being willing to give sister-in-law’s baby to me, giving me a chance to be a mother."
My child?
Wasn’t my child stillborn as soon as it was born?
A buzzing sound filled my ears, and the blood all over my body seemed to freeze instantly.
"This is all we owe you,"
Qin Duchuan’s voice was full of heartache:
"If it weren’t for Lingning being selfish and insisting on marrying you off back then, you wouldn’t have met such a terrible person and been tortured until your uterus was removed."
"Then sister-in-law... What if she finds out and tries to take the baby away?"
"She’ll never find out."

“I, Layla Lecruest, reject you Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack as my mate.”
Alpha Sebastian lifted his head. His thick hair blew back as the door to the house opened and a wind swept in.
“I, Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack, accept your rejection.”
Yes, it hurt to be rejected. Your mate was the one person in the entire world that was meant for you and the stories I had heard were glorious. Like the only two pieces of a puzzle, you find each other and become whole. You will never love anyone as you love your mate. And you never got a second chance. It was very rare, and I had just rejected mine.
Layla Lecruest, is a fierce, brave, and strong-willed girl who never cared about fitting in but neither did she plan to stand out as much as she did. Believing to be a normal wolf, the daughter of a former Beta, she never thought herself to be special. Little did she know that she held a gene that many believed to have been gone for a long time.
When she finds out that her mate is the Alpha who spent his life tormenting her, they quickly reject each other on the spot. Unbeknownst to them, Alpha Kade was on his way and would turn everything upside down as her second chance mate. The notorious Alpha Kade was famous for his strength and his ability to lead his pack. He earned respect wherever he went and when he arrived at the Red Moon Pack, he swore he wouldn't leave without his mate.
What happens when Layla finds herself stuck between her former and current mate as well as a pack of wolves with superior powers who thought she belonged to them? And what happens when another, even bigger secret is revealed?

Dear readers! If you love this story, check out my other book: After Affair: I Took My Children and Remarried

A month before my wedding, I burned the dress I'd spent a year making with my own hands.
My fiancé stood there with his pregnant mistress wrapped in his arms, sneering at me. "Without me, you're nothing."
I turned around and knocked on the richest man in the city's door. "Mr. Locke, interested in a marriage alliance? I'm offering a hundred-billion-dollar stake—plus a future business empire, free of charge."

Tawny Matthews thought that Leonard Roberts married her, perhaps he would have some feelings for her.

But from the beginning to the end, he was cold and indifferent, and she could only endure that he always thought of someone else.

Three years passed, and she felt that she could not expect or hope for this marriage relationship, so she decided to leave, leave this place, and start a new life.

Five years later, they met again, standing opposite each other, but neither recognized the other. He did not recognize her because she had changed so much. Tawny seemed to have become a completely different person. She became colder and more decisive, and her eyes looked at him like those of a stranger. Why did she not recognize him? Was it because she was now his ex-wife?

I was rejected, but soon, I will marry a wheelchair-bound Rogue."Is this your fiancé?""Yes, he is my husband, Raymond Black," I introduced."How shameful, you are marrying this... uh, rogue, who has no clan, no fixed pack, and can't even protect you if attacked by other werewolves?"I stood at the altar, with many people below, as if saying to me: you are such a fool!Raymond said beside me, "Caitlin, if you want to back out, you still have a chance now, you can chooseto run away."I shook my head, "No... I won't run away, you will be my husband."I saw a hint of surprise in his emerald, green eyes.******I was set up by my best friend to have sx with a strange man, my first MATE rejected me, an enemy weapon ran through my father's heart, pierced my mother's body. My best friend's family stripped me of my ALPHA status, and I became everyone's go-to OMEGA. Until thatman came along, Rogue, and he saved me, but... I found that he seemed to hide a lot of secrets, wait, my second mate is alpha king?!

Let's divorce now and get this over with. We've both gotten what we wanted for this arrangement.”

A tear fell out of Zerah’s eye, unnoticed.
“Is that so?”
….
Two years before, Zerah saved his life and they'd fallen in love with a promise to return as he'd left. Now, a year after their reunion, he was no longer the man she knew.

Compelled to sign a contract marriage for the sake of her mother's health, she thought she could regain his love but only received humiliation and heartbreak in return. As he put the divorce papers in front of her, she'd resigned herself to let go of her love, leaving with the secret growing inside her.

Yet fate still brings them together? As the bond of her sons forces her back into his life, now engaged to the childhood friend he'd never failed to humiliate her for, secrets are revealed and she is forced to bear it.

What will happen when he recovers his memories and realizes that he'd chosen the wrong woman? Will he be able to win her heart? Will she accept him or choose a different path? Or will the forces against her take her before she can choose?

Estrella is betrayed by her husband and her closest friend, which leads to her death. She is given a second chance and a new life. This time, she chooses to marry the only man her husband fears: his silent CEO. And now, it is their turn to pay the price.

For three years of marriage, John Smith disappeared every night.

Jane Watson endured three years in a loveless, sexless marriage, stubbornly believing that one day her husband would see her worth.

However, she never expected that what awaited her was John's divorce papers.

Finally, she made a decision: she didn't want a man who didn't love her, so in the dead of night, she left with her unborn child.

Five years later, she made a spectacular transformation into a top orthopedic surgeon, an elite hacker, a gold-medal designer in the construction industry, and even the heiress to a trillion-dollar conglomerate, with her secret identities revealed one after another.

Until someone exposed that she had two four-year-old little troublemakers by her side, who bore a striking resemblance to a certain CEO's twins.

Upon seeing the divorce certificate, her ex-husband could no longer sit still. He cornered her against the wall and pressed her with the question: "My dear ex-wife, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Aurora is an omega in Brown Wood Pack, who faced heartbreak when the Alpha's son rejected her for another girl. After leaving to find solace, Aurora returns to her pack, only to discover the tragic death of the Luna, the beloved woman who raised her. Amidst the chaos, Aurora learns she is the Alpha's second chance mate! Alpha Caden never expected the Moon Goddess to bless him with a second chance mate, let alone someone decades younger than he is. Especially his son's rejected mate. He didn't know what to do with that knowledge of unfamiliar emotions. But what happens when Alpha Caden wants nothing to do with Aurora and decided to punish her for making him mark her while he was drunk?

"Lily is mine," Harrison Carter declared, his dark gaze locking onto Juliette's. "Marry me, and I'll protect her. Refuse… and be ready for the consequences."
Juliet Harper swore she will never return to the city that broke her. But when a career opportunity takes her back to New York, she finds herself face to face with the last person she expected, Harrison Carter, a young billionaire, the man who shattered her heart into pieces.
Old wounds bleed into the present as secrets she thought were buried begin to surface. Harrison isn't just after her forgiveness—he wants control, and he's willing to use the one person she loves most to get it.
As secrets unravel, Juliette must decide: Can she risk it again? Or will her past destroy everything she's built?

At my engagement dinner, my fiancé asked me to sign the prenup that killed me once before.

Last time, Adrian smiled, kissed my hand, and promised I would never be alone again. Three weeks later, debt collectors came for money I had never borrowed, black veins crawled under my skin, and his dying mother walked out of hospice in pearls.

This time, I turned to the second page first.

My name was already printed there.

Beside it was a date that had not happened yet.

Under it was another bride’s name.

A woman declared dead twenty-three years ago.

Cindy and Mattheus, finally together, prepare to take time off and live together—when a stunning upset in their relationship tears them apart. Cindy flies home to New York, resigned to never work as a detective—and never see Mattheus—again.And then a shocking phone call comes out of the blue: it is Mattheus. A new body has turned up. Cindy at first refuses—until he tells her who it is: his wife. They finally found her, on the shores of Key West. Brutally murdered, they suspect, by an abusive boyfriend.Mattheus’ world is upside down, and Cindy has no choice but to fly back down to the islands and help him uncover what really happened. Why did she turn up now, after so many years? How did she turn up in Key West, so far from where he’d last seen her? Why had she never contacted him? Who was she dating? And have the police caught the right man?Their investigation takes them deep into the underworld of Key West, a gorgeous, idyllic place where the locals gather to watch the sunset every night with an evening drink. It is an enchanting place—but as Cindy learns, it is also a place with a dark underbelly. Cindy prods deeper into the murder and her investigation takes her into the world of an abused woman’s shelter. Soon, she is convinced the police have the wrong man. She and Mattheus, thrown together again, reconsider their feelings for one another. But there may not be time: Cindy finds out too much and comes in danger herself. As the murder hits too close to home, it may be too late for them both.DEATH BY DECEIT is both a stand-alone novel, and is also Book #5 in the Caribbean Murder series, following DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1), DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2) and DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3) and DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4).

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.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.” --Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone) From #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense: CAUSE TO SAVE (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 5)—the final installment in the Avery Black series.In the epic finale of the Avery Black series, serial killer Howard Randall has escaped, and the entire city of Boston is on edge. Women are turning up gruesomely murdered, and everyone suspects Howard is at it again. When Boston’s most brilliant and controversial homicide detective—Avery Black—is herself stalked—and when people close to her are brutally killed, one by one—it seems the city’s worst fears are confirmed.But Avery is not so sure. The murders remind her of something she once saw in her past. They remind her of something too close to her heart—something that had to do with a secret she thought she had buried long ago….The most riveting and shocking book of the series, a psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO SAVE is the finale that will leave you turning pages late into the night. “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery. Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side, so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

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)

Carla spent eight years surviving hell inside the Alpha's mansion. An unwanted Omega. A servant. A punching bag for the entire Smith family. Especially for Nessian and Sebastian Smith.
The ruthless Alpha twins made her life miserable.
They humiliated her, controlled her and tormented her for years.
And Carla swore that the moment she turned eighteen, she would escape them forever.
But fate had other plans.
On the night of her birthday, the Moon Goddess reveals the cruelest truth of all:
The two men she hates most are her fated mates.
Both of them.
Now Carla is trapped between the possessive Alpha twins who refuse to let her go.
According to pack law, she can only choose one brother.
One will become Alpha and claim her as his mate. The other will lose everything.
But the deeper the bond grows, the more dangerous the twins become.
Obsessive. Jealous. Territorial.
And when the Alpha King himself becomes interested in Carla, the rivalry turns deadly.
Because neither twin is willing to share.
And neither of them can survive losing her.

Elena was a cold-hearted Reaper, a soul-collector who followed the rules. But when she saves Liam, an ordinary boy who wasn’t meant to survive, she breaks everything.

Stripped of her powers, Elena is forced into a human life, tied to a secret love she’s forbidden to have.

Liam’s life is a mystery. His survival was a glitch in fate, and now, his very existence threatens the balance of life and death.

As he and Elena grow closer, sparks fly and so do the dangers. With a jealous rival and a deadly supernatural enforcer on their trail, every moment could be their last.

In a world where love was never meant to exist between them, they’ll risk everything to stay together, but is love worth defying fate?

A sizzling forbidden romance where love is the ultimate rebellion.

In a world of Elementals, Fire and Ice must never meet; touching is forbidden… and deadly.
Asher Lauigne grew up in a home where everyone called him a monster and lived his whole life in fear of his fire powers. He has never felt true love or happiness, and when his parents finally got tired of him and dropped him off at an academy for freak kids like him, he thinks his life is over without realizing his journey has only begun. Xavi Vael is ice-cold, composed, and untouchable… yet intoxicating. He is tasked by the principal to befriend and manipulate Asher, but then finds himself intrigued and attracted to Asher despite knowing it’s forbidden. When fate forces them together at the academy, every stolen glance, every brush of skin ignites a forbidden desire neither can resist.
But lust has a price. Power, betrayal, and a deadly virus threaten to tear them apart. To survive, they must break every rule, defy every law, and surrender to the fire and frost consuming them.
One touch. One kiss. One sin that could destroy them or awaken a power the world has never seen.
Touch him, melt him… and risk it all.

Della's heart was completely broken, and she chose true freedom. She rejected her husband, returned to her home, and resumed her true identity- the Lycan King's most favored daughter!But who can tell her why Kylian satrted to hunt her like a different person after the rejection? Can he make a firm choice between his fated mate and her this time?When they see the other side of the moon goddess' gift, and when Della's fated mate showed up as well, where their destiny will lead them?Read to find out.

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?

Francesca Diana, an innocent soul, is left heartbroken as her beloved Lorenzo vanishes overnight after their passionate first night together.

Lorenzo Fernando, deeply in love with Francesca, finds himself trapped when his father abruptly whisks him away to the USA for studies, leaving no chance for a farewell to his true love. With an unbreakable promise to return, he vanished from her life.

A decade later, Francesca has risen to fame and fortune, her past leaving indelible marks that have transformed her into a formidable woman. She extends an intriguing invitation to the man who once shattered her heart, setting the stage for a revenge-fueled reunion. She's prepared herself for this moment, her identity shrouded by a mask and eyes of a different hue.

By day, she's a respected and enigmatic sommelier; by night, a mesmerizing dancer who ensnares men's hearts.

Will she stay resolute in her quest for revenge? How will he react upon discovering his beloved is alive, nursing unfounded resentment?

Caught in the web of their complex emotions is Lorenzo's relentless father, fixated on the captivating Francesca.

Is there a chance for them to rekindle their love, or will fate once again keep them apart?

She hit delete, and her husband's betrayal vanished from the screen.
Elena had no tears left to cry. All that remained was a deep, physical disgust for her marriage.
To save her family's collapsing company, she was forced to stay by Damon's side, enduring his coldness and humiliation. But one night, under the name "Diana," she walked into a brothel and gave herself to a stranger, believing it was the revenge she could take.
She never expected that one reckless act would drag her into something far darker. Damon soon threatened her with her father's medical bills, forcing her to approach a businessman named Aaron to secure a deal. What she didn't know was that the man she had spent that night with was the very same Aaron. He was a billionaire who controlled half the city's economy, cold, dangerous, and yet fatally drawn to her strength and defiance.
Could it get any worse?
Damon then demanded that Elena carry Aaron's child as blackmail, threatening to expose her "affair" if she refused.
Desperate, Elena pretended to get close to Aaron, but emotion blurred the line between lies and truth. In the silence of confession rooms and the chaos of speeding cars, their restraint shattered again and again, until passion turned into something neither of them could control...